bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Generalization of cross-category phonetic imitation of Mandarin regional variants
Authors: Yan Qingyang
Published: June 2017

The current study investigated cross-category phonetic imitation of Jianshi Mandarin regional variants by Laifeng participants. An auditory shadowing task and a post-exposure reading task were used to examine how participants imitated vowel variant [i] and coda variant [n] during shadowing and how imitation generalized to various types of novel words. During the post-exposure reading task, participants were instructed to say the words like the talker they heard, and to simply read the words, in a between-subjects design. Laifeng participants consistently imitated Jianshi [i] and [n] variants during shadowing, and imitation generalization was observed, but only when participants were instructed to imitate the previously heard talker. Imitation of both variants generalized to novel words with the same syllables (onset + rime + tone) but different orthography, novel words with the same onset and rime but different tones, and novel words with the same rime and tone but different onsets from the shadowed words, with similar degrees of imitation across these three types of novel words. These results suggest that generalization of cross-category imitation is a controlled, as opposed to automatic, process, and that cross-category imitation can operate and generalize at syllable, onset + rime, and phoneme levels in Mandarin.
Single-layer array method to reconstruct extended sound sources facing a parallel reflector
Authors: Zea Elias , Lopez-Arteaga Ines
Published: June 2017

The accuracy of sound field reconstruction methods with single-layer microphone arrays is subject to the room or enclosure in which the measurements take place. Thus, the authors recently introduced a single-layer method that can be employed to reconstruct compact sources in the presence of a reflecting surface that is parallel to the array. Now the authors propose a method conceived for extended planar sources such as baffled plates facing a parallel reflector. The method is based on a wavenumber-domain function describing the propagation paths between the source, the reflector and the array. The free-space sound field radiated by the source is then recovered by means of a regularized inversion of the propagation function. Numerical simulations are performed in order to assess the method's performance and potential for source reconstructions. The results are promising and point towards future experimental validation.
Blind adaptive correlation-based decision feedback equalizer (DFE) for underwater acoustic communications
Authors: Yang Xiaoxia , Wang Jun , Wang Haibin
Published: June 2017

Passive time reversal uses a set of matched filters corresponding to individual channel impulse response to reduce intersymbol interferences (ISIs) in underwater acoustic communications. Because of residual ISIs after time reversal, a coupled single decision feedback equalizer (DFE) is necessary. The coupled DFE uses a fixed tap number applicable to most shallow oceans with less user supervision. However, this correlation-based DFE needs the training sequence to estimate the individual channel response and initialize DFE, which decreases the effective bit rate and increases user supervision. We therefore in this paper propose a new blind structure of time reversal coupling with DFE, and it can complete multichannel identification and equalization at the same time without the training sequence. This new receiver has a reversible structure. In the first mode, it is linear and adapted by blind algorithms, e.g. constant modulus algorithm (CMA), to estimate the multichannel impulse responses and initialize the equalizer. In the second mode, the receiver becomes correlation-based DFE. From the viewpoint of user supervision and spectral efficiency, the new structure with no training sequence is more attractive. The blind correlation-based DFE exhibits the same steady-state mean square error (MSE) with the trained structure, and has been validated on real underwater communication data.
Auditory Illusion over Headphones Revisited
Authors: Brandenburg Karlheinz , Klein Florian , Neidhardt Annika , Werner Stephan
Published: June 2017

Plausibility and immersion are two of the keywords which describe quality features of virtual and augmented reality systems. There is a plethora of research results in this area, but current headphone based systems still do not enable auditory illusion for everybody and all types of signals. To address the open questions, a series of studies have been conducted to study the quality of spatial audio reproduction using binaural synthesis. This contribution gives a revisited insight in the creation of a perfect auditory illusion via headphone. First, a summary on technical parameters to realize correct auditory cues is given, which includes requirements like headphone equalization or interpolation methods. Second, we will point out that beyond reproducing the physically correct sound pressure at the ear drums, more effects play a significant role in the quality of the auditory illusion (and can be dominating in some cases and overcome physical deviation). Perceptual effects like the room divergence effect, additional visual influences, personalization, pose and position tracking as well as adaptation processes are discussed. The single effects are described and the interconnections between them are highlighted.
Safety and performance testing according to international standards and regulatory environment for medical ultrasound devices
Authors: von Hahn Royth P. , Kuhn Mathias
Published: June 2017

Besides being scientifically interesting, acoustics resp. ultrasonics has a broad and diverse range of applications in industry and the medical field. Acceptance of technology and its application depend on safety and performance of technology resp. devices utilizing it. Standardization is essential to ensure safety and performance and it also helps to harmonize market access of devices all around the world. To keep up with the “state of the art” it is necessary to continuously update existing standards and develop new ones. Especially in medical ultrasound a unique combination of expertise from different scientific areas is needed to develop useful standards: In addition to acoustics, physics and HF engineering, aspects of bioeffects and measurement technology need to be represented in standard development. The presentation will give insights how such combination of expertise contributed to the current set of medical ultrasound standards and what technical and scientific challenges need to be solved for developing safety standards for the latest innovations. On actual examples, it will show the relevance of scientific research for standardization and device testing.
A review about hearing protection comfort and its evaluation
Authors: Doutres Olivier , Sgard Franck C. , Terroir Jonathan
Published: June 2017

Though it should ideally be the last choice in terms of noise exposure reduction, hearing protection devices (HPDs) remain the most commonly used noise control solution. However, the lack of comfort of HPDs can make it difficult for the worker to consistently and correctly wear them during work shift. It can thereby decrease their effective protection. Numerous studies have addressed the comfort of HPDs since the late fifties. These works mainly differ on (i) their definition of “comfort”, (ii) how “comfort” is measured (questionnaires), (iii) their measurement conditions (laboratory versus field, naïve versus experienced wearers, type of tested HPDs…) and finally, (iv) their conclusions. The objective of this paper is to propose a comprehensive literature review of these works and to put them into perspective regarding a definition of HPD comfort based on three main components: (1) the physical one which is related to the human perception of the acoustical, biomechanical and thermal interactions between the HPD and the ear, (2) the functional one which is associated to the ergonomic aspects of the HPD and its capacity to fulfill its objectives, and (3) the psychological one which is linked to the wearer feeling in terms of acceptability, satisfaction or habituation.
Ultraviolet laser filaments for underwater acoustic generation using shaped plasmas
Authors: Jones Theodore G. , Fischer Richard , Kaganovich Dmitri , Helle Michael , Hafizi Bahman , Palastro John , Chen Yu-Hsin , Stamm Alexander
Published: June 2017

NRL is developing underwater laser acoustic generation techniques using nonlinear optics to form shaped plasmas. One or more laser pulses are focused to ionization intensity in water, where enhanced absorption causes plasma generation and intense localized heating. The size and shape of the resulting super-heated steam “shaped charge” determines the acoustic waveform, energy spectral density (ESD), and directivity. Using a single laser pulse we have demonstrated the ability to vary the ESD centroid frequency from 15 kHz to a few MHz, with lower frequencies generated by more elongated plasmas. Recent research has focused on a proposed “igniter-heater” technique utilizing two laser pulses to generate meter-scale elongated plasma (T.G. Jones, et al., “Two Laser Generation of Extended Underwater Plasma,” U.S. patent 9,088,123), with ESD centered near 1 kHz, which is useful for long-range sonar and communications. Key to this technique is generation of an underwater plasma filament serving as an ionized “igniter” target for a subsequent “heater” laser beam. Experiments use ultraviolet picosecond pulses, which can exploit weakly-bound “hydrated” free-electron states with high stored energy. Computational modeling includes nonlinear optical propagation and ionization. We will discuss recent experimental and modeling results. [This work was supported by NRL Base Funds.]
Relative psychoacoustic analysis for sound design purpose
Authors: Mohamady Samira
Published: June 2017

In sound design, besides psychoacoustics analysis of acoustic system, the expected deviation of the sound metrics parameters due to imperfect modeling and measurement of the system play an important role. In this study, a new sight is given to calculate the expected deviation in the perception of sound in acoustic system with the motoring the possible deviation of the system under test. The results are discussed to cover the most common problems in sound design process.
Assessing the effects of hearing loss on speech intelligibility in reverberant environments
Authors: Swaminathan Jayaganesh , Xia Jing , Xu Buye , Pentony Shareka
Published: June 2017

It has been shown that listeners with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) have difficulties in understanding speech in simulated reverberant environments even when wearing assistive devices such as hearing aids. However, a number of limiting factors such as poor hearing loss compensation, over simplified acoustic simulations of reverberant environments and dated statistical analysis have led to a lack of a clear understanding of the specific factors that cause hearing-impaired listeners to have difficulties in reverberant environments. In this talk, we will present results from studies comparing normal-hearing and hearing-impaired listeners: 1) Monaural and binaural modulation detection thresholds measured with anechoic and reverberant stimuli with different carriers and 2) Speech intelligibility in typical reverberant and noisy listening environments exploring a range of acoustic parameters, such as the level of reverberation, the type of noise and various signal-to-noise ratios. Furthermore, the effect of SNHL and reverberation on the neural coding of envelope and temporal fine structure will be assessed using a physiology based model of the auditory-nerve.
Effects of the variation of phoneme duration on word processing
Authors: Ford Catherine , Nenadic Filip , Brenner Daniel , Tucker Benjamin V.
Published: June 2017

Contextually predictable, high frequency, competitor-dense words are often produced with less contrastive categories in informal conversation (Plug, 2011; Gahl et al., 2012; Tucker & Ernestus, 2016). One of the more frequent ways this manifests is through changes in phoneme duration, with shorter duration related to less careful speech (Gahl et al., 2012). However, initial observations point to large temporal variation occurring even in isolated words produced in controlled settings. The present study investigates how temporal variation affects processing speed for single words. A number of measures of temporal variation (e.g., word mean standardized phoneme duration) are compared, while controlling for a variety of psycholinguistic variables. Data from the Massive Auditory Lexical Decision project (Tucker & Brenner, 2016) was used. 232 native speakers of English responded to a subset of 26800 words from a full range of word types produced in isolation by a single speaker. Temporal variation measures are assessed based on their contribution to models predicting participant response latencies. Results offer insights into different operationalizations of temporal variation at the word level and how this durational variation influences speed of processing.
Aspects of a biological model of categorical perception
Authors: Neufeld Chris
Published: June 2017

Formal models of human phonetic perception are often formulated at a highly abstracted, computational level of description. One cost of such an approach is that it can be exceedingly difficult to translate a “high-level” computational theory into the “low-level” neural circuitry which implicitly underpins any theory of human perception. Here we present our initial efforts to formulate a theory of phonetic perception in terms of known neurological primitives—in this case a particular mathematical characterization of the stimulus/response characteristics of neurons in mammalian auditory cortex: the spectro-temporal receptive field. We propose that phonetic categories can be modeled as ensembles of these cells, and use computer simulations to demonstrate that such an approach exhibits the psycho-acoustical warping characteristic of categorical perception. This model has no acoustic “features” as traditionally construed: no formants, no spectral moments, no MFCCs, etc. The primitive objects of this model are simply the spectrogram-like time-frequency representations generated by the inner ear. Thus, this model is formulated entirely in terms of the peripheral and central primitives of the ascending auditory pathway. The approach also has appealing computational properties, and can be demonstrated to be a computationally tractable, efficient coding transform of speech acoustics.
Acoustic wave propagation in horizontally variable shallow water
Authors: Clark Cathy Ann
Published: June 2017

A unique normal mode solution which approximates sound speed variation with depth by a sequence of isovelocity layers is verified for a sample of range independent environments. Within each layer, two closed-form fundamental solutions which satisfy the separated depth-dependent wave equation are formulated with complex analogues to be used in evanescent regions. Piecewise-continuous potential mode solutions are constructed by satisfying an upper boundary condition and extending through isovelocity layers to the bottom. The value of the Wronskian for the Green’s function thus obtained is used to locate the eigenvalues of the normal modes comprising the propagating field. A closed form solution in a modified two-layer Pekeris waveguide with step-wise changes in the upper layer sound speed with range is used to study horizontal mode coupling through a series of such environments and to predict propagation loss as a function of range.
The Effect of Shoulder Muscle Fatigue on Acromiohumeral Distance and Scapular Dyskinesis in Women With Generalized Joint Hypermobility
Authors: Alibazi Razie J. , Moghadam Afsun Nodehi , Cools Ann M. , Bakhshi Enayatollah , Ahari Alireza Aziz
Published: June 2017

Muscle fatigue is considered to be one cause of shoulder pain, and subjects with generalized joint hypermobility (GJH) are affected more by shoulder pain. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of muscle fatigue on acromiohumeral distance (AHD) and scapular dyskinesis in women with GJH. Thirty-six asymptomatic participants were assigned to either a GJH (n = 20) or control group (n = 16) using the Beighton scale. Before and after elevation fatigue trials, AHD was measured with ultrasonography at rest and when the arm was in 90° active elevation. A scapular dyskinesis test was used to visually observe alterations in scapular movement. Our results showed that in both groups, the fatigue reduced AHD in the 90° elevation position and increased the presence of scapular dyskinesis; however, no differences were found between the two groups. Although GJH has been identified as a factor for developing musculoskeletal disorders, generalized joint hypermobility did not result in changes to scapular dyskinesis or AHD, even after an elevation fatigue task. More studies are needed to evaluate the effects of muscle fatigue in subjects with GJH and a history of shoulder instability.
Adults With Down Syndrome Demonstrate Peripheral, Not Central, Deficits When Integrating Movements During Multiple-Target Sequences
Authors: Reilly Niamh , Lawrence Gavin P. , Mottram Thomas , Khan Michael
Published: June 2017

The perceptual-motor impairments of individuals with Down syndrome (DS) are attributed to central (e.g., neurophysiology deficits that affect the retrieval or initiation of motor programs) and peripheral (e.g., anatomical deficits relating to issues with inertia of limb mechanics and muscle organization) processes. However, recent research suggests that central deficits do not affect the integration between movements. We investigate the impact of central and peripheral DS deficits on movement integration by examining the planning and execution of multiple-target multiple-arm movements. Individuals with DS, typically developing (TD), and individuals with an undifferentiated intellectual disability (UID) completed five aiming tasks: a one target; a one-arm, two-target extension; a two-arm, two-target extension (movement one was performed with one arm and movement two performed with the other); a one-arm, two-target reversal; and a two-arm, two-target reversal. Movement times (MTs) to the first target were longer in the two-target tasks compared with the one-target task. For the one-arm, two-target reversal task, this effect emerged only in individuals with DS. These results indicate that individuals with DS use central processing for movement integration similarly to their TD and UID counterparts but cannot exploit peripheral-level integration to enhance integration in one-arm reversal tasks.
Effect of a Cooling Kit on Physiology and Performance Following Exercise in the Heat
Authors: Smith Cody R. , Butts Cory L. , Adams J.D. , Tucker Matthew A. , Moyen Nicole E. , Ganio Matthew S. , McDermott Brendon P.
Published: June 2017

Context:Exercising in the heat leads to an increase in body temperature that can increase the risk of heat illness or cause detriments in exercise performance.Objective:To examine a phase change heat emergency kit (HEK) on thermoregulatory and perceptual responses and subsequent exercise performance following exercise in the heat.Design:Two randomized crossover trials that consisted of 30 minutes of exercise, 15 minutes of treatment (T1), performance testing (5-10-5 pro-agility test and 1500-m run), and another 15 minutes of treatment (T2) identical to T1.Setting:Outdoors in the heat (wet-bulb globe temperature: 31.5°C [1.8°C] and relative humidity: 59.0% [5.6%]).Participants:Twenty-six (13 men and 13 women) individuals (aged 20–27 y).Interventions:Treatment was performed with HEK and without HEK (control, CON) modality.Main Outcome Measures:Gastrointestinal temperature, mean skin temperature, thirst sensation, and muscle pain.Results:Maximum gastrointestinal temperature following exercise and performance was not different between trials (P > .05). Cooling rate was faster during T1CON (0.053°C/min [0.049°C/min]) compared with HEK (0.043°C/min [0.032°C/min];P = .01). Mean skin temperature was lower in HEK during T1(P < .001) and T2(P = .05). T2thirst was lower in CON (P = .02). Muscle pain was lower in HEK in T2(P = .03). Performance was not altered (P > .05).Conclusions:HEK improved perception but did not enhance cooling or performance following exercise in the heat. HEK is therefore not recommended to facilitate recovery, treat hyperthermia, or improve performance.
Behavior Tracking and 3-Year Longitudinal Associations Between Physical Activity, Screen Time, and Fitness Among Young Children
Authors: Potter Morgan , Spence John C. , Boulé Normand , Stearns Jodie A. , Carson Valerie
Published: June 2017

Purpose: Understanding the correlates of children’s fitness as they develop is needed. The objectives of this study were to 1) examine the longitudinal associations between physical activity (PA), screen time (ST), and fitness; 2) determine if sex moderates associations; and 3) track PA and ST over 3 years. Methods: Findings are based on 649 children [baseline = 4.5 (0.5) y; follow-up = 7.8 (0.6) y] from Edmonton, Canada. Parental-reported hour per week of PA and ST were measured at baseline and 3 years later. Fitness (vertical jump, sit and reach, waist circumference, grip strength, predicted VO2max, push-ups, and partial curl-ups) was measured using established protocols at follow-up. Sex-specific z scores or low/high fitness groups were calculated. Linear or logistic multiple regression models and Spearman correlations were conducted. Results: Baseline ST was negatively associated with follow-up grip strength [β = −0.010; 95% confidence interval (CI), −0.019 to −0.001]. Associations between baseline PA and follow-up overall fitness (β = 0.009; 95% CI, 0.002 to 0.016) were significant, whereas baseline PA and follow-up VO2max (β = 0.014; 95% CI, 0.000 to 0.027) approached significance (P < .06). No sex interactions were observed. Moderate and large tracking were observed for PA (rs = .30) and ST (rs = .53), respectively. Conclusions: PA and ST may be important modifiable correlates of overall fitness in young children.
Otolith microchemistry to identify sources of larval yellow perch in a fluvial lake: an approach towards freshwater fish management
Authors: Lazartigues Angélique , Girard Chantale , Brodeur Philippe , Lecomte Frédéric , Mingelbier Marc , Sirois Pascal
Published: June 2017

The study aims at determining which spawning sites are contributing to yellow perch (Perca flavescens) juveniles’ recruitment in Lake Saint-Pierre (St. Lawrence River, Canada). We expect to highlight new management perspectives. Thus, we investigated both natal origin and connectivity processes for young of the year prior to their first winter. Otolith chemical composition was measured at larval and juvenile stages using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). Five spawning sites were sampled and discriminated using a three-elemental model (manganese, barium, strontium). Results showed that (i) all within-lake sites contributed similarly to juvenile production and (ii) production results from both local recruitment and lake-wide connectivity processes. The study suggests fish management should include an overall evaluation of the lake-wide recruitment. Both local and widespread actions are required, depending on the level of connectivity in the lake, which plays a central role in shaping the spatial pattern of recruitment. Finally, otolith microchemistry proves to be an efficient tool for freshwater fish managers to evaluate both natal origin and connectivity in heterogeneous aquatic ecosystems.
Relationship between marine growth and sea survival of two anadromous salmonid fish species
Authors: Jensen Arne Johan , Finstad Bengt , Fiske Peder , Forseth Torbjørn , Rikardsen Audun Håvard , Ugedal Ola
Published: June 2017

This study found empirical evidence supporting the “growth–survival” paradigm in the marine phase of Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) and brown trout (Salmo trutta). The paradigm postulates that larger or faster-growing individuals are more likely to survive than smaller or slower-growing conspecifics. The study employed long-term (25 year) capture data from a trap in the River Halselva in Norway during annual migration between marine and freshwater environments. Similar results were found for both species. Growth during the sea sojourn and return rates were positively correlated, linking increased survival with growth. Specific growth rate, survival, and duration of the sea sojourn of first-time migrants were correlated, suggesting that common environmental conditions at sea influence annual fish productivity. Freshwater and sea temperatures affected migration timing, whereas annual variation in marine growth and survival did not correlate with temperatures. This suggests that other factors such as variation in energy intake were the main source of annual growth variations. Moreover, the marine growth rate of the two species may signal annual overall fjord ecosystem production, especially related to their main prey.
A Low-Power Three-Tap DFE with Switched Resistor Slicer and CTLE in 0.18μm CMOS Technology
Authors: Fallahi Maedeh , Jannesari Abumoslem
Published: June 2017

In this paper, a switched resistor slicer is proposed to reduce the power consumption of a decision feedback equalizer (DFE). In the proposed structure, summer circuit that consumes most of the power in a DFE has been eliminated and proper resistors are added as the load of a slicer based on a flip-flop output bit stream. Incorporating the proposed DFE circuit with continuous time linear equalizer (CTLE) at the serial link receiver over a 1[Formula: see text]m NELCO (the NELCO[Formula: see text] N4000-13 series is an enhanced epoxy resin system engineered to provide both outstanding thermal and high signal speed/low signal loss properties) channel can compensate 24[Formula: see text]dB loss at the Nyquist frequency of 2[Formula: see text]GHz. CTLE is adjusted to compensate 6[Formula: see text]dB of channel loss which remains after utilizing a DFE with three taps. The proposed structure has been designed in 0.18[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]m CMOS technology while consuming 13.5[Formula: see text]mW from 1.8[Formula: see text]V supply at 4[Formula: see text]Gb/s with a bit error rate less than 10[Formula: see text]. The proposed equalizer power consumption is reduced by 43% compared to the conventional circuit.
Time-Domain Readout of 1T–1C DRAM Cells
Authors: Sharroush Sherif M.
Published: June 2017

The conventional readout of one-transistor–one-capacitor dynamic random-access memories (1T–1C DRAMs) depends on using a sense amplifier to develop the bitline voltage and settle it to the voltage of the power supply, [Formula: see text], or to 0[Formula: see text]V depending on whether the stored data is “1” or “0,” respectively. However, using the sense amplifier makes the reading process sluggish. In this paper, a capacitive-voltage divider-based readout scheme is proposed. According to this scheme, the developed bitline voltage is converted into a pulse with a certain starting time. Specifically, this pulse appears at a later time in case of “0” storage than that if a “1” is stored, thus the proposed scheme is aptly called “time-domain readout.” The effects of parameter and component mismatches and technology scaling on the proposed scheme are investigated. The proposed scheme is analyzed quantitatively with a suggestion given to widen the time gap between the starting times of the pulses corresponding to the “0” and “1” states. The proposed scheme is verified by simulation adopting the 45 nm CMOS technology with [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]V. According to the simulation results, percentage savings of 68.8%, 56.8%, and 32% in the read-access time, the read-cycle time, and the average power-delay product, respectively, are shown. The proposed scheme requires approximately 40% extra area overhead for the reading circuitry. Also, a noise analysis is performed and it is found that the device noise does not affect the proposed scheme significantly.
ELECTROCATALYSIS OF THE NEEDLE-LIKE NiMoO4 CRYSTAL TOWARD UREA OXIDATION COUPLED WITH H2 PRODUCTION
Authors: ZHOU MAO , MIAO YUQING
Published: June 2017

In the International Space Station, urine is considered something to be treated. However, urine is mainly composed of water and urea, while they have been demonstrated as an excellent hydrogen carrier for sustainable energy supply. Through the simple chemical coprecipitation and hydrothermal reaction, the needle-like NiMoO4 crystals were synthesized with the average width around 500[Formula: see text]nm and length up to 4[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]m. The resulted products were thoroughly characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry, X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and ultraviolet–visible spectrum. The needle-like NiMoO4 crystals exhibited excellent electrocatalytic oxidation toward urea at anode in alkali solution, leading to the increased performance of hydrogen evolution reaction at cathode with the lower electrochemical potential and energy consumption required to drive the reaction. The high electrocatalysis of the needle-like NiMoO4 crystals toward urea oxidation reveals their great potential for future application to clean the urine/urea-rich wastewater and to produce hydrogen in space station and environmental wastewater.
Ontology federation
Authors: Kim Mira , Ostrowski David
Published: June 2017

An Ontology defines a common vocabulary across diverse platforms, supporting machine-interpretable semantics of the domain concepts along with associated relations. Ontologies support the definitions of a class which defines concepts in a domain and exist as the central focus. Proprietary Ontologies allow for internally developed machine-usable content to be leveraged for greater purpose. In this context, Industrial Ontologies can be considered first and foremost, an integration technology, supporting connections between any number of disparate data sources. By this application, it is possible to leverage proprietary and public ontologies thus supporting a Federated Ontology. This paper explores the current methods and technologies of federated Ontologies. To this goal, we summarize the current state of publically available ontologies examining how they are currently utilized, their application challenges and a realistic assessment of their potential.
Creating Segments and Effects on Comics by Clustering Gaze Data
Authors: Thirunarayanan Ishwarya , Khetarpal Khimya , Koppal Sanjeev , Meur Olivier Le , Shea John , Jain Eakta
Published: June 2017

Traditional comics are increasingly being augmented with digital effects, such as recoloring, stereoscopy, and animation. An open question in this endeavor is identifying where in a comic panel the effects should be placed. We propose a fast, semi-automatic technique to identify effects-worthy segments in a comic panel by utilizing gaze locations as a proxy for the importance of a region. We take advantage of the fact that comic artists influence viewer gaze towards narrative important regions. By capturing gaze locations from multiple viewers, we can identify important regions and direct a computer vision segmentation algorithm to extract these segments. The challenge is that these gaze data are noisy and difficult to process. Our key contribution is to leverage a theoretical breakthrough in the computer networks community towards robust and meaningful clustering of gaze locations into semantic regions, without needing the user to specify the number of clusters. We present a method based on the concept of relative eigen quality that takes a scanned comic image and a set of gaze points and produces an image segmentation. We demonstrate a variety of effects such as defocus, recoloring, stereoscopy, and animations. We also investigate the use of artificially generated gaze locations from saliency models in place of actual gaze locations.
Former Food Products Safety Evaluation: Computer Vision as an Innovative Approach for the Packaging Remnants Detection
Authors: Tretola Marco , Ottoboni Matteo , Di Rosa Ambra Rita , Giromini Carlotta , Fusi Eleonora , Rebucci Raffaella , Leone Francesco , Dell’Orto Vittorio , Chiofalo Vincenzo , Pinotti Luciano
Published: June 2017

Former food products (FFPs) represent a way by which leftovers from the food industry (e.g., biscuits, bread, breakfast cereals, chocolate bars, pasta, savoury snacks, and sweets) are converted into ingredients for the feed industry, thereby keeping food losses in the food chain. FFPs represent an alternative source of nutrients for animal feeding. However, beyond their nutritional value, the use of FFPs in animal feeding implies also safety issues, such as those related to the presence of packaging remnants. These contaminants might reside in FFP during food processing (e.g., collection, unpacking, mixing, grinding, and drying). Nowadays, artificial senses are widely used for the detection of foreign material in food and all of them involve computer vision. Computer vision technique provides detailed pixel-based characterizations of colours spectrum of food products, suitable for quality evaluation. The application of computer vision for a rapid qualitative screening of FFP’s safety features, in particular for the detection of packaging remnants, has been recently tested. This paper presents the basic principles, the advantages, and disadvantages of the computer vision method with an evaluation of its potential in the detection of packaging remnants in FFP.
Experimental and Numerical Evaluation of Rock Dynamic Test with Split-Hopkinson Pressure Bar
Authors: Peng Kang , Gao Ke , Liu Jian , Liu Yujiao , Zhang Zhenyu , Fan Xiang , Yin Xuyan , Zhang Yongliang , Huang Gun
Published: June 2017

Feasibility of rock dynamic properties by split-Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) was experimentally and numerically evaluated with ANSYS/LS-DYNA. The effects of different diameters, different loading rates, and different propagation distances on wave dispersion of input bars in SHPB with rectangle and half-sine wave loadings were analyzed. The results show that the dispersion effect on the diameter of input bar, loading rate, and propagation distance under half-sine waveform loading is ignorable compared with the rectangle wave loading. Moreover, the degrees of stress uniformity under rectangle and half-sine input wave loadings are compared in SHPB tests, and the time required for stress uniformity is calculated under different above-mentioned loadings. It is confirmed that the stress uniformity can be realized more easily using the half-sine pulse loading compared to the rectangle pulse loading, and this has significant advantages in the dynamic test of rock-like materials. Finally, the Holmquist-Johnson-Concrete constitutive model is introduced to simulate the failure mechanism and failure and fragmentation characteristics of rock under different strain rates. And the numerical results agree with that obtained from the experiment, which confirms the effectiveness of the model and the method.
Simulations and Experiments on the Vibrational Characteristics of Cylindrical Shell Resonator Actuated by Piezoelectric Electrodes with Different Thicknesses
Authors: Luo Yiming , Qu Tianliang , Zhang Bin , Pan Yao , Xiao Pengbo
Published: June 2017

The resonator is the key element of the Coriolis Vibratory Gyroscope (CVG). The vibrational characteristics of the resonator, including the resonant frequency, vibrational amplitude, and Q factor, have a great influence on CVG’s performance. Among them, the vibrational amplitude mainly affects the scale factor and the signal-to-noise ratio, and the Q factor directly determines the precision and drift characteristics of the gyroscope. In this paper, a finite element model of a cylindrical shell resonator actuated by piezoelectric electrodes with different thicknesses is built to investigate the vibrational characteristics. The simulation results indicate that the resonant frequency barely changes with the electrode thickness, whereas the vibrational amplitude is inversely proportional to the electrode thickness under the same driving voltage. Experiments were performed with four resonators and piezoelectric electrodes of four sizes, and results were consistent with simulations. The resonant frequencies of four resonators changed within 0.36% after attaching the piezoelectric electrodes. Meanwhile, with the same driving voltage, it was shown that the vibrational amplitude decreased with the increase of electrode thickness. Moreover, thinner electrodes resulted in better Q factor and therefore better performance. This study may provide useful reference on electrode design of the CVGs.
Reduction of the Oxidative Stress Status Using Steviol Glycosides in a Fish Model(Cyprinus carpio)
Authors: Sánchez-Aceves Livier Mireya , Dublán-García Octavio , López-Martínez Leticia-Xochitl , Novoa-Luna Karen Adriana , Islas-Flores Hariz , Galar-Martínez Marcela , García-Medina Sandra , Hernández-Navarro María Dolores , Gómez-Oliván Leobardo Manuel
Published: June 2017

Steviol glycosides are sweetening compounds from theStevia rebaudianaBertoni plant. This product is considered safe for human consumption and was approved as a food additive by the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) and European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Its effects on the ecosystem have not been studied in depth; therefore, it is necessary to carry out ecotoxicological studies in organisms such asCyprinus carpio. The present study aimed to evaluate the antioxidant activity by SGs on diverse tissues inC. carpiousing oxidative stress (OS) biomarkers. To test the antioxidant activity, carps were exposed to four systems: (1) SGs free control, (2) CCl40.5 mL/kg, (3) SGs 1 g/L, and (4) CCl40.5 mL/kg + SGs 1 g/L at 96 h. The following biomarkers were analyzed: lipoperoxidation (LPX), hydroperoxide content (HPC), and protein carbonyl content (PCC), as well as antioxidant activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT). It was found that both (3 and 4) systems’ exposure decreases LPX, CHP, PCC, SOD, and CAT with respect to the CCl4system. The results of this study demonstrate that the concentrations of SGs used are not capable of generating oxidative stress and, on the contrary, would appear to induce an antioxidant effect.
Photopheresis Provides Significant Long-Lasting Benefit in Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis
Authors: Zhang Ranran , Rose William Nicholas
Published: June 2017

Nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF), previously known as nephrogenic fibrosing dermopathy, is a rare complication of exposure to gadolinium-based contrast agents in patients who have significantly decreased renal function. Manifestations include fibrosis of the skin and other tissues. Effective therapies are lacking. Photopheresis has been tried with variable rates of improvement, and small numbers of cases (20 as of 2016) have been reported of NSF patients treated with photopheresis. We report a case of patient with nephrogenic systemic fibrosis who was treated with photopheresis and demonstrated significant lasting improvements.
Self-Assembling RADA16-I Peptide Hydrogel Scaffold Loaded with Tamoxifen for Breast Reconstruction
Authors: Wu Huimin , Zhou Ting , Tian Lin , Xia Zhengchao , Xu Feng
Published: June 2017

More and more breast cancer patients prefer autologous fat tissue transfer following lumpectomy to maintain perfect female characteristics. However, the outcome was not satisfactory due to the transplanted fat absorption. In this study, we prepared two RADA16-I peptide scaffolds with and without tamoxifen. Both scaffolds were transparent, porous, and hemisphere-shaped. The hADSCs isolated from liposuction were attached to the scaffold. The growth inhibition of the hADSCs induced by TAM in 2-demensional (2D) culture was higher than that in TAM-loaded hydrogel scaffold 3D culture (P<0.05); however, the same outcomes were not observed in MCF-7 cells. Correspondingly, the apoptosis of the hADSCs induced by TAM was significantly increased in 2D culture compared to that in scaffold 3D culture (P<0.05). Yet the outcomes of the aoptosis in MCF-7 were contrary. Apoptosis-related protein Bcl-2 was involved in the process. In vivo experiments showed that both scaffolds formed a round mass after subcutaneous implantation and it retained its shape after being pressed slightly. The implantation had no effect on the weight and activity of the animals. The results suggested that TAM-loaded RADA16-I hydrogel scaffolds both provide support for hADSCs cells attachment/proliferation and retain cytotoxic effect on MCF-7 cells, which might be a promising therapeutic breast tissue following lumpectomy.
Thermal Transport and Rectification Properties of Bamboo-Like SiC Polytypes Nanowires
Authors: Wang Zan
Published: June 2017

Bamboo-like SiC nanowires (NWs) have specific geometric shapes, which have the potential to suppress thermal conductivity by phonon boundary scattering. In this work, phonon transport behaviors in the 3C-SiC, 4H-SiC, and 6H-SiC crystal lattices are studied by the Monte Carlo (MC) method, including impurity scattering, boundary scattering, and Umklapp scattering. Phonon relaxation times for Umklapp (U) scattering for the above three SiC polytypes are calculated from the respective phonon spectra, which have not been reported in the literature. Diffuse boundary scattering and thermal rectification with different aspect ratios are also studied at different temperatures. It is found that the thermal conductivities of the bamboo-like SiC polytypes can be lowered by two orders of magnitude compared with the bulk values by contributions from boundary scattering. Compared with bamboo-like 4H-SiC and 6H-SiC NWs, 3C-SiC has the largest U scattering relaxation rate and boundary scattering rate, which leads to its lowest thermal conductivities. The thermal conductivity in the positive direction is larger than that in the negative direction because of its lower boundary scattering relaxation rate.
Selection Criteria for Improving Yield in Chili (Capsicum annuum)
Authors: Chakrabarty S. , Islam A. K. M. Aminul
Published: June 2017

The present investigation was carried out to estimate the genetic variability and character association. Significant differences were observed among the genotypes for all the 15 traits for 20 chili genotypes. The highest genotypic coefficient of variation and phenotypic coefficient of variation were found for ten edible fruit weight, number of fruits per plant, fruit yield per plant, ten dry fruit weight, fruit length, fruit width, and weight of seeds per fruit. High heritability coupled with very high genetic advance as per cent of mean was observed for ten edible fruit weight, ten dry fruit weight, fruit length, number of fruits per plant, and fruit yield per plant. Phenotypic correlation coefficient among different traits indicated that fruit yield per plant at green stage had significant and positive association with ten edible green fruit weight, number of primary branches, harvest duration, and first fruit maturity and significant negative correlation with days to first picking. The path coefficient analysis revealed that days to first picking had the maximum positive direct effect on fruit yield per plant followed by harvest duration, ten edible fruit weight, ten dry fruit weight, hundred-seed weight, number of fruits per plant, first fruit maturity, and number of primary branches. Days to first picking had the maximum positive direct effect but significant negative effect with fruit yield per plant which indicated that the trait should be selected to expunge the undesirable indirect effect in order to make use of the direct effect. Therefore, selection should be practiced for ten edible fruit weight, ten dry fruit weight, number of fruits per plant, harvest duration, and hundred-seed weight for direct improvement of fruit yield per plant.
Cancer Pain Management and Pain Interference with Daily Functioning among Cancer Patients in Gondar University Hospital
Authors: Tegegn Henok Getachew , Gebreyohannes Eyob Alemayehu
Published: June 2017

Cancer is an increasing public health burden for Ethiopia. Pain is among the most common symptoms in patients with cancer. Hence, we aimed to assess cancer pain prevalence, cancer pain interference, and adequacy of cancer pain treatment in the oncology ward of an Ethiopian teaching hospital. Of 83 patients, total of 76 (91.6%) cancer patients experienced pain with varying degree of severity, and 7 (8.4%) patients experienced severe pain. Of the 76 cancer patients with pain, 68 (89.2%) experienced pain interference with their daily activities. Fifty-four (65%) patients were receiving inadequate cancer pain treatment with negative Pain Management Index. Therefore, it is vital to anticipate and assess pain of the cancer patients as routine clinical practice, to optimize analgesic therapy, and to identify and overcome barriers to adequate pain management.
Conditions for Existence, Representations, and Computation of Matrix Generalized Inverses
Authors: Stanimirović Predrag S. , Ćirić Miroslav , Stojanović Igor , Gerontitis Dimitrios
Published: June 2017

Conditions for the existence and representations of 2-, 1-, and 1,2-inverses which satisfy certain conditions on ranges and/or null spaces are introduced. These representations are applicable to complex matrices and involve solutions of certain matrix equations. Algorithms arising from the introduced representations are developed. Particularly, these algorithms can be used to compute the Moore-Penrose inverse, the Drazin inverse, and the usual matrix inverse. The implementation of introduced algorithms is defined on the set of real matrices and it is based on the Simulink implementation of GNN models for solving the involved matrix equations. In this way, we develop computational procedures which generate various classes of inner and outer generalized inverses on the basis of resolving certain matrix equations. As a consequence, some new relationships between the problem of solving matrix equations and the problem of numerical computation of generalized inverses are established. Theoretical results are applicable to complex matrices and the developed algorithms are applicable to both the time-varying and time-invariant real matrices.
Numerical Analysis on Steam Exciting Force Caused by Rotor Eccentricity
Authors: Cao L. H. , Wang J. X. , Li P. , Hu P. F. , Li Y.
Published: June 2017

The steam exciting force has been proved to be great threat to the operation safety of steam turbines. The mechanism of steam exciting vibration cannot be profoundly revealed by simply analyzing the steam exciting force, especially in simplified models. Therefore, a full-circle stage of steam turbine with shroud and labyrinth seals was investigated by numerical simulator CFX. The instability of leakage flow and the pressure fluctuation were analyzed on the eccentric condition. The effects of leakage vortexes, the depth-width ratio of seal cavity, and the eccentricity on the steam exciting force were studied. Results show that the leakage flow is nonuniform in the circumferential direction with the change of front teeth vortexes, which causes the steam exciting force. The tangential and radial steam exciting force both increase with the eccentricity increasing. The effects of the depth-width ratio of seal cavity on the two forces are different. In addition, the pressure fluctuation caused by the leakage vortexes on the shroud surfaces is a main factor inducing the steam exciting force. This research provides a theoretical guidance for the operation safety and optimization of steam turbines.