{"title":"Vowelless word forms in Tarifit are produced with longer voiceless aspiration intervals.","authors":"Mohamed Afkir, Georgia Zellou","doi":"10.1121/10.0039470","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1121/10.0039470","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This paper examines voiceless aspiration duration in Tarifit, a Moroccan Amazigh language that allows vowelless productions of some words. Thirty-seven speakers produced words with a /CCəC/ structure containing a voiceless stop in the underlyingly pre-vocalic position (e.g., /skəf/) across speaking styles. Vowelless forms of these words occur for about 11% of productions. When these words surface as vowelless, they are produced with a longer aspiration than when they are produced with a vowel. Thus, vowellessness in Tarifit consists of articulatory restructuring of words involving aspiration lengthening, possibly in addition to either vowel deletion or devoicing. Results are discussed for models of sound change and phonological typology.</p>","PeriodicalId":73538,"journal":{"name":"JASA express letters","volume":"5 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145202187","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Beyond spectral moments: Validating alternative measures of sibilant fricatives using listener ratings of children's speech.","authors":"Eugene Wong, Benjamin Munson","doi":"10.1121/10.0039497","DOIUrl":"10.1121/10.0039497","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Shadle [(2023). J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 153, 1412-1426] proposed that the spectral peak in mid-frequency (FM) is a superior measure of place of articulation of sibilant fricatives to the most commonly used measure, the first spectral moment (M1). It is examined as to whether FM predicts adult listener's ratings of the place of articulation of 2.5-3.5-year-old children's word-initial /s/ and /ʃ/ when compared to M1. Regression models reveal that FM in 3-9 kHz range best predicts listener's ratings of children's fricatives. These results provide additional validation for FM as a measure of fricatives' place of articulation, including in children's speech.</p>","PeriodicalId":73538,"journal":{"name":"JASA express letters","volume":"5 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12499953/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145202228","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Generalized rainbows of oblate water drops in air recorded using a TinyLev ultrasonic levitator.","authors":"Arden C Handy, Philip L Marston","doi":"10.1121/10.0039513","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1121/10.0039513","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The generalized rainbow caustics in the scattering of laser light by acoustically levitated oblate water drops in air [Marston and Trinh, Nature 312, 529-531 (1984)] display relationships between optical wavefields and the shape of wavefronts. The shape of the scattered optical wavefront depends on the drop shape controlled by the levitator. The present investigation demonstrates that an alternative array-based ultrasonic levitator design known as \"TinyLev\" can be used to trap drops for the purpose of recording generalized rainbows. The hyperbolic umbilic focal section was viewed. The TinyLev combined with CCD-based imaging may make investigations of generalized rainbows more accessible.</p>","PeriodicalId":73538,"journal":{"name":"JASA express letters","volume":"5 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145240522","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Svenja Wöhle, Laura Paker, Elke Burkhardt, Ilse Van Opzeeland, Elena Schall
{"title":"Shifts in acoustic signature of Southern Hemisphere fin whales: Declining peak frequency of high-frequency components.","authors":"Svenja Wöhle, Laura Paker, Elke Burkhardt, Ilse Van Opzeeland, Elena Schall","doi":"10.1121/10.0039500","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1121/10.0039500","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Population-specific acoustic features are vital for using passive acoustic monitoring to study marine mammal populations in remote regions. Southern Hemisphere fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) songs include region-specific high-frequency components, with the 86- and 99-Hz high-frequency components present in the Atlantic Sector of the Southern Ocean. Using long-term passive acoustic monitoring data, we show that, despite gradual interannual and intra-annual variabilities, these features remain distinct and recognizable across regions and years. Our findings support their use as reliable acoustic markers for monitoring fin whale populations, providing valuable insights into distribution and population structure.</p>","PeriodicalId":73538,"journal":{"name":"JASA express letters","volume":"5 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145240496","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yongsung Park, Thomas Kropfreiter, Florian Meyer, Peter Gerstoft
{"title":"Single-hydrophone Bayesian matched-field geoacoustic inversiona).","authors":"Yongsung Park, Thomas Kropfreiter, Florian Meyer, Peter Gerstoft","doi":"10.1121/10.0039454","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1121/10.0039454","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This paper presents Bayesian matched-field geoacoustic inversion results based on measurements from a single hydrophone. To efficiently compute the posterior distribution, we employ an adaptive Metropolis-Hastings sampling strategy, which dynamically adjusts the proposal distribution. Our method is applied to experimental data from the Shallow Water 2006 experiment, considering two broadband acoustic sources. The inversion targets four key parameters: source range, source depth, water depth, and sediment compressional sound speed. We present results indicating that Bayesian single-hydrophone inversions can provide accurate parameter estimates, underscoring their utility in resource-limited or rapid-deployment scenarios.</p>","PeriodicalId":73538,"journal":{"name":"JASA express letters","volume":"5 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145208526","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Dynamic shifts in the use of acoustic cues during talker identification: The role of language familiarity.","authors":"Shengyue Xiong, Zhe-Chen Guo, Gangyi Feng, Bharath Chandrasekaran","doi":"10.1121/10.0039504","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1121/10.0039504","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study examines the extent to which Mandarin-speaking listeners rely on low-level acoustic information when identifying new talkers speaking Mandarin-accented English (MAE), native Mandarin (NM), and native English (NE). Identification accuracy was highest for NM, intermediate for MAE, and lowest for NE, replicating language/accent familiarity effects. Representational similarity analysis comparing listeners' behavioral responses with talkers' low-level acoustic features (e.g., F0, jitter) revealed less reliance on these acoustic cues in more familiar contexts (e.g., NM vs NE). In MAE context, acoustic reliance decreased with training despite improved accuracy, suggesting a shift away from talker identification strategies based on low-level acoustic processing.</p>","PeriodicalId":73538,"journal":{"name":"JASA express letters","volume":"5 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145202168","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Three-dimensional acoustic source localization based on multipath time delay in deep ocean.","authors":"Zhen Zhang, Haigang Zhang, Jinshan Fu","doi":"10.1121/10.0039398","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1121/10.0039398","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>To accurately characterize the non-radial motion of the source relative to the receiver, a three-dimensional (3D) model is essential. The extended Kalman filter (EKF) state matrix is employed to characterize the source's 3D motion. The measurement input for the EKF is the time delay between the direct and surface-reflected arrivals. The differences in the partial derivatives of the distance component have been identified and discussed. Through iterative filtering, a reliable estimate of the source's position in 3D space is obtained. Both simulations and experiments validate the effectiveness of the method, with experimental depth estimation errors within 1.5%.</p>","PeriodicalId":73538,"journal":{"name":"JASA express letters","volume":"5 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145214632","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Dame Fall, Marc Duquennoy, Nikolay Smagin, Zakariae Oumekloul, Mohammadi Ouaftouh
{"title":"Broadband surface acoustic wave attenuation in metals using chirp compression and dispersive interdigital transducers.","authors":"Dame Fall, Marc Duquennoy, Nikolay Smagin, Zakariae Oumekloul, Mohammadi Ouaftouh","doi":"10.1121/10.0039237","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1121/10.0039237","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study presents a non-destructive method for estimating surface acoustic wave attenuation, which is highly sensitive to microstructural features, especially at high frequencies. The method uses a single wideband dispersive interdigital transducer (IDT) that remotely emits acoustic waves at the sample's edge. Chirp compression of the temporal displacement response is achieved by correlating the excitation signal with the spatial configuration of the IDT's electrodes. This technique generates high-amplitude pulses with a sufficient signal-to-noise ratio, critical for enabling accurate attenuation estimation over a frequency range (15-70 MHz). Results from nickel and aluminum demonstrate the method's effectiveness for rapid material characterization.</p>","PeriodicalId":73538,"journal":{"name":"JASA express letters","volume":"5 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145002179","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Influence of hearing aid processing on acoustic features associated with emotional speech: Acoustic analyses and perception by listeners with normal hearing.","authors":"Frederic Marmel, Dina Lelic","doi":"10.1121/10.0039220","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1121/10.0039220","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Hearing aid (HA) processing can affect acoustic features linked with emotions, potentially making them less distinguishable. This study investigated whether HA processing, with both standard and short processing delays, affects emotion prediction from a set of acoustic features associated with speech emotions and how well these predictions align with perceived emotions. The findings indicated that anger and sadness are the easiest emotions to predict from acoustic features, while happiness and fear are the most accurately perceived emotions by listeners with normal hearing. HA processing, regardless of delay, does not seem to impair the predictability of emotions from acoustic features or the perception of these emotions.</p>","PeriodicalId":73538,"journal":{"name":"JASA express letters","volume":"5 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145031224","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Benjamin J Kirby, Alaina Cunningham, Olivia Montou Zant
{"title":"Psychoacoustic assessment of misophonia.","authors":"Benjamin J Kirby, Alaina Cunningham, Olivia Montou Zant","doi":"10.1121/10.0039238","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1121/10.0039238","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Misophonia is a condition characterized by intense negative emotional reactions to trigger sounds and related stimuli. In this study, adult listeners (N = 15) with a self-reported history of misophonia symptoms and a control group without misophonia (N = 15) completed listening judgements of recorded misophonia trigger stimuli using a standard scale. Participants also completed an established questionnaire of misophonia symptoms, the Misophonia Questionnaire (MQ). Summed scores of the listening task were significantly correlated with overall MQ score. The misophonia group had significantly higher listening scores and MQ scores compared to controls. These findings indicate applications for psychoacoustic methods in the assessment of misophonia.</p>","PeriodicalId":73538,"journal":{"name":"JASA express letters","volume":"5 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145024843","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}