Comparing pre-industrial and modern ocean noise levels in the Santa Barbara Channel

To understand the extent of anthropogenic noise in the ocean, it is essential to compare the differences between modern noise environments and their pre-industrial equivalents. The Santa Barbara Channel, off the coast of Southern California, is a corridor for the transportation of goods to and from the busiest shipping ports in the Western hemisphere. Commercial ships introduce high levels of underwater noise into the marine environment. To quantify the extent of noise in the region, we modeled pre-industrial ocean noise levels, driven by wind, and modern ocean noise levels, resulting from the presence of both ships and wind. By comparing pre-industrial and modern underwater noise levels, the low-frequency (50 Hz) acoustic environment was found to be degraded by more than 15 dB. These results can be used to identify regions for noise reduction efforts, as well as to model scenarios to identify those with the greatest potential to support marine conservation efforts.

Iterative learning experiments can help elucidate music's origins

Anglada-Tort et al. Current Biology, 33, 1472-1486.e12, (2023) conducted a large-scale iterative learning study with cross-cultural human participants to understand how musical structure emerges. Together with archaeological, developmental, historical cross-cultural music data, and cross-species studies we can begin to elucidate the origins of music.

Acoustic and Physiological Voice Assessment And Maximum Phonation Time In Patients With Different Types Of Dysarthria

OBJECTIVE

To compare the maximum phonation time of /a/, acoustic glottal source parameters, and physiological measures in patients with dysarthria.

METHOD

Thirteen patients were classified according to dysarthria type and divided into functional profiles (hypofunctional, hyperfunctional, and mixed). Assessments of maximum phonation time of /a/, glottal source parameters, electroglottography, and nasometry were performed. Results were compared between groups using ANOVA and Tukey posthoc tests.

RESULTS

The highest fundamental frequency differed significantly between groups, with the hyperfunctional profile showing higher values than the other participant groups. Reductions in the maximum phonation time of /a/ and alterations in acoustic glottal source parameters and electroglottography measures were observed in all groups, with no significant differences between them. The remaining measures did not differ between groups.

CONCLUSION

The maximum phonation times for /a/ were reduced in all participant groups, suggesting air escape during phonation. The presence of alterations in several glottal source parameters in all participant groups is indicative of noise, tremor, and vocal instability. Lastly, the high fundamental frequency in patients with a hyperfunctional profile reinforces the presence of vocal instability. These findings suggest that, although the characteristics observed in the assessments were consistent with expectations of patients with dysarthria, it is difficult to perform a differential diagnosis of this condition based on acoustic and physiological parameters alone.

thebeat: A Python package for working with rhythms and other temporal sequences

thebeat is a Python package for working with temporal sequences and rhythms in the behavioral and cognitive sciences, as well as in bioacoustics. It provides functionality for creating experimental stimuli, and for visualizing and analyzing temporal data. Sequences, sounds, and experimental trials can be generated using single lines of code. thebeat contains functions for calculating common rhythmic measures, such as interval ratios, and for producing plots, such as circular histograms. thebeat saves researchers time when creating experiments, and provides the first steps in collecting widely accepted methods for use in timing research. thebeat is an open-source, on-going, and collaborative project, and can be extended for use in specialized subfields. thebeat integrates easily with the existing Python ecosystem, allowing one to combine our tested code with custom-made scripts. The package was specifically designed to be useful for both skilled and novice programmers. thebeat provides a foundation for working with temporal sequences onto which additional functionality can be built. This combination of specificity and plasticity should facilitate research in multiple research contexts and fields of study.

Dataset on permeability of wings from owls and non-silently flying birds

The very soft and flow-permeable plumage is among the special adaptations of the owl that the silent flight is attributed to. Using a specially designed apparatus that provides a low-speed volume flow of air through a small sample of porous material, measurements of the air flow permeability were performed in accordance to ISO 9053 on a total of 39 prepared wing specimen from six different bird species, including three species of silently flying owls and three non-silently flying bird species. The resulting data set described in the present paper contains the static airflow resistance measured at different positions on the wing.

The impact of tamoxifen treatment on voice parameters in premenopausal women with breast cancer

OBJECTIVE

The study aims to investigate the estrogen-agonistic effects of tamoxifen on voice parameters in premenopausal women diagnosed with breast cancer.

METHODS

A total of 108 premenopausal women were included, segmented into distinct treatment groups and a control group. Objective sound analysis was conducted using robust statistical methods, employing SPSS 25.0 for data analysis.

RESULTS

The study identified a statistically significant reduction in Jitter values across all treatment groups compared to the control group. No significant changes were observed in other voice quality parameters such as F0, Shimmer, NHR, and HNR.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings suggest that tamoxifen may have an estrogen-agonistic effect on voice quality, thereby potentially influencing future treatment protocols. This research fills a critical void in existing literature and sets the stage for more comprehensive studies that consider affects of hormonal therapies to voice.

Ultrasound robotics for precision therapy

In recent years, the application of microrobots in precision therapy has gained significant attention. The small size and maneuverability of these micromachines enable them to potentially access regions that are difficult to reach using traditional methods; thus, reducing off-target toxicities and maximizing treatment effectiveness. Specifically, acoustic actuation has emerged as a promising method to exert control. By harnessing the power of acoustic energy, these small machines potentially navigate the body, assemble at the desired sites, and deliver therapies with enhanced precision and effectiveness. Amidst the enthusiasm surrounding these miniature agents, their translation to clinical environments has proven difficult. The primary objectives of this review are threefold: firstly, to offer an overview of the fundamental acoustic principles employed in the field of microrobots; secondly, to assess their current applications in medical therapies, encompassing tissue targeting, drug delivery or even cell infiltration; and lastly, to delve into the continuous efforts aimed at integrating acoustic microrobots into in vivo applications.

Temporal, spectral and amplitude characteristics of the Greek fricative /s/ in hearing-impaired and normal-hearing speech

Fricatives, and especially sibilants, are very frequently misarticulated by speakers with hearing loss. Misarticulations can result in phonemic contrast weakening or loss, compromising intelligibility. The present study focuses on the examination of acoustic characteristics of the Greek alveolar fricative /s/, an articulatorily demanding sound, produced by young adult speakers with profound hearing impairment and with normal hearing. An array of variables was examined using mixed-effects and random forest models aiming to assess the effectiveness of various measures in differentiating hearing-impaired and normal-hearing /s/ production. Significant differences were found in spectral and amplitude measures, but not in temporal measures. In hearing-impaired speech, spectral slope and RMS amplitude had significantly lower values, indicating a more distributed spectrum, suggestive of decreased flow velocity through the fricative constriction. Also, a trend for concentration of energy at lower frequencies was observed suggesting more posterior fricative articulation than normal. Moreover, measures capturing the variation of frequency and amplitude over time revealed different patterns of sibilance development across time than normal, denoting the production of a less well-formed or less sibilant /s/ by speakers with hearing impairment. The investigation of contextual effects on /s/ in hearing-impaired speech showed increased spectral variance, negative skewness and lower kurtosis in the labial (rounded) context /u/ in relation to the nonlabial contexts /i/ and /a/, indicating a more diffuse, less compact spectrum with concentration at high frequencies. Findings are discussed in relation to previous literature on fricative production by speakers with hearing impairment and normal hearing in Greek and other languages.

Relationships Between Vocal Fold Adduction Patterns, Vocal Acoustic Quality, and Vocal Effort in Individuals With and Without Hyperfunctional Voice Disorders

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS

Increased vocal effort and aberrant vocal quality are often attributed to vocal fold hyperadduction in hyperfunctional voice disorders. However, there are currently no established methods to quantify vocal fold adduction beyond subjective descriptors in this clinical population. Furthermore, relationships between vocal fold adduction patterns, vocal effort severity, and vocal quality are not well characterized. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to (1) quantify vocal fold adduction, applying a previously validated method developed for patients with vocal fold paralysis, and (2) correlate these measures with acoustic vocal quality and self-perceived measures of vocal effort severity.

METHODS

A deep learning program, Automated Glottic Action Tracking using artificial Intelligence, was used to track glottic angle configurations and vocal fold adduction velocities on laryngoscopic videos across 60 laryngoscopies (20 primary muscle tension dysphonia [pMTD], 20 phonotraumatic lesions, and 20 healthy controls). Voice samples were also acquired, and cepstral peak prominence (CPP) and H1-H2 acoustic measures were used to quantify vocal quality. Participants were also asked to rate their vocal effort on a 100 mm visual analog scale.

RESULTS

There were no significant group differences in glottic angle configurations or vocal fold adduction velocities, although there were trends toward increased peak vocal fold adduction velocities in patients with hyperfunctional voice disorders compared to controls. Vocal effort was significantly higher in the two hyperfunctional groups compared to controls. CPP was significantly lower in the pMTD group, but there were no group differences in acoustic parameters between any of the other groups or for H1-H2 values.

CONCLUSION

Despite significantly more vocal effort reported in patients with hyperfunctional voice disorders, there were no significant group differences in vocal fold adduction patterns. These findings suggest other physiologic mechanisms may also be responsible for the symptoms and genesis of pMTD and benign vocal fold lesions.

Using aircraft tracking data to estimate the geographic scope of noise impacts from low-level overflights above parks and protected areas

Sightseeing air tours have proven to be a challenging management issue for many tourist destinations around the world, especially at locations meant to protect natural and cultural resources and wilderness character. Two of the primary challenges with managing air tours are a lack of information about their travel patterns and how such patterns result in a measurable noise impact to listeners. Recent studies have highlighted the usefulness of newer technology for tracking aircraft travel patterns, particularly over national parks. In this synthesis, we pair aircraft tracks with acoustic data using a quantitative observer-based audibility modelling software toolkit. The findings delimit the long-term geographic scope of audibility for specific aircraft noise sources above landscapes of Hawai'i Volcanoes and Denali National Parks, U.S. and identify practical, 3-dimensional offset distances that can be used to reduce the functional effects of air tour noise in terms of sound level.

Cepstral and Perceptual Investigations of Voice in Speech and Language Pathologists with Vocal Fatigue

Vocal fatigue is known as a hyperfunctional voice disorder that can lead to other conditions, such as muscle tension dysphonia (MTD). Speech and language pathologists (SLPs) are professional voice users who may suffer from vocal fatigue due to heavy vocal demands. This study aimed at investigating the cepstral and perceptual dimensions of voice and their correlation in the SLPs with vocal fatigue. Twenty-six SLPs and senior speech therapy students (mean age = 27.11 ± 6.8 yrs), including men (n = 5) and women (n = 21), participated in this descriptive cross-sectional study. They had vocal fatigue according to the Vocal Fatigue Index (VFI). In acoustic assessment, cepstral analysis (CPP and CPPS) was performed using Praat software. The Persian version of Consensus Auditory Perceptual Evaluation of Voice (CAPE-V) was used to evaluate the overall severity of dysphonia. The correlation between these two evaluations was also investigated using IBM SPSS Statistics software version 23. Results revealed that the mean CPPS (13.716 ± 2.084) was lower than the cutoff point. Perceptual findings indicated that the mean overall severity (10.557 ± 11.210) fell in the normal variability of voice quality (NVVQ) range. In addition, cepstral and perceptual evaluations had no significant correlation (P > 0/05). The findings showed that auditory-perceptual evaluation considered the gold standard method of voice evaluation, cannot solely identify vocal fatigue. However, cepstral measures can help provide a more objective profile of vocal function in SLPs with vocal fatigue. Therefore, both of these evaluations are recommended for voice assessment of vocal fatigue.

No ultrasounds detected from fungi when dehydrated

Many organisms (including certain plant species) can be observed to emit sounds, potentially signifying threat alerts. Sensitivity to such sounds and vibrations may also play an important role in the lives of fungi. In this work, we explore the potential of ultrasound activity in dehydrating fungi, and discover that several species of fungi do not emit sounds (detectable with conventional instrumentation) in the frequency range of 10kHz to 210kHz upon dehydration. Over 5 terabytes of ultrasound recordings were collected and analysed. We conjecture that fungi interact via non-sound means, such as electrical or chemical.

Evaluation of the sensory environment in a large tertiary ICU

BACKGROUND

ICU survival is improving. However, many patients leave ICU with ongoing cognitive, physical, and/or psychological impairments and reduced quality of life. Many of the reasons for these ongoing problems are unmodifiable; however, some are linked with the ICU environment. Suboptimal lighting and excessive noise contribute to a loss of circadian rhythms and sleep disruptions, leading to increased mortality and morbidity. Despite long-standing awareness of these problems, meaningful ICU redesign is yet to be realised, and the 'ideal' ICU design is likely to be unique to local context and patient cohorts. To inform the co-design of an improved ICU environment, this study completed a detailed evaluation of the ICU environment, focussing on acoustics, sound, and light.

METHODS

This was an observational study of the lighting and acoustic environment using sensors and formal evaluations. Selected bedspaces, chosen to represent different types of bedspaces in the ICU, were monitored during prolonged study periods. Data were analysed descriptively using Microsoft Excel.

RESULTS

Two of the three monitored bedspaces showed a limited difference in lighting levels across the day, with average daytime light intensity not exceeding 300 Lux. In bedspaces with a window, the spectral power distribution (but not intensity) of the light was similar to natural light when all ceiling lights were off. However, when the ceiling lights were on, the spectral power distribution was similar between bedspaces with and without windows. Average sound levels in the study bedspaces were 63.75, 56.80, and 59.71 dBA, with the single room being noisier than the two open-plan bedspaces. There were multiple occasions of peak sound levels > 80 dBA recorded, with the maximum sound level recorded being > 105 dBA. We recorded one new monitor or ventilator alarm commencing every 69 s in each bedspace, with only 5% of alarms actioned. Acoustic testing showed poor sound absorption and blocking.

CONCLUSIONS

This study corroborates other studies confirming that the lighting and acoustic environments in the study ICU were suboptimal, potentially contributing to adverse patient outcomes. This manuscript discusses potential solutions to identified problems. Future studies are required to evaluate whether an optimised ICU environment positively impacts patient outcomes.

Red blood cell trapping using single-beam acoustic tweezers in the Rayleigh regime

Acoustic tweezers (ATs) are a promising technology that can trap and manipulate microparticles or cells with the focused ultrasound beam without physical contact. Unlike optical tweezers, ATs may be used for in vivo studies because they can manipulate cells through tissues. However, in previous non-invasive microparticle trapping studies, ATs could only trap spherical particles, such as beads. Here, we present a theoretical analysis of how the acoustic beam traps red blood cells (RBCs) with experimental demonstration. The proposed modeling shows that the trapping of a non-spherical, biconcave-shaped RBC could be successfully done by single-beam acoustic tweezers (SBATs). We demonstrate this by trapping RBCs using SBATs in the Rayleigh regime, where the cell size is smaller than the wavelength of the beam. Suggested SBAT is a promising tool for cell transportation and sorting.

Cepstral Measurements: A Comparison of Results Between Singing and Non-Singing Individuals

OBJECTIVE

To analyze and compare cepstral measurements in singing and non-singing men and women to understand if vocal adaptations of singers reflect greater cepstral measurement results.

METHOD

The study included 91 vocally healthy individuals, consisting of 60 erudite or popular singers (30 males, 30 females) and 31 non-singers (16 males, 15 females). The Cepstral Peak Prominence (CPP) and Cepstral Peak Prominence-Smoothed (CPPS) measures were carried out using the sustained /a/ vowel recorded with a unidirectional condenser microphone associated with a sound card on the computer. The Praat software (version 6.1.16) was used to extract the CPP and CPPS measurements. The intra and intergroup values obtained for each sex were compared using the t-test with a 5% significance level.

RESULTS

There was a CPP (P = 0,000) and CPPS (P = 0,000 and P = 0,001) value difference between the sexes in both groups. Cepstral measurements showed no statistically significant difference between singing and non-singing participants (male: P = 0,778 and P = 0,622; female: P = 0,622 and P = 0,460).

CONCLUSION

Men presented higher CPP and CPPS values than women, which may be related to the presence of the physiological posterior glottic cleft in women. The knowledge of the cepstral values of singers shows that singing specificities may not reflect in all vocal evaluations.

A Cross-sectional Study of Perceptual and Acoustic Voice Characteristics in Healthy Aging

PURPOSE

The human voice qualitatively changes across the lifespan. Although some of these vocal changes may be pathologic, other changes likely reflect natural physiological aging. Normative data for voice characteristics in healthy aging is limited and disparate studies have used a range of different acoustic features, some of which are implicated in pathologic voice changes. We examined the perceptual and acoustic features that predict healthy aging.

METHOD

Participants (N = 150) aged between 50 and 92 years performed a sustained vowel task. Acoustic features were measured using the Multi-Dimensional Voice Program and the Analysis of Dysphonia in Speech and Voice. We used forward and backward variable elimination techniques based on the Bayesian information criterion and linear regression to assess which of these acoustic features predict age and perceptual features. Hearing thresholds were determined using pure-tone audiometry tests at frequencies 250 Hz, 500 Hz, 1000 Hz, 2000 Hz, and 4000 Hz. We further explored potential relationships between these acoustic features and clinical assessments of voice quality using the Consensus Auditory-Perceptual Evaluation of Voice.

RESULTS

Chronological age was significantly predicted by greater voice turbulence, variability of cepstral fundamental frequency, low relative to high spectral energy, and cepstral intensity. When controlling for hearing loss, age was significantly predicted by amplitude perturbations and cepstral intensity. Clinical assessments of voice indicated perceptual characteristics of speech were predicted by different acoustic features. For example, breathiness was predicted by the soft phonation index, mean cepstral peak prominence, mean low-high spectral ratio, and mean cepstral intensity.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings suggest that acoustic features that predict healthy aging are different than those previously reported for the pathologic voice. We propose a model of healthy and pathologic voice development in which voice characteristics are mediated by the inability to monitor vocal productions associated with age-related hearing loss. This normative data of healthy vocal aging may assist in separating voice pathologies from healthy aging.

Quantitative Speech Assessment in Ataxia-Consensus Recommendations by the Ataxia Global Initiative Working Group on Digital-Motor Markers

Dysarthria is a common and debilitating symptom of many neurodegenerative diseases, including those resulting in ataxia. Changes to speech lead to significant reductions in quality of life, impacting the speaker in most daily activities. Recognition of its importance as an objective outcome measure in clinical trials for ataxia is growing. Its viability as an endpoint across the disease spectrum (i.e. pre-symptomatic onwards) means that trials can recruit ambulant individuals and later-stage individuals who are often excluded because of difficulty completing lower limb tasks. Here we discuss the key considerations for speech testing in clinical trials including hardware selection, suitability of tasks and their role in protocols for trials and propose a core set of tasks for speech testing in clinical trials. Test batteries could include forms suitable for remote short, sensitive and easy to use, with norms available in several languages. The use of artificial intelligence also could improve accuracy and automaticity of analytical pipelines in clinic and trials.

Creating the ICU of the future: patient-centred design to optimise recovery

BACKGROUND

Intensive Care survival continues to improve, and the number of ICU services is increasing globally. However, there is a growing awareness of the detrimental impact of the ICU environment on patients, families, and staff. Excessive noise and suboptimal lighting especially have been shown to adversely impact physical and mental recovery during and after an ICU admission. Current ICU designs have not kept up with advances in medical technology and models of care, and there is no current 'gold-standard' ICU design. Improvements in ICU designs are needed to optimise care delivery and patient outcomes.

METHODS

This manuscript describes a mixed-methods, multi-staged participatory design project aimed at redesigning and implementing two innovative ICU bedspaces. Guided by the action effect method and the consolidated framework for implementation research, the manuscript describes the processes taken to ensure the patient-centred problems were properly understood, the steps taken to develop and integrate solutions to identified problems, and the process of implementation planning and rebuilding in a live ICU.

RESULTS

Two innovative ICU bedspaces were rebuilt and implemented. They feature solutions to address all identified problems, including noise reduction, optimisation of lighting, access to nature via digital solutions, and patient connectivity and engagement, with solutions developed from various specialty fields, including IT improvements, technological innovations, and design and architectural solutions. Early evaluation demonstrates an improved lighting and acoustic environment.

CONCLUSIONS

Optimising the ICU bedspace environment and improving the lighting and acoustic environment is possible. The impact on patient outcomes needs to be evaluated.

Spectrographic Vocal Characteristics in Female Teachers: Finger Kazoo Intensive Short-term Vocal Therapy

OBJECTIVE

Verify the results from intensive short-term vocal therapy using the Finger Kazoo technique about the spectrographic vocal measurements of teachers.

METHODS

Controlled and randomized trial. Spectrographic vocal assessment was performed by judges before and after intensive short-term vocal therapy with Finger Kazoo. Sample was composed of 41 female teachers. There were two study groups (with vocal nodules and without structural affection of the vocal folds) and the respective control groups. For the statistical analysis of the data, nonparametric tests were used (Mann-Whitney test and Wilcoxon test).

RESULTS

After intensive short-term vocal therapy with Finger Kazoo, improvement in voice spectral parameters, such as improvement in tracing (color intensity and regularity), greater definition of formants and harmonics, increased replacement of harmonics by noise, and a greater number of harmonics, mainly in the group without structural affection of the vocal folds.

CONCLUSION

There was an improvement in the spectrographic vocal parameters, showing greater stability, quality, and projection of the emission, especially in female teachers without structural affection of the vocal folds.

Influence of Cognitive Load on Voice Production: A Scoping Review

Cognitive-motor interactions in speech production have a strong theoretical basis. However, majority of the existing literature has primarily focused on subjective and objective measures related to speech and not voice. This systematic review gathered evidence on the potential relationship between cognitive load and voice production. A search of five databases, website, citation review, and author search were completed in a sequential order to find published and unpublished literature from 1992 to 2022 using a combination of search terms including voice, cognitive load/demand/effort/flexibility, dual task, and speech production/motor. Studies for which the primary dependent variables were linguistic, or speech measures were included if voice acoustics was also measured and described. A final sample of nine articles were identified as meeting inclusion criteria: completed between 1992 and 2022, healthy adults (18+), and American English speakers. The review indicated that existing literature on the influence of cognitive load on voice production is limited. Acoustic measures, such as fundamental frequency, sound pressure level, and cepstral peak prominence, do not show consistent patterns of change with an increase in cognitive load. It is likely that the inconsistencies in the speech or cognitive task type and measurement of individual reaction to cognitive load changes may have led to these varied results. Further research using a range/continuum of cognitive tasks varying in load/difficulty level and physiological measurements is warranted to understand the underlying mechanisms of behavioral performance with implications for clinical voice assessment and rehabilitation.

Comparison Between Custom Smartphone Acoustic Processing Algorithms and Praat in Healthy and Disordered Voices

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to understand the relationship between temporal and spectral-based acoustic measures derived using Praat and custom smartphone algorithms across patients with a wide range of vocal pathologies.

METHODS

Voice samples were collected from 56 adults (11 vocally healthy, 45 dysphonic, aged 18-80 years) performing three speech tasks: (a) sustained vowel, (b) maximum phonation, and (c) the second and third sentences of the Rainbow passage. Data were analyzed to extract mean fundamental frequency (fo), maximum phonation time (MPT), and cepstral peak prominence (CPP) using Praat and our custom smartphone algorithms. Linear regression models were calculated with and without outliers to determine relationships.

RESULTS

Statistically significant relationships were found between the smartphone algorithms and Praat for all three measures (r2 = 0.68-0.95, with outliers; r2 = 0.80-0.98, without outliers). An offset between CPP measures was found where Praat values were consistently lower than those computed by the smartphone app. Outlying data were identified and described, and findings indicated that speakers with high levels of clinician-perceived dysphonia resulted in smartphone algorithm errors.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that the proposed algorithms can provide measurements comparable to clinically derived values. However, clinicians should take caution when analyzing severely dysphonic voices as the current algorithms show reduced accuracy for measures of mean fo and MPT for these voice types.

Voice Acoustic Instability During Spontaneous Speech in Parkinson's Disease

BACKGROUND

In people with Parkinson's disease (PwPD), both motor and cognitive deficits influence voice and other aspects of communication. PwPD demonstrate vocal instability, but acoustic declines over the course of speaking are not well characterized and the role of cognition on these declines is unknown. We examined voice acoustics related to speech motor instability by comparing the first and the last utterances within a speech task. Our objective was to determine if mild cognitive impairment (MCI) status was associated with different patterns of acoustic change during these tasks.

METHODS

Participants with PD (n = 44) were enrolled at University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School and classified by gold-standard criteria as normal cognition (PD-NC) or mild cognitive impairment (PD-MCI). The speech was recorded during the Rainbow Passage and a picture description task (Cookie Theft). We calculated the difference between first and last utterances in fo mean and standardized semitones (STSD), cepstral peak prominence-smoothed (CPPS), and low to high ratio (LH). We used t-tests to compare the declines in acoustic parameters between the task types and between participants with PD-NC versus PD-MCI.

RESULTS

Mean fo, fo variability (STSD) and CPPS declined from the first to the last utterance in both tasks, but there was no significant difference in these declines between the PD-NC and PD-MCI groups. Those with PD-MCI demonstrated lower fo variability on the whole in both tasks and lower CPPS in the picture description task, compared to those with PD-NC.

CONCLUSIONS

Mean and STSD fo as well as CPPS may be sensitive to PD-MCI status in reading and spontaneous speech tasks. Speech motor instability can be observed in these voice acoustic parameters over brief speech tasks, but the degree of decline does not depend on cognitive status. These findings will inform the ongoing development of algorithms to monitor speech and cognitive function in PD.

Sex Differences in the Neural Song Circuit and Its Relationship to Song Acoustic Complexity in House Wrens (Troglodytes aedon)

The song circuit in passerine birds is an outstanding model system for understanding the relationship between brain morphology and behavior, in part due to varying degrees of sex differences in structure and function across species. House wrens (Troglodytes aedon) offer a unique opportunity to advance our understanding of this relationship. Intermediate sex differences in song rate and complexity exist in this species compared to other passerines, and, among individual females, song complexity varies dramatically. Acoustic complexity in wild house wrens was quantified using a new machine learning approach. Volume, cell number, cell density, and neuron soma size were then measured for three song circuit regions, Area X, HVC (used as a proper name), and the robust nucleus of the arcopallium (RA), and one control region, the nucleus rotundus (Rt). For each song control area, males had a larger volume with more cells, larger somas, and lower cell density. Male songs had greater acoustic complexity than female songs, but these distributions overlapped. In females, increased acoustic complexity was correlated with larger volumes of and more cells in Area X and RA, as well as larger soma size in RA. In males, song complexity was unrelated to morphology, although our methods may underestimate male song complexity. This is the first study to identify song control regions in house wrens and one of few examining individual variation in both sexes. Parallels between morphology and the striking variability in female song in this species provide a new model for understanding relationships between neural structure and function.

A CFD-FFT approach to hemoacoustics that enables degree of stenosis prediction from stethoscopic signals

In this paper, we identify a new (acoustic) frequency-stenosis relation whose frequencies lie within the recommended auscultation threshold of stethoscopy (< 120 Hz). We show that this relation can be used to extend the application of phonoangiography (quantifying the degree of stenosis from bruits) to widely accessible stethoscopes. The relation is successfully identified from an analysis restricted to the acoustic signature of the von Karman vortex street, which we automatically single out by means of a metric we propose that is based on an area-weighted average of the Q-criterion for the post-stenotic region. Specifically, we perform CFD simulations on internal flow geometries that represent stenotic blood vessels of different severities. We then extract their emitted acoustic signals using the Ffowcs Williams-Hawkings equation, which we subtract from a clean signal (stenosis free) at the same heart rate. Next, we transform this differential signal to the frequency domain and carefully classify its acoustic signatures per six (stenosis-)invariant flow phases of a cardiac cycle that are newly identified in this paper. We then automatically restrict our acoustic analysis to the sounds emitted by the von Karman vortex street (phase 4) by means of our Q-criterion-based metric. Our analysis of its acoustic signature reveals a strong linear relationship between the degree of stenosis and its dominant frequency, which differs considerably from the break frequency and the heart rate (known dominant frequencies in the literature). Applying our new relation to available stethoscopic data, we find that its predictions are consistent with clinical assessment. Our finding of this linear correlation is also unlike prevalent scaling laws in the literature, which feature a small exponent (i.e., low stenosis percentage sensitivity over much of the clinical range). They hence can only distinguish mild, moderate, and severe cases. Conversely, our linear law can identify variations in the degree of stenosis sensitively and accurately for the full clinical range, thus significantly improving the utility of the relevant scaling laws... Future research will investigate incorporating the vibroacoustic role of adjacent organs to expand the clinical applicability of our findings. Extending our approach to more complex 3D stenotic morphologies and including the vibroacoustic role of surrounding organs will be explored in future research to advance the clinical reach of our findings.

Acoustofluidic scanning fluorescence nanoscopy with large field of view

Nanoscale fluorescence imaging with a large-field view is invaluable for many applications such as imaging of subcellular structures, visualizing protein interaction, and high-resolution tissue imaging. Unfortunately, conventional fluorescence microscopy has to make a trade-off between resolution and field of view due to the nature of the optics used to form an image. To overcome this barrier, we have developed an acoustofluidic scanning fluorescence nanoscope that can simultaneously achieve superior resolution, a large field of view, and enhanced fluorescent signal. The acoustofluidic scanning fluorescence nanoscope utilizes the super-resolution capability of microspheres that are controlled by a programable acoustofluidic device for rapid fluorescent enhancement and imaging. The acoustofluidic scanning fluorescence nanoscope can resolve structures that cannot be achieved with a conventional fluorescent microscope with the same objective lens and enhances the fluorescent signal by a factor of ~5 without altering the field of view of the image. The improved resolution with enhanced fluorescent signal and large field of view via the acoustofluidic scanning fluorescence nanoscope provides a powerful tool for versatile nanoscale fluorescence imaging for researchers in the fields of medicine, biology, biophysics, and biomedical engineering.

Acoustic monitoring of an aircraft auxiliary power unit

In this paper, the development and implementation of a novel approach for fault detection of an aircraft auxiliary power unit (APU) has been demonstrated. The developed approach aims to target the proactive identification of faults, in order to streamline the required maintenance and maximize the aircraft's operational availability. The existing techniques rely heavily on the installation of multiple types of intrusive sensors throughout the APU and therefore present a limited potential for deployment on an actual aircraft due to space constraints, accessibility issues as well as associated development and certification requirements. To overcome these challenges, an innovative approach based on non-intrusive sensors i.e., microphones in conjunction with appropriate feature extraction, classification, and regression techniques, has been successfully demonstrated for online fault detection of an APU. The overall approach has been implemented and validated based on the experimental test data acquired from Cranfield University's Boeing 737-400 aircraft, including the quantification of sensor location sensitivities on the efficacy of the acquired models. The findings of the overall analysis suggest that the acoustic-based models can accurately enable near real-time detection of faulty conditions i.e., Inlet Guide Vane malfunction, reduced mass flows through the Load Compressor and Bleed Valve malfunction, using only two microphones installed in the periphery of the APU. This study constitutes an enabling technology for robust, cost-effective, and efficient in-situ monitoring of an aircraft APU and potentially other associated thermal systems i.e., environmental control system, fuel system, and engines.

Observation of non-reciprocal harmonic conversion in real sounds

Reciprocity guarantees that in most media, sound transmission is symmetric between two points of space when the location of the source and receiver are interchanged. This fundamental law can be broken in non-linear media, often at the cost of detrimental input power levels, large insertion losses, and ideally prepared single-frequency input signals. Thus, previous observations of non-reciprocal sound transmission have focused on pure tones, and cannot handle real sounds composed of various harmonics of a low-frequency fundamental note, as generated for example by musical instruments. Here, we extend the reach of non-reciprocal acoustics by achieving large, tunable, and timbre-preserved non-reciprocal transmission of sound notes composed of several harmonics, originating from musical instruments. This is achieved in a non-linear, actively reconfigurable, and non-Hermitian isolator that can handle arbitrarily low input power at any audible frequency, while providing isolation levels up to 30dB and a tunable level of non-reciprocal gain. Our findings may find applications in sound isolation, noise control, non-reciprocal and non-Hermitian metamaterials, and analog audio processing.

Reliability and Validity of the Embouchure Dystonia Severity Rating Scale

OBJECTIVE

Embouchure dystonia (ED) is a task-specific movement disorder that leads to loss of fine motor control of the embouchure and tongue muscles in wind musicians. In contrast to musicians' hand dystonia, no validated severity rating for ED exists, posing a major obstacle for structured assessment in scientific and clinical settings. The aim of this study is to validate an ED severity rating scale (EDSRS) allowing for a standardized estimation of symptom severity in ED.

METHODS

The EDSRS was set up as a composite score of six items evaluating audio-visual disease symptoms during the performance of three standardized musical tasks (sustained notes, scales, and fourths) separately for each body side. For validation, 17 musicians with ED underwent standardized audiovisual recordings during performance. Anonymized and randomized recordings were assessed by two experts in ED (raters). Statistical analysis included metrics of consistency, reliability, and construct validity with the fluctuation of the fundamental frequency of the acoustic signal (F0) (extracted in an audio analysis of the sustained notes).

RESULTS

The EDSRS showed high internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.975-0.983, corrected item-total correlations r = 0.90-0.96), interrater reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] for agreement/consistency = 0.94/0.96), intrarater reliability over time (ICC per rater = 0.93/0.87) and good precision (standard error of measurement = 2.19/2.65), and correlated significantly with F0 variability (r = 0.55-0.60, p = 0.011-0.023).

CONCLUSION

The developed EDSRS is a valid and reliable tool for the assessment of ED severity in the hands of trained expert raters. Its easy applicability makes it suitable not only for routine clinical practice but also for scientific studies.

Acoustic-Aerodynamic Voice Outcome Ratios Identify Changes in Vocal Function Following Vocal Fold Medialization for Unilateral Vocal Fold Paralysis

PURPOSE

This study aimed to determine whether ratio-based measures that combine acoustic (output) and aerodynamic (input) parameters detect postoperative change in vocal function following vocal fold medialization for unilateral vocal fold paralysis.

METHOD

Pre- and postoperative acoustic and aerodynamic measures were analyzed retrospectively from 149 patients who underwent vocal fold medialization for unilateral vocal fold paralysis. A 2 × 2 repeated-measures analysis of variance was conducted for each of four acoustic-aerodynamic ratios-traditional vocal efficiency (VE), sound pressure level to aerodynamic power (SPL/AP), SPL to average airflow (SPL/AFLOW), and SPL to subglottal pressure (SPL/Ps)-to investigate the main effects and interaction of treatment stage and loudness level (comfortable and loud).

RESULTS

The patient group showed significant postoperative improvements in self reports of vocal function (voice-related quality of life) and clinical auditory-perceptual judgments of dysphonia (consensus auditory-perceptual evaluation of voice). Main effects for both treatment stage and loudness level were statistically significant for all measures except SPL/Ps. There were interaction effects for VE and SPL/AP, suggesting that magnitude of the treatment effect differs based on loudness. SPL/AFLOW had medium-to-large effect sizes in both loudness conditions. There were postoperative changes in SPL/Ps that were dependent on the magnitude of the reduction in AFLOW; as expected, SPL/Ps increased postoperatively in a subgroup that had large postoperative reductions in AFLOW at the comfortable loudness level.

CONCLUSIONS

Acoustic-aerodynamic ratios can aid in tracking changes in vocal function following vocal fold medialization. SPL/AFLOW exhibited the largest effect size, which is expected since a reduction in abnormally high AFLOW typically accompanies the increased modulation of glottal air flow associated with successful vocal fold medialization. Future study is needed to model physiological changes in acoustic-aerodynamic voice outcome ratios across different types of voice disorders.

Learning space, students' collaboration, educational outcomes, and interest: Exploring the physical, social and psychological mediators

The present research article examined how the learning space correlated with students' collaboration and educational outcomes: in science students. The study investigated the foundation of psychological, social, and physical mediators that impress on students' scholarship, collaboration, and interest. The study had a sample size of 548 science students randomly selected from eleven secondary schools from a population of 985 science students in Akamkpa Local Government Area of Cross River State, Nigeria. The research design that was used in study was a cross-sectional observational type of survey. A questionnaire named Learning Space and Students Outcome Questionnaire (LPSOQ) was the tool employed in the study. The questionnaire was divided into two parts. Part A sought for student's demographic variable like age and gender. Part B had variables like physical space (seating arrangement and acoustic), psychological (self-efficacy and extrinsic motivation) and students' outcome (academic grade, collaboration and students' interest). LPSOQ reliability results ranged from 0.79 to 0.89 for Cronbach alpha and 0.81 for Kuder Richardson's formula-20. Data collected were analyzed by employing regression statistics, percentages, and mean. The regression statistics showed that the t values of seating arrangement, for academic grade (t = 5.311, p < .05), collaboration (3.627, p < .05) and interest (t = 3.463, p < .05) were statistically significant. The t values for acoustic, of academic grade (t = 4.631, p < .05), collaboration (4.020, p < .05) and interest (t = 4.631, p < .05) were statistically significant. It was recommended among others that science classroom seating arrangement should be modified to fit into the U-shape form to enable the teacher to interact freely with every student and not to be hindered by a fixed position.

Effects of implant and vocal fold stiffness on voice production after medialization laryngoplasty in an MRI-based vocal fold model

Medialization laryngoplasty is one of the primary surgical interventions in the treatment of glottal insufficiency due to vocal fold paralysis, paresis, or atrophy. During the surgery, an implant is laterally inserted into the larynx to medialize the affected vocal fold toward glottal midline, with the goal of improving glottal closure during phonation and voice production efficiency. While implants of different materials and geometry designs have been used, the effect of implant design on the voice outcome remains unclear. In this simulation study, the effect of implant stiffness was investigated in an MRI-based model of the vocal folds after medialization laryngoplasty. The results showed that implant stiffness had a significant impact on the phonation threshold pressure, glottal area waveform, and fundamental frequency, but only small effect on the closed quotient and other acoustic measures of the produced voice. The effect of implant stiffness also exhibited variability, depending on the stiffness conditions of the vocal fold and paraglottic tissues, indicating that individual differences need to be considered during the planning of medialization laryngoplasty.

Seeking the Nexus Between Building Acoustics and Urban Form: A Systematic Review

Purpose of Review

Noise is penetrating urban life pervasively and is imperative for demonstrating the factors behind it regarding built environment, aka buildings and urban form. So, this review aims to provide a better understanding of the association between building acoustics and urban form characteristics.

Recent Findings

There is a growing attention for building acoustics, including materials and simulation aspects with various increasing urban form attributes, i.e., the built and natural environment and transportation.

Summary

Building acoustics is a key aspect of urban life and falls within the interface of various urban form characteristics. While these two main attributes are not sufficiently addressed, they may adversely affect individuals; thus, all the more reason to explore this nexus. This study has evaluated 67 peer-reviewed journal articles after systematically reviewing the triple resources in assessing building acoustics and urban form between 2016 and 2022. This review separates the indoor and outdoor categories within the simulation, theory, building materials, facade, and the built environment sub-categories. The study does not only review the overall scope of present studies but also direct future directions of their associations.

Exosomes and ultrasound: The future of theranostic applications

Biomaterials and pertaining formulations have been very successful in various diagnostic and therapeutic applications because of its ability to overcome pharmacological limitations. Some of them have gained significant focus in the recent decade for their theranostic properties. Exosomes can be grouped as biomaterials, since they consist of various biological micro/macromolecules and possess all the properties of a stable biomaterial with size in nano range. Significant research has gone into isolation and exploitation of exosomes as potential theranostic agent. However, the limitations in terms of yield, efficacy, and target specificity are continuously being addressed. On the other hand, several nano/microformulations are responsive to physical or chemical alterations and were successfully stimulated by tweaking the physical characteristics of the surrounding environment they are in. Some of them are termed as photodynamic, sonodynamic or thermodynamic therapeutic systems. In this regard, ultrasound and acoustic systems were extensively studied for its ability towards altering the properties of the systems to which they were applied on. In this review, we have detailed about the diagnostic and therapeutic applications of exosomes and ultrasound separately, consisting of their conventional applications, drawbacks, and developments for addressing the challenges. The information were categorized into various sections that provide complete overview of the isolation strategies and theranostic applications of exosomes in various diseases. Then the ultrasound-based disease diagnosis and therapy were elaborated, with special interest towards the use of ultrasound in enhancing the efficacy of nanomedicines and nanodrug delivery systems, Finally, we discussed about the ability of ultrasound in enhancing the diagnostic and therapeutic properties of exosomes, which could be the future of theranostics.

The Effects of Collegiate Sports Coaching on the Male Voice: Pilot Data

PURPOSE

This research gathered pilot data on the effects of a typical collegiate athletic season on the male coach's voice.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Ten male coaches and ten age- and sex-matched controls participated. Qualitative and quantitative analyses were performed to assess group differences in: 1) written self-reports obtained during one session, 2) acoustic and aerodynamic variables obtained during regular season and during off-season for the coaches and only once for the controls, and 3) auditory-perceptual data provided by three speech-language pathologists using the Consensus Auditory-Perceptual Evaluation of Voice during one listening session. Data pertaining to the coaches' regular season, to the coaches' off-season, and to the control participants were designated as in-season, off-season, and control, respectively.

RESULTS

Significant self-reported findings included more phonotraumatic behaviors in the coaches than in the controls and higher in-season than off-season and control vocal demand. The coaches' history of voice problems was unrelated and the controls' was related to respiratory illness and addressing a large audience. A significant acoustic finding was lower off-season than control low fundamental frequency. Finally, trained listeners perceived control loudness as more aberrant than off-season loudness and they noted vocal fry twice as many times in in-season and off-season than in control voices.

CONCLUSIONS

This study exposed traces of adverse voice reactions to coaching and confirmed that coaches harbor a job-based proclivity to voice overuse. Self-reported measures appeared to be the least and aerodynamic the most immune to phonatory exertion that pervades daily coaching tasks. Future studies are warranted to further delineate how athletic coaching interferes with voice production.

On the application of sound radiation force for focusing of powder stream in directed energy deposition

One of the challenges in directed energy deposition via powder feeding (DED-PF) is the powder stream divergence that results in low catchment efficiency (i.e., the fraction of particles added to the melt pool). This article introduces a new ultrasound-based powder focusing method referred to as ultrasound particle lensing (UPL), tailored for powder used in DED-PF. The method uses an ultrasound phased array to produce a small volume of high-intensity ultrasound with the required period averaged sound intensity profile. UPL was used to acoustically focus streams of Ti64 and SS 316L particles with an average size of 89μm and a particle speed of 0.6 m/s, exiting from a DED-PF nozzle analog. The e^-1 powder stream widths downstream of the resulting force fields for both materials were reduced by 30%. The experimental results closely match Lagrangian and Eulerian simulations of the process. This novel setup offers the possibility of fast control of the powder stream divergence angle and effective diameter in the process zone during the DED-PF process. This will in turn improve the feature resolution and catchment efficiency of the process.

Lessons learned in animal acoustic cognition through comparisons with humans

Humans are an interesting subject of study in comparative cognition. While humans have a lot of anecdotal and subjective knowledge about their own minds and behaviors, researchers tend not to study humans the way they study other species. Instead, comparisons between humans and other animals tend to be based on either assumptions about human behavior and cognition, or very different testing methods. Here we emphasize the importance of using insider knowledge about humans to form interesting research questions about animal cognition while simultaneously stepping back and treating humans like just another species as if one were an alien researcher. This perspective is extremely helpful to identify what aspects of cognitive processes may be interesting and relevant across the animal kingdom. Here we outline some examples of how this objective human-centric approach has helped us to move forward knowledge in several areas of animal acoustic cognition (rhythm, harmonicity, and vocal units). We describe how this approach works, what kind of benefits we obtain, and how it can be applied to other areas of animal cognition. While an objective human-centric approach is not useful when studying traits that do not occur in humans (e.g., magnetic spatial navigation), it can be extremely helpful when studying traits that are relevant to humans (e.g., communication). Overall, we hope to entice more people working in animal cognition to use a similar approach to maximize the benefits of being part of the animal kingdom while maintaining a detached and scientific perspective on the human species.

Humans read emotional arousal in monkey vocalizations: evidence for evolutionary continuities in communication

Humans and other mammalian species communicate emotions in ways that reflect evolutionary conservation and continuity, an observation first made by Darwin. One approach to testing this hypothesis has been to assess the capacity to perceive the emotional content of the vocalizations of other species. Using a binary forced choice task, we tested perception of the emotional intensity represented in coos and screams of infant and juvenile female rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) by 113 human listeners without, and 12 listeners with, experience (as researchers or care technicians) with this species. Each stimulus pair contained one high- and one low-arousal vocalization, as measured at the time of recording by stress hormone levels for coos and the degree of intensity of aggression for screams. For coos as well as screams, both inexperienced and experienced participants accurately identified the high-arousal vocalization at significantly above-chance rates. Experience was associated with significantly greater accuracy with scream stimuli but not coo stimuli, and with a tendency to indicate screams as reflecting greater emotional intensity than coos. Neither measures of empathy, human emotion recognition, nor attitudes toward animal welfare showed any relationship with responses. Participants were sensitive to the fundamental frequency, noisiness, and duration of vocalizations; some of these tendencies likely facilitated accurate perceptions, perhaps due to evolutionary homologies in the physiology of arousal and vocal production between humans and macaques. Overall, our findings support a view of evolutionary continuity in emotional vocal communication. We discuss hypotheses about how distinctive dimensions of human nonverbal communication, like the expansion of scream usage across a range of contexts, might influence perceptions of other species' vocalizations.

Computerized analysis of speech and voice for Parkinson's disease: A systematic review

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Speech impairment is an early symptom of Parkinson's disease (PD). This study has summarized the literature related to speech and voice in detecting PD and assessing its severity.

METHODS

A systematic review of the literature from 2010 to 2021 to investigate analysis methods and signal features. The keywords "Automatic analysis" in conjunction with "PD speech" or "PD voice" were used, and the PubMed and ScienceDirect databases were searched. A total of 838 papers were found on the first run, of which 189 were selected. One hundred and forty-seven were found to be suitable for the review. The different datasets, recording protocols, signal analysis methods and features that were reported are listed. Values of the features that separate PD patients from healthy controls were tabulated. Finally, the barriers that limit the wide use of computerized speech analysis are discussed.

RESULTS

Speech and voice may be valuable markers for PD. However, large differences between the datasets make it difficult to compare different studies. In addition, speech analytic methods that are not informed by physiological understanding may alienate clinicians.

CONCLUSIONS

The potential usefulness of speech and voice for the detection and assessment of PD is confirmed by evidence from the classification and correlation results.

Effect of Language on Voice Quality: An Acoustic Study of Bilingual Speakers of Mandarin Chinese and English

INTRODUCTION

Previous studies reported discrepant vocal qualities associated with different languages. However, possible physical differences associated with speakers of different ethnicities were not accounted for. The present study attempted to examine the effect of language on one's voice quality by eliminating the potential effects of physical differences associated with speakers of different languages.

METHODS

Sixteen Chinese and fourteen Americans who were proficient in both Mandarin Chinese and English were recruited. They were instructed to read one Chinese and one English passage. Time-domain and long-term average spectral analyses were carried out, and speaking fundamental frequency (sF0), jitter, shimmer, and first spectral peak (FSP), mean spectral energy (MSE), and spectral tilt (ST) were measured using Praat.

RESULTS

Acoustic measures revealed no differences in sF0, FSP, and ST between Americans and Chinese. However, jitter, shimmer, and MSE values appeared to be affected by ethnicity (Chinese vs. Americans). Jitter and shimmer tended to be greater when someone was speaking his/her mother tongue. For language effect, Chinese was found to be associated with a faster rate of vocal fold vibration than English. MSE was higher for Chinese than English produced by Chinese, but not by American speakers, despite the similar ST in both languages.

DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION

Based on speech samples obtained from the balanced groups of bilingual speakers, the findings confirmed the presence of language effect on one's voice quality. Laryngeal activity appeared to be affected by the language being spoken.

A Practical Guide to Calculating Cepstral Peak Prominence in Praat

The acoustic measure of cepstral peak prominence (CPP) is recommended for the analysis of dysphonia. Yet, clinical use of this measure is not universal, as clinicians and researchers are still learning the strengths and limitations of this measure. Furthermore, affordable access to specialized acoustic software is a significant barrier to universal CPP use. This article will provide a guide on how to calculate CPP in Praat, a free software program, using a new CPP plugin. Important external factors that could influence CPP measures are discussed, and suggestions for clinical use are provided. As CPP becomes more widely used by clinicians and researchers, it is important to consider external factors that may inadvertently influence CPP values. Controlling for these external factors will aid in reducing variability across CPP values, which will make CPP a valuable tool for both clinical and research purposes.

Image quality and subject experience of quiet T1-weighted 7-T brain imaging using a silent gradient coil

Objectives

Acoustic noise in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) negatively impacts patients. We assessed a silent gradient coil switched at 20 kHz combined with a T₁-weighted magnetisation prepared rapid gradient-echo (MPRAGE) sequence at 7 T.

Methods

Five healthy subjects (21–29 years; three females) without previous 7-T MRI experience underwent both a quiet MPRAGE (Q-MPRAGE) and conventional MPRAGE (C-MPRAGE) sequence twice. Image quality was assessed quantitatively, and qualitatively by two neuroradiologists. Sound level was measured objectively and rated subjectively on a 0 to 10 scale by all subjects immediately following each sequence and after the whole examination (delayed). All subjects also reported comfort level, overall experience and willingness to undergo the sequence again.

Results

Compared to C-MPRAGE, Q-MPRAGE showed higher signal-to-noise ratio (10%; p = 0.012) and lower contrast-to-noise ratio (20%; p < 0.001) as well as acceptable to good image quality. Q-MPRAGE produced 27 dB lower sound level (76 versus 103 dB). Subjects reported lower sound level for Q-MPRAGE both immediate (4.4 ± 1.4 versus 6.4 ± 1.3; p = 0.007) and delayed (4.6 ± 1.4 versus 6.3 ± 1.3; p = 0.005), while they rated comfort level (7.4 ± 1.0 versus 6.1 ± 1.7; p = 0.016) and overall experience (7.6 ± 1.0 versus 6.0 ± 0.9; p = 0.005) higher. Willingness to undergo the sequence again was also higher, however not significantly (8.1 ± 1.0 versus 7.2 ± 1.3; p = 0.066).

Conclusion

Q-MPRAGE using a silent gradient coil reduced sound level by 27 dB compared to C-MPRAGE at 7 T while featuring acceptable-to-good image quality and a quieter and more pleasant subject experience.

Intraoperative Acoustics: Auditory Cues in Hip Reconstructive Surgery

BACKGROUND

Orthopaedic surgeons rely on visual and tactile cues to guide performance in the operating room (OR). However, there is very little data on how sound changes during orthopaedic procedures and how surgeons incorporate audio feedback to guide performance. This study attempts to define meaningful changes in sound during vital aspects of total hip arthroplasty (THA) within the spectrum of human hearing.

METHODS

84 audio recordings were obtained during primary elective THA procedures during sawing of the femoral neck, reaming of the acetabulum, acetabular cup impaction, polyethylene liner impaction, femoral broaching, planning of the femoral calcar and press-fit of a porous-coated stem in 14 patients. We graphed changes in frequency intensity across the human spectrum of hearing and sampled frequencies showing differences over time for statistically meaningful changes.

RESULTS

Sawing of the femoral neck, polyethylene impaction, and stem insertion showed significant temporal increases in overall sound intensity. Calcar planing showed a significant decrease in sound intensity. Moreover, spectrographic analysis showed that, for each of the critical tasks in THA, there were characteristic frequencies that showed maximal changes in loudness. These changes were above the 1 dB change in intensity required for detection by the human ear.

CONCLUSION

Our results clearly demonstrate reproducible sound changes during total hip arthroplasty that are detectable by the human ear. Surgeons can incorporate sound as a valuable source of feedback while performing total hip arthroplasty to guide optimal performance in the OR. These findings can be extrapolated to other orthopaedic procedures that produce characteristic changes in sound. Moreover, it emphasizes the importance of limiting ambient noise in the OR that might make sound changes hard to distinguish.

The Acoustic Dissection of Cough: Diving Into Machine Listening-based COVID-19 Analysis and Detection

OBJECTIVES

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused a crisis worldwide. Amounts of efforts have been made to prevent and control COVID-19's transmission, from early screenings to vaccinations and treatments. Recently, due to the spring up of many automatic disease recognition applications based on machine listening techniques, it would be fast and cheap to detect COVID-19 from recordings of cough, a key symptom of COVID-19. To date, knowledge of the acoustic characteristics of COVID-19 cough sounds is limited but would be essential for structuring effective and robust machine learning models. The present study aims to explore acoustic features for distinguishing COVID-19 positive individuals from COVID-19 negative ones based on their cough sounds.

METHODS

By applying conventional inferential statistics, we analyze the acoustic correlates of COVID-19 cough sounds based on the ComParE feature set, i.e., a standardized set of 6,373 acoustic higher-level features. Furthermore, we train automatic COVID-19 detection models with machine learning methods and explore the latent features by evaluating the contribution of all features to the COVID-19 status predictions.

RESULTS

The experimental results demonstrate that a set of acoustic parameters of cough sounds, e.g., statistical functionals of the root mean square energy and Mel-frequency cepstral coefficients, bear essential acoustic information in terms of effect sizes for the differentiation between COVID-19 positive and COVID-19 negative cough samples. Our general automatic COVID-19 detection model performs significantly above chance level, i.e., at an unweighted average recall (UAR) of 0.632, on a data set consisting of 1,411 cough samples (COVID-19 positive/negative: 210/1,201).

CONCLUSIONS

Based on the acoustic correlates analysis on the ComParE feature set and the feature analysis in the effective COVID-19 detection approach, we find that several acoustic features that show higher effects in conventional group difference testing are also higher weighted in the machine learning models.

Detection of acoustic events in lavender for measuring xylem vulnerability to embolism and cellular damage

Acoustic emission analysis is promising to investigate the physiological events leading to drought-induced injury and mortality. However, their nature and source are not fully understood, making this technique difficult to use as a direct measure of the loss of xylem hydraulic conductance. Acoustic emissions were recorded during severe dehydration in lavender plants (Lavandula angustifolia) and compared with the dynamics of embolism development and cell damage. The timing and characteristics of acoustic signals from two independent recording systems were compared by principal component analysis (PCA). Changes in water potential, branch diameter, loss of hydraulic conductance, and cellular damage were also measured to quantify drought-induced damages. Two distinct phases of acoustic emissions were observed during dehydration: the first one associated with a rapid loss of diameter and a significant increase in loss of xylem conductance (90%), and the second with slower changes in diameter and a significant increase in cellular damage. Based on PCA, a developed algorithm discriminated hydraulic-related acoustic signals from other sources, proposing a reconstruction of hydraulic vulnerability curves. Cellular damage preceded by hydraulic failure seems to lead to a lack of recovery. The second acoustic phase would allow detection of plant mortality.

Listener Detection of Objectively Validated Acoustic Features of Speech in Huntington's Disease

BACKGROUND

Subtle progressive changes in speech motor function and cognition begin prior to diagnosis of Huntington's disease (HD).

OBJECTIVE

To determine the nature of listener-rated speech differences in premanifest and early-stage HD (i.e., PreHD and EarlyHD), compared to neurologically healthy controls.

METHODS

We administered a speech battery to 60 adults (16 people with PreHD, 14 with EarlyHD, and 30 neurologically healthy controls), and conducted a cognitive test of processing speed/visual attention, the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT) on participants with HD. Voice recordings were rated by expert listeners and analyzed for acoustic and perceptual speech features.

RESULTS

Listeners perceived subtle differences in the speech of PreHD compared to controls, including abnormal pitch level and speech rate, reduced loudness and loudness inflection, altered voice quality, hypernasality, imprecise articulation, and reduced naturalness of speech. Listeners detected abnormal speech rate in PreHD compared to healthy speakers on a reading task, which correlated with slower speech rate from acoustic analysis and a lower cognitive performance score. In early-stage HD, continuous speech was characterized by longer pauses, a higher proportion of silence, and slower rate.

CONCLUSION

Differences in speech and voice acoustic features are detectable in PreHD by expert listeners and align with some acoustically-derived objective speech measures. Slower speech rate in PreHD suggests altered oral motor control and/or subtle cognitive deficits that begin prior to diagnosis. Speakers with EarlyHD exhibited more silences compared to the PreHD and control groups, raising the likelihood of a link between speech and cognition that is not yet well characterized in HD.

Computational bioacoustics with deep learning: a review and roadmap

Animal vocalisations and natural soundscapes are fascinating objects of study, and contain valuable evidence about animal behaviours, populations and ecosystems. They are studied in bioacoustics and ecoacoustics, with signal processing and analysis an important component. Computational bioacoustics has accelerated in recent decades due to the growth of affordable digital sound recording devices, and to huge progress in informatics such as big data, signal processing and machine learning. Methods are inherited from the wider field of deep learning, including speech and image processing. However, the tasks, demands and data characteristics are often different from those addressed in speech or music analysis. There remain unsolved problems, and tasks for which evidence is surely present in many acoustic signals, but not yet realised. In this paper I perform a review of the state of the art in deep learning for computational bioacoustics, aiming to clarify key concepts and identify and analyse knowledge gaps. Based on this, I offer a subjective but principled roadmap for computational bioacoustics with deep learning: topics that the community should aim to address, in order to make the most of future developments in AI and informatics, and to use audio data in answering zoological and ecological questions.

Acoustofluidic interferometric device for rapid single-cell physical phenotyping

High-throughput single-cell analysis based on physical properties (such as morphology or mechanics) is emerging as a powerful tool to inform clinical research, with a great potential for translation towards diagnosis. Here we present a novel microfluidic approach adopting acoustic waves to manipulate and mechanically stimulate single cells, and interferometry to track changes in the morphology and measure size, deformability, and refractive index of non-adherent cells. The method is based on the integration within the acoustofluidic channel of a low-finesse Fabry-Perot resonator, providing very high sensitivity and a speed potentially suitable to obtain the high-throughput necessary to handle the variability stemming from the biological diversity of single cells. The proposed approach is applied to a set of different samples: reference polystyrene beads, algae and yeast. The results demonstrate the capability of the acoustofluidic interferometric device to detect and quantify optomechanical properties of single cells with a throughput suitable to address label-free single-cell clinical analysis.

The acoustic bases of human voice identity processing in dogs

Speech carries identity-diagnostic acoustic cues that help individuals recognize each other during vocal–social interactions. In humans, fundamental frequency, formant dispersion and harmonics-to-noise ratio serve as characteristics along which speakers can be reliably separated. The ability to infer a speaker’s identity is also adaptive for members of other species (like companion animals) for whom humans (as owners) are relevant. The acoustic bases of speaker recognition in non-humans are unknown. Here, we tested whether dogs can recognize their owner’s voice and whether they rely on the same acoustic parameters for such recognition as humans use to discriminate speakers. Stimuli were pre-recorded sentences spoken by the owner and control persons, played through loudspeakers placed behind two non-transparent screens (with each screen hiding a person). We investigated the association between acoustic distance of speakers (examined along several dimensions relevant in intraspecific voice identification) and dogs’ behavior. Dogs chose their owner’s voice more often than that of control persons’, suggesting that they can identify it. Choosing success and time spent looking in the direction of the owner’s voice were positively associated, showing that looking time is an index of the ease of choice. Acoustic distance of speakers in mean fundamental frequency and jitter were positively associated with looking time, indicating that the shorter the acoustic distance between speakers with regard to these parameters, the harder the decision. So, dogs use these cues to discriminate their owner’s voice from unfamiliar voices. These findings reveal that dogs use some but probably not all acoustic parameters that humans use to identify speakers. Although dogs can detect fine changes in speech, their perceptual system may not be fully attuned to identity-diagnostic cues in the human voice.

Effects of low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in adductor laryngeal dystonia: a safety, feasibility, and pilot study

PURPOSE

The effects of neuromodulation are virtually unexplored in adductor laryngeal dystonia (AdLD), a disorder characterized by involuntary contraction of intrinsic laryngeal muscles. Recent findings indicated that intracortical inhibition is reduced in people with AdLD. Low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) induces prolonged intracortical inhibition, but the effects in AdLD are unexplored. This pilot and feasibility study aimed to examine the safety, feasibility, and effects of a single session 1 Hz rTMS over the laryngeal motor cortex (LMC) in people with AdLD and healthy individuals.

METHODS

The stimulation location was individualized and determined through TMS-evoked responses in the thyroarytenoid muscles using fine-wire electrodes. 1200 pulses of 1 Hz rTMS were delivered to the left LMC in two groups: Control (n = 6) and AdLD (n = 7). Tolerance, adverse effects, intracortical inhibition, and voice recordings were collected immediately before and after rTMS. Voice quality was assessed with acoustic-based and auditory-perceptual measures.

RESULTS

All participants tolerated the procedures, with no unexpected adverse events or worsening of symptoms. No significant effects on intracortical inhibition were observed. In the AdLD group, there was a large-effect size after rTMS in vocal perturbation measures and a small-effect size in decreased phonatory breaks.

CONCLUSIONS

One rTMS session over the LMC is safe and feasible, and demonstrated trends of beneficial effects on voice quality and phonatory function in AdLD. These preliminary findings support further investigation to assess clinical benefits in a future randomized sham-controlled trial. CLINICALTRIALS.GOV: NCT02957942, registered on November 8, 2016.

ChiroVox: a public library of bat calls

Recordings of bat echolocation and social calls are used for many research purposes from ecological studies to taxonomy. Effective use of these relies on identification of species from the recordings, but comparative recordings or detailed call descriptions to support identification are often lacking for areas with high biodiversity. The ChiroVox website (https://www.chirovox.org) was created to facilitate the sharing of bat sound recordings together with their metadata, including biodiversity data and recording circumstances. To date, more than 30 researchers have contributed over 3,900 recordings of nearly 200 species, making ChiroVox the largest open-access bat call library currently available. Each recording has a unique identifier that can be cited in publications; hence the acoustic analyses are repeatable. Most of the recordings available through the website are from bats whose species identities are confirmed, so they can be used to determine species in recordings where the bats were not captured or could not be identified. We hope that with the help of the bat researcher community, the website will grow rapidly and will serve as a solid source for bat acoustic research and monitoring.