Sound Patterns Research Articles

Felt Anticipation: Rhythm, Expectation, and Emotion in Friederike Mayröcker’s Poetic Spoken Atmospheres

Abstract This paper addresses the work of the Austrian poet Friederike Mayröcker (1924–2021) with an interdisciplinary approach contextualised within Cognitive Poetics and Cognitive Literary Theory studies. The specific focus of this study is the voice and the meaning produced through the proposed notion of a ‘poetic spoken atmosphere’. The poetic spoken atmosphere is understood here not as the unique property of an audio-text but rather as an intersubjective phenomenon emerging at the intersection of the poetic language and a listener. This notion underlines the importance of voice and its effects in the dynamics of poetry reception in order to investigate sound patterns and meaning-making dynamics, approaching three specific processes – rhythm, expectation, and emotion. The general theoretical frame of this study is based on principles of both phenomenology and cognitive sciences. Likewise, the analysis of Mayröcker’s poems is based on her recordings, available on the Lyrikline platform of the Haus für Poesie Berlin, from which spectrograms were generated to complement the textual and acoustic analysis. The observations of this study address the vocal structures modulating what can be termed an ‘insideness’, which allows to analyze sound attributes such as duration, intensity, ubiquity, and disappearing. Recognising such attributes help us to understand the emotional level of poetic sounds, i. e. the relationship between feeling and meaning in listening, hypothesising that meaning is indeed felt. Finally, the paper offers a comparative perspective that suggests further research on the basis of the paper’s theoretical-analytical methodology, and it provides specific examples from several literary systems.

Sounds as taxonomic indicators in Holocentrid fishes.

The species-specific character of sounds in the animal kingdom has been extensively documented, yet research on fishes has predominantly focused on a limited number of species, overlooking the potential of acoustic signals to reflect broader taxonomic ranks. In this study, we analyzed acoustic data of hand-held sounds from 388 specimens spanning 5 genera and 33 species within the family Holocentridae, with the objective of evaluating the use of sound characteristics for taxonomic discrimination across various levels (subfamily, genus, species). Sounds could be indicative of grouping. Taxa discriminability depends on taxonomic level; the higher the taxonomic level, the better the discrimination of taxa based on sounds. Analogous to the role of morphological traits in taxonomic delineation, this research corroborates the utility of acoustic features in identifying fish taxa across multiple hierarchical levels. Remarkably, certain holocentrid species have evolved complex sound patterns characterized by unique temporal arrangements where pulses are not continuous but emitted in blocks, facilitating the exploitation of the acoustic space.

Speech sound errors in adolescents with congenital hearing loss

Children with hearing impairment (HI) often have vowel and consonant errors. Speech-language pathologists need this information to correct articulation errors. Despite the prevalence of research on speech sound error patterns in hearing aid users, there is a lack of literature in the adolescent group. The present study aimed to investigate the common speech sound errors in HI adolescents from the Malayalam-speaking community who have severe to profound hearing loss and are digital hearing aid users. A total of 15 monolingual Malayalam-speaking children between the ages of 9 and 16 years were recruited who had been diagnosed with speech sound disorders secondary to congenital hearing impairment. The minimum language age for inclusion in the study was over three years. Articulatory error analysis was performed for all consonants and vowels of the Malayalam language, and frequently produced vowel and consonant errors were included in the SODA and PMV analyses. The consonants frequently produced speech sound errors and no vowel errors were found. The most commonly produced consonant errors were fricatives, trills, laterals, velars, and alveolars. Substitution and omission errors were the most common type of error. Place and manner errors were more common than other types of errors. The results of this study may help parents and rehabilitation professionals to understand the common errors that persist even after intensive intervention. It may also be a useful guide for AAC therapists and speech-language pathologists in setting appropriate speech production goals for adolescents with HI.

A novel monitoring method based on the fusion of sound and image signals for laser welding penetration status

Accurately identifying penetration status is crucial for ensuring high-quality welding. However, relying on a single sensor to monitor the welding status falls short in accuracy. Thus, a novel monitoring method that fuses sound and image is proposed for assessing the laser welding penetration status. First, a microphone and a high-speed camera are employed to collect sound and image signals during welding. Second, to overcome noise challenges in sound signal, a denoising method is proposed that utilizes Grey Wolf Optimization (GWO) to find the optimal parameters for Variational Mode Decomposition (VMD). The time and frequency domain features from the denoised sound and Local Binary Pattern (LBP) features from the image are extracted. These features constitute a high-dimensional dataset, which is reduced using Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Finally, a back propagation neural network (BPNN) is constructed for fusion monitoring. The results demonstrate that fusion monitoring achieves higher accuracy (97.9%) compared to using sound (79.9%) or image (92.3%) features independently. In comparison to other methods like K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN), Naive Bayesian (NB), Support Vector Machine (SVM), and Decision Tree, BPNN fusion monitoring achieves higher accuracies, with increases of 18.09%, 12.79%, 6.53%, and 25.84% respectively. The proposed method helps to promote the development of welding intelligence.

Pleasantness makes a good time: musical consonance shapes interpersonal synchronization in dyadic joint action.

Music making is a process by which humans across cultures come together to create patterns of sounds that are aesthetically pleasing. What remains unclear is how this aesthetic outcome affects the sensorimotor interaction between participants. Here we approach this question using an interpersonal sensorimotor synchronization paradigm to test whether the quality of a jointly created chord (consonant vs. dissonant) affects movement coordination. We recruited non-musician participants in dyads to perform a dyadic synchronization-continuation task (dSCT): on each trial, participants first synchronized their movements to a metronome (synchronization phase) and then continued tapping together at the same tempo without the metronome (continuation phase). Each tap yielded a note and participants heard both their own and that of their partner, thus creating a chord that was varied to be either consonant (Perf5 or Maj6) or dissonant (Min2 or Maj2). For each trial, participants also rated the pleasure they felt in creating the sounds together. Additionally, they completed questionnaires about social closeness to the other participant, musical reward sensitivity and musical training. Results showed that participants' taps were closer in time when they jointly created consonant (high pleasure) vs. dissonant (low pleasure) chords, and that pleasure experienced by the dyad in each trial predicted interpersonal synchronization. However, consonance did not affect individual synchronization with the metronome or individual tapping when the metronome was discontinued. The effect of consonance on synchronization was greater in dyads who reported feeling less close prior to the task. Together, these results highlight the role of consonance in shaping the temporal coordination of our actions with others. More broadly, this work shows that the aesthetic outcome of what we create together affects joint behaviors.

Input, Universals, and Transfer in Developing Rhotics: A Sketch in Bilingualism

Understanding the role of input in bilingual phonological acquisition is revealing for deciphering the workings of language acquisition processes. Input and usage distributional frequencies guide and differentiate speech sound acquisition patterns cross-linguistically. Such processes are operant in first- and second-language acquisition. There is an under-representation of investigations on how context-specific input in bilingualism influences the early acquisition of rhotics in child developmental speech longitudinally. This study addresses the gap by tracing a Greek/English bilingual girl’s rhotic development between ages 2;7 and 3;11, utilizing naturalistic data during daily interactions with an adult interlocutor. The study reports and schematically illustrates the child’s bilingual usage frequencies, informing language choice in her production variables, which demonstrate, quantitatively and qualitatively, the effects of context-specific input on rhotic accuracy levels and substitution patterns in both languages. Specifically, distributional frequencies in the input govern the child’s phonemic and phonetic tendencies in the languages. Findings are compared with previous reports in the literature and enhance language acquisition theory, revealing the pivotal role of input in the dynamic interplay with developmental universals, language-specific tendencies, transfer, and individual variation.

Enhancing spelling skills in dyslexic primary students: A comparative study of remedial and compensatory interventions in chennai

Learning to spell poses significant challenges for young learners with dyslexia, who often encounter difficulties with phonological awareness and orthographic processing. This study explores the effectiveness of a structured, two-stage intervention aimed at enhancing spelling skills among 25 primary school students in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, whose native language is Tamil. In the initial four-week phase, participants engaged in remedial activities focused on developing phonological and orthographic awareness, essential foundations for accurate spelling. This phase targeted the students’ ability to recognize sound patterns and understand letter-sound associations, providing a base for further learning. In the following sixteen-week phase, the intervention expanded to include compensatory strategies designed to reinforce initial learning and foster a more comprehensive understanding of spelling. This phase incorporated the multimodal learning, combining visual, auditory, and kinesthetic techniques, as well as task-oriented exercises, play-based activities, and gamified methods to make the learning process more engaging and enjoyable. These varied approaches aimed to enhance students’ spelling skills while maintaining their interest and motivation. The study’s findings demonstrated that both the remedial and compensatory interventions had a positive impact on students' spelling abilities. However, while the phonological and orthographic methods helped build essential skills, they required a longer duration to ensure retention beyond the intervention period. Conversely, the integrated, multimodal approach introduced in the second phase resulted in faster and more substantial improvements. This outcome highlights the benefits of a dynamic, interactive approach in supporting dyslexic learners who are acquiring English as a second language, promoting both skill acquisition and engagement.

Acoustic and Clinical Data Analysis of Vocal Recordings: Pandemic Insights and Lessons.

Background/Objectives: The interest in processing human speech and other human-generated audio signals as a diagnostic tool has increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The project OSCAR (vOice Screening of CoronA viRus) aimed to develop an algorithm to screen for COVID-19 using a dataset of Portuguese participants with voice recordings and clinical data. Methods: This cross-sectional study aimed to characterise the pattern of sounds produced by the vocal apparatus in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection documented by a positive RT-PCR test, and to develop and validate a screening algorithm. In Phase II, the algorithm developed in Phase I was tested in a real-world setting. Results: In Phase I, after filtering, the training group consisted of 166 subjects who were effectively available to train the classification model (34.3% SARS-CoV-2 positive/65.7% SARS-CoV-2 negative). Phase II enrolled 58 participants (69.0% SARS-CoV-2 positive/31.0% SARS-CoV-2 negative). The final model achieved a sensitivity of 85%, a specificity of 88.9%, and an F1-score of 84.7%, suggesting voice screening algorithms as an attractive strategy for COVID-19 diagnosis. Conclusions: Our findings highlight the potential of a voice-based detection strategy as an alternative method for respiratory tract screening.

Modelling structure-borne sound and radiation of submerged structures at high frequencies

Predicting the vibroacoustic behaviour of structures in contact with water and at high frequencies can be a complex task due to the fluid-structure interaction. Computation time increases with frequency and the complexity of the structure. Being able to predict the sound radiated by a naval vehicle in contact with water could help in improving passengers' comfort as well as the impact on the marine fauna. We use a prediction method called Dynamic Energy Analysis (DEA), so far emloyed mainly to assess the vibrational energy levels in the structure itself. DEA is a phase-space based ray tracing method determining energy densities in terms of the ray densities in a structure. The method can be applied on FEM-meshes and thus needs no SEA type substructuring. We expand the DEA methodology here to take into account radiation into the fluid in contact with the structure. From structure borne DEA calculations, we can determine directional sound radiation patterns both inside and outside the structure. We will demonstrate the new technique using some simple model systems.

Investigation and comparison of heat pump noise in the lab and field

The presentation covers a contribution from the publicly funded HP-QUEEN MENESA project on the characterisation of a heat pump in the laboratory with comparisons in the field at comparable operation conditions. The data in the lab are obtained from a hemi-anechoic chamber that is equipped with temperature control to allow standardized measurements at -7 °C and 7 °C, for example. In this environment spherical sound radiation pattern are determined on a movable hemi-circle microphone arrangement allowing the assessment of source location and radiation contribution as well as sound power determination at the different operation points of the heat pump. These data are compared and analysed to measurements with the same heat pump in the field at model houses at the Fraunhofer-IBP location in Holzkirchen. Furthermore, we are also investigating the transmission path from the noise of the heat pump outdoors into the building taking sound reduction index of i.e., windows into account. It is planned to connect a psychoacoustic analysis together with a questionnaire to these investigations that allows assessment of the final sound characteristics inside the building.

Effect of Airfoil thickness on low-frequency gust-airfoil interaction noise

Interaction between turbulence and an airfoil is a significant aerodynamic noise source for many engineering applications when turbulence in the wake of upstream blades interacts with the leading edge of downstream blades. Modeling the oncoming turbulence as harmonic gusts is a common approach to studying the noise generated by turbulence-airfoil interaction. The airfoil can be considered a compact noise source, resulting in a dipole-like sound directivity pattern when the acoustic wavelength of gust-airfoil interaction is much larger than the airfoil chord length. However, the interaction becomes more complex when the acoustic wavelength is comparable to or smaller than the airfoil chord, as the airfoil cannot be treated as a compact source anymore and multiple lobes appear in the radiated sound directivity. This paper studies airfoil thickness effects using a computational aeroacoustics approach based on the spectral/hp element method for low-reduced frequency gusts. It is found that the sound pressure decreases with the increase of thickness for low reduced frequency gusts. To reveal its mechanism, a semi-analytical method and the convective FW-H equation are used for low reduced frequency to analyze the radiated noise. The interaction between sound sources on the airfoil surface is crucial for the thickness effect.

Identifying optimal feature sets for acoustic signal classification in environmental noise measurements

Whatever the sound source to be evaluated, spurious events or unwanted sounds will always be present in environmental noise measurements. Spurious events are not characteristic of standard residual noise and must be removed prior to subsequent analyses. Currently, the removal step is deferred solely to the objective evaluation of the sound pattern and/or spectrogram by an operator. This results in the loss of many man-hours. Machine learning can be used to develop a tool capable of recognizing and removing spurious events in noise measurements. The tool must be able to account for various sounds, whether human-made or animal, and must be applicable to any environmental scenario. This is not a straightforward task, in fact if humans can easily distinguish between two sounds, such as a birds' chirps and a car passing by, based on prior experience, a machine may not be able to do so without apprenticeship. Therefore, a learning methodology must be constructed for the machine by establishing recognizable patterns. The aim of this paper is to identify the feature sets which allow the algorithm to differentiate spurious sounds in the best way. These features will represent the semantic value of the signal.

Enhancing Women Education for a Sustainable Environmental Development

Women represent a good proportion of any society’s Population and they have been known to have contributed in very many ways to the development and betterment of the society of most nations, notably the developed nations. In Nigeria, Women are the Primary environment mangers, extractors and the users of environmental resource, so they have close affinity with the environment. The rural women relate with nature to provide the basis for their day-to-day struggle for survival. They have an essential role to play in the development of sustainable and ecological sound consumption, Production Patterns and approaches to natural resources management. This paper focuses on strategies that will aid women to better cope with maintaining the environment in their multi-faceted roles. It is the view of this paper that, urgent attention should be given to the education of women if true and Sustainable environmental development is to be achieved. Keywords: Women Education, Sustainable Environmental Development, Consumption. Production Aims Research Journal Reference Format: Ibhafidon-Momodu, G.O. (2024): Enhancing Women Education for a Sustainable Environmental Development Advances in Multidisciplinary and Scientific Research Journal Vol. 10. No. 3. Pp 7-12 www.isteams.net/aimsjournal. dx.doi.org/10.22624/AIMS/V10N3P12

Ultrasonic multi-frequency piezoelectric transducer for generation different sound pressure field patterns

Ultrasonic multi-frequency piezoelectric transducer for generation different sound pressure field patterns

Research on the Calculation Method and Influence Law of High-speed Railway Line Sound Source Propagation Attenuation Caused by Building Sheltering

Abstract In recent years, China’s rail transit system, particularly the high-speed railway network, has experienced rapid development. However, the issue of noise pollution along these railways has become increasingly severe. The accurate prediction of sound levels at specific points near buildings is challenging due to complex factors such as differences in line height, distance, and angle relative to the building. To address this challenge and improve predictions of sound propagation attenuation caused by building shelter from high-speed railway line sources, this study derives an integral expression for diffraction attenuation based on Curze and Meakawa’s point source acoustic diffraction theory. Numerical calculations are conducted to investigate the sound propagation attenuation patterns under different position relationships between buildings and railway lines. Field tests are also carried out along a high-speed railway in China. The findings are as follows: (1) The calculated results show a difference of less than 0.5 dB compared to measured values, indicating that they accurately reflect sound attenuation caused by building shelter. (2) The angle between the building and the railway as well as the distance between the sound point and the edge of the building significantly influence building shelter attenuation; with angle being most prominent among them within a frequency band of 500~2000 Hz resulting in an attenuation range of 0.6~15 dB variation should be considered when predicting noise levels at sensitive points or designing vibration and noise reduction measures accordingly. (3) Different distances between buildings and railway lines result in additional effects on attenuations.

Speech sound error patterns may signal language disorder in Swedish preschool children with autism.

Within cohorts of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) there is considerable variation in terms of language ability. In the past, it was believed that children with ASD either had delayed articulation and phonology skills or excelled in those areas compared to other language domains. Very little is known about speech sound ability in relation to language ability and non-verbal ability in Swedish preschool children with ASD. The current study aimed to describe language variation in a group of 4-6-year-old children with ASD, focusing on in-depth analyses of speech sound error patterns with and without non-phonological language disorder and concomitant non-verbal delays. We examined and analysed the speech sound skills (including consonant inventory, percentage of correct consonants and speech sound error patterns) in relation to receptive language skills in a sample of preschool children who had screened positive for ASD in a population-based screening at 2.5 years of age. Seventy-three children diagnosed with ASD participated and were divided into subgroups based on their receptive language (i.e., non-phonological language) and non-verbal abilities. The subgroup division revealed that 29 children (40%) had language delay/disorder without concurrent non-verbal general cognitive delay (ALD), 27 children (37%) had language delay/disorder with non-verbal general cognitive delay (AGD), and 17 children (23%) had language and non-verbal abilities within the normal range (ALN). Results revealed that children with ALD and children with AGD both had atypical speech sound error patterns significantly more often than the children with ALN. This study showed that many children who had screened positive for ASD before age 3 years - with or without non-verbal general cognitive delays - had deficits in language as well as in speech sound ability. However, individual differences were considerable. Our results point to speech sound error patterns as a potential clinical marker for language problems (disorder/delay) in preschool children with ASD. What is already known on the subject Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have deficits in social communication, restricted interests and repetitive behaviour. They show very considerable variation in both receptive and expressive language abilities. Previously, articulation and phonology were viewed as either delayed in children with ASD or superior compared with other (non-phonological) language domains. What this paper adds to existing knowledge Children with ASD and language disorders also have problems with speech sound error patterns. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? About 75% of children with ASD experience language delays/disorders, as well as speech sound problems, related to speech sound error patterns. Understanding/acknowledging these phonological patterns and their implications can help in the diagnosis and intervention of speech sound disorders in children with ASD. Direct intervention targeting phonology might lead to language gains, but more research is needed.

Application of an Auditory-Based Feedback Distortion to Modify Gait Symmetry in Healthy Individuals.

Augmenting auditory feedback through an error-augmentation paradigm could facilitate the perception and correction of gait asymmetry in stroke survivors, but how such a paradigm should be tailored to individual asymmetry profiles remains unclear. Before implementing the paradigm in rehabilitation, we need to investigate the instantaneous effects of distorted footstep sound feedback on gait symmetry in healthy young adults. Participants (n = 12) walked on a self-paced treadmill while listening to their footstep sounds, which were distorted unilaterally according to five conditions presented randomly: small delay; small advance; large delay; large advance; or unmodified (control). The primary outcomes were swing time ratio (SWR) and step length ratio (SLR). Secondary outcomes included walking speed, bilateral swing time, step length, and maximum toe height, as well as hip, knee, and ankle angle excursions. SWR (p < 0.001) but not SLR (p ≥ 0.05) was increased in all distorted feedback conditions compared to the control condition. Increased swing time on the perturbed side ipsilateral to feedback distortion was observed in the advanced conditions (p < 0.001), while swing time increased bilaterally in the delayed conditions (p < 0.001) but to a larger extent on the unperturbed side contralateral to feedback distortion. Increases in swing time were accompanied by larger maximum toe height as well as larger hip and knee joint excursions (p < 0.05 to p < 0.001). No differences in any outcomes were observed between small and large feedback distortion magnitudes. Distorted footstep sound feedback successfully elicits adaptation in temporal gait symmetry (SWR), with distinct modulation patterns for advanced vs. delayed footstep sounds. Spatial symmetry (SLR) remains unaltered, likely because auditory feedback primarily conveys temporal information. This research lays the groundwork to implement personalized augmented auditory feedback in neurorehabilitation.

Stylistic Analysis and Comparative Study Of Edward Lear’s “The Owl And The Pussy-Cat” And Lewis Carroll’s “Jabberwocky”

The present paper represents stylistic analysis and comparison of Edward Lear’s “The Owl and the Pussycat” and Lewis Carroll’s “Jabberwocky”. These poems, which are representative of Victorian literary nonsense, engage readers in a fanciful literary experience by subverting normal narrative expectations through the use of unique vocabulary, whimsical topics, and fun sound patterns. Lear’s “The Owl and the Pussycat” is distinguished by its fanciful storyline and endearing application of anapestic meter, which gives the poem a rhythmic, melodic feel. Lear creates a surreal universe where rationality is abandoned in favor of imaginative inquiry through his inventive use of neologisms and portmanteau words, mixed with a basic yet magical plot. On the other hand, Carroll’s “Jabberwocky” is renowned for its extensive use of invented language, combining nonce words and compound words to produce a rich and evocative auditorium. This research shows how the stylistic decisions made by Lear and Carroll in the two works contrast with their respective approaches to nonsense literature. This essay highlights the distinctive contributions of Lear and Carroll to the category of nonsense poetry through a thorough analysis of their stylistic methods and provides insights into the larger significance of their work for the study of literary nonsense.

Literary Stylistics Features in the Musical Drama NURBAYA by Indonesia Kaya

This study examines the literary stylistic features in NURBAYA, a contemporary Indonesian musical drama produced by Indonesia Kaya. Employing Leech and Short's (1981) framework, the research focuses on sound patterns and figures of speech, investigating how these elements enhance narrative cohesion and emotional impact while reflecting cultural values. Using qualitative content analysis, the study systematically categorizes and interprets stylistic features in conversation utterances and song lyrics. The analysis reveals a prevalence of sound patterns, particularly rhyme, which contributes to the musical's rhythmic quality and cohesion. Figures of speech, notably litotes, are employed to reflect cultural values of politeness and subtlety. For instance, the frequent use of litotes (found in 35% of character dialogues) underscores adherence to traditional norms, enhancing the play's cultural resonance. NURBAYA, as a bridge between traditional and contemporary Indonesian theatre, offers a unique lens for examining the evolution of literary style in performance art. This study demonstrates how specific literary devices enrich artistic expression and reinforce cultural themes in contemporary Indonesian theatre. These findings contribute to our understanding of the interplay between linguistics, literature, and cultural expression in performing arts, offering insights into how stylistic analysis can illuminate broader sociocultural dynamics in theatrical works.

Nonlocal active sound control for composite regions

In the active sound control problem, additional sound sources, known as control sources, are implemented at the perimeter of a protected domain. The control sources can generate secondary sound inside the shielded domain, which attenuates incoming noise. This leads to an inverse source problem. Such a problem becomes much more complicated if some desired sound is generated inside the protected area. The algorithm, known as nonlocal active sound control, successfully tackles this problem due to the projection property of the nonlocal operators involved. With the application of nonlocal control, noise generated outside the shielded domain is attenuated while the internal component of sound remains unaffected. In the present paper, the approach of nonlocal active sound control is significantly modified to be applicable to composite domains. In the test cases, three different sound propagation patterns are realized such as sound shielded from peers, free propagation, and selective sound cancelation. Numerical simulation is carried out in both frequency and time domains for broadband regimes. The results show that, even with a relatively small number of sensors and control sources, significant noise attenuation can still be achieved for a predetermined communication pattern among individual subdomains.