scholarly journals Subjective Experience of Speech Depending on the Acoustic Treatment in an Ordinary Room

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (23) ◽  
pp. 12274
Author(s):  
Emma Arvidsson ◽  
Erling Nilsson ◽  
Delphine Bard-Hagberg ◽  
Ola J. I. Karlsson
Keyword(s):  
Speech Perception ◽  
Subjective Experience ◽  
Sound Quality ◽  
Reverberation Time ◽  
Acoustic Environment ◽  
Acoustic Environments ◽  
The Right ◽  
Acoustic Treatment ◽  
High Degree ◽  
Speech Clarity

In environments such as classrooms and offices, complex tasks are performed. A satisfactory acoustic environment is critical for the performance of such tasks. To ensure a good acoustic environment, the right acoustic treatment must be used. The relation between different room acoustic treatments and how they affect speech perception in these types of rooms is not yet fully understood. In this study, speech perception was evaluated for three different configurations using absorbers and diffusers. Twenty-nine participants reported on their subjective experience of speech in respect of different configurations in different positions in a room. They judged sound quality and attributes related to speech perception. In addition, the jury members ranked the different acoustic environments. The subjective experience was related to the different room acoustic treatments and the room acoustic parameters of speech clarity, reverberation time and sound strength. It was found that people, on average, rated treatments with a high degree of absorption as best. This configuration had the highest speech clarity value and lowest values for reverberation time and sound strength. The perceived sound quality could be correlated to speech clarity, while attributes related to speech perception had the strongest association with reverberation time.

Quantification of Directional Benefit across Different Polar Response Patterns

2004 ◽  
Vol 15 (09) ◽  
pp. 649-659 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruth A. Bentler ◽  
Jessica L.M. Egge ◽  
Jill L. Tubbs ◽  
Andrew B. Dittberner ◽  
Gregory A. Flamme
Keyword(s):  
Speech Perception ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Sound Quality ◽  
Response Patterns ◽  
Directional Microphones ◽  
Speech In Noise ◽  
Directional Microphone ◽  
Hearing In Noise ◽  
The Right

The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between the directivity of a directional microphone hearing aid and listener performance. Hearing aids were fit bilaterally to 19 subjects with sensorineural hearing loss, and five microphone conditions were assessed: omnidirectional, cardioid, hypercardioid, supercardioid, and "monofit," wherein the left hearing aid was set to omnidirectional and the right hearing aid to hypercardioid. Speech perception performance was assessed using the Hearing in Noise Test (HINT) and the Connected Speech Test (CST). Subjects also assessed eight domains of sound quality for three stimuli (speech in quiet, speech in noise, and music). A diffuse soundfield system composed of eight loudspeakers forming the corners of a cube was used to output the background noise for the speech perception tasks and the three stimuli used for sound quality judgments. Results indicated that there were no significant differences in the HINT or CST performance, or sound quality judgments, across the four directional microphone conditions when tested in a diffuse field. Of particular interest was the monofit condition: Performance on speech perception tests was the same whether one or two directional microphones were used.

scholarly journals Interleaved Acoustic Environments: Impact of an Auditory Scene Classification Procedure on Speech Perception in Cochlear Implant Users

2021 ◽  
Vol 25 ◽  
pp. 233121652110141
Author(s):  
Anja Eichenauer ◽  
Uwe Baumann ◽  
Timo Stöver ◽  
Tobias Weissgerber
Keyword(s):  
Speech Perception ◽  
Cochlear Implant ◽  
Signal To Noise Ratio ◽  
Scene Classification ◽  
Signal To Noise ◽  
Acoustic Environment ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Noise Ratio ◽  
Acoustic Environments ◽  
The Impact

Clinical speech perception tests with simple presentation conditions often overestimate the impact of signal preprocessing on speech perception in complex listening environments. A new procedure was developed to assess speech perception in interleaved acoustic environments of different complexity that allows investigation of the impact of an automatic scene classification (ASC) algorithm on speech perception. The procedure was applied in cohorts of normal hearing (NH) controls and uni- and bilateral cochlear implant (CI) users. Speech reception thresholds (SRTs) were measured by means of a matrix sentence test in five acoustic environments that included different noise conditions (amplitude modulated and continuous), two spatial configurations, and reverberation. The acoustic environments were encapsulated in a randomized, mixed order single experimental run. Acoustic room simulation was played back with a loudspeaker auralization setup with 128 loudspeakers. 18 NH, 16 unilateral, and 16 bilateral CI users participated. SRTs were evaluated for each individual acoustic environment and as mean-SRT. Mean-SRTs improved by 2.4 dB signal-to-noise ratio for unilateral and 1.3 dB signal-to-noise ratio for bilateral CI users with activated ASC. Without ASC, the mean-SRT of bilateral CI users was 3.7 dB better than the SRT of unilateral CI users. The mean-SRT indicated significant differences, with NH group performing best and unilateral CI users performing worse with a difference of up to 13 dB compared to NH. The proposed speech test procedure successfully demonstrated that speech perception and benefit with ASC depend on the acoustic environment.

KAITAN MATERIAL DAN KUALITAS AKUSTIK PADA RUANG AUDIO VISUAL UNIVERSITAS KATOLIK MUSI CHARITAS PALEMBANG (ECOTECT ANALYSIS)

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 127
Author(s):  
Triedy Mulia ◽  
Abd. Rachmad Zahrial Amin
Keyword(s):  
Absorption Coefficient ◽  
Sound Quality ◽  
Room Acoustics ◽  
Reverberation Time ◽  
The Right ◽  
Audio Video ◽  
Descriptive Method

Abstract: An audio-visual room is a room specifically designed to enable users to have enjoyable listening and watching video activities. This study was conducted to find out correlation between acoustics quality and acoustics materials in audio-visual room of Musi Charitas University. The methods of this research were descriptive method using ecotect simulation. The simulation revealed that: (1) The replacement of ceiling materials improve the quality of sound quality since it’s reverberation time approximately 47.9 ms.; (2) The replacement of ceiling materials caused the reverberation time (RT) becomes eligible, with the tolerance of about 10% of the standard 50 ms. Thus, it was not necessary to change the wall layers on the right and the left sides because the RT of the audio-visual room matched the speech RT (0.5-1.0s). Before the ceiling materials were replaced, the RT in the 250 Hz frequency was 0.41s. That is why it is important to decide to use the right absorption coefficient so that the reverberation time in the audio-visual room would be equal or within the range of 0.5-1.0s.Keywords: room acoustics quality, acoustics materials, Ecotect analysisAbstrak: Ruang audio-visual merupakan ruang yang dirancang dengan kualitas akustik yang baik yaitu mampu memaksimalkan efek perangkat audio-video sehingga mendukung kenikmatan pemakai dalam mendengarkan dan menonton pertunjukan audio-visual. Penelitian ini bertujuan mengetahui keterkaitan kualitas akustik dengan material akustik pada ruang audio visual di Universitas Musi Charitas. Penelitian dilakukan dengan metode deskriptif dan simulasi ecotect. Hasil simulasi menunjukkan bahwa (1) Penggantian material plafond meningkatkan kualitas akustik karena garis suara mencapai pendengar di tengah ruangan akibat mengalami pantulan plafond dan dasar sekitar 47,9 ms; (2) Setelah dilakukan penggantian bahan pada plafond, waktu dengung menjadi memenuhi syarat karena adanya toleransi sekitar 10% dari standar 50 ms. Akibatnya, perubahan lapisan dinding samping (kiri dan kanan) tidak diperlukan, walaupun garis suara mengalami sedikit pemantulan pada dinding samping, (3) Waktu dengung ruang Audio-Visual mencapai waktu dengung sesuai dengan kriteria waktu dengung speech (sekitar 0,5 – 1,0 sekon). Sebelum penggantian material plafond, RT pada frekuensi 250 Hz adalah 0,41s dan setelah perubahan mencapai 0,50 s. Penentuan koefisien absorpsi yang tepat, dilakukan agar waktu dengung pada ruang Audio-Visual berada antara 0,5–1,0 s.Kata Kunci: kualitas akustik ruang, material akustik, Ecotect Analysis

scholarly journals The Effect on Room Acoustical Parameters Using a Combination of Absorbers and Diffusers—An Experimental Study in a Classroom

Acoustics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 505-523
Author(s):  
Emma Arvidsson ◽  
Erling Nilsson ◽  
Delphine Bard Hagberg ◽  
Ola J. I. Karlsson
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Study ◽  
Fine Tuning ◽  
Reverberation Time ◽  
Acoustical Parameters ◽  
Sound Scattering ◽  
Directional Characteristic ◽  
Sound Environment ◽  
Acoustic Treatment ◽  
Speech Clarity ◽  
Acoustic Measure

Several room acoustic parameters have to be considered in ordinary public rooms, such as offices and classrooms, in order to present the actual conditions, thus increasing demands on the acoustic treatment. The most common acoustical treatment in ordinary rooms is a suspended absorbent ceiling. Due to the non-uniform distribution of the absorbent material, the classical diffuse field assumption is not fulfilled in such cases. Further, the sound scattering effect of non-absorbing objects such as furniture are considerable in these types of rooms. Even the directional characteristic of the sound scattering objects are of importance. The sound decay curve in rooms with absorbent ceilings often demonstrate a double slope. Thus, it is not possible to use reverberation time as room parameter as a representative standalone acoustic measure. An evaluation that captures the true room acoustical conditions therefore needs supplementary parameters. The aim of this experimental study is to show how various acoustical treatments affect reverberation time T20, speech clarity C50 and sound strength G. The experiment was performed in a mock-up of a classroom. The results demonstrated how absorbers, diffusers and scattering objects influence room acoustical parameters. It is shown that to some extent the parameters can be adjusted individually by using different treatments or combination of treatments. This allows for the fine-tuning of the acoustical conditions, in order to fulfill the requirements for achieving a high-quality sound environment.

Hearing Aid Amplification Reduces Communication Effort of People With Hearing Impairment and Their Conversation Partners

2020 ◽  
Vol 63 (4) ◽  
pp. 1299-1311 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy Beechey ◽  
Jörg M. Buchholz ◽  
Gitte Keidser
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Impairment ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Normal Hearing ◽  
Referential Communication ◽  
Hearing Impaired ◽  
Directional Hearing ◽  
Acoustic Environment ◽  
Communication Task ◽  
Acoustic Environments ◽  
The Impact

Objectives This study investigates the hypothesis that hearing aid amplification reduces effort within conversation for both hearing aid wearers and their communication partners. Levels of effort, in the form of speech production modifications, required to maintain successful spoken communication in a range of acoustic environments are compared to earlier reported results measured in unaided conversation conditions. Design Fifteen young adult normal-hearing participants and 15 older adult hearing-impaired participants were tested in pairs. Each pair consisted of one young normal-hearing participant and one older hearing-impaired participant. Hearing-impaired participants received directional hearing aid amplification, according to their audiogram, via a master hearing aid with gain provided according to the NAL-NL2 fitting formula. Pairs of participants were required to take part in naturalistic conversations through the use of a referential communication task. Each pair took part in five conversations, each of 5-min duration. During each conversation, participants were exposed to one of five different realistic acoustic environments presented through highly open headphones. The ordering of acoustic environments across experimental blocks was pseudorandomized. Resulting recordings of conversational speech were analyzed to determine the magnitude of speech modifications, in terms of vocal level and spectrum, produced by normal-hearing talkers as a function of both acoustic environment and the degree of high-frequency average hearing impairment of their conversation partner. Results The magnitude of spectral modifications of speech produced by normal-hearing talkers during conversations with aided hearing-impaired interlocutors was smaller than the speech modifications observed during conversations between the same pairs of participants in the absence of hearing aid amplification. Conclusions The provision of hearing aid amplification reduces the effort required to maintain communication in adverse conditions. This reduction in effort provides benefit to hearing-impaired individuals and also to the conversation partners of hearing-impaired individuals. By considering the impact of amplification on both sides of dyadic conversations, this approach contributes to an increased understanding of the likely impact of hearing impairment on everyday communication.

The causal involvement of the right supramarginal gyrus in the subjective experience of time: A hf-tRNS study

2021 ◽  
Vol 404 ◽  
pp. 113157
Author(s):  
Giulia Prete ◽  
Chiara Lucafò ◽  
Gianluca Malatesta ◽  
Luca Tommasi
Keyword(s):  
Subjective Experience ◽  
Supramarginal Gyrus ◽  
Experience Of Time ◽  
The Right

scholarly journals Interior Sound Quality Prediction of Pure Electric Vehicles Based on Transfer Path Synthesis

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 4385
Author(s):  
Kun Qian ◽  
Zhichao Hou ◽  
Jie Liang ◽  
Ruixue Liu ◽  
Dengke Sun
Keyword(s):  
Electric Vehicles ◽  
Sound Quality ◽  
Interior Noise ◽  
Experimental Comparison ◽  
Noise Component ◽  
Acoustic Environment ◽  
Evaluation Indexes ◽  
Transfer Path ◽  
New Ideas ◽  
Path Synthesis

The interior sound quality (SQ) of pure electric vehicles (PEVs) has become an important consideration for users purchasing vehicles. At present, it is insufficient to take the sound pressure level as the interior acoustics design index of PEVs. Transfer path analysis (TPA) and transfer path synthesis (TPS) that take the SQ of interior noise as the improvement target remains in the preliminary exploration stage. In this paper, objective psychoacoustic parameters of SQ were taken as evaluation indexes of interior PEV noise. A virtual interior SQ synthesis model was designed on the basis of TPA and TPS, which combines experimentation and simulation. The SQ synthesis model demonstrates each noise component contribution in a PEV by new SQ separation technology. First, the interior noise transfer path and noise source of the PEV were determined in a synthesis analysis method of the interior PEV noise. Second, on the basis of the composition mechanism of interior noise and the basic principle of TPA, the excitation signal and transfer function of each interior noise path in the PEV were tested. On the basis of TPS, the interior SQ synthesis model of PEV was then established. Finally, the accuracy of the prediction model was verified in simulation and experimental comparison studies on the psychoacoustic objective parameters of SQ. The SQ objective parameter value of each transfer path was quantified by using contribution analysis. The results are expected to improve the comfort of the interior acoustic environment and enhance the competitiveness of vehicle products. They also provide an effective reference and new ideas for the development of interior SQ in PEVs.

Introducing Victim Impact Statement in India: Reconceptualizing Victim Status

2021 ◽  
pp. 251660692199175
Author(s):  
Devansh Dubey ◽  
Payas Jain
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Subjective Experience ◽  
Due Process ◽  
Not Given ◽  
Therapeutic Tool ◽  
Victim Status ◽  
Victim Impact Statement ◽  
The World ◽  
Due Process Of Law ◽  
The Right

The right to fair trial is inherent in the concept of due process of law, which now forms part of Article 21 of Indian Constitution after the Maneka Gandhi judgement. Pertinently attached with the same comes the responsibility of the criminal system to treat victims with increased awareness and sensitivity. However, the established convention shows that in planning and developing administration of criminal justice, proper attention is not given to the victims of crime in achieving goals of criminal justice; the major cause of it being that a victim is heard only as a witness not as a victim. A credible response to the said issue has emerged in the form of victim impact statement (VIS) in the modern legal system across the world. With that being said, the researchers through this article try to deduce the need for incorporating a VIS in India through the various jurisprudential understandings of what it means to be a victim, including the gap between the subjective experience of the sufferer and the interpretation of the same by others, and what restorative justice would mean to heal a victim. Establishing upon the same premise of victim status, the researchers try to suggest that the introduction of VIS, with the primary purpose of it being a therapeutic tool and not an instrument of changing the course of justice, will serve to make us reconsider our contours of a ‘victim’.

scholarly journals Challenges and Controversies in the Genetic Diagnosis of Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lydia Saputra ◽  
Kishore Raj Kumar
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Diagnosis ◽  
Spastic Paraplegia ◽  
Limb Weakness ◽  
Hereditary Spastic Paraplegias ◽  
Gene Testing ◽  
Testing Strategies ◽  
Whole Exome ◽  
The Right ◽  
Gene Panels ◽  
High Degree

Abstract Purpose of Review The hereditary spastic paraplegias (HSPs) are a group of disorders characterised by progressive lower limb weakness and spasticity. We address the challenges and controversies involved in the genetic diagnosis of HSP. Recent Findings There is a large and rapidly expanding list of genes implicated in HSP, making it difficult to keep gene testing panels updated. There is also a high degree of phenotypic overlap between HSP and other disorders, leading to problems in choosing the right panel to analyse. We discuss genetic testing strategies for overcoming these diagnostic hurdles, including the use of targeted sequencing gene panels, whole-exome sequencing and whole-genome sequencing. Personalised treatments for HSP are on the horizon, and a genetic diagnosis may hold the key to access these treatments. Summary Developing strategies to overcome the challenges and controversies in HSP may hold the key to a rapid and accurate genetic diagnosis.

The Right to Repair Goods in the Era of Digitalization and Globalization

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (12) ◽  
pp. 45-52
Author(s):  
P. L. Likhter
Keyword(s):  
Circular Economy ◽  
Medical Equipment ◽  
Environmental Safety ◽  
Spare Parts ◽  
Service Organizations ◽  
Warranty Period ◽  
Market Participants ◽  
The Right ◽  
High Degree

Today, large companies are increasingly using controversial strategies related to the violation of the buyer’s rights to repair the goods both during and after the expiration of the warranty period. This is primarily manifested in the restriction of access to the necessary information on the product repairing, hindering the work of independent service organizations, intentional complication of parts during their design, unreasonably high degree of integration of units, lack of a sufficient number of spare parts on the market, etc. As a rule, such actions distort the principles of integrity and transparency, which, in turn, entails risks to consumer and environmental safety. This issue is of particular relevance in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, when sellers of medical equipment restrict the possibility of its restoration by independent specialists, and also prevent the distribution of the necessary software. Based on the results of the work, it is concluded that it is advisable to establish boundaries for the conduct of market participants to stimulate the production of durable and maintainable goods in order to transit to a circular economy.

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