• Journal of Broadcast Engineering
• /
• v.22 no.6
• /
• pp.693-701
• /
• 2017

In this paper, we propose a new method for music genre classification using spikegram and deep neural network. The human auditory system encodes the input sound in the time and frequency domain in order to maximize the amount of sound information delivered to the brain using minimum energy and resource. Spikegram is a method of analyzing waveform based on the encoding function of auditory system. In the proposed method, we analyze the signal using spikegram and extract a feature vector composed of key information for the genre classification, which is to be used as the input to the neural network. We measure the performance of music genre classification using the GTZAN dataset consisting of 10 music genres, and confirm that the proposed method provides good performance using a low-dimensional feature vector, compared to the current state-of-the-art methods.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• /
• v.18 no.2
• /
• pp.145-153
• /
• 2007

Objectives: This study was focused on the influence of chronic aircraft noise exposure on children's continuous performance, intelligence and reading skill. Methods: We enrolled 586 children in 4-6th grade of 7 primary schools near air base in Korea. Continuous performance was measured using the computerized ADS program. We analyzed 477-512 children on the visual continuous performance test, auditory continuous performance test, intelligence test, and reading and the vocabulary test. Intelligence was measured using vocabulary, digit span, block design, and digit symbol tests of K-WISC-III. Results: The commission error and variability deviation of auditory continuous performance test and reading test were significantly higher among children in schools with the helicopter noise and the fighting plane noise compared to children in the low noised schools. Conclusion: There was a possibility that chronic aircraft noise exposure was associated with impairment of the school performance. The result of our study also shows chronic aircraft noise was associated with reading ability.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics and Information Engineers
• /
• v.51 no.5
• /
• pp.188-194
• /
• 2014

The feature extraction mechanism of the CASA(Computational Auditory Scene Analysis) system uses time continuity and frequency channel similarity to compose a correlogram of auditory elements. In segmentation, we compose a binary mask by using cross-correlation function, mask 1(speech) has the same periodicity and synchronization. However, when there is delay between autocorrelation signals with the same periodicity, it is determined as a speech, which is considered to be a drawback. In this paper, we proposed an algorithm to improve discrimination of channel similarity using Weighted Cross-correlation in segmentation. We conducted experiments to evaluate the speech segregation performance of the CASA system in background noise(siren, machine, white, car, crowd) environments by changing SNR 5dB and 0dB. In this paper, we compared the proposed algorithm to the conventional algorithm. The performance of the proposed algorithm has been improved as following: improvement of 2.75dB at SNR 5dB and 4.84dB at SNR 0dB for background noise environment.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
• /
• v.9 no.3
• /
• pp.184-190
• /
• 2020

Objective: Patients with low back pain can possibly have impaired core muscle function, which is the common cause of low back pain. Spinal stabilization exercises are recommended for prevention and reinforcement. This study aimed to compare the effects of different types of feedback on abdominal and lumbar multifidus (LM) muscle recruitment during spinal stabilization exercises. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Fifty-seven healthy subjects (sex=male 21/female 36, age=21.28±1.60 years) were divided into three different groups: the control group (n=19), the auditory feedback (AF) group (n=19), and the visual and auditory feedback (VAF) group (n=19). The control group received no feedback, whereas the AF group only received AF during exercises and the VAF group received the AF and visual feedback through the real-time ultrasound images. The main outcome measure was the assessment of the thickness of the abdominal muscles and LM measured by a dual ultrasound. Results: When VAF was applied, the thickness of the transverse abdominis significantly increased rather than when feedback was not applied or with AF only (p<0.05). The VAF group showed significant differences in both the control group and the AF group in the post-hoc test (p<0.05), and there was no significant difference between the control group and the AF group. Conclusions: With spinal stabilization exercises, VAF should be applied in standing posture for healthy adults to further promote the production of effective contractions.

• Journal of Broadcast Engineering
• /
• v.23 no.6
• /
• pp.914-924
• /
• 2018

In this paper, we implement an Android application for infant language education using marker-based augmented reality. Combining animal word markers (noun), size/color word markers (adjective), and action word markers (verb) in puzzle form to make a simple sentence, the application shows virtual contents related to the content of the sentence. For example, when an animal marker is showed up on a camera, the corresponding animal appears. Additionally, when the motion markers are combined, the animal's appearance changes into an animation in which it acts. When a user touched a marker, user can hear the sound of the word, which gives an auditory effect, and by adding the rotation function, user can see the animation in any direction. Our goal is to increase infants' interest in learning language and also increase the effectiveness of education on the meaning of words and the structure of simple sentences, by encouraging them to actively participate in language learning through visual and auditory stimuli.

• Clinical and Experimental Otorhinolaryngology
• /
• v.11 no.4
• /
• pp.224-232
• /
• 2018

Objectives. Spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) include potential endogenous progenitor populations for the regeneration of the peripheral auditory system. However, whether these populations are present in adult mice is largely unknown. We examined the presence and characteristics of SGN-neural stem cells (NSCs) in mice as a function of age. Methods. The expression of Nestin and Ki67 was examined in sequentially dissected cochlear modiolar tissues from mice of different ages (from postnatal day to 24 weeks) and the sphere-forming populations from the SGNs were isolated and differentiated into different cell types. Results. There were significant decreases in Nestin and Ki67 double-positive mitotic progenitor cells in vivo with increasing mouse age. The SGNs formed spheres exhibiting self-renewing activity and multipotent capacity, which were seen in NSCs and were capable of differentiating into neuron and glial cell types. The SGN spheres derived from mice at an early age (postnatal day or 2 weeks) contained more mitotic stem cells than those from mice at a late age. Conclusion. Our findings showed the presence of self-renewing and proliferative subtypes of SGN-NSCs which might serve as a promising source for the regeneration of auditory neurons even in adult mice.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.53 no.9
• /
• pp.449-452
• /
• 2020

The inner ear is a complex and delicate structure composed of the cochlea and the vestibular system. To maintain normal auditory function, strict homeostasis of the inner ear is needed. A proper immune response against infection, thus, is crucial. Also, since excessive immune reaction can easily damage the normal architecture within the inner ear, the immune response should be fine regulated. The exact mechanism how the inner ear's immune response, specifically the innate immunity, is regulated was unknown. Recently, we reported a protein selectively localized in the inner ear during bacterial infection, named cochlin, as a possible mediator of such regulation. In this review, the immunological function of cochlin and the mechanism behind its role within inner ear immunity is summarized. Cochlin regulates innate immunity by physically entrapping pathogens within scala tympani and recruiting innate immune cells. Such mechanism enables efficient removal of pathogen while preserving the normal inner ear structure from inflammatory damage.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering Conference
• /
• 2008.04a
• /
• pp.920-927
• /
• 2008

This study deals with modeling of Head-Related Transfer Functions (HRTFs) using Principal Components Analysis (PCA) in the time and frequency domains. Four PCA models based on Head-Related Impulse Responses (HRIRs), complex-valued HRTFs, augmented HRTFs, and log-magnitudes of HRTFs are investigated. The objective of this study is to compare modeling performances of the PCA models in the least-squares sense and to show the theoretical relationship between the PCA models. In terms of the number of principal components needed for modeling, the PCA model based on HRIR or augmented HRTFs showed more efficient modeling performance than the PCA model based on complex-valued HRTFs. The PCA model based on HRIRs in the time domain and that based on augmented HRTFs in the frequency domain are shown to be theoretically equivalent. Modeling performance of the PCA model based on log-magnitudes of HRTFs cannot be compared with that of other PCA models because the PCA model deals with log-scaled magnitude components only, whereas the other PCA models consider both magnitude and phase components in linear scale.

• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
• /
• v.9 no.3
• /
• pp.57-65
• /
• 2017

The current study explored how Korean-speaking children processed the multiple acoustic cues (VOT and f0) for the stop laryngeal contrast (/t'/, /t/, and /$t^h$/) and examined whether individual perceptual strategies could be related to a general cognitive ability performing executive functions (EF). 15 children (aged from 7 to 8) participated in the speech perception task identifying the three Korean laryngeal stops (3AFC) on listening to the auditory stimuli of C-/a/ with synthetically varying VOT and f0. They completed a series of EF tasks to measure working memory, inhibition, and cognitive shifting ability. The findings showed that children used the two cues in a highly correlated manner. While children utilized VOT consistently for the three laryngeal categories, their use of f0 was either reduced or enhanced depending on the phonetic categories. Importantly, the children's processing strategies of a f0 suppression for a tense-aspirated contrast were meaningfully associated with children's better cognitive abilities such as working memory, inhibition, and attentional shifting. As a preliminary experimental investigation, the current research demonstrated that listeners with inefficient processing strategies were poor at the EF skills, suggesting that cognitive skills might be responsible for developmental variations of processing sub-phonemic information for the linguistic contrast.

• Speech Sciences
• /
• v.3
• /
• pp.83-92
• /
• 1998

Vowels are classified by vocal tract shapes. These shapes form constriction points along the tract, which have an influence on such vocal tract resonance as $F_l,\;F_2,\;F_3$, and so on. This study reviews the perturbation theory of the tract and determines the corresponding formant frequencies from modified vocal tracts using vocal tract area function. Then, formant variation is observed from the theory. Finally, each set of $F_l,\;F_2,\;and\;F_3$ frequency is input to a speech synthesis software to make a vowel sound. Auditory impression of each sound without any modification of its vocal tract shape is almost the same as the corresponding phonetic symbol. Formant frequencies of $F_l,\;F_2,\;F_3$ vary according to the perturbation theory. Generally, constriction along the node causes formant values to decrease while constriction along the anti-node cause it to increase. Vocal tracts modified by more than $3\;cm^2$ change vowel qualities of /a/ and /i/ into those of f /v/ and /$\varepsilon$/, respectively. This study will be helpful in simulating sounds from modified vocal tracts before any operation. Further studies are desirable to compare vocal tract shapes of various languages and their sounds together.