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Evaluation of two speech enhancement techniques to improve intelligibility for hearing-impaired adults.

This study reports the effects on speech intelligibility of two types of digital speech processing: amplitude enhancement of consonants to produce near-zero consonant/vowel intensity ratios and increased duration of consonants to provide an additional 30 ms of sound. Compensatory vowel shortening accompanied duration increases to maintain original overall duration. One hundred words from the California Consonant Test (CCT) list were recorded. The target consonant in each word was processed in four ways to produce tape recordings of (a) unenhanced speech, (b) speech with increased consonant amplitude, (c) speech with increased consonant duration, and (d) speech with increased consonant amplitude and duration. The tapes were played to a group of 20 listeners with moderate sensorineural hearing loss at 65 dB SPL and to another group of 10 such listeners at 95 dB SPL. Results indicated that amplitude processing was associated with 10% to 12% improvement in intelligibility at the lower level but failed to yield any significant effect at the high level of presentation. Increasing consonant duration, by contrast, provided no benefit at the low level but gave modest benefit (5%) at 95 dB. Further development of the speech-processing techniques is necessary before they can be incorporated into a useful hearing aid.

Adult↗

Multi-channel compression and speech intelligibility in industrial noise.

This study examined how various forms of compression affect speech intelligibility in moderately high levels of industrial noise. Thirteen listeners with high-frequency sensorineural hearing loss were fit with a digital hearing aid programmed to operate in three modes of compression: compression limiting, compression of low frequencies only (BILL), and compression of high frequencies only (TILL). For each of these conditions, listeners attempted to recognize CID W-22 monosyllabic words delivered in a background of recorded industrial noise. Word recognition was also measured in quiet for the compression-limiting condition. The highest word identification scores were obtained in quiet (80.9%). Of the three conditions in which background noise was present, the mean score was highest for TILL compression (52.4%), and lowest for BILL (39.7%). Representative time-weighted average (TWA) exposures for each of the aided noise conditions were determined by means of a procedure outlined previously by the first author. The projected 8-hour amplified TWA with the hearing aid programmed to the TILL configuration was 94 dBA, whereas TWAs for the linear and BILL configurations were each 104 dBA. Thus, the highest intelligibility and lowest noise exposures were obtained with the aid in the TILL mode.

Adult↗

The predictive power of zero intelligence in financial markets.

Standard models in economics stress the role of intelligent agents who maximize utility. However, there may be situations where constraints imposed by market institutions dominate strategic agent behavior. We use data from the London Stock Exchange to test a simple model in which minimally intelligent agents place orders to trade at random. The model treats the statistical mechanics of order placement, price formation, and the accumulation of revealed supply and demand within the context of the continuous double auction and yields simple laws relating order-arrival rates to statistical properties of the market. We test the validity of these laws in explaining cross-sectional variation for 11 stocks. The model explains 96% of the variance of the gap between the best buying and selling prices (the spread) and 76% of the variance of the price diffusion rate, with only one free parameter. We also study the market impact function, describing the response of quoted prices to the arrival of new orders. The nondimensional coordinates dictated by the model approximately collapse data from different stocks onto a single curve. This work is important from a practical point of view, because it demonstrates the existence of simple laws relating prices to order flows and, in a broader context, suggests there are circumstances where the strategic behavior of agents may be dominated by other considerations.

Journal Article↗

At what wavelengths should we search for signals from extraterrestrial intelligence?

It has often been concluded that searches for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) should concentrate on attempts to receive signals in the microwave region, the argument being given that communication can occur there at minimum broadcasted power. Such a conclusion is shown to result only under a restricted set of assumptions. If generalized types of detection are considered-in particular, photon detection rather than linear detection alone-and if advantage is taken of the directivity of telescopes at short wavelengths, then somewhat less power is required for communication at infrared wavelengths than in the microwave region. Furthermore, a variety of parameters other than power alone may be chosen for optimization by an extraterrestrial civilization. Hence, while partially satisfying arguments may be given about optimal wavelengths for a search for signals from extraterrestrial intelligence, considerable uncertainty must remain.

Journal Article↗

Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Third Edition findings in relation to severity of brain injury in litigants.

WAIS-III findings were reported for 150 litigants, classified into three groups according to severity of traumatic brain injury (TBI), and a general population control group. There was a significant "dose response" relationship between TBI severity and all Index/IQ scores. Effect size was greatest for the Processing Speed Index (PSI). Between group differences were significant on all subtests except Information and Digit Span. Effect sizes were greatest for Digit Symbol, Symbol Search, Similarities, and Picture Arrangement. Relative to the control group, there was a significant difference for the Severe and Extremely Severe TBI groups on all IQ/Index scores and most subtests. The Moderate TBI group differed significantly on one Index (the PSI) and none of the subtests. Clinical implications of the findings are discussed in relation to the utility of the WAIS-III in assessing the cognitive sequelae of TBI, the use of current WAIS-III IQ scores to assess intelligence-memory discrepancies, WAIS-III short forms, and estimation of premorbid intelligence.

Adolescent↗

Intelligibility, subjective ratings and completion time scores using the FAAF test with hearing-impaired subjects and noisy reverberant environments.

A series of experiments have been performed with the primary aim of assessing the performance of a signal-processing algorithm for a possible future hearing aid application. As part of this work the four alternative auditory feature (FAAF) test was used to obtain a quantitative assessment of speech intelligibility and a subjective assessment of speech quality. This paper reports results of experiments using normal hearing (NH) subjects that provide partial verification of the FAAF test originators' prior work. Also reported are intelligibility score, mean opinion score (MOS) and completion time data obtained by use of the

Adult↗

Wechsler Intelligence Scale profiles, the cholinergic system, and Alzheimer's disease.

Forty-one patients with putative Alzheimer's Disease (AD) were evaluated to determine the diagnostic utility of a profile of Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) subtests which has been proposed by Fuld (1984) to identify cholinergic dysfunction. Only nine (21.9%) of these patients had positive Wechsler profiles. Half (n = 21) of the AD patients had been given the WAIS, and the other half (n = 20) the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R). Positive profiles occurred more often in the AD subgroup given the WAIS-R, but this difference was not statistically significant. Specificity of the formula was evaluated using Wechsler results of 42 older normals and 30 patients who were being evaluated for dementia but who did not have AD. One of the 42 normals (2.4%) and five of the patient controls (16.7%) showed a positive Wechsler profile. Because of the Fuld formula's low sensitivity, a negative Wechsler profile cannot be used to help rule out AD. Although specificity of the formula is high, the diagnostic value of a positive Wechsler profile is modest even under the most favorable AD baserate conditions.

Aged↗

Patient positioning using artificial intelligence neural networks, trained magnetic field sensors and magnetic implants.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the precision of a sensor and to ascertain the maximum distance between the sensor and the magnet, in a magnetic positioning system for external beam radiotherapy using a trained artificial intelligence neural network for position determination. Magnetic positioning for radiotherapy, previously described by Lennernäs and Nilsson, is a functional technique, but it is time consuming. The sensors are large and the distance between the sensor and the magnetic implant is limited to short distances. This paper presents a new technique for positioning, using an artificial intelligence neural network, which was trained to position the magnetic implant with at least 0.5 mm resolution in X and Y dimensions. The possibility of using the system for determination in the Z dimension, that is the distance between the magnet and the sensor, was also investigated. After training, this system positioned the magnet with a mean error of maximum 0.15 mm in all dimensions and up to 13 mm from the sensor. Of 400 test positions, 8 determinations had an error larger than 0.5 mm, maximum 0.55 mm. A position was determined in approximately 0.01 s.

Humans↗

Computerized detection of breast cancer with artificial intelligence and thermograms.

This paper shows the concurrent use of thermography and artificial neural networks (ANN) for the diagnosis of breast cancer, a disease that is growing in prominence in women all over the world. It has been reported that breast thermography itself could detect breast cancer up to 10 years earlier than the conventional golden methods such as mammography, in particular in the younger patient. However, the accuracy of thermography is dependent on many factors such as the symmetry of the breasts' temperature and temperature stability. A woman's body temperature is known to be stable in certain periods after menstruation and it was found that the accuracy of thermography in women whose thermal images are taken in a suitable period (5th - 12th and 21st day of menstruation) is higher (80%) than the total population of patients (73%). The stability of the body temperature will depend on physiological state. This paper examines the use of ANN to complement the infrared heat radiating from the surface of the body with other physiological data. Four backpropagation neural networks were developed and trained using the results from the Singapore General Hospital patients' physiological data and thermographs. Owing to the inaccuracies found in thermography and the low population size gathered for this project, the networks developed could only accurately diagnose about 61.54% of the breast cancer cases. Nevertheless, the basic neural network framework has been established and it has great potential for future development of an intelligent breast cancer diagnosis system. This would be especially useful to the teenagers and young adults who are unsuitable for mammography at a young age. An intelligent breast thermography-neural network will be able to give an accurate diagnosis of breast cancer and can make a positive impact on breast disease detection.

Adult↗

Ergodynamics in the Reliability of Power Plant Operators and Prospective Hybrid Intelligence Systems.

Based on ergodynamics and the hybrid intelligence theory, an analysis of the nuclear power plant operator's performance is given at the levels of strategies, tactics, and actions. Special attention is paid to the strategies used in the course of severe accidents at nuclear power plants. Data from Ukrainian and Russian power plants and training centres, and from accidents around the world were collected and processed. It is shown that in an emergency it is essential for the human operator to be flexible. This flexibility includes two main training and personal factors: a large set of strategies and tactics the operator manages to use, and quick transformations between the strategies (tactics). It was also found that some emergency tasks are too complicated: They require simultaneous use of different strategies, with time strictly limited by nuclear power plant dynamics. Those tasks cannot be successfully solved by any individual operator. Hybrid intelligence systems involving different specialists should be used in those cases in order to avoid failures in emergency problem solving and macroergonomic organizational design.

Journal Article↗

Sentence intelligibility in noise for listeners with normal hearing and hearing impairment: influence of measurement procedure and masking parameters.

Speech intelligibility measurements strongly depend on several procedural parameters. In order to obtain comparable results from different test procedures, these parameters must be investigated as to which should be standardized and which could be set freely. This study investigates the influence of noise level, noise type, and presentation mode on speech reception thresholds (SRTs), and intelligibility function slopes in noise for normal-hearing and hearing-impaired subjects. The noise presentation level had no significant influence on either SRTs or slope values, provided that the presentation level exceeded hearing threshold. Two stationary, speech-shaped noises produced identical results. Speech-simulating fluctuating noise yielded about 14 dB lower SRTs for normal-hearing subjects and about 10 dB lower SRTs for 20% of the heating-impaired subjects. Of the hearing-impaired subjects, 30% did not benefit from the modulations and showed similar SRTs as for stationary noise. Using continuous noise yielded lower SRTs compared to gated noise. However, the difference between the results in continuous and gated noise was not significant for the hearing-impaired subjects. A presentation level of 65 dB SPL (normal-hearing subjects) or 80 dB SPL (hearing-impaired subjects) and an interfering noise with a spectrum similar to the mean long-term average speech spectrum (LTASS) is suggested for comparable adaptive measurement procedures. A fluctuating, speech-shaped noise is recommended to differentiate between subjects.

Adult↗

An Historical Framework for Cohort Differences in Intelligence.

This article reviews key issues regarding the controversy on the direction and magnitude of cohort differences in intelligence. Data from the Seattle Longitudinal Study (SLS) illustrate why differences must be studied across multiple cohorts and multiple chronological ages. Differential cohort patterns for multiple dimensions of intelligence are described. A conceptual framework is suggested for the identification of historical influences important for developmental study of cohort differences.

Journal Article↗

Description and preliminary evaluation of a Multiagent Intelligent Dosing System (MAIDS) to manage combination insulin-oral agent therapy in type 2 diabetes.

BACKGROUND: Computer decision support systems are potentially effective methods for adjusting insulin, but current models do not take into account simultaneous changes of more than one agent. We describe the development of the Multiagent Intelligent Dosing System (MAIDS, Dimensional Dosing Systems, Wexford, PA) for predicting glycemic outcome in response to concurrent dose adjustments in oral hypoglycemic agents and insulin. METHODS: Retrospective data from a patient cohort with type 2 diabetes who had simultaneous changes in insulin and metformin were analyzed. Glycemic markers (fasting glucose, random glucose, or hemoglobin A1c) expected at the visit subsequent to dose changes were calculated using two methods: the previously reported Intelligent Dosing System (IDStrade mark, Dimensional Dosing Systems), which accounts for changes in only one agent, and the MAIDS. Expected results from both systems were correlated with levels actually observed. RESULTS: We analyzed 32 patients with 40 paired visits. For fasting glucose (n = 8 paired visits), the correlation between expected and observed values was 0.07 when using the IDS but 0.78 when using the MAIDS. For random glucose (n = 16 paired visits) the correlation between expected and observed levels was 0.49 for the IDS but 0.79 for the MAIDS. With hemoglobin A1c as the marker (n = 16 paired visits), the correlation was 0.40 when using the IDS but 0.60 with the MAIDS. CONCLUSIONS: The MAIDS allows better prediction of glycemic outcome in circumstances where both insulin and an oral hypoglycemic drug are changed concurrently. Application of the MAIDS to other clinical scenarios, such as simultaneous adjustment of insulin and carbohydrate intake, requires further study.

Algorithms↗

Plant intelligence: an alternative point of view.

The concept of plant intelligence has been advanced by Trewavas as a potentially useful framework to guide those seeking to understand plant growth and development. In this short critique, the validity of this concept is critically assessed. Central to this critique is the proposition that the concept of the individual, to which intelligence and behaviour are intimately linked, cannot usefully be applied to plants. It is argued that the adaptive responses of plants are best appreciated if the importance of the autonomy of the individual organs is acknowledged. Although Trewavas does acknowledge the autonomy of organs by describing an individual plant as being 'a democratic confederation', that terminology implies a complexity to the interaction between organs which would demand a cogitative ability beyond that actually demonstrated in plants. It may be more appropriate to consider a plant as operating normally as a simple economic federation of many specialized economies (organs and cells). Occasionally, there can be a dramatic, and sometimes complex, reshaping of the economic balances, with the result that the fate of some or many of the individual cells will change. However, such major changes in growth and development are driven by a few simple events in an individual organ and cells. These driving events are more akin to small local revolutions in individual states than they are to democratic decisions in a sophisticated confederation.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

Effects of intermodulation distortion on speech intelligibility.

This investigation was designed (1) to investigate further intermodulation distortion in hearing aids, and (2) to determine the effect of this type of distortion on speech intelligibility. After four hearing aids were analyzed for intermodulation distortion, 10 CID sentences were recorded through each instrument and presented to both normally hearing and sensorineurally impaired listeners. Results indicated an inverse relationship between levels of intermodulation distortion and frequency, with the highest distortion levels found below 1 kHz. This low-frequency distortion significantly interfered with speech intelligibility for sensorineurally impaired subjects listening to sentences in quite. For both the normally hearing group and the sensorineural group listening in noise, no significant differences were found. The results were interpreted to suggest that the low-frequency intermodulation distortion resulted in an upward spread of masking which interfered with perception of high-frequency acoustic cues in sensorineural impaired listeners; however, with the addition of a competing signal, the subtle masking effect of intermodulation distortion were obscured. Implications for additional research are discussed.

Adult↗

Pediatric speech intelligibility test: performance-intensity characteristics.

Performance-intensity (PI) functions for Pediatric Speech Intelligibility (PSI) test materials were obtained in 40 normal-hearing children between 3 and 6 yrs of age. PSI messages were monosyllabic words and sentences presented in quiet and in the presence of a competing speech message. The message-to-competition ratio was constant across intensity levels: +4 dB (words) and O dB (sentences). Maximum speech intelligibility scores were 100% correct in all children for all conditions. The steepness of the PSI-PI functions, defined by the intensity range yielding performance between 20 and 80%, ranged from 8 to 12 dB. Threshold levels (50% correct) ranged from 21 to 26 dB SPL. With one exception, chronological age did not significantly influence the steepness of PSI-PI functions. The exception was the increasing steepness with increasing age noted for sentences in competition. A significant chronological age developmental trend was noted for all speech threshold results.

Age Factors↗

Magnitude estimations of the intelligibility and quality of speech in noise.

Inexperienced normal hearing listeners judged the intelligibility and quality of hearing aid processed speech using magnitude estimation. Four trials were conducted for each judgment type at two S/N ratios, 0 and 7 dB. There were no significant effects due to judgment type, S/N ratio or trial; however, noticeable differences in the variability of these factors were apparent. Inter- and intrasubject standard deviations for quality estimations were lower than for intelligibility estimations while intersubject standard deviations were greater at 0 dB than at 7 dB S/N ratio and decreased over trial. Overall intrasubject variability was greater than would probably be acceptable for clinical applications. Across hearing aid conditions, magnitude estimations were positively correlated with word recognition scores but were less affected by changes in S/N ratio.

Adolescent↗

The effects of syllabic compression and frequency shaping on speech intelligibility in hearing impaired people.

The effect of syllabic compression on speech intelligibility is rarely positive and in those cases that positive effects have been found, the same positive results could in general be obtained by frequency shaping of the frequency response curve. We programmed a syllabic compressor on a digital processor; the compressor differed from a conventional syllabic compressor by incorporating a delay in the signal path to suppress overshoots and thus minimize transient distortion. Furthermore, the time constants were short: attack time of 5 msec and release time of 15 msec. The compressor was only active in the high-frequency band. An essentially linear signal was added to deliver the low-frequency speech components. The processing resulted in a frequency response that mirrored the hearing loss near threshold and became much flatter for higher level input signals. Speech intelligibility scores for nonsense consonant-vowel-consonant words embedded in carrier phrases were determined for hearing-impaired persons with sloping audiograms and discrimination losses for speech. Results showed little additional effect of frequency shaping to the existing improved speech score for compressed speech. Optimum results were found for a compression ratio 2 with lower speech scores for linear amplification and for compression ratio 8. We next determined the effect of providing high-frequency emphasis to the speech signal and/or to the compression control signal to compensate for the upward spread of masking. The frequency response at the root-mean-square level was adjusted according to the half-gain rule. The positive effects of moderate compression could be found again; the high-frequency emphasis, however, was positive for the vowels but made consonant recognition poorer.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Acoustic Stimulation↗