Audible Sounds Research Articles

Hearing aid through skin sensory for profound deaf people

An individual with profound deafness or total hearing loss has a hearing threshold of 80dB or more. The ineffectiveness of hearing aids, surging costs and complex surgeries for cochlear implants have discouraged many to opt for these types of treatments. Hence, this research aims to provide an alternative hearing aid that stimulates “hearing” through the skin sensory, which is more affordable and accessible for the profoundly deaf or total hearing loss community. We have developed four initial vibrating transducers with single spectrum, which are strapped to a belt. The transducers pick up audible sounds through a microphone, amplifies the sound to a high-level signal, stimulating a vibration pattern on the human skin sensory. The belt was tested on 30 random people who identified as normal, partial, and profoundly deaf. When the belt was strapped to the individual’s waist, audible sound was played (stimulus) and the individual was asked whether he/she can feel a stimulation or vibration on their skin, and if so, state the sound source direction. Based on the test, all individuals were able to feel the vibrating stimulation on their skin, and they were also able to state the directions accurately. The various vibrating pattern that stimulates the human sensory system for the profoundly deaf can be learned over time, which could serve as useful information. However, interpreting and identifying the different types of vibrating pattern perceived through the skin remains a huge challenge for profoundly deaf people. As hearing through skin sensory is a very new area of research, there are very limited research articles published in this field. Thus far, this is the first study to evaluate the method of audio spectrum to develop hearing aid through skin sensory.

The Design and Implementation of a Steganographic Communication System over In-Band Acoustical Channels

This article presents SoundSticker, a system for steganographic, in-band data communication over an acoustic channel. In contrast with recent works that hide bits in inaudible frequency bands, SoundSticker embeds hidden bits in the audible sounds, making them more reliably survive audio codecs and bandpass filtering, while achieving a higher data rate and remaining imperceptible to a listener. The key observation behind SoundSticker is that the human ear is less sensitive to the audio phase changes than the frequency and amplitude changes, which leaves us an opportunity to alter the phase of an audio clip to convey hidden information. We take advantage of this opportunity and build an OFDM-based physical layer. To make this PHY-layer design work for a variety of end devices with heterogeneous computation resources, SoundSticker addresses multiple technical challenges including perceivable waveform artifacts caused by the phase-based modulation, bit rate adaptation without channel sounding and real-time preamble detection. Our prototype on both smartphones and ESP32 platforms demonstrates SoundSticker’s superior performance against the state of the arts, while preserving excellent sound quality and remaining unaffected by common audio codecs like MP3 and AAC. Audio clips produced by SoundSticker can be found at https://soundsticker.github.io/ .

Wearable pulmonary monitoring system with integrated functional lung imaging and chest sound recording: a clinical investigation in healthy subjects

Objective. Current wearable respiratory monitoring devices provide a basic assessment of the breathing pattern of the examined subjects. More complex monitoring is needed for healthcare applications in patients with lung diseases. A multi-sensor vest allowing continuous lung imaging by electrical impedance tomography (EIT) and auscultation at six chest locations was developed for such advanced application. The aims of our study were to determine the vest’s capacity to record the intended bio-signals, its safety and the comfort of wearing in a first clinical investigation in healthy adult subjects. Approach. Twenty subjects (age range: 23–65 years) were studied while wearing the vests during a 14-step study protocol comprising phases of quiet and deep breathing, slow and forced full expiration manoeuvres, coughing, breath-holding in seated and three horizontal postures. EIT, chest sound and accelerometer signals were streamed to a tablet using a dedicated application and uploaded to a back-end server. The subjects filled in a questionnaire on the vest properties using a Likert scale. Main results. All subjects completed the full protocol. Good to excellent EIT waveforms and functional EIT images were obtained in 89% of the subjects. Breathing pattern and posture dependent changes in ventilation distribution were properly detected by EIT. Chest sounds were recorded in all subjects. Detection of audible heart sounds was feasible in 44%–67% of the subjects, depending on the sensor location. Accelerometry correctly identified the posture in all subjects. The vests were safe and their properties positively rated, thermal and tactile properties achieved the highest scores. Significance. The functionality and safety of the studied wearable multi-sensor vest and the high level of its acceptance by the study participants were confirmed. Availability of personalized vests might further advance its performance by improving the sensor-skin contact.

Cutaneous Perfusion Dynamics of the Lower Abdomen in Healthy Normal Weight, Overweight and Obese Women: Methods Development Using Infrared Thermography with Applications for Future Wound Management after Caesarean Section.

Evidence has shown an association between obesity and an increased risk of wound infection after caesarean section. This study was designed to examine if abdominal subcutaneous adiposity impacts upon cutaneous perfusion dynamics. Mild cool challenge, followed by real-time video thermography, was developed to map the appearance of abdominal 'hot spots'. Correspondence of marked 'spots' with audible Doppler and colour and power Doppler ultrasound was performed. 60 healthy, afebrile, women (20-68 years; BMI 18.5-44 kg/m2) were recruited. Hot spot appearance consistently corresponded with audible Doppler sounds. Colour and power Doppler ultrasound revealed vessels at depths of 3-22 mm. No statistically significant interactions for BMI, abdominal circumference or environmental parameters were observed for hot spot count. The temperature of cold stimulus was significant for effects on spot count, but only for the first minute (p = 0.001). Thereafter, effects on spot numbers were not significant. Cutaneous 'perforator' mapping of the abdomen (via hot spot appearance) in healthy women, as a potential and future method for risk of perfusion-dependent wound healing complications, reveals that bedside mapping of skin perfusion is feasible over a short interval. Hot spot number was not influenced by BMI or indicators of central fat distribution (abdominal circumference) indicating variability in an individual's vascular anatomy. This study provides the underpinning methodology for personalised perfusion assessment after incisional surgery which may be a more reliable indicator of potential healing complications than body habitus as is currently the norm.

Masking of Korotkoff sounds used in blood pressure measurement through auscultation.

Measurement of blood pressure (BP) through manual auscultation and the observation of Korotkoff sounds (KSs) remains the gold standard in BP methodology. Critical to determining BP levels via auscultation is the determination of KS audibility. While absolute sound level audibility is well researched, the problem has not been approached from the point of view of psychoacoustic masking of the sounds. Here, during manual auscultation of BP, a direct comparison is made between what an observer perceives as audible and the electronic analysis of audibility level determined from masking of sound signal levels. KSs are collected during auscultation with an electronic stethoscope, which allows simultaneously observing sound audibility and recording the sound electronically. By time-segmenting the recorded sound around Korotkoff peaks into a test segment and a masking segment, performing Fourier transforms on the segments, and comparing frequency-band sound energy levels, signal-to-noise ratios of a sound to its masking counterpart can be defined. Comparing these ratios to difference limen in the psychoacoustic masking literature, an approximate threshold for sound audibility is obtained. It is anticipated that this approach could have profound effects on future development of automated auscultation BP measurements.

Beneath the tree: The sounds of a trembling giant

The Pando aspen grove (Populus tremuloides) consists of more than 40000 genetically identical aspen stems spread across 106 acres in south-central Utah. While Pando resembles a forest, it is a single organism connected at the roots, making it the world's largest tree and one of the largest living things on the planet. First identified in 1976, Pando has not been studied as a bioacoustic subject. Focusing on recordings captured simultaneously above and below ground on July 12, 2022 during a thunderstorm, our presentation reveals a unique acoustic portrait of this botanical wonder. We compare audible sounds of Pando’s leaves with hydrophone recordings made in connection with the tree's root system. This dual soundscape shows that leaf motion causes vibrations that pass throughout the organism, from its branches to its base. The recordings suggest that the grove’s massive, interconnected root system is highly resonant with potential for future recordings and research.

A Pragmatic Production of Cost-Efficient Controllable Humanoid Robot Head with Realistic Reproduction of Human Facial Expressions

This study explores all viable methods and techniques for the production of a responsive humanoid robot which would be both practically feasible and economically efficient. In the past few decades, scientists have been highly interested in the development of life-like humanoid robots. Some of these robots were used mostly in transporting heavy objects of accessing regions that were unreachable by humans. Between 1980’s and the 1990’s, engineers and scientists shifted their interest to the development of humanoid robots. These types of robots were able to stand, walk, and even pick up objects with mechanical hands. The introduction of humanoid robots greatly increased the interests of ordinary people in humanoid robots in particular. However, with the interest in these robots came the issue of communication. Majority of these robot have little or no recognizable facial features and would have to communicate with an external user by the use of audible sounds or visual symbols. This issue brought up the idea of creating robots that have recognizable facial features and are capable of carrying a conversation with humans. This project will develop a responsive and controllable humanoid robot head which would be capable of recreating basic movements of the human neck (such as rotate and pitch) as well as some basic and widely recognizable human facial expressions. This project focuses on developing a cost efficient, and practical process of creating animatronic robotic protype which will serve as a springboard for researcher, students, academia, and robot developers. The study further conducts a biomechanical analysis of the human head with specific emphasis on facial features including skeletal and muscular tissue structure to assist readers to learn and replicate the process. Above all, the project will enable researchers, scholars, students, and robot making companies to produce an animatronic humanoid robot head which can recreate basic human facial expressions that are easily recognizable to the average human such as happiness, anger, fear, sadness etc. to assist smooth communication, and business transaction. Also, the robot would be capable of recreating basic human neck and head movements like tilting of the head upwards and downwards and rotating of the head from side to side to follow human instructions. Keywords: Robots, Humans, Interactions, Humanoids, Robotic, Production, Automated, Facial-Expression, Skin, Animatronic, Skeletal, Artificial- Intelligence (AI) DOI: 10.7176/CEIS/14-2-02 Publication date: March 31 st 2023

DECODING SILENCE IN THE AISLE OF POWER ACQUISITION IN COETZEE’S DISGRACE AND KING’S GERALD’S GAMES

‘Silence’ refers to the forbearance from ambient audible sounds and writings. In a rhetorical context, silence can be seen as a gesture of the ‘pregnant pause’, where the moment of silence denotes the omission of noise and signifies a space left for ponderous thoughts. Silence itself is an expression well described by authors like Thomas Hardy, Maya Angelou, J.M. Coetzee, Stephen King, and Jay Asher. Since, the concept of silence is intertwined with violating women’s honour, it finds its expression in the form of psychological trauma and incomprehensible emotions. In Disgrace, J.M Coetzee shatters the premonitions expected of women in a situation of brutal rape by depicting the power of silence to venture out for new options through Lucy's portrayal. Unlike Coetzee, Stephen King, in his novel Gerald’s Game, portrays its offset by critiquing Jessie’s silence, which thrust her into hard times. This paper aims to explore the nuances of silence in the selected novels of Coetzee and King and also tries to highlight the relation of silence with resilience as well as power acquisition associated with a promise of comfort.

EarCommand

Intelligent speech interfaces have been developing vastly to support the growing demands for convenient control and interaction with wearable/earable and portable devices. To avoid privacy leakage during speech interactions and strengthen the resistance to ambient noise, silent speech interfaces have been widely explored to enable people's interaction with mobile/wearable devices without audible sounds. However, most existing silent speech solutions require either restricted background illuminations or hand involvement to hold device or perform gestures. In this study, we propose a novel earphone-based, hand-free silent speech interaction approach, named EarCommand. Our technique discovers the relationship between the deformation of the ear canal and the movements of the articulator and takes advantage of this link to recognize different silent speech commands. Our system can achieve a WER (word error rate) of 10.02% for word-level recognition and 12.33% for sentence-level recognition, when tested in human subjects with 32 word-level commands and 25 sentence-level commands, which indicates the effectiveness of inferring silent speech commands. Moreover, EarCommand shows high reliability and robustness in a variety of configuration settings and environmental conditions. It is anticipated that EarCommand can serve as an efficient, intelligent speech interface for hand-free operation, which could significantly improve the quality and convenience of interactions.

Visual Sound Localization in the Wild by Cross-Modal Interference Erasing

The task of audiovisual sound source localization has been well studied under constrained scenes, where the audio recordings are clean. However, in real world scenarios, audios are usually contaminated by off screen sound and background noise. They will interfere with the procedure of identifying desired sources and building visual sound connections, making previous studies nonapplicable. In this work, we propose the Interference Eraser (IEr) framework, which tackles the problem of audiovisual sound source localization in the wild. The key idea is to eliminate the interference by redefining and carving discriminative audio representations. Specifically, we observe that the previous practice of learning only a single audio representation is insufficient due to the additive nature of audio signals. We thus extend the audio representation with our Audio Instance Identifier module, which clearly distinguishes sounding instances when audio signals of different volumes are unevenly mixed. Then we erase the influence of the audible but off screen sounds and the silent but visible objects by a Cross modal Referrer module with cross modality distillation. Quantitative and qualitative evaluations demonstrate that our framework achieves superior results on sound localization tasks, especially under real world scenarios.

Design of parametric acoustic array based on inverse control processing

The parametric acoustic array (PAA) is a new acoustic system that can produce directional acoustic beams, but due to the nonlinear influence of media, it will produce severe distortion during propagation. In order to obtain high-quality audible sound, the system should take full advantage of the nonlinear propagation effect of air and minimize the distortion caused by non-linearity. Presented in this paper is a method of using a nonlinear control algorithm to reduce system distortion. The inverse model of the parametric array nonlinear system is established using a neural network. The effectiveness of this control algorithm is verified by the inverse control simulation of different types of audio signals. According to the established system model, the sound distortion of the system is reduced effectively. In order to optimize the directivity of the speaker array, a method based on changing the distribution of the transducer voltage is proposed. This study has important implications for the directed propagation of audible sounds in the air.

Dependence Of SCG Clustering On SCG Measurement Location

<h3>Introduction</h3> Seismocardiography (SCG) refers to audible and subsonic heart sounds acquired on the chest wall, and is potentially useful for HF diagnosis and monitoring. Previous studies typically measured SCG signals at a location which varied among different studies (e.g. xiphoid process, 4th ICS, etc.). One potentially useful SCG feature is the tendency of the signal to cluster into two different respiration dependent forms, and this clustering may in tern depend on SCG measurement location. <h3>Objective</h3> Investigate the dependence of SCG clustering on SCG measurement location. <h3>Methods</h3> SCG, electrocardiography (ECG), and spirometry were measured in 15 healthy males (19-31 yo) at 3 locations (mid-sternum, 4^th ICS at left lower sternal border, and xiphoid process). Respirations were measured using spirometry. SCG events were segmented using the ECG-R wave, then grouped into 2 clusters using the "k-medoid" algorithm. The "decision boundary" between clusters and clustering accuracy were determined using support vector machine (SVM) methods. <h3>Results</h3> Figure 1 shows a sample distribution of the clustered events in the mid-sternum during the respiratory cycle. Table 1 shows the classification parameters in % for the three measurement locations. Although of comparable accuracy, the mid-sternum SCG location had a 76% larger SD. The data also demonstrates a 16-27% average clustering disagreement between the mid-sternum and the other two "listening" positions. <h3>Conclusions</h3> The chest wall location chosen for "listening" to the SCG may be important to maximize SCG's utility for HF diagnosis and monitoring. The mid-sternum had slightly lower average classification accuracy with relatively higher SD compared to the LLSB or the xiphoid. More research is needed to further optimize SCG sensor placement positions for use in HF patients.

The frequency-following response to assess the neural representation of spectral speech cues in older adults

Older adults often present difficulties understanding speech that cannot be explained by age-related changes in sound audibility. Psychoacoustic and electrophysiologic studies have linked these suprathreshold difficulties to age-related deficits in the auditory processing of temporal and spectral sound information. These studies suggest the existence of an age-related temporal processing deficit in the central auditory system, but the existence of such deficit in the spectral domain remains understudied. The FFR is an electrophysiological evoked response that assesses the ability of the neural auditory system to reproduce the spectral and temporal patterns of a sound. The main goal of this short review is to investigate if the FFR can identify and measure spectral processing deficits in the elderly compared to younger adults (for both, without hearing loss or competing noise). Furthermore, we want to determine what stimuli and analyses have been used in the literature to assess the neural encoding of spectral cues in older adults. Almost all reviewed articles showed an age-related decline in the auditory processing of spectral acoustic information. Even when using different speech and non-speech stimuli, studies reported an age-related decline at the fundamental frequency, at the first formant, and at other harmonic components using different metrics, such as the response's amplitude, inter-trial phase coherence, signal-to-response correlation, and signal-to-noise ratio. These results suggest that older adults may present age-related spectral processing difficulties, but further FFR studies are needed to clarify the effect of advancing age on the neural encoding of spectral speech cues. Spectral processing research on aging would benefit from using a broader variety of stimuli and from rigorously controlling for hearing thresholds even in the absence of disabling hearing loss. Advances in the understanding of the effect of age on FFR measures of spectral encoding could lead to the development of new clinical tools, with possible applications in the field of hearing aid fitting.

Performing an upper airway examination in dogs.

Increased airway resistance due to upper airway obstruction is a common cause of respiratory distress. An upper airway exam is an inexpensive and quick diagnostic procedure that can serve to localize a disease process, confirm a definitive diagnosis, and offer therapeutic benefits. The upper airway examination consists of an external evaluation of the head and neck as well as a sedated examination of the oral cavity, the pharyngeal cavity, larynx, and nasal passages. An upper airway examination should be performed in patients with increased inspiratory effort or increased upper respiratory noise (eg, stertor or stridor). A complete, sedated upper airway examination should be considered for patients with clinical signs of upper airway disease for which a cause is not obvious from the physical examination. Indications for an upper airway examination include sneezing, nasal discharge or epistaxis, reduced or absent nasal airflow, change in phonation, inspiratory difficulty, and audible respiratory sounds. Upper airway examination helps localize pathological processes and allows the clinician to confirm or exclude several differential diagnoses. Pre-oxygenation of the patient for 3-5 minutes prior to sedation will help increase the amount of time available before hypoxemia occurs, should complications arise. Upon completion of the upper airway examination, it is important to monitor the patient carefully and ensure a safe recovery. Careful planning to ensure the availability of necessary equipment and preparation of the team to react during and after the airway examination will minimize the risks of examination to patients with upper airway disease.

Cause-and-effect analysis of unusual audible sounds in a roof truss structure of a multi-family residential building. A case study

This paper presents a cause-and-effect analysis of a roof truss structure in a multi-family residential building within the scope of audible sounds described as crackling which intensifies during strong winds. The engineering expert's methodology, including an analysis of the building’s as-built documentation and a site visit during which roofing layers were uncovered are also presented herein. The paper identifies and discusses poor roofing workmanship causing the reported adverse effects. Proposals for remedial action to eliminate audible noise in the operation of the roof truss structure are formulated.

Classification of Music Instruments: An overview

Varieties of music instruments are available today to produce the audible sounds which are used to make a piece of music. The music instruments have been classified into various groups depending upon the size, materials, usages, structure, and others. But, today many new practices, experiments, devices, and new instruments have been emerged with the flow of time in musical field. For all the concerned with music, a neo-classification of instruments is ever raised a question. So, from the educational point of view, some of the new music instruments, which are played today, further should be re-classified for convenience. The present article is based on an overview upon the study about the music instruments by following the secondary data and analytical method. After interpretation and analysis, some music instruments, which are still unclassified are categorized under neo-classification.

Perception of Musicality and Emotion in Signed Songs

This study investigated how signed performances express musical meaning and emotions. Deaf, Hard-of-Hearing (HoH), and hearing participants watched eight translated signed songs and eight signed lyrics with no influence of music. The participants rated these videos on several emotional and movement dimensions. Even though the videos did not have audible sounds, hearing participants perceived the signed songs as more musical than the signed lyrics. Deaf/HoH participants perceived both types of videos as equally musical, suggesting a different conception of what it means for movement to be musical. We also found that participants’ ratings of spatial height, vertical direction, size, tempo, and fluency related to the performer’s intended emotion and participants’ ratings of valence/arousal. For Deaf/HoH participants, accuracy at identifying emotional intentions was predicted by focusing more on facial expressions than arm movements. Together, these findings add to our understanding of how audience members attend to and derive meaning from different characteristics of movement in performative contexts.

Posture Feedback System with Wearable Speaker.

Maintaining good posture when using a laptop or a smartphone can prevent computer vision syndrome and text neck syndrome. However, it is difficult to remain aware of posture during an activity. Thus, wearable systems with posture feedback can help maintain good posture during daily activities. In this paper, we propose a posture feedback system that uses a commercial wearable speaker, which has been used for music and video conferencing when working from home. To judge a user's posture as good or poor, we focus on estimating the distance between the user's eyes and the screen when using a laptop and the neck tilt when using a smartphone. To estimate the distance, we use an active sensing method with ultrasound sent from a wearable speaker to a microphone on a laptop or a smartphone. The sound pressure of ultrasound changes depending on the distance between the wearable speaker and the microphone. In addition, an active sensing method can be used to estimate neck tilt because the sound pressure changes depending on the angle between the wearable speaker and the microphone. When the system judges the user's posture as poor, it will provide auditory feedback by applying digital audio effects to audible sounds (i.e., audio being listened to). Audio signal processing is implemented as a web application so users can use our system easily and immediately. We conducted three experiments to verify the feasibility of our proposed method. The sound pressure changed depending on the distance and angle between a wearable speaker and a microphone, and the system could judge posture as good or poor at almost 100 % under the experimental conditions.

EP.TH.96Recurrent Retroperitoneal Liposarcoma Presenting as Irreducible Inguinal Hernia

Abstract Introduction Retroperitoneal sarcomas protruding though the groin are extremely rare with only about 12 cases reported in the past 31 years to our knowledge. . As the retroperitoneal space communicates with the inguinal canal, large lipomatous tumors, may protrude through this natural weak spot which may present as irreduciible inguinal hernia. Case Report We report a 43 year old male, previously operated for retroperitoneal liposarcoma with 4 cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy and 5 cycles of radiotherapy 4 years back now presented with irreducible inguinal hernia. On examination, a firm fixed mass of about 15 x 10 cm, with indistinct margins was palpable in right hemiabdomen, abdomen was soft with audible bowel sounds. A firm swelling of 8 x 5 cm in right inguinal region extending into scrotum with no cough impulse was also present. On CT imaging a large mixed density lesion noted in Right lower abdomen measuring 16.2 x 14.8 x 23.5 cm. It showed internal fat and solid components and recurrence with herniation through right inguinal canal which is a rare entity. The patient was treated symptomatically, bilateral DJ stenting was done by the urology team and the patient was prepared for debulking surgery. Patient was classified as ASA IV. Unfortunately, the patient died 6th post admission day secondary to cardiopulmonary arrest. Conclusion A retroperitoneal tumor especially a liposarcoma should be ruled out in a large, painless, non-reducible inguinal mass with abdominal complaints. Patients need regular follow up after resection of retroperitoneal liposarcoma for early detection of recurrence.

An Electromagnetic Fiber Acoustic Transducer with Dual Modes of Loudspeaker and Microphone.

A flexible fiber acoustic transducer is created by designing a parallel configuration of a Rubidium iron boron (NdFeB) magnet fiber and an aluminum fiber. The former provides a stable magnet field, while the latter vibrates to phonate upon applying alternating current or generates alternating voltage in the sound field. This single device exhibits dual functions as a loudspeaker or a microphone. As a fiber loudspeaker, it can generate 40-60dB of audible (20Hz-20kHz) and directional sounds which can be used for blind navigation and controllable sound field distribution. The fiber acoustic transducer functions as a microphone when external sound waves force the aluminum fiber to vibrate. After the fiber microphones are woven into several different positions of a piece of clothing, the sound source can be accurately located based on the time differences reaching different microphones. This wearable fiber acoustic transducer is promising to be used to quickly search people in trouble during emergency rescue activities such as earthquakes or fires.