bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Interacting effects of phrasal and syllable position on consonant production
Authors: Lee Sungbok , Byrd Dani , Adams Jason , Riggs Daylen
Published: October 2013

The complexities of how prosodic structure, both at the phrasal and syllable levels, shapes speech production have begun to be illuminated through studies of articulatory behavior. Here, we pursue the goal of understanding prosodic signatures on articulation by examining the effects of phrasal and syllable position on the constriction formation and release of consonants. Articulatory kinematic data were collected for five subjects using electromagnetic articulography (EMA) to record target consonants (labial, labiodental, and tongue tip), located in (1) either syllable final or initial position and (2) either at a phrase edge or phrase-medially: ♯C, ♯♯C, C♯, C♯♯. The duration, displacement, and time-to-peak velocity of constriction formation and release were determined for the target consonants based on kinematic landmarks in the articulator velocity profiles (zero crossings and extrema). ANOVA determines that syllable and phrasal position consistently affect the movement duration; however, effects on displacement were more variable. For the majority of subjects, the boundary-adjacent portion of the movement (release for a preboundary coda and constriction formation for a postboundary onset) is not differentially affected in terms of phrasal lengthening; both lengthen equivalently. However, two subjects show an interaction such that the codas are lengthened more than the onsets. [Work supported by NIH.]
Form and function of intonational phrase heads
Authors: Girand Cynthia
Published: October 2013

This study examines the phonetic and phonological features essential to the investigation of the internal structure of the intonational phrase. This is crucial for identifying and explaining the forms and functions of basic intonational units. There are two primary intonational contour modeling theories [Ladd (1983) and references therein]. One suggests that phrasal contours are the basic units of intonation. Within this theory, contour shapes are associated with particular functions or meanings. In contrast, a more recent theory claims that individual tones (i.e., abstract phonological units) are the basic units of intonation, and intonational contours result from the concatenation of adjacent tones in a phrase. Using 756 utterances from the Switchboard and Buckeye corpora, the present study takes a closer look at the basic units that compose the intonational contour. While the nucleus has long been identified as a functionally important part of an intonational phrase, the head of an intonational phrase has not been considered, in kind. This work examines global and local phonetic and phonological features (e.g., intensity, pitch range, pitch height, downstepped tones) of intonational phrase heads in an attempt to better understand their forms and functions.
Italian Raddoppiamento: Prosodic effects on length
Authors: Campos-Astorkiza Rebeka
Published: October 2013

Traditionally, Italian Raddoppiamento refers to a lengthening process that targets word-initial consonants after a final stressed vowel. Unfortunately, most theoretical accounts of Raddoppiamento lack a solid phonetic foundation. We report an acoustic study, based on the data obtained from four Tuscan Italian native speakers, investigating both word-initial consonants and vowels in the Raddoppiamento environment. Further, we consider two different prosodic positions, C Raddoppiamento phrase-internally versus across an intonational phrase boundary, which, according to previous analyses (Nespor and Vogel, 1986), should prevent the lengthening from occurring. Finally, stressed and unstressed environments are tested. Thus, the quality and magnitude of Italian Raddoppiamento lengthening as a function of segmental identity, prosodic context, and stress is reported. The results show that consonantal lengthening takes place as expected in the traditional Raddoppiamento environment. On the other hand, word-initial vowels do not lengthen. Stress has an effect on word-final vowel length that is incompatible with previous theoretical accounts of Raddoppiamento. Finally, the presence of an intonational phrase boundary does not, as previously predicted, categorically block the process. Overall, this empirical evidence challenges previous accounts of Raddoppiamento and provides a systematic phonetic documentation of the phenomenon. [Work supported by NIH.]
M-sequences and bi-static active sonar
Authors: DeFerrari Harry , Hguyen Hien
Published: October 2013

The application of m-sequences to bi-static active sonar is evaluated with data from acoustic propagation experiments in the Florida Straits. Over the past 20 years, several numerical methods for processing M-sequences have been developed by Birdsall, Metzger and others. These methods come together for a possible sonar application by the following approach: (1) continuous transmission and reception of long m-sequences, (2) synchronous sampling to form a CON (complete ortho-normal) data set, (3) direct blast removal by HCCO (hyperspace cancellation by coordinate zeroing), and (4) a full range waveform Doppler search. Ultra-fast Hadamard transforms speed up the direct waveform pulse m-sequence pulse compression and the inverse pulse waveform transform and thereby allow timely execution of the intensive computational burden. The result is a numerically demonstrable approach that produces a gain of 36 dB over a simple pulse and 16 dB over other active signals. In addition, the direct arrivals and their Doppler leakage are eliminated, thus shifting the detection problem from a reverberation limited to a noise limited Doppler process. Here, m-sequence data from propagation experiments are re-processed to test the fundamental concepts. Data results are shown to be in close agreement with ideal numerical simulations.
Experiments on nonlinear acoustic landmine detection: Tuning curve studies of soil-mine and soil-mass oscillators
Authors: Korman Murray S. , Witten Thomas R. , Fenneman Douglas J.
Published: October 2013

Donskoy [SPIE Proc. 3392, 211–217 (1998); 3710, 239–246 (1999)] has suggested a nonlinear technique that is insensitive to relatively noncompliant targets that can detect an acoustically compliant buried mine. Airborne sound at two primary frequencies eventually causes interactions with the soil and mine generating combination frequencies that can affect the vibration velocity at the surface. In current experiments, f1 and f2 are closely spaced near a mine resonance and a laser Doppler vibrometer profiles the surface. In profiling, certain combination frequencies have a much greater contrast ratio than the linear profiles at f1 and f2—but off the mine some nonlinearity exists. Near resonance, the bending (a softening) of a family of tuning curves (over the mine) exhibits a linear relationship between peak velocity and corresponding frequency, which is characteristic of nonlinear mesoscopic elasticity effects that are observed in geomaterials like rocks or granular media. Results are presented for inert plastic VS 1.6, VS 2.2 and M14 mines buried 3.6 cm in loose soil. Tuning curves for a rigid mass plate resting on a soil layer exhibit similar results, suggesting that nonresonant conditions off the mine are desirable. [Work supported by U.S. Army RDECOM, CERDEC, NVESD, Fort Belvoir, VA.]
Auditory categorization: Cue weighting and dimension bias
Authors: Holt Lori L. , Lotto Andrew J.
Published: October 2013

The ability to integrate and weight information across dimensions is central to perception. The present experiments investigate this issue by training participants to categorize sounds drawn from two input distributions in a two-dimensional acoustic space defined by frequency-modulated sine waves center frequency (CF) and modulation frequency (MF). These dimensions were psychophysically matched to be equally discriminable and, in the first experiment, were equally informative for accurate categorization. Nevertheless, listeners’ category responses reflected a bias for use of CF. This bias was moderated when the informativeness of CF was decreased by shifting distributions to create more overlap in CF. A reversal of weighting (MF over CF) was obtained when distribution variance was increased for CF. These results demonstrate that even when equally informative and discriminable, acoustic cues are not necessarily equally weighted in categorization; listeners exhibit biases when integrating multiple acoustic dimensions. Moreover, drastic changes in weighting strategies can be affected by changes in input distribution parameters. This methodology provides potential insights into acquisition of speech sound categories, particularly second language categories. One implication is that ineffective cue weighting strategies for phonetic categories may be alleviated by adding variance to noninformative dimensions in training stimuli. [Work supported by NIH.]
Evolution of internal soliton groups
Authors: Ostrovsky Lev A. , Gorshkov Konstantin A. , Soustova Irina A.
Published: October 2013

As known, acoustic wave propagation through a group of internal solitary waves (a solibore) in a coastal zone has a number of peculiarities; among them is a possible damping of sound upon passing a periodic group of solitons when the group period resonates with the interference distance of acoustic modes. However, solibores are typically not periodic, and the distance between solitons and possibly their order in the group can vary upon the onshore propagation. In this presentation, an evolution of a multisoliton group is considered in the framework of an evolution Gardner equation that takes both quadratic and cubic nonlinearity into account. For that, a perturbation method is used which allows the description of solitons as compounds of interacting fronts-kinks, and reduces the problem to a set of ordinary differential equations. The results are applied to strong solitons observed near the Oregon coast in 1995 where the same wave group was registered at two sites separated by 20 km. Although nonperiodic, the group retains its quasiperiodicity with a characteristic scale of order 1 km, which can affect sound propagation.
Performance analysis of angle-or-arrival techniques in shallow water bathymetry measurements
Authors: Xu Wen , Parent Marc , Rowe Fran
Published: October 2013

Conventional bathymetric side scan system measures the phase difference between two parallel rows of transducers and converts it to bottom echo signal direction and then depth. A main concern is that the phase measurements are easily dispersed by noises and interferences, particularly in shallow water applications. There have been considerable efforts to deal with the problem, for example, by adding more transducers and implementing signal angle-of-arrival estimation. In this work, experimental data anlaysis for a multiple-row system is conducted, disclosing shallow water echo signal spatial structure. In addition to a stable bottom return, there often exist returns from surface scattering or multi-path reflecting between surface and bottom, more spatially-dispersed depending on the surface wave condition. By comparing the differential phase approach, which is blind to interferences, to the angle-of-arrival approach, which exploits the multi-path signal structure, it is concluded that the differential phase approach can yield systematic bias toward surface in bottom depth measurements. Performance of the angle-or-arrival technique is then investigated. The Cramer-Rao bound is derived and evaluated in the presence of two signal sources, followed by discussions on source separation (resolution) and individual source strengths.
Navigation from time differences of arrival
Authors: Spiesberger John L.
Published: October 2013

A brief history and a few modern developments are given for hyperboliclike navigation systems in which location is estimated from measurements of the difference in the propagation time of a signal from two or more known locations. Today, hyperbolic navigation is used in locating ships, calling animals, GPS receivers, cellular telephones, and other objects. Topics discussed include the minimum number of receivers required for location, the effects of environmental fluctuations and receiver positioning errors on location accuracy, methods for obtaining probability density functions for location, and methods for allowing the speed of signal propagation to vary from path to path. Recent developments indicate that this 67-year-old navigation problem is not mature.
Representation for dialect recognition using topographic independent component analysis
Authors: wei Qu
Published: October 2013

In dialect speech recognition, the feature of tone in one dialect is subject to changes in pitch frequency as well as the length of tone. It is beneficial for the recognition if a representation can be derived to account for the frequency and length changes of tone in an effective and meaningful way. In this paper, we propose a method for learning such a representation from a set of unlabeled speech sentences containing the features of the dialect changed from various pitch frequencies and time length. Topographic independent component analysis (TICA) is applied for the unsupervised learning to produce an emergent result that is a topographic matrix made up of basis components. The dialect speech is topographic in the following sense: the basis components as the units of the speech are ordered in the feature matrix such that components of one dialect are grouped in one axis and changes in time windows are accounted for in the other axis. This provides a meaningful set of basis vectors that may be used to construct dialect subspaces for dialect speech recognition.
Experimental demonstration of time reversed reverberation focusing in an oceanic waveguide
Authors: Sabra Karim , Roux Philippe , Song Hee-Chun , Hodgkiss William , Kuperman William , Akal Tuncay , Stevenson Mark
Published: October 2013

The robust focusing and pulse compression provided by time reversal techniques may be exploited for active sonar. Backscattering from the rough water–bottom interface can be used as a surrogate probe source [Lingevitch et al., J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 111, 2609–2614]. This method uses a selected time-gated portion of the reverberation signals (or backscattered signals) to provide a transfer function between a time-reversing array (TRA) and a corresponding range interval on the bottom. The potential of a TRA for studying the application of shallow water bottom scattering is investigated experimentally using both sea-data collected in July 2004 in the Mediterranean sea off the Italian coast, and ultrasonic water tank data.
On the accuracy of modal parameters identified from exponentially windowed, noise contaminated impulse responses for a system with a large range of decay constants
Authors: Allen Matt S. , Ginsberg Jerry H.
Published: October 2013

Multi-degree of freedom dynamic systems may contain dynamic modes with a wide range of decay rates. In such a case, collecting data over a time span long enough to capture slowly decaying modes serves to magnify the effect of noise on quickly decaying modes because their response at later times is dominated by noise. An exponential window may be applied to the data to reduce the effect of noise on quickly decaying modes or minimize leakage errors. Some practitioners may instead use a Hanning or similar window for the same purpose. This study investigates the effect of windowing on the accuracy of modal parameters identified using an experimental modal analysis technique. The data for this evaluation are noise contaminated analytical impulse response samples from which frequency response functions are obtained via FFTs. It is seen that accurate results may be obtained for the slowly decaying modes of the system even when their decay constants are many times smaller than the decay constant of the exponential window. The role of exponential windowing in reducing the effect of noise on quickly decaying modes is also demonstrated. In contrast, other windows bias the results. [Work supported by a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship.]
3D tongue segmentation for a minimal pair sentence
Authors: Epstein Melissa A. , Stone Maureen
Published: October 2013

The tongue appears to have as many as five articulatory control regions. If this is true, each of these regions of the tongue, or segments, could be independently controlled. What does it mean to be independently controlled? Independent control would be manifested as low correlations between segments, because independent segments could move asynchronously in speech. Previous studies for midline data have supported this and have shown that segments can aggregate or deaggregate dependent on the phonemic content of the speech sample. However, the tongue is a 3D structure, and its muscles are more localized lateral-to-medial than anterior-to-posterior. Therefore, additional lateral units of control are possible [Stone, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. (1990)]. This study looks at correlations between front to back segments of midline points, lateral points, and 3D shape data to determine whether lateral segments need to be considered independently of midline segments. We will also consider what features besides functional independence might cause low correlations for midline or lateral segments.
Articulation tests of the first and the second languages in classrooms
Authors: Lam Coriolanus C. L. , Li Kai Ming , Cheung Stanley M. L.
Published: October 2013

The current study is motivated by the needs of improving acoustic environments in classrooms for the primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong because one of the main education policies is to enable pupils be biliterate and trilingual. Being biliterate means that the pupils are expected to write good English and Chinese. Being trilingual requires that pupils be able to speak English, Cantonese (dialect spoken in Hong Kong) and Mandarin (dialect spoken in China). There are many related studies investigating the speech intelligibility in both English and Mandarin. However, these studies are targeted at the respective native listeners. On the other hand, there are few research studies using Cantonese as the first language of listeners. A series of articulation tests, which were based on the phonetical characteristics of these different languages, was carried out for university students in Hong Kong. Other relevant parameters, such as the speech transmission index, reverberation time and signal-to-noise ratio, were also examined. The outcomes of the present study will provide a basis for further investigations involving pupils of primary and secondary schools. [Work supported by the Research Grants Council of the Hong SAR Government and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.]
Shifting perceptions of age in voice
Authors: Shrivastav Rahul , Hollien Harry , Brown W. S. , Rothman Howard B. , Harnsberger James D.
Published: October 2013

A series of experiments have been carried out in order to identify the acoustical and perceptual correlates of the aging voice. The initial phase of the program was to identify those voice parameters which signal a person’s age; the second phase was to systematically shift these parameters in order to determine if a parallel change in perceived age would occur. This second study focused on temporal characteristics related to voice. In this instance, standard speech samples for 16 males aged 70–90 years were contrasted with those of 14 males aged 20–33 years. The features studied included the following: (1) sentence duration, (2) word duration, (3) diphthong duration, (4) consonant-vowel ratios, (5) number of pauses and (6) pause duration. Significant differences were found for all relationships. Subsequently, a preliminary study was carried out where the voices were synthesized and the temporal parameters for the two groups shifted toward each other. The preliminary data suggest that such modifications lead especially to the idea that the voices of older individuals actually were those of younger men.
Distortion of interfering speech in the aggregate beamformer
Authors: Havelock David I.
Published: October 2013

The aggregate beamformer is an alternative to conventional beamformers. It samples an array of sensors randomly, reducing the undesired off-beam signals to noise. Important advantages of this technique over conventional beamforming are the reduced front-end hardware requirements, such as anti-alias filters, the ability to operate at a lower total sampling rate, particularly for arrays with many elements, and improved beamforming time-delay resolution without the need for interpolation. The aggregate beamformer output contains residual noise that is proportional to the level of interfering off-beam signals. On-beam signals do not cause residual noise. The residual noise level is controlled by adjusting the total sampling rate. In speech applications, the residual noise is perceived as a distortion of the off-beam signal. This distortion may help to discriminate desired (on-beam) and undesired (off-beam) speech. The principles of operation of the aggregate beamformer are described and a demonstration of the residual noise in a speech pick-up application is presented.
Calculation of the acoustic nonlinearity parameter B/A for four linear alkanes by Lee–Kesler equation of state
Authors: Lu Zhiqu
Published: October 2013

The acoustic nonlinearity parameter B/A has been calculated for four linear alkanes over the temperature range from 273.15 to 473.15 K and the pressure range from 1 atm to 1000 atm by using the Lee–Kesler equation of state. The calculated results are in agreement with the experimental data in the literature. It is found that under low pressure (1 atm and 20 atm), B/A increases linearly with temperature. Under high pressure, the value of B/A increases with temperature first, however, at a slower rate of rise. After a broad maximum, the ratio B/A decreases slowly as the temperature increases. At the fixed temperature, the B/A value decreases with the number of carbon chain of alkanes. It is shown that the B/A decreases monotonically with pressure over the whole temperature and pressure ranges.
Attenuation inversions in the East China Sea
Authors: Potty Gopu , Miller James
Published: October 2013

Data from the ASIAEX East China Sea (ECS) experiment is used to estimate sediment attenuation coefficients as a function of frequency and depth. The ECS experiment offers a number of independent measures of sediment parameters using seismic and chirp surveys, gravity and piston cores and historic data. Modal amplitude ratios for modes 1 to 3 are used to obtain the modal attenuation coefficient and attenuation profiles. These inversions use broad-band data from Wide Band Sources (WBS) in the frequency range 20–100 Hz. The modes are detected, identified and their amplitudes measured using a time–frequency wavelet analysis. A joint inversion for modal attenuation coefficients, water depth, source and receiver depths, range and Empirical Orthogonal Functions in the water column is performed. The results will be compared with core data and frequency and depth dependence will be examined. [Work supported by ONR.]
An overview of suitable measurement and assessment techniques for distributed mode loudspeakers
Authors: Hill Nick , Mapp Peter
Published: October 2013

The sound field generated by a distributed mode loudspeaker (DML) can exhibit some characteristics that may be unfamiliar to conventional cone loudspeaker designers. In particular, the modal vibration of the diaphragm gives rise to a wide range of directivity patterns dependent on the specific design of the unit. This paper outlines some of the possible behaviors and the measurement techniques that should be employed to capture each case. In particular, the features of a diffuse sound field are discussed. It is shown that this can give rise to a pressure response that may vary significantly over a small angle and frequency scale. Here a multipoint measurement, such as a spatial average or acoustic power, gives a more representative assessment than measuring just the acoustic sound pressure level at a single point. In addition, the fine detail of the response may be characterized by a spatially averaged correlation function, giving a measure of the diffusivity that is complementary to more standard measures of energy distribution.
Very-low-frequency scattering experiments from proud targets in a littoral environment using a 55-m rail
Authors: Simpson Harry J. , Frederickson Carl K. , Porse Erik C. , Houston Brian H. , Kraus Larry A. , Berdoz Alain R. , Frank Philip A. , Liskey Steve W.
Published: October 2013

Scattering measurements from proud targets were conducted in the littoral environment of St. Andrews bay. A 55-m long rail was assembled 2.3 m above the sandy bottom to position transducers using an attached robot. The rail provided a straight and level structure that repeatably scanned the target field. This system was used in both a bistatic and monostatic configuration to produce synthetic array measurements of the target field. The bistatic experiments used a stationary source at the center of the rail to insonify the target field while the receiver was moved to synthesize a 55-m array. The monostatic experiments had both a source and receiver mounted together on the robot, and both were moved together to scan the target field. All the experiments were conducted using a very-low-frequency band (1 to 12 kHz). The results of these experiments will be presented along with signal processing of the target field to study the physical responses of the individual targets to the low-frequency acoustic insonification. [Work supported by ONR.]
Tears Signal Immaturity
Authors: Gough Nancy R.
Published: October 2013

Juvenile mice secrete a signal in their tears that prevents inappropriate mating by adult males.
Deciphering the Signatures of Bone Metastases
Authors: Ferrarelli Leslie K.
Published: October 2013

Bone-metastasized breast cancer cells secrete a protein that alters the regulatory microRNA network, promoting the formation of destructive osteoclasts.
ARG-ANNOT, a New Bioinformatic Tool To Discover Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Bacterial Genomes
Authors: Gupta Sushim Kumar , Padmanabhan Babu Roshan , Diene Seydina M. , Lopez-Rojas Rafael , Kempf Marie , Landraud Luce , Rolain Jean-Marc
Published: October 2013

ARG-ANNOT (Antibiotic Resistance Gene-ANNOTation) is a new bioinformatic tool that was created to detect existing and putative new antibiotic resistance (AR) genes in bacterial genomes. ARG-ANNOT uses a local BLAST program in Bio-Edit software that allows the user to analyze sequences without a Web interface. All AR genetic determinants were collected from published works and online resources; nucleotide and protein sequences were retrieved from the NCBI GenBank database. After building a database that includes 1,689 antibiotic resistance genes, the software was tested in a blind manner using 100 random sequences selected from the database to verify that the sensitivity and specificity were at 100% even when partial sequences were queried. Notably, BLAST analysis results obtained using the
rmtF
gene sequence (a new aminoglycoside-modifying enzyme gene sequence that is not included in the database) as a query revealed that the tool was able to link this sequence to short sequences (17 to 40 bp) found in other genes of the
rmt
family with significant E values. Finally, the analysis of 178
Acinetobacter baumannii
and 20
Staphylococcus aureus
genomes allowed the detection of a significantly higher number of AR genes than the Resfinder gene analyzer and 11 point mutations in target genes known to be associated with AR. The average time for the analysis of a genome was 3.35 ± 0.13 min. We have created a concise database for BLAST using a Bio-Edit interface that can detect AR genetic determinants in bacterial genomes and can rapidly and easily discover putative new AR genetic determinants.
QUANTUM PARRONDO'S GAMES CONSTRUCTED BY QUANTUM RANDOM WALKS
Authors: LI MIN , ZHANG YONG-SHENG , GUO GUANG-CAN
Published: October 2013

We construct a Parrondo's game using discrete-time quantum walks (DTQWs). Two losing games are represented by two different coin operators. By mixing the two coin operators UA(αA, βA, γA) and UB(αB, βB, γB), we may win the game. Here, we mix the two games in position instead of time. With a number of selections of the parameters, we can win the game with sequences ABB, ABBB, etc. If we set βA = 45°, γA = 0, αB = 0, βB = 88°, we find game 1 with [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] will win and get the most profit. If we set αA = 0, βA = 45°, αB = 0, βB = 88° and game 2 with [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] will win most. Game 1 is equivalent to game 2 with changes in sequences and steps. But at large enough steps, the game will lose at last. Parrondo's paradox does not exist in classical situation with our model.
DESIGN DIFFERENT TOPOLOGY FOR REDUCTION OF LOW POWER 2:1 MULTIPLEXER USING FINFET IN NANOMETER TECHNOLOGIES
Authors: MISHRA KHUSHBOO , AKASHE SHYAM
Published: October 2013

The intention of this paper is to reduce power and area of 2:1 multiplexer (MUX) while maintaining the competitive performance. The various configurations are designed using different topology of 2:1 MUX such as CMOS-based MUX, transmission gate and pass transistor using fin-shaped field effect transistor (FINFET). The mobility was enhanced in devices with taller fins due to increase tensile stress. In DG, FINFET can be efficiently used to develop performance and reduce power consumption. In noncritical paths self-determining gate control can be used to join together parallel transistors. We have estimated the optimum power, optimum current, leakage power, leakage current, operating power, operating current and delay in voltage supply 0.7 V at different temperature such as 10°C, 27°C and 50°C, respectively. A 20 ns access time and frequency 0.5 GHz provide 45 nm CMOS process technology with 0.7 V power supply is employed to carry out different topology of 2:1 MUX using FINFET.
SPECTROSCOPIC STUDY OF DEEP LEVEL EMISSIONS FROM ACCEPTOR DEFECTS IN ZnO THIN FILMS WITH OXYGEN RICH STOICHIOMETRY
Authors: ILYAS USMAN , RAWAT R. S. , TAN T. L.
Published: October 2013

This paper reports the tailoring of acceptor defects in oxygen rich ZnO thin films at different post-deposition annealing temperatures (500–800°C) and Mn doping concentrations. The XRD spectra exhibited the nanocrystalline nature of ZnO thin films along with inconsistent variation in lattice parameters suggesting the temperature-dependent activation of structural defects. Photoluminescence emission spectra revealed the temperature dependent variation in deep level emissions (DLE) with the presence of acceptors as dominating defects. The concentration of native defects was estimated to be increased with temperature while a reverse trend was observed for those with increasing doping concentration. A consistent decrease in DLE spectra, with increasing Mn content, revealed the quenching of structural defects in the optical band gap of ZnO favorable for good quality thin films with enhanced optical transparency.
A semantic publish-subscribe coordination framework for IHE based cross-community health record exchange
Authors: Urovi Visara , Olivieri Alex C. , Bromuri Stefano , Fornara Nicoletta , Schumacher Michael I.
Published: October 2013

This paper presents a semantic agent coordination framework for the automatic exchange of Electronic Health Records (EHR). The framework enables health organizations that comply with the existing interoperability standards, as proposed by the Integrating Healthcare Enterprise (IHE), to dynamically connect in a P2P network. A set of autonomous agents and a set of distributed coordination rules are used to coordinate the agents in the search of specific health records. The framework models the interactions among the communities as a combination of the tuple centre agent communication model with the publish-subscribe paradigm and semantic web technologies. In order to illustrate the scalability of our approach, we evaluate the proposed solution in distributed settings. The contribution of this work is that it proposes the coordination mechanisms for IHE compliant communities to dynamically connect and share EHR of patients.
Accelerated model-based robustness testing of state machine implementations
Authors: Heckeler Patrick , Eichelberger Hanno , Kropf Thomas , Ruf Jürgen , Huster Stefan , Burg Sebastian , Rosenstiel Wolfgang , Schlich Bastian
Published: October 2013

In this paper, we present an approach for accelerating model-based robustness testing of state-based software components. We use the Z3 SAT solver to derive executable test cases fully automatically from a state model based on a UML Statechart. The test cases are paths along the Statechart comprising states and transitions. The main advantage of our approach is an accelerated execution of the test cases by refining already reached states as starting points for further test cases using reverse execution. Furthermore, the presented approach is able to check whether a correct target state has been reached or not when executing the path-based test cases using runtime verification and therefore increases the test significance. The runtime verification is done without instrumenting the source code of the component under test.
A Half-Inverse Problem for Impulsive Dirac Operator with Discontinuous Coefficient
Authors: Güldü Yalçın
Published: October 2013

An inverse problem for Dirac differential operators with discontinuity conditions and discontinuous coefficient is studied. It is shown by Hochstadt and Lieberman's method that if the potential function in is prescribed over the interval , then a single spectrum suffices to determine on the interval and it is also shown here that is uniquely determined by a spectrum.
On a Class of Two‐Dimensional Douglas and Projectively Flat Finsler Metrics
Authors: Yang Guojun
Published: October 2013

We study a class of two‐dimensional Finsler metrics defined by a Riemannian metric α and a 1‐form β. We characterize those metrics which are Douglasian or locally projectively flat by some equations. In particular, it shows that the known fact that β is always closed for those metrics in higher dimensions is no longer true in two‐dimensional case. Further, we determine the local structures of two‐dimensional (α, β)‐metrics which are Douglasian, and some families of examples are given for projectively flat classes with β being not closed.
Preparation of ZnO‐Zn2TiO4 Sol Composite Films and Its Photocatalytic Activities
Authors: Qin Xiujuan , Cui Li , Shao Guangjie
Published: October 2013

Ti‐doped ZnO sol‐composite films were prepared on the glass substrate by the two‐step sol‐gel technique. X‐ray diffraction, Uv‐Vis spectrophotometer, and FS spectrum of composite films were used to help make structure characterization and optical performance testing. The results showed that the composite was a mixture of ZnO + Zn2TiO4. Because of synergistic effect of both semiconductor oxides, composite films had a wide range of spectral response in the visible region, and the absorption band edge was about 510 nm, and the Green Belt of composite films luminous significantly enhanced. Photocatalytic oxidation experiments showed that using the composite films treatment (16.5 ml, l0 mg/L methyl orange aqueous solution)/cm2, the decolorization rate of methyl‐orange was 90% after 3 hours irradiation.
Hydrothermal Synthesis of Co-Ru Alloy Particle Catalysts for Hydrogen Generation from Sodium Borohydride
Authors: Kurtinaitienė Marija , Žielienė Albina , Tamašauskaitė-Tamašiūnaitė Loreta , Selskis Algis , Jagminas Arūnas
Published: October 2013

We report the synthesis ofμm and sub-μm-sized Co, Ru, and Co-Ru alloy species by hydrothermal approach in the aqueous alkaline solutions (pH ≥ 13) containing CoCl2and/or RuCl3, sodium citrate, and hydrazine hydrate and a study of their catalytic properties for hydrogen generation by hydrolysis of sodium borohydride solution. This way provides a simple platform for fabrication of the ball-shaped Co-Ru alloy catalysts containing up to 12 wt% Ru. Note that bimetallic Co-Ru alloy bowls containing even 7 at.% Ru have demonstrated catalytic properties that are comparable with the ones of pure Ru particles fabricated by the same method. This result is of great importance in view of the preparation of cost-efficient catalysts for hydrogen generation from borohydrides. The morphology and composition of fabricated catalyst particles have been characterized using scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray diffraction, and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry.
Human SLC26A1 Gene Variants: A Pilot Study
Authors: Dawson Paul A. , Sim Pearl , Mudge David W. , Cowley David
Published: October 2013

Kidney stones are a global health problem, incurring massive health costs annually. Why stones recur in many patients remains unknown but likely involves environmental, physiological, and genetic factors. The solute linked carrier (SLC) 26A1 gene has previously been linked to kidney stones in mice. SLC26A1 encodes the sulfate anion transporter 1 (SAT1) protein, and its loss in mice leads to hyperoxaluria and calcium oxalate renal stones. To investigate the possible involvement of SAT1 in human urolithiasis, we screened the SLC26A1 gene in a cohort of 13 individuals with recurrent calcium oxalate urolithiasis, which is the commonest type. DNA sequence analyses showed missense mutations in seven patients: one individual was heterozygous R372H; 4 individuals were heterozygous Q556R; one patient was homozygous Q556R; and one patient with severe nephrocalcinosis (requiring nephrectomy) was homozygous Q556R and heterozygous M132T. The M132 amino acid in human SAT1 is conserved with 15 other species and is located within the third transmembrane domain of the predicted SAT1 protein structure, suggesting that this amino acid may be important for SAT1 function. These initial findings demonstrate genetic variants in SLC26A1 of recurrent stone formers and warrant wider independent studies of SLC26A1 in humans with recurrent calcium oxalate stones.
The Value of Routine Polymerase Chain Reaction Analysis of Intraocular Fluid Specimens in the Diagnosis of Infectious Posterior Uveitis
Authors: Scheepers Marius A. , Lecuona Karin A. , Rogers Graeme , Bunce Catey , Corcoran Craig , Michaelides Michel
Published: October 2013

Objective. To assess the value of routine polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis on intraocular fluid from patients presenting with a first episode of suspected active infectious posterior uveitis in a population with a high prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus infection. Design. Retrospective, interventional case series. Participants. 159 consecutive patients presenting at a tertiary care hospital over a five‐year period. Methods. PCR analysis was performed for cytomegalovirus, varicella zoster virus, herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2, Toxoplasma gondii, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Results. PCR analysis confirmed the initial clinical diagnosis in 55 patients (35%) and altered the initial clinical diagnosis in 36 patients (23%). The clinical diagnosis prior to PCR testing was nonspecific (uncertain) in 51 patients (32%), with PCR providing a definitive final diagnosis in 20 of these patients (39%); necrotizing herpetic retinopathy and ocular toxoplasmosis were particularly difficult to diagnose correctly without the use of PCR analysis. Conclusion. The clinical phenotype alone was unreliable in diagnosing the underlying infectious cause in a quarter of patients in this study. Since the outcome of incorrectly treated infective uveitis can be blinding, PCR analysis of ocular fluids is recommended early in the disease even in resource poor settings.
Antipsychotic‐Like Effect of Trimetazidine in a Rodent Model
Authors: Erbaş Oytun , Akseki Hüseyin Serdar , Eliküçük Betül , Taşkıran Dilek
Published: October 2013

Trimetazidine (TMZ) has been used as an anti‐ischemic agent for angina pectoris, chorioretinal disturbances, and vertigo. Also, it can induce extrapyramidal type adverse reaction such as parkinsonism, gait disorder, and tremor via blockade of D2 receptors. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of TMZ on novelty‐induced rearing behavior and apomorphine‐induced stereotypy behavior in male rats. Four groups of rat (n = 7) were administrated with TMZ (10 and 20 mg/kg, i.p.), chlorpromazine (1 mg/kg, i.p.), or isotonic saline. One hour later, apomorphine (2 mg/kg, s.c.) was administrated to each rat. Our results showed that both doses of TMZ significantly decreased the rearing behavior in rats, whereas the decrease with chlorpromazine was higher. TMZ also decreased the stereotypy scores in a dose‐dependent manner. We concluded that TMZ has beneficial effects on rearing behavior and stereotypy, which are accepted to be indicators of antipsychotic effect. Taken together, with its antioxidative and cytoprotective properties, TMZ is worthy of being investigated for its anti‐psychotic effects as a primary or an adjunctive drug.
Ultrasonic Degradation of Fuchsin Basic in Aqueous Solution: Effects of Operating Parameters and Additives
Authors: Lan Rui-Jia , Li Ji-Tai , Chen Bao-Hua
Published: October 2013

Ultrasonic degradation is one of the recent advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) and proven to be effective for removing low-concentration organic pollutants from aqueous solutions. In this study, removal of fuchsin basic from aqueous solutions by ultrasound was investigated. The effects of operating parameters such as ultrasound power (200 W–500 W), initial pH (3–6.5), and temperature (15, 22, 35, and 60°C) on the ultrasonic degradation were studied. The degradation of fuchsin under ultrasound irradiation basic was found to obey pseudo first-order reaction kinetics. Addition of catalyst Fe(II) had a markedly positive effect on degradation. 84.1% extent of degradation was achieved at initial dye concentration 10 μmol L−1, ultrasound power 400 W, ultrasound frequency 25 kHz, dosage of Fe(II) 4 mg L−1, initial pH 6.5, and temperature 22°C. But addition of heterogeneous catalyst TiO2affected degradation slightly. Addition of radical scavenger suppressed fuchsin basic degradation significantly.
A Novel Model of Dormancy for Bone Metastatic Breast Cancer Cells
Authors: Marlow Rebecca , Honeth Gabriella , Lombardi Sara , Cariati Massimiliano , Hessey Sonya , Pipili Aikaterini , Mariotti Veronica , Buchupalli Bharath , Foster Katie , Bonnet Dominique , Grigoriadis Agamemnon , Rameshwar Pranela , Purushotham Anand , Tutt Andrew , Dontu Gabriela
Published: October 2013

Mortality of patients with breast cancer is due overwhelmingly to metastatic spread of the disease. Although dissemination is an early event in breast cancer, extended periods of cancer cell dormancy can result in long latency of metastasis development. Deciphering the mechanisms underlying cancer cell dormancy and subsequent growth at the metastatic site would facilitate development of strategies to interfere with these processes. A challenge in this undertaking has been the lack of models for cancer cell dormancy. We have established novel experimental systems that model the bone microenvironment of the breast cancer metastatic niche. These systems are based on 3D cocultures of breast cancer cells with cell types predominant in bone marrow. We identified conditions in which cancer cells are dormant and conditions in which they proliferate. Dormant cancer cells were able to proliferate upon transfer into supportive microenvironment or upon manipulation of signaling pathways that control dormancy. These experimental systems will be instrumental for metastasis studies, particularly the study of cellular dormancy. Cancer Res; 73(23); 6886–99. ©2013 AACR.
Noncoding RNAs in Prostate Cancer: The Long and the Short of It
Authors: Bolton Eva M. , Tuzova Alexandra V. , Walsh Anna L. , Lynch Thomas , Perry Antoinette S.
Published: October 2013

As the leading culprit in cancer incidence for American men, prostate cancer continues to pose significant diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic tribulations for clinicians. The vast spectrum of disease behavior warrants better molecular classification to facilitate the development of more robust biomarkers that can identify the more aggressive and clinically significant tumor subtypes that require treatment. The untranslated portion of the human transcriptome, namely noncoding RNAs (ncRNA), is emerging as a key player in cancer initiation and progression and boasts many attractive features for both biomarker and therapeutic research. Genetic linkage studies show that many ncRNAs are located in cancer-associated genomic regions that are frequently deleted or amplified in prostate cancer, whereas aberrant ncRNA expression patterns have well-established links with prostate tumor cell proliferation and survival. The dysregulation of pathways controlled by ncRNAs results in a cascade of multicellular events leading to carcinogenesis and tumor progression. The characterization of RNA species, their functions, and their clinical applicability is a major area of biologic and clinical importance. This review summarizes the growing body of evidence, supporting a pivotal role for ncRNAs in the pathogenesis of prostate cancer. We highlight the most promising ncRNA biomarkers for detection and risk stratification and present the state-of-play for RNA-based personalized medicine in treating the “untreatable” prostate tumors. Clin Cancer Res; 20(1); 35–43. ©2013 AACR.
Präinterventionelle Änderung der Gerinnungsmedikation
Authors: Koscielny Jürgen , Rutkauskaite Edita
Published: October 2013

Hintergrund: Die Differentialdiagnostik und Therapie von perioperativen Blutungen besitzt besonders bei Eingriffen mit hohen Blutverlusten einen hohen Stellenwert, z.B. in der Viszeralchirurgie. Insbesondere die präoperative Erfassung von hämorrhagischen Diathesen und einer gerinnungshemmenden Medikation trägt effektiv zur Minimierung von Komplikationen wie Hämatomen, sekundären Infektionen und Blutverlusten bei. Methode: Pharmakologische Aspekte, bereits vorliegende Konsensus-Empfehlungen und Leitlinien, Erfahrungen sowie Empfehlungen der Hersteller und der Zulassungsbehörden wurden genutzt. Ergebnisse: Bei Elektiveingriffen unter Langzeitantikoagulation ist zur Normalisierung des Blutungsrisikos bei normaler Nieren- und Leberfunktion ein Absetzen der Gerinnungsmedikation vor der Operation ausreichend, ein längerer Abstand ist bei eingeschränkter Nieren- und Leberfunktion sowie bei hohem Lebensalter zu berücksichtigen. Bei Patienten mit positiver standardisierter Blutungsanamnese durch die Einnahme von gerinnungshemmenden Medikamenten sollte auf der Basis einer individuellen Nutzen-Risiko-Abwägung (Individualmedizin) interdisziplinär das perioperative Weiterführen oder Absetzen von Gerinnungshemmern festgelegt werden. Da die Halbwertszeit aber interindividuell unterschiedlich und zum Teil unvorhersehbar sein kann, insbesondere bei Patienten mit verminderter Elimination (z.B. Niereninsuffizienz), kann in Einzelfällen ein geeigneter laboranalytischer Wirkungsnachweis als zusätzliche Entscheidungshilfe die Terminierung der Intervention unterstützen. Aus hämostaseologischer Sicht besteht die Indikation zum bereits präoperativen Management einer hämorrhagischen Diathese. Die Maßnahmen richten sich nach der jeweiligen Defizienz. Schlussfolgerungen: Elektive Eingriffe müssen sorgfältig geplant werden, besonders bei Patienten mit Gerinnungsmedikation oder hämorrhagischer Diathese.