bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Association between placental location and neonatal outcomes in manual fundal pressure‐assisted vaginal deliveries: A retrospective single‐center study in Japan
Authors: Kamijo Kyosuke , Shigemi Daisuke , Kaszynski Richard H. , Nakajima Mikio
Published: May 2022

Aim

Manual fundal pressure (MFP) is still used to assist vaginal deliveries during the second stage of labor in predominantly lower‐middle income countries; however, there is insufficient evidence on the risk factors in MFP‐assisted vaginal deliveries for adverse neonatal outcomes. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between placental location and neonatal outcomes in MFP‐assisted vaginal deliveries.

Methods

The present study was a single‐center retrospective cohort study in patients with all MFP‐assisted vaginal singleton deliveries from January 2016 to December 2020. Placental location was divided into two categories: posterior‐lateral and anterior‐fundal. The primary outcome was a neonatal adverse composite including umbilical artery blood pH <7.2, Apgar score <7 at 5 min, neonatal intensive care unit admission and neonatal resuscitation. We used multivariable logistic regression models to investigate the association between placental location and neonatal outcomes.

Results

We extracted 522 MFP‐assisted deliveries among 5053 vaginal deliveries. The proportion of posterior‐lateral and anterior‐fundal placentation was 239 (45.8%) and 283 (54.2%), respectively. The crude prevalence of neonatal composite outcome in the anterior‐fundal group was significantly higher than that in the posterior‐lateral group (39.6% vs. 28.9%; p = 0.013). Multivariable logistic regression analysis found that the prevalence of neonatal adverse outcome in the anterior‐fundal group was significantly higher compared with the posterior‐lateral group (adjusted odds ratio, 1.52; 95% confidence interval, 1.04–2.23).

Conclusion

Anterior‐fundal placentation was significantly associated with an increased risk of neonatal adverse outcomes compared to posterior‐lateral placentation in MFP‐assisted vaginal deliveries.
Round ligament suspension and vaginal purse‐string suture: Newly optimized techniques to prevent tumor spillage in laparoscopic radical trachelectomy for cervical cancer
Authors: Xu Miaochun , Huo Chuying , Huang Chunxian , Liu Yunyun , Ling Xiaoting , Xu Guocai , Lin Zhongqiu , Lu Huaiwu
Published: May 2022

Aim

The purpose of this study was to investigate the surgical techniques and clinical feasibility of nonuterine manipulator and enclosed colpotomy to avoid cancer cell spillages in laparoscopic radical trachelectomy (LRT) for patients with early‐stage cervical cancer.

Methods

We performed the newly optimized surgical techniques of round ligament suspension and vaginal purse‐string suture in LRT in 12 patients with early‐stage cervical cancer from May 2019 to October 2020. Surgical information and postoperative results were recorded.

Results

All 12 patients successfully underwent LRT with round ligament suspension and vaginal purse‐string suture, and no conversion to laparotomy was required. The median operation time was 268.5 min (range 200–320 min), including 5 min of round ligament suspension, and the median blood loss was 20 mL (range 5–50 mL). The median number of pelvic lymph nodes removed was 27 (range 19–35), and median amounts of paracervical tissue was 24 mm (range 21–26 mm) and vaginal tissue was 18 mm (range 16–26 mm). No intraoperative complication or serious postoperative complications were reported.

Conclusion

Round ligament suspension and vaginal purse‐string suture techniques are feasible and effective in LRT. They can replace uterine manipulator and unprotected colpotomy with satisfactory perioperative outcomes.
Antitrust Limits on Patent Settlements: A New Approach*
Authors: Hovenkamp Erik , Lemus Jorge
Published: May 2022

Patent settlements between rivals restrain competition in many different ways. Antitrust requires that their anticompetitive effects are reasonably commensurate with the firms' expectations about (counterfactual) patent litigation. Because these expectations are private and non‐verifiable, this standard is hard to administer; to date, it has been successfully applied only within a very narrow class of agreements. We show that it can be applied universally by policing the economic structure of the firms' contract. This approach determines whether settlement outcomes will be antitrust‐compliant for any private beliefs the firms might have, thus avoiding the need to speculate about such beliefs.
What will it take to increase breastfeeding?
Authors: Hernández‐Cordero Sonia , Pérez‐Escamilla Rafael
Published: May 2022

The introduction for the Supplement in Maternal & Child Nutrition: What will it take to increase breastfeeding? describes the contribution of each of the articles included in this Supplement to the current evidence about the major structural challenges in place to overcome to improve breastfeeding practices, as well as the evidence‐based policies and interventions that can be effective at advancing breastfeeding on a large scale to promote, protect and support breastfeeding.
Isavuconazole therapeutic drug monitoring in critically ill ICU patients: A monocentric retrospective analysis
Authors: Höhl Rainer , Bertram Ralph , Kinzig Martina , Haarmeyer Golo‐Sung , Baumgärtel Matthias , Geise Arnim , Muschner Dorothea , Prosch Doris , Reger Mira , Naumann Hans‐Theodor , Ficker Joachim H. , Kubitz Jens , Steinmann Joerg , Sörgel Fritz
Published: May 2022

Background

The broad‐spectrum triazole isavuconazole is used for the treatment of invasive aspergillosis and mucormycosis. Data regarding human plasma concentrations in clinical routine of the drug are rare.

Objectives

Plasma concentrations of isavuconazole were determined in critically ill ICU patients while considering different patients' characteristics.

Methods

Retrospective analysis of isavuconazole plasma concentrations were obtained as part of routine therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of ICU patients with invasive aspergillosis or other fungal infections treated with isavuconazole. Plasma levels 0–4 h after last dosing were defined as peak levels (Cmax), those 20–28 h after last dosing as trough levels (Cmin).

Results

Overall, 223 isavuconazole levels of 41 patients were analysed, divided into 141 peak levels and 82 trough levels. The overall median Cmax was 2.36 μg/ml (mean 2.43 μg/ml, range 0.41–7.79 μg/ml) and the overall median Cmin was 1.74 μg/ml (mean 1.77 μg/ml, range 0.24–4.96 μg/ml). In total, 31.7% of the Cmin values of the total cohort were below the plasma target concentrations of 1 μg/ml, defined as EUCAST antifungal clinical breakpoint for Aspergillus fumigatus. Both peak and trough plasma levels of isavuconazole were significantly lower among patients with a body mass index (BMI) ≥25. In addition, a significant correlation was observed between isavuconazole trough levels and sepsis‐related organ failure assessment (SOFA) score.

Conclusions

This study shows that isavuconazole plasma concentrations vary in critical ill ICU patients. Significantly lower isavuconazole levels were associated with elevated BMI and higher SOFA score indicating a need of isavuconazole TDM in this specific patient population.
Mindful eating: what we know so far
Authors: Tapper Katy
Published: May 2022

Mindful eating is increasingly being used to try to promote healthy eating and weight management. However, the term refers to a diverse set of practices that could have quite different effects on behaviour. This narrative review provides a guide to the concept of mindful eating as well as a comprehensive overview of research in the area. This includes the ways in which mindful eating has been operationalised and measured as well as evidence for effects and potential mechanisms of action. The research reviewed suggests that multi‐component mindfulness‐based interventions may be beneficial for disordered eating and weight management, but it is unclear whether these benefits exceed those obtained by alternative treatments. Some studies suggest that specific mindful eating strategies may have immediate effects on eating, but more research is needed to reach any definitive conclusions. These studies also suggest that effects may vary depending on the characteristics of the individual and/or the specific eating context. As such, research may ultimately point towards a more personalised approach to the application of mindful eating in order to maximise benefits. Finally, mindful eating interventions for children represent a relatively new area of research and there is currently insufficient evidence to draw any firm conclusions about their value. To advance both our understanding and effective application of mindful eating, more experimental research with high levels of methodological rigour is needed as well as research that explores underpinning mechanisms of action.
Distribution of amyloid‐β precursor protein‐immunoreactive axons differs according to the severity of cerebral ischemia in autopsy brains
Authors: Seki Erika , Komori Takashi , Arai Nobutaka
Published: May 2022

Amyloid‐β precursor protein (APP) immunohistochemistry has been used to detect axonal injury in forensic neuropathology. However, axonal injury caused by cerebral ischemia has not been investigated by APP immunohistochemistry in detail. In particular, it is unknown if there is a correlation between the prognosis of cerebral ischemia and the distribution of axonal injury detected by APP immunohistochemistry. To address this issue, we compared the distribution of APP‐immunoreactive axons in autopsy brains including lesions of acute phase of cerebral infarction in the territory of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) or internal carotid artery (ICA) with the degree of severity. The presence or absence of a midline shift was used as an indicator of the severity of cerebral ischemia. We identified a difference in the distribution of APP‐immunoreactive axons between cases with and without a midline shift. In both the groups, APP‐immunoreactive axons were detected at the margin of the ischemic lesions; however, only in cases with a midline shift, intense APP‐immunoreactive axons were also found in areas other than the MCA and ICA territories, including the white matter of the cerebral hemispheres ipsilateral and contralateral to the ischemic lesions. This distribution was different from that of acute global cerebral ischemia cases reported previously. Our results indicate that the distribution of APP‐immunoreactive axons differs according to the severity and type of cerebral ischemia, suggesting that the distribution of APP‐immunoreactive axons is associated with the prognosis of cerebral ischemia.
Children with functional abdominal pain disorders successfully decrease FODMAP food intake on a low FODMAP diet with modest improvements in nutritional intake and diet quality
Authors: Narayana Vishnu , McMeans Ann R. , Levy Rona L. , Shulman Robert J. , Chumpitazi Bruno P.
Published: May 2022

Background

We sought to determine how a low fermentable oligosaccharide, disaccharide, monosaccharide, and polyol (FODMAP) diet (LFD) affected high FODMAP food intake, nutrient intake, and diet quality in children with functional abdominal pain disorders (FAPD).

Methods

Children (ages 7–13 years) with Rome IV FAPD began a dietitian‐guided LFD. Three‐day food records were captured at baseline and 2–3 weeks into the LFD. Intake of high FODMAP foods, energy, macronutrients, micronutrients, food groups, and ultra‐processed foods were determined.

Key results

Median age of participants was 11 years, and 19/31 (61%) were female. Twenty‐eight (90%) decreased high FODMAP food intake on the LFD: overall median (25–75%) high FODMAP foods/day decreased from 5.7 (3.6–7.3) to 2 (0.3–3.7) (p < 0.001). A more adherent subset (n = 22/71%) of participants consumed on average ≤3 high FODMAP foods per day during the LFD. Baseline nutritional intake and quality were generally poor with several micronutrient deficiencies identified. Diet quality improved on the LFD with increased servings of vegetables and protein and decreased consumption of ultra‐processed foods, trans‐fatty acids, and added sugars. On the LFD, there were significant decreases in total carbohydrates and thiamin (remained within recommended intake) and significant increases in vitamin B6 (p = 0.029), vitamin C (p = 0.019), and vitamin E (p = 0.009). Children more adherent to the LFD further increased vitamin D, magnesium, potassium, and fat servings.

Conclusions and Inferences

The majority of children with FAPD on a dietitian‐led LFD successfully decreased high FODMAP food intake. Children with FAPD on the LFD (vs. baseline) modestly improved micronutrient intake and diet quality.
Both major QTL and plastid‐based inheritance of intumescence in diverse tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) RIL populations under different light conditions
Authors: Prinzenberg Aina E. , van der Schoot Hanneke , Visser Richard G. F. , Marcelis Leo F. M. , Heuvelink Ep , Schouten Henk J.
Published: May 2022

Intumescence is a physiological disorder in tomato and other plant species that encompasses callus formation on leaves and stems. Next to a genetic predisposition, it has also been shown to be influenced by environmental factors like light spectrum. We grew tomato plants of four different recombinant inbred line (RIL) populations under high‐pressure sodium (HPS) and red/blue LED supplemental lighting in a greenhouse and determined the severity of intumescence on 4‐week‐old plants, in three subsequent replicates. The intumescence severity was scored on a scale from 0 to 3. The severity of intumescence was highly genotype dependent in three out of the four tested tomato populations, with the heritability ranging from 54% to 83%. In those three populations, two to eight QTL for intumescence were identified. One major effect quantitative trait locus (QTL) on the top of chromosome 1 was at a similar position in two genetically different RIL populations. The amount of genetic variation explained for these QTL ranged from 30% to 70% depending on the population. Next to chromosomal influences, we also identified differences in effects from maternal plastids on intumescence, by using reciprocal crosses. The cultivation of the tomato plants under HPS lamps or under red/blue LED supplemental lighting had no significant influence on intumescence score. All major QTLs appeared to be reproducible among the three replicates and among the two light conditions. Significant, though, low negative correlations were identified between the intumescence score and the area of leaves, chlorophyll content index, photosynthesis efficiency and fresh weight to dry weight ratio, which can reflect possible effects of the disorder on multiple aspects of plant performance.
Confluent and reticulated papillomatosis in pediatric patients at an urban tertiary care center
Authors: McKenzie Paige L. , Ogwumike Erica , Agim Nnenna G.
Published: May 2022

Confluent and reticulated papillomatosis (CARP) is a dermatosis that often presents during adolescence. Prior studies have linked CARP to metabolic syndrome and comorbidities associated with insulin resistance, such as acanthosis nigricans and type 2 diabetes. Despite this, few studies have evaluated the clinical relationship between glucose dysmetabolism and CARP. In this report, we describe the characteristics of a large cohort of pediatric patients with CARP to further evaluate the potential relationship between CARP and metabolic syndrome in children.
Suicide and altitude: A systematic review of global literature
Authors: Brown Anne , Hellem Tracy , Schreiber James , Buerhaus Peter , Colbert Alison
Published: May 2022

Objective

The purpose of this systematic review was to synthesize the existing global literature examining the relationship between altitude and suicide.

Method

Using the electronic databases PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, and PsychInfo published articles in English that addressed the relationship between altitude and suicide as a primary or secondary aim, and included human subjects, where identified. Studies were assessed for quality based on methodological approach and data relevance on a three‐point scale (strong, moderate, or weak).

Results

Of the 19 studies related to the purpose and aims, 17 reported evidence of a positive correlation between altitude and increased suicide. Vast design differences were employed within the literature, individual‐level suicide data was identified as the preferred level of analysis.

Discussion

The relationship between altitude and suicide is an evolving science with a small but growing body of literature suggesting altitude is associated with an increased risk of suicide. This review identifies the need for additional studies examining both individual‐level suicide data and improving geographic precision. Public health nurses have a responsibility to carefully examine the quality of studies and the strength of the evidence when addressing variables associated with suicide.
United Nations recognition of the universal right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment: An eyewitness account
Authors: Limon Marc
Published: May 2022

On 8 October 2021, members of the Human Rights Council adopted a historic resolution recognizing a new universal human right: the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment. Recognition by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly is expected to follow in 2022, meaning that the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment will become one of the first universal human rights to be fully recognized by the UN since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. These momentous events, with important implications for international efforts to promote and protect the full enjoyment of human rights, and address the three interlinked environmental crises facing the planet—the climate, biodiversity and pollution crises—mark the end of a journey begun with the adoption of the Stockholm Declaration and Action Plan for the Human Environment in 1972 and given renewed impetus by a Small Island Developing State, the Maldives, from 2008. This article provides an eyewitness account of that journey.
Nearest Neighbour Ratio Imputation with Incomplete Multinomial Outcome in Survey Sampling
Authors: Gao Chenyin , Thompson Katherine Jenny , Kim Jae Kwang , Yang Shu
Published: May 2022

Nonresponse is a common problem in survey sampling. Appropriate treatment can be challenging, especially when dealing with detailed breakdowns of totals. Often, the nearest neighbour imputation method is used to handle such incomplete multinomial data. In this article, we investigate the nearest neighbour ratio imputation (NNRI) estimator, in which auxiliary variables are used to identify the closest donor and the vector of proportions from the donor is applied to the total of the recipient to implement ratio imputation. To estimate the asymptotic variance, we first treat the NNRI as a special case of predictive matching imputation and build on earlier work to linearize the imputed estimate. To account for the non-negligible sampling fractions, parametric and generalized additive models are employed to incorporate the smoothness of the imputation estimator, which results in a valid variance estimator. We apply the proposed method to estimate expenditures detail items based on empirical data from the 2018 collection of the Service Annual Survey, conducted by the United States Census Bureau. Our simulation results demonstrate the validity of our proposed estimators and also confirm that the derived variance estimators have good performance even when the sampling fraction is non-negligible.
Revisiting the Industrial Pneumatic Technology—An Innovative Development for an Increased Energetic Efficiency
Authors: Rufer Alfred
Published: May 2022

A new pneumatic cylinder assembly is proposed as an alternative to classical cylinders which are well known for their poor energetic efficiency. The new system comprises an added expansion volume which permits to recover the energy content of a filled cylinder by a real thermodynamic expansion instead of simply releasing the filled air to the atmosphere. The energetic performance of the new system is evaluated and compared with the performance of an equivalent single cylinder producing the same mechanical work. The paper explains the operation principle and properties through numeric simulation and presents a small experimental prototype.
Temperature Regimes and Chemistry for Stabilizing Precipitation Hardening Phases in Al–Sc Alloys: Combined CALPHAD–Deep Machine Learning
Authors: Jha Rajesh , Dulikravich George S.
Published: May 2022

In this work, CALPHAD-based calculations provided with data for various stable and metastable phases in 2XXX, 6XXX, and 7XXX classes of aluminum-based alloys. These data were scaled and then used to develop Deep Learning Artificial Neural Network (DLANN) models for all these phases as a function of composition and temperature. Code was written in the python programming language using TensorFlow/Keras libraries. DLANN models were used for determining the amount of various phases for new compositions and temperatures. The resulting data were further analyzed through the concept of Self-organizing Maps (SOM) and a few candidates were chosen for studying the precipitation kinetics of Al3Sc phase under the framework of CALPHAD approach. This work reports on heat-treatment simulation for one case of 6XXX alloy where the nucleation site was on dislocation, while a detailed study for other alloys is reported in a previously published work. Grain-growth simulations presented in this work are valid for single crystals only.
Extreme contact shrink for back end of line connectivity
Authors: Schleicher Filip , Paolillo Sara , Decoster Stefan , Wu Chen , Vega-Gonzalez Victor , Hasan Mahmudul , Beral Christophe , Lazzarino Frédéric
Published: May 2022

For the past 50 years, Moore’s law has been well followed by the semiconductor industry. The scaling of transistors and interconnects has been enabled not only by various technological advancements but also by novel patterning approaches. However, in order to keep up with Moore’s law, further shrinking at all levels of the integrated circuit is needed. Among them is the back end of line (BEOL), where increasingly smaller metal pitches require tight specifications for vias connecting metal lines. In this paper, BEOL via shrink options is investigated, targeting the bottom critical dimension (CD) 10.5 nm in order to land on metal pitch 21 nm lines below, while maintaining low defectivity, as well as low global and local CD uniformity (CDU and LCDU, respectively). Approaches to this shrink consist of modifications to the etch chemistry at different levels of the mask etch and liner-assisted shrink, either organic or inorganic. Numerical analysis of CD-scanning electron microscopy (CDSEM) images quantitatively shows the efficiency of different approaches via shrink, together with associated CDU, LCDU, and defectivity values. CDSEM results are supplemented by large-area voltage contrast defectivity and transmission electron microscopy data sets.
Calibration of a focused passive cavitation detector using bubble shock waves
Authors: Sujarittam Krit , Choi James
Published: May 2022

In microbubble-mediated therapeutic ultrasound, a focused passive cavitation detector (PCD) is often used to measure the bubbles’ acoustic emissions, providing useful signals for treatment monitoring. However, calibrating a spherically focused PCD is challenging, due to the difficulty of generating a spherical wave that matches the PCD’s surface curvature. Here, a PCD was calibrated using broadband shock waves generated by inertial collapses of single microbubbles. Microbubbles were diluted to a very low concentration, flowed through a wall-less gel channel, and sonicated using single-cycle, 0.5-MHz-centre-frequency, 1-MPa acoustic pulses. The focused PCD to be calibrated and a reference needle hydrophone captured their emissions. The sensitivity and phase response of the PCD relative to the reference hydrophone was calculated from the single bubble signals. For comparison, the PCD was also calibrated using a focused emitter as a sound source (Rich and Mast, JASA, 2015). The nominal PCD sensitivities obtained using the two methods agreed within 1% ± 14% within the PCD’s bandwidth (2–10 MHz). The calibration data from the bubble method was then used to correct the PCD’s signal distortions. Our method recovered the impulse waveform of the bubble-generated shock wave from the raw PCD signal, where such a waveform was not previously observed.
Does musical training affect neuro-cognition of emotions? An EEG study with instrumental Indian classical music
Authors: Basu Medha , SANYAL SHANKHA , Banerjee Archi , Banerjee Kumardeb , Ghosh Dipak
Published: May 2022

Music across all genres evokes a variety of emotions, irrespective of its timbre and tempo. Indian classical music (ICM) is no exception. Although being biased towards vocal musical styles, instrumental music forms one broad section of ICM. In this study, we have tried to compare the neural responses of music practitioners and non-musicians towards different emotions using audio clips from two popular plucked string instruments used in ICM, Sitar and Sarod. From pre-recorded performances of two eminent maestros, 20 clips of approximately 30 s duration were selected from the Alaap sections (initial introductory section without any rhythmic accompaniment) of different Raagas played in the two instruments. From an audience response assessment of 100 participants, a total of eight clips having maximum arousal for happy and sad emotions were identified from the 20 clips, using which EEG (Electroencephalography) recordings were collected from five musicians and five non-musicians. Robust nonlinear Multifractal Detrended Fluctuation Analysis technique (MFDFA) was applied to quantitatively measure the brain-state changes in different lobes for both categories of participants. In essence, this study attempts to encapsulate if and how prior musical training influences the brain responses towards two basic musical emotions in ICM using two instruments of same family.
Bottlenose dolphin whistle repertoires: Size and stability over time
Authors: Oswald Julie , Sugarman Peter , Ferguson Elizabeth L. , Walmsley Sam F. , Janik Vincent M.
Published: May 2022

Bottlenose dolphins possess vocal learning abilities that influence the development of individually distinctive signature whistles. While signature whistles have been studied in detail, little is known about other whistle types in bottlenose dolphin communication or the size of their whistle repertoires. We made 24-hour acoustic recordings from a group of 13 bottlenose dolphins at Oceanogràfic (Valencia, Spain) for two months to determine the whistle repertoire size of this group and investigate whether learning leads to changes in existing whistle types over time. We extracted fundamental frequency contours from 50 randomly chosen whistles per day (n = 3,119 whistles) and categorised them using ARTwarp (96% vigilance level), resulting in 701 whistle types. The whistle type discovery curve did not plateau after two months, indicating that we did not capture the entire repertoire. Three analytical methods were used to estimate repertoire size (curve-fitting, a capture-recapture model, and the coupon collectors method). These produced repertoire size estimates between 888 and 1358 whistle types. Whistle types appeared and disappeared over time; however, exact randomization tests showed no significant differences between the observed patterns of appearance and disappearance and time-randomized permutations. Our results suggest that these dolphins possess a large whistle repertoire that is stable over time.
Augmenting a single-point laser Doppler vibrometer to perform scanning measurements
Authors: Rau Mark , Smith Julius O. , James Doug L.
Published: May 2022

Laser Doppler vibrometers (LDV) are used for non-contact vibration measurements of various structures and are frequently used for stringed instrument measurements. Single-point LDVs can be used with the roving hammer or LDV method for mode shape measurements, but this is time-consuming and requires constant attention. Scanning LDVs exist but are expensive and often out of reach of musical acoustics researchers. An inexpensive apparatus to modify a common single-point LDV such that it can perform automated scanning measurements is presented. The augmentation consists of a mirror galvanometer, impact hammer controller, and 3D printed mounting hardware. The scanning system is controlled by a microprocessor and can be easily automated. The total cost of the system, excluding the LDV and impact hammer, is under two hundred dollars. Measurements of guitars are presented to validate the scanning system and discuss any shortcomings.
Modeling of reverberation chambers for sound absorption measurements using a diffusion equation
Authors: Zhang Jiahua , Nolan Mélanie , Xiang Ning , Navarro Juan
Published: May 2022

The sound field in reverberation chambers used for measuring sound absorption coefficients is usually non-diffuse, leading to inaccuracies and disagreements in the results. In this paper, a diffusion equation model is applied to simulating reverberation chambers in order to obtain reverberant energy distributions and sound energy flows of the chamber under investigation in a more efficient way than wave-based simulation models. The computational efficiency of the diffusion equation lies in the fact that the meshing condition of the simulation domain is dictated by the room's mean-free path length (MFPL). Further investigation shows one-twelfth of MFPL as the meshing condition is considered practically sufficient for obtaining random incidence absorption coefficient of standardized sample sizes. With the computational efficiency given by a meshing of up to twelfth MFPL, an inversion calculation of random incident absorption coefficients of highly absorptive materials is possible with a mixed boundary condition [Jing and Xiang, JASA 123, pp. 145–153 (2008)]. Based on analysis of both chamber-based measurements and simulated data, ways to scrutinize measurement results of absorptive materials are investigated.
Why noise reduction coefficients aren’t enough
Authors: Lenz Richard L.
Published: May 2022

Noise reduction coefficients have been around for decades. The use, and misuse, of the data supplied by these tests has been well-documented over that time. The desire by some to bring changes to standards like ASTM C423 and ISO 354 have been met with tremendous resistance by both manufacturers, laboratories and others over the years. This paper will discuss the use of these standards, what they tell us about sound and where they fall short in the assessment of the quality and assessment of sound absorption. Discussion of inappropriate use of standards in testing materials will also be presented. A discussion on the subject of timbre and how different materials may sound different while having similar NRC ratings will also be presented. The need for different test data and higher standards in the industry of acoustics will also be discussed. A presentation of the use of a free-field test method for assessing the quantity and quality of absorption will be presented along with test data from this method.
Correlating high-speed optical imaging and passive acoustic mapping of cavitation dynamics
Authors: Wu Qiang , Gray Michael , Smith Cameron , Bau Luca , Coussios Constantin , Stride Eleanor P.
Published: May 2022

The biological effects of acoustic cavitation are mediated by a range of phenomena associated with different types of bubble activity, e.g., micro-streaming, micro-jetting, and shockwave generation. The acoustic emissions generated by cavitation are also correlated to bubble dynamics. Hence, monitoring these emissions during ultrasound therapy is desirable, to maximise treatment safety and efficacy. The precise relationship between the spectral content of acoustic emissions and bubble dynamics is, however, less well understood. The aim of this study was to use simultaneous ultra-high-speed optical imaging (1–10 MHz) and passive acoustic mapping to characterise the behaviour of individual and clusters of microbubbles over a range of ultrasound exposures. As expected from the literature and numerical modelling, both the number of discrete harmonic components and amplitude of broadband content in the emissions increased with increasing amplitude of bubble oscillation. This suggests that passive acoustic mapping provides a useful indicator of spherical bubble behaviour. Frequently, however, complex bubble behaviour, such as fragmentation and coalescence was observed, which could produce substantially different effects in tissue compared with spherical bubble collapse. Future work will focus on determining whether these differences can be adequately captured in defining a future cavitation “dose” based on acoustic emissions for different applications.
Investigating the effect of drumstick diameter on drum sound level
Authors: Silva Richard , Dong Wayland
Published: May 2022

Acoustic drum sets typically generate high sound levels when played. Over decades, players have developed numerous techniques and manufacturers have created various products to reduce sound levels. Many of these approaches and products not only lower sound levels but also alter the drum sound, which can impact sound quality for the drummer and listener. For example, multi-rods, a collection of wooden rods wrapped together, have been created as a quieter "alternative" to traditional drumsticks. Perceptively, multi-rods do not replicate the sound of a drumstick, however, creating their own unique sound and vibe. The same can be said for brushes, a collection of retractable metal bristles held together by a hollow case. Reducing the diameter of a traditional drumstick design may generate lower sound levels while maintaining a traditional drum sound. This study investigates the effect on sound level due to changes in drumstick diameter.
Coincidences and delays in disguise
Authors: Joris Philip X.
Published: May 2022

Binaural hearing is alluring not only because of its acuity, but particularly because it is more than twice as tractable as monaural hearing. It provides fertile space for the interplay of anatomical, physiological, behavioral, and computational approaches, for which the Acoustical Society is a major platform. The binaural and by extension the auditory community is a particularly pleasant one to get bashed by and we are grateful for the recognition by our peers of our research, through this award. I will review some of our findings: those that have been most surprising, rewarding, or plain fun, and some of which even have relevance for the understanding of monaural hearing. Coincidences and delays have been major ingredients of our research and illustrate this weird but—despite much current negative press covfefe—marvellous group effort we call science, which we are privileged to be part of.
Phonetic realization of vowel length and glottalization in Todos Santos Mam
Authors: Kuo Jennifer , Elkins Noah
Published: May 2022

Mam (Guatemala: Mayan) is described as having a vowel length contrast, as well as a laryngeal contrast between glottalized and modal vowels [England 32–36 (1983)]. Glottalized vowels are described as having a falling pitch contour and being longer relative to their modal counterparts (ibid.). However, there are no phonetic studies explicitly confirming this. In particular, the Todos Santos dialect has received almost no phonetic investigation, and the presence and realization of the length and laryngeal contrasts is not well-established. This study is one of the first phonetic studies of vowel length and glottalization in Todos Santos Mam. The authors collected data of one native speaker reading a list of words varying in vowel quality. We find evidence for both a length contrast and laryngeal contrast. For the length contrast, short vowels are significantly shorter in duration and lowered relative to long vowels. For the laryngeal contrast, glottalized vowels are found to have a falling pitch contour, while modal vowels have level/rising pitch. In addition, a lengthening effect was found such that short glottalized vowels are longer than their modal counterparts, but it is unclear whether the same effect is present for long glottalized vowels.
Sound isolation systems and HVAC noise control: The hidden acoustical systems in music practice and rehearsal spaces
Authors: Siebein Gary W. , Vetterick Matthew , Miller Jennifer , Roa Marylin
Published: May 2022

An important part of the design and acoustical performance of music education spaces are the sound isolation systems employed to reduce sound bleed between and among different spaces and the designed control of noise and vibration from building mechanical systems. Three case studies present challenges addressed in actual projects. One is a multi-story fine arts building at a university where all of the major acoustical spaces are built as rooms within rooms and the HVAC is distributed from a large rooftop mechanical room. The second is a single storey building at a public high school where primary, secondary, and tertiary sound separations, and HVAC system zones are clearly defined and describe the basic architecture of the facility. The third describes the steps in design required to transform significant acoustical difficulties in sound transmission and HVAC system noise into an expressive architectural and acoustical space built on a very modest budget.
In vivo assessment of lymph nodes using quantitative ultrasound on a clinical scanner: A preliminary study
Authors: Hoerig Cameron , Wallace Kirk , Ketterling Jeffrey , Feleppa Ernest , Wu Maoxin , Mamou Jonathan
Published: May 2022

Quantitative ultrasound (QUS) methods evaluating the backscattered echo signal provide a means to infer the microstructural properties of soft tissues. High-frequency (≥20 MHz) QUS has been used to detect metastases in excised human lymph nodes (LNs), but limited evidence exists about the efficacy of conventional-frequency QUS for characterizing LNs in vivo using a standard clinical scanner. In this study, 11 LNs from 11 patients with known primary tumors were scanned in vivo using a GE Logiq E9 scanner with a 10-MHz linear array. Metastatic status was determined by fine needle aspiration. Echo frames were processed using QUS methods to compute five parameters from the backscattered echo power spectrum and four from histograms of the echo envelope values. The spectral slope was found to be significantly higher in metastatic nodes (p < 0.001), whereas benign nodes exhibited significantly lower values of spectral intercept (p < 0.001), midband fit (p = 0.004), scatterer diameter (ESD, p < 0.001), and acoustic concentration (EAC, p = 0.003). A linear discriminator operating on ESD and EAC correctly differentiated benign and metastatic nodes with sensitivity of 0.89, specificity of 0.83, and area under the ROC curve of 0.91. These preliminary results demonstrate the feasibility of characterizing LNs in vivo at conventional frequencies using a clinical scanner.
The neurophysiology of noise and health: Established and emerging neural networks
Authors: Oiamo Tor H.
Published: May 2022

There is strong evidence for the increased risk of ischemic heart disease from excessive noise, but evidence also supports effects on other health outcomes such as stroke and diabetes and more generally suggests that excessive noise exposures can interfere with the homeostatic function of several physiological systems (e.g., cardiovascular, metabolic, and immune). This exposure stress-response mechanism is commonly dichotomized as direct through sleep disturbance or indirect through some form of cognitive processing due to disturbance or annoyance. In either case, chronic activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal stress axis provides a mechanistic link between exposure and systemic stress, but there is a limited understanding of how other structures in the limbic system are involved, and consequently a limited understanding of how noise is processed and appraised among other sensory inputs and as a subjective experience. This is furthermore limited by exposure estimation methods and defining the acoustic and built environments that people experience. This paper provides a review of systemic stress activation in the context of emerging knowledge on sensory processing within the limbic system and highlights recent research on effects of sound and noise on mental health and cognition that are advancing our understanding of noise effects on health.
Comparison of high-amplitude focus creation methods with time reversal to help determine a mechanism of nonlinearity
Authors: Patchett Brian D. , Anderson Brian E.
Published: May 2022

Time reversal is a method often used to focus sound to a desired location within a reverberant environment. Recent high-amplitude focusing experiments have shown that when multiple sources are used simultaneously to generate a focus, the level reached (200 dB) is higher than if each source were focused individually with the signals being superposed computationally. An investigation into the temporal and spatial features and harmonic content of each method is presented in order to work toward an understanding of the mechanisms driving the nonlinear increases observed when the sources are combined acoustically as opposed to being summed in post-processing.
Toward an adaptive procedure for multi-frequency categorical loudness scaling: A Monte Carlo simulation study
Authors: Shen Yi , Zhang Yihui , Shao Winnie , Neely Stephen
Published: May 2022

To capture a listener’s loudness perception profile, categorical loudness scaling (CLS) is typically repeated at various frequencies. The current study aims to develop psychophysical procedures that enable simultaneous estimation of loudness growth across frequencies. For these procedures, the listener hears a pure-tone stimulus provides a categorical rating (“Soft,” “Loud,” etc.) on each trial. After a response is collected, the procedures update a model of the loudness profile and leverage the model to optimize the stimulus (i.e., level and frequency) for the next trial. The modified slope-adaptive procedure selects the stimulus from a uniform distribution spanning the model-predicted dynamic range, while the modified maximum expected information (MEI) procedure optimizes the stimulus based on an entropy metric. Monte Carlo simulations were conducted to evaluate the two procedures using a database that consists of CLS data collected from 148 listeners at Boys Town National Research Hospital. For each listener, the two procedures were run based on responses simulated using their known loudness profiles (i.e., the ground truth). Both procedures were able to estimate the loudness profile close to the ground truth, with a root-mean-square error (RMSE) of about 6 dB after 100 trials. Below 100 trials, the modified MEI procedure showed a lower RMSE.
Extended high-frequency pure-tone thresholds predict speech-in-speech recognition even when extended high-frequency speech cues are absent
Authors: Ananthanarayana Rohit , Trine Allison , Monson Brian B.
Published: May 2022

Recent work has demonstrated that extended high-frequency (EHF; >8 kHz) hearing is valuable for speech-in-noise recognition. These findings contradict the broadly accepted “speech bandwidth” that has historically been limited to below 8 kHz. Several studies also indicate that EHF pure-tone thresholds predict speech-in-noise performance. One question that has arisen is whether the association that has been observed between EHF pure-tone thresholds and speech-in-noise recognition is causal—that loss of audibility of EHF cues in speech degrades speech-in-noise recognition. Indeed, this effect has been demonstrated using low-pass filtering, but whether elevated EHF thresholds would produce a similar effect is not certain. Another possibility is that EHF thresholds are a marker for subclinical dysfunction at lower frequencies that degrades speech recognition. These two possibilities are not mutually exclusive (nor exhaustive) and each could contribute to the observed relationship. Here we present a reanalysis of previous data collected in our lab, the results of which suggest that 16-kHz pure-tone thresholds are consistent predictors of speech-in-speech recognition, regardless of whether EHF cues are present in the speech signal. These findings suggest elevated EHF thresholds may indicate subclinical auditory dysfunction impairing speech-in-speech recognition.
Tunable performance metrics for acoustic liners
Authors: Kresl William , Manimala James M.
Published: May 2022

In the development of automated design tools for acoustic liners customized to mitigate specific noise spectral characteristics, it is often beneficial to have a unified quantitative metric to discriminate between candidate designs. Such metrics are especially useful when optimizing the packing of 3D folded cavities into a prescribed liner volume. We devise tunable performance metrics (TPM) that account for absorption parameters such as the peak absorption and the frequency at which it occurs, the bandwidth of appreciable absorption and its lower bound among others. Metrics are tuned by varying the weight functions for these absorption parameters in order to address the specific priorities for the liner’s design. A numerical study is conducted using a procedure based on the Zwikker–Kosten Transmission Line (ZKTL) theory to demonstrate the application of TPMs for the selection of acoustic liner designs for various scenarios. When liners with complex core geometries are used to enhance acoustic performance, TPMs that also include structural parameters related to mass, volume, stiffness or strength could be utilized to provide a more comprehensive means of evaluation.
Inversion of bending wave properties of viscoelastic panels from laser Doppler vibrometer measurements
Authors: Taylor Jack , Miller Max , Xiang Ning
Published: May 2022

Thin panels of viscoelastic materials have been shown to have tremendous sound transmission loss enhancement characteristics when implemented in sandwiched gypsum wall panels. However, it is challenging to obtain reliable dynamic mechanical properties of these materials across relevant building acoustics frequencies. To better understand the dynamic mechanical properties of these materials, a methodology employing bending wave characterization is discussed. Relying on inversion processes from the measured panel velocities, this methodology yields loss factors, complex elastic moduli and phase speeds. The dispersive nature of these bending wave phenomena in viscoelastic panels opens a unique set of challenges for reliable dynamic mechanical property characterization. This paper discusses these challenges as wells as an approach to mitigate these effects and improve measurement reliability.
Assessment of building isolation performance against train induced vibrations by in situ measurement
Authors: Masoumi Hamid , Hunt Bradlay
Published: May 2022

A review of an experimental assessment of the acoustic performance of an isolated two-story building constructed adjacent to a train station. The building was isolated using reinforced rubber isolation bearings installed on top of the foundation footings at the ground level. The acoustic performance of the isolation system has been investigated by means of an in situ measurement campaign at different construction phases. The results of the measurement campaign have been used to help define the Building Base Isolation Indicator implemented within the frame of the “Building Insulation against Outdoor Vibrations” (BIOVIB) project.