bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cutting Tool Life Analysis in Heat-Pipe Assisted Drilling Operations
Authors: Zhu Lin , Jen Tien-Chien , Liu Yong-Bing , Zhao Jie-Wen , Liu Wei-Lai , Yen Yi-Hsin
Published: September 2014

This paper further focuses on the feasibility and effectiveness of heat-pipe cooling in drilling operations based on our previously related work. To achieve this, the authors used a combination of numerical analyses and experimental measurements for drilling in three different cooling conditions, i.e., dry drilling, fluid cooling, and heat-pipe cooling. The evidences obtained from the experimental study and finite element analyses were compared. The results strongly demonstrate that heat-pipe assisted cooling in drilling processes can effectively perform thermal management comparable to the fluid cooling used pervasively in the manufacturing industry, consequently offering the tool life extension.
Friction and Wear Behavior of Nano-Al2O3 Particles Reinforced Copper Matrix Composites
Authors: Li Guobin , Peng Ningning , Sun Di , Sun Shude
Published: September 2014

A series of copper–Al2O3 composite materials (CACMs) with 0, 2, 4, and 6 wt.% of Al2O3 (average size about 80 nm) was fabricated by powder metallurgy method. The tribological behavior of CACMs was investigated by a ring-on-block sliding friction test. The results show that the hardness and the wear resistance of CACMs are improved by the addition of Al2O3. The CACMs with 0% Al2O3 (pure copper) shows the mechanism of adhesive wear and have very poor wear resistance. By comparing with the pure copper, the wear resistance of the CACMs with 2% and 6% Al2O3 is improved. When the proportion of Al2O3 is 4%, slightly abrasive wear occurs at the interface between two sliding surfaces, and the CACMs achieve higher wear resistance in comparison to that with 2% and 6% Al2O3.
Development of Analytical Equations for Design and Optimization of Axially Polarized Radial Passive Magnetic Bearing
Authors: Lijesh K. P. , Hirani Harish
Published: September 2014

In the present research work, analytical equations have been developed for design and optimization of radial axial polarized passive magnetic bearing (PMB) with single layer for facilitating easy and quick solution, obviating the need of costly software. Seven design variables: eccentricity, rotor width, stator width, rotor length, stator length, clearance, and mean radius were identified as the main factors affecting the design and were thus considered in the development of analytical equations. The results obtained from the developed analytical equations have been validated with the published results. The optimization of the bearing design, with minimization of magnet volume as the objective function, was carried out to demonstrate the accuracy and usefulness of the developed equations.
On the Effect of Transient In-Plane Dynamics of the Compression Ring Upon Its Tribological Performance
Authors: Baker C. , Rahmani R. , Theodossiades S. , Rahnejat H. , Fitzsimons B.
Published: September 2014

Energy losses in an internal combustion engine are either thermal or parasitic. The latter are the mechanical inefficiencies, chiefly as the result of generated friction. Nearly half of these losses are attributed to the piston–cylinder system. During idle and at low engine speeds, friction is the major contributor to the overall engine losses. In particular, the rather small top compression ring accounts for a disproportionate share. Therefore, detailed understanding of compression ring tribology/dynamics (referred to as tribodynamics) is essential. Moreover, the ring’s primary sealing function may be breached by its elastodynamic behavior. The reported analyses in literature do not account for the transient nature of ring elastodynamics, as an essential feature of ring–bore tribology. The transient in-plane dynamics of incomplete rings are introduced in the analysis and verified using a finite element analysis (FEA) model, in order to address this shortcoming. The methodology is then coupled with the tribological analysis of the top compression ring. Comparison is made with experimental measurements which show the validity of the proposed method. The radial in-plane elastodynamic response of the ring improves the accuracy of the frictional power loss calculations.
Entrance loss coefficients and exit coefficients for a physical model of the glottis with convergent angles
Authors: Fulcher Lewis P. , Scherer Ronald C. , Anderson Nicholas V.
Published: September 2014

Pressure distributions were obtained for 5°, 10°, and 20° convergent angles with a static physical model (M5) of the glottis. Measurements were made for minimal glottal diameters from d = 0.005–0.32 cm with a range of transglottal pressures of interest for phonation. Entrance loss coefficients were calculated at the glottal entrance for each minimal diameter and transglottal pressure to measure how far the flows in this region deviate from Bernoulli flow. Exit coefficients were also calculated to determine the presence and magnitude of pressure recovery near the glottal exit. The entrance loss coefficients for the three convergent angles vary from values near 2.3–3.4 for d = 0.005 cm to values near 0.6 for d = 0.32 cm. These coefficients extend the tables of entrance loss and exit coefficients obtained for the uniform glottis according to Fulcher, Scherer, and Powell [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 129, 1548–1553 (2011)].
Real-time magnetic resonance imaging and electromagnetic articulography database for speech production research (TC)
Authors: Narayanan Shrikanth , Toutios Asterios , Ramanarayanan Vikram , Lammert Adam , Kim Jangwon , Lee Sungbok , Nayak Krishna , Kim Yoon-Chul , Zhu Yinghua , Goldstein Louis , Byrd Dani , Bresch Erik , Ghosh Prasanta , Katsamanis Athanasios , Proctor Michael
Published: September 2014

USC-TIMIT is an extensive database of multimodal speech production data, developed to complement existing resources available to the speech research community and with the intention of being continuously refined and augmented. The database currently includes real-time magnetic resonance imaging data from five male and five female speakers of American English. Electromagnetic articulography data have also been presently collected from four of these speakers. The two modalities were recorded in two independent sessions while the subjects produced the same 460 sentence corpus used previously in the MOCHA-TIMIT database. In both cases the audio signal was recorded and synchronized with the articulatory data. The database and companion software are freely available to the research community.
A finite element model to predict the sound attenuation of earplugs in an acoustical test fixture
Authors: Viallet Guilhem , Sgard Franck , Laville Frédéric , Boutin Jérôme
Published: September 2014

Acoustical test fixtures (ATFs) are currently used to measure the attenuation of the earplugs. Several authors pointed out that the presence of an artificial skin layer inside the cylindrical ear canal of the ATFs strongly influenced the attenuation measurements. In this paper, this role is investigated via a 2D axisymmetric finite element model of a silicon earplug coupled to an artificial skin. The model is solved using COMSOL Multiphysics (COMSOL®, Sweden) and validated experimentally. The model is exploited thereafter to better understand the role of each part of the earplug/ear canal system and how the energy circulates within the domains. This is investigated by calculating power balances and by representing the mechanical and acoustical fluxes in the system. The important dissipative role of the artificial skin is underlined and its contribution as a sound transmission pathway is quantified. In addition, the influence of both the earplug and the artificial skin parameters is assessed via sensitivities analyses performed on the model.
A comprehensive computational model of sound transmission through the porcine lung
Authors: Dai Zoujun , Peng Ying , Henry Brian M. , Mansy Hansen A. , Sandler Richard H. , Royston Thomas J.
Published: September 2014

A comprehensive computational simulation model of sound transmission through the porcine lung is introduced and experimentally evaluated. This “subject-specific” model utilizes parenchymal and major airway geometry derived from x-ray CT images. The lung parenchyma is modeled as a poroviscoelastic material using Biot theory. A finite element (FE) mesh of the lung that includes airway detail is created and used in comsol FE software to simulate the vibroacoustic response of the lung to sound input at the trachea. The FE simulation model is validated by comparing simulation results to experimental measurements using scanning laser Doppler vibrometry on the surface of an excised, preserved lung. The FE model can also be used to calculate and visualize vibroacoustic pressure and motion inside the lung and its airways caused by the acoustic input. The effect of diffuse lung fibrosis and of a local tumor on the lung acoustic response is simulated and visualized using the FE model. In the future, this type of visualization can be compared and matched with experimentally obtained elastographic images to better quantify regional lung material properties to noninvasively diagnose and stage disease and response to treatment.
Roles of the target and masker fundamental frequencies in voice segregation
Authors: Deroche Mickael L. D. , Culling John F. , Chatterjee Monita , Limb Charles J.
Published: September 2014

Intelligibility of a target voice improves when its fundamental frequency (F0) differs from that of a masking voice, but it remains unclear how this masking release (MR) depends on the two relative F0s. Three experiments measured speech reception thresholds (SRTs) for a target voice against different maskers. Experiment 1 evaluated the influence of target F0 itself. SRTs against white noise were elevated by at least 2 dB for a monotonized target voice compared with the unprocessed voice, but SRTs differed little for F0s between 50 and 150 Hz. In experiments 2 and 3, a MR occurred when there was a steady difference in F0 between the target voice and a stationary speech-shaped harmonic complex or a babble. However, this MR was considerably larger when the F0 of the masker was 11 semitones above the target F0 than when it was 11 semitones below. In contrast, for a fixed masker F0, the MR was similar whether the target F0 was above or below. The dependency of these MRs on the masker F0 suggests that a spectral mechanism such as glimpsing in between resolved masker partials may account for an important part of this phenomenon.
Optimal shaping of acoustic resonators for the generation of high-amplitude standing waves
Authors: Červenka Milan , Šoltés Martin , Bednařík Michal
Published: September 2014

Within this paper, optimal shaping of acoustic resonators for the generation of high-amplitude standing waves through the use of evolutionary algorithms is discussed. The resonator shapes are described using sets of control points interconnected with cubic-splines. Positions of the control points are calculated by means of an evolutionary algorithm in order to maximize acoustic pressure amplitude at a given point of the resonator cavity. As an objective function for the optimization procedure, numerical solution of one-dimensional linear wave equation taking into account boundary-layer dissipation is used. Resonator shapes maximizing acoustic pressure amplitude are found in case of a piston, shaker, or loudspeaker driving. It is shown that the optimum resonator shapes depend on the method of driving. In all the cases, acoustic field attains higher amplitude in the optimized resonators than in simple-shaped non-optimized resonators of similar dimensions. Theoretical results are compared with experimental data in the case of a loudspeaker driving, good agreement of which is achieved.
Generalized acoustic energy density based active noise control in single frequency diffuse sound fields
Authors: Xu Buye , Sommerfeldt Scott D.
Published: September 2014

In a diffuse sound field, prior research has established that a secondary source can theoretically achieve perfect cancellation at an error microphone in the far field of the secondary source. However, the sound pressure level is generally only reduced in a small zone around the error sensor, and at a distance half of a wavelength away from the error sensor, the averaged sound pressure level will be increased by more than 10 dB. Recently an acoustic energy quantity, referred to as the generalized acoustic energy density (GED), has been introduced. The GED is obtained by using a weighting factor in the formulation of total acoustic energy density. Different values of the weighting factor can be chosen for different applications. When minimizing the GED at the error sensor, one can adjust the weighting factor to increase the spatial extent of the “quiet zone” and to achieve a desired balance between the degree of attenuation in the quiet zone and the total energy added into the sound field.
Repeated call types in Hawaiian melon-headed whales (Peponocephala electra)
Authors: Kaplan Maxwell B. , Aran Mooney T. , Sayigh Laela S. , Baird Robin W.
Published: September 2014

Melon-headed whales are pantropical odontocetes that are often found near oceanic islands. While considered sound-sensitive, their bioacoustic characteristics are relatively poorly studied. The goal of this study was to characterize the vocal repertoire of melon-headed whales to determine whether they produce repeated calls that could assist in recognition of conspecifics. The first tag-based acoustic recordings of three melon-headed whales were analyzed. Tag records were visually and aurally inspected and all calls were individually extracted. Non-overlapping calls with sufficient signal-to-noise were then parameterized and visually grouped into categories of repeated call types. Thirty-six call categories emerged. Categories differed significantly in duration, peak and centroid frequency, and −3 dB bandwidth. Calls of a given type were more likely to follow each other than expected. These data suggest that repeated calls may function in individual, subgroup, or group recognition. Repeated call production could also serve to enhance signal detection in large groups with many individuals producing simultaneous calls. Results suggest that caution should be used in developing automatic classification algorithms for this species based on small sample sizes, as they may be dominated by repeated calls from a few individuals, and thus not representative of species- or population-specific acoustic parameters.
Emergence of striation patterns in acoustic signals reflected from dynamic surface waves
Authors: Choo Youngmin , Seong Woojae , Song Heechun
Published: September 2014

A striation pattern can emerge in high-frequency acoustic signals interacting with dynamic surface waves. The striation pattern is analyzed using a ray tracing algorithm for both a sinusoidal and a rough surface. With a source or receiver close to the surface, it is found that part of the surface on either side of the specular reflection point can be illuminated by rays, resulting in time-varying later arrivals in channel impulse response that form the striation pattern. In contrast to wave focusing associated with surface wave crests, the striation occurs due to reflection off convex sections around troughs. Simulations with a sinusoidal surface show both an upward (advancing) and downward (retreating) striation patterns that depend on the surface-wave traveling direction and the location of the illuminated area. In addition, the striation length is determined mainly by the depth of the source or receiver, whichever is closer in range to the illuminated region. Even with a rough surface, the striation emerges in both directions. However, broadband (7–13 kHz) simulations in shallow water indicate that the longer striation in one direction is likely pronounced against a quiet noise background, as observed from at-sea experimental data.
The influence of visual speech information on the intelligibility of English consonants produced by non-native speakers
Authors: Kawase Saya , Hannah Beverly , Wang Yue
Published: September 2014

This study examines how visual speech information affects native judgments of the intelligibility of speech sounds produced by non-native (L2) speakers. Native Canadian English perceivers as judges perceived three English phonemic contrasts (/b-v, θ-s, l-ɹ/) produced by native Japanese speakers as well as native Canadian English speakers as controls. These stimuli were presented under audio-visual (AV, with speaker voice and face), audio-only (AO), and visual-only (VO) conditions. The results showed that, across conditions, the overall intelligibility of Japanese productions of the native (Japanese)-like phonemes (/b, s, l/) was significantly higher than the non-Japanese phonemes (/v, θ, ɹ/). In terms of visual effects, the more visually salient non-Japanese phonemes /v, θ/ were perceived as significantly more intelligible when presented in the AV compared to the AO condition, indicating enhanced intelligibility when visual speech information is available. However, the non-Japanese phoneme /ɹ/ was perceived as less intelligible in the AV compared to the AO condition. Further analysis revealed that, unlike the native English productions, the Japanese speakers produced /ɹ/ without visible lip-rounding, indicating that non-native speakers' incorrect articulatory configurations may decrease the degree of intelligibility. These results suggest that visual speech information may either positively or negatively affect L2 speech intelligibility.
Elastic wave propagation in bars of arbitrary cross section: A generalized Fourier expansion collocation method
Authors: Lesage Jonathan C. , Bond Jill V. , Sinclair Anthony N.
Published: September 2014

The problem of elastic wave propagation in an infinite bar of arbitrary cross section is studied via a generalized version of the Fourier expansion collocation method. In the current formulation, the exact three dimensional solution to Navier's equation in cylindrical coordinates is used to obtain the boundary traction vector as a periodic, piecewise continuous/differentiable function of the angular coordinate. Traction free conditions are then met by setting the Fourier coefficients of the boundary traction vector to zero without approximating the bounding surface by multi-sided polygons as in the method presented by Nagaya. The method is derived for a general cross section with no axial planes of symmetry. Using the general formulation it is shown that the symmetric and asymmetric modes decouple for cross sections having one axial plane of symmetry. An efficient algorithm for computing dispersion curves based on the current method is presented and used to obtain the fundamental longitudinal and flexural wave speeds for a bar of elliptical cross section. The results are compared to those obtained by previous researchers using exact and approximate treatments.
Frequency-domain beamformers using conjugate gradient techniques for speech enhancement
Authors: Zhao Shengkui , Jones Douglas L. , Khoo Suiyang , Man Zhihong
Published: September 2014

A multiple-iteration constrained conjugate gradient (MICCG) algorithm and a single-iteration constrained conjugate gradient (SICCG) algorithm are proposed to realize the widely used frequency-domain minimum-variance-distortionless-response (MVDR) beamformers and the resulting algorithms are applied to speech enhancement. The algorithms are derived based on the Lagrange method and the conjugate gradient techniques. The implementations of the algorithms avoid any form of explicit or implicit autocorrelation matrix inversion. Theoretical analysis establishes formal convergence of the algorithms. Specifically, the MICCG algorithm is developed based on a block adaptation approach and it generates a finite sequence of estimates that converge to the MVDR solution. For limited data records, the estimates of the MICCG algorithm are better than the conventional estimators and equivalent to the auxiliary vector algorithms. The SICCG algorithm is developed based on a continuous adaptation approach with a sample-by-sample updating procedure and the estimates asymptotically converge to the MVDR solution. An illustrative example using synthetic data from a uniform linear array is studied and an evaluation on real data recorded by an acoustic vector sensor array is demonstrated. Performance of the MICCG algorithm and the SICCG algorithm are compared with the state-of-the-art approaches.
Detection threshold for sound distortion resulting from noise reduction in normal-hearing and hearing-impaired listeners
Authors: Brons Inge , Dreschler Wouter A. , Houben Rolph
Published: September 2014

Hearing-aid noise reduction should reduce background noise, but not disturb the target speech. This objective is difficult because noise reduction suffers from a trade-off between the amount of noise removed and signal distortion. It is unknown if this important trade-off differs between normal-hearing (NH) and hearing-impaired (HI) listeners. This study separated the negative effect of noise reduction (distortion) from the positive effect (reduction of noise) to allow the measurement of the detection threshold for noise-reduction (NR) distortion. Twelve NH subjects and 12 subjects with mild to moderate sensorineural hearing loss participated in this study. The detection thresholds for distortion were determined using an adaptive procedure with a three-interval, two-alternative forced-choice paradigm. Different levels of distortion were obtained by changing the maximum amount of noise reduction. Participants were also asked to indicate their preferred NR strength. The detection threshold for overall distortion was higher for HI subjects than for NH subjects, suggesting that stronger noise reduction can be applied for HI listeners without affecting the perceived sound quality. However, the preferred NR strength of HI listeners was closer to their individual detection threshold for distortion than in NH listeners. This implies that HI listeners tolerate fewer audible distortions than NH listeners.
Prediction of low-frequency structure-borne sound in concrete structures using the finite-difference time-domain method
Authors: Asakura T. , Ishizuka T. , Miyajima T. , Toyoda M. , Sakamoto S.
Published: September 2014

Due to limitations of computers, prediction of structure-borne sound remains difficult for large-scale problems. Herein a prediction method for low-frequency structure-borne sound transmissions on concrete structures using the finite-difference time-domain scheme is proposed. The target structure is modeled as a composition of multiple plate elements to reduce the dimensions of the simulated vibration field from three-dimensional discretization by solid elements to two-dimensional discretization. This scheme reduces both the calculation time and the amount of required memory. To validate the proposed method, the vibration characteristics using the numerical results of the proposed scheme are compared to those measured for a two-level concrete structure. Comparison of the measured and simulated results suggests that the proposed method can be used to simulate real-scale structures.
Recursive Bayesian synthetic aperture geoacoustic inversion in the presence of motion dynamics
Authors: Tan Bien Aik , Gerstoft Peter , Yardim Caglar , Hodgkiss William S.
Published: September 2014

A low signal to noise ratio (SNR), single source/receiver, broadband, frequency-coherent matched-field inversion procedure recently has been proposed. It exploits coherently repeated transmissions to improve estimation of the geoacoustic parameters. The long observation time improves the SNR and creates a synthetic aperture due to relative source-receiver motion. To model constant velocity source/receiver horizontal motion, waveguide Doppler theory for normal modes is necessary. However, the inversion performance degrades when source/receiver acceleration exists. Furthermore processing a train of pulses all at once does not take advantage of the natural incremental acquisition of data along with the ability to assess the temporal evolution of parameter uncertainty. Here a recursive Bayesian estimation approach is developed that coherently processes the data pulse by pulse and incrementally updates estimates of parameter uncertainty. It also approximates source/receiver acceleration by assuming piecewise constant but linearly changing source/receiver velocities. When the source/receiver acceleration exists, it is shown that modeling acceleration can reduce further the parameter estimation biases and uncertainties. The method is demonstrated in simulation and in the analysis of low SNR, 100–900 Hz linear frequency modulated (LFM) pulses from the Shallow Water 2006 experiment.
Effects of spectral content on Horii Oral-Nasal Coupling scores in children
Authors: Varghese Lenny A. , Mendoza Joseph O. , Braden Maia N. , Stepp Cara E.
Published: September 2014

A miniature accelerometer and microphone can be used to obtain Horii Oral-Nasal Coupling (HONC) scores to objectively measure nasalization of speech. While this instrumentation compares favorably in terms of size and cost relative to other objective measures of nasality, the metric has not been well characterized in children. Furthermore, the measure is known to be affected by vowel loading, as speech loaded with “high” vowels is consistently scored as more nasal than speech loaded with “low” vowels. Filtering the signals used in computation of the HONC score to better isolate the correlates of nasalization has been shown to reduce vowel-related effects on the metric, but the efficacy of filtering has thus far only been explored in adults. Here, HONC scores for running speech and the vowel portions of consonant-vowel-consonant tokens were calculated for the speech of 26 children, aged 4–9 yrs. Scores were computed using the broadband accelerometer and speech signals, as well as using filtered, low-frequency versions of these signals. HONC scores obtained using both broadband and filtered signals resulted in well-separated scores for nasal and non-nasal speech. HONC scores computed using filtered signals were found to exhibit less within-participant variability.
Interaural differences in the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) auditory nerve response to jawphone click stimuli
Authors: Mulsow Jason , Finneran James J. , Houser Dorian S.
Published: September 2014

Suction cup transducers, also known as “jawphones,” are now commonly used to deliver acoustic stimuli to odontocete cetaceans during hearing studies. It is often assumed that stimulation is primarily limited to the ear ipsilateral to a jawphone; however, the actual differences in auditory stimulation at the two ears are not well understood. To examine these differences, auditory evoked potentials (AEPs) were simultaneously recorded from both ears during jawphone stimulation in two bottlenose dolphins. The amplitudes and latencies of auditory nerve responses (ANRs) elicited by broadband clicks were measured as functions of stimulus level and used to estimate the difference in received level and interaural time difference (ITD) between the two ears. Results indicated that clicks received at the ear contralateral to the jawphone were attenuated by approximately 20 dB relative to the level at the ipsilateral ear. The ITD between the contralateral and ipsilateral ears was 70 μs for the first dolphin and 118 μs for the second dolphin. While these results provide support for a notable degree of acoustic isolation of the ears for jawphone-delivered stimuli, there are implications for studies involving processes such as sound localization and unilateral hearing loss.
Thresholds of information leakage for speech security outside meeting rooms
Authors: Robinson Matthew , Hopkins Carl , Worrall Ken , Jackson Tim
Published: September 2014

This paper describes an approach to provide speech security outside meeting rooms where a covert listener might attempt to extract confidential information. Decision-based experiments are used to establish a relationship between an objective measurement of the Speech Transmission Index (STI) and a subjective assessment relating to the threshold of information leakage. This threshold is defined for a specific percentage of English words that are identifiable with a maximum safe vocal effort (e.g., “normal” speech) used by the meeting participants. The results demonstrate that it is possible to quantify an offset that links STI with a specific threshold of information leakage which describes the percentage of words identified. The offsets for male talkers are shown to be approximately 10 dB larger than for female talkers. Hence for speech security it is possible to determine offsets for the threshold of information leakage using male talkers as the “worst case scenario.” To define a suitable threshold of information leakage, the results show that a robust definition can be based upon 1%, 2%, or 5% of words identified. For these percentages, results are presented for offset values corresponding to different STI values in a range from 0.1 to 0.3.
The Persuasiveness of Electronic Word of Mouth on Attitudes and Behaviors: An Elaboration-Likelihood-Model Perspective
Authors: Shreffler Megan B.
Published: September 2014

The Internet has become a competitive platform from which organizations can market their services and consumers can garner information through electronic word of mouth (eWOM). While eWOM has been examined in many different contexts, little research has been done on the impact of eWOM in a sport setting. This study examined the persuasiveness of eWOM on the attitudes and behaviors of consumers through online reviews of the Chicago Bears Bar, a hypothetical brand extension of the Chicago Bears. Through an online experiment with the elaboration likelihood model providing a theoretical framework, 2 major findings emerged from this research. First, it was found that the attitudes of highly identified fans are influenced by high-quality reviews. Second, the behaviors of highly identified fans were significantly influenced by high-quality reviews. Both findings suggest that highly identified fans prefer to align with messages that are refective of their attitudes toward a brand and its extensions. The results of the study provide significant theoretical and managerial implications.
Winning With Apps: A Case Study of the Current Branding Strategies Employed on Professional Sport Teams’ Mobile Apps
Authors: Watkins Brandi , Lewis Regina
Published: September 2014

In this case study, the authors take a first look at how professional sports teams are using mobile apps as part of their branding and marketing strategies, as well as to enhance fan experience. Through the use of quantitative content-analysis methodology, professional sports teams’ mobile apps (N = 72) are analyzed to assess branding and marketing strategies and opportunities for fan engagement. The branding strategies most prevalent on the mobile apps include information about the teams and their performance. In terms of marketing strategies, 32 of the mobile apps provide an opportunity for fans to purchase team merchandise, and 75% provide an opportunity for fans to purchase tickets. Fan-engagement features that were most prevalent in mobile apps include check-in features (40%) and fantasy-league information (33%). Nearly 90% of mobile apps in the sample integrated Twitter, while 65% provided fans with access to Facebook.
Beetroot Juice Improves On-Water 500 M Time-Trial Performance, and Laboratory-Based Paddling Economy in National and International-Level Kayak Athletes
Authors: Peeling Peter , Cox Gregory R. , Bullock Nicola , Burke Louise M.
Published: September 2014

We assessed the ingestion of a beetroot juice supplement (BR) on 4-min laboratory-based kayak performance in national level male (n = 6) athletes (Study A), and on 500 m on-water kayak time-trial (TT) performance in international level female (n = 5) athletes (Study B). In Study A, participants completed three laboratory-based sessions on a kayak ergometer, including a 7 × 4 min step test, and two 4 min maximal effort performance trials. Two and a half hours before the warm-up of each 4 min performance trial, athletes received either a 70 ml BR shot containing ~4.8 mmol of nitrate, or a placebo equivalent (BRPLA). The distance covered over the 4 min TT was not different between conditions; however, the average VO2 over the 4 min period was significantly lower in BR (p = .04), resulting in an improved exercise economy (p = .05). In Study B, participants completed two field-based 500 m TTs, separated by 4 days. Two hours before each trial, athletes received either two 70 ml BR shots containing ~9.6 mmol of nitrate, or a placebo equivalent (BRPLA). BR supplementation significantly enhanced TT performance by 1.7% (p = .01). Our results show that in national-level male kayak athletes, commercially available BR shots (70 ml) containing ~4.8 mmol of nitrate improved exercise economy during laboratory-based tasks predominantly reliant on the aerobic energy system. Furthermore, greater volumes of BR (140 ml; ~9.6 mmol nitrate) provided to international-level female kayak athletes resulted in enhancements to TT performance in the field.
Shank-Rearfoot Joint Coupling with Chronic Ankle Instability
Authors: Herb C. Collin , Chinn Lisa , Dicharry Jay , McKeon Patrick O. , Hart Joseph M. , Hertel Jay
Published: September 2014

Chronic ankle instability (CAI) results in longstanding symptoms and subjective feelings of “giving way” following initial ankle sprain. Our purpose was to identify differences in joint coupling and variability between shank internal/external rotation and rearfoot inversion/eversion throughout the gait cycle of CAI subjects and healthy controls. Twenty-eight young adults participated (CAI, n = 15, control, n = 13). Kinematics were collected while walking and jogging on a treadmill. A vector coding method in which direction (θ) and magnitude of the angle-angle relationship and stride-to-stride variability (VCV) in shank-rearfoot coupling were calculated. In walking, the CAI group demonstrated lower θ, indicating a greater proportion of rearfoot-to-shank motion, compared with the control group in early and late swing. The CAI group had higher magnitude, indicating greater combined motion between the two segments, in early swing, but lower magnitude, indicating less combined motion, during late swing. The CAI group also had lower VCV measures, indicating less stride-to-stride variability during stance. In jogging, the CAI group had lower θ measures than the control group during stance and swing. Differences in shank-rearfoot coupling of the CAI group may be related to changes in sensorimotor control and lead to further instances of instability.
Brazilian Elite Soccer Players: Exploring Attentional Focus in Performance Tasks and Soccer Positions
Authors: Tedesqui Rafael A.B. , Orlick Terry
Published: September 2014

The purpose of this study was to qualitatively explore the attentional focus experienced by elite soccer players in different soccer positions and performance tasks of both closed and open skills. No previous studies have explored elite soccer players’ attentional skills from a naturalistic and qualitative perspective in such detail. Data collection consisted of individual semistructured interviews with eight highly elite Brazilian soccer players from five main soccer positions, namely goalkeeper, defender, wing, midfielder, and forward. Important themes were positive thinking, performing on autopilot, and relying on peripheral vision. For example, thematic analysis indicated that in tasks where there may be an advantage in disguising one’s intentions (e.g., penalty kick), relying on peripheral vision was essential. Early mistakes were among the main sources of distractions; thus, players reported beginning with easy plays as a strategy to prevent distractions. Implications for applied sport psychology were drawn and future studies recommended.
Arterial Innervation in Development and Disease
Authors: Eichmann Anne , Brunet Isabelle
Published: September 2014

Deciphering the mechanisms underlying sympathetic arterial innervation might produce new treatments for vascular diseases.
The HMGB1-RAGE axis mediates traumatic brain injury–induced pulmonary dysfunction in lung transplantation
Authors: Weber Daniel J. , Gracon Adam S. A. , Ripsch Matthew S. , Fisher Amanda J. , Cheon Bo M. , Pandya Pankita H. , Vittal Ragini , Capitano Maegan L. , Kim Youngsook , Allette Yohance M. , Riley Amanda A. , McCarthy Brian P. , Territo Paul R. , Hutchins Gary D. , Broxmeyer Hal E. , Sandusky George E. , White Fletcher A. , Wilkes David S.
Published: September 2014

Traumatic brain injury induces acute lung injury that negatively impacts the physiology of the donor lung before and after lung transplantation.
Human Cells: Finally Open for Cancer Business
Authors: Lemaire Mathieu
Published: September 2014

Insertional mutagenesis of normal human cells with a transposon-expressing lentivirus leads to better cancer cell models.
Immune System Crashes After a Brake Failure
Authors: Sun Jie
Published: September 2014

Hyperactivation in the PI3K-triggered pathways can cause human primary immunodeficiencies.
Gastrointestinal Tract and the Mucosal Macrophage Reservoir in HIV Infection
Authors: Brown Dallas , Mattapallil Joseph J.
Published: September 2014

The gastrointestinal tract (GIT) is a primary site for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infection, replication, and dissemination. After an initial explosive phase of infection, HIV establishes latency. In addition to CD4 T cells, macrophages are readily infected, which can persist for long periods of time. Though macrophages at various systemic sites are infected, those present in the GIT constitute a major cellular reservoir due to the abundance of these cells at mucosal sites. Here, we review some of the important findings regarding what is known about the macrophage reservoir in the gut and explore potential approaches being pursued in the field to reduce this reservoir. The development of strategies that can lead to a functional cure will need to incorporate approaches that can eradicate the macrophage reservoir in the GIT.
Characterization and Multicentric Validation of a Common Standard for Toxoplasma gondii Detection Using Nucleic Acid Amplification Assays
Authors: Varlet-Marie Emmanuelle , Sterkers Yvon , Brenier-Pinchart Marie-Pierre , Cassaing Sophie , Dalle Frédéric , Delhaes Laurence , Filisetti Denis , Pelloux Hervé , Touafek Fériel , Yera Hélène , Bastien Patrick
Published: September 2014

The molecular diagnosis of toxoplasmosis essentially relies upon laboratory-developed methods and suffers from lack of standardization, hence the large diversity of performances between laboratories. Moreover, quantifications of parasitic loads differ among centers, a fact which prevents the possible prediction of the severity of this disease as a function of parasitic loads. The objectives of this multicentric study performed in eight proficient laboratories of the Molecular Biology Pole of the French National Reference Center for Toxoplasmosis (NRC-T) were (i) to assess the suitability of a lyophilized preparation of
Toxoplasma gondii
as a common standard for use in this PCR-based molecular diagnosis and (ii) to make this standard available to the community. High-quality written procedures were used for the production and qualification of this standard. Three independent batches of this standard, containing concentrations ranging from 10
4
to 0.01
T. gondii
genome equivalents per PCR, were first assessed: the linear dynamic range was ≥6 log, the intra-assay coefficients of variation (CV) from a sample containing 10
T. gondii
organisms per PCR were 0.3% to 0.42%, and the interassay CV over a 2-week period was 0.76% to 1.47%. A further assessment in eight diagnostic centers showed that the standard is stable, robust, and reliable. These lyophilized standards can easily be produced at a larger scale when needed and can be made widely available at the national level. To our knowledge, this is the first quality control assessment of a common standard which is usable both for self-evaluation in laboratories and for accurate quantification of parasitic loads in
T. gondii
prenatal infections.
Clinical Evaluation of Multiple Inflammation Biomarkers for Diagnosis and Prognosis for Patients with Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome
Authors: Reichsoellner M. , Raggam R. B. , Wagner J. , Krause R. , Hoenigl M.
Published: September 2014

A multiplexed biomarker bundle consisting of nine different inflammation markers was evaluated regarding their diagnostic and prognostic performances in 159 adult systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) patients enrolled at the emergency department. Fibronectin, interleukin-8 (IL-8), biotin, and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) were the most robust markers but were not superior to the already established markers IL-6, C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), and soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR).
Hepatitis E Virus of Subtype 3i in Chronically Infected Kidney Transplant Recipients in Southeastern France
Authors: Moal Valérie , Gérolami René , Ferretti Audrey , Purgus Raj , Devichi Patricia , Burtey Stéphane , Colson Philippe
Published: September 2014

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a leading cause of waterborne acute hepatitis in developing countries. In Europe, HEV causes a zoonotic disease and is hyperendemic in southern France. Four HEV genotypes (1 to 4) have been defined, and the most used classification divides them into 24 subtypes. Autochthonous European HEV strains belong in majority to genotype 3. Subtypes 3c, 3f, and 3e are representative of the HEV diversity in France. HEV causes chronic hepatitis in solid-organ transplant recipients in Europe, and viral characteristics associated with chronicity are poorly documented. We sequenced 343-nucleotide-long HEV genomic fragments from the serum of eight chronically infected kidney transplant recipients and a near-full-length genome in one case. We identified in four patients (50%) HEV of subtype 3i, not described previously in France. If shorter genomic fragments were used in phylogenetic analyses, these HEV sequences were clustered with open reading frame 2 (ORF2) fragments labeled as subtype 3c. At least five of the eight HEV 3i sequences recovered from humans in our phylogenetic analyses were from chronically infected kidney transplant recipients. These data show that the description of the prevalence and geographical distribution of HEV subtypes may be partially inaccurate and that criteria for classification as 3i and 3c should be clarified. Extended molecular virology analyses are required to improve knowledge of HEV epidemiology and determinants of chronic HEV infection.
The Highly Conserved Proline at Position 438 in Pseudorabies Virus gH Is Important for Regulation of Membrane Fusion
Authors: Schröter Christina , Klupp Barbara G. , Fuchs Walter , Gerhard Marika , Backovic Marija , Rey Felix A. , Mettenleiter Thomas C.
Published: September 2014

Membrane fusion in herpesviruses requires viral glycoproteins (g) gB and gH/gL. While gB is considered the actual fusion protein but is nonfusogenic
per se
, the function of gH/gL remains enigmatic. Crystal structures for different gH homologs are strikingly similar despite only moderate amino acid sequence conservation. A highly conserved sequence motif comprises the residues serine-proline-cysteine corresponding to positions 437 to 439 in pseudorabies virus (PrV) gH. The PrV-gH structure shows that proline
438
induces bending at the end of an alpha-helix, thereby placing cysteine
404
and cysteine
439
in juxtaposition to allow formation of a strictly conserved disulfide bond. However, PrV vaccine strain Bartha unexpectedly carries a serine at this conserved position. To test the influence of this substitution, we constructed different gH chimeras carrying proline or serine at position 438 in gH derived from either PrV strain Kaplan or strain Bartha. Mutants expressing gH with serine
438
showed reduced fusion activity in transient-fusion assays and during infection, with delayed penetration kinetics and a small-plaque phenotype which indicates that proline
438
is important for efficient fusion. A more drastic effect was observed when disulfide bond formation was completely blocked by mutation of cysteine
404
to serine. Although PrV expressing gHC
404
S was viable, plaque size and penetration kinetics were drastically reduced. Alteration of serine
438
to proline in gH of strain Bartha enhanced cell-to-cell spread and penetration kinetics, but restoration of full activity required additional alteration of aspartic acid to valine at position 59.

IMPORTANCE
The role of the gH/gL complex in herpesvirus membrane fusion is still unclear. Structural studies predicted a critical role for proline
438
in PrV gH to allow the formation of a conserved disulfide bond and correct protein folding. Functional analyses within this study corroborated these structural predictions: mutation of this residue resulted in a drastic impairment of membrane fusion kinetics not only
in vitro
in transient transfection-fusion assays but also during virus infection. Elimination of formation of the disulfide bond yielded the same phenotype in transient assays but had a more drastic effect on virus replication. Thus, our studies add important information to structure-function analyses of herpesvirus gH.
African Great Apes Are Naturally Infected with Roseoloviruses Closely Related to Human Herpesvirus 7
Authors: Lavergne Anne , Donato Damien , Gessain Antoine , Niphuis Henk , Nerrienet Eric , Verschoor Ernst J. , Lacoste Vincent
Published: September 2014

Primates are naturally infected with herpesviruses. During the last 15 years, the search for homologues of human herpesviruses in nonhuman primates allowed the identification of numerous viruses belonging to the different herpesvirus subfamilies and genera. No simian homologue of human herpesvirus 7 (HHV7) has been reported to date. To investigate the putative existence of HHV7-like viruses in African great apes, we applied the consensus-degenerate hybrid oligonucleotide primers (CODEHOP) program-mediated PCR strategy to blood DNA samples from the four common chimpanzee subspecies (
Pan troglodytes verus
,
P. t. ellioti
,
P. t. troglodytes
, and
P. t. schweinfurthii
), pygmy chimpanzees (
Pan paniscus
), as well as lowland gorillas (
Gorilla gorilla gorilla
). This study led to the discovery of a novel roseolovirus close to HHV7 in each of these nonhuman primate species and subspecies. Generation of the partial glycoprotein B (1,111-bp) and full-length DNA polymerase (3,036/3,042-bp) gene sequences allowed the deciphering of their evolutionary relationships. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that HHV7 and its African great ape homologues formed well-supported monophyletic lineages whose topological resemblance to the host phylogeny is suggestive of virus-host codivergence. Notably, the evolutionary branching points that separate HHV7 from African great ape herpesvirus 7 are remarkably congruent with the dates of divergence of their hosts. Our study shows that African great apes are hosts of human herpesvirus homologues, including HHV7 homologues, and that the latter, like other DNA viruses that establish persistent infections, have cospeciated with their hosts.

IMPORTANCE
Human herpesviruses are known to possess simian homologues. However, surprisingly, none has been identified to date for human herpesvirus 7 (HHV7). This study is the first to describe simian homologues of HHV7. The extensive search performed on almost all African great ape species and subspecies, i.e., common chimpanzees of the four subspecies, bonobos, and lowland gorillas, has allowed characterization of a specific virus in each. Genetic characterization of the partial glycoprotein B and full-length DNA polymerase gene sequences, followed by their phylogenetic analysis and estimation of divergence times, has shed light on the evolutionary relationships of these viruses. In this respect, we conclusively demonstrate the cospeciation between these new viruses and their hosts and report cases of cross-species transmission between two common chimpanzee subspecies in both directions.