Noise processing in the auditory system with applications in speech enhancement

Abstract: The auditory system is extremely efficient in extracting auditory information in the presence of background noise. However, speech enhancement algorithms, aimed at removing the background noise from a degraded speech signal, are not achieving results that are near the efficacy of the auditory system. The purpose of this study is thus to first investigate how noise affects the spiking activity of neurons in the auditory system and then use the brain activity in the presence of noise to design better speech enhancement algorithms. In order to investigate how noise affects the spiking activity of neurons, we first design a generalized linear model that relates the spiking activity of neurons to intrinsic and extrinsic covariates that can affect their activity, such as noise. From this model, we extract two metrics, one that shows the effects of noise on the spiking activity and another the relative effects of vocalization compared to noise. We use these metrics to analyze neural data, recorded from a structure of the auditory system named the inferior colliculus (IC), while presenting noisy vocalizations. We studied the effect of different kinds of noises (non-stationary, white and natural stationary), different vocalizations, different input sound levels and signal-to-noise ratios (SNR). We found that the presence of non-stationary noise increases the spiking activity of neurons, regardless of the SNR, input level or vocalization type. The presence of white or natural stationary noises however causes a great diversity of responses where the activity of sites could increase, decrease or remain unchanged. This shows that the noise invariance previously reported in the IC depends on the noisy conditions, which had not been observed before. We then address the problem of speech enhancement using information from the brain's processing in the presence of noise. It has been shown before that the brain waves of a listener strongly correlates with the speaker to which the listener attends. Given this, we design two speech enhancement algorithms with a denoising autoencoder structure, namely the Brain Enhanced Speech Denoiser (BESD) and U-shaped Brain Enhanced Speech Denoiser (U-BESD). These algorithms take advantage of the attended auditory information present in the brain activity of the listener to denoise a multi-talker speech. The U-BESD is built upon the BESD with the addition of skip connections and dilated convolutions. Compared to previously proposed approaches, BESD and U-BESD are trained in a single neural architecture, lowering the complexity of the algorithm. We investigate two experimental settings. In the first one, the attended speaker is known, referred to as the speaker-specific setting, and in the second one no prior information is available about the attended speaker, referred to as the speaker-independent setting. In the speaker-specific setting, we show that both the BESD and U-BESD algorithms surpass a similar denoising autoencoder. Moreover, we also show that in the speaker-independent setting, U-BESD surpasses the performance of the only known approach that also uses the brain's activity.Le système auditif est extrêmement efficace pour extraire de l’information pertinente en présence d’un bruit de fond. Par contre, les algorithmes de rehaussement de la parole, visant à supprimer le bruit d’un signal de parole bruité, n’atteignent pas des résultats proches de l’efficacité du système auditif. Le but de cette étude est donc d’abord d’étudier comment le bruit affecte l’activité neuronale dans le système auditif, puis d’utiliser l’activité cérébrale en présence de bruit pour concevoir de meilleurs algorithmes de rehaussement. Afin d’étudier comment le bruit peut affecter l’activité des neurones, nous concevons d’abord un modèle linéaire généralisé qui relie l’activité des neurones aux covariables intrinsèques et extrinsèques qui peuvent affecter leur activité, comme le bruit. De ce modèle, nous extrayons deux métriques, l’une qui permet d’étudier les effets du bruit sur l’activité neuronale et l’autre les effets relatifs sur cette activité de la vocalisation par rapport au bruit. Nous utilisons ces métriques pour analyser l’activité neuronale d’une structure du système auditif, nomée le colliculus inférieur (IC), enregistrée lors de la présentation de vocalisations bruitées. Nous avons étudié l’effet de différents types de bruits, différentes vocalisations, différents niveaux sonores d’entrée et différents rapports signal sur bruit (SNR). Nous avons constaté que la présence de bruit non stationnaire augmente l’activité des neurones, quel que soit le SNR, le niveau d’entrée ou le type de vocalisation. La présence de bruits stationnaires blancs ou naturels provoque cependant une grande diversité de réponses où l’activité des sites d’enregistrement pouvait augmenter, diminuer ou rester inchangée. Cela montre que l’invariance du bruit précédemment signalée dans l’IC dépend des conditions de bruit, ce qui n’avait pas été observé auparavant. Nous abordons ensuite le problème du rehaussement de la parole en utilisant de l’information provenant du cerveau. Il a été démontré auparavant que les ondes cérébrales d’un auditeur sont fortement corrélées avec le locuteur auquel l’auditeur porte attention. Compte tenu de cette corrélation, nous concevons deux algorithmes de rehaussement de la parole, le Brain Enhanced Speech Denoiser (BESD) et le U-shaped Brain Enhanced Speech Denoiser (U-BESD), qui tirent parti de l’information présente dans l’activité cérébrale de l’auditeur pour débruiter un signal de parole multi-locuteurs. L’U-BESD est construit à partir du BESD avec l’ajout de sauts de connexions (skip connections) et de convolutions dilatées. De plus, BESD et U-BESD sont constitués respectivement d’un seul réseau qui nécessite un seul entraînement, ce qui réduit la complexité de l’algorithme en comparaison avec les approches existantes. Nous étudions deux conditions expérimentales. Dans la première, le locuteur auquel l’auditeur porte attention est connu, et dans la seconde, ce locuteur n’est pas connu. Dans le cadre du locuteur connu, nous montrons que les algorithmes BESD et U-BESD surpassent un autoencodeur similaire. De plus, nous montrons également que dans le cadre du locuteur inconnu, le U-BESD surpasse les performances de la seule approche existante connue qui utilise également l’activité cérébrale

HOW DO ANGRY DRIVERS RESPOND TO EMOTIONAL MUSIC? A COMPREHENSIVE PERSPECTIVE ON ASSESSING EMOTION

Driving is a complicated task that requires the coordination of visual and sensory-motor skills. Unsafe driving behavior and accidents can happen regardless of the level of drivers’ experience. The main cause of the most of these accidents is human error. Emotions influence the way drivers process and react to internal or environmental factors. Specifically, anger elicited either from traffic or personal issues, is a serious threat on the road. Therefore, having an affective intelligent system in the car that can estimate drivers’ anger and respond to it appropriately can help drivers adapt to moment to-moment changes in driving situations. To this end, the present dissertation uses an integrated approach to monitoring drivers’ affective states in various driving contexts to address the question: “What types of music can mitigate the effects of anger on driving performance?” Three sources of information (behavioral, physiological, and subjective data) were considered in two experiments. In Experiment 1, three groups of participants were compared based on their emotional reactions and driving behaviors. Results showed that angry drivers who did not listen to music had riskier driving behavior than emotion neutral drivers. Results from heart rate, oxygenation level in prefrontal cortex, and self report questionnaires showed that music could help angry drivers react at the similar level to emotion-neutral drivers both internally and behaviorally. In Experiment 2, types of music emotion and familiarity of music were addressed to identify what kind of music an in-vehicle auditory system should play when it recognizes drivers’ anger. Results showed that different kinds of music did not effect driving performance. However, drivers experienced less frustration and effort when listening to music in general and less viii frustration when listening to self-selected music specifically. Regarding personality characteristics, drivers who had anger-expression out style had riskier driving behavior just as in Experiment 1. In conclusion, this research showed the benefits of music as a possible strategy to help angry drivers. In addition, important patterns were uncovered relating to assessing driver anger for possible affective intelligent systems in cars

Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada with Unilateral Clinical Presentation: A Case Report

Purpose: To report a case of acute Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) disease with unilateral clinical manifestations followed by late fellow eye involvement. Case Report: This case report reviews the 12-month follow-up observation of a 44-year old woman who presented to the emergency department with unilateral progressive and painless visual blurring. Ophthalmoscopic findings, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), fluorescein angiography (FAG), enhanced-depth optical coherence tomography (EDIOCT), indocyanine green angiography, and response to treatment were evaluated. Her BCVA was 20/50 (logMAR: 0.4) in the right eye and 20/20 (logMAR: 0) in the left eye. Eye examination revealed optic disc swelling and multiple serous retinal detachments in the right eye and a normal left eye. She had headache, dysacusia, and mild hearing problems. Her past ocular and drug histories were unremarkable. Retinal imaging revealed characteristic features of VKH in the right eye. All laboratory testing results were inconclusive. VA and OCT findings significantly improved following the treatment with methylprednisolone 1 g/day continued by tapering dose of oral prednisolone. Two months after the presentation and during prednisolone tapering, VA of the left eye decreased and fundus examination revealed multiple serous retinal detachments in this eye. Conclusion: Ophthalmologists should recognize unilateral and asymmetrical VKH disease with subtle systemic involvement

Multi-functional cellulose microcapsules with tunable active motion and shape transitions

Responsive and functional microcapsules have many envisioned applications, spanning uses as diverse as drug delivery, cell protection, pollution mitigation, and cosmetics. The vastmajority of capsules are made from rigid cross-linked polymers ormetals that are strong but inflexible, restricting their applications in some sectors. There is then a strong need to develop flexible but robust structures using sustainable materials as a basis for new multifunctional capsules. Bacterial cellulose microcapsules have been developed with a highly flexible but strong fiber mesh structure that will enable engineering of new multifunctional capsule forms. The strong but sparse capsule structures possess key length scales from nanometers to millimeters and can be used as substrate for various surface modifications while still acting as flexible enclosures for chemical cargo. This work demonstrates three newuses of the particles: First, the low-density cellulose capsules are functionalized with metal organic framework (MOF)-enzyme groups that convert them into active particle motors, propelled by reaction with dissolved hydrogen peroxide. Unlike solid micromotors, the capsules can compress in response to confinement, using their surface reaction to navigate through narrow passages without damage. A second modification of the capsules by grafted poly-NIPAM makes the capsules temperature-responsive as well as tuning their permeability and elasticity. The highly elastic capsules can absorb and expel liquid during temperature-induced contraction and swelling, providing active uptake, release, and mixing of the liquid cargo. Finally, drying of the native bacterial cellulose microcapsules is studied to assess their ability to undergo extreme compression, store elastic energy, and mimic pollen’s self-sealing capabilities. In the course of the drying process, capillary forces induce stress leading to cellulose fiber alignment and pore closure and permanent deformation of the cellulose microcapsule. However, adding a negligible amount of biodegradable polymer like carboxymethyl cellulose prevents permanent bundling of the cellulose fibers. As a result, the millimeter-scale capsule converts to a nano-scale thin disk during drying but then recovers to its initial dimension by re-hydration, experiencing 1000 times change in volume. The modified bacterial cellulose microcapsule is proposed as a new class of soft and flexible multifunctional material capable of active motion, response, and deformation to supplement conventional microcapsules

Prediction of Occupational Stress on the Basis of Personality Traits and Irrational Beliefs: A Case Study of Employees at Shiraz Airport

The present study was aimed at predicting occupational stress on the basis of the personality traits and irrational beliefs of the employees at Shiraz Airport. With respect to the methodology and results, the present study was of correlation and applied nature, respectively. Population of the present study included 400 employees of Shiraz Airport in 2017 out of which a number of 174 employees (108 males and 66 females) were selected through non-random availability sampling method as the sample population of the study. Three questionnaires were employed in the study: Wolfgang Job Stress Questionnaire, Neo Personality Questionnaire, and Jones Irrational Beliefs Questionnaire. The results of the study indicated that there is a positive and statistically significant relationship between personality traits and occupational stress. Furthermore, the findings of the study were indicative of the fact that there is a positive and statistically significant relationship between irrational beliefs and occupational stress. To be more concise, from among the aspects of the personality traits, merely the aspect of extraversion has a statistically significant relationship with occupational stress. On the other hand, with respect to the irrational beliefs, only the aspect of prostration against change has a statistically significant relationship with occupational stress.

Primary Idiopathic Frosted Branch Angiitis

This is a Photo Essay and does not have an abstract

Focal Choroidal Excavation in a Case of Choroidal Osteoma Associated with Choroidal Neovascularization

Purpose: To report a case of choroidal osteoma associated with reactivation of choroidal neovascularization (CNV) and development of focal choroidal excavation (FCE). Case Report: A 34-year-old woman with choroidal osteoma complicated by CNV in the right eye for two years presented with deterioration of visual acuity in her right eye. A small retinal hemorrhage accompanied by subretinal fluid (SRF) was seen in the macular area of the right eye. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) showed that the inner retina was intact, and the outer retinal layers had outward displacement. SRF and a wedge-shaped choroidal depression were also seen. This choroidal excavation was not present on previous OCT images. The integrity of the inner retinal layers was maintained, and an optically clear space was present between the neurosensory retina and the retinal pigment epithelium. Conclusion: Choroidal osteoma can be complicated by CNV and FCE could occur as a consequence. Again, FCE can lead to CNV development. This cascade can deteriorate vision and sometime lead to permanent visual loss

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Using a Progressive Muscle Relaxation Technique on the Self-Efficacy of Breastfeeding in Mothers With Preterm Infants.

BACKGROUND Breast milk is a God-given gift that conveys a mother's love and compassion and that is made according to the needs and age of the child. Mothers who are interested in the welfare of their newborns tend to breastfeed their children. Training programs have been shown to improve breastfeeding self-efficacy in terms of both duration and amount. PURPOSE The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of using the progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) technique on the self-efficacy of breastfeeding in mothers with preterm infants. METHODS A clinical trial approach was used. Sixty mothers with preterm infants were randomly assigned to either the intervention or control group. The clinical trial ran for a period of 2 months for both groups. At 24-72 hours postpartum, the researcher used the Jacobson method to provide 30-45 minutes of individual training to the intervention group participants on PMR. Under the Jacobson method, mothers contract the 16 groups of muscles until they experience the feeling of pressure and then relax these muscles. The tools used in this study were the standard questionnaire of Dennis breastfeeding self-efficacy, which was completed by the participants at baseline, at the end of the fourth week, and during the eighth week. Data were analyzed using SPSS software. RESULTS No significant difference was observed between the intervention and control groups in terms of demographic variables (p > .05). Independent t tests found no significant difference between the two groups (p = .45) in terms of mean score of maternal breastfeeding self-efficacy at pretest and significantly higher scores for the intervention group than the control group at both 4 (p = .001) and 8 (p < .001) weeks posttest. Furthermore, the analysis of variance test showed significant differences in the mean score of breastfeeding self-efficacy for the intervention group between pretest and the first posttest and between the first posttest and the second posttest, respectively (p < .001). CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE Considering the effect of relaxation training on the breastfeeding self-efficacy of mothers with preterm infants, training and performing these exercises as an effective and low-cost method to improve the health of mothers, particularly mothers of preterm infants, are recommended. The PMR technique facilitates the self-efficacy of breastfeeding in mothers with preterm infants and should be considered as an effective strategy to improve nursing care and the provision of better support services for mothers who breastfeed their infants

The effect of relaxation training on breastfeeding self-efficacy of mothers with preterm infants: A randomized clinical trial

زمینه و هدف: شیر مادر هدیه‌ای خدادادی است که با عاطفه و محبت مادری در هم می‌آمیزد و متناسب با نیاز کودک و سن او ساخته می‌شود. در این بین خودکارآمدی شیردهی، چارچوب تعدیل پذیری است که با تدوین برنامه آموزشی می‌توان آن را ارتقاء داد و برای افزایش طول مدت ومیزان شیردهی مناسب می باشد. این پژوهش با هدف بررسی تأثیر آموزش تن آرامی بر خودکارآمدی شیردهی مادران دارای نوزاد نارس انجام شد. روش بررسی: در این مطالعه کارآزمایی، تعداد 60 مادر دارای نوزاد نارس بستری به صورت تصادفی طی دو بلوک زمانی دو ماهه در دو گروه مداخله و کنترل قرار گرفتند. مادران گروه مداخله طی 72-24 ساعت پس از زایمان توسط پژوهشگر به صورت عملی و انفرادی 30 تا 45 دقیقه تحت آموزش آرام سازی پیشرونده ی عضلانی به روش جاکوبسون قرار گرفتند. ابزار پژوهش پرسشنامه ی استاندارد خودکارآمدی شیردهی دنیس و فرم مشخصات دموگرافیک بود که پرسشنامه ی خودکارآمدی شیردهی در بدو ورود به مطالعه، پایان هفته چهارم و هشتم، توسط مادر تکمیل گردید. یافته ها: تفاوت معنی‌ داری از نظر متغیرهای زمینه‌ای در دو گروه آزمون و کنترل مشاهده نشد (05/0P). در ابتدای مطالعه تفاوت معنی داری در میانگین نمره خودکارآمدی شیردهی بین دو گروه وجود نداشت (05/0P)؛ اما این میانگین در گروه آزمون، چهار (79/6±51/50) و هشت (22/6±62/57) هفته بعد از مداخله نسبت به بدو مطالعه (85/8±01/47) افزایش معنی داری نشان داد (001/0P=). نمره خودکارآمدی شیردهی تنها در گروه مداخله در زمان های مختلف دارای اختلاف معنی دار بود (001/0>P). نتیجه گیری: با توجه به تأثیر آموزش تن آرامی بر خودکارآمدی شیردهی مادران دارای نوزاد نارس، آموزش و انجام این تمرینات به عنوان یک روش موثر و کم هزینه در جهت ارتقای سلامت مادران به ویژه مادران دارای نوزاد نارس پیشنهاد می شود

Examining the association between emotional intelligence with depression among Iranian boy students

The present study sought to examine the association between emotional intelligence and depression in boy students in, Tehran, Iran. The sample size was 188 boy students at the age of 16 to 19 years old were chosen for this study. The Assessing Emotions Scale (AES), and Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) were filled out by students. The Pearson correlation coefficient and multivariate regression analysis were utilized. The findings showed that a negative association existed between high ability of emotional intelligence with depression and a positive association existed between low ability of emotional intelligence with depression. These results revealed that emotional intelligence was a valuable predictor of depression in adolescents