Aiming at a kind of middle ear implant(MEI), the driving voltage of a piezoelectric floating mass actuator is analyzed using a 0. 7Pb (Mg1/3Nb2/3) O3-0. 3PbTiO3 ( PMN- 30% PT)stack as a new type of vibrator. For...Aiming at a kind of middle ear implant(MEI), the driving voltage of a piezoelectric floating mass actuator is analyzed using a 0. 7Pb (Mg1/3Nb2/3) O3-0. 3PbTiO3 ( PMN- 30% PT)stack as a new type of vibrator. For the purpose of facilitating the analysis, a simplified coupling model of the ossicular chain and the piezoelectric actuator is constructed. First, a finite element model of a human middle ear is constructed by reverse engineering technology, and the validity of this model is confirmed by comparing the simulated motion of the stapes footplate obtained by this model with experimental measurements. Then the displacement impedance of the incus long process is analyzed, and a single mass-spring-damper equivalent model of the ossicular chain attached with the clamp is derived. Finally, a simplified coupling model of the ossicular chain and the piezoelectric actuator is established and used to analyze the driving voltage property of the actuator. The results show that the required driving voltage decreases with the increase in the frequency, and the maximum required driving voltage is 20. 9 V in the voice frequencies. However, in the mid-high frequencies where most sensorineural hearing loss occurs, the maximum required driving voltage is 3.8 V, which meets the low-voltage and low-power requirements of the MEI.展开更多
Electronic stethoscope is an instrument used for auxiliary determination of patients' physical condition by collecting and processing heart sounds and lung sounds.Since traditional electronic stethoscopes have low se...Electronic stethoscope is an instrument used for auxiliary determination of patients' physical condition by collecting and processing heart sounds and lung sounds.Since traditional electronic stethoscopes have low sensitivity and poor low-frequency response,a novel electronic stethoscope is provided in this paper using curved PVDF clamping structure with non-uniform curvature based on the structure of PVDF and silicone rubber substrate.Theoretical analysis and comparison by means of the corresponding inhomogeneous string vibration model show that sensitivity significantly increases for non-uniform curvature than the uniform one.Furthermore,a new electronic stethoscope pickup is developed based on the optimal parameters at the point of maximum sensitivity of non-uniform curvature.Experiment results show that the sensitivity of the pickup can reach1.7mV/Pa,which increases by 13.3%compared to the one with the structure of uniform curvature PVDF and silicone rubber substrate that has been studied in recent years.Moreover,flat frequency response characteristics can be retained within the frequency band range of 2-2kHz,which covers the frequency response range of cardiopulmonary sound collection,thus provides a strong guarantee for complete acquisition of heart and lung sound signals.展开更多
Objective:To study whether adenovirus-mediated human β-nerve growth factor (Ad-hNGFβ) gene has any protective effect on blast hearing impairment. Methods:Deafness was induced by blast exposure (172.0 dB) in 30 healt...Objective:To study whether adenovirus-mediated human β-nerve growth factor (Ad-hNGFβ) gene has any protective effect on blast hearing impairment. Methods:Deafness was induced by blast exposure (172.0 dB) in 30 healthy guinea pigs. On day 7 of blast exposure, Ad-hNGFβ was infused into the perilymphatic space of 20 animals as the study group (hNGFβ group), and artificial perilymph fluid (APF) was infused into the perilymphatic space of the other 10 animals as the control group. At weeks 1, 4 and 8 after blast exposure, the animals were sacrificed and the cochleae were removed for immunohistochemical and HE stainings. Results: Expression of Ad-hNGFβ protein was detected in each turn of the cochlea at the 1st week, with almost equal intensity in all turns. At the 4th week, the reactive intensity of the expression of Ad-hNGFβ protein decreased. At the 8th week, no expression was detectable. The results of HE staining showed that the amount of spiral ganglions in hNGFβ group was significantly greater than that of the control group at week 4 (P<0.01). Conclusion: Ad-hNGFβ can be expressed at a high level and for a relatively long period in the blast impaired cochlea, suggesting that Ad-hNGFβ has a protective effect on cochlear spiral ganglion cells after blast exposure and the efficient gene transfer into cochlea had been achieved without toxicity.展开更多
AIM: To determine the value of bowel sounds analysis using an electronic stethoscope to support a clinical diagnosis of intestinal obstruction. METHODS: Subjects were patients who presented with a diagnosis of possibl...AIM: To determine the value of bowel sounds analysis using an electronic stethoscope to support a clinical diagnosis of intestinal obstruction. METHODS: Subjects were patients who presented with a diagnosis of possible intestinal obstruction based on symptoms, signs, and radiological findings. A 3MTH Littmann Model 4100 electronic stethoscope was used in this study. With the patients lying supine, six 8-second recordings of bowel sounds were taken from each patient from the lower abdomen. The recordings were analysed for sound duration, soundto-sound interval, dominant frequency, and peak frequency. Clinical and radiological data were reviewed and the patients were classified as having either acute, subacute, or no bowel obstruction. Comparison of bowel sound characteristics was made between these subgroups of patients. In the presence of an obstruction, the site of obstruction was identified and bowel calibre was also measured to correlate with bowel sounds. RESULTS: A total of 71 patients were studied during the period July 2009 to January 2011. Forty patientshad acute bowel obstruction (27 small bowel obstruction and 13 large bowel obstruction), 11 had subacute bowel obstruction (eight in the small bowel and three in large bowel) and 20 had no bowel obstruction (diagnoses of other conditions were made). Twenty-five patients received surgical intervention (35.2%) during the same admission for acute abdominal conditions. A total of 426 recordings were made and 420 recordings were used for analysis. There was no significant difference in sound-to-sound interval, dominant frequency, and peak frequency among patients with acute bowel obstruction, subacute bowel obstruction, and no bowel obstruction. In acute large bowel obstruction, the sound duration was significantly longer (median 0.81 s vs 0.55 s, P = 0.021) and the dominant frequency was significantly higher (median 440 Hz vs 288 Hz, P = 0.003) when compared to acute small bowel obstruction. No significant difference was seen between acute large bowel obstruction and large bowel pseudoobstruction. For patients with small bowel obstruction, the sound-to-sound interval was significantly longer in those who subsequently underwent surgery compared with those treated non-operatively (median 1.29 s vs 0.63 s, P < 0.001). There was no correlation between bowel calibre and bowel sound characteristics in both acute small bowel obstruction and acute large bowel obstruction. CONCLUSION: Auscultation of bowel sounds is nonspecific for diagnosing bowel obstruction. Differences in sound characteristics between large bowel and small bowel obstruction may help determine the likely site of obstruction.展开更多
Based on an auditory model, the zero-crossings with maximal Teager energy operator (ZCMT) feature extraction approach was described, and then applied to speech and emotion recognition. Three kinds of experiments were ...Based on an auditory model, the zero-crossings with maximal Teager energy operator (ZCMT) feature extraction approach was described, and then applied to speech and emotion recognition. Three kinds of experiments were carried out. The first kind consists of isolated word recognition experiments in neutral (non-emotional) speech. The results show that the ZCMT approach effectively improves the recognition accuracy by 3.47% in average compared with the Teager energy operator (TEO). Thus, ZCMT feature can be considered as a noise-robust feature for speech recognition. The second kind consists of mono-lingual emotion recognition experiments by using the Taiyuan University of Technology (TYUT) and the Berlin databases. As the average recognition rate of ZCMT approach is 82.19%, the results indicate that the ZCMT features can characterize speech emotions in an effective way. The third kind consists of cross-lingual experiments with three languages. As the accuracy of ZCMT approach only reduced by 1.45%, the results indicate that the ZCMT features can characterize emotions in a language independent way.展开更多
The actual purpose of this study is to establish the cortical arousal strategies (according to the power of the EEG (electroencephalogram) a-oscillations) during the aural perception as well as manual playback of ...The actual purpose of this study is to establish the cortical arousal strategies (according to the power of the EEG (electroencephalogram) a-oscillations) during the aural perception as well as manual playback of mono- and polyphonic rhythmical patterns in men with left profile. The study involved 35 men from 19 to 21 years old with the left profile of the manual and aural asymmetries. EEG was recorded in the functional status of rest: during the aural perception and playback of mono- and polyphonic rhythmical patterns with the left and right hand fingers. The monophony in the rhythmical pattern sounding relative to monophonic patterns is followed by more expressed and widespread cortical processes of the EEG a-oscillation depression. Given patterns indicate a greater intensity of ascending nonspecific arousal strategies of data processing by men on conditions of the sound and harmonious complications of the pattern structure. The aural perception and playback of rhythmical patterns with both hands were accompanied by the increased significance of arousal processes in the right hemisphere. This may be due to the dominant role of the hemisphere during the formation of the innervation impacts on the left-hander's neuro-motor apparatus. More differentiated changes in the cerebral cortex were installed during the left hand activation.展开更多
Objective To investigate the relationship between tinnitus and glucose metabolism in auditory cortex and whether positron emission tomography (PET) can be an objective tool in measuring tinnitus.Methods Eleven right...Objective To investigate the relationship between tinnitus and glucose metabolism in auditory cortex and whether positron emission tomography (PET) can be an objective tool in measuring tinnitus.Methods Eleven right-handed patients with severe tinnitus and ten right-handed control subjects participated in the 18 F-FDG/PET study. Analysis with regions of interests was used to calculate asymmetry indices according to the formula: [(L-R)×100/[(L+R)÷2]].Results Glucose metabolism in the auditory cortex of tinnitus patients was asymmetric between the left and right auditory cortices, with that of the left being much higher than that of the right. The asymmetry indices of tinnitus patients was significantly higher than that of the control group (unpaired t test, P<0.001). This revealed that the increased metabolic activity was present in the predominant left hemisphere with a significant focus on the superior and transverse temporal gyri (Brodmann areas 41 and 42, respectively corresponding to primary and secondary auditory cortex), and the results were independent of the subjective localization of the tinnitus sensation.Conclusion It is suggested that the increased metabolism in the left auditory cortex is related to the tinnitus sensation. PET is capable of providing objective evidence for tinnitus and may be used as a potential tool in measuring tinnitus.展开更多
In this work,acoustic vector characteristics of near fields scattered by an underwater finite cylindrical baffle are investigated theoretically and experimentally.The analytic expressions for the scattered pressure an...In this work,acoustic vector characteristics of near fields scattered by an underwater finite cylindrical baffle are investigated theoretically and experimentally.The analytic expressions for the scattered pressure and particle velocity are derived using the elastic thin shell theory.Calculations are presented for the scattered near fields of the pressure,the particle velocity and the intensity.It is found that the pressure and the particle velocity fields near the surface of the cylindrical baffle are characterized by complex interference structure,particle velocity directions and the source bearings are not consistent.The phase difference between the pressure and the particle velocity is not zero and the intensity vector does not reflect the sound bearings.It can be noted that the distortions of the fields will make the original vector signal processing method based on the free space assumption be no longer applicable in the presence of the cylindrical baffle.These results can serve as a basis of the application for the acoustic vector sensor on board.展开更多
Dear Editor,Actins are a family of essential cytoskeletal proteins involved in nearly all cellular processes(Lambrechts et al.,2004).Of the six human genes that encode actins,only ACTG1and ACTB are ubiquitously expr...Dear Editor,Actins are a family of essential cytoskeletal proteins involved in nearly all cellular processes(Lambrechts et al.,2004).Of the six human genes that encode actins,only ACTG1and ACTB are ubiquitously expressed.ACTG1(OMIM#604717),which is linked to the DFNA20/26 locus,wasidentified in autosomal dominant, non-syndromic hearing loss (NSHL) cases (Baek et al., 2012; Liu et al., 2008; Park et al., 2013; Yuan et al., 2016). In addition, some ACTG1 (OMIM #614583) mutations are associated with Baraitser-Winter syndrome, which is characterized by developmental delay, facial dysmorphologies, brain malformations, colobomas, and variable hearing loss (Riviere et al., 2012).展开更多
One-step patch near-field acoustical holography(PNAH) is a powerful tool for identifying noise sources from the partially known sound pressure field.The acoustical property to be reconstructed on the surface of intere...One-step patch near-field acoustical holography(PNAH) is a powerful tool for identifying noise sources from the partially known sound pressure field.The acoustical property to be reconstructed on the surface of interest is related to the partially measured pressure on the hologram surface in terms of sampling and bandlimiting matrices,which cost more in computation.A one-step procedure based on measuring of the normal component of the particle velocity is described,including the mathematical formulation.The numerical simulation shows that one-step PNAH based on particle velocity can obtain more accurately reconstructed results and it is also less sensitive to noise than the method based on pressure.These findings are confirmed by an underwater near-field acoustical holography experiment conducted with a vector hydrophone array.The experimental results have illustrated the high performance of one-step PNAH based on particle velocity in the reconstruction of sound field and the advantages of a vector hydrophone array in an underwater near-field measurement.展开更多
基金The National Natural Science Foundation of China(No10772121)the Med-Science Cross Research Foundation of Shanghai Jiao-tong University (NoYG2007MS14)
文摘Aiming at a kind of middle ear implant(MEI), the driving voltage of a piezoelectric floating mass actuator is analyzed using a 0. 7Pb (Mg1/3Nb2/3) O3-0. 3PbTiO3 ( PMN- 30% PT)stack as a new type of vibrator. For the purpose of facilitating the analysis, a simplified coupling model of the ossicular chain and the piezoelectric actuator is constructed. First, a finite element model of a human middle ear is constructed by reverse engineering technology, and the validity of this model is confirmed by comparing the simulated motion of the stapes footplate obtained by this model with experimental measurements. Then the displacement impedance of the incus long process is analyzed, and a single mass-spring-damper equivalent model of the ossicular chain attached with the clamp is derived. Finally, a simplified coupling model of the ossicular chain and the piezoelectric actuator is established and used to analyze the driving voltage property of the actuator. The results show that the required driving voltage decreases with the increase in the frequency, and the maximum required driving voltage is 20. 9 V in the voice frequencies. However, in the mid-high frequencies where most sensorineural hearing loss occurs, the maximum required driving voltage is 3.8 V, which meets the low-voltage and low-power requirements of the MEI.
基金Special Fund Project for the Development of Modern Information Service Industry in Guangdong Province,Multiservice Cloud Integration Platform of Smart Family Internet of Things based on the Next Generation of Broadcast Television Networks
文摘Electronic stethoscope is an instrument used for auxiliary determination of patients' physical condition by collecting and processing heart sounds and lung sounds.Since traditional electronic stethoscopes have low sensitivity and poor low-frequency response,a novel electronic stethoscope is provided in this paper using curved PVDF clamping structure with non-uniform curvature based on the structure of PVDF and silicone rubber substrate.Theoretical analysis and comparison by means of the corresponding inhomogeneous string vibration model show that sensitivity significantly increases for non-uniform curvature than the uniform one.Furthermore,a new electronic stethoscope pickup is developed based on the optimal parameters at the point of maximum sensitivity of non-uniform curvature.Experiment results show that the sensitivity of the pickup can reach1.7mV/Pa,which increases by 13.3%compared to the one with the structure of uniform curvature PVDF and silicone rubber substrate that has been studied in recent years.Moreover,flat frequency response characteristics can be retained within the frequency band range of 2-2kHz,which covers the frequency response range of cardiopulmonary sound collection,thus provides a strong guarantee for complete acquisition of heart and lung sound signals.
基金Supported by the"Eleventh Five-Year Plan"Medical Science Research Foundation of the PLA(No.06MA157)
文摘Objective:To study whether adenovirus-mediated human β-nerve growth factor (Ad-hNGFβ) gene has any protective effect on blast hearing impairment. Methods:Deafness was induced by blast exposure (172.0 dB) in 30 healthy guinea pigs. On day 7 of blast exposure, Ad-hNGFβ was infused into the perilymphatic space of 20 animals as the study group (hNGFβ group), and artificial perilymph fluid (APF) was infused into the perilymphatic space of the other 10 animals as the control group. At weeks 1, 4 and 8 after blast exposure, the animals were sacrificed and the cochleae were removed for immunohistochemical and HE stainings. Results: Expression of Ad-hNGFβ protein was detected in each turn of the cochlea at the 1st week, with almost equal intensity in all turns. At the 4th week, the reactive intensity of the expression of Ad-hNGFβ protein decreased. At the 8th week, no expression was detectable. The results of HE staining showed that the amount of spiral ganglions in hNGFβ group was significantly greater than that of the control group at week 4 (P<0.01). Conclusion: Ad-hNGFβ can be expressed at a high level and for a relatively long period in the blast impaired cochlea, suggesting that Ad-hNGFβ has a protective effect on cochlear spiral ganglion cells after blast exposure and the efficient gene transfer into cochlea had been achieved without toxicity.
文摘AIM: To determine the value of bowel sounds analysis using an electronic stethoscope to support a clinical diagnosis of intestinal obstruction. METHODS: Subjects were patients who presented with a diagnosis of possible intestinal obstruction based on symptoms, signs, and radiological findings. A 3MTH Littmann Model 4100 electronic stethoscope was used in this study. With the patients lying supine, six 8-second recordings of bowel sounds were taken from each patient from the lower abdomen. The recordings were analysed for sound duration, soundto-sound interval, dominant frequency, and peak frequency. Clinical and radiological data were reviewed and the patients were classified as having either acute, subacute, or no bowel obstruction. Comparison of bowel sound characteristics was made between these subgroups of patients. In the presence of an obstruction, the site of obstruction was identified and bowel calibre was also measured to correlate with bowel sounds. RESULTS: A total of 71 patients were studied during the period July 2009 to January 2011. Forty patientshad acute bowel obstruction (27 small bowel obstruction and 13 large bowel obstruction), 11 had subacute bowel obstruction (eight in the small bowel and three in large bowel) and 20 had no bowel obstruction (diagnoses of other conditions were made). Twenty-five patients received surgical intervention (35.2%) during the same admission for acute abdominal conditions. A total of 426 recordings were made and 420 recordings were used for analysis. There was no significant difference in sound-to-sound interval, dominant frequency, and peak frequency among patients with acute bowel obstruction, subacute bowel obstruction, and no bowel obstruction. In acute large bowel obstruction, the sound duration was significantly longer (median 0.81 s vs 0.55 s, P = 0.021) and the dominant frequency was significantly higher (median 440 Hz vs 288 Hz, P = 0.003) when compared to acute small bowel obstruction. No significant difference was seen between acute large bowel obstruction and large bowel pseudoobstruction. For patients with small bowel obstruction, the sound-to-sound interval was significantly longer in those who subsequently underwent surgery compared with those treated non-operatively (median 1.29 s vs 0.63 s, P < 0.001). There was no correlation between bowel calibre and bowel sound characteristics in both acute small bowel obstruction and acute large bowel obstruction. CONCLUSION: Auscultation of bowel sounds is nonspecific for diagnosing bowel obstruction. Differences in sound characteristics between large bowel and small bowel obstruction may help determine the likely site of obstruction.
基金Project(61072087)supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of ChinaProject(2010011020-1)supported by the Natural Scientific Foundation of Shanxi Province,ChinaProject(20093010)supported by Graduate Innovation Fundation of Shanxi Province,China
文摘Based on an auditory model, the zero-crossings with maximal Teager energy operator (ZCMT) feature extraction approach was described, and then applied to speech and emotion recognition. Three kinds of experiments were carried out. The first kind consists of isolated word recognition experiments in neutral (non-emotional) speech. The results show that the ZCMT approach effectively improves the recognition accuracy by 3.47% in average compared with the Teager energy operator (TEO). Thus, ZCMT feature can be considered as a noise-robust feature for speech recognition. The second kind consists of mono-lingual emotion recognition experiments by using the Taiyuan University of Technology (TYUT) and the Berlin databases. As the average recognition rate of ZCMT approach is 82.19%, the results indicate that the ZCMT features can characterize speech emotions in an effective way. The third kind consists of cross-lingual experiments with three languages. As the accuracy of ZCMT approach only reduced by 1.45%, the results indicate that the ZCMT features can characterize emotions in a language independent way.
文摘The actual purpose of this study is to establish the cortical arousal strategies (according to the power of the EEG (electroencephalogram) a-oscillations) during the aural perception as well as manual playback of mono- and polyphonic rhythmical patterns in men with left profile. The study involved 35 men from 19 to 21 years old with the left profile of the manual and aural asymmetries. EEG was recorded in the functional status of rest: during the aural perception and playback of mono- and polyphonic rhythmical patterns with the left and right hand fingers. The monophony in the rhythmical pattern sounding relative to monophonic patterns is followed by more expressed and widespread cortical processes of the EEG a-oscillation depression. Given patterns indicate a greater intensity of ascending nonspecific arousal strategies of data processing by men on conditions of the sound and harmonious complications of the pattern structure. The aural perception and playback of rhythmical patterns with both hands were accompanied by the increased significance of arousal processes in the right hemisphere. This may be due to the dominant role of the hemisphere during the formation of the innervation impacts on the left-hander's neuro-motor apparatus. More differentiated changes in the cerebral cortex were installed during the left hand activation.
文摘Objective To investigate the relationship between tinnitus and glucose metabolism in auditory cortex and whether positron emission tomography (PET) can be an objective tool in measuring tinnitus.Methods Eleven right-handed patients with severe tinnitus and ten right-handed control subjects participated in the 18 F-FDG/PET study. Analysis with regions of interests was used to calculate asymmetry indices according to the formula: [(L-R)×100/[(L+R)÷2]].Results Glucose metabolism in the auditory cortex of tinnitus patients was asymmetric between the left and right auditory cortices, with that of the left being much higher than that of the right. The asymmetry indices of tinnitus patients was significantly higher than that of the control group (unpaired t test, P<0.001). This revealed that the increased metabolic activity was present in the predominant left hemisphere with a significant focus on the superior and transverse temporal gyri (Brodmann areas 41 and 42, respectively corresponding to primary and secondary auditory cortex), and the results were independent of the subjective localization of the tinnitus sensation.Conclusion It is suggested that the increased metabolism in the left auditory cortex is related to the tinnitus sensation. PET is capable of providing objective evidence for tinnitus and may be used as a potential tool in measuring tinnitus.
基金supported by the Special Foundation for the State Major Basic Research Program of China (Grant No. 40827003)
文摘In this work,acoustic vector characteristics of near fields scattered by an underwater finite cylindrical baffle are investigated theoretically and experimentally.The analytic expressions for the scattered pressure and particle velocity are derived using the elastic thin shell theory.Calculations are presented for the scattered near fields of the pressure,the particle velocity and the intensity.It is found that the pressure and the particle velocity fields near the surface of the cylindrical baffle are characterized by complex interference structure,particle velocity directions and the source bearings are not consistent.The phase difference between the pressure and the particle velocity is not zero and the intensity vector does not reflect the sound bearings.It can be noted that the distortions of the fields will make the original vector signal processing method based on the free space assumption be no longer applicable in the presence of the cylindrical baffle.These results can serve as a basis of the application for the acoustic vector sensor on board.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(81530032)the National Key Basic Research Program of China(2014CB943001)
文摘Dear Editor,Actins are a family of essential cytoskeletal proteins involved in nearly all cellular processes(Lambrechts et al.,2004).Of the six human genes that encode actins,only ACTG1and ACTB are ubiquitously expressed.ACTG1(OMIM#604717),which is linked to the DFNA20/26 locus,wasidentified in autosomal dominant, non-syndromic hearing loss (NSHL) cases (Baek et al., 2012; Liu et al., 2008; Park et al., 2013; Yuan et al., 2016). In addition, some ACTG1 (OMIM #614583) mutations are associated with Baraitser-Winter syndrome, which is characterized by developmental delay, facial dysmorphologies, brain malformations, colobomas, and variable hearing loss (Riviere et al., 2012).
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.11204049)the National Defence Research Funds (Grant No.7131107 and 51310040202)the Fundamental Research Funds For the Central Universities(Grant No.HEUCFR1013 and HEUCF120504)
文摘One-step patch near-field acoustical holography(PNAH) is a powerful tool for identifying noise sources from the partially known sound pressure field.The acoustical property to be reconstructed on the surface of interest is related to the partially measured pressure on the hologram surface in terms of sampling and bandlimiting matrices,which cost more in computation.A one-step procedure based on measuring of the normal component of the particle velocity is described,including the mathematical formulation.The numerical simulation shows that one-step PNAH based on particle velocity can obtain more accurately reconstructed results and it is also less sensitive to noise than the method based on pressure.These findings are confirmed by an underwater near-field acoustical holography experiment conducted with a vector hydrophone array.The experimental results have illustrated the high performance of one-step PNAH based on particle velocity in the reconstruction of sound field and the advantages of a vector hydrophone array in an underwater near-field measurement.