1,092 Results Found

In recent years, in an attempt to substitute the conventional synthetic sound absorption material, natural fibers and their sound absorption properties have been increasingly studied. This is due to the fact that conventional synthetic fiber has pote...

We propose the implementation of transfer learning from natural images to audio-based images using self-supervised learning schemes. Through self-supervised learning, convolutional neural networks (CNNs) can learn the general representation of natura...

Pumice forms when a volcanic explosion ejects highly pressurized, superheated rock, rapidly cooling and depressurizing, resulting in a porous structure. In countries with high volcanic activity, pumice stone is a low-cost natural material that is lig...

Increasing global environmental problems and awareness towards the utilization of eco-friendly resources enhanced the progress of research towards the development of next-generation biodegradable and environmentally friendly material. The development...

The purpose of this research is to investigate the acoustic properties of natural fibres and compare them with the values achieved by common insulation materials used in the construction of buildings. Three materials based on biomass were used for te...

Research suggests that visual impressions of natural compared with urban environments facilitate recovery after psychological stress. To test whether auditory stimulation has similar effects, 40 subjects were exposed to sounds from nature or noisy en...

Previous studies have revealed the restorative effects of exposure to natural environments on psychological well-being and cognitive performance. Recent studies have reported the effects of exposure to nature sounds (e.g., the sounds of birds, rainfa...

Background: Natural sounds are reportedly restorative, but most research has used one-off experiments conducted in artificial conditions. Research based on field experiments is still in its infancy. This study aimed to generate hypotheses on the rest...

Natural fiber and wood are environmentally friendly materials with multiscale microstructures. The sound absorption performance of flax fiber and its reinforced composite, as well as balsa wood, were evaluated using the two-microphone transfer functi...

The agricultural activity of pruning olive trees generates waste which, due to long-standing practices and unawareness of the consequences, are burned on site, thereby producing CO2 emissions in the atmosphere. Therefore, in order to prevent environm...

In subjective listening tests, natural sound sources were presented to subjects as vertically-oriented phantom images from two layers of loudspeakers, ‘height’ and ‘main’. Subjects were required to reduce the amplitude of the height layer until the p...

The paper presents the sound absorption coefficient of acoustic absorbers fabricated from natural durian husk fibers, which are currently still considered as agricultural wastes, especially in Malaysia. Samples were fabricated with different fiber de...

This paper proposes a method for metering natural gas energy based on the correlation between density and sound velocity. The technique integrates physical property correlation models with measured parameters, such as temperature, pressure, sound vel...

Sound speed reconstruction has been investigated for quantitative evaluation of tissue properties in breast examination. Full waveform inversion (FWI), a mainstream method for conventional sound speed reconstruction, is an iterative method that inclu...

Background and Objectives: In recent years, there has been a significant increase in interest in the health benefits of contact with nature. The theoretical and practical aspects of this issue are constantly being investigated. It is worth noting, ho...

Exposure to natural sounds is known to induce feelings of relaxation; however, only few studies have provided scientific evidence on its physiological effects. This study examined prefrontal cortex and autonomic nervous activities in response to fore...

Noise pollution is often overlooked and invisible, but it significantly impacts the quality of human life. One of the most straightforward solutions to mitigate noise pollution is by using sound-absorbing materials. Recently, research trends to devel...

Research on sound-absorbing materials made of natural fibers is an emerging area in sustainable materials. In this communication, the use of raw esparto grass as an environmentally friendly sound-absorbing material is explored. Measurements of the no...

Many studies have reported that natural sounds (e.g., birdsong) are more restorative than urban noise. These studies have used physiological and psychological indicators, such as the skin conductance level (SCL) and the Perceived Restorativeness Scal...

New composites made of natural fiber polymers such as wasted date palm surface fiber (DPSF) and pineapple leaf fibers (PALFs) are developed in an attempt to lower the environmental impact worldwide and, at the same time, produce eco-friendly insulati...

Background: Online education became mandatory for many students during the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and blurred the distinction between settings where processes of stress and restoration used to take place. The lockdown also likel...

Recently, very rapid growth has been observed in the innovations and use of natural-fiber-based materials and composites for acoustic applications due to their environmentally friendly nature, low cost, and good acoustic absorption capability. Howeve...

In recent years, natural materials are becoming a valid alternative to traditional sound absorbers due to reduced production costs and environmental protection. This paper reports the acoustical characterization of sheep wool. Measurements on normal...

Background: Vibroacoustic therapy (VAT) uses low-frequency sound, often combined with listening to music, for therapeutic purposes. However, the impact of low-frequency vibration (LFV) on physiological functions and subjective perception is relativel...

Natural fibers are increasingly being used to make nonwoven fabrics, substituting synthetic materials for environmental and economic reasons. In this study, a series of needle-punched nonwoven fabrics were made by extracting fibers from coffee husks...

The aim of this paper is to propose a novel sandwich panel, which would be suitable for sound absorption and airborne sound insulation, used as applied cladding or independent lightweight partition wall. As far as the authors are concerned, this is t...

This paper explores strategies that the visually impaired use to obtain information in unfamiliar environments. This paper also aims to determine how natural sounds that often exist in the environment or the auditory cues that are installed in variou...

In this study, the vibration and sound response characteristics of composites produced via injection molding applied with a microcellular foaming process (MCPs) were improved. The study was conducted using PA6 and glass fiber composites, which are re...

The aim of this study is to investigate the potential of wood composites as sustainable acoustic materials and to explore their integration with advanced manufacturing techniques for improved performance. Using a comprehensive review methodology, the...

This article presents the results of an acoustic characterization of fibers obtained from Posidonia Balls (scientific name: Aegagropiles), produced by a marine plant (Posidonia oceanica) that is widespread in the Mediterranean Sea and can be found on...

It has been found recently that the dynamic behavior of a cavitating hydrofoil is different from that in pure water in that, not only are the natural frequencies different, but the mode shapes may also change. In order to elucidate the mechanism behi...

Oceanic acoustic environments are dynamic, shaped by the spatiotemporal variability in transmission losses and sound propagation pathways of natural and human-derived noise sources. Here we used recordings of an experimental noise source combined wit...

Hybrid deduction–refutation systems are deductive systems intended to derive both valid and non-valid, i.e., semantically refutable, formulae of a given logical system, by employing together separate derivability operators for each of these and combi...

Giant reeds represent a natural fiber widely available in some areas of the world. Its use can be particularly useful as the uncontrolled growth of giant reeds can be a problem because large areas are invaded by them and the crops are damaged. In thi...

This paper presents the development of active noise control (ANC) for light-weight earphones, and proposes using music or natural sound to estimate the critical secondary path model instead of extra random noise. Three types of light-weight ANC earph...

Application of acoustic emission of the sound frequency range is under consideration. This range is of current interest for the diagnostics of the stability of mountain slopes, glaciers, ice covers, large technical constructions (bridges, dams, etc.)...

Fluid dynamic noise produced by eddy disturbances and friction along pipe walls poses a significant challenge in natural gas transmission and distribution stations. (K)TS control valves are widely used in natural gas transmission and distribution sta...

This paper proposes a roller-integrated acoustic wave detection technique for rockfill materials. This technique can be divided into two parts: theoretical analysis and technical implementation. Based on Lamb’s problem and an infinite baffle piston r...

This study aims to assess (i) which acoustic characteristics of snoring sounds are associated with the annoying nature of snoring sounds; (ii) whether listeners’ heart rates correlate with their perceived annoyance; and (iii) whether perceived...

The mission of botanical gardens is to work towards the conservation and sustainable use of plant diversity. In the case of gardens established on the premises of former manor estates, actions are also being taken to properly manage existing natural...

Urbanization is one of the more important phenomena affecting biodiversity in the Anthropocene. Some organisms can cope with urban challenges, and changes in birds’ acoustic communication have been widely studied. Although changes in the timing...

Foam sound-absorbing materials develop a fine cellular structure during manufacturing, resulting in variations in porosity, cell size, and the proportion of naturally occurring thin membranes that obstruct skeletal openings. This membrane proportion...

Noise from city traffic is one of the most significant environmental stressors. Natural soundscapes, such as bird songs, have been suggested to potentially mitigate or mask noise. All previous studies on masking noise use self-evaluation data rather...

The weather imagery of the nickname “Sons of Thunder” (Mark 3:17) for James the Greater and his brother John the Evangelist, conflating the noise of thunder with the sound of the heavenly voice, invited vivid analogies—vocal, natura...

This paper examines the various representations of ‘nature’ present in Decoder (1984), a German experimental cyberpunk film that was inspired by William S. Burroughs’ thoughts on utilising tapes as revolutionary weapons. Though Decoder is not a film...

The emphasis on sustainability in materials related to the construction and transportation sectors has renewed interest in the usage of natural fibers. In this manuscript, a different perspective is taken in adopting oil palm fibers (OPF) to develop...

Concurrent auditory stimuli have been shown to enhance detection of abstract visual targets in experimental setups with little ecological validity. We presented 11 participants, wearing an eye-tracking device, with a visual detection task in an immer...

Urban natural parks represent a remarkable concept that evokes the coexistence of human habitation with a wild environment, and the associated interactions between human and natural territories. In this context, urban noise infringes upon the natural...

Technological advances in materials science, manufacturing processes, chemistry and nanoscience have led to enormous developments in innovatively engineered materials over recent decades. Among them, sustainable acoustic materials have helped to impr...

Cold Air Aloft (CAA) can impact commercial flights when cold air descends below 12,192 m (40,000 ft) and temperatures drop dramatically. A CAA event is identified when air temperature falls below −65 °C, which decreases fuel efficiency and...