bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Faunal notes of family Arctiidae (Insecta, Lepidoptera) from Cambodia
Authors: Ulziijargal Bayarsaikhan , Ju Young‐Don , Qi Mu‐jie , Le Xuan‐Vi , Phalla Thuch , Park Jong Kyun , Bae Yang‐Seop
Published: November 2011

Cambodia covers 181,035 km2 (a little over half size of Vietnam), among them, the forest area is cover about 53 percent, so there are abundant insects diversities. The family Arctiidae so called tiger moths are belonging to superfamily Noctuoidea, with more than 11,155 named species of 750 genera are distributed worldwide (Heppner, 2005).

Taxonomic study of the Arctiidae in Cambodia has been done by a few foreign entomologists (). In the present study, we were collected four times from 2009–2010 in three protected forests are Seima, Central Cardamom, and North Cardamom. Each time, we were collected from 3 to 5 sites in each forest by using light trap. As a result of this study, a total of 183 species of 13 families belonging to Lepidoptera. Of which, 70 species of 32 genera of 2 subfamilies (Lithosiinae and Arctiinae) belonging to Arctiidae family were identified from Cambodia.
Molecular phylogeny of the subfamily Aleocharinae (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae)
Authors: Song Jeong‐Hun , Ahn Kee‐Jeong
Published: November 2011

A preliminary phylogenetic analysis of the subfamily Aleocharinae Fleming is presented based on molecular characters. The data set comprised partial mitochondrial COI (925 bp), COII(372 bp), 12S rDNA (325–330 bp), and nearly complete sequences of 18S rDNA (1705–1771 bp) for 66 group taxa in fifteen tribes and four outgroup taxa. The sequences were analysed using parsimony and Bayesian methods. The results show that tribes Aleocharini, Lomechusini, Myllaenini, and the subtribe Gyrophaenina are supported as monophyletic groups. Phylogentic relationships between tribes were not clearly resolved in this study. Deinopsini and Trichopseniini are recovered as basal groups.
Biodiversity Changes of Benthic Macroinvertebrates in Tamjin river system by Jangheung Dam Construction
Authors: SoonAh Ham , Jongsun Kim , chulwon Jung
Published: November 2011

Benthic macroinvertebrates in freshwater include Nematoda, Annelida, Mollusca, and Arthropoda etc. Insects in arthropoda are among the most conspicuous inhabitants of streams and rivers and occupy up to 95% of macroinvertebrates. In most cases, it is the larval stages of these insects that are aquatic, whereas the adults are terrestrial.

Tamjin river system was surveyed seasonally for 13 years (1998–2010) to study the biodiversity changes of macroinvertebrtes by Jangheung Dam construction.

Total macroinvertebrates consist of 139 species, 101 genera, 59 families, 19 orders, 6 classes in 4 phylums. To start 57 species in 1998 before the dam construction, 41 species were in 1999 which is the first year of construction. After the construction the number of species increased gradually and 73 species emerged in 2009 and 2010.

The individual number fluctuated annually and it is difficult to infer the comprehensive results, but ephemerids decreased dramatically after the construction and then they increased gradually since 2006, whereas caddisflies increased rapidly and decreased.

Among the studied taxa Ephemeroptera showed the highest diversity relatively, and the next was Trichoptera and Coleoptera. The species occurrence pattern was stable in Ephemeroptera as 15–24 species and fluctuated in Trichoptera ranged from 4 species (2001) to 15 species(2008). In Diptera, 8 species emerged up in 2003 and 2007 and 3 species in 1998 and 1999 and in Coleoptera, 3–6 species emerged in stable pattern.
Seasonal change of Lepidopteran larval assemblage associated with leaf quality
Authors: Lee Jin , An Jeong‐Seop , Na Snag‐Hyun , Choi Sei‐Woong
Published: November 2011

The community structure of herbivorous animals is frequently regulated by the nutritional condition of their host plant. The present study was aimed at investigating relationship between leaf chemistry traits and assemblages of Lepidoptera larvae in southwestern part of Korea. We selected three sites in rural landscapes and lepidopteran larvae were collected using a beating sheet from May to August. We collected leaves of two major host plants, Eurya japonicaThunb andQuercusserrataThunb and measured water content, nitrogen content, carbon content and area eaten of leaf. During the last four months we collected a total of 481 individuals in more than 25 different plant species. The number of larvae was highest in July and most abundant in Eurya japonica with 253 individuals. Leaf quality varied in each month. The correlation between leaf quality and assemblage of larvae showed that the carbon content only affected the number of larvae (r =−0.833, p < 0.01). Interestingly the water content and area eaten by the larvae was positively correlated (r = 0.835, p < 0.05).
Study of the insect fauna in Ulleung‐do and Dokdo
Authors: Kang Hyunjun , Kang Mingu , Lee Hyoki , Lee Yeonsoon , Jang Heeseung , Son Moonhui , Cha Jungmoon , Kwon Yongeok , Bae Hyesu , Kwon Ohseok
Published: November 2011

Fauna of Ulleung‐do and Dokdo, located at the eastern end of Korean territiry, was reported. A total of 170 Orders 153 Families 608 Genera 841 Species was reported in Ulleung‐do, whereas a total of 11 Orders 65 Families 123 Genera 124 Species in Dokdo by Lee (2006, 2009). However these data lack the data of small insect under 1 mm. This study was focused on the small scale insects and will report unrecorded species or new species if found. On this report, new species found on these two islands were presented.
Survey on Biological Resources of Green Buffer Zone in Siheung‐si
Authors: Park Seong‐Joon , Yeon Myung‐Hun , Kang Jong‐Hyun , Suh Kyoung‐Ok
Published: November 2011

Phytosociological investigation of the Afforest vegetation was carried out in Okgu‐park and Siheung buffer forest zone at the period of from April to June 2011 by line transect method and Braun‐Blanquet's method. The list of vascular plant identified in these investigation were 42 families, 77 genera, 84 species 10 varieties and summing up to 94 kinds total. As a result the major forest vegetation was classified into Pinus thunbergii communities, Pinus rigida communities, Sophora japonica communities, Koelreuteria paniculata communities. The species composition of insect over each result from Green Buffer Zone in Siheung‐si was a total of 6 orders, 20 families, 38 species including 1 Endermic species and 50 Designated species; 18 species of family Hemiptera which is the highest and 16 species of family Coleoptera. Site 3 had the highest indices diversity. In contrast, Site 1 indices diversity, different from the other survey points, were significantly low. In each survey period, dominant species was Onthophagus (Phanaeomorphus) fodiens and Aelia fieberi. This study was intented to understand the insect diversity and forest in Okgu‐park and Siheung buffer forest zone, and provide data and information required to preserve living creatures and geological management, and basic information for the management and preservation policies.
Histologic Structure of the Harvestman Leiobunum japonicum (Arachnida: Opiliones: Sclerosomatidae)
Authors: Park Yong‐Ki , Moon Myung‐Jin
Published: November 2011

Opiliones are an order of arachnids commonly known as harvestmen. Although they belong to the class of arachnids, harvestmen are not spiders. Harvestmen are well known for their exceptionally long legs compared to body size, and the made up of two main parts, cephalothorax and abdomen. Although over 6,400 species of harvestmen have been discovered worldwide, the research on these arachnids is still an unexplored field comparing to spiders or insects. The Harvestmen is the Arachnids disregarded to Korean researchers. Therefore, in Korea, it doesn't become nearly the investigation of the harvestmen. Histological data about the harvestmen tries to be provided through the research of the internal structure of the harvestmen. The study of structures of the opiliones was made with the histological image and it focused mainly on the eye, leg, and genital organs.
The Guts of Herbivorous Invertebrates: Promising Sources of Diverse Microorganisms with Unique Hemicellulolytic Systems
Authors: Kim Do Young , Cho Han‐Young , Kim Hyo Jeong , Kim Yi‐Joon , Shin Dong‐Ha , Son Kwang‐Hee , Park Ho‐Yong
Published: November 2011

Invertebrates including insects are heterotrophic organisms and widely distributed in ecosystems. Due to their superior ability to digest various types of plant biomass taken as foods, some herbivorous invertebrates have attracted a great deal of industrial attention because such organisms include diverse cellulolytic and hemicellulolytic symbionts in their gut. Recent studies have shown that some of gut microorganisms of herbivores possess one or more extracellular fibrolytic enzymes with unique functions, which can be exploited as useful biocatalysts in various bioindustrial fields. Specifically, microbial hemicellulases with favorable biocatalytic activities are expected to be used for the development of excellent animal feed additives, production of prebiotics such as xylo‐ and mannooligosaccharides, and pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass for the preparation of fermentable sugars. Here, we review our recent studies accomplished on several hemicellulolytic bacteria isolated from the guts of invertebrates and their glycoside hydrolases such as endo‐β‐1,4‐xylanases and endo‐β‐1,4‐mannanases.
Direct 1270 nm Irradiation as an Alternative to Photosensitized Generation of Singlet Oxygen to Induce Cell Death
Authors: Detty Michael R.
Published: November 2011

This article is a highlight of the paper by Anquez et al. in this issue of Photochemistry and Photobiology and describes the potential benefits of direct excitation of molecular oxygen to produce singlet oxygen (1O2) rather than using a photosensitizer. Due to its simplicity, the direct excitation of molecular oxygen can potentially overcome problems associated with systemic administration of dyes, such as skin photosensitivity and the clearance of free sensitizer from the body. However, concerns associated with the technique include indiscriminate generation of extracellular and intracellular 1O2, the difficulty of controlling necrotic vs apoptotic cell death and the possible consequences of thermal effects.
From Ancient Greece to Modern Education: Universality and Lack of Generalization of the Socratic Dialogue
Authors: Goldin Andrea P. , Pezzatti Laura , Battro Antonio M. , Sigman Mariano
Published: November 2011

Two thousand four hundred years ago Socrates gave a remarkable lesson of geometry, perhaps the first detailed record of a pedagogical method in vivo in history [Plato. (2008). Apología de Sócrates. Menón. Crátilo. Madrid: Alianza Editorial]. Socrates asked Meno's slave 50 questions requiring simple additions or multiplications. At the end of the lesson the student discovered by himself how to duplicate a square using the diagonal of the given one as the side of the new square. We studied empirically the reproducibility of this dialogue in educated adults and adolescents of the 21st century. Our results show a remarkable agreement between Socratic and empiric dialogues. Even in questions in which Meno's slave made a mistake, within an unbounded number of possible erred responses, the vast majority of participants produced the same error as Meno's slave. Our results show that the Socratic dialogue is built on a strong intuition of human knowledge and reasoning which persists more than 24 centuries after its conception, providing one of the most striking demonstrations of universality across time and cultures. At the same time, they also emphasize its educational failure. After following every single question including Socrates' “diagonal argument,” almost 50% of the participants failed to learn the simplest generalization when asked to double the area of a square of different size.
The Presence of Antiphospholipid Antibodies in Healthy Bernese Mountain Dogs
Authors: Nielsen L.N. , Wiinberg B. , Kjelgaard‐Hansen M. , Kristensen A.T.
Published: November 2011

Background

The role of antiphospholipid antibodies in the prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) previously identified in healthy Bernese Mountain Dogs remains unknown. In people, an isolated prolonged aPTT without evidence of bleeding might be because of a thrombophilic condition caused by antiphospholipid antibodies.

Objective

To examine if prolonged aPTT in healthy Bernese Mountain Dogs is because of antiphospholipid antibodies.

Animals

Twenty‐two healthy Bernese Mountain Dogs and 10 healthy adult dogs of various breeds.

Methods

Prospective case control study. Healthy Bernese Moutain Dogs were examined twice over 6 months. Dogs were investigated for the presence of lupus anticoagulants and anticardiolipin (aCL) antibodies by the use of multiple aPTT tests with low and high lupus anticoagulant sensitivities, a mixing study, and an ELISA test for aCL antibody optical density to detect solid phase antiphospholipid antibodies.

Results

In all, 15 of 22 healthy Bernese Mountain Dogs were positive for lupus anticoagulants. The Bernese Mountain Dogs had markedly higher levels of aCL antibodies compared with the control dogs (P = .006). In all, 7 of 21 of the Bernese Mountain Dogs were positive for both lupus anticoagulants and aCL antibodies, whereas 4 of 21 Bernese Mountain Dogs were negative for both.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

Lupus anticoagulants and aCL antibodies could be the cause of prolonged aPTT in healthy Bernese Mountain Dogs. The importance of the antiphospholipid antibodies in the dogs remains unknown.
MODELING EFFECTS OF TWO INTERACTING POPULATIONS ON A RENEWABLE RESOURCE
Authors: DUBEY B.
Published: November 2011

Abstract In this paper, a general mathematical model is presented to study the effect of two populations on a resource biomass. The interaction between two populations is assumed to be competition, predation, or cooperation. These two populations may depend on the resource biomass partially, wholly, or they may predate on the resource. In each case, criteria for local stability, instability, and global stability are obtained. Numerical simulation is presented to illustrate the theoretical results obtained in each case. It is shown that the depletion of resource biomass is maximum in the case of cooperation and is minimum in the case of competition.
The role of attachment styles in shaping proactive behaviour: An intra‐individual analysis
Authors: Wu Chia‐huei , Parker Sharon K.
Published: November 2011

Focusing on the intra‐individual variation of proactive behaviour, the authors propose that curiosity, core self‐evaluations (CSE), and future orientation are states that influence proactive behaviour at a given time at the within‐individual level, and these within‐individual associations are moderated by attachment styles at the between‐individual level. For a sample of Taiwanese students (N= 58), the results showed that monthly curiosity, CSE, and future orientation positively predicted monthly proactive behaviour, but these within‐individual associations were different depending on an individual's relationship anxiety in attachment. People high in relationship anxiety tend to behave proactively to approach future goals at a given time, but cannot rely on their self‐evaluations to foster the proactive action at the same time, revealing an ambivalent attitude towards proactive behaviour.

Practitioner Points

Strengthening an individual's states of curiosity, positive self‐evaluations, and future orientation can help to enhance his/her proactive behaviour at a given time.

People who worry about their social relationships are reluctant to rely on their positive self‐evaluation at a given time to engage in proactive behaviour at that time.

Cultivating a positive social environment is helpful to enhance an individual's proactive behaviour, especially for people who worry about their social relationships.
Conglomerate Stabilization Curve Design Method for Shape Memory Alloy Wire Actuators With Cyclic Shakedown
Authors: Kim WonHee , Barnes Brian M. , Luntz Jonathan E. , Brei Diann E.
Published: November 2011

The high energy density actuation potential of shape memory alloy (SMA) wire is tempered by conservative design guidelines set to mitigate complex factors such as functional fatigue (shakedown). In addition to stroke loss, shakedown causes practical problems of interface position drift between the system and the SMA wire under higher stress levels if the wire does not undergo a pre-installation shakedown procedure. Constraining actuation strain eliminates interface position drift and has been reported to reduce shakedown as well as increase fatigue life. One approach to limit actuation strain is using a mechanical strain limiter, which sets a fixed Martensite strain position—useful for the development of in-device shakedown procedures, which eliminates time-consuming pre-installation shakedown procedures. This paper presents a novel conglomerate stabilization curve design method for SMA wire actuators, which accounts for shakedown with and without the use of mechanical strain limiters to enable higher stress designs to maximize actuator performance. Shakedown experimental data including the effect of strain limiters along with stroke and work density contours form the basis for this new design method. For each independent mechanical strain limiter, the maximum of the individual postshakedown Austenite curves at a range of applied stress are combined into a conglomerate stabilization design curve. These curves over a set of mechanical strain limiters including the zero set provide steady-state performance prediction for SMA actuation, effectively decoupling the shakedown material performance from design variables that affect the shakedown. The use and benefits of the conglomerate stabilization curve design method are demonstrated with a common constant force actuator design example, which was validated in hardware on a heavy duty latch device. This new design method, which accounts for shakedown, supports design of SMA actuators at higher stresses with more economical use of material/power and enables the utilization of strain limiters for cost-saving in-device shakedown procedures.
Dimensional Design on the Six-Cable Driven Parallel Manipulator of FAST
Authors: Tang Xiaoqiang , Yao Rui
Published: November 2011

China is now building the world’s largest single dish radio telescope in Guizhou province, which is called Five-hundred meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST). The main purpose of this paper is to present an effective dimensional design method on the six-cable driven parallel manipulator of FAST. Sensitivity design method is adopted for the six-cable driven parallel manipulator of FAST. Cable has the capability to bear tension but not compression, so that cable driven parallel manipulator may not be controlled as expected if tension of one cable is small or zero. Therefore, for dimensional design of the six-cable driven parallel manipulator, three functions to evaluate tension performance were proposed. The tension performance functions can reflect the uniformity of cable tension and controllability of the six-cable driven parallel manipulator. According to the sensitivity design method and tension performance evaluating functions, a set of optimized dimensional parameters is calculated for constructing the six-cable driven parallel manipulator of FAST. In order to verify the optimization design result, a similarity model of the six-cable driven parallel manipulator was set up in Beijing. A serial of experiments shows that tension performance of the six-cable driven parallel manipulator satisfies the system’s requirement. More importantly, it provides a theoretical reference for further study on dimensional design of a cable driven parallel manipulator with large span.
The influence of octyl β-D-glucopyranoside on cell lysis induced by ultrasonic cavitation
Authors: Miller Douglas L. , Dou Chunyan
Published: November 2011

Octyl β-D-glucopyranoside (OGP) has been reported to completely inhibit cavitation-induced cell lysis in vitro, possibly by quenching critical free-radical effects. In this study, the influence of OGP on cell lysis in a 60 rpm rotating-tube exposure apparatus was assessed. HL-60 cell lysis was estimated with a Coulter Multisizer counter. Cavitation activity from the 2.3 MHz, 30 s duration exposures were monitored at the 1.15 MHz subharmonic. Cavitation nucleation was accomplished by addition of an ultrasound contrast agent, or by using freshly dissolved culture media. For both nucleation methods, exposures were conducted for 0–0.7 MPa peak rarefactional pressure-amplitudes with and without 5 mM OGP, and for 0.5 MPa with 0-5 mM OGP. The addition of OGP to the cell suspension medium generally had little influence on cavitation-induced cell lysis. Exposures with no rotation had reduced subharmonic and lysis for added contrast agent, but essentially no cavitation for the fresh medium. Since the decreases or increases in cell lysis found for added OGP generally were accounted for by concomitant decreases or increases in cavitation activity, the changes in cell lysis could be explained by variation of the mechanical effects of cavitation without invoking a critical role for free-radical effects.
Measuring and modeling the bubble population produced by an underwater explosion
Authors: Holt Fred D. , Lee Culver R.
Published: November 2011

Underwater explosions have been studied intensively in the United States since 1941 [e.g., R. H. Cole, Underwater Explosions (Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, 1945), pp. 3–13]. Research to date has primarily focused on the initial shock and subsequent pressure waves caused by the oscillations of the “gas-globe” resulting from charge detonation. These phenomena have relatively short timescales (typically less than 2 s). However, after the gas-globe rises through the water column and breaks the surface, there remains behind a cloud of bubbles and perhaps debris from the explosion container which has been markedly less studied. A recent experiment measured the spatial and temporal acoustic response of the bubble cloud resulting from a 13.6 kg PBXN-111 charge detonated at 15.2 m (50 ft) depth. A directional projector was used to propagate linear frequency-modulated (5–65 kHz) and 40 kHz tonal pulses through the bubble cloud. Two hydrophone arrays were positioned so as to measure the energy lost in propagating through the bubble cloud. Three methods have been utilized to invert measurements and estimate the bubble population. The bubble population estimates have been used to develop a model for the bubble population resulting from an underwater explosion.
Observations of the collapses and rebounds of millimeter-sized lithotripsy bubbles
Authors: Kreider Wayne , Crum Lawrence A. , Bailey Michael R. , Sapozhnikov Oleg A.
Published: November 2011

Bubbles excited by lithotripter shock waves undergo a prolonged growth followed by an inertial collapse and rebounds. In addition to the relevance for clinical lithotripsy treatments, such bubbles can be used to study the mechanics of inertial collapses. In particular, both phase change and diffusion among vapor and noncondensable gas molecules inside the bubble are known to alter the collapse dynamics of individual bubbles. Accordingly, the role of heat and mass transport during inertial collapses is explored by experimentally observing the collapses and rebounds of lithotripsy bubbles for water temperatures ranging from 20 to 60 °C and dissolved gas concentrations from 10 to 85% of saturation. Bubble responses were characterized through high-speed photography and acoustic measurements that identified the timing of individual bubble collapses. Maximum bubble diameters before and after collapse were estimated and the corresponding ratio of volumes was used to estimate the fraction of energy retained by the bubble through collapse. The rebounds demonstrated statistically significant dependencies on both dissolved gas concentration and temperature. In many observations, liquid jets indicating asymmetric bubble collapses were visible. Bubble rebounds were sensitive to these asymmetries primarily for water conditions corresponding to the most dissipative collapses.
Source level reduction and sonar beam aiming in landing big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus)
Authors: Koblitz Jens C. , Stilz Peter , Pflästerer Wiebke , Melcón Mariana L. , Schnitzler Hans-Ulrich
Published: November 2011

Reduction of echolocation call source levels in bats has previously been studied using set-ups with one microphone. By using a 16 microphone array, sound pressure level (SPL) variations, possibly caused by the scanning movements of the bat, can be excluded and the sonar beam aiming can be studied. During the last two meters of approach flights to a landing platform in a large flight room, five big brown bats aimed sonar beams at the landing site and reduced the source level on average by 7 dB per halving of distance. Considerable variation was found among the five individuals in the amount of source level reduction ranging from 4 to 9 dB per halving of distance. These results are discussed with respect to automatic gain control and intensity compensation and the combination of the two effects. It is argued that the two effects together do not lead to a stable echo level at the cochlea. This excludes a tightly coupled closed loop feed back control system as an explanation for the observed reduction of signal SPL in landing big brown bats.
Measurements of bubbles in sea water by nonstationary sound scattering
Authors: Akulichev V. A. , Bulanov V. A.
Published: November 2011

Methods for the characterization of bubbles in sea water by acoustic scattering are analyzed. Nonstationary linear and nonlinear sound scattering methods are proposed. The transient linear and nonlinear sound scattering allows the scattering by resonant gas bubbles to be distinguished from the scattering by other microinhomogeneities. The application of parametric arrays in oceanic experiments, together with the broadband frequency analysis of the backscattering coefficient, allows information about bubbles in sea water to be obtained. Experimental results on sound scattering and gas bubble distribution functions are presented for different conditions in the ocean.
A subspace approach based on embedded prewhitening for voice activity detection
Authors: Kim Dong Kook , Chang Joon-Hyuk
Published: November 2011

This paper presents a subspace approach for voice activity detection (VAD). The proposed approach is based on an embedded prewhitening scheme for the simultaneous diagonalization of the clean speech and noise covariance matrices to provide a decision rule based on likelihood ratio test in signal subspace domain. Experimental results show that the proposed subspace-based VAD algorithm outperforms the method using a Gaussian model in a conventional discrete Fourier transform domain at the low signal-to-noise conditions.
Band structures of phononic-crystal plates in the form of a sandwich-layered structure
Authors: Cheng Y. , Liu X. J. , Wu D. J.
Published: November 2011

This study investigates the propagation of Lamb waves in phononic-crystal plates in the form of a sandwich-layered structure. The composite plates are composed of periodic layers bilaterally deposited on both sides of the homogeneous core layer. Using the analyses of the band structures and the transmission spectra, it is revealed that the core layer may induce significant modulations to the lower-order Lamb modes. The modulations are ascribed to the reshaped particle displacement fields of the eigenmodes. Prominently, the core layer made of soft material (rubber) combines the identical eigenmodes of the periodic layers into a pair of asymmetric and symmetric modes in which case the periodic layers vibrate independently. However, the core layer made of hard material (tungsten) or medium hardness material (silicon) couples the periodic layers tightly, in which case the composites vibrate as a whole. In addition, it is found that the phononic band gaps are very sensitive to the thickness of the core layer; this could be indispensable to practical applications such as bandgap tuning.
Binaural interference in bilateral cochlear-implant listeners
Authors: Best Virginia , Laback Bernhard , Majdak Piotr
Published: November 2011

This work was aimed at determining whether binaural interference occurs in electric hearing, and if so, whether it occurs as a consequence of perceptual grouping (central explanation) or if it is related to the spread of excitation in the cochlea (peripheral explanation). Six bilateral cochlear-implant listeners completed a series of experiments in which they judged the lateral position of a target pulse train, lateralized via interaural time or level differences, in the presence of an interfering diotic pulse train. The target and interferer were presented at widely separated electrode pairs (one basal and one apical). The results are broadly similar to those reported for acoustic hearing. Alllisteners but one showed significant binaural interference in at least one of the stimulus conditions. In all cases of interference, a robust recovery was observed when the interferer was presented as part of an ongoing stream of identical pulse trains, suggesting that the interference was at least partly centrally mediated. Overall, the results suggest that both simultaneous and sequential grouping mechanisms operate in electric hearing, at least for stimuli with a wide tonotopic separation.
High-accuracy acoustic detection of nonclassical component of material nonlinearity
Authors: Haupert Sylvain , Renaud Guillaume , Rivière Jacques , Talmant Maryline , Johnson Paul A. , Laugier Pascal
Published: November 2011

The aim is to assess the nonclassical component of material nonlinearity in several classes of materials with weak, intermediate, and high nonlinear properties. In this contribution, an optimized nonlinear resonant ultrasound spectroscopy (NRUS) measuring and data processing protocol applied to small samples is described. The protocol is used to overcome the effects of environmental condition changes that take place during an experiment, and that may mask the intrinsic nonlinearity. External temperature fluctuation is identified as a primary source of measurement contamination. For instance, a variation of 0.1 °C produced a frequency variation of 0.01%, which is similar to the expected nonlinear frequency shift for weakly nonlinear materials. In order to overcome environmental effects, the reference frequency measurements are repeated before each excitation level and then used to compute nonlinear parameters. Using this approach, relative resonant frequency shifts of 10−5 can be measured, which is below the limit of 10−4 often considered as the limit of NRUS sensitivity under common experimental conditions. Due to enhanced sensitivity resulting from the correction procedure applied in this work, nonclassical nonlinearity in materials that before have been assumed to only be classically nonlinear in past work (steel, brass, and aluminum) is reported.
Effects of auditory recognition learning on the perception of vocal features in European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris)
Authors: Daniel Meliza C.
Published: November 2011

Learning to recognize complex sensory signals can change the way they are perceived. European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) recognize other starlings by their song, which consists of a series of complex, stereotyped motifs. Song recognition learning is accompanied by plasticity in secondary auditory areas, suggesting that perceptual learning is involved. Here, to investigate whether perceptual learning can be observed behaviorally, a same–different operant task was used to measure how starlings perceived small differences in motif structure. Birds trained to recognize conspecific songs were better at detecting variations in motifs from the songs they learned, even though this variation was not directly necessary to learn the associative task. Discrimination also improved as the reference stimulus was repeated multiple times. Perception of the much larger differences between different motifs was unaffected by training. These results indicate that sensory representations of motifs are enhanced when starlings learn to recognize songs.
Low frequency narrow-band calls in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus): Signal properties, function, and conservation implications
Authors: Simard Peter , Lace Natalija , Gowans Shannon , Quintana-Rizzo Ester , Kuczaj Stan A. , Wells Randall S. , Mann David A.
Published: November 2011

Dolphins routinely use sound for social purposes, foraging and navigating. These sounds are most commonly classified as whistles (tonal, frequency modulated, typical frequencies 5–10 kHz) or clicks (impulsed and mostly ultrasonic). However, some low frequency sounds have been documented in several species of dolphins. Low frequency sounds produced by bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) were recorded in three locations along the Gulf of Mexico. Sounds were characterized as being tonal with low peak frequencies (mean = 990 Hz), short duration (mean = 0.069 s), highly harmonic, and being produced in trains. Sound duration, peak frequency and number of sounds in trains were not significantly different between Mississippi and the two West Florida sites, however, the time interval between sounds within trains in West Florida was significantly shorter than in Mississippi (t = −3.001, p = 0.011). The sounds were significantly correlated with groups engaging in social activity (F=8.323, p=0.005). The peak frequencies of these sounds were below what is normally thought of as the range of good hearing in bottlenose dolphins, and are likely subject to masking by boat noise.
Excitation threshold for subharmonic generation from contrast microbubbles
Authors: Katiyar Amit , Sarkar Kausik
Published: November 2011

Six models of contrast microbubbles are investigated to determine the excitation threshold for subharmonic generation. The models are applied to a commercial contrast agent; its characteristic parameters according to each model are determined using experimentally measured ultrasound attenuation. In contrast to the classical perturbative result, the minimum threshold for subharmonic generation is not always predicted at excitation with twice the resonance frequency; instead it occurs over a range of frequencies from resonance to twice the resonance frequency. The quantitative variation of the threshold with frequency depends on the model and the bubble radius. All models are transformed into a common interfacial rheological form, where the encapsulation is represented by two radius dependent surface properties—effective surface tension and surface dilatational viscosity. Variation of the effective surface tension with radius, specifically having an upper limit (resulting from strain softening or rupture of the encapsulation during expansion), plays a critical role. Without the upper limit, the predicted threshold is extremely large, especially near the resonance frequency. Having a lower limit on surface tension (e.g., zero surface tension in the buckled state) increases the threshold value at twice the resonance frequency, in some cases shifting the minimum threshold toward resonance.
Behavioral estimates of basilar-membrane compression: Additivity of forward masking in noise-masked normal-hearing listeners
Authors: Gregan Melanie J. , Nelson Peggy B. , J. Oxenham Andrew
Published: November 2011

Cochlear hearing loss is often associated with a loss of basilar-membrane (BM) compression, which in turn may contribute to degraded processing of suprathreshold stimuli. Behavioral estimates of compression may therefore be useful as long as they are valid over a wide range of levels and frequencies. Additivity of forward masking (AFM) may provide such a measure, but research to date lacks normative data from normal-hearing (NH) listeners at high sound levels, which is necessary to evaluate data from hearing-impaired (HI) listeners. The present study measured AFM in six NH listeners for signal frequencies of 500, 1500, and 4000 Hz in the presence of background noise, designed to elevate signal thresholds to levels similar to those experienced by HI listeners. Results consistent with compressive BM responses were found for all six listeners at 500 Hz, five listeners at 1500 Hz, but only two listeners at 4000 Hz. Further measurements in the absence of background noise also indicated a lack of consistent compression at 4000 Hz at higher signal levels, in contrast to earlier results collected at lower levels. A better understanding of this issue will be required before AFM can be used as a general behavioral estimate of BM compression.
The mechanism of interaction between focused ultrasound and microbubbles in blood-brain barrier opening in mice
Authors: Tung Yao-Sheng , Vlachos Fotios , Feshitan Jameel A. , Borden Mark A. , Konofagou Elisa E.
Published: November 2011

The activation of bubbles by an acoustic field has been shown to temporarily open the blood-brain barrier (BBB), but the trigger cause responsible for the physiological effects involved in the process of BBB opening remains unknown. Here, the trigger cause (i.e., physical mechanism) of the focused ultrasound-induced BBB opening with monodispersed microbubbles is identified. Sixty-seven mice were injected intravenously with bubbles of 1–2, 4–5, or 6–8 μm in diameter and the concentration of 107 numbers/ml. The right hippocampus of each mouse was then sonicated using focused ultrasound (1.5 MHz frequency, 100 cycles pulse length, 10 Hz pulse repetition frequency, 1 min duration). Peak-rarefactional pressures of 0.15, 0.30, 0.45, or 0.60 MPa were applied to identify the threshold of BBB opening and inertial cavitation (IC). Our results suggest that the BBB opens with nonlinear bubble oscillation when the bubble diameter is similar to the capillary diameter and with inertial cavitation when it is not. The bubble may thus have to be in contact with the capillary wall to induce BBB opening without IC. BBB opening was shown capable of being induced safely with nonlinear bubble oscillation at the pressure threshold and its volume was highly dependent on both the acoustic pressure and bubble diameter.
Non-isomorphism in efficient coding of complex sound properties
Authors: Stilp Christian E. , Kluender Keith R.
Published: November 2011

To the extent that sensorineural systems are efficient, stimulus redundancy should be captured in ways that optimize information transmission. Consistent with this principle, neural representations of sounds have been proposed to become “non-isomorphic,” increasingly abstract and decreasingly resembling the original (redundant) input. Here, non-isomorphism is tested in perceptual learning using AXB discrimination of novel sounds with two highly correlated complex acoustic properties and a randomly varying third dimension. Discrimination of sounds obeying the correlation became superior to that of sounds violating it despite widely varying physical acoustic properties, suggesting non-isomorphic representation of stimulus redundancy.
Negative Frequency-Dependent Selection of Sexually Antagonistic Alleles in
Myodes glareolus
Authors: Mokkonen Mikael , Kokko Hanna , Koskela Esa , Lehtonen Jussi , Mappes Tapio , Martiskainen Henna , Mills Suzanne C.
Published: November 2011

Selection of rare-male types in a population can maintain genetic variation that benefits one sex but harms the other.
Rational Choice, Context Dependence, and the Value of Information in European Starlings (
Sturnus vulgaris
)
Authors: Freidin Esteban , Kacelnik Alex
Published: November 2011

When Is Less More?

Sometimes too much information can hamper our decision-making ability, resulting in our making suboptimal choices.
Freidin and Kacelnik
(p.
1000
; see the Perspective by
Giraldeau
) explored this “less is more” effect in starlings and confirmed that contextual information hampered the ability of the animals to choose the “best” food item. This was true, however, only when the birds were presented with multiple choices simultaneously. In contrast, when the birds were presented with a sequence of prey choices, knowing the context of the find improved their ability to make the optimal choice. In nature, starlings forage for invertebrates and are unlikely to encounter many prey items simultaneously. Thus, decision-making has evolved to favor using contextual information to make choices, despite the fact that it fails when choices are simultaneous.
The Hidden Mass and Large Spatial Extent of a Post-Starburst Galaxy Outflow
Authors: Tripp Todd M. , Meiring Joseph D. , Prochaska J. Xavier , Willmer Christopher N. A. , Howk J. Christopher , Werk Jessica K. , Jenkins Edward B. , Bowen David V. , Lehner Nicolas , Sembach Kenneth R. , Thom Christopher , Tumlinson Jason
Published: November 2011

A galaxy that has experienced a recent burst of star formation has an extended halo of hot, ionized gas surrounding it.
Response to Comment on “Global Trends in Wind Speed and Wave Height”
Authors: Young Ian R. , Babanin Alexander V. , Zieger Stefan
Published: November 2011

We acknowledge that the special sensor microwave/imager (SSM/I) studies identified by Wentz and Ricciardulli were overlooked. These studies report wind speed trends 1.4 to 2.4 times smaller than our altimeter data. However, the reported altimeter wind speed trends are consistent with limited buoy data and exhibit scatter consistent with the calculated error statistics.
NSF Creates Fast Track for Out-of-the-Box Proposals
Authors: Mervis Jeffrey
Published: November 2011

Last week, National Science Foundation Director Subra Suresh unveiled an initiative that aims to roll the dice on a relative handful of researchers with unorthodox ideas about how to tackle complex problems.
Evolutionary Time Travel
Authors: Pennisi Elizabeth
Published: November 2011

With clever and challenging lab experiments, researchers are forcing species to become multicellular, develop new energy sources, and start having sex.
Suicide Genes Breathe New Life into Cell Therapies
Authors: Cheng Mickie H.
Published: November 2011

A suicide gene can kill harmful alloreactive donor T cells in patients undergoing stem cell transplantation for relapsed acute leukemia.
Anthrax Vaccine Antigen-Adjuvant Formulations Completely Protect New Zealand White Rabbits against Challenge with Bacillus anthracis Ames Strain Spores
Authors: Peachman Kristina K. , Li Qin , Matyas Gary R. , Shivachandra Sathish B. , Lovchik Julie , Lyons Rick C. , Alving Carl R. , Rao Venigalla B. , Rao Mangala
Published: November 2011

In an effort to develop an improved anthrax vaccine that shows high potency, five different anthrax protective antigen (PA)-adjuvant vaccine formulations that were previously found to be efficacious in a nonhuman primate model were evaluated for their efficacy in a rabbit pulmonary challenge model using
Bacillus anthracis
Ames strain spores. The vaccine formulations include PA adsorbed to Alhydrogel, PA encapsulated in liposomes containing monophosphoryl lipid A, stable liposomal PA oil-in-water emulsion, PA displayed on bacteriophage T4 by the intramuscular route, and PA mixed with
Escherichia coli
heat-labile enterotoxin administered by the needle-free transcutaneous route. Three of the vaccine formulations administered by the intramuscular or the transcutaneous route as a three-dose regimen induced 100% protection in the rabbit model. One of the formulations, liposomal PA, also induced significantly higher lethal toxin neutralizing antibodies than PA-Alhydrogel. Even 5 months after the second immunization of a two-dose regimen, rabbits vaccinated with liposomal PA were 100% protected from lethal challenge with Ames strain spores. In summary, the needle-free skin delivery and liposomal formulation that were found to be effective in two different animal model systems appear to be promising candidates for next-generation anthrax vaccine development.
Application of a Microcalorimetric Method for Determining Drug Susceptibility in Mycobacterium Species
Authors: Howell M. , Wirz D. , Daniels A. U. , Braissant O.
Published: November 2011

Mycobacterium tuberculosis
is a global public health concern, particularly with the emergence of drug-resistant strains. Immediate identification of drug-resistant strains is crucial to administering appropriate treatment before the bacteria are allowed to spread. However, developing countries, which are most affected by drug resistance, are struggling to combat the disease without the facilities or funds for expensive diagnostics. Recent studies have emphasized the suitability of isothermal microcalorimetry (IMC) for the rapid detection of mycobacteria. In this study, we investigate its suitability for rapid and reliable
M. tuberculosis
drug susceptibility testing. Specifically, IMC was used to determine the MICs of three drugs, namely, isoniazid, ethambutol, and moxifloxacin, against three mycobacteria, namely,
Mycobacterium smegmatis
,
Mycobacterium avium
, and
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
. The Richards growth model was used to calculate growth parameters, namely, the maximum bacterial growth rate and the lag phase duration from integrated heat flow-versus-time results. For example, MICs of isoniazid, ethambutol, and moxifloxacin were determined to be 1.00, 8.00, and 0.25 μg/ml, respectively. IMC, as described here, could be used not just in industrialized countries but also in developing countries because inexpensive and sensitive microcalorimeters are now available.
Prevalence and Sequence Variation of Panton-Valentine Leukocidin in Methicillin-Resistant and Methicillin-Susceptible Staphylococcus aureus Strains in the United States
Authors: Brown Megan L. , O'Hara F. Patrick , Close Nicole M. , Mera Robertino M. , Miller Linda A. , Suaya Jose A. , Amrine-Madsen Heather
Published: November 2011

Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL), encoded by the
lukSF-PV
genes, is a putative virulence factor and marker for community-associated methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
. Here we report the prevalence of PVL among a representative sample of 1,055
S. aureus
infection isolates from the United States and describe the sequence variation of the
lukSF-PV
genes. We performed multilocus sequence typing (MLST) on all isolates and sequenced fragments of the
lukSF-PV
genes from a sample of 86 isolates. We assigned isolates to a PVL R or H sequence type based on a polymorphism that results in an amino acid change from arginine (R) to histidine (H). Overall, we found that 36% of
S. aureus
isolates were positive for
lukSF-PV
. Among the 86 we typed, we identified 72 R variants and 14 H variants. Among the 47 methicillin-resistance
S. aureus
(MRSA) isolates, 43 harbored the R variant, and among the 39 methicillin-susceptible
S. aureus
(MSSA) isolates, 29 harbored the R variant. Almost all (97%) of the R variants were found in MLST clonal complex 8 (CC8), while the H variant was broadly distributed among 6 CCs. Within CC8, all 38 MRSA (USA300) and all 28 MSSA isolates harbored the R variant. Of the 20 isolates from blood and the lower respiratory tract, 19 (95%) harbored the R variant. While the R variant had been linked primarily to USA300 MRSA, we found that all CC8 MSSA isolates also contained the R variant, suggesting that some strains of USA300 may have lost methicillin resistance as an adaptation in the community.
Direct Comparison of the Traditional and Reverse Syphilis Screening Algorithms in a Population with a Low Prevalence of Syphilis
Authors: Binnicker Matthew J. , Jespersen Deborah J. , Rollins Leonard O.
Published: November 2011

We describe the first direct comparison of the reverse and traditional syphilis screening algorithms in a population with a low prevalence of syphilis. Among 1,000 patients tested, the results for 6 patients were falsely reactive by reverse screening, compared to none by traditional testing. However, reverse screening identified 2 patients with possible latent syphilis that were not detected by rapid plasma reagin (RPR).