Multiple Sound Sensors And Fusion In Modern CNN-Based Machine State Prediction

In the new era of manufacturing with Industry 4.0, Smart Manufacturing (SM) is growing in popularity as a potential for the factory of the future. A critical component of SM is effective machine monitoring. Legacy machines indirect monitoring using Internet of Things (IoT) sensors are preferred instead of modifying hardware directly. Machine tools are composed of rotary components, resulting in machine tools emitting acoustic and vibratory signals. However, sound data cannot easily function as a direct representation for machine status due to its noise, variable time course, and irregular sampling. In this paper, we attempt to bridge this gap through machine learning techniques and auditory monitoring of auxiliary components (i.e., coolant, chip conveyor, and mist collector) as well as the main spindle running state of machine tools. Multi-label classification and Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) were utilized to train models for monitoring machine tools from the sound features. An external microphone and three internal sound sensors were attached to both mill and lathe machines. As a sound feature, Mel-frequency cepstrum (MFCC) features were extracted. The classification task performance was compared between each sensor location and early sensor fusion. The results showed that the sensor fusion approach resulted in the highest F1 score on both machine system.

Multifeature Mismatch Negativity in Patients With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Objective. The mismatch negativity (MMN) component of the event-related brain potential has been used to examine auditory monitoring in various mental disorders. Previous research with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) patients has revealed contradictory results. Enhanced as well as diminished MMNs have been obtained. Method. The multifeature protocol was employed to investigate the pattern of MMN in 17 military deployment–related PTSD patients and a group of healthy university student controls. Results. Our results suggest no general effect of PTSD on the MMN involving the majority of acoustic features. There were slightly reduced MMNs in patients relative to controls for 2 of the features (duration, location). On the other hand, the N1 component was reduced in patients compared with controls. Conclusions. Choice of the stimulus protocol might be an important factor to explain inconsistent results in previous research. Differences in the auditory context between stimulus protocols and deficits in the formation of larger (auditory) contexts in PTSD might account for the results. Significance. This study adds to the small number of studies on PTSD and MMN and revealed valuable information to guide future, related studies.

A study of cisplatin chemotherapy and hearing loss

<p class="abstract"><strong>Background:</strong> Various medications have been associated with ototoxicity. Platinum containing chemotherapeutic agents are associated with cochleotoxicity, characterized by high frequency hearing loss. Cisplatin and related agents are absorbed by the cochlear hair cells, resulting in ototoxicity through the production of reactive oxygen species.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Methods:</strong> About 67 patients, irrespective of the type of cancer, fit to undergo chemotherapy were considered for study after meticulous examination. Audiograms were taken prior to chemotherapy, at the end of each cycle of chemotherapy, and follow-up audiograms at 3 months and 6 months after completion of chemotherapy. </p><p class="abstract"><strong>Results:</strong> Among 37% of the patients with normal hearing, 10% of the patients developed sensorineural hearing loss after treatment. Among 63% of the patients with prior mild sensorineural hearing loss, 11.8% developed worsening of hearing after completion of treatment.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Conclusions:</strong> Audiologic monitoring is important in patients undergoing cisplatin chemotherapy and post- chemotherapy auditory monitoring is essential to rehabilitate the patients with Sensorineural hearing loss.</p>

Longitudinal Comparison of Auditory Steady-State Evoked Potentials in Preterm and Term Infants: The Maturation Process

Introduction Preterm neonates are at risk of changes in their auditory system development, which explains the need for auditory monitoring of this population. The Auditory Steady-State Response (ASSR) is an objective method that allows obtaining the electrophysiological thresholds with greater applicability in neonatal and pediatric population. Objective The purpose of this study is to compare the ASSR thresholds in preterm and term infants evaluated during two stages. Method The study included 63 normal hearing neonates: 33 preterm and 30 term. They underwent assessment of ASSR in both ears simultaneously through insert phones in the frequencies of 500 to 4000Hz with the amplitude modulated from 77 to 103Hz. We presented the intensity at a decreasing level to detect the minimum level of responses. At 18 months, 26 of 33 preterm infants returned for the new assessment for ASSR and were compared with 30 full-term infants. We compared between groups according to gestational age. Results Electrophysiological thresholds were higher in preterm than in full-term neonates (p < 0.05) at the first testing. There were no significant differences between ears and gender. At 18 months, there was no difference between groups (p > 0.05) in all the variables described. Conclusion In the first evaluation preterm had higher thresholds in ASSR. There was no difference at 18 months of age, showing the auditory maturation of preterm infants throughout their development.

Audiological Monitoring in Children Treated with Platinum Chemotherapy

Platinum compounds constitute the standard treatment for solid tumors in pediatric oncology. The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of platinum compounds in the development of ototoxicity in children following chemotherapy. This study included 160 patients treated with cisplatin and carboplatin for malignant solid diseases from 2007 to 2014. Their audiograms were classified according to the Boston SIOP ototoxicity scale. Twenty-five percent of the children treated with platinum compounds developed ototoxicity. The incidence of ototoxicity was correlated with the type of platinum derivative (i.e. cisplatin vs. carboplatin), coadministration of both drugs and concomitant cranial radiotherapy, but not with sex and age. Cumulative dose was correlated only with the cisplatin administration. Nine patients (8.6%) showed further progression of hearing impairment after the end of chemotherapy. The low rate of ototoxicity suggests the pivotal role of auditory monitoring in children treated with platinum compounds in order to be able to identify hearing loss at an early stage and to provide, jointly with pediatric oncologists, strategies to reduce further progression of cochlear toxicity.

Speech rate and fluency in children with phonological disorder

PURPOSE: To identify and describe the speech rate and fluency of children with phonological disorder (PD) with and without speech-language therapy.METHODS: Thirty children, aged 5-8 years old, both genders, were divided into three groups: experimental group 1 (G1) - 10 children with PD in intervention; experimental group 2 (G2) - 10 children with PD without intervention; and control group (CG) - 10 children with typical development. Speech samples were collected and analyzed according to parameters of specific protocol.RESULTS: The children in CG had higher number of words per minute compared to those in G1, which, in turn, performed better in this aspect compared to children in G2. Regarding the number of syllables per minute, the CG showed the best result. In this aspect, the children in G1 showed better results than those in G2.CONCLUSION: Comparing children's performance in the assessed groups regarding the tests, those with PD in intervention had higher time of speech sample and adequate speech rate, which may be indicative of greater auditory monitoring of their own speech as a result of the intervention.