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Among the variety of methodological tools available for quantifying the degree of nasalization, nasometry has remained a popular choice for both academic and clinical research on speech due to its relatively low cost, portability, ease of use, and interpretability. In its simplest form, nasometry involves two microphones that independently capture the acoustic radiation from the mouth and nose. Recently, a method was proposed by Stewart and Kohlberger [(2017). Lang. Doc. Conserv. 11, 49–80] of using earbuds to achieve a similar result. Although the method has been widely used since, most notably in the context of linguistic fieldwork, it has yet to be tested against ground-truth measurements of acoustic nasalance from a commercially established device; the current study attempts to provide this ground-truth comparison. A wide variety of characteristics of the relationship between nasalance measurements created using acoustic data co-registered from a commercial nasometer, silicone earbuds, and flat earbuds are thoroughly examined. The results suggest that the "earbuds method" may provide reliable estimates of nasality when assessed at a global level (i.e., overall averages, relatively high/low nasalance scores coinciding with the presence/absence of nasalization), but that the accuracy of these estimates may decline at more fine-grained levels in different ways that are outlined in the discussion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: To develop and validate a click-based mobile "Audiclick" app employing click noises for hearing assessments. Materials and Methods: This prospective comparative study compares the "AudiClick" app as a hearing screening tool to pure tone audiometry. Participants listened to sounds through wired earbud headphones that were connected to an Android or iOS device. Results: The study involved 110 participants aged between 18 to 80 years old. All degrees of hearing loss severity corresponds to pure tone average (p < 0.01) results. The app was also found to be effective at identifying hearing loss (80-99% sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and accuracy). Testretest reliability had also shown excellent ICC scores of 0.93. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that a mobile app using click sounds can be as efficient as pure tone audiometry for field screenings, while being more cost-effective and easier to develop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

You need new earbuds because one of yours just went missing. You log onto Amazon and scroll through the endless array of options. You finally select a pair "Sold by" Amazon and click "Buy Now." Amazon promises to have the earbuds to you tomorrow. Have you ever wondered how it's possible for Amazon to pull off this Santa-like feat? It's because of a little-known practice called commingling. Commingling gets you your earbuds in near record time. But commingling could also result in your getting earbuds that are duds-or, worse yet, that malfunction and cause ear damage. Commingling means that the same goods from different sellers are stored together and then sold interchangeably. The theory is great, so long as these goods are truly interchangeable. All it takes, however, is for some bad actors to co-opt the commingled supply chain and those goods are no longer interchangeable. Some goods are real. Some are fake. Some are junk. Some are dangerous. When you order something on Amazon, you don't know what you're going to get. You are told that goods are "Sold by Amazon, but the actual goods you get may be from a shady third-party seller based in Shenzhen, China. How can Amazon do this and not tell its customers? Good question. In this Article, I argue that Amazon should no longer be permitted to get away with its secret practice of commingling. Telling a buyer that they are getting goods from Seller A and then giving them goods from Seller B is deceptive-plain and simple. The law should not countenance such a practice. At the very least, Amazon should be required to disclose its practice of commingling before a buyer makes a purchase. It's time for Amazon's dirty little secret to be exposed and to let consumers decide for themselves whether they want to continue buying from, or on, Amazon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To identify factors that influence vocal habits during online meetings (OMs). Methods: A prospective trial of forty participants without any known hearing or vocal cord disorders. Subjects participated in an OM divided into six randomly ordered sections, with alterations in audio/speaking equipment and language: the computer's speaker-microphone, a single earbud, two-earbuds or headphones; with/without video, native-language-speaking (Hebrew) versus second language-speaking (English). Each section included free speech, sustained phonation, and a standardized passage. Participants ranked their vocal-effort for each section. Three blinded raters independently scored the voice using the GRBAS scale, and acoustic analyses were performed. Results: No significant difference in self-reported vocal effort was demonstrated between sections. Second-language speaking resulted in significantly increased intensity (p < 0.0001), frequency (p = 0.015), GRBAS (p = 0.008), and strain (p < 0.0001) scores. Using the computer's speaker/microphone resulted in significantly higher strain (p < 0.0001). Using headphones, single or two earbuds resulted in lower intensity and a lower strain score. No differences were detected between OMs with or without video. Conclusions: Using the computer's microphone/speaker or speaking in a second language during OMs, may result in vocal habits associated with vocal trauma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Background: An optical simulator able to provide a repeatable signal with desired characteristics as an input to a photoplethysmographic (PPG) device is presented in order to compare the performance of different PPG devices and also to test the devices with PPG signals available in online databases. (2) Methods: The optical simulator consists of an electronic board containing a photodiode and LEDs at different wavelengths in order to simulate light reflected by the body; the PPG signal taken from the chosen database is reproduced by the electronic board, and the board is used to test a wearable PPG medical device in the form of earbuds. (3) Results: The PPG device response to different average and peak-to-peak signal amplitudes is shown in order to assess the device sensitivity, and the fidelity in tracking the actual heart rate is also investigated. (4) Conclusions: The developed optical simulator promises to be an affordable, flexible, and reliable solution to test PPG devices in the lab, allowing the testing of their actual performances thanks to the possibility of using PPG databases, thus gaining useful and significant information before on-the-field clinical trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The information technology and communication (IT&C) market consists of computing and telecommunication technology systems, which also include a variety of audio devices. Preserving the confidentiality of transmitted information through these devices stands as a critical concern across various domains and businesses. Notably, spurious electromagnetic emanations emitted by audio devices can be captured and processed, potentially leading to eavesdropping incidents. The evaluation of electronic devices for potential security vulnerabilities often involves employing Transient Electromagnetic Pulse Emanation Standard (TEMPEST) technology. This paper introduces a novel approach to TEMPEST testing specifically tailored for audio devices. The outcomes of the proposed approach offer valuable insights into TEMPEST equipment testing, aiming to mitigate the potential risks posed by threats exploitable by eavesdroppers in everyday scenarios. The present work delves into the examination of two ubiquitous global electronic devices: a notebook and a pair of in-ear headphones. The symmetrical framework of this study arises from the intrinsic similarity that, despite belonging to distinct categories, both devices possess the capability to emit electromagnetic emissions that contain compromised audio signals. This assertion is substantiated by the measurement results presented herein. The proposed methodology involves the analysis of the audio amplitude modulation (AM) demodulated signal in the frequency domain. This innovative approach not only mitigates operator fatigue but also significantly reduces the testing time required for these devices and instrument running hours and leads to the development of new applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: In the tropical and subtropical areas otomycosis is a very common fungal infection of the ear worldwide. Aim of our study is to identify the role of occupation in causing otomycosis and to see the status of opposite ear of the patients. Materials and Methods: Here the patients who met the inclusion criteria for this crosssectional study are included and examined after taking written informed consent. After obtaining a thorough medical history, ear swabs from affected ear and opposite ear collected for culture, sensitivity, and potassium hydroxide were provided. Patients with positive culture results were studied between September 2019 and March 2021. Results: • Among 103 cases observed for 18 months in the Department of ENT, Rajarajeswari Medical College, and Hospital, Bengaluru, India, we found that males (56.31%) were more affected than females (43.68%). • The most common predisposing factor was the usage of earbuds (26.21%) followed by water in the ear (23.3%) and oil in the ear (16.50%). • Unilateral infection was most common (96%), and the left ear was most affected (64.07%). • 36 (34.95%) were farmers, 31 (30.097%) were homemakers, 16 (15.53%) were labourers, 12 (11.65%) were students, 8 (7.76%). • 93 patients (90.29%)) had normal opposite ear followed by 9(8.73%) safe type CSOM opposite ear and one unsafe ear. Conclusion: • The most common predisposing factor of otomycosis is the usage of earbuds in the ear followed by water entry in the ear. • Farmers are the first to get otomycosis followed by homemakers • Status of the opposite ear is normal in most of the cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rooted in a Durkheimian functionalist reading of religion, in this article, we present and discuss the results of a scoping study of on-line sources on the delivery of spiritual care during the COVID-19 pandemic in England. Spiritual care highlights the bond between healthcare and religion/spirituality, particularly within the growing paradigm of holistic and humane care. Spiritual care is also an area where the importance of the physical presence of receivers and providers is exceptionally important, as a classic anthropological understanding of the religious ritual would maintain. Three themes were found, which speak to changes brought about by the pandemic. These revolve around disembodiment, solitude, and technology in spiritual care, of religious and non-religious nature. A fourth theme encapsulates the ambivalence in the experience of spiritual care delivery, whereby distant and virtual care could only partially compensate for the impossibility of physical presence. On the one hand, we draw from anthropology of the ritual and phenomenology to make the case for the inalienability of intercorporeality in being there for the other. On the other hand, relying on digital religious studies and post-human theories, we argue for an opening up to new ways of conceptualising the body, being there, and being human. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• P300 potential as a marker for the subjective loudness perception. • Event-related potentials show a relation to uncomfortably loud stimuli. • The P300 potential could serve as a tool for objectively assessing discomfort levels in infants or adult people who cannot self-report. In this study, the objectification of the subjective perception of loudness was investigated using electroencephalography (EEG). In particular, the emergence of objective markers in the domain of the acoustic discomfort threshold was examined. A cohort of 27 adults with normal hearing, aged between 18 and 30, participated in the study. The participants were presented with 500 ms long noise stimuli via in-ear headphones. The acoustic signals were presented with sound levels of [55, 65, 75, 85, 95 dB]. After each stimulus, the subjects provided their subjective assessment of the perceived loudness using a colored scale on a touchscreen. EEG signals were recorded, and afterward, event-related potentials (ERPs) locked to sound onset were analyzed. Our findings reveal a linear dependency between the N100 component and both the sound level and the subjective loudness categorization of the sound. Additionally, the data demonstrated a nonlinear relationship between the P300 potential and the sound level as well as for the subjective loudness rating. The P300 potential was elicited exclusively when the stimuli had been subjectively rated as "very loud" or "too loud". The findings of the present study suggest the possibility of the identification of the subjective uncomfortable loudness level by objective neural parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the compact wideband loop antenna with a small size of 7.05mm’s radius covering ultra-wideband above 6 GHz, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth bands for earbuds. The wide bandwidth of the proposed compact loop antenna is obtained with the antenna structure consisting of the loop antenna and the capacitive loading pin inserted in the middle of the loop antenna. The loop antenna with the capacitive loading pin supports multi-resonant modes. A wider bandwidth can be obtained by adjusting the position of the capacitive loading pin. The half-wavelength resonant frequency of the basic loop can easily be tuned through the physical capacitance between the capacitive loading pin and loop antenna. Additionally, the impedance loop is considered for the impedance matching of the compact wideband loop antenna. The simulated and measured results are included to evaluate the performance of the proposed compact wideband loop antenna. Consequently, we obtained that the simulation and measurements results are consistent.

Background: It is well-established that environmental noise can disrupt sleep, and cause a mismatch between subjective and objective sleep, which is known as "sleep misperception". Naturalistic studies indicate that pre-sleep cognitive arousal and sleep misperception are associated in the context of noise. However, it is not known if this is the case when ecologically valid noises are specifically played during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, which is susceptible to noise-related disruption. The present study evaluated if pre-sleep cognitive arousal was associated with sleep misperception in healthy normal sleepers, when unexpected ecologically valid common nocturnal noises were played during NREM sleep. Methods: Eighteen healthy sleepers (Mage = 23.37 years, SDage = 3.21 years) participated. Sleep was measured objectively on three consecutive nights using polysomnography, in a sleep laboratory environment, and subjectively, through participant estimates of total sleep time (TST). Night 1 was a baseline night where no noises were played. On Night 2, noises, which were chosen to be representative of habitual nocturnal noises heard in home environments, were played to participants via in-ear headphones after 5 min of objective sleep. Results: Unexpectedly, habitual pre-sleep cognitive arousal was not associated with subjective–objective TST discrepancy on Night 2. Conclusions: These results suggest that in healthy sleepers, when ecologically valid noises are played unexpectedly during NREM sleep in an unfamiliar sleep laboratory environment the subjective experience of sleep is not associated with pre-sleep cognitive arousal, or negatively impacted by noise exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hear-through (HT) technique was developed actively to compensate for passive isolation by enhancing the perception of ambient sound by wearers of headphones. The passive material in headphones reduces the high-frequency components of sound above 500 Hz. The HT algorithm compensates for the loss of ambient sound by generating an artificial sound, derived using a relative transfer function (RTF) between a microphone and the user’s ears. Conventionally, HT performance depends on the direction of arrival (DOA) of the ambient sound. This work develops a time-shift scheme for identifying the RTF and an active equalization algorithm to calculate accurately the compensating sound. A shaping filter is also developed to prevent acoustical interference by the artificial sound at low frequency. Finally, the proposed approach is integrated into in-ear headphones and its HT performance is compared with that of a commercial product to verify the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report insights from structured interviews conducted with 21 adults with motor impairments to understand their perceptions about smart wearables, such as fitness trackers, smartwatches, smartglasses, smart earbuds, and smart rings. We document their preferences for accessible interactions with wearables and report high predilection for touch input. Our results also show a high willingness to use wearables, including in public places, opportunities for cross-device input, and for wheelchair users, opportunities for conjoint use with chairable technology represented by devices designed for the workspace of the wheelchair. We highlight two key factors, ease of wearing and ease of donning/doffing devices, that affect the adoption of wearables, and we draw recommendations for future work on accessible wearables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a novel thin and flexible antenna is proposed for earbuds to gain an improvement in their wireless signal-sensing capability as a film-based artificial magnetic conductor (AMC) structure. As antenna designs for earbuds face challenges of being embedded beneath the top cover of the earbud, conformal to curved surfaces, and very close to metallic ground and touch-panel parts, as well as scarce degrees of freedom from feeding conditions and functional degradation by human tissue, unlike conventional techniques such as quasi quarter-wavelength radiators on LDS and epoxy molding compounds (relatively thick and pricy), an antenna of a metal pattern on a film is made with another film layer as the AMC to mitigate problems of the antenna in a small and curved space of an insert-molded wireless device. The antenna was designed, fabricated, and embedded in earbud mockups to work for the 2.4 GHz Bluetooth RF link, and its functions were verified by RF and antenna measurement, showing that it could overcome the limitations in impedance matching with only lumped elements and poor radiation by the ordinary schemes. The input reflection coefficient and antenna efficiency were 10 dB and 9% better than other methods. In particular, the on-film AMC antenna (OFAA) presents robustness against deterioration by the human tissue, when it is placed in the ear phantom at the workbench and implemented in an in situ test using a large zorb ball mimicking a realistic sensing environment. This yielded an RSSI enhancement of 20–30 dB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]