bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Characterization of children with recurrent eczema herpeticum and response to treatment with interferon‐gamma
Authors: Darji Kavita , Frisch Stephanie , Adjei Boakye Eric , Siegfried Elaine
Published: November 2017

Background/Objectives

Interferon gamma (IFN‐γ) has been used treat severe atopic dermatitis, with equivocal results. Recurrent eczema herpeticum is an underappreciated, therapeutically challenging complication of severe atopic dermatitis. Defects in IFN‐γ and other cytokine pathways have been identified in individuals with confirmed eczema herpeticum. This suggests possible benefit from IFN‐γ treatment for confirmed eczema herpeticum. The objective of the current study was to evaluate immunologic and microbial parameters and response to IFN‐γ treatment in children with confirmed eczema herpeticum.

Methods

We performed a retrospective review of medical records from eight children with confirmed eczema herpeticum and two children with severe atopic dermatitis without a history of eczema herpeticum treated with subcutaneous IFN‐γ.

Results

Our cohort of children with confirmed eczema herpeticum was predominantly male and had high total serum immunoglobulin E, evidence of insufficient toll‐like receptor responses, and streptococcal skin and pharyngeal colonization. The duration of IFN‐γ administration was 4.5‐25 months. Five children had initial control and then relapse. Three had interval flares. Two had no improvement. Injections were well tolerated, without significant adverse effects. Treatment was associated with an increase in total immunoglobulin E. Poor adherence complicated therapy in five patients. All 10 discontinued IFN‐γ for poor perceived efficacy.

Conclusion

Children with confirmed eczema herpeticum have evidence of impaired innate and adaptive immunity. IFN‐γ did not result in dramatic improvement in either subset. Specific evaluation for IFN‐γ production, function, or receptor defects may help predict response.
The triad of pruritus, xanthomas, and cholestasis: Two cases and a brief review of the literature
Authors: Pearson Hadley J. , Mosser Joy L. , Jacks Stephanie K.
Published: November 2017

When encountered in children, xanthomas are most commonly associated with a group of disorders known as familial hyperlipidemias. Aside from cosmetic concerns, these xanthomas are typically asymptomatic, but when generalized pruritus is a prominent associated symptom, clinicians should consider a different set of diagnoses that includes cholestasis of the liver. In this article we present two illustrative cases of children with cholestatic disease, pruritus, and xanthomas and discuss other disorders that may include this triad.
On the Possibility of Imagining an Open Border
Authors: Yeh Rihan
Published: November 2017

In Tijuana, Mexico, middle‐class desires for an open border with neighboring San Diego, California, are riddled with tensions and contradictions that derive from the way in which local ideals of citizenship are entangled with securitized US entry protocols: legal access to the US is basic for local belonging. This article examines the limitations that haunt both these tijuanenses’ nostalgic memories of free passage in the past and their projects to reestablish it in the future. The most glaring contradiction, I argue, lies in the forgetting of the predicament of those without authorization to cross the border, even as expedited legal passage is invested with political hopes for a more just future. The article focuses on young, highly binational professionals, whose socioeconomic and legal privilege puts them in the vanguard of the tensions of an emerging global regime of citizenship to which “flexible” borders are key.
Fiscal policy under a minimum‐time objective
Authors: Dai Darong
Published: November 2017

In an endogenous growth model, we characterize the fiscal policy driven by a minimum‐time objective of economic development. We find that in equilibrium government should levy the highest possible consumption taxes, reduce public expenditures to the lowest possible level, and keep labor income tax rate and capital income tax rate satisfy a substitution relationship at the balanced budget constraint. We also identify the condition under which income tax rate should be set to zero. We further find that the equilibrium fiscal policy is equivalent to the growth‐maximizing fiscal policy, whereas it generally deviates from the welfare‐maximizing fiscal policy. We hence identify a circumstance where setting the policy goal of reaching an economic‐performance target as soon as possible cannot be justified in the sense of maximizing the welfare of households.
Reliable recognition of lying, sitting, and standing with a hip‐worn accelerometer
Authors: Vähä‐Ypyä H. , Husu P. , Suni J. , Vasankari T. , Sievänen H.
Published: November 2017

Hip‐worn accelerometers are widely used to estimate physical activity (PA), but the accuracy of acceleration threshold‐based analysis is compromised when it comes to identifying stationary and sedentary behaviors, let alone classifying body postures into lying, sitting, or standing. The purpose of this study was to devise a novel method for accurate classification of body posture using triaxial data from hip‐worn accelerometer and to evaluate its performance in free‐living conditions against a thigh‐worn accelerometer. The posture classification rested on 2 facts: constant Earth's gravity vector and upright walking posture. Thirty healthy adults wore a hip‐mounted accelerometer and underwent an array of lying, sitting, standing, and walking tasks. Task type, their order, and length were randomly assigned to each participant. During walking, the accelerometer orientation in terms of gravity vector was taken as reference, and the angle for posture estimation (APE) was determined from the incident accelerometer orientation in relation to the reference vector. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve yielded an optimal cut‐pointAPEof 64.9° (sensitivity 100% and specificity 100%) for lying and sitting and 11.6° (94.2%; 94.5%) for sitting and standing. In free‐living conditions, high agreement (89.2% for original results and 90.4% for median‐filtered results) in identifying sedentary periods (sitting and lying) was observed between the results from hip‐ and thigh‐worn accelerometers. Walking provides a valid reference activity to determine the body posture. The proposedAPEanalysis of the raw data from hip‐worn triaxial accelerometer gives accurate and specific information about daily times spent lying, sitting, and standing.
Kinematic analysis of pressing situations in female collegiate football games: New insight into anterior cruciate ligament injury causation
Authors: Sasaki S. , Koga H. , Krosshaug T. , Kaneko S. , Fukubayashi T.
Published: November 2017

The most common events during which anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries occur in football are pressing situations. This study aimed to describe the knee and hip joint kinematics during pressing situations in football games to identify kinematic patterns in actions with a high risk for ACL injuries. We filmed 5 female collegiate football matches and identified 66 pressing situations. Five situations with a large distance between the trunk and foot placements in the sagittal plane were analyzed using a model‐based image‐matching technique. The mean knee flexion angle at initial contact (IC) was 13° (range, 8°‐28°) and increased by 11° (95% confidence interval [CI], 3°‐14°) at 40 ms after IC. As for knee adduction and rotation angles, the knee positions were close to neutral at IC, and only minor knee angular changes occurred later in the sequences. The mean hip flexion was 25° (range, 8°‐43°) at IC and increased by 22° (95% CI, 11°‐32°) after 100 ms. The hip was also externally rotated by 7° (range, −19° to 3°) at IC, and gradually rotated internally, reaching 10° of internal rotation (range, −5° to 27°) at 100 ms after IC. This study suggests that the observed knee valgus, internal hip and knee rotation, and static hip flexion previously reported in non‐contact ACL injury events are unique to injury situations. In contrast, neither rapid knee valgus nor increased internal rotation was seen in non‐injury pressing maneuvers.
Do animal exhibitors support and follow recommendations to prevent transmission of variant influenza at agricultural fairs? A survey of animal exhibitor households after a variant influenza virus outbreak in Michigan
Authors: Stewart R. J. , Rossow J. , Conover J. T. , Lobelo E. E. , Eckel S. , Signs K. , Stobierski M. G. , Trock S. C. , Fry A. M. , Olsen S. J. , Biggerstaff M.
Published: November 2017

Influenza A viruses circulate in swine and can spread rapidly among swine when housed in close proximity, such as at agricultural fairs. Youth who have close and prolonged contact with influenza‐infected swine at agricultural fairs may be at increased risk of acquiring influenza virus infection from swine. Animal and human health officials have issued written measures to minimize influenza transmission at agricultural exhibitions; however, there is little information on the knowledge, attitudes, and practice (KAP) of these measures among animal exhibitors. After an August 2016 outbreak of influenza A(H3N2) variant (“H3N2v”) virus infections (i.e., humans infected with swine influenza viruses) in Michigan, we surveyed households of animal exhibitors at eight fairs (including one with known H3N2v infections) to assess their KAP related to variant virus infections and their support for prevention measures. Among 170 households interviewed, most (90%, 151/167) perceived their risk of acquiring influenza from swine to be low or very low. Animal exhibitor households reported high levels of behaviours that put them at increased risk of variant influenza virus infections, including eating or drinking in swine barns (43%, 66/154) and hugging, kissing or snuggling with swine at agricultural fairs (31%, 48/157). Among several recommendations, including limiting the duration of swine exhibits and restricting eating and drinking in the animal barns, the only recommendation supported by a majority of households was the presence of prominent hand‐washing stations with a person to monitor hand‐washing behaviour (76%, 129/170). This is a unique study of KAP among animal exhibitors and highlights that animal exhibitor households engage in behaviours that could increase their risk of variant virus infections and have low support for currently recommended measures to minimize infection transmission. Further efforts are needed to understand the lack of support for recommended measures and to encourage healthy behaviours at fairs.
Short‐term high‐fat diet primes excitatory synapses for long‐term depression in orexin neurons
Authors: Linehan Victoria , Fang Lisa Z. , Hirasawa Michiru
Published: November 2017

Key points

High‐fat diet consumption is a major cause of obesity.

Orexin neurons are known to be activated by a high‐fat diet and in turn promote further consumption of a high‐fat diet.

Our study shows that excitatory synapses to orexin neurons become amenable to long‐term depression (LTD) after 1 week of high‐fat diet feeding. However, this effect reverses after 4 weeks of a high‐fat diet.

This LTD may be a homeostatic response to a high‐fat diet to curb the activity of orexin neurons and hence caloric consumption. Adaptation seen after prolonged high‐fat diet intake may contribute to the development of obesity.

Overconsumption of high‐fat diets is one of the strongest contributing factors to the rise of obesity rates. Orexin neurons are known to be activated by a palatable high‐fat diet and mediate the activation of the mesolimbic reward pathway, resulting in further food intake. While short‐term exposure to a high‐fat diet is known to induce synaptic plasticity within the mesolimbic pathway, it is unknown if such changes occur in orexin neurons. To investigate this, 3‐week‐old male rats were fed a palatable high‐fat western diet (WD) or control chow for 1 week and then in vitro patch clamp recording was performed. In the WD condition, an activity‐dependent long‐term depression (LTD) of excitatory synapses was observed in orexin neurons, but not in chow controls. This LTD was presynaptic and depended on postsynaptic metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) and retrograde endocannabinoid signalling. WD also increased extracellular glutamate levels, suggesting that glutamate spillover and subsequent activation of perisynaptic mGluR5 may occur more readily in the WD condition. In support of this, pharmacological inhibition of glutamate uptake was sufficient to prime chow control synapses to undergo a presynaptic LTD. Interestingly, these WD effects are transient, as extracellular glutamate levels were similar to controls and LTD was no longer observed in orexin neurons after 4 weeks of WD. In summary, excitatory synapses to orexin neurons become amenable to LTD under a palatable high‐fat diet, which may represent a homeostatic mechanism to prevent overactivation of these neurons and to curtail high‐fat diet consumption.
Impact of deposition rate, underlayers, and substrates on β-tungsten formation in sputter deposited films
Authors: Barmak Katayun , Liu Jiaxing
Published: November 2017

The metastable phase of tungsten, β-W, which is a topologically close packed phase with the A15 (Pm3¯n) structure is of interest for application in spintronic devices based on the spin Hall effect. The deposition of β-W on glass substrates was studied as a function of deposition rate and the pressure of gaseous N2 introduced into the chamber along with the Ar sputtering gas. As the deposition rate is increased by increasing the deposition power, the N2 pressure required to form a given fraction of β-W increased. The variation of fraction of β-W with pressure of N2 for a given deposition rate followed the Langmuir–Freundlich isotherm, in agreement with prior work. The impact of underlayers and substrates on the formation of β-W was examined using 23 underlayers and two single crystal substrates in addition to the glass substrate. The underlayers were B, C, Mg, Al, Si, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zr, Nb, Mo, Hf, Ta, W, Fe19Ni81 (permalloy) Co40Fe40B20, Al2O3, and SiO2. The two single crystal substrates were sapphire (Al2O3) and α-quartz (SiO2). The use of such a large number of underlayers and substrates allowed a simple bonding rule to be developed for deposition of β-W versus α-W in the presence of N2. On metallically bonded solids, α-W is formed; on covalently or ionically bonded solids, β-W is formed. Crystallinity of oxide underlayers and substrate is found to have no impact on the formation of β-W. The bonding rule is a reflection of the impact of bond type on N2 adsorption on the depositing surface.
The influence of visual distance on the room-acoustic experience of auralizations
Authors: Postma Barteld N. J. , Katz Brian F. G.
Published: November 2017

Auralizations have become more prevalent in architectural acoustics and virtual reality. Studies have shown that by employing a methodical calibration procedure, ecologically/perceptually valid auralizations can be obtained. Another study demonstrated a manner to include dynamic voice directivity with results indicating these auralizations were judged significantly more plausible than auralizations with static source orientations. With the increased plausibility of auralizations, it is possible to study room-acoustic experience employing virtual reality, having confidence that the results also apply to real-life situations. Limited studies have examined the influence of visuals on room-acoustic experience. Using a virtual reality framework, this study investigated the influence of visuals on the room-acoustic experience of auralizations. Evaluations compared dynamic voice auralizations coherently matched with visualization positions to incoherently matched audio-visual pairs. Based on the results, the test population could be divided into three subgroups: (1) those who judged auralizations more acoustically distant with increased visual distance, (2) those who judged auralizations louder with increased visual distance, and (3) those whose audio judgment was uninfluenced by the visual stimulus.
Modeling sound fields generated by multi-nodal communications networks found in underwater industrial settings
Authors: Stocker Michael A.
Published: November 2017

Increasingly as the sea becomes host to marine industrial operations, mid-to-high frequency multi-nodal communication systems are being employed to monitor equipment states and to control remotely controlled and autonomous underwater vessels used to service and tend underwater equipment. From a regulatory standpoint most of this equipment is modeled as single point noise sources and propagation concerns are ameliorated by high-frequency attenuation due to sound absorption through frequency-dependent chemical “relaxation” or “elasticity” characteristics of boric acid (BH3O3) and magnesium sulphate (MgSO4) components in seawater, and assumptions of the directionality of high-frequency signals. But due to the multi-nodal aspect of their operations, these networks actually set up a broad sound field that can be operationally detected at distances in excess of 10km. In this paper we approximate the characteristics of these sound fields by propagation modeling under realistic, but hypothetical scenarios that would be found in offshore and subsea fossil fuel extraction and renewable energy harvesting operations.
Recent advances in resonant ultrasound spectroscopy (RUS) for the measurement of the stiffness tensor of anisotropic and attenuative materials
Authors: Grimal Quentin
Published: November 2017

The elasticity tensor of a small sample of anisotropic material can be advantageously determined with Resonant Ultrasound Spectroscopy (RUS). In RUS, resonant frequencies of a sample are measured, and computed frequencies of a numerical model of the sample are fitted, yielding the stiffness tensor. RUS was developed in the 1990s, but until recently, it was in practice limited to measure materials with a high quality factor. We have recently adapted the method to measure attenuative materials such as plastics and hard biological tissues (bone and tooth tissues) with a typical quality factor of about 25. Our strategy combines Bayesian methods to retrieve overlapped resonant peaks in the RUS spectra and to solve the inverse problem using a limited number of resonant frequencies. The method allows a quasi-automated processing of RUS spectra where it is not necessary to know a priori the pairing between measured and computed frequencies. In the last years, we have extensively used RUS to document the anisotropic elastic properties of human bone and we explored application in additive manufacturing.
Individual differences in cue weights are correlated across contrasts
Authors: Clayards Meghan
Published: November 2017

When listeners make judgments about phonological contrasts, they integrate different acoustic dimensions putting more weight on some than others. Individuals differ in how they weight different cues. Schultz, Francis & Llanos (2012) found that weights for VOT and f0 as cues to initial stop voicing in English are weakly positively correlated across individuals. We ask whether this is specific to VOT and f0 or a more general property of cue weighting across individuals. Secondly, across contrasts do the same listeners have stronger cue weights? 43 listeners performed a 2AFC task for four sets of minimal pairs that each varied orthogonally in two dimensions. All heard bet-bat and Luce-lose (vowel spectral quality vs. duration) and bog-dog (burst spectrum vs. formant transitions). 24 participants also heard sock-shock (sibilant spectrum vs. formant transitions) and the other 19 heard dear-tear (VOT vs. f0). Cue weights were fit with random slopes in a logistic regression for each minimal pair. Weights were positively correlated across individuals both within and across contrasts for bet-bat, Luce-lose, and sock-shock. Bog-dog and dear-tear had less consistent results. Overall this indicates that some individuals are better able to extract and use acoustic-phonetic information across different acoustic dimensions.
Working memory capacity and lexical knowledge in perceptual restoration of interrupted speech
Authors: Nagaraj Naveen K. , Magimairaj Beula
Published: November 2017

Role of working memory capacity (WMC) and lexical knowledge in perceptual restoration (PR) of missing speech was investigated using the interrupted speech perception (ISP) paradigm. 75 young normal hearing listeners’ speech identification was measured using low-context sentences interrupted by silence and three noise at 1.5 Hz. Noise conditions created by manipulating the spectro-temporal content of filler noise were as follows: (1) low frequency (LF) speech shaped noise (SSN), (2) temporal fine structure filled (TFSf) noise consisting of LF TFS from the missing speech, and (3) temporal envelope filled (TEf) noise consisting of LF TE extracted from the missing speech. WMC was measured using verbal reading span and visuospatial symmetry span. Lexical knowledge was assessed using standard vocabulary and meaning from context tests. We hypothesized that during noise filled ISP conditions WM mechanism is crucial for retrieving and integrating relevant information from long-term memory. Results showed that ISP was better for SSNf than other conditions tested. Both lexical knowledge and verbal WMC explained unique variance in SSNf, but were unrelated to silent gated condition. It was only, lexical knowledge that uniquely predicted PR for TFSf and TEf conditions. Findings in general suggest that PR of filled interrupted speech depends crucially on individuals’ lexical knowledge.
F0 as a cue to prosodic structure in voice onset time categorization
Authors: Steffman Jeremy
Published: November 2017

This study investigates the effect of F0-based cues to English prosodic structure on the categorization of voice onset time (VOT) continua. Human perceptual systems are capable of extracting relevant phonetic and phonological information in spite of pervasive variation in the speech signal, with prosodic structure being one source of variation. For example, in English VOT in voiceless stops is robustly longer when intonational phrase (IP) initial, versus IP-medial. Kim & Cho (2013) found listeners compensate for perceived IP boundaries, requiring longer VOT to categorize sounds as voiceless when IP-initial. However, because the target sound was in an utterance-medial IP, compensation could have arisen due to the lengthened duration of the preceding IP-final syllable, as in speech rate normalization, instead of due to prosodic structure itself. Mitterer et al. (2016) found categorization shifts solely on the basis of duration, by rendering F0 contours prosodically ambiguous, yet it remains unknown what effect F0 has on categorization when it unambiguously cues prosodic structure. This study tests the hypothesis that compensation is triggered by more than duration normalization, by varying F0 cues independently from duration. Results will be discussed in terms of language-general auditory processing and top-down language-specific influences on segment categorization.
Perceived anger in clear and conversational speech: Effect of aging and hearing loss
Authors: Morgan Shae D. , Crain Ashton
Published: November 2017

Previous research suggests that young normal-hearing and older hearing-impaired adult listeners judge clear speech as sounding angry more often than conversational speech. Interestingly, older hearing-impaired listeners were less likely than young normal-hearing listeners to judge sentences as angry in both speaking styles. It was unknown, however, whether this difference in ratings of emotion were driven by the age or hearing status differences between the two groups. A secondary investigation showed that young adult listeners with a simulated hearing loss that matched the older hearing-impaired group rated emotions nearly identically to the young normal-hearing group, suggesting no effect of hearing loss on ratings of emotion. The simulated hearing loss failed to account for other auditory factors or psychological processes associated with aging that may have account for the group differences. The present study carried out the same emotional rating task using clear and conversational speech sentences (as used in the previous studies) on a group of older adults with clinically normal hearing to determine whether differences in anger (and other emotion) perception are driven by age differences, hearing loss, or other factors.
Differential arrival time accuracy using ships of opportunity
Authors: Gemba Kay L. , Sarkar Jit , Cornuelle Bruce , Durofchalk Nicholas C. , Sabra Karim G. , Hodgkiss William S. , Kuperman William A.
Published: November 2017

Previously, we demonstrated using the Noise-09 data set that it is possible to estimate the relative channel impulse responses (CIR) over a 1.5 km transect independently at 3 vertical line arrays (VLAs). This vessel provided sufficient SNR and bandwidth for the uncertainty of the direct arrival time to reach 5 microseconds. The time evolution of the CIRs as the ship passed by was subsequently used to determine VLA hydrophone positions relative to a reference hydrophone with accuracy on the order of centimeters. An experiment was performed in the Santa Barbara Channel using four VLAs placed between the sea lanes of in- and outgoing shipping traffic. Ship tracks were obtained from the Automatic Identification System (AIS). We extend the previous processing to this data set and discuss the uncertainties of relative multi-path arrival-times and differential travel times between VLAs.
Cascade of blind deconvolution and array invariant for robust source-range estimation
Authors: Song Hee-Chun , Cho Chomgun , byun gihoon , kim Jea Soo
Published: November 2017

The array invariant proposed for robust source localization in shallow water is based on the dispersion characteristics in ideal waveguides. It involves conventional plane-wave beamforming using a vertical array, exploiting multiple arrivals separated in beam angle and travel time, i.e., beam-time migration. The approach typically requires either a short pulse emitted by a source or the Green's function that can be estimated from a probe signal to resolve distinct multipath arrivals. In this letter, the array invariant method is extended to unknown source waveforms by extracting the Green's function via blind deconvolution. The cascade of blind deconvolution and array invariant for robust source-range estimation is demonstrated using a 16-element, 56-m long vertical array at various ranges (1.5–3.5 km) from a towed source broadcasting broadband communication waveforms (0.5–2 kHz) in approximately 100-m deep shallow water.
Archaeoacoustics: Testing and evaluation methodology
Authors: Paladino Vincent C.
Published: November 2017

Testing and measurement procedures of acoustic properties in caves, caverns, and buildings have been conducted along with EEG measurements in order to determine the effects of acoustic resonance on the human brain. The results have given rise to questions and speculative models concerning the role of acoustic phenomena in the development of human culture. Conceptualizations of the role of sound in sociocultural evolution add needed dimensions to archaeology, and challenge the science of acoustics. The problem of methodology needs to be addressed, and standards must be established. The relationship of testing techniques and the relevance of measurement parameters to the spaces and material culture found in these locations is central to the successful establishment of archaeoacoustics as a valid scientific study.
Data-driven decomposition of long-term echosounder time series from ocean observatories
Authors: Lee Wu-Jung , Staneva Valentina , Herman Bernease , Aravkin Aleksandr
Published: November 2017

Recent advances in technology have produced a deluge of acoustic data that offer opportunities to study ecological processes at scales that are not possible previously. A prominent example is the continuous data flow from the fleet of upward-looking echosounders installed by the Ocean Observatories Initiatives (OOI) at diverse global locations. However, it is unclear if conventional echosounder analysis routines are effective in analyzing these data sets, due to the generally scarce ground-truth resources and limited empirical knowledge at many locations. In this study, we explored the use of signal decomposition methods in discovering daily patterns of marine organism activities in long-term echosounder time series. Using non-negative matrix factorization (NMF), we show that the echograms can be decomposed into a weighted combination of discrete components, each with acoustic features that can be exploited for inferring the underlying biological assemblage. In addition, the component weights provide an avenue to capture echogram variations in a significantly reduced dimensional space, which can be utilized to describe changes in the ecosystem. Building on these results, we are developing new formulations to incorporate continuity in both time and space to construct a fully scalable framework for data-driven discovery using long-term echosounder data.
Ultrasound-enhanced molecular therapy for axon neurogenesis
Authors: Lopez Asis , Jones Adrian , Daugherty Bridget , Khismatullin Damir
Published: November 2017

An estimated 55M individuals experience spinal cord injuries (SCIs), 230K in the United States. When a nerve is injured, the environment prevents healing of neurons and myelin. This is due to the presence of myelin inhibitors, growth factor not re-expressing, and glial tissue scarring rapidly. In order to bypass this mechanism nerves need to regenerate quickly, and unfortunately, no effective method currently exists to stimulate neurogenesis to the central nervous system. We propose an innovative non-invasive method to stimulate neurogenesis through low-intensity focused or unfocused ultrasound irradiation. We developed an in vitro system integrating unfocused ultrasound (UFUS) with neuron axon dynamics using a 3D microenvironment for neurogenesis. Dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons are used for our studies and microsurgically removed at day 15 and E18 Sprague Dawley cortical neurons from BrainBits, LLC. To determine if stimulation of axon growth occurs, we measure density and distance using phase contrast imaging and perform Scholl Method. In parallel, we began an in vivo protocol exposing the spinal cord of mice and using two-photon microscopy. We tested and demonstrated a variety of operating parameters to identify optimal conditions that stimulate axon DRGs by UFUS.
Nonuniform electromechanical efficiency and point defects in lithium niobate
Authors: Chatterjee Chandrima , Ostrovskii Igor
Published: November 2017

The electromechanical efficiency (EME) and distribution of point defects (DPD) are measured from LiNbO3 samples at room temperature. The EME is estimated by reading an electric potential (V) generated while applying a mechanical force to a local point. The DPD is measured by Photoluminescence (PL) taken from samples. PL is excited by 310-nm light and optical spectra are registered from 350 to 900 nm. The defects are identified by their characteristic peaks. The applied mechanical force and intensity of 310-nm light are kept constant while scanning V and PL along Z-axis or normal to Z. The F-center and Fe+ have been shown to be sensitive to local electrical polarization. Thus, they may influence EME in a local point of crystal. The experimental data from bulk and wafer samples show a nonuniform distribution of the F-center and Fe+ defects. For example, a 1.9-mm-thick Y-cut wafer demonstrates periodicity in defect concentration of 1 to 2 mm along the Z-axis. Similar periodicity is detected in the potential V along the same crystallographic axis. The revealed correlation between defects and EME along with their nonuniform distribution may be a physical basis of nonlinear phenomena involving piezoelectricity including nonlinear elasticity, acoustical memory, etc.
Nonlinear shear wave resonator consisting of a relaxing material
Authors: Cormack John M. , Hamilton Mark F.
Published: November 2017

Soft materials such as rubbers, polymers, and tissue exhibit low shear wave speeds, facilitating the generation of shear waves with large acoustic Mach numbers. In addition to finite-amplitude effects that result from cubic nonlinearity, plane shear wave propagation in these materials is subject to frequency-dependent attenuation and dispersion that result from viscoelastic effects. A wave equation for plane shear waves in a relaxing material is obtained from a nonlinear Zener constitutive model that accounts for cubic nonlinearity as well as the attenuation and dispersion associated with relaxation. The wave equation is used to analyze a one-dimensional shear wave resonator comprised of a nonlinear relaxing material that is shaken at one end and free at the other. For excitation of the lowest mode the wave equation is approximated by an augmented Duffing equation, and the resulting frequency-response equation is compared with numerical finite-difference solutions of the original wave equation. Frequency responses are presented as functions of both drive amplitude and relaxation time. The model predicts behavior resembling that reported by Andreev et al. [Acoust. Phys. 57, 779 (2011)] for experiments on a similar resonator comprised of plastisol and a head mass. [Work supported by the ARL:UT McKinney Fellowship in Acoustics.]
Second language English learners’ perception of foreign-directed speech
Authors: Rothermich Kathrin , Mello Kristin , Turco Emily , Lemes Larissa , Fernandez Erika , Bobb Susan
Published: November 2017

Previous research has shown that people adapt the way they speak depending on the perceived comprehension level of the listener (Uther et al., 2007) including when they speak to foreigners. While the acoustic properties of accommodations such as foreign speech are well documented, few studies have investigated how second language learners in particular interpret them. The present study investigated English language learners’ (ELLs) perception of different speech types. Participants heard four types of auditory stimuli (casual, clear, infant-directed, and foreign-directed) spoken by four different speakers (two males, two females) and evaluated the extent to which the speaker was easy to understand, competent, condescending, friendly, and respectful. Perceptual ratings showed an interaction between speech type and question type (p < 0.001). Casual speech was least intelligible, least competent, least friendly, and least respectful compared to all other speech types. No effects were found for condescension. The implications of these results suggest that ELLs perceive speech accommodation of any type as positive.
Non-native perception of Vietnamese tone contrasts
Authors: Oakley Madeleine
Published: November 2017

A listener’s ability to discriminate non-native sound contrasts has been shown to be largely influenced by the listener's native phonological system (Best et al., 2003; Tyler et al., 2014; Tskuda, 2012). Looking specifically at suprasegmental contrasts, experimental results suggest that the degree to which pitch is used to distinguish lexical items in a speaker’s L1 influences how well they are able to detect non-native tone contrasts (Schaefer & Darcy, 2014). However, these results are based only on Thai tones. The present study shows that native speakers of English (a stress language), and Mandarin (a tone language) do not perform significantly differently in their ability to perceive Vietnamese tone contrasts. Results from an ABX categorization task show that native speakers of English are not more likely to make errors in categorizing Vietnamese tones than native speakers of Mandarin, and both groups have difficulty perceiving the difference between the low falling tone and the low falling-rising tone. These results suggest that the acoustic properties of a tone, such as the register and the contour, contributes more to how well non-native speakers can discriminate a contrast than does the L1 of the listener.
Acoustic correlates of accentedness and comprehensibility in L2 Spanish judgments: A mixed-effects modeling approach
Authors: Zhou Ziwei , Nagle Charles
Published: November 2017

Two constructs—comprehensibility and accentedness—figure themselves prominently in listeners’ judgments of L2 (second language) speech. Correlational analyses have shown that they make separate contributions to such judgments (Derwing and Munro, 1995, 1997, 2005). As it is important to set realistic goals for adult L2 learners by prioritizing understanding over nativelikeness (Levis, 2005), recent studies began to examine the relative contribution of linguistic aspects, especially acoustic features, to comprehensibility and accentedness (Munro & Derwing, 1999; Kang, Rubin, & Pickering, 2010; Trofimovich & Issac, 2012). Consistent with this agenda, this study first examines the reliability of scores (produced by the 9-point Lickert scale) under modern measurement framework (e.g. multi-facet Rasch measurement model). Then, the relationship between acoustic features, including the confidence values (for each utterance) obtained using Google Cloud Platform speech recognition engine as well as suprasegmental features extracted using Prosogram (Mertens, 2014), and ratings are established using mixed-effects modeling techniques. Results indicate that, even though it can be shown that comprehensibility and accentedness are statistically distinct constructs, both ratings share a common set of acoustic correlates as significant predictors—speech time, standard deviation of pitch values, and normalized pairwise variability index (nPVI).
Human intestinal tract serves as an alternative infection route for Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus
Authors: Zhou Jie , Li Cun , Zhao Guangyu , Chu Hin , Wang Dong , Yan Helen Hoi-Ning , Poon Vincent Kwok-Man , Wen Lei , Wong Bosco Ho-Yin , Zhao Xiaoyu , Chiu Man Chun , Yang Dong , Wang Yixin , Au-Yeung Rex K. H. , Chan Ivy Hau-Yee , Sun Shihui , Chan Jasper Fuk-Woo , To Kelvin Kai-Wang , Memish Ziad A. , Corman Victor M. , Drosten Christian , Hung Ivan Fan-Ngai , Zhou Yusen , Leung Suet Yi , Yuen Kwok-Yung
Published: November 2017

Human intestinal tract as an alternative route to acquire MERS-CoV infection.
After failed rescue effort, rare porpoise in extreme peril
Authors: Pennisi Elizabeth
Published: November 2017

Did conservationists wait too long to launch captive breeding effort for Mexico's vaquitas?
A change of mind
Authors: Couzin-Frankel Jennifer
Published: November 2017

Scientists are learning to predict psychosis years in advance. Now, they want to
prevent it
State-to-state chemistry for three-body recombination in an ultracold rubidium gas
Authors: Wolf Joschka , Deiß Markus , Krükow Artjom , Tiemann Eberhard , Ruzic Brandon P. , Wang Yujun , D’Incao José P. , Julienne Paul S. , Denschlag Johannes Hecker
Published: November 2017

Tracking a trio of rubidium atoms

Crossed molecular beams have provided decades' worth of knowledge into how quantum mechanics governs chemical reactivity. Nonetheless, the technique is generally limited to the collision of two partners. Wolf
et al.
report on a three-body process with full quantum state resolution. By cooling rubidium atoms to ultralow temperatures in an optical trap, they were able to observe dimer formation, stabilized by collision with a third atom, and extract the precise dependence of product states on the initial states of the atoms involved.

Science
, this issue p.
921
The scapegoat
Patient Zero and the Making of the AIDS Epidemic
Richard A. McKay
University of Chicago Press, 2017. 446 pp.
Authors: Eisner Jessica
Published: November 2017

A preoccupation with “patient zero” stimulated, but may also have stymied, early efforts to understand AIDS
Exploring exoplanets
The Planet Factory: Exoplanets and the Search for a Second Earth
Elizabeth Tasker
Bloomsbury Sigma, 2017. 336 pp.
Authors: Carson Jennifer
Published: November 2017

Landscapes of lava, vast waterscapes, and “eyeball worlds” await discovery
Catalytic molten metals for the direct conversion of methane to hydrogen and separable carbon
Authors: Upham D. Chester , Agarwal Vishal , Khechfe Alexander , Snodgrass Zachary R. , Gordon Michael J. , Metiu Horia , McFarland Eric W.
Published: November 2017

Hydrogen from methane in molten metal

The hydrogen used in making ammonia and other industrial reactions is produced mainly through steam reformation of methane over nickel catalysts. This high-temperature process also releases carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas. Upham
et al.
used nickel dissolved in molten bismuth to pyrolyze methane to release hydrogen and form carbon, which floats to the surface of the melt, where it can be removed. Carbon formation on steam-reforming catalysts is usually a deactivating side reaction, but in the new process, the carbon can be stored or incorporated into composite materials.

Science
, this issue p.
917
The Genomic Landscape of the Fungus-Specific SWI/SNF Complex Subunit, Snf6, in Candida albicans
Authors: Tebbji Faiza , Chen Yaolin , Sellam Adnane , Whiteway Malcolm
Published: November 2017

Candida albicans
is a natural component of the human microbiota but also an opportunistic pathogen that causes life-threatening infections in immunosuppressed patients. Current therapeutics include a limited number of molecules that suffer from limitations, including growing clinical resistance and toxicity. New molecules are being clinically investigated; however, the majority of these potential antifungals target the same processes as do the standard antifungals and might confront the same problems of toxicity and loss of efficiency due to the common resistance mechanisms. Here, we characterized the role of Snf6, a fungus-specific subunit of the chromatin-remodeling complex SWI/SNF. Our genomic and phenotypic data demonstrated a central role of Snf6 in biological processes that are critical for a fungal pathogen to colonize its host and cause disease, suggesting Snf6 as a possible antifungal target.
Cognitive trajectories from infancy to early adulthood following birth before 26 weeks of gestation: a prospective, population-based cohort study
Authors: Linsell Louise , Johnson Samantha , Wolke Dieter , O’Reilly Helen , Morris Joan K , Kurinczuk Jennifer J , Marlow Neil
Published: November 2017

Objective

To determine the trajectory of cognitive test scores from infancy to adulthood in individuals born extremely preterm compared with term-born individuals.

Design

A prospective, population-based cohort study.

Setting

276 maternity units in the UK and Ireland.

Patients

315 surviving infants born less than 26 completed weeks of gestation recruited at birth in 1995 and 160 term-born classroom controls recruited at age 6.

Main outcome measures

Bayley Scales of Infant Development-Second Edition (age 2.5); Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (ages 6/11); Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence-Second Edition (age 19).

Results

The mean cognitive scores of extremely preterm individuals over the period were on average 25.2 points below their term-born peers (95% CI −27.8 to −22.6) and remained significantly lower at every assessment. Cognitive trajectories in term-born boys and girls did not differ significantly, but the scores of extremely preterm boys were on average 8.8 points below those of extremely preterm girls (95% CI −13.6 to −4.0). Higher maternal education elevated scores in both groups by 3.2 points (95% CI 0.8 to 5.7). Within the extremely preterm group, moderate/severe neonatal brain injury (mean difference: −10.9, 95% CI −15.5 to −6.3) and gestational age less than 25 weeks (mean difference: −4.4, 95% CI −8.4 to −0.4) also had an adverse impact on cognitive function.

Conclusions

There is no evidence that impaired cognitive function in extremely preterm individuals materially recovers or deteriorates from infancy through to 19 years. Cognitive test scores in infancy and early childhood reflect early adult outcomes.
Physical activity and cancer: an umbrella review of the literature including 22 major anatomical sites and 770 000 cancer cases
Authors: Rezende Leandro Fórnias Machado de , Sá Thiago Hérick de , Markozannes Georgios , Rey-López Juan Pablo , Lee I-Min , Tsilidis Konstantinos K , Ioannidis John P A , Eluf-Neto José
Published: November 2017

Objective

To provide an overview of the breadth and validity of claimed associations between physical activity and risk of developing or dying from cancer.

Design

Umbrella review.

Data sources

We searched Medline, Embase, Cochrane Database and Web of Science.

Eligibility criteria for selecting studies

Systematic reviews about physical activity and cancer incidence and cancer mortality in different body sites among general population.

Results

We included 19 reviews covering 22 cancer sites, 26 exposure-outcome pairs meta-analyses and 541 original studies. Physical activity was associated with lower risk of seven cancer sites (colon, breast, endometrial, lung, oesophageal, pancreas and meningioma). Only colon (a protective association with recreational physical activity) and breast cancer (a protective association with overall physical activity) were supported by strong evidence and highly suggestive evidence, respectively. Evidence from endometrial, lung, oesophageal, pancreas and meningioma presented hints of uncertainty and bias in the literature (eg,not reaching P values<10-6) showing large between-study heterogeneity and/or not demonstrating a definite direction for the effect when 95% prediction intervals were considered. Four of the 26 meta-analyses showed small study effects and 4 showed excess significance.

Conclusion

Physical activity is associated with a lower risk of several cancers, but only colon and breast cancer associations were supported by strong or highly suggestive evidence, respectively. Evidence from other cancer sites was less consistent, presenting hints of uncertainty and/or bias.
Identifying bioethical issues in biostatistical consulting: findings from a US national pilot survey of biostatisticians
Authors: Wang Min Qi , Yan Alice F , Katz Ralph V
Published: November 2017

Objectives

The overall purposes of this first US national pilot study were to (1) test the feasibility of online administration of the Bioethical Issues in Biostatistical Consulting (BIBC) Questionnaire to a random sample of American Statistical Association (ASA) members; (2) determine the prevalence and relative severity of a broad array of bioethical violations requests that are presented to biostatisticians by investigators seeking biostatistical consultations; and (3) establish the sample size needed for a full-size phase II study.

Design

A descriptive survey as approved and endorsed by the ASA.

Participants

Administered to a randomly drawn sample of 112 professional biostatisticians who were ASA members.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

The 18 bioethical violations were first ranked by perceived severity scores, then categorised into three perceived severity subcategories in order to identify seven ‘top tier concern violations’ and seven ‘second tier concern violations’.

Results

Methodologically, this phase I pilot study demonstrated that the BIBC Questionnaire, as administered online to a random sample of ASA members, served to identify bioethical violations that occurred during biostatistical consultations, and provided data needed to establish the sample size needed for a full-scale phase II study. The No. 1 top tier concern was ‘remove or alter some data records in order to better support the research hypothesis’. The No. 2 top tier concern was ‘interpret the statistical findings based on expectation, not based on actual results’. In total, 14 of the 18 BIBC Questionnaire items, as judged by a combination of ‘severity of violation’ and ‘frequency of occurrence over past 5 years’, were rated by biostatisticians as ‘top tier’ or ‘second tier’ bioethical concerns.

Conclusion

This pilot study gives clear evidence that researchers make requests of their biostatistical consultants that are not only rated as severe violations, but further that these requests occur quite frequently.