Potential and Limits of a High-Density Hemispherical Array of Loudspeakers for Spatial Hearing and Auralization Research

A hemispherical array of 196 independent loudspeakers has been constructed for laboratory research on spatial hearing, auralization, sound-field quality and spatial audio signal processing. The array of small loudspeakers is supported by a geodesic frame with a radius is 2.4 m. With this relatively high spatial density of sound sources, spatially quantized rendering of sound fields should be viable for a variety of applications, and this paper considers the potential and limits of this approach in relation to human spatial hearing capacities. The paper also considers the combined use of multiple loudspeakers for the rendering low-frequency components of sound sources in order to extend the low-frequency response of the system.

Sound absorption of several various nickel foam multilayer structures at aural frequencies sensitive for human ears

Using the three-dimensional reticular nickel foam as experimental material, the sound absorption performance was investigated for several various multilayer structures in the frequency range of 2000-4000 Hz, which is aurally sensitive for human ears. The results showed that the 7.5 mm-thick foam sample, which was formed by piling of 5-layer foam plate（thickness： 1.5 mm; porosity： 96%; average pore-diameter： 0.65 mm） could exhibit an excellent sound absorption effect at 4000 Hz, with the absorption coefficient about 0.8. Constituting alternate air gap with the total thickness of about 18.5 mm can greatly improve the absorption performance at relatively low frequencies of 2000-3150 Hz, with the absorption coefficient up to about 0.5 or more. In addition, the research showed that alternate piling up the perforated plate inside the foam plates can also achieve a quite good effect of sound absorption at relatively low frequencies.

Our Experience with Embryonal Rhabdomyosarcoma Presenting as Aural Polyp

Aural polyps are a common clinical entity encountered by otorhinolaryngologist in daily practice. Polyps are frequently seen in paediatric patients, usually inflammatory in nature. In children rhabdomyosarcomas (RMS) can mimic all the cinical features of chronic suppurative otitis media which usually present as external auditory canal mass or polyp. Here we present a case where a male child presented with recurrence of polyp in left ear which was finally diagnosed as embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma which is a rare and invariably fatal disease in children. Through this article we intend to highlight the failures and delay committed in attaining diagnosis in this patient in spite of multispecialty evaluation involving repeated imaging and histopathological correlation. Our experience with embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma throws light on the high vigilance required in handling the aural polyps in pediatric population as early diagnosis and treatment are the key elements for successful outcomes.

Contemporary solutions for patients with microtia and congenital aural atresia-Hong Kong experience

Managing microtia patients is always a challenge. Multidisciplinary approach, good family support, well established doctorepatient rela-tionship and well organised patient-support groups are the essential elements for success. With the advancement of implantable hearing devices, more options will be available for the microtia patients. Otologists play a leading role in the whole management process. They not only provide proper guidance to the patients in choosing the correct path of the treatment, but also play a key role in organising and maintaining a cost-effective multidisciplinary rehabilitation team for the microtia patients.

Diagnosis of osteopetrosis in bilateral congenital aural atresia: Turning point in treatment strategy

Aural atresia is a rare congenital malformation of the external and middle ear. There are several syndromic associations of this anomaly with those involving the first and second branchial arches. Occurrence of aural atresia with sclerosing skeletal dysplasia is unknown and has never been reported. The coexistence of a sclerosing dysplasia can make the surgical treatment in aural atresia difficult and risky; and the auditory improvement may not be as expected. Moreover, internal auditory canal narrowing and hence sensorineural hearing loss in sclerosing dysplasia might add to the already existing conductive hearing loss in such patients. In this case report we have described an unknown association of bilateral microtia with sclerosing skeletal dysplasia(autosomal dominant osteopetrosis) and clinical implications of these two conditions occurring together leading to a change in the management plan.

Building for Capturing Public Mind Through Ears： Evolution of Architectural Typology as a Mechanism of Auditory Deception and Urban Control

The paper takes the notion of soundscape and its relation to power relations within the scope of architecture. Indeed, sound has long been devised as a tool so as to control people and urban realm. The paper discusses the politics, aesthetics and social character of urban soundscape by elucidating the materialized shape of sound, that is to say; the close relationship between architecture and sound, between materiality of the physical form and its audio-spatial experience to understand how soundscape is controlled by architectural means for establishing power over masses and class segregation in various contexts. Similar to the case of physical-landscape, the soundscape in various types of buildings also manifests the idealized power relationships in any society through the control of sound in architectural space. Therefore, the auditory characteristics of these spatial precedents are elucidated in this study. It is argued that sound is a very political entity and auditory mechanisms are utilized for the purposes of both surveillance and suppression of political opponents. The paper intends to demonstrate that sound has a very dark history under the disguise of grandiose aesthetics, and thus, it is very important in establishing power. Spatial typologies are classified according to their auditory functions in relation to establishing power in urban realm.

Teaching Aural Comprehension to Inexperienced Listeners

Listening comprehension,a long-neglected area in English language teaching,was not taught as a separate course in our schools until the early 1980s.“Yet ithas been estimated that of the time adults spend in communication activities 45per cent is devoted to listening,only 30 per cent to speaking,16 per cent to read-ing,and a mere 9 per cent to writing.”Listening can and ought to be taughtapart from speaking;it has its peculiar problems.There’s just as much activity

Analysis of diagnosis and treatment of aural vertigo

A case of aural vertigo in the Third Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University was collected. The diagnosis and treatment of the disease were analyzed by experts, and a variety of causes of the disease were discussed, in order to achieve personalized treatment and satisfactory curative effect.

Outcomes,Complications and Management of the Congenital Aural Atresia Surgery

Congenital aural atresia is characterized by aplasia of the external auditory canal (EAC), often associated with abnormalities of the auricula (microtia), the middle ear, and, occasionally, the inner ear structures. The aim of this study is to evaluate the surgical challenges, complications and long term results of congenital aural atresia(CAA) surgery. Records of 103 patients who underwent surgery because of congenital aural atresia were reviewed between 1992 and 2012 in a tertiary referral center. Audiological and surgical events were observed. Surgical technique, incision type, graft material and long term results were noted. Postoperative visit records and audiograms were investigated. Many types of ossicular chain abnormalities such as absence of an ossicle, deformity of an ossicle or ossicular block were observed. Facial canal dehiscence or abnormal location of the facial nerve was seen in 33.9% of patients. Closure of the air-bone gap (ABG) to 30 dB or less at short-term follow-up occurred in 63.1% of patients. Major complications were as follows: restenosis of the external ear canal, hearing loss, facial paralysis, iatrogenic cholesteatoma and perforation of the graft. The air-bone gap cannot be totally closed in all aural atresias, and there is also the chance of sensorineural type hearing loss. Success of the surgery depends on accompanying abnormalities like unexpected route or dehiscence of facial nerve, status of the ossicular chain and middle ear cleft and surgical techniques. Long term results of congenital aural atresia surgery are encouraging and promising.

Aureal SQ2500 Aureal Vortex2 AU8830 2/4MB 576 A3D/DS3D

由Aureal公司制造的“Vortex2SQ2500”声卡,采用Vortex2AU8830的芯片组,支持全双工,48kHz的数码录音和播放,符合A3D2.0的音效技术,且兼容于DS3D。连接接口采用即插即用的方式,安装上相当简单。在此要提醒读者的一点是,其产品内有附上日文的驱动程序,但建议不要安装,以免影响系统的正常动作。新的驱动程序,在Aureal公司的网站有提供。

The role of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and tricyclic antidepressants in addressing reduction of Meniere's disease burden:A scoping review

Objective:To assess the effect of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors(SSRIs)and tricyclic antidepressants(TCAs)in reducing vertigo,tinnitus,and hearing loss among patients with Meniere's disease(MD).Data Sources:The following databases were utilized in this scoping review:Ovid Medline,PubMed-NCBI,CINAHL,Cochrane Library,Web of Science,and Clinicaltrials.gov.Method:Studies were identified through the following search phrases:"serotonin specific reuptake inhibitors"OR"tricyclic antidepressants"AND"Meniere's disease."References from included manuscripts were examined for possible inclusion of additional studies.Results:The literature search yielded 23 results,which were screened by three independent reviewers.Seventeen studies and three duplicates were excluded.An examination of references from the included studies yielded two additional publications.A total of four published studies assessing SSRIs and TCAs among 147 patients with MD were ultimately included.Four studies described significant reductions in vertigo attack frequency among patients treated with either SSRIs or TCAs compared to their pretreatment baseline.Three studies assessed the drugs'effects on hearing,of which none found a significant difference among patients treated with SSRIs or TCAs.One study found a significant decrease in patient-reported tinnitus following treatment with TCAs or SSRIs compared to their pretreatment baseline.Conclusions:Data exploring SSRIs and TCAs among patients with MD suggests that these medications may reduce the frequency of tinnitus and vertigo,although there was significant heterogeneity in outcome reporting.There remains a need for larger-scale prospective studies that emphasize objective data to evaluate their effective-ness in reducing common MD symptoms.

Medical Therapy of Hearing Impairment and Tinnitus with Chinese Medicine:An Overview

The current review gives a comprehensive overview of the recent development in Chinese medicine(CM)for treating several kinds of acquired nerve deafness and tinnitus,as well as links the traditional principle to well-established pharmacological mechanisms for future research.To date,about 24 herbal species and 40 related ingredients used in CM to treat hearing loss and tinnitus are reported for the treatment of endocochlear potential,endolymph growth,lowering toxic and provocative substance aggregation,inhibiting sensory cell death,and retaining sensory transfer.However,there are a few herbal species that can be used for medicinal purposes.Nevertheless,clinical studies have been hampered by a limited population sample,a deficiency of a suitable control research group,or contradictory results.Enhanced cochlear blood flow,antiinflammatory antioxidant,neuroprotective effects,and anti-apoptotic,as well as multi-target approach on different auditory sections of the inner ear,are all possible benefits of CM medications.There are numerous unknown natural products for aural ailment and tinnitus identified in CM that are expected to be examined in the future utilizing various aural ailment models and processes.

Study on the critical diameter of the subway tunnel based on the pressure variation

When the subway train operates at a speed higher than 100 km/h,the corresponding aerodynamic issue becomes severe.To meet the future requirement for the speedup of subway trains,a research on the critical diameters of the subway tunnel for trains operating at 120 and 140 km/h has been performed based on passengers’aural discomfort caused by rail tunnel pressure variation.A three-dimensional computational fluid dynamic approach has been adopted for analysis.Meanwhile,trains with different airtight indices are considered and the pressure variations inside and outside the trains are both under investigation.Based on the corresponding criteria for different airtight indices,critical tunnel diameters for trains running at different speeds have been determined.This study would aid in the tunnel section design for future high-speed subway trains.

Congenital bifurcation of tympanic segment of facial nerve

Congenital aural atresia is usually associated with facial nerve （the seventh cranial nerve,CN7） anomalies with an incidence rate of 60%-75%.These anomalies include facial nerve displacement,facial nerve component overlying the oval window,bony canal dehiscence,and bifurcation,which increase the risk of surgical facial nerve injuries.Among all these anomalies,congenital bifurcation of the tympanic segment of facial nerve is the most confusing situation that significantly increases the surgical risk during hearing reconstruction.

Auditory Rehabilitation in Rhesus Macaque Monkeys （Macaca mulatta） with Auditory Brainstem Implants

Background：The auditory brainstem implants （ABIs） have been used to treat deafness for patients with neurofibromatosis Type 2 and nontumor patients.The lack of an appropriate animal model has limited the study of improving hearing rehabilitation by the device.This study aimed to establish an animal model of ABI in adult rhesus macaque monkey （Macaca mulatta）.Methods：Six adult rhesus macaque monkeys （M.mulatta） were included.Under general anesthesia,a multichannel ABI was implanted into the lateral recess of the fourth ventricle through the modified suboccipital-retrosigmoid （RS） approach.The electrical auditory brainstem response （EABR） waves were tested to ensure the optimal implant site.After the operation,the EABR and computed tomography （CT） were used to test and verify the effectiveness via electrophysiology and anatomy,respectively.The subjects underwent behavioral observation for 6 months,and the postoperative EABR was tested every two weeks from the 1st month after implant surgery.Result：The implant surgery lasted an average of 5.2 h,and no monkey died or sacrificed.The averaged latencies of peaks Ⅰ,Ⅱ and Ⅳ were 1.27,2.34 and 3.98 ms,respectively in the ABR.One-peak EABR wave was elicited in the operation,and one-or two-peak waves were elicited during the postoperative period.The EABR wave latencies appeared to be constant under different stimulus intensities;however,the amplitudes increased as the stimulus increased within a certain scope.Conclusions：It is feasible and safe to implant ABIs in rhesus macaque monkeys （M.mulatta） through a modified suboccipital RS approach,and EABR and CT are valid tools for animal model establishment.In addition,this model should be an appropriate animal model for the electrophysiological and behavioral study of rhesus macaque monkey with ABI.

Domesticating Time： Gendered Temporalities in Hou Hsiao-hsien＇s Cafe Lumiere

This article utilizes the trope of domesticity/domestication in order to explore notions of gendered temporality in Hou Hsiao-hsien＇s Cafe Lumiere （2003）. In dialogue with the Chinese writer Eileen Chang and Western theories about women＇s time and domestic temporality, the article proposes that the works of both Hou and Chang can be described as instances of ecriture feminine that interrogate an ambivalence toward domesticity. Drawing on Chantal Akerman＇s film in contrast to that of Hou, the article further demonstrates how the use of the cinematographic long take domesticates time and space, as well as the ways in which the horror of everyday domesticity have been captured through what Rey Chow calls ＂feminine details.＂ Finally, the present article argues that Cafe Lumiere domesticates a fear of domesticity and pregnancy through a reconfiguration of linear and cyclical time, a reversal of gender roles in its protagonists, and a privileging of aurality over visuality in its cinematic style, such that it presents the potential for a new kind of union and a new kind of futurity premised upon reordered gendered forms of temporality.