bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
In-situ estimates of environmental uncertainty on sonar performance prediction
Authors: Heaney Kevin D.
Published: October 2013

Oceanographic and geo-acoustic variability in the shallow water can dominate acoustic propagation. Sonar performance predictions using archival sound speed and geo-acoustic information do not contain any information about variability or uncertainty in the environment and its likely impact on sonar performance prediction. Using measurements from the NATO Undersea Research Centres BOUNDARY 2003 sea test, an approach is presented that estimates the uncertainty and transfers it through the acoustic propagation and the sonar equation to sonar performance. The sound speed field is characterized by an Empirical Orthogonal Function decomposition of the measured profiles. The geo-acoustic uncertainty is considered to be a normal distribution around the inverted geo-acoustic parameters (from 4 separate inversions). Dynamic ambient noise variability is measured from the array beamformer output. Uncertainty in propagation is quantified in terms of sound speed, geo-acoustic, and ambient noise uncertainty. The uncertainty in sonar performance, due to environmental uncertainty, is then displayed to the operator. [Work supported by the ONR Capturing Uncertainty DRI.]
Fish population dynamics revealed by instantaneous continental-shelf scale acoustic imaging
Authors: Ratilal Purnima , Symonds Deanelle , Makris Nicholas C. , Nero Redwood
Published: October 2013

Video images of fish population densities over vast areas of the New Jersey continental shelf have been produced from acoustic data collected on a long range bistatic sonar system during the Acoustic Clutter 2003 experiment. Areal fish population densities were obtained after correcting the acoustic data for two-way transmission loss modeled using the range-dependent parabolic equation, spatially varying beampattern of the array, source level and mean target strength per fish. The wide-area fish density images reveal the temporal evolution of fish school distributions, their migration, as well as shoal formation and fragmentation at 50 s interval. Time series of the fish population within various density thresholds were made over the period of a day in an area containing millions of fish that at some instances formed a massive shoal extending over 12 km. The analysis shows that fish population in the area can be decomposed into a stable ambient population from lower-fish-density regions and a time-varying population composed from higher-density regions. Estimates of the differential speed between population centers of various shoals show that the average speed is on the order of a slow-moving surface vessel or submarine.
Nonlinear standing waves in shaped resonators driven by a piston
Authors: Luo Cheng , Huang Xiaoyang , Nguyen Nam Trung
Published: October 2013

The nonlinear standing waves in a shaped resonator driven by a piston are investigated analytically and experimentally. In the study, the resonator is an exponentially expanded horn with a piston oscillating at its large end. The air pressure waves inside the resonator are obtained by solving a 1-D nonlinear wave equation with the Galerkins method, taking into account the moving boundary due to the piston. The simulation results, in terms of the pressure waveforms, the pressure amplitudes, and the resonance frequency shift, show that the nonlinear standing waves generated by the piston have characteristics similar to those in the same resonator but under entirely shaking condition. The experiment is also conducted on an exponentially expanded resonator. The small end of the resonator is sealed and the big end is connected to a 5-inch 40 W loudspeaker, functioned as the driving piston. The resonance frequency shift is observed, and high amplitude pressures, up to 0.3×105 Pa, have been detected at the small end, which is 20 times higher than that at the big end. The experimental results agree well with the simulated values.
The reflectivity function of the cochlear transmission line
Authors: Sisto Renata , Moleti Arturo
Published: October 2013

The generation of evoked otoacoustic emissions is related, for each frequency, to the reflectivity function of the cochlear membrane near the correspondent resonant place. A formal analogy exists between the transmission line equation that is often used to model the propagation of sound along the cochlea and the Schroedinger equation describing the motion of an elementary particle in a one-dimensional potential. In this analogy, the cochlear region near the tonotopic place is equivalent to a negative potential well. Analytical solutions are available in quantum mechanics textbooks, which predict partial reflection of the incoming wave from such a potential well. The reflectivity is expected to be a slow quasi-periodic function of the well width and depth, e.g., of the quality factor of the cochlear resonance. This observation could be useful to predict the large-scale spectral structure of evoked otoacoustic emissions as a function of the cochlear tuning curve.
Line-integral prediction for horizontal coherence in deep-water propagation
Authors: Vera Michael
Published: October 2013

Some of the characteristics of an acoustic signal propagating to basin-scale ranges in the ocean can be estimated using line integrals along deterministic ray paths. These line-integral approximations involve the statistics of the internal-wave field. The success or failure of the integral expressions can be analyzed by comparison to parabolic-equation simulations through multiple realizations of the stochastic internal-wave field. One acoustic characteristic of interest is the length scale of acoustic horizontal (cross-range) coherence. Recent work comparing integral predictions of horizontal coherence length to values from simulations of the North Pacific Acoustic Laboratory experiment yielded mixed results. Additional comparisons will be discussed for acoustic propagation paths that are not impacted by range-dependence in the bathymetry or background sound-speed profile. These simulations will employ a single sound-speed profile and a deep, range-independent bottom. The comparisons can yield some insight into the accuracy of the integral estimate; they will not be influenced by bathymetric interaction or range dependence in the background sound speed.
Neural-network simulation of tonal categorization based on F0 velocity profiles
Authors: Gauthier Bruno , Shi Rushen , Xu Yi , Proulx Robert
Published: October 2013

Perception studies have shown that by the age of six months, infants show particular response patterns to tones in their native language. The present study focuses on how infants might develop lexical tones in Man- darin. F0 is generally considered the main cue in tone perception. However, F0 patterns in connected speech display extensive contextual variability. Since speech input to infants consists mainly of multi-word utterances, tone learning must involve processes that can effectively resolve variability. In this study we explore the Target Approximation model (Xu and Wang, 2001) which characterizes surface F0 as asymptotic movements toward underlying pitch targets defined as simple linear functions. The model predicts that it is possible to infer underlying pitch targets from the manners of F0 movements. Using production data of three of the speakers from Xu (1997), we trained a self-organizing neural network with both F0 profiles and F0 velocity profiles as input. In the testing phase, velocity profiles yielded far superior categorization than F0 profiles. The results confirm that velocity profiles can effectively abstract away from surface variability and directly reflect underlying articulatory goals. The finding thus points to one way through which infants can successfully derive at phonetic categories from adult speech.
Kinematic properties of stop and fricative production
Authors: Lofqvist Anders
Published: October 2013

This study examined movement kinematics in stop and fricative consonants, looking for potential evidence of different movement characteristics related to precision requirements. It has often been claimed that fricatives require more precision in their production than stops due to the management of airflow. However, the empirical evidence for this claim is very limited and mostly based on different developmental trends. Tongue movements were recorded using a magnetometer system. Speed and movement paths were used to examine movement kinematics, including different measures of stiffness. Preliminary results do not show any consistent pattern across subjects, although some subjects did have systematic differences in movement stiffness with stop consonants having stiffer movements that fricatives. These results most likely reflect that fact that speech is an over learned skill, so that any differences related to precision are very small, or nonexistent, in adults, and probably only apparent in the early stages of speech development. [Work supported by NIH.]
Effect of shallow water internal waves on the ambient noise notch
Authors: Rouseff Daniel , Tang Dajun , Henyey Frank S.
Published: October 2013

Consider a vertical receiving array in shallow water that is recording ambient noise. If the recorded noise is beamformed, the resulting beam pattern often exhibits a notch at broadside to the array. Modeling of range-independent environments suggests that this ambient noise notch should become more pronounced as the sound speed gradient is increased. In the present work, the effect of range dependence on the ambient noise notch in the 1–5 kHz band is studied. Range dependence is introduced into the model in the form of random shallow water internal waves. Coupling between the propagating acoustic modes is calculated using the Dozier-Tappert formulation [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 63, 353–365 (1978)] extended to consider bottom loss. The model is internally consistent as the buoyancy profile determining the internal waves is dictated by the sound speed gradient. Experimental results from the 2001 East China Sea Experiment are also reported. [Work supported by ONR.]
Measurements of the acoustic properties of reticulated vitreous carbon
Authors: Muehleisen Ralph T. , Beamer C. Walter , Tinianov Brandon D.
Published: October 2013

Reticulated vitreous carbon (RVC) is an open-cell foam structure composed of amorphous carbon that has a high porosity, strength and rigidity, low bulk thermal conductivity, a high melting point and chemical inertness. These properties make RVC an excellent candidate for use as a material for stacks and regenerators in thermoacoustic devices as well as an acoustic absorber in harsh environments. The four-microphone transfer matrix method was used to measure the characteristic impedance and wave number of 60 to 300 pore-per-inch RVC. From the measurements, a new empirical power law model and acoustic absorption charts were developed. The data are shown to be poorly predicted by the empirical models of Delany and Bazley and only fairly predicted by the Johnson-Allard microstructural model.
Background noise cancellation for improved acoustic detection of manatee vocalizations
Authors: Yan Zheng , Niezrecki Christopher , Beusse Diedrich O.
Published: October 2013

The West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) has become endangered partly because of an increase in the number of collisions with boats. A device to alert boaters of the presence of manatees, so that a collision can be avoided, is desired. Practical implementation of the technology is dependent on the hydrophone spacing and range of detection. These parameters are primarily dependent on the manatee vocalization strength, the decay of the signal strength with distance, and the background noise levels. An efficient method to extend the detection range by using background noise cancellation is proposed in this paper. An adaptive line enhancer (ALE) that can detect and track narrowband signals buried in broadband noise is implemented to cancel the background noise. The results indicate that the ALE algorithm can efficiently extract the manatee calls from the background noise. The improved signal-to-noise ratio of the signal can be used to extend the range of detection of manatee vocalizations and reduce the false alarm and missing detection rate in their natural habitat.
Effects of speech-rate and pause duration on sentence intelligibility in younger and older normal-hearing listeners
Authors: Tanaka Akihiro , Sakamoto Shuichi , Suzuki Yô-iti
Published: October 2013

Speech-rate conversion techniques aid speech comprehension by allowing more time for perceptual and cognitive processes. However, if only the speech-rate of a telecast is converted, auditory and visual information become asynchronous. One possible method to resolve the problem is to reduce the pause durations between phrases; unfortunately, this can evoke a marked negative effect. For that reason, the present study examines the effects of the speech-rate and pause duration on sentence intelligibility. We manipulated the lengths of phrases relative to the original length (0, +100, +200, +300, and +400 ms), and the pause durations between phrases in a sentence (0, 100, 200, 300, and 400 ms). Listeners were asked to write down sentences they discerned from the noise. The intelligibility score increased in younger and older listeners when the speech signal was expanded. Regarding the pause duration, intelligibility was best when the pause duration was 200 ms in younger listeners; in older listeners, the intelligibility score was highest when the pause durations were 200 ms and 400 ms. These results provide evidence that might benefit speech-rate conversion through better use of pause duration.
Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Challenges in Translational Research and a Vision for Change
Authors: Sutendra Gopinath , Michelakis Evangelos D.
Published: October 2013

Successful treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension requires better understanding of the disease, both clinically and mechanistically.
Slow-Wave Activity Saturation and Thalamocortical Isolation During Propofol Anesthesia in Humans
Authors: Ní Mhuircheartaigh Róisín , Warnaby Catherine , Rogers Richard , Jbabdi Saad , Tracey Irene
Published: October 2013

In subjects treated with an anesthetic, saturation of slow-wave activity in the EEG indicates the onset of thalamocortical isolation from the external world.
Major Cancer Regressions in Mesothelioma After Treatment with an Anti-Mesothelin Immunotoxin and Immune Suppression
Authors: Hassan Raffit , Miller Andrew C. , Sharon Elad , Thomas Anish , Reynolds James C. , Ling Alexander , Kreitman Robert J. , Miettinen Markku M. , Steinberg Seth M. , Fowler Daniel H. , Pastan Ira
Published: October 2013

In patients with advanced chemotherapy-refractory mesothelioma, treatment with the anti-mesothelin immunotoxin SS1P and immunosuppression with pentostatin and cyclophosphamide resulted in marked and durable tumor regressions.
Nanotubes Hunt Down Tumors, Spare Others
Authors: Seker Erkin
Published: October 2013

A two-step delivery scheme increases efficacy and reduces toxicity in targeted cancer therapy.
Small Genomes and Sparse Metabolisms of Sediment-Associated Bacteria from Four Candidate Phyla
Authors: Kantor Rose S. , Wrighton Kelly C. , Handley Kim M. , Sharon Itai , Hug Laura A. , Castelle Cindy J. , Thomas Brian C. , Banfield Jillian F.
Published: October 2013

Cultivation-independent surveys of microbial diversity have revealed many bacterial phyla that lack cultured representatives. These lineages, referred to as candidate phyla, have been detected across many environments. Here, we deeply sequenced microbial communities from acetate-stimulated aquifer sediment to recover the complete and essentially complete genomes of single representatives of the candidate phyla SR1, WWE3, TM7, and OD1. All four of these genomes are very small, 0.7 to 1.2 Mbp, and have large inventories of novel proteins. Additionally, all lack identifiable biosynthetic pathways for several key metabolites. The SR1 genome uses the UGA codon to encode glycine, and the same codon is very rare in the OD1 genome, suggesting that the OD1 organism could also transition to alternate coding. Interestingly, the relative abundance of the members of SR1 increased with the appearance of sulfide in groundwater, a pattern mirrored by a member of the phylum
Tenericutes
. All four genomes encode type IV pili, which may be involved in interorganism interaction. On the basis of these results and other recently published research, metabolic dependence on other organisms may be widely distributed across multiple bacterial candidate phyla.

IMPORTANCE
Few or no genomic sequences exist for members of the numerous bacterial phyla lacking cultivated representatives, making it difficult to assess their roles in the environment. This paper presents three complete and one essentially complete genomes of members of four candidate phyla, documents consistently small genome size, and predicts metabolic capabilities on the basis of gene content. These metagenomic analyses expand our view of a lifestyle apparently common across these candidate phyla.
Interaction between the Hemagglutinin-Neuraminidase and Fusion Glycoproteins of Human Parainfluenza Virus Type III Regulates Viral Growth
In Vivo
Authors: Xu Rui , Palmer Samantha G. , Porotto Matteo , Palermo Laura M. , Niewiesk Stefan , Wilson Ian A. , Moscona Anne
Published: October 2013

Paramyxoviruses, enveloped RNA viruses that include human parainfluenza virus type 3 (HPIV3), cause the majority of childhood viral pneumonia. HPIV3 infection starts when the viral receptor-binding protein engages sialic acid receptors in the lung and the viral envelope fuses with the target cell membrane. Fusion/entry requires interaction between two viral surface glycoproteins: tetrameric hemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN) and fusion protein (F). In this report, we define structural correlates of the HN features that permit infection
in vivo
. We have shown that viruses with an HN-F that promotes growth in cultured immortalized cells are impaired in differentiated human airway epithelial cell cultures (HAE) and 
in vivo
 and evolve in HAE into viable viruses with less fusogenic HN-F. In this report, we identify specific structural features of the HN dimer interface that modulate HN-F interaction and fusion triggering and directly impact infection. Crystal structures of HN, which promotes viral growth
in vivo
, show a diminished interface in the HN dimer compared to the reference strain’s HN, consistent with biochemical and biological data indicating decreased dimerization and decreased interaction with F protein. The crystallographic data suggest a structural explanation for the HN’s altered ability to activate F and reveal properties that are critical for infection
in vivo
.

IMPORTANCE
Human parainfluenza viruses cause the majority of childhood cases of croup, bronchiolitis, and pneumonia worldwide. Enveloped viruses must fuse their membranes with the target cell membranes in order to initiate infection. Parainfluenza fusion proceeds via a multistep reaction orchestrated by the two glycoproteins that make up its fusion machine.
In vivo
, viruses adapt for survival by evolving to acquire a set of fusion machinery features that provide key clues about requirements for infection in human beings. Infection of the lung by parainfluenzavirus is determined by specific interactions between the receptor binding molecule (hemagglutinin-neuraminidase [HN]) and the fusion protein (F). Here we identify specific structural features of the HN dimer interface that modulate HN-F interaction and fusion and directly impact infection. The crystallographic and biochemical data point to a structural explanation for the HN’s altered ability to activate F for fusion and reveal properties that are critical for infection by this important lung virus
in vivo
.
A rare nidus for pulmonary thromboembolism after vertebroplasty
Authors: Vallabhajosyula Saraschandra , Sundaragiri Pranathi Rao , Bansal Ojas , Townley Theresa A
Published: October 2013

Percutaneous vertebroplasty is used to treat osteoporotic compression fractures and bone loss due to malignancy. The cement used can serve as a potential nidus for pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE). An 87-year-old woman with recent L2 vertebroplasty presented with abdominal pain and shortness of breath. Thoracoabdominal CT scan revealed extensive bilateral pulmonary emboli associated with a 9 cm cement fragment in the inferior vena cava (IVC) extending proximally from the level of the right superior renal vein, likely secondary to cement leak from the vertebral plexus into the IVC. She refused catheter extraction was managed conservatively. There are 51 reported cases of cement pulmonary embolism. IVC foreign bodies serving as a nidus for PTE have been reported with IVC filters with an incidence of 6.2%. This is the second reported case of vertebroplasty cement serving as a nidus for PTE. Treatment depends on time interval between the procedure and the symptom onset.
Prevalence and long-term clinical significance of intracranial atherosclerosis after ischaemic stroke or transient ischaemic attack: a cohort study
Authors: Ovesen Christian , Abild Annemette , Christensen Anders Fogh , Rosenbaum Sverre , Hansen Christine Krarup , Havsteen Inger , Nielsen Jens Kellberg , Christensen Hanne
Published: October 2013

Objectives

We investigated the prevalence and long-term risk associated with intracranial atherosclerosis identified during routine evaluation.

Design

This study presents data from a prospective cohort of patients admitted to our stroke unit for thrombolysis evaluation.

Setting and participants

We included 652 with a final diagnosis of ischaemic stroke or transient ischaemic attack (TIA) from April 2009 to December 2011. All patients were acutely evaluated with cerebral CT and CT angiography (CTA). Acute radiological examinations were screened for intracranial arterial stenosis (IAS) or intracranial arterial calcifications (IAC). Intracranial stenosis was grouped into 30–50%, 50–70% and >70% lumen reduction. The extent of IAC was graded as number of vessels affected.

Primary and secondary outcome measure

Patients were followed until July 2013. Recurrence of an ischaemic event (stroke, ischaemic heart disease (IHD) and TIA) was documented through the national chart system. Poor outcome was defined as death or recurrence of ischaemic event.

Results

101 (15.5%) patients showed IAS (70: 30–50%, 29: 50–70% and 16: >70%). Two-hundred and fifteen (33%) patients had no IAC, 339 (52%) in 1–2 vessels and 102 (16%) in >2 vessels. During follow-up, 53 strokes, 20 TIA and 14 IHD occurred, and 95 patients died. The risk of poor outcome was significantly different among different extents of IAS as well as IAC (log-rank test p<0.01 for both). In unadjusted analysis IAS and IAC predicted poor outcome and recurrent ischaemic event. When adjusted, IAS and IAC independently increased the risk of a recurrent ischaemic event (IAS: HR 1.67; CI 1.04 to 2.64 and IAC: HR 1.22; CI 1.02 to 1.47).

Conclusions

Intracranial atherosclerosis detected during acute evaluation predicts an increased risk of recurrent stroke.
Diagnostic yield of delayed neurovascular imaging in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage, negative initial CT and catheter angiograms, and a negative 7 day repeat catheter angiogram
Authors: Delgado Almandoz Josser E , Kadkhodayan Yasha , Crandall Benjamin M , Scholz Jill M , Fease Jennifer L , Anderson Ruth E , Tubman David E
Published: October 2013

Purpose

The yield of delayed neurovascular imaging in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), negative initial CT and catheter angiograms (CT angiography (CTA), DSA), and negative 7 day repeat DSA is not well understood. Our aim was to determine the yield of delayed neurovascular imaging for the detection of causative vascular lesions in this clinical scenario.

Methods

We retrospectively examined the yield of delayed CTA and DSA for the detection of causative vascular lesions in patients presenting to our institution with SAH, negative initial CTA and DSA examinations, and a negative 7 day repeat DSA during a 6.5 year period. Two neuroradiologists evaluated the non-contrast CTs to determine the SAH pattern, and the delayed CTAs and DSAs to assess for the presence of a causative vascular lesion.

Results

39 patients were included: 23 men (59%) and 16 women (41%), mean age 55.5 years (range 33–75). 25 patients had diffuse SAH (64.1%), 12 had perimesencephalic SAH (30.8%), and two had peripheral sulcal SAH (5.1%). The delayed neurovascular examination was CTA in 30 patients (76.9%) and DSA in nine patients (23.1%). Mean time to delayed CTA or DSA was 34.9 days (median 34, range 14–69 days). Delayed CTA demonstrated a causative vascular lesion in two patients (5.1%, one small internal carotid artery aneurysm and one small pontine arteriovenous malformation), both with diffuse SAH (yield 8%).

Conclusions

Delayed neurovascular imaging is valuable in the evaluation of patients with diffuse SAH who have negative initial CTA and DSA examinations and a negative 7 day repeat DSA, demonstrating a causative vascular lesion in 8% of patients.
Test fill on soft plastic marine clay at Onsøy, Norway
Authors: Berre Toralv
Published: October 2013

The test fill at Onsøy, close to the town of Fredrikstad in Norway, was built on a very soft marine clay with in situ vane strength as low as 11 kPa and a plasticity index varying from 34 to 50. The dimensions at the bottom of the long fill were 20 m × 60 m and the height 2.3 m. The fill, as placed, had a computed factor of safety against foundation failure of 1.35 based on in situ vane strength. The fill was allowed to sit for about 3 years (from 1972 to 1975) before it, in a second stage, was brought to failure by raising the height. The main purpose of the first stage was to study the stress–strain–time relationships for the soft clay and compare the values of geotechnical parameters determined by careful laboratory tests with those back-calculated from the observed field behaviour. The test fill foundation was heavily instrumented to measure clay deformations and pore pressures with time. Field observations showed that the Onsøy test fill turned out to be more of a drained loading case than an undrained case in spite of the fairly rapid construction of the fill. Actually, subsequent undrained triaxial and direct simple shear tests strongly indicate that the fill might have failed if less drainage had taken place, i.e., if the drainage paths had been longer and (or) if the coefficient of consolidation had been lower.
Algorithmic trading review
Authors: Treleaven Philip , Galas Michal , Lalchand Vidhi
Published: October 2013

The competitive nature of AT, the scarcity of expertise, and the vast profits potential, makes for a secretive community where implementation details are difficult to find.
Making computer science count
Authors: Wilson Cameron
Published: October 2013

Combining efforts and expertise, ACM and Code.org are partnering to address a rapidly changing education landscape.
GPR40 and GPR120 fatty acid sensors are critical for postoral but not oral mediation of fat preferences in the mouse
Authors: Sclafani Anthony , Zukerman Steven , Ackroff Karen
Published: October 2013

In addition to orosensory signals, postoral actions of fat stimulate appetite and condition flavor preferences, but the gut sensors mediating these responses are unknown. Here, we investigated the role of the fatty acid sensors GPR40 and GPR120 in postoral and oral preferences for a soybean oil emulsion (Intralipid). Mice were trained to drink a flavored solution (CS+) paired with intragastric (IG) oil infusions and another flavored solution (CS−) paired with water infusions. Knockout (KO) mice missing GPR40 or GPR120 sensors increased their CS+ intake in one-bottle tests (1 h/day) but less so than wild-type (WT) mice. The KO mice also preferred the CS+ to CS− in a two-bottle test, but the preference was attenuated in GPR40 KO mice. Double-knockout (DoKO) mice missing both GPR40 and GPR120 displayed attenuated stimulation of CS+ intake and only a marginal CS+ preference. The DoKO mice developed a more substantial CS+ preference when tested 24 h/day, although weaker than that of WT mice. The DoKO mice also consumed less of the CS+ paired with IG Intralipid, as well as less Intralipid in oral tests. However, DoKO mice, like GPR40 KO and GPR120 KO mice did not differ from WT mice in their preference for Intralipid over water at 0.001%-20% concentrations. In contrast to prior results obtained with mice missing the CD36 fatty acid sensor, these findings indicate that, together, GPR40 and GPR120 play a critical role in the postoral stimulation of appetite by fat but are not essential for oral fat preferences.
Extended Holographic Ricci Dark Energy in Chameleon Brans-Dicke Cosmology
Authors: Chattopadhyay Surajit
Published: October 2013

In the present work, we have studied some features of the generalized Brans-Dicke (BD) model in which the scalar field is allowed to couple nonminimally with the matter sector. Extended holographic Ricci dark energy (EHRDE) has been considered in the above framework
of BD cosmology. Some restrictions have been derived for the BD parameter ω, and a stronger matter-chameleon coupling has been observed with the expansion of the universe. In this framework, the equation of the state parameter of EHRDE has behaved like quintom. Also, we have reconstructed the potential and coupling function for BD model for the EHRDE. It has been observed that the potential function is increasing as the matter-chameleon coupling is getting stronger.
A Novel Synthesis Method of Porous Calcium Silicate Hydrate Based on the Calcium Oxide/Polyethylene Glycol Composites
Authors: Guan Wei , Ji Fangying , Cheng Yong , Fang Zhuoyao , Fang Dexin , Yan Peng , Chen Qingkong
Published: October 2013

This paper proposed a novel method to prepare porous calcium silicate hydrate (CSH) based on the calcium oxide/polyethylene glycol (CaO/PEG2000) composites as the calcium materials. The porosity formation mechanism was revealed via X‐ray diffraction (XRD), field‐emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Brunauer‐Emmett‐Teller (BET), and Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR). The reactivity of silica materials (SiO2) enhanced by increasing pH value. Ca2+ could not sustain release from CaO/PEG2000 and reacted with

caused by silica to form CSH until the hydrothermal temperature reached to 170°C, avoiding the hardly dissolved intermediates formation efficiently. The as‐prepared CSH, due to the large specific surface areas, exhibited excellent release capability of Ca2+ and OH−. This porous CSH has potential application in reducing the negative environmental effects of continual natural phosphate resource depletion.
A Comparative Study of Ballistic Resistance of Sandwich Panels with Aluminum Foam and Auxetic Honeycomb Cores
Authors: Yang Shu , Qi Chang , Wang Dong , Gao Renjing , Hu Haitao , Shu Jian
Published: October 2013

An innovative auxetic-cored sandwich panel (AXP) is proposed. Its perforation resistant performance under high-velocity projectile impact was numerically analyzed using the validated finite element simulation techniques and compared with that of the aluminum foam-cored sandwich panel (AFP) of identical dimensions and weight. It has been found that the AXP is far superior to the AFP in ballistic resistance because of the material concentration at the impacted area due to the negative Poisson's ratio (NPR) effect. A parametric study was carried out to investigate the effects of several key parameters, including impact velocity, face and core thicknesses, and core density, on the ballistic resistance of the AXP and AFP. The results show that the ballistic limit and perforation energy of the AXP is greatly affected by these parameters. Meanwhile, the advantages of AXP over AFP being used as ballistic resistant structures are highlighted. The primary outcome of this research is new information on the development and design of advanced ballistic resistant structures containing auxetic materials.
Lumbar Facet Joint Arthritis Is Associated with More Coronal Orientation of the Facet Joints at the Upper Lumbar Spine
Authors: Jentzsch Thorsten , Geiger James , Zimmermann Stefan M. , Slankamenac Ksenija , Nguyen-Kim Thi Dan Linh , Werner Clément M. L.
Published: October 2013

We retrospectively analyzed CT scans of 620 individuals, who presented to our traumatology department between 2008 and 2010. Facet joint (FJ) arthritis was present in 308 (49.7%) individuals with a mean grade of 1. It was seen in 27% of individuals ≤40 years and in 75% of individuals ≥41 years () as well as in 52% of females and 49% of males (). Mean FJ orientation was 30.4° at L2/3, 38.7° at L3/4, 47° at L4/5, and 47.3° at L5/S1. FJ arthritis was significantly associated with more coronal (increased degree) FJ orientation at L2/3 () with a cutoff point at ≥32°. FJs were more coronally oriented (48.8°) in individuals ≤40 years and more sagittally oriented (45.6°) in individuals ≥41 years at L5/S1 (). Mean FJ asymmetry was 4.89° at L2/3, 6.01° at L3/4, 6.67° at L4/5, and 7.27° at L5/S1, without a significant difference for FJ arthritis. FJ arthritis is common, increases with age, and affects both genders equally. More coronally oriented FJs (≥32°) in the upper lumbar spine may be an individual risk factor for development of FJ arthritis.
Allelopathic Effects of Litter Axonopus compressus against Two Weedy Species and Its Persistence in Soil
Authors: Samedani B. , Juraimi A. S. , Rafii M. Y. , Anuar A. R. , Sheikh Awadz S. A. , Anwar M. P.
Published: October 2013

This study investigated the allelopathic effect of Axonopus compressus litter on Asystasia gangetica and Pennisetum polystachion. In experiment 1 the bioassays with 0, 10, 30, and 50 g L−1 of aqueous A. compressus litter leachate were conducted. Experiment 2 was carried out by incorporating 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 g L−1 of A. compressus litter leachate into soil. In experiment 3, the fate of A. compressus litter leachate phenolics in the soil was investigated. A. compressus leachates did not affect the germination percentage of A. gangetica and P. polystachion, but delayed germination of A. gangetica seeds and decreased seed germination time of P. polystachion. A. compressus litter leachates affected weeds hypocotyl length. Hypocotyl length reductions of 18 and 31% were observed at the highest concentration (50 g L−1) compared to the control in A. gangetica and P. polystachion, respectively. When concentration of A. compressus litter leachate‐amended soil increased A. gangetica and P. polystachion seedling shoot length, root length, seedling weight and chlorophyll concentration were not affected. The 5‐week decomposition study of A. compressus showed that the phenolic compounds in A. compressus litter abruptly decreased about 52% after two weeks and remained steady until the end of the incubation.
Comparison of Urea and Citric Acid Complexing Agents and Annealing Temperature Effect on the Structural Properties of - and -Alumina Nanoparticles Synthesized by Sol-Gel Method
Authors: Rajaeiyan A. , Bagheri-Mohagheghi M. M.
Published: October 2013

A sol-gel method based on the Pechini process was used to synthesize different phases of alumina nanoparticles using a polymeric precursor with Aluminum nitrate. The emphasis was on investigating the effect of two different complexing agents, urea and citric acid, on the structural properties, particle size, and phase transformation during the heat treatment that was studied by XRD, TEM, SEM, BET, and FT-IR spectroscopy. The obtained results showed that particles do get fused together at high temperatures, and also the size of particles increases with the increase of annealing temperature. It was concluded that the size ofα-alumina synthesized by urea was 10–15 nm, whereas the sample with citric acid yieldedα-powder with particle size of 200 nm. Also, the resulting powder prepared by urea exhibited larger surface area (84.2 m2/gm−1) compared to citric acid (39.92 m2/gm−1) at .
Evaluating the Importance of the Carotid Chemoreceptors in Controlling Breathing during Exercise in Man
Authors: Parkes M. J.
Published: October 2013

Only the carotid chemoreceptors stimulate breathing during hypoxia in Man. They are also ideally located to warn if the brain’s oxygen supply falls, or if hypercapnia occurs. Since their discovery ~80 years ago stimulation, ablation, and recording experiments still leave 3 substantial difficulties in establishing how important the carotid chemoreceptors are in controlling breathing during exercise in Man: (i) they are in the wrong location to measure metabolic rate (but are ideally located to measure any mismatch), (ii) they receive no known signal during exercise linking them with metabolic rate and no overt mismatch signals occur and (iii) their denervation in Man fails to prevent breathing matching metabolic rate in exercise. New research is needed to enable recording from carotid chemoreceptors in Man to establish whether there is any factor that rises with metabolic rate and greatly increases carotid chemoreceptor activity during exercise. Available evidence so far in Man indicates that carotid chemoreceptors are either one of two mechanisms that explain breathing matching metabolic rate or have no importance. We still lack key experimental evidence to distinguish between these two possibilities.
Nonradiative and Radiative Recombination in CdS Polycrystalline Structures
Authors: Gaubas E. , Borschak V. , Brytavskyi I. , Čeponis T. , Dobrovolskas D. , Juršėnas S. , Kusakovskij J. , Smyntyna V. , Tamulaitis G. , Tekorius A.
Published: October 2013

Properties of polycrystalline CdS layers, employed in formation of the CdS-Cu2S heterostructures, have been studied by combining contactless techniques of the time and spectrally resolved photoluminescence (TR-PL) spectroscopy and microwave-probed photoconductivity (MW-PC) transients. The confocal microscopy has been employed to correlate the homogeneity of photoluminescence and grain size in CdS layers. Three types of samples with crystallite grain size of <1 μm (the I-type) and of 2–10 μm of homogeneous (II-type) and inhomogeneous (III-type) grain distribution have been separated. The simultaneous record of MW-PC and TR-PL responses ensures the same sampling area on the layer under investigation, as both (MW-PC and TR-PL) signals are generated by the same UV laser excitation beam. Two PL bands peaked at 500 and 700 nm were revealed. It has been demonstrated that photoluminescence intensity strongly depends on the properties of the polycrystalline 15–26 μm thick CdS layers with equilibrium carrier density of about1.5×1013 cm−3, which serve as the substrates to form CdS-Cu2S junctions. The different carrier decay components were ascribed to different microareas with characteristic MW-PC and PL decay lifetimes of 2–10 ns, ascribed to microcrystallites with PL instantaneous decay lifetimes of 40–200 ns, and MW-PC decay lifetimes in the range of 100–1000 μs attributed to the inter-crystallite areas of CdS polycrystalline material.
Is Electrode-Modiolus Distance a Prognostic Factor for Hearing Performances after Cochlear Implant Surgery?
Authors: Esquia Medina Gonzalo N. , Borel Stéphanie , Nguyen Yann , Ambert-Dahan Emmanuèle , Ferrary Evelyne , Sterkers Olivier , Grayeli Alexis Bozorg
Published: October 2013

The aim of this study was to evaluate electrode array position in relation to cochlear anatomy and its influence on hearing performance in cochlear implantees. Twenty-two patients (25 ears) with Med-El cochlear implants were included in this retrospective study. A negative correlation was observed between electrode-modiolus distance (EMD) at the cochlear base and monosyllabic word discrimination 6 months after implantation. We found no correlation between EMD and hearing outcome at 12 months. The insertion depth/cochlear perimeter ratio appeared to negatively influence the EMD at the base. Indeed, deep insertions in small cochleae appeared to yield smaller EMD and better hearing performance. This observation supports the idea of preplanning the surgery by adapting the electrode array to the length of the available scala tympani.
Male terminalia of Ceraphronoidea: morphological diversity in an otherwise monotonous taxon
Authors: Mikó István , Masner Lubomir , Johannes Eva , Yoder Matthew J. , Deans Andrew R.
Published: October 2013

The skeletomuscular system of male terminalia in Evaniomorpha (Hymenoptera) is described and the functional morphology of male genitalia is discussed. Confocal laser scanning microscopy is the primary method used for illustrating anatomical phenotypes, and a domain-specific anatomy ontology is employed to more explicitly describe anatomical structures. A comprehensive data set of ceraphronoid male genitalia is analyzed, yielding the first phylogeny of the superfamily. One hundred and one taxa, including three outgroups, are scored for 48 characters. Ceraphronoidea are recovered as sister to the remaining Evaniomorpha in the implied weighting analyses. Numerous character states suggest that Ceraphronoidea is a relatively basal apocritan lineage. Ceraphronoidea, Ceraphronidae, and Megaspilinae are each retrieved as monophyletic in all analyses. Megaspilidae is not recovered as monophyletic. Lagynodinae is monophyletic in the implied weighting analyses with strong support and is a polytomy in the equal weighting analysis. Lagynodinae shares numerous plesiomorphies with both Megaspilinae and Ceraphronidae. Relationships among genera are weakly corroborated.Masneris sister of Ceraphronidae.Trassediais nested within Ceraphronidae based on the present analysis. Because of this and numerous features shared between it andCeraphronwe transferTrassediafrom Megaspilidae to Ceraphronidae.Dendrocerusforms a single monophyletic clade, with modest support, together with someConostigmusspecies. This result challenges the utility of such traditional diagnostic characters as ocellar arrangement and shape of the male flagellomeres.Aphanogmusis monophyletic in the implied weighting, but remains a polytomy withCeraphronin the equal weighting analysis.Gnathoceraphronis always nested within a well-supportedAphanogmusclade.CyoceraphronandElysoceraphronare nested withinCeraphronandAphanogmus, respectively. The male genitalia prove to be a substantial source of phylogenetically relevant information. Our results indicate that a reclassification of Ceraphronoidea both at the family and generic level is necessary but that more data are required.
The genus Lepidozetes Berlese, 1910 (Acari: Oribatida: Tegoribatidae) in Europe with description of a new species
Authors: WEIGMANN GERD
Published: October 2013

The type species of the genus Lepidozetes singularis Berlese, 1910, is redescribed, using fresh material from Italy, Switzerland and Germany. Mounted specimens from museums were compared: microscope slides of the type series of Berlese (deposited in Florence) and of the Willmann-collection (deposited in Munich). The controversial question of the validity of Lepidozetes conjunctus Schweizer, 1922, is reconsidered using the single original material from Schweizer, a microscope slide with the type specimen. This study confirms that L. conjunctus should be considered a junior synonym of L. singularis. A new species of the genus, Lepidozetes bavaricus n. sp., is described. This second European species was collected in Southern Germany (Altmühltal, Bavaria) in a valley slope with extreme sun-exposure.
Taxonomic notes on the Protohermes changninganus species group (Megaloptera: Corydalidae), with description of two new species
Authors: LIU XINGYUE , HAYASHI FUMIO , YANG DING
Published: October 2013

Species of the dobsonfly Protohermes changninganus group are revised. Protohermes curvicornis sp. nov. and P. ohli sp. nov. are herein described and placed in the P. changninganus group. Protohermes tengchongensis Yang & Yang is considered a junior subjective synonym of P. subnubilus Kimmins.
As the Wind Blows? Understanding Hurricane Damages at the Local Level through a Case Study Analysis
Authors: Czajkowski Jeffrey , Done James
Published: October 2013

An understanding of the potential drivers of local-scale hurricane losses is developed through a case study analysis. Two recent category-3 U.S. landfalling hurricanes (Ivan in 2004 and Dennis in 2005) are analyzed that, although similar in terms of maximum wind speed at their proximate coastal landfall locations, caused vastly different loss amounts. In contrast to existing studies that assess loss mostly at the relatively aggregate level, detailed local factors related to hazard, exposure, and vulnerability are identified. State-level raw wind insured loss data split by personal, commercial, and auto business lines are downscaled to the census tract level using the wind field. At this scale, losses are found to extend far inland and across business lines. Storm size is found to play an important role in explaining the different loss amounts by controlling not only the size of the impacted area but also the duration of damaging winds and the likelihood of large changes in wind direction. An empirical analysis of census tract losses provides further evidence for the importance of wind duration and wind directional change in addition to wind speed. The importance of exposure values however is more sensitive to assumptions in how loss data are downscaled. Appropriate consideration of these local drivers of hurricane loss may improve historical loss assessments and may also act upscale to impact future projections of hurricane losses under climate and socioeconomic change.
Screening for data clustering in multicenter studies: the residual intraclass correlation
Authors: Wynants Laure , Timmerman Dirk , Bourne Tom , Van Huffel Sabine , Van Calster Ben
Published: October 2013

Background

In multicenter studies, center-specific variations in measurements may arise for various reasons, such as low interrater reliability, differences in equipment, deviations from the protocol, sociocultural characteristics, and differences in patient populations due to e.g. local referral patterns. The aim of this research is to derive measures for the degree of clustering. We present a method to detect heavily clustered variables and to identify physicians with outlying measurements.

Methods

We use regression models with fixed effects to account for patient case-mix and a random cluster intercept to study clustering by physicians. We propose to use the residual intraclass correlation (RICC), the proportion of residual variance that is situated at the cluster level, to detect variables that are influenced by clustering. An RICC of 0 indicates that the variance in the measurements is not due to variation between clusters. We further suggest, where appropriate, to evaluate RICC in combination with R2, the proportion of variance that is explained by the fixed effects. Variables with a high R2may have benefits that outweigh the disadvantages of clustering in terms of statistical analysis. We apply the proposed methods to a dataset collected for the development of models for ovarian tumor diagnosis. We study the variability in 18 tumor characteristics collected through ultrasound examination, 4 patient characteristics, and the serum marker CA-125 measured by 40 physicians on 2407 patients.

Results

The RICC showed large variation between variables: from 2.2% for age to 25.1% for the amount of fluid in the pouch of Douglas. Seven variables had an RICC above 15%, indicating that a considerable part of the variance is due to systematic differences at the physician level, rather than random differences at the patient level. Accounting for differences in ultrasound machine quality reduced the RICC for a number of blood flow measurements.

Conclusions

We recommend that the degree of data clustering is addressed during the monitoring and analysis of multicenter studies. The RICC is a useful tool that expresses the degree of clustering as a percentage. Specific applications are data quality monitoring and variable screening prior to the development of a prediction model.