Acoustic characteristics of rough voice: Subharmonics

This study investigates the relationship between rough voice and the presence of Subharmonics, which correspond to smaller yet distinct peaks located between two consecutive harmonic peaks in the power spectrum. Spectrum analysis was undertaken in 389 pathologic voices, of which 20 had subharmonics. Although all 20 voices had roughness perceptually, 8 had normal jitter and/or shimmer. The degree of roughness had a significant inverse relationship with the frequency of subharmonics. By digital signal processing, sound samples with various types of subharmonics were synthesized and perceptually analyzed. Power and frequency of subharmonics in the synthesized sound also had significant relationships with the degree of roughness. Rough voice is acoustically characterized not only by jitter and shimmer but also by the presence of subharmonics in the power spectrum. Subharmonics are important acoustic properties for objective evaluation of rough voices.     

Manipulation with sound and vibration: A review on the micromanipulation system based on sub-MHz acoustic waves

Manipulation of micro-objects have been playing an essential role in biochemical analysis or clinical diagnostics. Among the diverse technologies for micromanipulation, acoustic methods show the advantages of good biocompatibility, wide tunability, a label-free and contactless manner. Thus, acoustic micromanipulations have been widely exploited in micro-analysis systems. In this article, we reviewed the acoustic micromanipulation systems that were actuated by sub-MHz acoustic waves. In contrast to the high-frequency range, the acoustic microsystems operating at sub-MHz acoustic frequency are more accessible, whose acoustic sources are at low cost and even available from daily acoustic devices (e.g. buzzers, speakers, piezoelectric plates). The broad availability, with the addition of the advantages of acoustic micromanipulation, make sub-MHz microsystems promising for a variety of biomedical applications. Here, we review recent progresses in sub-MHz acoustic micromanipulation technologies, focusing on their applications in biomedical fields. These technologies are based on the basic acoustic phenomenon, such as cavitation, acoustic radiation force, and acoustic streaming. And categorized by their applications, we introduce these systems for mixing, pumping and droplet generation, separation and enrichment, patterning, rotation, propulsion and actuation. The diverse applications of these systems hold great promise for a wide range of enhancements in biomedicines and attract increasing interest for further investigation.     

Foam Self-Clarification Phenomenon: An Experimental Investigation

This paper is focused on the capabilities of gas–liquid foams to attenuate acoustic waves. It is postulated that the sound attenuation phenomenon in foams is largely governed by the hydrodynamic resistance of the Plateau-Gibbs channels (PGC) to the flow of liquid through them. It is shown that the addition of solid particles to gas–liquid foams has opposite effects depending on the concentration of the added solid particles. As long as the concentration of the added solid particles is smaller than a certain critical value the sound attenuation coefficient increases and as a result in the sound velocity decreases. However, if the concentration of the added solid particles becomes larger than this critical value the attenuation coefficient decreases and the sound velocity increases. When the concentration of the solid particles reaches some critical value, the particles block the Plateau-Gibbs channels and stop the filtration. As a result the attenuation coefficient of the sound wave decreases while the sound velocity, in such three-phase foams, increases. The point at which the sound wave stops attenuating and its velocity starts to increase is known as the point of self-clarification. Based on this postulate and on the results of our preliminary tests the present study provides a plausible explanation to the above-mentioned contradicting effect, and the self- clarification phenomenon.     

An anion effect on the separation of AgI-containing melts using sound waves

Sound velocities in molten ((LiF + AgI)) and ((LiBr + AgI)) mixtures have been measured to investigate the relationship between the sound velocity and the temperature and the role of the anion in the (liquid + liquid) phase transition. Our results show that the ((LiBr + AgI)) system is biphasic between the melting point and T = 984 K and becomes monophasic above this temperature. We show that the upper consolute critical temperature for the AgI-containing melts increases with decreasing anion size in the series F⁻ > Cl⁻ > Br⁻. The ((LiF + AgI)) melt remains biphasic at all temperatures investigated up to T = 1218 K. The temperature coefficients for the sound velocities in the upper and lower phases of the ((LiBr + AgI)) system have opposite signs because of the superposition of the temperature and composition factors. The difference between the magnitudes of the velocities for the coexisting phases decreases exponentially with increasing temperature and is described by a critical exponent of 0.85 for the ((LiBr + AgI)) melt near the critical temperature. This value is 15% less than that found for alkali halide melts, in which long-range Coulomb forces between ions prevail. This difference may result from the fact that silver halides are intermediate between the typical ionic salts and the fully covalently bonded ones.     

可激发气体分子声弛豫过程振动模式能量转移速率计算

研究可激发气体中振动模式能量转移速率和声弛豫过程形成的关系,将单一气体Tanczos弛豫方程理论[J.Chem.Phys.25,439(1956)]扩展应用于混合气体中振动模式的振动-振动(V-V)和振动-平动(V-T)能量转移速率的计算。在室温下CO₂,CH₄,CL₂,N₂和O₂组成的多种混合气体中,振动模式能量转移速率的计算结果表明:对于多个振动模式所形成的声复合弛豫过程,各振动模式的声激发能可由V-V能量转移相互耦合后传递给具有最快V-T转移速率的最低振动频率振动模式,再通过该振动模式的V-T转移退激发形成主弛豫过程。这种选择最快转移路径的声激发量弛豫方式,造成了大多数可激发气体中声弛豫吸收谱的实测数据只存在一个吸收峰的现象。从而提供了一个可通过计算微观振动能量转移速率分析混合气体声弛豫过程形成机理的理论模型。     

北极水声学研究的新进展和新动向

北极水声学作为水声学研究的一部分,起步要比达·芬奇所描述的声呐雏形晚很多年。第二次世界大战后北极水声学的研究开始受到发达国家(主要是美国)的重视。它的发展和研究重点带有明显的冷战烙印。冷战结束之后,随着北极持续变暖的趋势,北极及其毗邻海域的海洋水声环境受到特别的重视。环北极的8个国家组成排他性的北极理事会。我国政府于2018年1月26日发表北极政策白皮书,声明中国是近北极国家,是北极地区利益攸关方。本文介绍北极水声学研究的新进展,包括我国有关涉海单位近年来所做的科考和学术研究。指出,北极水声学的研究不局限于把传统水声学中的研究内容(如环境噪声、混响、传播等等)并行地在北极环境条件下加以重复探讨,而是要根据北极海洋环境的实际情况,进行有关领域的新研究。其中不乏传统浅海、深海水声学研究中所不具有的特色,如冰-水界面、冰下的半声道效应、冰盖下水下无人载器(UUV)的通信、定位及声呐对冰下环境的适应性研究等课题。     

求解水中加肋板声辐射特性的虚拟声源法*

发展一种利用虚拟声源离散声场的方法求解加肋板在水中的声振耦合问题。由波叠加原理和单元体积速度匹配的原则,根据离散的结构单元满足的动力方程和结构与介质的交界相容性条件,确定虚拟声源强度,计算结构的声辐射功率。本文以简支矩形加肋板为例,在不获得结构表面振速和声压的情况下,计算了结构在水中的声辐射功率,并与解析方法计算的结果进行了比较,表明了该方法具有较好的计算精度。     

利用时变全通滤波器减小扩声系统中的梳状滤波失真

根据人耳对声音信号相位不敏感的原理，采用时变全通滤波器，随机化每个声源输入信号的相位，从而减小声源输出信号之间的相关性，进而减小由于相关产生干涉而带来的梳状滤波失真。数值计算和实验结果均表明用时变全通滤波器随机化声源输入信号的相位能够有效地减小扩声系统中的梳状滤波失真。     

Data on subglottal pressure and SPL at varied vocalloudness and pitch in 8- to 11-year-old children

Phonation threshold pressure has been defined as the minimum subglottalpressure to generate phonation. Previous research has indicated that children may habitually employ higher subglottal pressures than adults. In the present investigation sound pressure level (SPL) and subglottal pressures at different pitch levels were measured at and above phonation threshold in nine children. Phonation threshold values were scattered in reasonable agreement with Titzes' prediction, although a discrepancy was noted regarding the frequency dependence in some voices. At normal conversational loudness and loudest level of phonation the children's PS values were between two to four and four to eight times the predicted threshold values, respectively. At normal conversational loudness and habitual pitch subglottal pressures were lower than those previously observed for children, but similar to those found for female adults. The SPL in softest and loudest phonation were somewhat lower as compared to previous phonetogram data for children and for female adults. At normal loudness and habitual pitch the SPL values were similar to those of female adults. For a doubling of P_s mean SPL increased by 10.5 dB on the average.