bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A study on the ASMR effect of reed wind sound
Authors: Ann Ik-Soo , Bae Myungjin
Published: November 2019

The ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response) method using sound is an acoustic healing method that stimulates the human hearing by using the sound during the five senses, thereby making the mind comfortable. The acoustic characteristics of the ASMR are being used in various ways as a very quiet and calm sound. In this paper, ASMR effect of reed wind sound is studied. Experimental results show that the sound of reeds in the reed forests that run across each other by the wind shows white noise components evenly distributed over the entire bandwidth of the human audible frequency band. To check the effect of reed wind on people, we tested physical information such as blood pressure and pulse, and conducted interviews and surveys. The results of the physical examination performed while listening to the reed winds showed that healing of the mind and body was comfortable. The result of the MOS test and the interview showed that the sound of the reed winds drove the thought out and the body and mind seemed to relax. Through this study, it was numerically proved that the reed winds produced by the reed forest winds have the effect of comforting and healing people.
Autism?
Authors: Cameron Robert H.
Published: November 2019

This poster explores the acoustic space surrounding an eight year old autistic child, wearing a shooters active hearing protection headset. When his mother was worried about his inability to focus on his homework and his frustrated response to speech therapy, I gave her the hearing protection I wear when I shoot. This headset has about a 34db passive acoustic attenuation in each side and in only one side an added amplifier microphone and loudspeaker which bring the level in that side to the same as without the protection. The result was a child who could focus on his homework.
Aeroacoustic source localization and source level estimation during wind tunnel testing of a flat plate with and without a gap
Authors: Douglass Alexander S. , Dowling David R.
Published: November 2019

Acoustic measurements in wind tunnels are notoriously difficult because of machinery noise from the tunnel, and aeroacoustic noise generated within the tunnel and by the test model; and because the potentially-weak signals of interest may share a common frequency range with these noise sources. Thus, when model changes are made, localizing any new aeroacoustic source(s) and determining their level(s) are challenging tasks. This presentation provides such experimental results for the aeroacoustic source associated with addition of a 6 mm gap in a 0.5-m-by-1.0-m flat plate aligned with the flow direction. When present, the gap was located 0.40-m from the plate’s leading edge. The measurements were collected in the Anechoic Flow Facility of the Naval Surface Warfare Center – Carderock Division at nominal air speeds of 19 and 30 m/s using a ∼0.6-m-diameter spiral microphone array with 24 elements placed 1.24 m from the plate and separated from the air flow by a thin barrier. Measurements in the 4-to-12 kHz frequency range were processed using conventional and high-resolution beamforming methods with and without noise-reference subtraction. Source location and level estimation for the gap-induced aeroacoustic sound source was successful at nominal signal-to-noise ratios of –20 dB. [Work supported by NAVSEA through the NEEC.]
Wavenumber scattering and the interactions of turbulent boundary layer flow with the structures exhibiting the acoustic black hole effect
Authors: Shepherd Micah R. , Feurtado Philip A. , Conlon Stephen C.
Published: November 2019

Beam and plate-like structures with non-constant surface impedance are known to exhibit wavenumber scattering such that the wavenumber energy of a vibration mode of the structure is spread over a wide wavenumber band. The scattered energy can couple into partially correlated forcing functions, such as turbulent boundary layer (TBL) flow, which exhibit a broadband wavenumber spectrum centered at the convective wavenumber. The overall effect is an increased amount of radiated noise for certain flow speeds. Recently, structures with imbedded acoustic black holes (ABH) have shown good noise and vibration level reductions for point excitations. However, it will be shown that when excited by complex, partially correlated forcing functions such as TBL flow, the wavenumber scattering caused by the power-law taper of the ABH can lead to increased radiated noise levels. The flow speed and wavenumber dependence of the TBL/ABH interactions will be presented using dimensional analysis.
Viscous flow sensing using micro-beam arrays
Authors: Farahikia Mahdi , Miles Ronald
Published: November 2019

Thin, compliant fibers have been shown to provide a remarkably accurate means of detecting sound [Zhou et al., “Sensing fluctuating airflow with spider silk,” Proc. Natil. Acad. Sci., 201710559 (2017) ]. The present study extends these results by examining the forces due to air-borne sound on a periodic array of infinitely long and thin micro-beams having rectangular cross section. Results obtained using both the Finite Element Method and analytical solutions to Stokes’ equations are shown to be in excellent agreement. It is found that viscous forces are dominant when the width of the beams is less than 10 μm. Unlike typical MEMS resonators, which perform best in the absence of air, the dominance of viscous damping forces is desirable in directional acoustic flow sensors using these micro-beams. Furthermore, the frequency independent characteristic of these forces promises a flat response across a wide range of frequencies. It is predicted that smaller beams with wider gaps provide better sensitivity. For beams that are sufficiently thin, their thickness is found to have minimal influence on their performance.
The impact of language transfer on native speaker recognition of native and non-native speech
Authors: Culnan John , Park Seongjin
Published: November 2019

There are many identifiable acoustic differences between native and non-native English, including patterns of prosody (Ramirez Verdugo, 2005), vowel quality (Flege et al., 1997) and extent of reduction in speech (Baker et al., 2011), many of which arise due to transfer from the native language (L1 transfer). This study examines the effect that differences generated through language transfer have upon the recognition of the Mandarin-accented English compared to American English by native speakers of American English. Listeners were presented with a set of 40 different TIMIT sentences (Garofolo et al., 1993) spoken by 5 native speakers of American English and 5 native Mandarin speakers, and were asked to transcribe what they heard. These transcriptions will be evaluated for accuracy, with errors identified and classified according to the type(s) of acoustic deviations from native English speech attested in any misheard words, as well as whether these errors are typical of Mandarin-speaking learners of English. Results will be used to evaluate the relative importance of these differences between native and non-native English speech in recognition and to identify potentially problematic speech patterns for use with multi-dialectal systems of automatic speech recognition.
Effects of language experience and sentential context in categorical perception of Mandarin tones
Authors: Fan Siying , Cheng Bing
Published: November 2019

Previous research shows that sentential context plays an important role in lexical tone recognition when the fundamental frequency is degraded by noise or flattened. The present study aimed to test how language experience and sentence context would jointly influence the categorical perception of Mandarin tones. Thirty native Chinese speakers and thirty CFL (Chinese-as-a-foreign-language) learners participated in the study. The experimental protocol used identification and discrimination tasks for categorical perception of the synthetic tone2-tone3 continuum. Experimental conditions included the target tones in isolation and the same tones embedded in initial, medial and final position of sentences. The location, slope, and width of the phonetic boundary in identification function and the discrimination accuracy were assessed. The categorical perception test results indicated strong influences of language experience and sentential context, which has important pedagogical implications for second language learners.
The relation between the vowel duration and intensity in English NPs [an article—a monosyllabic noun] and the English proficiency of Korean learners
Authors: MO RAN , Park Wooji , Lee Seok-Chae
Published: November 2019

Generally, the vowels in content words are phonetically more prominent than the ones in function words in English. This is because they have a stress of a suprasegmental feature, making them produced longer in duration and greater in intensity. Based on this phonetical phenomenon, this research investigates the relation between the vowel duration and intensity in English NPs [an article—a monosyllabic noun] and the English proficiency of Korean learners. For analysis, the researchers utilized Rated Korean-Spoken English Corpus (made in 2017) to collect and measure the duration and intensity of each vowel in the monosyllabic noun phrases of the 853 sentences articulated by the Korean speakers who were categorized into one of the four different English proficiency groups based on their speaking ability (Advanced, Intermediate-High, Intermediate-Low, and Novice). From the findings, it was revealed that the higher the proficiency level becomes, the greater the ratio of the vowel duration in the nouns of a content word to the vowel duration in the articles of a function word gets, meaning that the higher the English proficiency level reaches, the better the Korean speakers articulate the words with proper stresses as native speakers do. However, the ratio of the vowel intensity in the nouns to the vowel intensity in the articles has less relation to Korean speakers' English proficiency.
Temporal exaggeration facilitates second language phonetic training: The case of syllable-final nasal contrast
Authors: Cheng Bing , Zhang Xiaojuan , Zhang Yang
Published: November 2019

This study tested the generalizability and efficacy of a modified high-variability phonetic training (HVPT) method with temporal exaggeration. The target sounds were the syllable-final /n/-/ŋ/ contrast in English, which was found to be difficult for adult Mandarin Chinese speakers. Our training software program featured systematically controlled temporal exaggeration, multi-talker variability, audio-visual presentation, and adaptive listening. The participants were 24 Chinese college students, and they were randomly assigned to two groups. Pre- and post-tests were administered one week before and after training in the experimental group, including behavioral identification and discrimination of /n/-/ŋ/. The control group who did not receive training took the same tests. In addition, mismatch negativity (MMN) responses were also obtained from the training group to assess the training effects in within- and across- category discrimination without requiring focused attention. Compared with the control group, the training group showed enhanced categorical perception of the nasal contrast with corresponding changes in the MMN responses to within- and across- category differences. The data provide further evidence for incorporating temporal exaggeration in high variability phonetic training to promote brain plasticity at the perceptual and pre-attentive neural levels.
Speech, emotion and language: A neuroscientific exploration
Authors: Sanyal Shankha , Banerjee Archi , Karmakar Samir , Ghosh Dipak
Published: November 2019

While the emotional state of a person can be manifested in different ways such as facial expressions, gestures, movements and postures, recognition of emotion from speech has gathered much interest over others. This study attempts to understand different factors that influence Speech Emotion Recognition (SER), while taking into account one of the most important parameter—language. We look to classify and compare four basic emotions—anger, happy, sad and neutral from speech segments of four different linguistic groups—Bengali, English, German and Spanish. Robust nonlinear feature like multifractal width was used to develop a language independent emotion classification model. EEG was done on different groups of L1 speaking participants to understand the neuro-cognitive appraisal corresponding to speech segments of different language, i.e., to understand the presence of any speech features that contribute exclusively to emotion recognition of a selected language. The nonlinear, non-stationary EEG time series has been analyzed with latest state of the art multifractal features. The first of its kind study is expected to shed light on how the emotional contents of speech depend on language or solely on the prosodic features of speech such as pitch, loudness, tempo, stress and rhythm.
The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty’s global International Monitoring System, its core mission and its civil and scientific applications
Authors: Zampolli Mario , Haralabus Georgios , Nielsen Peter L.
Published: November 2019

The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization’s (CTBTO) International Monitoring System (IMS) comprises 337 stations distributed around the world, recording data 24/7 and sending it in near-real time to the International Data Centre (IDC) in Vienna, where the data are processed to detect signs of nuclear tests. The four monitoring technologies in the IMS are: (i) seismology, (ii) hydroacoustics, (iii) infrasound, and (iv) radionuclide. The present state of completion of the IMS is nearing 90%, with the hydroacoustic network (6 stations with triplets of moored hydrophones suspended in the SOFAR channel and 5 near-shore seismometer stations for T-phase detection) being the first technology to be completely certified as of 2017. In addition to Treaty verification, IMS raw sensor data is available for civil and scientific studies, with hydroacoustic topics encompassing ocean acoustic propagation and tomography, submarine earthquakes and volcanism, ocean soundscapes, marine mammal acoustics and disaster response. This presentation will kick off this ASA Special Session by presenting the current status of the network, with emphasis on the hydroacoustic component and on the hydrophone stations, their sustainment and pertinent technology watch, and by reviewing highlights from data analysis of events for Treaty verification and scientific and civil applications.
Hydroacoustic waves traveling along Antarctica: Travel time as a function of the seasons
Authors: Evers Läslo , Smets Pieter , Shani-Kadmiel Shahar
Published: November 2019

Activities of the Monowai Volcanic centre have been observed as seismic waves recorded at Rarotonga station (RAR), as well as hydroacoustic waves recorded at Ascension Island (H10). Beamforming has been performed on the hydroacoustic data to verify the source and study the effect of performing calculations with a best beam. The lag time that is calculated by cross correlating seismic and hydroacoustic data. With the known source-receiver distance, the sound speed and hence the temperature can be calculated. Finally, the lag time is studied as a function of time in order to observe seasonal changes. In general, travel times between the source and hydrostation H10 do increase with decreasing temperature. In the Southern Hemisphere winter, however, an unexpected decrease of lag time is observed. This might be explained by a different propagation path due to the formation of sea ice.
On the potential of using sound sources of opportunity recorded on the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty hydroacoustic network for historical ocean thermometry
Authors: Dall'Osto David R. , Heyburn Ross
Published: November 2019

The globally distributed CTBT hydrophones form an existing network to measure temperature structure of the world oceans. Ocean tomography (or thermometry, asserting the primary driver in sound speed variability is temperature) typically operates by deploying active sources in precisely known locations and projecting signals at precisely known times. Ocean temperature is inferred from the travel time to distributed receivers. Here, we investigate the potential for using sound sources of opportunity within the nearly 20 year record of CTBT recordings. While some of these historical events have known locations and time, multiple hydroacoustic stations can localize the origin of intense sounds without this information. This study will focus primarily on sounds generated by seismic events detected on the CTBT station Diego Garcia in the central Indian Ocean. Hydroacoustic-based localization is possible through the consideration of multiple refracted and diffracted arrivals caused by the complicated bathymetry near this archipelago. These multiple arrivals are used to form ‘virtual’ stations to precisely triangulate the sound origin and establish the event time. Comparison of sound source locations to the event epicenters, determined by land-based seismic stations, are discussed in terms of sound generation mechanisms and uncertainties relevant to ocean thermometry.
A range of large music rehearsal spaces: 3 case studies
Authors: Myers Joseph W. , Corry Brian , Hunt Kaitlyn
Published: November 2019

A rehearsal room for a large music ensemble must strike a balance between acoustic support and loudness control. Typically Kirkegaard approaches this by capturing a large volume and treating it with a mix of reflective and absorptive surfaces, plus some movable absorption. The size of the room’s volume, the treatment of the reflective and absorptive surfaces, and the location and extent of the adjustable absorption responds to the types of ensembles and music that the room serves. Three examples: At University of Virginia’s Hunter Smith Band Building, the main user was the 250-person marching band. This new construction used generous height and deep absorption to control loudness, despite extensive glazing. At University of Southern California’s Schoenfeld Symphonic Hall, a former soundstage was adapted into the primary rehearsal room for the Thornton School’s orchestra, wind ensemble, and percussion ensembles, with secondary use as a recording space. The renovation had to compensate for limited acoustic volume and directly adjacent mechanical room while transforming the room architecturally. At Oregon Bach Festival’s purpose-built Berwick Hall the focus was on early music—rehearsal, instruction, and performance. Our response was a moderate volume with little fixed absorption, creating an unusually reverberant rehearsal room with an extraordinarily beautiful sound.
Reverberation time slope ratio
Authors: Fay Michael W.
Published: November 2019

T60 Slope Ratio: Symbolically—T60SR6 A proposed standard for condensing six octaves (63 Hz – 2 kHz) of reverberant decay data into a singular-quotient, qualitative score for performance, worship and entertainment facilities. Specifically, a defining metric for scoring and grading the proportional relationship (i.e., ratio) between the longest and shortest of the six T60 values, measured or predicted, and applied to fully enclosed venues employing sound reinforcement systems. In practice, Bass Ratio and Slope Ratio goals are conflicting concepts. Bass Ratio goals and calculations were developed to quantify and support the idea that acoustic instruments need a little extra reverberant support from a room, in the low-frequency range. Slope Ratio goals and calculations support the notion that those same low frequencies do not require extra structural support, but rather need to be managed and well contained. Longer low and very low-frequency T60s are not needed or desirable when an extended-range sound reinforcement system is being used. The T60SR6 thesis is offered to advance and define a room’s reverberation goals, and provide a simple numeric scoring scale, and grading vocabulary, from which acoustical design specifications can be initiated and evaluated.
The effect of submarine canyon bathymetry on range estimation using cross-correlated ship noise field
Authors: Shajahan Najeem , Barclay David R.
Published: November 2019

Ambient noise data collected on a pair of omni-directional vertically separated hydrophones at the head of Alvin Canyon, a shelf-break submarine canyon, is used to estimate the range and bearing of a passing vessel. Comparison of the vertical coherence data against a Pekeris normal-mode model may be used to provide the range of the ship along bearing lines that do not cross the canyon’s rapidly changing bathymetry. To investigate the effect of bathymetry on the range estimate, a reciprocal three-dimensional Parabolic Equation (3-D PE) model is used to generate a map of the vertical coherence field for all possible ship positions over the domain of a Gaussian canyon, demonstrating that horizontal reflection and refraction lead to focusing of ship noise along the canyon axis. The same method is used to obtain vessel range and bearing information from the data recorded at Alvin Canyon. The vessel bearing relative to the pair of vertically spaced omni-directional receivers is obtained by exploiting the canyon bathymetry.
Hydrophone array processing of biological transient sounds in an acoustically complex environment
Authors: Freeman Simon E. , Freeman Lauren , Bautista Radienxe , Caspers Philip , Harker Blaine M. , Johnson Alexis , Toole Chris
Published: November 2019

Biological transients from invertebrates and fishes dominate the coral reef sound field, an acoustically and biologically complex ecosystem that is challenging to monitor effectively. Three geometries of a reconfigurable mid-frequency hydrophone array were used to quantify the reef biological sound field and investigate bioacoustic changes associated with organism interactions and environmental variables stemming from soniferous reef organism activity. In the three cases, array geometry was optimized to maximize resolution in the horizontal, provide equal vertical and horizontal aperture, and to provide optimal two-dimensional resolution without spatial ambiguity over the reef surface. Reconstructed time-series from beamformer outputs were processed through a number of techniques. Simultaneous underwater video from static cameras enabled validation of reef activity during daylight hours.
Convolutional generative models for underwater acoustic event classification
Authors: Baggenstoss Paul M.
Published: November 2019

Despite the success of discriminative (DISC) classifiers, there remain serious flaws in the DISC approaches. Using adversarial sampling, a DISC network can be fooled into producing any desired classifier output by subtle changes in the data sample. The problem lies in the goal of DISC methods: assigning class identity without further considerations. In contrast, generative (GEN) methods model the underlying data generation process, can be interrogated and groomed by researchers, so have the potential to operate well with little training data. But, the GEN task is more difficult, so performance lags behind. But, given time and effort, GEN performance can even surpass performance of DISC methods as shown by deep belief network of Hinton in 2006 which performed better than comparable fully-connected (non-CONV) DISC networks. As CONV DISC networks (CNNs) have seen a quantum leap in performance, GEN methods have once again fallen behind. This talk details unexplored avenues to greatly improve CONV GEN models (CGMs). One avenue, “max-pooling for CGMs” is backed up by promising experiments. Max-pooling is a dimension-reduction step that is partly responsible for the success of CNNs, but presents a severe obstacle for CGMs by discarding the pooling positioning information (PPI). We show that encoding PPI info the features greatly improves the quality of GEN auto-encoders. When PPI together with added GEN neurons are “appended” to existing DISC CNNs, a hybrid GEN/DISC CNN is created with the best qualities of both approaches.
Detecting shifts in coral reef soundscape with unsupervised learning
Authors: Reeves Ozanich Emma , Gerstoft Peter , Toole Chris , Freeman Lauren , Freeman Simon , Johnson Alexis
Published: November 2019

Biological sources contribute significantly to coral reef ambient noise environments, yet the ecosystem-level mechanisms of temporal and spatial variation in the reef soundscape are not well understood. In this study, subtle shifts in reef ambient noise are examined using unsupervised machine learning on hydrophone array data. Unsupervised learning does not require data labels, but uses nonlinear inference to find explanatory features within the data. A hydrophone array was used to generate spatially filtered time series inputs for machine learning. Video cameras were collocated and time-synced with the hydrophone array to provide nominal ground-truth. We discuss the tradeoff parameters of the unsupervised learning methods. Changes in the dominant data features during the experiment are compared to the video recordings and researcher observations.
Effective representation of sound propagation in ocean using Hartree-Fock Bogoliubov theory
Authors: Knobles David P.
Published: November 2019

Physical insight into the complexities of sound propagation in the ocean can be achieved by considering effective waveguides; for example, Zhao et al., “Modeling of Green's function with bottom reflective parameters (P,Q) instead of Geoacoustic parameters,” J. C. A. 22(1), 1440005, (2014).). In principle, effective waveguide representations can enhance the efficacy of solving the statistical inverse problem. Inspired by such work, an attempt is made to utilize methods to solve the quantum many-body problem. One way to solve the nuclear many-body problem (NMBP) is to transform a group of strongly interacting particles into a set of weakly interacting particles within a potential that results from the collective nature of the two-body interactions. The most noteworthy of these approaches is the Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov (HFB) theory. In analogy with the NMBP we replace an ocean acoustics problem that is described by a set of strongly coupled modes with a self-consistent modal potential that contains all the long-range quasi-mode correlations. Computational results are provided that compares the standard coupled mode solution to the HFB generated solution.
Mode coupling and scattering in a submarine canyon environment
Authors: DeCourcy Brendan J. , Duda Timothy F.
Published: November 2019

Acoustic propagation in a realistic ocean environment based on the Hudson Canyon is computed using an Omnidirectional Coupled Mode (OCM) and a 3-D Parabolic Equation (3DPE) approach. The 3DPE is limited by nature to one-way wave radiation, while the OCM is not. The mode coupling method accounts for omnidirectional propagation and refraction, while the forward-propagation PE model can more efficiently approximate the canyon acoustics while ignoring some of the complicated refraction. The primary motivation is to explore the differences in output between the two methods in pursuit of describing the relative importance of environmental uncertainty in model inputs. Examples of features of interest include steep bathymetric slopes, and sound speed fronts in the water column. Some methods for adapting the computational approach in the OCM model based on environmental properties are outlined, and some sensitivity analysis is presented. [Work supported by ONR.]
Ten acoustically challenged venue renovations, nine solutions
Authors: Conant David A.
Published: November 2019

This paper provides a travelogue through ten performing arts venues in the West that are architecturally or historically important. While nine found happiness, the tenth still struggles mightily with an inconvenient conundrum—an intractable juxtaposition of its acoustical challenges spread across its history, its geographic setting and its name. Where salient, measured data are presented for each along with highlights of the re-design challenges and their specific solutions, several of which were quite novel.
Immediate signaling flexibility in the model system Zonotrichia leucophrys nuttalli
Authors: Gentry Katherine E. , Luther David
Published: November 2019

Background noise can interfere with acoustic communication and subsequently influence signaling behavior. Immediate signaling flexibility (ISF) is a context-dependent form of behavioral plasticity that allows animals to temporarily change their acoustic behavior in response to noise fluctuations and potentially improve the chances of successful communication in noisy environments. However, the adaptive value of ISF is ultimately contingent on the response of the intended receiver, and there are differential effects on receiver response depending on which signal component is modified. Here, we describe ISF in the model system Zonotrichia leucophrys nuttalli using results from a noise broadcast experiment conducted in urban and rural locations. Three types of noise broadcasts were incorporated into the experimental design to test whether plasticity of song behavior, if observed, was dependent on the spectral qualities of the experimental noise. We predicted that all birds would exhibit ISF, but vocal plasticity would be greater in noisier territories. Instead, we found that only urban males displayed ISF by decreasing song bandwidth in response to experimental noise. Song modification did not change with type of noise broadcast or territory background noise, nor did it involve the temporary adjustment of trill structure traits used by receivers to assess vocal performance.
Mesopelagic predator-prey interactions revealed by joint passive and active acoustic observations
Authors: Urmy Samuel S. , Benoit-Bird Kelly J. , Ryan John P. , Horne John K.
Published: November 2019

The ocean’s mesopelagic zone is one of the Earth’s largest habitats and contains large numbers of animals, playing important roles in aquatic food webs—notably as food for many marine mammal species. While these communities have been observed for decades on echosounders as sound scattering layers (SSLs), their ecological dynamics remain poorly understood. Using a broadband (0-128 kHz) hydrophone and an upward-looking echosounder (38 kHz) at a cabled observatory in Monterey Bay, CA in early 2019, we observed numerous occasions where SSLs abruptly increased their depth during bouts of echolocation clicks from odontocete whales. Clicking bouts occurred 6.1 times per day on average, mostly at night, lasting minutes to several hours. Pacific white-sided dolphins and Risso’s dolphins produced most of these clicks. Increases in clicking were significantly cross-correlated with increases in SSL depth. The deepest SSL, centered at 400–500 m depth, dove 15 m during an average clicking bout, with some excursions up to 100 m. Video surveys from a remotely operated vehicle identified juvenile Pacific hake, myctophids, and sergestid shrimp as likely constituents of these SSLs. Our results suggest these animals actively dive to avoid odontocetes, and that fear of predation can restructure mesopelagic ecosystems on short time scales.
How much more informative are broadband compared to narrowband echoes for biological interpretation?
Authors: Lee Wu-Jung , Chu Dezhang , Dosso Stan E.
Published: November 2019

The recent availability of commercial broadband echosounders has elicited wide interests in their potentials for enhancing the effectiveness, efficiency, and accuracy of acoustic sensing capability for monitoring mid-trophic level marine organisms. However, despite the significantly improved temporal and spatial resolutions, it remains unclear how the additional spectral information provided by broadband echosounders contribute to achieving these goals. In this study, we use a Bayesian inversion framework to compare the estimation uncertainty between broadband and narrowband echo data for biological model parameters, such as organism length, tilt angle, numerical density and aggregation composition. We employ the Markov Chain Monte-Carlo (MCMC) sampling technique to construct the posterior probability density (PPD) of biological parameters given simulated zooplankton and fish echo data in the form of calibrated volume backscattering strength (Sv). The data are simulated for frequency ranges commonly employed in marine ecological and fisheries surveys. We investigate the changes in PPD in response to variations in echo spectral information, with specific emphasis on the correlation structure among model parameters and whether and how broadband information reduces the uncertainty in inferring biological information from acoustic quantities available from field surveys. [Work supported by NMFS Office of Science and Technology Advanced Sampling Technology Working Group.]
An electromagnetic articulography-facilitated deep neural network model of tongue contour detection from ultrasound images
Authors: Chen Wei-Rong , Tiede Mark , Kang Jaekoo , Kim Boram , Whalen D. H.
Published: November 2019

Ultrasound imaging is a non-invasive technique for the measurement of the tongue in speech. Recent advancements in analytical edge detection algorithms and deep learning methods have improved tongue contour segmentation. However, most edge detection algorithms require user input as initialization “seeds” and accuracy can drift as segmentation subsequently proceeds. Deep learning in ultrasound tongue contour tracking, on the other hand, requires large, manually labelled training data, has poor spatial resolution and does not generalize well to images acquired by ultrasound machines outside the training set. Here, we demonstrate an approach combining both edge detection and deep learning in automatic tongue contour tracking in ultrasound images of the tongue, aided by synchronously acquired electromagnetic articulometry (EMA) data. A deep learning model was trained by edge detection seeded by tongue locations from EMA with minimal human intervention. Spatial and temporal constraints for tongue contours were learned simultaneously using a three-dimensional convolutional neural network. Finally, the deep neural network inferred tongue contour in low resolution was passed through additional edge detection to refine the contour in higher resolution. Our preliminary results demonstrate the proposed architecture improved accuracy compared to using analytical edge detection or deep learning alone.
Simulating tonic activations in speech production
Authors: Gick Bryan , Mayer Connor
Published: November 2019

Studies of speech production have often focused on transient events—those that happen over short temporal intervals. We know, however, that speech is made up of movements that can be distributed over longer durations as well (e.g., tongue bracing, oralization, articulatory setting, laryngeal state, harmony, etc.). Such events, which involve maintaining continuous activation of a particular muscle group tonically over a long duration, have often been treated as qualitatively different from transient speech events. The present study considers examples of these types of movements in speech and non-speech (e.g., emotion expression, posture, etc.) domains. Biomechanical simulations are used to show how tonic activations operate on the same principles as transient ones (except for the difference in duration), and to show how tonic activations can overlap with multiple other activations—whether transient or tonic—through superposition [Bizzi et al. Science 253, 5017 (1991)]. This work aims to show how these previously anomalous kinds of movements fit seamlessly into broader theories of movement and speech. [Funding from NIH Grant DC-002717 and NSERC RGPIN-2015-05099.]
The Effectiveness of Autonomy Support Interventions With Physical Education Teachers and Youth Sport Coaches: A Systematic Review
Authors: Raabe Johannes , Schmidt Katrin , Carl Johannes , Höner Oliver
Published: November 2019

Researchers consider motivation a key determinant of physical activity. In physical education (PE) and youth sport, the more children and adolescents evaluate their teachers and coaches to be autonomy supportive, as opposed to controlling, the more self-determined they are in their motivation. Therefore, it appears valuable to help PE teachers and youth sport coaches optimize their interactions with the individuals they work with. This study was designed to systematically review the literature related to autonomy support interventions with PE teachers and youth sport coaches. After relevant databases were searched and duplicates were removed, 1,523 potentially pertinent articles were found. These were subsequently screened based on specific inclusion criteria. This systematic review process helped identify 21 studies that were included for further analyses. Overall, the interventions were frequently successful in enhancing PE teachers’ and youth sport coaches’ behavior. Additional research appears justified to foster self-determined motivation among children and adolescence.
Translocation of TRPV4-PI3Kγ complexes to the plasma membrane drives myofibroblast transdifferentiation
Authors: Grove Lisa M. , Mohan Maradumane L. , Abraham Susamma , Scheraga Rachel G. , Southern Brian D. , Crish James F. , Naga Prasad Sathyamangla V. , Olman Mitchell A.
Published: November 2019

Profibrotic signaling by the mechanosensitive ion channel TRPV4 requires TRPV4-PI3Kγ complexes at the plasma membrane.
Amino acid starvation enhances vaccine efficacy by augmenting neutralizing antibody production
Authors: Afroz Sumbul , Shama  , Battu Srikanth , Matin Shaikh , Solouki Sabrina , Elmore Jessica P. , Minhas Gillipsie , Huang Weishan , August Avery , Khan Nooruddin
Published: November 2019

The amino acid starvation mimetic halofuginone augments the neutralizing antibody response to dengue virus vaccination.
The ALK-1/SMAD/ATOH8 axis attenuates hypoxic responses and protects against the development of pulmonary arterial hypertension
Authors: Morikawa Masato , Mitani Yoshihide , Holmborn Katarina , Kato Taichi , Koinuma Daizo , Maruyama Junko , Vasilaki Eleftheria , Sawada Hirofumi , Kobayashi Mai , Ozawa Takayuki , Morishita Yasuyuki , Bessho Yasumasa , Maeda Shingo , Ledin Johan , Aburatani Hiroyuki , Kageyama Ryoichiro , Maruyama Kazuo , Heldin Carl-Henrik , Miyazono Kohei
Published: November 2019

BMP signaling induces a transcription factor that may block pulmonary arterial hypertension from developing.
Efficacy of Voriconazole against Aspergillus fumigatus Infection Depends on Host Immune Function
Authors: Rosowski Emily E. , He Jiaye , Huisken Jan , Keller Nancy P. , Huttenlocher Anna
Published: November 2019

Antifungal therapy can fail in a remarkable number of patients with invasive fungal disease, resulting in significant morbidity worldwide. A major contributor to this failure is that while these drugs have high potency
in vitro
, we do not fully understand how they work inside infected hosts.
Highly Contingent Phenotypes of Lon Protease Deficiency in Escherichia coli upon Antibiotic Challenge
Authors: Matange Nishad
Published: November 2019

Understanding the evolutionary dynamics of antimicrobial resistance is vital to curb its emergence and spread. Being fundamentally similar to natural selection, the fitness of resistant mutants is a key parameter to consider in the evolutionary dynamics of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Various intrinsic and extrinsic factors modulate the fitness of resistant bacteria. This study demonstrated that Lon, a bacterial master regulator protease, influences drug tolerance and resistance. Lon is a key regulator of several fundamental processes in bacteria, including cytokinesis. I demonstrated that Lon deficiency produces highly contingent phenotypes in
E. coli
challenged with trimethoprim and can expand the mutational repertoire available to
E. coli
to evolve resistance. This multipronged influence of Lon on drug resistance provides an illustrative instance of how master regulators shape the response of bacteria to antibiotics.
Genome Sequence of
Pseudomonas
sp. Strain ST1, Isolated from Olive (Olea europaea L.) Knot Galls in Croatia
Authors: Vuletin Selak Gabriela , Raboteg Marina , Fournier Pascale , Dubost Audrey , Abrouk Danis , Žanić Katja , Perica Slavko , Normand Philippe , Pujić Petar
Published: November 2019

We report the genome sequence of a
Pseudomonas
sp. strain isolated from olive knot galls. The genome size is 6.101 Mbp with a G+C content of 58%. A total of 6,137 coding DNA sequences (CDS) were predicted, including 52 tRNA and 4 rRNA genes.
Whole-Genome Sequencing of
Xanthomonadaceae
Strain Alg18-2.2, Isolated from the Saline Lake Gudzhirganskoe in the Republic of Buryatia, Russia
Authors: Karlyshev Andrey V. , Kudryashova Ekaterina B. , Ariskina Elena V. , Abidueva Elena Y. , Lavrentyeva Elena V. , Barkhutova Darima D.
Published: November 2019

A draft genome sequence of the bacterial isolate Alg18-2.2, recovered from the highly saline and alkaline lake Gudzhirganskoe (Buryatia, Russia), was determined. The results of bacterial identification using 16S rRNA gene sequence and whole-genome analyses suggest that the bacterium belongs to a novel genus. Some genomic features are discussed here.
Metagenome-Assembled Genome of USCα AHI, a Potential High-Affinity Methanotroph from Axel Heiberg Island, Canadian High Arctic
Authors: Rusley Calvin , Onstott Tullis C. , Vishnivetskaya Tatiana A. , Layton Alice , Chauhan Archana , Pfiffner Susan M. , Whyte Lyle G. , Lau Maggie C. Y.
Published: November 2019

Metagenomic sequencing of active-layer cryosols from the Canadian High Arctic has yielded a nearly complete genome for an atmospheric CH
4
-oxidizing bacterium belonging to upland soil cluster α (USCα). This genome contains genes involved in CH
4
metabolism, H
2
metabolism, and multiple carbon assimilation pathways.
Examination of 388 Staphylococcus aureus Isolates from Intensive Care Unit Patients
Authors: Adedrian Timileyin , Hitchcock Stephanie , O’Hara Lyndsay M. , Michalski Jane M. , Johnson J. Kristie , Calfee David P. , Miller Loren G. , Hazen Tracy H. , Rasko David A. , Harris Anthony D.
Published: November 2019

We have examined the draft genomes of 388 methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
isolates obtained from intensive care unit patients at three geographically distributed hospitals to determine genomic diversity associated with potential health care worker-associated transmission.
Complete Genome Sequence of Klebsiella pneumoniae Siphophage Seifer
Authors: Salazar Adam J. , Lessor Lauren , O’Leary Chandler , Gill Jason , Liu Mei
Published: November 2019

Carbapenemase-producingKlebsiella pneumoniaeposes a significant public health threat due to its resistance to antibiotics. Siphophage Seifer was isolated and characterized as part of an effort to develop phage therapeutics to control this pathogen. This report describes the complete genome sequence of phage Seifer, which is a distant member of the χ-like siphovirus phage cluster.
Complete Genome Sequence of Klebsiella pneumoniae Myophage Mulock
Authors: Min Lorna , Lessor Lauren , O’Leary Chandler , Bonasera Rachele , Gill Jason , Liu Mei
Published: November 2019

Klebsiella pneumoniaeis an opportunistic pathogen associated with hospital-acquired infections. This report describes the complete genome of theK. pneumoniaemyophage Mulock, which appears to be a temperate myophage distantly related to otherKlebsiellamyophages in morphogenesis genes and is partially syntenic with the canonicalEscherichiaphage lambda in genes encoding lambda-like functions.
Complete Genome Sequence of a Colombian Zika Virus Strain Obtained from BALB/c Mouse Brain after Intraperitoneal Inoculation
Authors: Laiton-Donato Katherine , Álvarez-Díaz Diego A. , Rengifo Aura Caterine , Torres-Fernández Orlando , Usme-Ciro José A. , Rivera Jorge Alonso , Santamaría Gerardo , Naizaque Julián , Monroy-Gómez Jeison , Sarmiento Ladys , Gunturiz María Luz , Muñoz Alejandra , Vanegas Ricardo , Rico Angélica , Pardo Lissethe , Peláez-Carvajal Dioselina
Published: November 2019

A Zika virus (ZIKV) strain was isolated from an acute febrile patient during the Zika epidemics in Colombia. The strain was intraperitoneally inoculated into BALB/c mice, and 7 days postinoculation, neurological manifestations and ZIKV infection in the brain were demonstrated. The reported genome sequence is highly related to strains circulating in the Americas.
Subclavian artery occlusion after a clavicle fracture
Authors: Demir Diba , Borger van der Burg Boudewijn , Stollenwerck Guido , Hoencamp Rigo
Published: November 2019

A 44-year-old man with a 9-day-old left displaced midshaft clavicle fracture was initially treated conservatively. The patient experienced an increase of pain with tickling and cold sensation in the left upper extremity. CT angiography showed left subclavian artery occlusion over 3 cm at the level of the fracture. At surgical repair, a subclavian-brachial bypass was constructed and fracture fixation was done with an eight-hole locking compression plate. Follow-up at 6 months showed full range of motion of the left shoulder, an open bypass and fracture consolidation.
Unexpected neurologic complications following a novel lymphoma treatment ‘expected’ to give rise to neurologic toxicity
Authors: Kersten Marie José , van Ettekoven Cornelis N , Heijink Dianne M
Published: November 2019

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy is a novel and promising form of cellular immunotherapy using genetically engineered, tumour-specific autologous T cells. CD19-specific CAR T-cells have been shown to be very effective as a treatment for relapsed/refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. ICANS (immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome) is one of the most frequently occurring toxicities of CAR T-cell treatment. We describe two cases of patients with neurologic symptoms following CAR T-cell infusion who were suspected to have ICANS, but in fact had cerebral toxoplasmosis and venous sinus thrombosis respectively. The focus on CRS and ICANS after CAR T-cell infusion may lead to less vigilance to the ‘normal’ threats faced by intensively pretreated patients with lymphoma such as infections and thrombosis. Both cases underscore the importance of a broad and thorough examination of patients if they experience neurologic symptoms after CAR T-cell treatment.
Epidemiology of ophthalmic lymphoma in Canada during 1992–2010
Authors: Darwich Rami , Ghazawi Feras M , Rahme Elham , Alghazawi Nebras , Zubarev Andrei , Moreau Linda , Sasseville Denis , Burnier Miguel N , Litvinov Ivan V
Published: November 2019

Background

Ophthalmic lymphoma (OL) is the most common orbital tumour, particularly in older individuals. Little is known about the epidemiology and geographic distribution of OL in Canada. Descriptive demographic statistics are an important first step in understanding OL burden and are necessary to inform comprehensive national cancer prevention programmes.

Methods

We determined patterns of incidence and geographical distribution of the three major subtypes of OL: extranodal marginal zone B cell lymphoma, follicular lymphoma (FL) and diffuse large B cell lymphoma. Here, we used cases that were diagnosed during 1992–2010 using two independent population-based cancer registries, the Canadian Cancer Registry and Le Registre Québécois du Cancer (LRQC).

Results

The OL mean annual age-standardised incidence rate for 1992–2010 was 0.65 cases per million people per year with an average annual increase in the incidence rate of 4.5% per year. The mean age of diagnosis was 65 years. OL incidence rate was the highest in the cities located along the heavily industrialised Strait of Georgia in British Columbia.

Conclusions

Our data on patient age, sex and temporal trends showed similarities with data reported in the USA and Denmark. Additional studies are needed to determine whether the observed increase in OL incidence is genuine or spurious.