Sound Interval Research Articles

Automated Bowel Sound and Motility Analysis with CNN Using a Smartphone

Bowel sound (BS) is receiving more attention as an indicator of gut health since it can be acquired non-invasively. Current gut health diagnostic tests require special devices that are limited to hospital settings. This study aimed to develop a prototype smartphone application that can record BS using built-in microphones and automatically analyze the sounds. Using smartphones, we collected BSs from 100 participants (age 37.6 ± 9.7). During screening and annotation, we obtained 5929 BS segments. Based on the annotated recordings, we developed and compared two BS recognition models: CNN and LSTM. Our CNN model could detect BSs with an accuracy of 88.9% andan F measure of 72.3% using cross evaluation, thus displaying better performance than the LSTM model (82.4% accuracy and 65.8% F measure using cross validation). Furthermore, the BS to sound interval, which indicates a bowel motility, predicted by the CNN model correlated to over 98% with manual labels. Using built-in smartphone microphones, we constructed a CNN model that can recognize BSs with moderate accuracy, thus providing a putative non-invasive tool for conveniently determining gut health and demonstrating the potential of automated BS research.

The Fulfillment of Transported Products of a Container Operator Using Differentiated Block Train Length

This article formulates an approach to improving the existing system of organizing container shipping. Along with full-set container trains, it is proposed to form container block trains of differentiated ("floating") lengths in a technologically sound interval. The calculations of the economic efficiency of the departure of block trains with a length of 53, 55, 57 and 58 conventional cars are given. It is noted that the organization of transportation by short block - trains entails a relative saving of conditionally - constant ("independent") transportation costs.

Tropical Abstraction of Biochemical Reaction Networks with Guarantees

Biochemical molecules interact through modification and binding reactions, giving raise to a combinatorial number of possible biochemical species. The time-dependent evolution of concentrations of the species is commonly described by a system of coupled ordinary differential equations (ODEs). However, the analysis of such high-dimensional, non-linear system of equations is often computationally expensive and even prohibitive in practice. The major challenge towards reducing such models is providing the guarantees as to how the solution of the reduced model relates to that of the original model, while avoiding to solve the original model.In this paper, we have designed and tested an approximation method for ODE models of biochemical reaction systems, in which the guarantees are our major requirement. Borrowing from tropical analysis techniques, we look at the dominance relations among terms of each species' ODE. These dominance relations can be exploited to simplify the original model, by neglecting the dominated terms. As the dominant subsystems can change during the system's dynamics, depending on which species dominate the others, several possible modes exist. Thus, simpler models consisting of only the dominant subsystems can be assembled into hybrid, piecewise smooth models, which approximate the behavior of the initial system. By combining the detection of dominated terms with symbolic bounds propagation, we show how to approximate the original model by an assembly of simpler models, consisting in ordinary differential equations that provide time-dependent lower and upper bounds for the concentrations of the initial model's species.The utility of our method is twofold. On the one hand, it provides a reduction heuristics that performs without any prior knowledge of the initial system's behavior (i.e., no simulation of the initial system is needed in order to reduce it). On the other hand, our method provides sound interval bounds for each species, and hence can serve to evaluate the faithfulness of tropicalization reduction heuristics for ODE models of biochemical reduction systems. The method is tested on several case studies.

Sound production in the coconut crab, the largest terrestrial crustacean

Sound production in terrestrial crustaceans, including the coconut crab, Birgus latro, is not fully understood. Here, we present the first description of the acoustic features and sound production mechanisms of coconut crabs. The sound production system was determined based on X-ray videography and anatomical observations. The results indicated that the crabs produced a tapping sound by beating the scaphognathite, which is also used for ventilation, in the efferent branchial channel. The frequencies of the produced sounds were diverse, and the sound interval also varied within the same individual. From observations under captivity, differences in the sounds were confirmed at each mating phase. Although the relationship between the sounds and actions was not clarified in this study, it is probable that the crabs deliberately produce various types of sounds for different occasions. The coconut crab is known to use visual and chemical communication mechanisms, but these results suggest that a diverse set of sounds is an additional communication pathway during agonistic and mating interactions.

Evaluation of human bowel motility using non-contact microphones

In recent years, features extracted from bowel sound (BS) has been proposed in the evaluation and monitoring of gastrointestinal motility. BS has been acquired using sensors such as electronic stethoscopes which require body contact with a subject. However, to our knowledge, the analysis of BS using non-contact microphones has not been reported yet. In this study, we compared BS acquired from a non-contact microphone with those of a stethoscope, while subjects undergo the soda tolerance test (STT). The STT stimulates bowel motility. Our investigation shows that irrespective of the body mass index, both stethoscope-based and non-contact microphone-based BSs have a similar performance in computing features such as: BS detected per minute and sound to sound interval in the time domain. These findings provide a powerful new window into the non-contact evaluation of bowel motility.

Interval Type-2 Fuzzy Set Reconstruction Based on Fuzzy Information-Theoretic Kernels

This paper presents a universal methodology for generating an interval type-2 fuzzy set membership function from a collection of type-1 fuzzy sets. The key idea of the proposed methodology is to designate a specific type-1 fuzzy set as the representative of all input type-1 fuzzy sets. To this end, we use a novel measure of similarity between type-1 fuzzy sets, which relies on both kernel functions and fuzzy information processing methods. Based on the selected representative type-1 fuzzy set, and with respect to the principle of justifiable granularity, an interval type-2 fuzzy set is then formed. The results of the conducted experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology for generating sound interval type-2 fuzzy sets.

Periodic sound-based 6-minute walk test forpatients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy:a preliminary study.

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to verify if a periodic sound-based 6-minute walk test with the best periodic sound could be used to evaluate physical endurance more precisely than the conventional 6-minute walk test. [Subjects] The subjects were healthy subjects and 6 ambulant patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. [Methods] The subjects initially walked for 1 minute to a long-interval metronome sound, and the walking distance was measured. The sound interval was then gradually shortened, and the subjects walked for 1 minute for each of the intervals. The best periodic sound was considered to be the periodic sound used when the subject walked the longest distance in 1 minute, and the process of determining it was referred to as the period shortening walk test. This study administered the 6-minute walk test with the best periodic sound to twenty healthy subjects and 6 ambulant patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy and compared the walking distance. [Results] The periodic sound-based 6-minute walk test distances in both the healthy subjects and the patients were significantly longer than the conventional 6-minute walk test distances. [Conclusion] The periodic sound-based 6-minute walk test provided a better indication of ambulatory potential in an evaluation of physical endurance than the conventional 6-minute walk test.

Effect of temperature on acoustic communication: Sound production in the croaking gourami (labyrinth fishes)

Sound communication comprising the production and detection of acoustic signals is affected by ambient temperature in ectothermic animals. In the present study we investigated the effects of temperature on sound production and characteristics in the croaking gourami Trichopsis vittata, a freshwater fish from Southeast Asia possessing a highly specialized sound-generating mechanism found only in a single genus. The croaking gourami produces pulsed sounds by stretching and plucking two enhanced pectoral fin tendons during rapid pectoral fin beating. Croaking sounds typically consist of a series of double-pulsed bursts with main energies between 1 and 1.5kHz. Sounds were recorded during dyadic contests between two males at three different temperatures (25°, 30° and 35°C). The mean dominant frequency increased with rising temperature from 1.18 to 1.33kHz, whereas temporal characteristics decreased. The sound interval dropped from 492 to 259ms, the burst period from 51 to 35ms and the pulse period from 5.8 to 5.1ms. In contrast, the number of sounds and number of bursts within a sound were not affected by temperature. The current study shows that spectral and temporal characteristics of sounds are affected in different ways by temperature in the croaking gourami, whereas the numbers of sounds and bursts remain unaffected. We conclude that acoustic communication in gouramis is affected by changes in ambient temperature.

Design and Analysis of Two Gun Salute Control Systems Based on Singlechip and PLC

The two control systems of intelligent celebration gun salutes based on singlechip and PLC is researched, developed and compared in this thesis, which consists of peripheral units such as sensor through adding singlechip or PLC control unit based on ordinary gas gun salutes, realizes intelligent control of sound interval and volume and acquires effects of playing musical instruments. The system has not only high practical value but also good market prospect; furthermore, it offers an excellent material to internships and practical training of students from colleges and universities.

Items from patient-oriented instruments can be integrated into interval scales to operationalize categories of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health

Objective To exemplify the construction of interval scales for specified categories of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) by integrating items from a variety of patient-oriented instruments. Study Design and Setting Psychometric study using data from a convenience sample of 122 patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Patients completed six different patient-oriented instruments. The contents of the instrument items were linked to the ICF. Rasch analyses for ordered-response options were used to examine whether the instrument items addressing the ICF category b130: Energy and drive functions constitute a psychometrically sound interval scale. Results Nineteen items were linked to b130: Energy and drive functions. Sixteen of the 19 items fit the Rasch model according to the chi-square ( χ 2) statistic ( χ 2 df=32 = 38.25, P = 0.21) and the Z-fit statistic ( Z Mean = 0.451, Z SD = 1.085 and Z Mean = −0.223, Z SD = 1.132 for items and persons, respectively). The Person Separation Index r β was 0.93. Conclusion The ICF category interval scales to operationalize single ICF categories can be constructed. The original format of the items included in the interval scales remains unchanged. This study represents a step forward in the operationalization and future implementation of the ICF.

Speech segment coding and pitch control methods for speech synthesis systems

The present invention relates to a method and system for synthesizing speech utilizing a periodic waveform decomposition and relocation coding scheme. According to the scheme, signals of voiced sound interval among original speech are decomposed into wavelets, each of which corresponds to a speech waveform for one period made by each glottal pulse. These wavelets are respectively coded and stored. The wavelets nearest to the positions where the wavelets are to be located are selected from stored wavelets and decoded. The decoded wavelets are superposed to each other such that original sound quality can be maintained and duration and pitch frequency of speech segment can be controlled arbitrarily.

Impulse train equivalent excitation signals for high‐quality speech synthesis

AbstractIn the speech synthesis using filters, other than the impulse train, some special pulse trains such as an excitation signal are used, especially the pulse train by Barker sequence and the pulse train obtained by averaging in time the energy of the signal. However, they do not produce a high‐quality synthesized speech. By contrast, the possibility exists that a high‐quality speech synthesis can be achieved by utilizing the residual speech as the excitation signal. In this case, a certain data compression must be applied to the residual signal. Several useful methods are known for coding the residual speech, such as base‐band signal coding and multipulse coding. For efficient speech data compression or realization of high‐quality speech synthesis by a rule‐based speech synthesis, the lack of rules or formulation for the excitation source is a serious problem. To realize a high‐quality speech synthesis by a rule‐based excitation, a high‐quality impulse train equivalent excitation signal is needed to replace the usual impulse train. From such a viewpoint, this paper first performed the very‐short‐term analysis of the residual speech, confirming that the spectral envelope of the voiced sound interval varies with time in quite a characteristic way. A method of generating the impulse train equivalent signal (FTSITES) with the spectral envelope and fine‐time structure is proposed according to the result of analysis. It is shown that a high‐quality speech synthesis is achieved by utilizing FTSITES as the excitation signal.

音の持続時間 無音区間の言語識別能に及ぼす影響

音の持続時間 無音区間の言語識別能に及ぼす影響

Systolic Time Intervals in Isolated Septal Defects before and after Corrective Surgery

Systolic time intervals (STI) were analyzed in 34 patients with isolated ventricular septal defect (VSD) and undirectional left-to-right shunt. 14 of the patients who underwent corrective surgery were followed-up for at least 10 years. The measurements were obtained from simultaneous high speed photographic recordings of electrocardiogram, external carotid pulse and phonocardiogram. Before the operation the Q-I sound interval and, consequently, the pre-ejection period were significantly prolonged and the left ventricular ejection time significantly abbreviated, the degree of abbreviation relating with the magnitude of the shunt. The above deviations persisted after corrective surgery, and only several years after the operation the parameters studied became normal. It is concluded that the most likely explanation for these abnormalities is the depressed contractility of the left ventricle, secondary to the long-standing volume overload, which tends to persist after corrective surgery.

Systolic Time Intervals in Isolated Septal Defects before and after Corrective Surgery in Female Patients

Systolic time intervals (STI) were evaluated in 19 female patients with uncomplicated ostium secundum atrial septal defect (ASD), before, shortly after (within 2 months) and a long time after the corrective surgery (mean 13.2 years). The measurements were obtained from simultaneous high speed photographic recordings of electrocardiogram, external carotid pulse and phonocardiogram. Before the operation, a significant prolongation of Q-I heart sound interval was detected, together with a less prominent but statistically significant shortening of the left ventricular ejection time; the above alterations were not correlated with the magnitude of the shunt and disappeared shortly after corrective surgery. The STI were still normal a long time after surgical closure of ASD. In accordance with hemodynamic studies reported by other authors, our results confirm that the deviations of STI observed in ASD are due to a reduced diastolic filling of the left ventricle secondary to an apparent decreased distensibility.

Left atrial ball thrombus diagnosed by two-dimensional echocardiography

The diagnosis of the ball thrombus in the left atrium has been very difficult by conventional clinical techniques. In the present case, two-dimensional echocardiography successfully demonstrated a spherical tumor moving in unpredictable directions in the left atrium. M-mode echocardiography did not clearly identify the tumor because of the limited visual width and spatial orientation of the technique; however, simultaneous recordings of the M-mode echocardiogram with phonocardiogram, carotid pulse wave, and electrocardiogram provided some diagnostic clues to the occlusive left atrial tumor. In the absence mitral valve occlusion by the tumor, a logarithmic correlation between the ejection time and the preceding R-R interval, and a negative linear correlation between Q to the first sound interval and the preceding R-R interval were found. In the beat following the appearance of the tumor in the mitral orifice, the sudden shortening of the ejection time and the prolongation of Q to the first sound interval were noted. Both of these findings are indirect evidence of decreased left ventricular filling associated with an elevated left atrial pressure resulting from the sudden mitral orifice obstruction by the tumor. Detailed analysis of the data obtained by the conventional noninvasive techniques could provide critical clues for the diagnosis of the occlusive left atrial tumor.

Acoustic anisotropy in marine sediments and sedimentary rocks

Marine sediments under overburden pressure commonly develop elastic anisotropy, probably of the transverse type with a single vertical axis of symmetry. Surface measurements of sound interval velocity in such materials, as by wide angle reflection profiling, provide a value between the vertical and horizontal velocities, thus introducing errors when measured velocity is used in determining section thickness. Empirical regression equations from laboratory measurements allow estimation of in situ vertical or horizontal velocity when one or the other is known in marine calcareous (Vv, km/s = 0.18 + 0.89Vh) and siltclay (Vv, km/s = 0.25 + 0.83 Vh) sediments and sedimentary rocks. These equations allow determination of the maximum error caused by anisotropy in section thickness determinations.

The Influence of Heart Rate and Age on the Systolic and Diastolic Time Intervals in Children

The systolic time intervals have been measured in 76 normal children, aged 1 month to 15 years, from simultaneous recordings of the electrocardiogram, phonocardiogram and carotid arterial pulse or apexcardiogram (left or right). Four different statistical methods were applied to study the separate influence of heart rate (HR) and age on these intervals. Left ventricular ejection time (LVET) had a highly significant correlation with HR but none with age. Age alone had a slight but significant influence on pre-ejection period (PEP) and isometric contraction time (ICT). Electromechanical systole (Q-II) varied directly with age and inversely with HR. Right and left total mechanical systole (TMS R , TMS L ) and left isometric relaxation time (IRT L ) were inversely related to HR, while right electromechanical delay varied only with age. Q to first sound interval (Q-I), interval from onset of contraction to first sound on left and right apexcardiogram (Cl L , Cl R ) and left electromechanical delay (EMD L ) were found to be constant values. PEP/LVET (0.313, sd 0.05) and TMS L /LVET (1.546, sd 0.128) were not significantly correlated with HR nor age. Regression equations and mean values are presented to permit rapid estimation of predicted normal values in children. The ratios TMS L /LVET and PEP/LVET being unaffected by age or HR, are suggested as practical indices of myocardial function in children.

The short cardiac pre-ejection period: an index to thyrotoxicosis.

Systolic time intervals (STI) were determined from simultaneous records of the electrocardiogram, carotid pulse and phonocardiogram in 17 consecutive patients with thyrotoxicosis and sinus rhythm. None of the patients had clinical evidence of congestive heart failure. Intervals measured included electromechanical systole (Q-S 2 ), heart sound interval (S 1 -S 2 ) and left ventricular ejection time (LVET). From these, the pre-ejection period (PEP), isovolumetric contraction time (ICT) and Q-S 1 intervals were derived. Deviations (ΔSTI) of observed values from expected values (Weissler equations) for the same heart rate were obtained by subtraction. The mean deviation of the thyrotoxic patients ± sem from the normal population were ΔQ- S 2 * = –37.8 ± 4.2; ΔLVET = –4.0 ± 4.1; ΔPEP * = –33.8 ± 1.8. The shortening of PEP was due largely to a shortened ICT (ΔICT * = –27.2 ± 1.1). In eight patients studied serially during treatment the short PEP returned to the normal range concurrently with serum T 4 measurements. This study indicates that the PEP is a unique noninvasive measurement of biological end organ responsiveness with thyroid dysfunction; a short PEP is characteristic of uncomplicated thyrotoxicosis and serial changes in PEP may be a useful index of therapeutic response. * P < .001.

Studies on the third heart sound

The purpose of this papers is to present the results of both clinical and experimental studies on hemodynamic mechanism of third sound observed during heart failure as a component of early diastolic gallop sound. Part 1: Clinical observation. Subjects and Methods: Phonocardiogram obtained in the cardiopulmonary laboratory of the Mie University Hospital during the last five years on 163 cases of congenital heart disease, 244 cases of acquired heart disease and 242 cases of non-cardiac patients were analysed, 43 cases with mitral regurgitation were studied by right heart catheterization and the hemodynamic pathogenesis of the third heart sound was investigated. Results and Discussion: Higher incidence of third heart sound was occurred in 90% of MI cases and 76%of constrictive pericarditis cases. Positive correlation was observed between 2nd-3rd sound interval and preceding R-R interval in all cases of congenital, acquired heart disease and noncardiac cases. Additionally, excellent positive correlation was impressed between 2nd-3rd interval and preceding R-R interval in three cases of MI with atrial fibrillation. In MI cases, height of v-wave or Ry/v (Ry denotes descent of y wave in mmHg per sec.) of pulmonary arterial wedge pressure contour which are regarded as indicator of the severity of regurgiation, were compared with 2nd-3rd sound interval. Significant negative correlation was observed between 2nd-3rd sound interval and height of v wave (r = -0.57 0.001 <p<0.01). On the other hand, significant correlation was faild to be evidenced between 2nd- 3rd sound interval. 90% of MI cases with third sound, arithmetic average of v height and its mean pressure of pulmonary artery wedge pressure contour were 30.8 mmHg. and 18.4 mmHg., respectively. On the other hand, 10% of MI without third sound, arithmetic average of v height and its mean pressure were as low as 10.8 mmHg. and 6.2 mmHg., respectively, which indicates almost pressure gradient between LA and LV at the time of rapid filling period, and creates not enough blood flow or flow velocity through mitral ostium. MI without third sound, therefore is regarded as milder and in differentation from innocent apical systolic murmur, left ventriculography is needed.