bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Genomic sequencing reveals historical, demographic and selective factors associated with the diversification of the fire‐associated fungusNeurospora discreta
Authors: Gladieux Pierre , Wilson Benjamin A. , Perraudeau Fanny , Montoya Liliam A. , Kowbel David , Hann‐Soden Christopher , Fischer Monika , Sylvain Iman , Jacobson David J. , Taylor John W.
Published: October 2015

Delineating microbial populations, discovering ecologically relevant phenotypes and identifying migrants, hybrids or admixed individuals have long proved notoriously difficult, thereby limiting our understanding of the evolutionary forces at play during the diversification of microbial species. However, recent advances in sequencing and computational methods have enabled an unbiased approach whereby incipient species and the genetic correlates of speciation can be identified by examining patterns of genomic variation within and between lineages. We present here a population genomic study of a phylogenetic species in theNeurospora discretaspecies complex, based on the resequencing of full genomes (~37 Mb) for 52 fungal isolates from nine sites in three continents. Population structure analyses revealed two distinct lineages in South–East Asia, and three lineages in North America/Europe with a broad longitudinal and latitudinal range and limited admixture between lineages. Genome scans for selective sweeps and comparisons of the genomic landscapes of diversity and recombination provided no support for a role of selection at linked sites on genomic heterogeneity in levels of divergence between lineages. However, demographic inference indicated that the observed genomic heterogeneity in divergence was generated by varying rates of gene flow between lineages following a period of isolation. Many putative cases of exchange of genetic material between phylogenetically divergent fungal lineages have been discovered, and our work highlights the quantitative importance of genetic exchanges between more closely related taxa to the evolution of fungal genomes. Our study also supports the role of allopatric isolation as a driver of diversification in saprobic microbes.
Vasodilation Mechanism of Cerebral Microvessels Induced by Neural Activation under High Baseline Cerebral Blood Flow Level Results from Hypercapnia in Awake Mice
Authors: Nishino Asuka , Takuwa Hiroyuki , Urushihata Takuya , Ito Hiroshi , Ikoma Yoko , Matsuura Tetsuya
Published: October 2015

Objective

We investigated the effects of the baseline CBF level at resting state on neurovascular coupling.

Methods

Diameters of arterioles, capillaries, and venulas in awake mouse brain were measured by a two‐photon microscope. Vasodilation in each of the cerebral vessels was caused by three experimental conditions: (1) sensory stimulation, (2) 5% CO2 inhalation (hypercapnia), (3) simultaneous exposure to sensory stimulation and 5% CO2 inhalation. CBF and CBV were also measured by a microscope and a CCD camera.

Results

Increases in CBF and CBV were observed under all experimental conditions. After the increases in CBF and CBV due to hypercapnia, additional increases in CBF and CBV occurred during sensory stimulation. Diameter changes in arterioles were significantly larger than those in capillaries and venulas under both sensory stimulation and 5% CO2 inhalation. Additional vasodilation from sensory stimulation was observed under hypercapnia. The diameter change in each vessel type during sensory stimulation was maintained under simultaneous exposure to sensory stimulation and hypercapnia.

Conclusions

The diameter change of cerebral vessels during neural activation is reproducible regardless of whether baseline CBF has increased or not. Our finding directly demonstrates the concept of uncoupling between energy consumption and energy supply during cortical activation.
Integrated Inspection Scheduling and Maintenance Planning for Infrastructure Systems
Authors: Memarzadeh Milad , Pozzi Matteo
Published: October 2015

Operation and maintenance of an infrastructure system rely on information collected on its components, which can provide the decision maker with an accurate assessment of their condition states. However, resources to be invested in data gathering are usually limited and observations should be collected based on their Value of Information (VoI). Assessing the VoI is computationally intractable for most applications involving sequential decisions, such as long‐term infrastructure maintenance. In this article, we propose an approach for integrating adaptive maintenance planning based on Partially Observable Markov Decision Process (POMDP) and inspection scheduling based on a tractable approximation of VoI. Two alternative myopic approaches, namely pessimistic and optimistic, are introduced, and compared theoretically and by numerical examples.
Validity and Reliability of the Spanish Version of the “Abuse Assessment Screen” among Pregnant Women
Authors: Escribà‐Agüir Vicenta , Ruiz‐Pérez Isabel , Artazcoz Lucía , Martín‐Baena David , Royo‐Marqués Manuela , Vanaclocha‐Espí Mercedes
Published: October 2015

Objective

To assess the reliability, accuracy, and construct validity of the Spanish Abuse Assessment Screen (AAS) among pregnant women using the Spanish version of Index of Spouse Abuse (ISA) as a reference standard.

Design and Sample

Cross‐sectional survey. A total of 1,329 pregnant women were selected in nine primary care centers during 2008–2009.

Measures

The Spanish ISA was self‐administered first, followed by the AAS, administered by the midwife. Sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values of the Spanish AAS were compared with the Spanish version of the ISA as a reference standard.

Results

Percentage of agreement between initial and retest administration of the Spanish AAS was high, from 96.4% to 100%. Specificity was for all types of abuse above 97%, but sensitivity values were much lower (33.3%, 22.9%, 6.9%, for severe physical abuse, minor psychological abuse, and minor physical abuse, respectively). The sensitivity of severe psychological abuse was perfect. Construct validity was good.

Conclusion

The Spanish AAS has good test‐retest reliability, specificity, and construct validity. The sensitivity was good for severe psychological abuse and moderate for severe physical abuse. Further formal psychometric evaluations, in other languages from countries with low prevalence of abuse, remains a priority for clinical and research efforts in pregnancy domestic violence screening.
Political Socialization in Flux?: Linking Family Non-Intactness During Childhood to Adult Civic Engagement
Authors: Hener Timo , Rainer Helmut , Siedler Thomas
Published: October 2015

Some sociologists argue that non-intact family structures during childhood have a negative effect on adult children's civic engagement, since they undermine, and in some cases prevent, the processes and activities through which parents shape their children’s political attitudes and orientations. In this paper, we evaluate this hypothesis on the basis of longitudinal data from the German Socio-Economic Panel. In a first step, we construct various measures of family structure during childhood and perform both cross-sectional and sibling difference analyses for various indicators of young adults’ civic engagement. Both exercises reveal a significant negative relationship between growing up in a non-intact family and children’s political engagement as adults. In a second step, we implement a novel technique—proposed by Oster—for evaluating robustness of results to omitted variable bias. The distinctive feature of this technique is that it accounts for both coefficient movements and movements in R2-values after the inclusion of controls. Results suggest that our estimates do not suffer from omitted variable bias.
Social background, bullying, and physical inactivity: National study of 11‐ to 15‐year‐olds
Authors: Henriksen P. W. , Rayce S. B. , Melkevik O. , Due P. , Holstein B. E.
Published: October 2015

More children from lower social backgrounds are physically inactive than those from higher ones. We studied whether bullying was a mediating factor between lower social background and physical inactivity. We also examined the combined effect of low social class and exposure to bullying on physical inactivity. The Danish sample of the Health Behaviour in School‐aged Children (HBSC) study 2006 included 6269 schoolchildren in three age groups: 11‐, 13‐, and 15‐year‐olds from a random sample of 80 schools. The students answered the internationally standardized HBSC questionnaire. The applied definition leaves 4.0% in the category physically inactive. The sex and age‐adjusted OR (95% CI) for physical inactivity was 2.10 (1.39–3.18) among students with low social class and unclassifiable 3.53 (2.26–5.53). Exposure to bullying was associated with physical inactivity, sex and age‐adjusted OR = 2.39 (1.67–3.41). Exposure to bullying did not explain the association between social class and physical inactivity. The association between social class and physical inactivity was more pronounced among participants also exposed to bullying. In conclusion, there was a significantly increased odds ratio for physical inactivity among students from lower social classes and for students exposed to bullying. There was a combined effect of low social class and bullying on physical inactivity.
Teaching Elder: Erik H. Erickson
Authors: Myers William R.
Published: October 2015

A renowned child psychoanalyst, Erik H. Erikson (1902–1994) is perhaps best known for his work on developmental theory (Childhood and Society, 1950) and his studies of the lives of Martin Luther (Young Man Luther, 1958) and Gandhi (Gandhi's Truth, 1969). Twice he found himself intensely engaged in the role of teacher – once as a young artist who had been called by a friend to help in the progressive school formed for the children of Sigmund and Anna Freud's patients in Vienna (1927–1932), and years later (1960–1970) as a tenured professor at Harvard. This essay describes Erickson's teaching experience in both settings and suggests some of the reasons he was honored by Harvard in 1980 as a “humane teacher.” Implications from Erikson's educational practice are drawn that demonstrate how Erikson moved beyond the rote memorization and authoritarian educational practice he experienced as a youth. The essay suggests Erikson's teaching stance at Harvard fits the author's theological tradition's use of the term “teaching elder.”
Equipping the Equippers: The Pedagogical and Programmatic Implications of The Christians' Callings in the World Project
Authors: Lose David J. , Mikoski Gordon S. , Crowley Eileen D. , Jacobson Rolf , Cormode Scott , Conklin‐Miller Jeffrey
Published: October 2015

When five theological schools realized (a) their graduates affirmed vocation as central to their theology and practice, yet (b) the parishioners of their graduates nevertheless did not feel called, they knew they had to do something. For six years, faculty teams from these schools conducted a variety of experiments in pedagogy, curriculum reform, and program development in order to train their graduates to equip all of God's people to claim and live their vocational identity in the world. This article introduces the identified challenge and necessary theological and pedagogical shift and then describes five of those experiments in greater detail.
Response of steroid‐refractory chronic graft‐versus‐host disease to extracorporeal photopheresis correlates with the dose of CD3+ lymphocytes harvested during early treatment cycles
Authors: Bertani Giambattista , Santoleri Luca , Ferri Ursula , Marenco Paola , Grillo Giovanni , Zucchetti Elisa , Forno Barbara , Lando Giuliana , Scarpati Barbara , Cairoli Roberto , Rossini Silvano , Cesana Clara
Published: October 2015

BACKGROUND

Extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) is a recognized second‐line treatment for steroid‐refractory chronic graft‐versus‐host disease (cGVHD). Treatment course is usually long, expensive, and demanding for patients, so predictors for response are needed. We carried out a retrospective study on cGVHD patients treated at our institution with the aim to identify a possible correlation between apheretic yields composition and probability of response.

STUDY DESIGN

Patients treated for at least 6 months were eligible for the study. Flow cytometry data, including absolute counts of lymphocytes and their subpopulations in ECP products from cGVHD patients, were collected. For each cell population 1) the median dose per procedure harvested during the first 3 months of treatment and 2) the cumulative dose collected in the same period were compared with clinical response.

RESULTS

A total of 726 ECP procedures were performed in 15 patients. Overall response, defined as either a complete response (CR) or a partial response according to National Institutes of Health criteria, was obtained in 10 of 15 patients (66.7%), and CR, in eight of 15 (53.3%). According to Cox regression analysis, the probability of achieving an overall response is significantly correlated with the median number of CD3+, CD3+CD4+, and CD3+CD8+ lymphocytes collected during the early treatment phase (first 3 months).

CONCLUSION

Our data suggest that CD3+ cell evaluation in ECP during the early phase of treatment course could predict response and help identify patients who deserve further treatment.
The Effect of R&D Services Offshoring on Skilled Employment: Firm Evidence
Authors: Tamayo Mery Patricia , Huergo Elena
Published: October 2015

The offshoring of high‐tech services has greatly increased in recent years, with consequences for firms demand for skilled employment in firms. This paper specifically analyses the relationship between R&D offshoring and the demand for R&D employment using firm‐level data for Spanish manufacturing and services companies during the period 2004–11. Estimating different specifications with panel data techniques, we find that this association is statistically positive. In particular, for services firms a 1 percentage point increase in R&D offshoring raises the demand for researchers by about 11 per cent.
Comparison of chemotherapeutic drug resistance in cells transfected with canineABCG2or felineABCG2
Authors: Lewis R. S. , Fidel J. , Dassanayake S. , Court M. H. , Burke N. S. , Mealey K. L.
Published: October 2015

ABCG2(ATP binding cassette subfamily G, member 2) mediates resistance to a variety of cytotoxic agents. Although humanABCG2is well characterized, the function of canineABCG2has not been studied previously. FelineABCG2has an amino acid substitution in the adenosine triphosphate‐binding domain that decreases its transport capacity relative to humanABCG2. Our goal was to compare canineABCG2‐mediated chemotherapeutic drug resistance to felineABCG2‐mediated chemotherapeutic drug resistance.HEK‐293 cells stably transfected with plasmid containing canineABCG2, felineABCG2or noABCG2were exposed to carboplatin, doxorubicin, mitoxantrone, toceranib or vincristine, and cell survival was subsequently determined. CanineABCG2conferred a greater degree of chemotherapy resistance than felineABCG2for mitoxantrone. Neither canine nor felineABCG2conferred resistance to doxorubicin, vincristine or toceranib. Canine, but not feline,ABCG2conferred resistance to carboplatin, a drug that is not reported to be a substrate forABCG2in other species.
Use of a Multimodal Implementation Strategy to Improve Delirium Screening by Nurses on an Acute Care for Elders Unit
Authors: Afriyie‐Boateng Mavis , Loftus Carla , Hamelin Mary Ann
Published: October 2015

This column shares the best evidence‐based strategies and innovative ideas on how to facilitate the learning of EBP principles and processes by clinicians as well as nursing and interprofessional students. Guidelines for submission are available at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1741‐6787
Computational fluid dynamics analysis of cold plasma carrier gas injected into a fluid using level set method
Authors: Shahmohammadi Beni Mehrdad , Yu K. N.
Published: October 2015

A promising application of plasma medicine is to treat living cells and tissues with cold plasma. In cold plasmas, the fraction of neutrals dominates, so the carrier gas could be considered the main component. In many realistic situations, the treated cells are covered by a fluid. The present paper developed models to determine the temperature of the fluid at the positions of the treated cells. Specifically, the authors developed a three-phase-interaction model which was coupled with heat transfer to examine the injection of the helium carrier gas into water and to investigate both the fluid dynamics and heat transfer output variables, such as temperature, in three phases, i.e., air, helium gas, and water. Our objective was to develop a model to perform complete fluid dynamics and heat transfer computations to determine the temperature at the surface of living cells. Different velocities and plasma temperatures were also investigated using finite element method, and the model was built using the comsol multiphysics software. Using the current model to simulate plasma injection into such systems, the authors were able to investigate the temperature distributions in the domain, as well as the surface and bottom boundary of the medium in which cells were cultured. The temperature variations were computed at small time intervals to analyze the temperature increase in cell targets that could be highly temperature sensisitve. Furthermore, the authors were able to investigate the volume of the plasma plume and its effects on the average temperature of the medium layer/domain. Variables such as temperature and velocity at the cell layer could be computed, and the variations due to different plume sizes could be determined. The current models would be very useful for future design of plasma medicine devices and procedures involving cold plasmas.
Audio-vocal responses elicited in adult cochlear implant users
Authors: Loucks Torrey M. , Suneel Deepa , Aronoff Justin M.
Published: October 2015

Auditory deprivation experienced prior to receiving a cochlear implant could compromise neural connections that allow for modulation of vocalization using auditory feedback. In this report, pitch-shift stimuli were presented to adult cochlear implant users to test whether compensatory motor changes in vocal F0 could be elicited. In five of six participants, rapid adjustments in vocal F0 were detected following the stimuli, which resemble the cortically mediated pitch-shift responses observed in typical hearing individuals. These findings suggest that cochlear implants can convey vocal F0 shifts to the auditory pathway that might benefit audio-vocal monitoring.
Unraveling the mystery of cold regime ecosystem variability in the Bering Sea through acoustics
Authors: Miksis-Olds Jennifer L. , Stauffer Beth A.
Published: October 2015

The Bering Sea oscillates between warm and cold climatic regimes on 3–7 year cycles. During cold regimes, the bottom water layer, or cold pool, can remain below 2 °C the entire summer. When the cold pool forms, it acts as a cross-shelf barrier separating species of the outer shelf from others of the middle shelf and coastal areas. Backscatter recorded throughout the winter from echosounders on sub-surface moorings in the southeastern Bering Sea provide a first glimpse on how dynamic the cold pool influence can be within cold regime years. The fall/winter scattering community composition was predictive of the structure during the first blooms the following spring. Seasonal environmental conditions were also observed to play a dominant role in summer lower trophic level dynamics. Delayed ice retreat in the summer of the coldest years was associated with increased abundance of large zooplankton; yet relatively warmer years during the same cold climatic regime yielded a shift to smaller zooplankton scatterers during summer. Chlorophyll concentrations showed varying levels of correlation to zooplankton patterns, and sparse cruise-based data suggested differences in phytoplankton community composition likely influenced these relationships. Data on phytoplankton community structure remains a desperately needed dataset to fully understand the ecosystem dynamics.
The initial development of a hybrid method for modeling outdoor sound propagation in urban areas
Authors: Kamrath Matthew , Maillard Julien , Jean Philippe , Van Maercke Dirk , Picaut Judicaël
Published: October 2015

Accurately modeling urban outdoor sound propagation is a difficult problem. Using a frequency-domain or time-domain method is too expensive, and using an engineering, geometrical, or statistical method is too restrictive. For example, the ISO 9613-2, NMPB-Roads, and CNOSSOS-EU engineering methods only model diffraction for straight barriers. The Nord2000 and Harmonoise engineering methods can also model diffraction from wedge-shaped screens, but these modeling capabilities are still insufficient to model many potential noise mitigation solutions such as a gamma or T-shaped barrier. To extend the applicability of engineering methods, a detailed model like the boundary element method could characterize a complicated noise mitigation device versus a simple reference device. This presentation discusses the initial development of this hybrid method.
Active noise control of rocket engine noise in an engine test facility for quiet nearby communities
Authors: Lee Kwanhyung , Kim Yong Joe
Published: October 2015

The objective of this research project is to develop an Active Noise Control (ANC) system based on the Filtered-X Least Mean Square algorithm. The ANC system developed here will be installed in a rocket engine testing facility of SpaceX Company near McGregor, Texas. As the SpaceX Company’s rocket engines have been increased in their powers, the engine noise from the testing facility is increasing rapidly. Although there is no noise complain currently from the nearby communities in McGregor, concerns are expected in the near future that the noise could possibly disturb people in McGregor. The ANC system can reduce the noise level using a few microphones and speakers connected to a DSP frontend, while a Passive Noise Control system would be much larger and require a higher cost to be implemented. This ANC system is currently implemented as a Single Input and Single Output system in a laboratory, effectively reducing the noise generated from a loudspeaker driven by the recorded rocket engine noise signal. Then, the system will be improved and operated as a Multiple Inputs and Multiple Outputs system to successfully adapt various wind, temperature, and humidity changes, leading to the maximum noise reduction toward McGregor.
Reciprocity, passivity, and causality in media with coupled strain-momentum constitutive relations
Authors: Muhlestein Michael B. , Sieck Caleb F. , Alù Andrea , Haberman Michael R.
Published: October 2015

Metamaterials are heterogeneous materials and structures which, under certain circumstances, may be interpreted as a homogeneous material displaying extreme physical properties such as negative effective density or modulus. Acoustic metamaterials (AMM) therefore expand the parameter space for acoustic device design and are thus of interest for a wide range of applications. Most AMM are composed of linear and passive constituent materials. Any physically meaningful approximation of their overall response must therefore obey reciprocity, passivity, and causality. This requirement constrains the effective parameters and delineates the range of possible material properties for an AMM. While restrictions for standard constitutive equations in acoustics and elastodynamics are well known, they have not been explored in detail for media with coupled strain-momentum behavior which is required to fully describe AMM [Norris et al., Proc. R. Soc. A, 467, 1749–1769 (2011)]. This work derives the restrictions on coupled acoustic constitutive equations by requiring the overall response to be reciprocal, passive, and causal. The special cases of lossless and very low-loss materials are then considered and some useful approximate restrictions are also presented. Restrictions for the analogous case of generally anisotropic elastic strain-momentum coupled media will also be reported. [Work supported by ONR.]
Non-reciprocity and refraction of elastic waves in a solid with aligned parallel gaps
Authors: Su Xiaoshi , Norris Andrew
Published: October 2015

Non-reciprocal and refractive devices for elastic waves are designed using a solid with aligned parallel gaps. The gaps are assumed to be thin so that they can be considered as parallel rectangular cracks separating effective thin plates. To formulate the transmission and reflection coefficients for SV- and P-wave, an analytical model is established using thin plate theory with displacement and force continuous at the junction between plate and exterior body. The analytical model compares well with full FEM simulations. The non-reciprocity effect for P-waves is achieved by sending an incident P-wave at a critical angle, at which total conversion to SV-wave happens, with respect to the normal of a free boundary. An array of parallel gaps perpendicular to the propagation direction of the reflected waves stop the SV-wave but let P-wave travel through. Thus, the energy transmission is high from one side to another and is low from the opposite direction. The refractive effect for SV-waves is achieved by choosing the slope of the edge of plate array, and plate members for |T| = 1 at the same frequency with the ratio between plate length and flexural wavelength fixed. Examples of elastic non-reciprocal and wave steering devices will be discussed.
Acoustic metasurfaces for asymmetric transmission
Authors: Shen Chen , Jing Yun
Published: October 2015

We present a design of acoustic metasurfaces yielding highly asymmetric transmission within a certain frequency band. The design consists of a bottom layer of gradient-index metasurface and a top layer of low refractive index metasurface. When the incident waves transmit from the bottom side, the wave-front will be steered, and the total reflection occurs on the boundary of the top layer, leading to extremely low transmission. When the incident waves transmit from the top side, the transmission is high as the impedance of the low refractive index metasurface is matched with the background medium. Numerical simulations show that the transmission contrast between the two incident directions is high within a certain frequency band. Compared to previous designs, the proposed one can be more compact. This design may have potential applications in ultrasound imaging and noise reduction.
Direction-of-arrival estimations based on a two-microphone array using two levels of Bayesian inference
Authors: Xiang Ning , Escolano Jose
Published: October 2015

Due to a wide variety of potential applications, such as in video conferencing, mobile devices, and robotics, sound source localization using a small aperture consisting of only two microphones has been actively investigated. Based on the observed time-differences of arrival between sound signals, a probability distribution of the direction of the sources is derived to estimate the actual direction of sources. Many existing algorithms, however, assume a given number of sound sources. This paper describes a recent development in a model-based Bayesian probabilistic approach by Escolano et al. [J. Acoust. Am. Soc. 135, 742–751 (2014)], which allows both the number and direction of speech sources to be inferred. This paper will demonstrate that a unified framework encompassing two levels of Bayesian inference, model selection and parameter estimation, can be efficiently applied in this challenging task. This paper will also present different experimental setups and scenarios to investigate the performance of the proposed method.
Multiple and single snapshot compressive beamforming
Authors: Gerstoft Peter , Xenaki Angeliki , Mecklenbrauker Christoph F.
Published: October 2015

For a sound field observed on a sensor array, compressive sensing (CS) reconstructs the direction-of-arrival (DOA) of multiple sources using a sparsity constraint. The DOA estimation is posed as an underdetermined problem by expressing the acoustic pressure at each sensor as a phase-lagged superposition of source amplitudes at all hypothetical DOAs. Regularizing with an ℓ1-norm constraint renders the problem solvable with convex optimization, and promoting sparsity gives high-resolution DOA maps. Here, the sparse source distribution is derived using maximum a posteriori (MAP) estimates for both single and multiple snapshots. CS does not require inversion of the data covariance matrix and thus works well even for a single snapshot where it gives higher resolution than conventional beamforming. For multiple snapshots, CS outperforms conventional high-resolution methods, even with coherent arrivals and at low signal-to-noise ratio. The superior resolution of CS is demonstrated with vertical array data from the SWellEx96 experiment for coherent multi-paths.
Synergies between high performance buildings and good acoustics
Authors: Muehleisen Ralph T.
Published: October 2015

Post-occupancy surveys and anecdotal evidence suggest that “green” buildings tend to have worse acoustics than new “non-green” and older buildings. While some aspects of green building design such as the increased use of glass, increased exposure of hard finishes, and the removal of barriers between work stations can create situations that reduce the acoustic performance of interior spaces, all is not lost. Many energy efficiency innovations can actually improve acoustic performance. In this presentation, some of the synergies between acoustics and high performance building design will be discussed.
A look at designing and integrating acoustics and sustainability
Authors: Kanter Shane J. , Glosemeyer Petrone Robin , Giegold Carl , Miller Greg , Pfeiffer Scott , Fritz Brad
Published: October 2015

Designing with sensitivity toward our natural environment relates not only to the resources that are used in the design, construction, and ongoing operation of buildings, but also to creating environments inspired by nature to achieve a level of comfort in our surroundings. Green building design is by no means at odds with the goals of acoustic design. An overarching byproduct of good design should be an environment that is both pleasing to the ear and to the earth’s resources. These principles can be subtle and subdued, such as in the reuse of building materials in the Writer’s Theatre and the design of buildings to be flexible insuring longevity for Duke University. Or, rather than pouring energy into creating materials, buildings for music can be engineered with stiffness in mind to maintain energy and body, such as in the new orchestra shell at the Lyric Opera in Chicago. More traditionally, the Tower at PNC Plaza’s tagline is the “world’s greenest skyscraper;” yet, the interior of the office space shows minimal obvious signs of LEED influence. Alternatively, nature’s touch is right on the sleeve of the National Research Defense Counsel project with the inclusion of foliage grown directly on the walls.
The Lane Community College Alveolus: A case study of sound isolation in an educational building with naturally ventilated cooling
Authors: McKelvie Kent
Published: October 2015

Providing adequate sound isolation in a building that incorporates naturally ventilated cooling presents many challenges and requires attention to detailing, along with close coordination between the acoustical consultant, architect, and project mechanical engineer. This presentation will walk through the design decisions and considerations for sound isolation at the Health and Wellness Facility for the Lane Community College in Eugene Oregon. The Lane Community College—Health and Wellness Facility is a LEED Gold certified education building that uses natural ventilation for building cooling. The building incorporates a 38-foot high by 180-foot long “lung”, dubbed the Alveolus. This lung bisects the building along its full length and acts as a central chimney for evacuating warm air. Additionally, the “lung” space is constructed of translucent material so the large space can act as a light well. Using a clear (or semi-clear) polymer paneling system, the ventilation, natural lighting, and sound isolation needs were successfully balanced to meet the needs and desires of the Lane Community College.
Development of acoustic remote sensing techniques for sea ice, oil under sea ice, and oil encapsulated in sea ice
Authors: Bassett Christopher , Lavery Andone C. , Maksym Ted , Wilkinson Jeremy , Tang Dajun , Pegau Scott
Published: October 2015

Recent decreases in sea ice cover have provided new opportunities for the shipping industry and stimulated further interest in hydrocarbon extraction in Arctic waters, thereby also increasing the risk of an oil spill in ice covered waters. To support oil spill response there is a need to develop practical remote sensing techniques to detect, quantify, and map oil that is under or encapsulated in sea ice. To address this need, a series of experiments were conducted at the Cold Regions Research and Environmental Laboratory (CRREL, Hannover, NH). During these experiments, different amounts of crude oil were injected underneath artificially grown sea ice of different thicknesses. The ice and oil were monitored by a suite of instruments located in the water column, including cameras, laser fluorometers, and multibeam, narrowband, and broadband acoustic backscattering systems. In addition, temperature and salinity profiles were conducted routinely, and ice cores were collected and imaged using a micro-CT scanner. Results from the broadband acoustic backscattering system are presented, and the relative merits of this approach for the remote detection and quantification of oil under and in sea ice are discussed. In addition, the utility of the acoustic systems for studies of ice physics are also discussed.
Passive acoustic monitoring and ambient noise in the high Arctic: Resolute Bay, Nunavut
Authors: O'Neill Caitlin , Vagle Svein
Published: October 2015

Resolute Bay, a remote bay in the Canadian High Arctic to the north of Parry Channel, hosts diverse populations of marine mammals that migrate through the bay each year following food availability and/or oceanographic conditions. The changing climate combined with increasing anthropogenic activity in the Arctic make it important to create an ecosystem baseline from which to predict, understand, and monitor future changes. Passive underwater acoustic observations provide a non-invasive way to monitor marine mammal presence. Broadband noise (10 Hz to 48 kHz) was recorded by an Autonomous Marine Acoustic Recorder (AMAR) and marine mammal click detections were logged by two CPODs over a 5 month period from August to December 2013. Acoustic data were processed with click and tonal call detectors to determine marine mammal presence. Resolute Bay is ice-covered 10 months a year, leading to increased broadband ambient noise levels due to ice movement. During the short open-water period, vessel activity is common in the bay. The aim is to compare these two different ambient noise regimes and how they affect the effectiveness of passive acoustic marine mammal detections and tracking.
Mid-frequency attenuation estimates from deep-water experiments using eigenrays
Authors: Sarkar Jit , Verlinden Christopher M. , Tippmann Jefferey D. , Hodgkiss William S. , Kuperman William A.
Published: October 2015

A collection of deep-water experiments were recently performed using a short vertical array cut for 7.5 kHz and a source transmitting tonals as well as chirps. Eigenray arrivals out to the first convergence zone were identified through matching the processed data to ray-tracing models, using environmental parameters measured during the experiments. The ray path and transmission loss information were used to produce an ocean-average attenuation result, and compared to decades-old attenuation models. Attempts were made at producing a layered estimate of attenuation using the experimental-simulation ray-matching — a technique previously proposed for inverting for ocean acidity. We present our ocean-average mid-frequency attenuation estimates, and our initial results for a layered attenuation inversion.
Evaluating the robustness of an ultrasound based sensing strategy for intuitive control of upper extremity prosthetics
Authors: Akhlaghi Nima , Baker Alex , Rangwala Huzefa J. , Kosecka Jana , Sikdar Siddhartha
Published: October 2015

Current commercially available prostheses based on myoelectric control have limited functionality, leading to many amputees abandoning use. Myoelectric control using surface electrodes has a number of limitations and lacks specificity for deep muscles, presenting a continued need for more robust strategies. We propose a new strategy for sensing muscle activity based on real-time ultrasound imaging. Results from our previous work demonstrate that complex motions could be classified with 92% accuracy in real-time. However, arm and hand repositioning during natural movements tend to alter the geometry of forearm musculature, possibly affecting performance. In this study, we evaluated the robustness of the image-based control strategy in the presence of varied forearm positions on able-bodied subjects. Ultrasound images of the forearm muscles were collected during two different scenarios using a Sonix RP with a 5–14 MHz linear probe. The subject was asked to perform four hand motions at eight different arm positions and three levels of wrist pronation. Images were analyzed to generate activity patterns for each motion and then classified. Results demonstrate that forearm positions do not significantly compromise reliability. We also show that performance could be further improved by including additional training activity patterns corresponding to motions performed in a few selected arm positions.
Patient centered method and soundscape—A bridge between clinicians and acousticians
Authors: McMurtry Robert Y.
Published: October 2015

The Patient Centered Method (PCM) and Soundscape have much in common including their emergence about 60 years ago based on the work of Balint and Kryter, respectively. Both place the patient or person at the center of management of clinical illness or noise annoyance. PCM requires that the patient perceive that they have experienced meaningful care, communication, and common ground in clinical encounters. The evaluation focuses on the patient’s life context and their perception of disease or the “illness experience.” When PCM is accomplished, the result is higher satisfaction, better outcomes of chronic diseases, fewer tests, and referrals and attendant lower costs (Stewart et al., 2000). Soundscape, a term coined by Shafer in 1977 also places the person in center, in the context of their acoustic environment, emphasizes their perception of noise as the “New Experts” (Bray 2012). According to Bray exposed people are “objective measuring instruments whose reports and experiences must be taken seriously and quantified by technical measurements.” This paper will explore the congruence of PCM and Soundscape and the necessity of this approach in evaluating the experience of those exposed to wind turbine acoustical energy.
What do hedonic studies of the costs of road traffic noise nuisance tell us?
Authors: Bristow Abigail , Thanos Sotirios
Published: October 2015

The value or cost of noise nuisance is important as it enables judgments to be made on the costs and benefits of interventions. This paper presents a review and meta-analysis of hedonic pricing (HP) studies of road traffic noise nuisance. Noise nuisance has commonly been valued using HP, a revealed preference approach based on the housing market, where house price is a function of a myriad of characteristics of the house and the surrounding area including noise. The value of noise obtained is expressed as the percentage change in house prices that results from a 1 decibel (dB) change in noise levels (Noise Depreciation Index, NDI). The approach is broadly accepted and underpins most values used in Government transport appraisals. However, the range of values is large, from 0.08 to 2.21 NDI according to the last review of the literature in 2001. This paper examines available studies to shed light on the variation in noise values, as well as new methodological developments, such as the widespread use of spatial econometrics and addressing non-linearities of noise values.
Expanding the low frequency transparency band of shell structures for sonic crystals
Authors: Titovich Alexey S. , Norris Andrew N. , O'Regan Stephen D.
Published: October 2015

Elastic cylindrical shells are often used as the elements of sonic crystals for wave steering applications. The thickness-to-radius ratio of the shell determines its quasi-static acoustic properties: effective bulk modulus and density. Matching the bulk modulus to that of the surrounding fluid removes the monopole response, while matching the density removes the dipole response. Together, they yield a low frequency band in which the shell is acoustically transparent. In this study, we look to broaden the transparency band by removing the quadrupole response as well. Among other methods, we will investigate the potential for two nested, counter-vibrating, shells to control quadrupole radiation.
Metascreen-based acoustic passive phased array with sub-wavelength resolution
Authors: Zhang Likun , Li Yong , Jiang Xue , Liang Bin , Cheng Jian-chun
Published: October 2015

A phased source array is an array consisting of elementary sources with proper relative phases to steer a wavefront, so as to form desired wave fields of specific property and applications. However, the phased array requires a large number of sources in forming complex wavefront or non-paraxial wave beams, leading to high cost and complexity in the electronics required to operate individual sources of the active array. A passive metascreen is presented here to transmit sound energy from a single source and steer the transmitted wavefront to form desired fields. The metascreen plays a role like a phased array but with a passive way that avoids the complexity of an active array. The screen has a half-wavelength thickness and composes of a series of elements with a dimension of one-tenth of the sound wavelength along the screen. The elements have a hybrid structure designed for high transmission and full range of phase shift. The performance of the screen is numerically simulated and experimentally demonstrated to generate a self-bending beam in non-paraxial region. The screen with its simple configuration and extreme acoustic performance could have applications for sound field shaping in numerous areas where the conventional array would have complexity and limited capability.
Pressure ripple amplification within a hydraulic pressure energy harvester via Helmholtz resonator
Authors: Skow Ellen , Cunefare Kenneth , Koontz Zachary
Published: October 2015

Noise within a hydraulic system is a high-intensity ambient energy source that can be harvested to enable wireless sensor nodes. The noise is typically due to deterministic sources, generally caused by pumps and actuators, and has dominant frequency components around hundreds of Hertz. Hydraulic pressure energy harvesters (HPEH) are centimeter-sized devices that convert the noise into electricity via coupling of the fluid to piezoelectric materials. HPEH devices produce milliwatt level power, which is sufficient for low-energy sensor nodes. A common device used for amplifying or absorbing acoustic energy is a Helmholtz resonator (HR). Incorporation of a HR into an HPEH has been predicted to increase the HPEH power response by up to 7 dB. The properties of hydraulic oil cause HPEH-sized HR to resonate well above the dominant frequencies. Added compliance into the resonator allows the resonance to be tuned closer to the dominant frequency within the hydraulic system. A prototype HPEH with an integral Helmholtz resonator was developed and tested. The results are also compared to an electromechanical model developed for HPEH-HR devices.
Development, evaluation, and validation of a high-resolution directivity measurement system for live musical instruments
Authors: Bodon K. J. , Leishman Timothy W.
Published: October 2015

A measurement system has been developed to assess high-resolution directivities of live musical instruments. It employs a fixed, semicircular microphone array, a musician/instrument rotation system, and repeated note playing to produce 5-degree angular resolutions in both the polar and azimuthal angles. Its 2,522 spherical measurement positions reveal feature-rich, frequency-dependent directivity patterns. To date, a total of 16 wind and string instruments have been measured with the system. They were recorded as musicians repeated chromatic scales over standard working ranges following 5-degree rotations in the azimuthal angle, until a full revolution was completed. Directivity patterns of the first five partials of each note have been calculated and plotted as individual directivity balloons. While the approach provides high-resolution directivity results with reasonable numbers of microphones and data acquisition channels, it also has disadvantages, including lengthy recording and processing times. Special techniques have been developed to reduce the effects of nonideal measurement circumstances, including playing variances, musician movement, etc. A series of validation tests were performed using loudspeakers to simulate musicians under varying but controlled conditions. This presentation will discuss the methods and results of the work and provide comparisons to lower-resolution measurements.
Manipulation and levitation of particles with acoustic vortices
Authors: Hong ZhenYu , Marzo Asier , Subramanian Sri , Drinkwater Bruce W.
Published: October 2015

Acoustic waves with screw dislocations at their wavefronts, or acoustic vortices, are characterized by an azimuthal phase dependence. The time average of an acoustic vortex forms a circular region of high pressure which can be used to trap particles, and by manipulating the vortex axis, it can controllably translate them. In addition, acoustic vortices carry orbital angular momentum which can be transferred to absorbing particles causing them to rotate. This paper describes various new observations of these phenomena. In the first example, microparticles are manipulated in a host liquid at high ultrasonic frequencies (2 MHz), and a controlled translation and rotation is demonstrated. In this viscously dominated system, small particles rotate slowly with the liquid and larger particles are drawn into the centre of the vortex. The particle dynamics are explained as a fine balance between the transfer of angular momentum and the action of acoustic radiation forces. In the second example, much larger particles are levitated in air in the low ultrasonic range (40 kHz) and controlled translation and rotation is again observed. Here, viscosity is shown to play a lesser role in the particle dynamics, and conditions are observed under which the particles are rapidly ejected from the vortex core.