bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development of whey protein isolate/chitosan/microcrystalline cellulose‐based bilayer films using surface‐pretreated polyethylene terephthalate substrate
Authors: Hu Yue , Wang Zichun , Zhang Xia , Bai Xue , Li Xue , Ren Di‐Feng
Published: December 2020

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) has been widely used in food packaging due to its excellent comprehensive properties, but has relatively low barrier properties towards small molecules. In this study, whey protein isolate (WPI)/chitosan (CS)/microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) solution was sprayed evenly on PET which pretreated by corona discharge (CD) and uniform glow discharge (UGD) plasma to prepare WPI/CS/MCC/PET bilayer film, and the properties, structure, and morphology of films were characterized. The water contact angle of UGD treated PET was significantly decreased by 79.01% due to increased polar functional groups. After coated with WPI/CS/MCC film, the reduced oxygen and carbon dioxide transmission rates of untreated and pretreated PET was in the range of 71.74–94.64%, and UGD pretreatment was more efficient to improve gas barrier properties than CD, but the mechanical and water vapor barrier properties of pretreated bilayer film weakened a little. There was a high intermolecular interaction between hydroxyl and amino groups of WPI/CS/MCC film and polar groups, such as COC and CH bonds, carbonyl, and methyl groups, of UGD‐pretreated PET, as verified by Fourier transform infrared with attenuated total reflection. In conclusion, UGD‐pretreated WPI/CS/MCC/PET bilayer film was significantly efficient to enhance the gas barrier properties of single‐layer PET.

Practical Applications

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) has relatively low barrier properties and its application has been limited in food high air tightness packaging. The present study aimed to develop biopolymer‐based high barrier bilayer film using surface‐pretreated PET substrate. The thermogravimetric analysis, mechanical, and barrier properties were investigated, and the structural characterization and morphology of bilayer films were investigated by Fourier transform infrared with attenuated total reflection analysis, environmental scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscope. This work provides a foundation for enhancing the gas barrier properties of single‐layer PET using the combination of biopolymer‐based coating and surface pretreatment.
An efficient tea quality classification algorithm based on near infrared spectroscopy and random Forest
Authors: Chen Guikun , Zhang Xiangchen , Wu Zebiao , Su Jinhe , Cai Guorong
Published: December 2020

Traditional tea quality evaluation methods are based on chemical testing, such as gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry (GCMS) and high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). However, the process of extracting chemical components is generally time‐consuming and expensive, which makes it unsuitable for wide range of applications. Therefore, this paper presents a new approach to evaluate tea quality based on Near‐infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) devices. In our method, factor analysis compression algorithm is first applied to initially compress the input NIRS vectors, which are acquired from tea samples with high dimensional data. Then, random forest algorithm is employed to construct a voting strategy. More precisely speaking, we proposed a low‐cost and convenient tea quality estimation scheme that can be widely used in tea industry. The proposed approach has been verified using tea NIRS datasets which were acquired from Fujian Province. Experiments show that the proposed NIRS‐based approach significantly outperforms the GCMS‐based and HPLC‐based methods. Specially, we achieved a highly competitive performance (AP = 0.989) on the comprehensive data set that contains 869 annotated Chinese tea samples, which means that tea quality can be estimated in a convenient and cheaper way.

Practical Applications

The proposed tea classification approach based on artificial intelligence which lend new perspectives to tea merchants and consumers insight and decision‐making. The approach can perform preference adjustments in various conditions such as regions, crowd habits, seasons, etc.
The NPR1‐WRKY46‐WRKY6 signaling cascade mediates probenazole/salicylic acid‐elicited leaf senescence in Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Zhang Dingyu , Zhu Zheng , Gao Jiong , Zhou Xin , Zhu Shuai , Wang Xiaoyan , Wang Xiaolei , Ren Guodong , Kuai Benke
Published: December 2020

Endogenous salicylic acid (SA) regulates leaf senescence, but the underlying mechanism remains largely unexplored. The exogenous application of SA to living plants is not efficient for inducing leaf senescence. By taking advantage of probenazole (PBZ)‐induced biosynthesis of endogenous SA, we previously established a chemical inducible leaf senescence system that depends on SA biosynthesis and its core signaling receptor NPR1 in Arabidopsis thaliana. Here, using this system, we identified WRKY46 and WRKY6 as key components of the transcriptional machinery downstream of NPR1 signaling. Upon PBZ treatment, the wrky46 mutant exhibited significantly delayed leaf senescence. We demonstrate that NPR1 is essential for PBZ/SA‐induced WRKY46 activation, whereas WRKY46 in turn enhances NPR1 expression. WRKY46 interacts with NPR1 in the nucleus, binding to the W‐box of the WRKY6 promoter to induce its expression in response to SA signaling. Dysfunction of WRKY6 abolished PBZ‐induced leaf senescence, while overexpression of WRKY6 was sufficient to accelerate leaf senescence even under normal growth conditions, suggesting that WRKY6 may serve as an integration node of multiple leaf senescence signaling pathways. Taken together, these findings reveal that the NPR1‐WRKY46‐WRKY6 signaling cascade plays a critical role in PBZ/SA‐mediated leaf senescence in Arabidopsis.
Outcomes of wound care nurses’ practice in patients with pressure ulcers: An integrative review
Authors: Monaco Dario , Iovino Paolo , Lommi Marzia , Marano Giulia , Zaghini Francesco , Vellone Ercole , Alvaro Rosaria , Sili Alessandro
Published: December 2020

Background

Wound care nurses are recognised as a key element for improving health outcomes. However, there is still fragmented knowledge of the outcomes associated with their practice in individuals with pressure ulcers.

Aims and objectives

To identify, summarise and map all available evidence related to the outcomes of wound care nurses’ practice in individuals with pressure ulcers.

Design

Integrative literature review.

Review method

To report the review, we followed the modified version of Cooper's five‐step methodology, and the PRISMA guidelines.

Methods

The search was carried out on CINAHL, PubMed, the Cochrane Library and Scopus, with a time frame ranging from each database inception to December 21, 2019. We included observational or experimental studies of adult individuals affected by (or at risk of) developing pressure ulcers who were also cared for by wound care nurses.

Results

Of the 439 peer‐reviewed publications, 13 studies met the inclusion criteria. The most frequent outcomes were pressure ulcer incidence, healing rate and time taken for complete healing. Less frequent outcomes were changes in pressure ulcers’ stage, number of completely healed wounds, treatment costs and physical discomfort. No patient‐reported outcomes were assessed.

Conclusion

This review indicates that clinical‐related outcomes were by far the most reported. Future studies should broaden the spectrum of outcomes to include more subjective parameters (e.g. pain, quality of life, stress, etc.), in order to gain a better understanding of the global impact of wound care practice on patients with pressure ulcers.

Relevance to clinical practice

There is promising evidence of a positive impact of wound care nurses’ practice on health and economic outcomes. Nonetheless, more robust and rigorous research is needed to provide stronger evidence in the field and support investment in these practitioners.
SS‐Detect: Development and Validation of a New Strategy for Source‐Based Morphometry in Multiscanner Studies
Authors: Ge Ruiyang , Ding Shiqing , Keeling Tyler , Honer William G. , Frangou Sophia , Vila‐Rodriguez Fidel
Published: December 2020

Background and Purpose

Source‐based morphometry(SBM) has been used in multicenter studies pooling magnetic resonance imaging data across different scanners to advance the reproducibility of neuroscience research. In the present study, we developed an analysis strategy for Scanner‐Specific Detection (SS‐Detect) of SBPs in multiscanner studies, and evaluated its performance relative to a conventional strategy.

Methods

In the first experiment, the SimTB toolbox was used to generate simulated datasets mimicking 20 different scanners with common and scanner‐specific SBPs. In the second experiment, we generated one simulated SBP from empirical gray matter volume (GMV) datasets from two different scanners. Moreover, we applied two strategies to compare SBPs between schizophrenia patients’ and healthy controls’ GMV from two scanners.

Results

The outputs of the conventional strategy were limited to whole‐sample‐level results across all scanners; the outputs of SS‐Detect included whole‐sample‐level and scanner‐specific results. In the first simulation experiment, SS‐Detect successfully estimated all simulated SBPs, including the common and scanner‐specific SBPs, whereas the conventional strategy detected only some of the whole‐sample SBPs. The second simulation experiment showed that both strategies could detect the simulated SBP. Quantitative evaluations of both experiments demonstrated greater accuracy of the SS‐Detect in estimating spatial SBPs and subject‐specific loading parameters. In the third experiment, SS‐Detect detected more significant between‐group SBPs, and these SBPs corresponded with the results from voxel‐based morphometry analysis, suggesting that SS‐Detect has higher sensitivity in detecting between‐group differences.

Conclusions

SS‐Detect outperformed the conventional strategy and can be considered advantageous when SBM is applied to a multiscanner study.
Venous Diameter Changes in Chronic Active Multiple Sclerosis Lesions
Authors: Weber Claudia E. , Kraemer Matthias , Dabringhaus Andreas , Ebert Anne , Platten Michael , Gass Achim , Eisele Philipp
Published: December 2020

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

To investigate the temporal evolution of venous diameter in chronic active and nonenhancing shrinking multiple sclerosis (MS) lesions in a longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study including susceptibility‐weighted images (SWI).

METHODS

We compared the venous diameter in chronic active and nonenhancing shrinking lesions to the venous diameter in nonenhancing stable lesions on two 3 T MRI data sets obtained 12 months apart. Chronic active and nonenhancing shrinking lesions were identified by Voxel‐Guided Morphometry. Coregistered, overlaid fluid‐attenuated inversion recovery/SWI were analyzed for the presence of a central vein. Quantitative calculation of the venous diameter for each time point was performed on the reconstructed veins.

RESULTS

Sixty‐two relapsing‐remitting MS patients (50 women; mean age: 36 ± 11 years; mean disease duration: 4 ± 7 years) were included in the study. Overall, we identified 222 chronic MS lesions (48 chronic active, 48 shrinking, 126 stable) with a corresponding intralesional central vein. On baseline MRI, the mean venous diameter did not statistically differ between all subgroups, whereas on follow‐up MRI, the mean intralesional venous diameter was smaller in chronic active (0.92 ± 0.15 mm) and shrinking lesions (0.90 ± 0.19 mm) compared to stable lesions (1.10 ± 0.18 mm; P < .001).

CONCLUSION

Our findings demonstrate venous narrowing in chronic active and nonenhancing shrinking MS lesions. The smaller diameter of intralesional veins during follow up in these lesions may reflect structural, degenerative, and metabolic changes due to chronic inflammation, (perivascular) fibrosis, collagenous thickening, and increased levels of oxygenated hemoglobin.
Phylogeny of Orthotrichum s.l. and Ulota s.l. (Orthotrichaceae, Bryophyta): Insights into stomatal evolution
Authors: Wang Qing‐Hua , Dong Shan‐Shan , Zhang Jin‐Long , Liu Yang , Jia Yu
Published: December 2020

Orthotrichum Hedw. s.l. and Ulota Mohr s.l. are two of the most speciose genera of the xerophytic moss family Orthotrichaceae. We reconstructed the phylogeny of these two genera using three data matrices: (i) organellar genomes and 33 taxa; (ii) six loci from three genomes and 144 taxa; and (iii) two plastid loci and 163 taxa. The present phylogeny, based on the maximum sampling of genes or taxa to date, generally confirms the new classification of Orthotrichum and Ulota, and indicated that all Ulota species, except Ulota phyllantha Brid., form a clade and three lineages comprise the cryptoporous Orthotrichum clade. We provided new morphological characters that support the present division of the two genera. Ancestral state reconstruction of stoma indicates that superficial stomata in Orthotrichum represent a plesiomorphic character and semi‐immersed stomata were derived from immersed stomata. The results also suggest that immersed stomata independently arose once in Orthotrichum, whereas semi‐immersed stomata probably arose more than once. Molecular dating analysis reveals that the occurrence of immersed stomata is probably related to arid environments during the early Oligocene to late Miocene, whereas the appearance of semi‐immersed stomata might be associated with the mesic–xeric or semiarid environments during the middle Miocene to Pliocene. Ancestral state reconstruction of habitat indicates that the saxicolous habitat is apomorphic and independently evolved multiple times in Orthotrichum and Ulota, which supports the former hypothesis. Considering morphological statistics, the development of the cryptopore in Orthotrichum could provide increased resilience to dry habitats, and might promote their habitat shift during evolution.
Intra‐specific variation of non‐genitalic and genitalic traits in two euophryine jumping spider species
Authors: Lai J. , Maddison W. P. , Ma H. , Zhang J.
Published: December 2020

Intra‐specific variation pattern is informative to understanding the evolution of morphological traits, but has been rarely studied in jumping spiders. Here we investigate the intra‐specific variation of non‐genitalic and genitalic traits in two euophryine jumping spider species that show considerable difference in sexual dimorphism: Chapoda recondita (Peckham & Peckham, 1896) and Antillattus cambridgei (Bryant, 1943). The results show the pre‐copulatory sexually selected traits (e.g. male chelicerae) tend to have positive intra‐specific allometry, and thus may have evolved under strong directional selection. The genitalic traits and some non‐genitalic traits tend to show negative allometries. Unlike non‐genitalic traits, the genitalic traits usually have high size‐corrected intra‐specific variation (CV’). Factors that may account for the negative allometry and high size‐corrected intra‐specific variation in genitalic traits are discussed. Pre‐ and post‐copulatory sexual selection may coexist in species and whether there is a trade‐off between these two selection mechanisms remains to be investigated.
A Clarity Model of District Representation: District Magnitude and Pork Priorities
Authors: Tromborg Mathias Wessel , Schwindt‐Bayer Leslie A.
Published: December 2020

Carey and Shugart's important personal vote seeking model has long dominated literature on electoral rules and district representation. Empirical support for the model is somewhat mixed, however. We think one reason may be that its applicability depends on the type of district‐focused representation. We present an alternative “clarity model,” drawing from Lancaster, that may work better for one specific type of district‐targeted representation—pork provision. The clarity model posits district magnitude should be linked to less pork regardless of ballot type because it limits clarity of responsibility for pork outcomes. Legislators not directly responsible for goods and services allocated to the district can still claim credit for them in high magnitude districts. We test this theory with elite survey data on legislators' priorities toward pork provision in 14 Latin American and 10 Western Europe democracies and find empirical support for a clarity theory of pork priorities.
Response of soil fungal ecological guilds to global changes
Authors: Marín César , Kohout Petr
Published: December 2020

This article is a Commentary on Rodriguez‐Ramos et al. (2021), pp. 1105–1117.
A variant of H19 transcript regulates EMT and oral cancer progression
Authors: Zhou Wu , Wang Xi‐zhou , Fang Bing‐mu
Published: December 2020

Oral cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors of the head and neck, and it continues to represent a serious public health problem. Recent reports show the involvement of H19 long noncoding RNA (LncRNA) in oncogenesis but its mechanism associated with oral cancer remains unclear. Here, we identify an H19 transcript variant that lacks exon 4 in oral cancer specimens and carcinoma‐derived cells. Depletion of H19 by short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) targeting exon 1 but not exon 4 significantly inhibited oral cancer iCell‐h120 cells growth and invasion in vitro and tumorigenesis of these cells in vivo. Through binding the ZEB1 mRNA, the variant H19 transcript without exon 4 promotes the expression of ZEB1 protein during epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT). Thus, these data reveal the role of a splicing events of H19LncRNA in oral tumorigenesis, and indicate that the splicing event of H19 can be served as potential therapeutic targets for oral cancer.
Is there a role for medical management in the treatment of extreme mandibular osteoradionecrosis with pathological fractures?
Authors: Burns Megan , Patel Vinod
Published: December 2020

Aim

Osteoradionecrosis (ORN) of the jaws is a debilitating complication of radiotherapy (RT), frequently used in the management of head and neck cancer (HNC). Medical management using pentoxifylline, tocopherol (vitamin E) (PENTO) and clodronate (PENTOCLO) has slowly increased in popularity as a treatment strategy for ORN. Though encouraging results have been reported there remains high levels of scepticism about its use in severe ORN. The current article highlights Notani grade III osteoradionecrosis (ORN) of the jaws, all with pathological fractures managed effectively with either PENTO or PENTOCLO using case examples.

Materials & Methods

Eight cases of severe ORN managed by medical management are retrospectively reported with three case reports detailed further including radiographs.

Results

All cases show positive outcomes with healing of ORN with either bony or fibrous union of fractured jaws with medical management.

Conclusion

These case examples provide clinical evidence that medical management can provide an alternative strategy even in the most extreme cases of ORN.
Baseline neutrophil‐lymphocyte ratio is associated with survival for infant living donor liver transplantation for biliary atresia
Authors: Meng Xiao‐Yan , Guo Xin‐gang , Wang Hong‐Qian , Pan Zhi‐Ying , Lu Yu‐Gang , Yu Wei‐Feng
Published: December 2020

Living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) in infants for congenital biliary atresia (BA) poses various challenges nowadays. We aim to investigate independent preoperative risk factors for LDLT in infants. We retrospectively analyzed medical records of infant patients who underwent LDLT surgery for BA from 1 July 2014 to 31 December 2016. Cox regression was used to explore risk factors. The Kaplan‐Meier method was used to calculate the recipient and graft survival, and subgroup analysis was then applied according to the risk factors. Independent t test or Mann‐Whitney U test was applied for comparison of certain factors between survival patients and death. A total of 345 infant LDLT for BA were included in the analysis. In the multivariate Cox‐regression model, 3 factors were determined as independent risk factors for recipient and graft survival, there were neutrophil‐lymphocyte ratio (NLR), pediatric end‐stage liver disease (PELD), and recipient age. The HR (95% CI) of baseline NLR for recipient and graft survival were 1.25 (1.12‐1.38) and 1.25 (1.13‐1.39), with all P < .0001. Kaplan‐Meier curves for NLR using different cut‐offs (1.5; 1, 2) suggested that higher baseline NLR was significantly associated with recipient and graft survival. The subgroup analysis indicated that for infants with elevated NLR, the recipient survival was significantly lower when their age >6 months or PELD >20. Our results indicate that infants with higher baseline NLR value may have lower survival rate 3 years after transplantation. Further investigations about broaden the application of pre‐ and post‐transplant NLR to guide nutrition intervention and immunosuppression therapy are necessary.
Induced Abortion Incidence and Safety in Rajasthan, India: Evidence that Expansion of Services is Needed
Authors: Ahmad Danish , Shankar Mridula , Khanna Anoop , Moreau Caroline , Bell Suzanne
Published: December 2020

Despite induced abortion being broadly legal in India, up‐to‐date information on its frequency and safety is not readily available. Using direct and indirect methodological approaches, this study measures the one‐year incidence and safety of induced abortions among women in the state of Rajasthan. The analysis utilizes data from a population‐based survey of 5,832 reproductive aged women who reported on the abortion experiences of their closest female confidante in addition to themselves. We separately assess correlates of having a recent and most unsafe abortion using multivariable regression models. The confidante approach produced a one‐year abortion incidence estimate of 23 per 1,000 women, whereas the respondent estimate is 9.5 per 1,000 women. Based on the confidante estimate, approximately 441,000 abortions occurred in Rajasthan over a year. Overall, 25 and 29 percent of respondent and confidante reported abortions were classified as most unsafe. Results suggest that abortion remains an integral component of women's fertility regulation, and that a liberal law alone is insufficient to guarantee access to safe abortion services. Existing policies on abortion in India need updating to permit task sharing in line with current recommendations to expand service delivery so that demand is met through provision of safe and accessible services.
Professors and Practitioners: Assessing the Impact of COVID‐19 in the State of Oklahoma with and Without Residents of Long‐Term Care Facilities
Authors: Taylor Jared , McCann Melinda , Chakraborty Goutam , Krutz Glen , Dvorak Justin , Wendelboe Aaron
Published: December 2020

Objectives

Our analysis, which began as a request from the Oklahoma Governor for useable analysis for state decision making, seeks to predict statewide COVID‐19 spread through a variety of lenses, including with and without long‐term care facilities (LTCFs), accounting for rural/urban differences, and considering the impact of state government regulations of the citizenry on disease spread.

Methods

We utilize a deterministic susceptible exposed infectious resistant (SEIR) model designed to fit observed fatalities, hospitalizations, and ICU beds for the state of Oklahoma with a particular focus on the role of the rural/urban nature of the state and the impact that COVID‐19 cases in LTCFs played in the outbreak.

Results

The model provides a reasonable fit for the observed data on new cases, deaths, and hospitalizations. Moreover, removing LTCF cases from the analysis sharpens the analysis of the population in general, showing a more gradual increase in cases at the start of the pandemic and a steeper increase when the second surge occurred.

Conclusions

We anticipate that this procedure could be helpful to policymakers in other states or municipalities now and in the future.
Contamination of tissue allografts from a multiorgan‐multitissue donor colonized by Candida auris
Authors: Mirabet Vicente , Artigues Enrique , Galán Juan , Escobedo Carmen , Larrea Luis , Arbona Cristina , Gimeno Concepción , Pemán Javier
Published: December 2020

Standards on tissue banking determine the need of microbiological monitoring during critical steps (recovery, processing, storage, and transplantation). This information will be useful for both discarding contaminated tissues or risk analysis (in case of recipient infection). In this study, we show the case of a multiorgan‐multitissue donor colonized by Candida auris. This microorganism is characterized by multidrug resistance, with higher transmissibility and severe outcome. Some of the microbiological cultures from arteries tested positive for this microorganism, but it was not cultured in samples from musculoskeletal tissues and corneas. No recipient case of infection transmission by Candida species was observed (organs and cornea). The implementation of active surveillance protocol for C. auris detection in critical care units (as source of tissue donors) has been suggested as a part of our hospitals' infection control policy.
S100β‐mediated astroglial control of firing and input processing in layer 5 pyramidal neurons of the mouse visual cortex
Authors: Ryczko Dimitri , Hanini‐Daoud Maroua , Condamine Steven , Bréant Benjamin J. B. , Fougère Maxime , Araya Roberto , Kolta Arlette
Published: December 2020

Key points

Inputs impinging on layer 5 pyramidal neurons perform essential operations as these cells represent one of the most important output carriers of the cerebral cortex. However, the contribution of astrocytes, a type of glial cell, to these operations is poorly documented.

Here we found that optogenetic activation of astrocytes in the vicinity of layer 5 in the mouse primary visual cortex induces spiking in local pyramidal neurons through Nav1.6 ion channels and prolongs the responses elicited in these neurons by stimulation of their distal inputs in cortical layer 1.

This effect partially involved glutamatergic signalling but relied mostly on the astrocytic calcium‐binding protein S100β, which regulates the concentration of calcium in the extracellular space around neurons.

These findings show that astrocytes contribute to the fundamental computational operations of the cortex by acting on the ionic environment of neurons.

The most complex cerebral functions are performed by the cortex, whose most important output is carried out by its layer 5 pyramidal neurons. Their firing reflects integration of the sensory and contextual information that they receive. There is evidence that astrocytes influence cortical neuron firing through the release of gliotransmitters such as ATP, glutamate or GABA. These effects have been described at the network and at the synaptic levels, but it is still unclear how astrocytes influence neuron input‐output transfer function at the cellular level. Here, we used optogenetic tools coupled with electrophysiological, imaging and anatomical approaches to test whether and how astrocytic activation affected processing of distal inputs to layer 5 pyramidal neurons (L5PNs). We show that optogenetic activation of astrocytes near L5PN cell body prolonged firing induced by distal inputs to L5PNs and potentiated their ability to trigger spikes. The observed astrocytic effects on L5PN firing involved glutamatergic transmission to some extent but relied mostly on release of S100β, an astrocytic Ca2+‐binding protein that decreases extracellular Ca2+ once released. This astrocyte‐evoked decrease in extracellular Ca2+ elicited firing mediated by activation of Nav1.6 channels. Our findings suggest that astrocytes contribute to the cortical fundamental computational operations by controlling the extracellular ionic environment.
Over a decade of decibels—Celebrating teaching architectural acoustics within an architecture curriculum to students with various majors and minors
Authors: Butko Daniel
Published: December 2020

Having grown up with a musically inclined father who inspired an early appreciation for acoustically related environments and studying under Gary Siebein at UF, the author bridges architecture and acoustics in both teaching and practice. Adjunct positions focused on environmental technologies and acoustic-based courses at UF and K-State led to the current position of Associate Professor of Architecture and OU Gibbs College of Architecture Research Fellow at The University of Oklahoma. Since beginning at OU in 2010, course assignments such as dedicated architectural acoustics electives, design studios, materials and environmental systems, and independent studies have integrated acoustics into curriculum objectives. With over 1300 students to date, majors include Architecture, Architectural Engineering, Environmental Design, Interior Design, and Pre-med with minors in Anthropology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Construction Management, Literature, Business Management, Geography, Foreign Languages, History, Mathematics, and Sociology. Opportunities for pedagogical applications include: hands on experiments; field measurements and data collection; study of musical instruments; precedent studies; laboratory and manufacturing facility tours; and material prototype fabrication with industry partners and other colleges. This presentation showcases how teaching broad spectrum acoustical topics resulted in acoustical integration within capstone projects, student coauthored publications and presentations, and student recognition.
The Noise MANual
Authors: Meinke Deanna K. , Neitzel Richard L.
Published: December 2020

The name Elliott Berger has appeared on the covers of the 4th, 5th, and 6th editions of the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Noise Manual since 1986. As principle editor for the 4th and 5th editions and co-editor of the 6th edition (2020), Elliott's contributions extend beyond the written words, but to the personal connections that attracted premier authors to contribute chapters. The 4th edition was one of AIHA's best selling texts with over 13 000 copies in print, and the 800 page 5th edition (2000) was selected by the AIHA Publications Committee as “Outstanding 2000 Technical Committee Publications,” and as “Top-Selling Technical Committee Publication for the years 2000 and 2001. The chapters have reached readers from multiple disciplines beyond the AIHA industrial hygiene membership, including occupational health and safety, medicine, nursing, audiology, engineering and public health. The chapters are used in college courses and research labs globally to train future professionals in hearing conservation. This accomplishment is noteworthy in terms of the dedication, expertise, precision and perseverance that Elliott exhibited over the past 34 + years. We're honored to give tribute to the “Noise MANual.” Conflict of Interest Statement: The presenters are co-editors of the 6th Edition of the Noise Manual.
Elliott Berger: A good scientist to have around!
Authors: killion mead c.
Published: December 2020

The teachings of Elliott Berger are always clear. His recent paper “The Art of Presentation” explains his approved method. He has been the direct and indirect mentor to most of us interested in protecting hearing, and he is the expert in the real-ear performance of hearing protection devices. His 21 EARLogs® provide a treasure trove of information. The Berger et al. Noise Manual has been without peer in several editions. His integrity is absolute, his enthusiasm knows few bounds, and his determination to get to the bottom of vexing questions has produced some of the most important information in our field. A colleague and I once visited Elliott hoping to sell him on a new ready-to-wear earplug with a flat 20 dB attenuation. He and Bob Falco liked the performance, but opined that it was very ugly—and suggested a more attractive construction which produced the same performance. The resulting ER20 HiFi earplug has sold some three million pairs between the two companies: Hundreds of thousands of drummers and band students have normal hearing today as a result. Elliott sometimes has fun even with an important question: “So, how do you want your NRRs: Realistic or sunny-side-up?”
Acoustic velocimetry imaging
Authors: Murray Nathan E. , Tinney Charles E. , Lyons Gregory W.
Published: December 2020

We review a technique that we developed that combines shadowgraph or schlieren imaging with image processing tools to study the sound produced by turbulent shear flows. These flows are challenging acoustically because they are characterized by a distributed cloud of correlated sources that produce sound through multiple mechanisms. In the far field, 100 s of characteristic lengths from the source region, the pressure waves are purely acoustic, the apparent the source location shrinks to a point, and the common assumption is that the propagation behavior is spherical. In the near field, pressure signals from both acoustic and hydrodynamic (or evanescent) signatures are difficult to separate, especially when the convective Mach number of the sound-producing events is supersonic. Single-point measurements such as condenser-type microphones are blind to the direction of the approaching/departing pressure waves unless they are combined in arrays. Non-intrusive optical-based methods offer some benefit in this scenario and can be tailored in new and different ways. Examples include acoustic laser Doppler velocimetry and quantitative schlieren methods. Our technique combines modern digital camera technology (with high-resolution, high-speed capabilities) with tomographical image processing techniques images to yield a “picture” of the sound field that can provide quantitative assessment of the source distribution and source velocities. This optical technique is a strong complement for single-point or array microphone measurements.
Brain imaging with iterated ripple noise
Authors: Patterson Roy D.
Published: December 2020

In the early 1990's Bill Yost challenged me to test the Auditory Image Model (AIM) with Iterated Ripple Noise (IRN). Bill and Stan Sheft had established the mathematics of IRN using an autocorrelation model. We jointly demonstrated that the pitch algorithms in AIM and their autocorrelation model produced comparable estimates of pitch value and pitch strength. The cochlear simulations in the models both showed that IRNs with similar energy levels but different lags would produce similar spectral and temporal distributions of activity in the cochlea. This led to the intriguing idea that IRN could be used in brain imaging experiments to produce strong neural responses in centers all along the auditory pathway, and so make local imaging contrasts sensitive to aspects of activity beyond gross level, including pitch strength. Around 2000, Tim Griffith's group in London began to employ IRN melodies in PET and fMRI studies. More recently, Andre Rupp's group in Heidelberg has developed MEG imaging with IRN. These and other studies indicate that pitch processing begins in auditory cortex around Heschl's gyrus, bilaterally. These findings, based on Bill's informed use of IRN, are a great tribute to his extensive, inventive research record.
Going Yostal—Dr. Yost's conception of “retirement.”
Authors: Pastore M. Torben
Published: December 2020

Much will likely be made in this session of Dr. Yost's highly productive and often foundational scholarship, as well as his service to the field. This is as it should be, but Dr. Yost is currently as prolific and inquisitive a researcher as ever. This talk will offer an overview of our ongoing efforts in the Spatial Hearing Lab at Arizona State University to understand the size of the auditory scene, listeners' ability to direct their attention within auditory environments that contain more sources than can be perceived at a time, and, especially, the multi-sensory, multi-systems processing that integrates auditory spatial estimates into a multidimensional internal representation of the world around us.
Perception and use of high-frequency energy in defining indexical and segmental features in speech
Authors: Donai Jeremy , Paschall Dwayne
Published: December 2020

Historically, the focus of speech perception research has been on spectral energy below 4-5 kHz. Recent research has shown a substantial amount of useful perceptual information above this frequency cutoff. Our studies at the Auditory Perception Laboratory at West Virginia University have revealed usable information related to talker sex, talker identity, vowel identity, and listening effort for human and machine applications. These benefits have been found in quiet and noisy listening conditions. Current projects are examining the use of high-frequency energy (above 4 kHz) for automated recognition tasks in quiet and noise. Using various spectral and temporal features extracted from high-frequency energy from a large database of signals (approximately 7000 vowels), classification accuracy for vowel identity, speaker sex, and individual speaker identify has been found to be significantly above chance. Specific details of this project as well as additional projects will be included in this presentation. Implications of this line of research will also be discussed.
Green's function retrieval and frequency-wavenumber methods for multiple source localization
Authors: Denis Max , Collier Sandra , Noble John M. , Alberts W. C. K. , Ligon David A. , Sim Leng K. , James Deryck
Published: December 2020

In this work, Green's function retrieval and frequency-wavenumber methods are employed for multiple source localization in an outdoor environment. The Green's function retrieval methods are used to improve the signal-to-noise ratio of the beamforming maps. The frequency-wavenumber method is adapted to the plane-wave beamforming map to accurately localize real sources, while removing the appearance of ghost sources due to the data-association problem and mitigating missed detections for sources close together. Open field microphone array measurements of active and passive sources are investigated.
Auralizing the impact of transportation noise sources
Authors: Rogers Kelsey , Markham Benjamin E.
Published: December 2020

Auralization is a powerful and cost-effective tool for communicating the impact of transportation noise sources on building occupants, and aiding the project team in making well-informed design decisions. An appropriately calibrated listening demonstration gives the owner, architect, and consultants the opportunity to directly experience annoyance, disturbance, and difficulty (or ease) of communication with others. This presentation will review lessons learned from practice to achieve an immersive and realistic listening experience, including suitable loudspeakers, recordings, receptor positions, transmission loss data, simulation and audio reproduction of moving sound sources. It will also cover important limitations of auralization in the context of transportation noise sources, including the difficulty of low frequency source characterization and transmission loss prediction, and the relevance of feelable vibration. Recent case studies of aircraft, rail, and automobile noise will be used to highlight the unique role of auralization in the design process of residential and commercial buildings.
Calculation of base vibration isolation effectiveness of a tall building column using four-pole parameters and finite element analysis
Authors: Nelson James T. , Phillips James E.
Published: December 2020

An approach often proposed for mitigating vibration and ground borne/structure borne noise within a large building involves the installation of intervening vibration isolating elastomer springs beneath building columns at the foundation level (or higher). The input mechanical impedance (the ratio of input force to input velocity response) at the base of an isolated column and the source mechanical impedance of the structure supporting the isolation must be significantly greater than the mechanical impedance of the isolation spring. Resonances within the column and connected floor structures can significantly reduce the input impedance of the column at the resonance frequencies. The large, concentrated loads at the bases of columns generally dictate that the strain of the spring (elastomer, for example) be low to avoid degradation and excessive creep of the spring over the lifetime of the building, thus driving the size and stiffness. This paper presents a method for calculating the column resonances using simple four-pole parameter systems with comparison to results using a Finite Element Analysis (FEA) approach.
Interferometric measurements of supersonic projectile acoustic signatures
Authors: Blevins Matthew G. , Lyons Gregory W. , Hart Carl R. , White Michael J.
Published: December 2020

Supersonic projectiles cause disturbances in the air that propagate and coalesce to form acoustic signatures. In the far-field, these signatures approach ideal N-waves. However, near the projectile these signatures are closely related to the projectile's shape. To study the generation and formation of acoustic signatures from supersonic projectiles, an experiment was conducted using optical methods. A z-type schlieren imaging system and laser interferometer were used in conjunction with acoustic sensors to measure the pressure field surrounding supersonic projectiles of various sizes and shapes. The rate of change of the phase difference recorded by the interferometer is inverted to obtain the ballistic pressure field by assuming cylindrical symmetry and using an inverse Abel transform. The accuracy of these reconstructed time series is evaluated by comparing N-wave parameters, such as period and peak pressure, with analytical results derived from the Whitham F-function. Improved rise time resolution obtained from the interferometric measurement is demonstrated by comparison with recordings from standard condenser microphones. Advantages of measuring acoustic signatures near the projectile by interferometric methods are discussed.
Reflective acoustic holograms for arbitrary pressure patterning and focusing
Authors: Sallam Ahmed , Meesala Vamsi C. , Shahab Shima
Published: December 2020

Monolithic passive holographic lenses (MPHLs) are being proposed as an alternative technology to phased array transducers (PATs) and subwavelength structured metamaterials due to their unprecedented spatial control over the sound field. These new capabilities enable precise focusing of acoustic energy or high resolution elaborate pressure patterning without the limitations associated with the aforementioned techniques. In particular, PATs and metamaterials require either an impractical high number of active elements or face fabrication limitations when operated at ultrasonic frequencies, especially underwater or inside the human body. MPHLs do not have such limitations and are being utilized in a wide range of crucial ultrasonic applications such as medical imaging and therapy, ultrasonic contactless energy transfer and nondestructive testing. In this work, we introduce a 3-D-printed metal reflective acoustic hologram. We will present the modeling and design process of such holograms as well as their capabilities for constructing single and multifocal spatial distributions of acoustic energy in a target plane. The effects of operating frequency, hologram material and propagation distance will also be highlighted. The results are verified using finite element multiphysics simulations in COMSOL as well as experimental investigations. [This work was supported by NSF Grant Nos. ECCS—1711139 and IIP-1738689, which are gratefully acknowledged.]
Elastic wave propagation in structures with triply periodic minimal surfaces
Authors: Carrillo-Munoz Maria , Caceres Nelson , Keattitorn Saranchana , Sharma Bhisham
Published: December 2020

We study the elastic wave propagation behavior of triply periodic minimal surface structures. Triply periodic minimal surfaces (TPMS) are surfaces with periodicity in three independent directions and a mean surface curvature of zero. Here, we apply the finite element method to obtain the dispersion curves of six different TPMS structures: Schwarz' P, Schwarz' D, Gyroid, Fischer-Koch's S, Schoen's I-WP, and Schoen's F-RD. The dispersion curves are obtained by modeling their respective unit cells, appropriately applying the Floquet-Bloch periodic boundary condition, and then performing an eigenfrequency analysis while sweeping over the boundaries of their respective irreducible Brillouin zones. We then classify each band according to their respective propagation modes (P- or S-waves) and study the effect of surface topology on each mode. Finally, we discuss the generation of directional and polarized bandgaps in these structures.
Fricative variability in normal adult speakers
Authors: Shadle Christine H. , Chen Wei-rong , Koenig Laura , Preston Jonathan L.
Published: December 2020

This study aims to establish a model for the variability of fricatives in normal speakers. Such a model is useful for studying populations with disordered speech (e.g., laryngectomies, glossectomies, adolescents with residual speech sound errors, etc.). Seven normal adult speakers (4 women, 3 men) were recorded uttering a corpus containing isolated words and connected sentences, including all English fricatives in a variety of phonetic contexts. Multitaper spectra of the fricatives were computed. For each spectrum, parameters estimating the frequency of the main peak (FM), amplitude difference between that peak and the low-frequency minimum (AmpD), and high-frequency energy (LevelD and spectral tilt) were computed. These have been shown to be closely related to, respectively: place of the constriction, strength and degree of localization of the noise source, and changes in the energy distribution of the source during the fricative. Comparison to other studies in which these parameters have been used can extend their findings to all English fricatives instead of only /s/ or only sibilants, and test the assumptions underlying the definitions of the parameters. In turn, the means and variabilities computed allow comparisons to pathological speech, and allow firmer conclusions about the causes of any deviation from normal parameter values.
The role of extended high frequencies in children's speech-in-speech recognition
Authors: Flaherty Mary M. , Libert Kelsey , Monson Brian B.
Published: December 2020

This study examined the extent to which school-aged children (5–17 yrs) are able to take advantage of extended high frequency (EHF) energy when recognizing sentences in a two-talker masker. Recent work demonstrated that EHFs can be beneficial for adults' speech-in-speech recognition, but its role in children's speech recognition has not been studied. Given that children have superior EHF hearing compared to adults and that EHF audibility may play an important role in language development, we hypothesized that EHF may be especially useful to children in multitalker contexts. The present study measured children's open-set sentence recognition in a two-talker masker using two filtering conditions: full band versus all stimuli low-pass filtered at 8 kHz. Given that EHF energy emission in speech is highly dependent on the head orientation of the talker, two masker head rotation conditions were tested: both maskers at 45 deg or at 60 deg rotation, relative to the target talker. Preliminary results demonstrate children performed best when EHF was present, indicating they use EHF for speech-in-speech recognition. However, thresholds remained elevated compared to adults, suggesting that while EHF is a salient cue for children, their increased EHF hearing sensitivity (relative to adults) did not increase the EHF benefit.