bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The use of Lorentz transformations for simplifying aeroacoustic boundary value problems
Authors: Dunn M. H.
Published: October 2013

The prediction of community noise from aircraft flyovers is computationally complex when arbitrary aircraft configurations are subjected to realistic flows. Mathematically, the problem is described by a set of scattering surfaces (wings, nacelles, and fuselage) moving uniformly with known noise sources in the presence of an inviscid, irrotational, background flow. A four-dimensional (space-time) boundary value problem (BVP) for noise propagation and scattering is defined by the mass and momentum conservation equations along with appropriate hard- or soft-wall boundary conditions on the scattering surfaces and the Sommerfeld radiation condition. This system is augmented by the appropriate Kutta conditions for geometry with edges to produce a uniquely solvable BVP. The governing differential equations are complicated by factors strongly dependent upon the flow field. However, Lorentz transformations can be used to define new independent and dependent variables such that the differential equations depend on the local sound speed plus terms that involve flow gradients. Neglecting flow gradient terms produces the classical wave equation BVP, which can be solved using contemporary numerical methods. The original acoustic variables are easily recovered via the inverse Lorentz transformation. In addition, the formulation can be used to analyze physical conditions under which the uniform flow approximation is valid.
Initial pitch informs sentence duration
Authors: Tan Johanna , Dunham Joel , Lee Caleb , Vatikiotis-Bateson Eric
Published: October 2013

This study re-examines the potential relation between sentence duration and sentence-initial fundamental frequency (F0), in both speech production and perception, and provides perceptual evidence for speech planning. Liberman and Pierrehumbert [in Language Sound Structure, edited by Aronoff & Oerhle (MIT Press, Cambridge, 1984)] argued that a correspondence between sentence length and initial F0 would accommodate declination and could be evidence for speech planning. Unfortunately, their study did not provide strong evidence either for or against this intriguing possibility. The present study has two parts: First, read sentences were recorded for native English speakers and the relation between sentence length and F0 was analyzed. With a few exceptions, longer sentences had higher initial F0. Second, 24 listeners were presented with initial portions (300 and 700 ms) of the recorded sentences and asked to make both relative and absolute predictions of total sentence duration. Subjects consistently associated sentence fragments containing higher initial F0 with longer sentences. [Research supported by NSERC and CFI.]
Downslope propagation of adiabatic and stepwise coupled modes
Authors: Evans Richard B.
Published: October 2013

Downslope propagation, from a shallow source, redirects steeply propagating modes toward the horizontal. Slope conversion is of particular interest for noise sources near the shelf break. Noise modeling procedures may rely on adiabatic modes for efficiency, but their ability to accurately handle downslope conversion is not well tested. The adiabatic approximation is derived from continuously coupled modes by assuming the coupling matrices are the identity matrix and by using an asymptotic approximation to solve the uncoupled ordinary differential equations for the modal coefficients. A simpler interpretation of the twofold adiabatic approximation is obtained in the context of stepwise coupled modes when the continuous differential equations are replaced by a single matrix recursion. The stepwise interpretation of the adiabatic approximation is used to evaluate its validity, for a shelf-break environment, in a side-by-side comparison with stepwise coupled modes. The adiabatic approximation partially accounts for downslope conversion, but vertical directivity, computed in with adiabatic modes and stepwise coupled modes, is not comparable. Parabolic equation calculations, which corroborate the stepwise coupled mode results, provide a practical alternative to adiabatic modes for ambient noise modeling in shelf-break environments.
Commentary on invited papers for ‘‘Enhancement and multiplicity of cues in speech.’’
Authors: Whalen D. H.
Published: October 2013

Enhancement has been shown to occur in a variety of contexts in the papers presented here. This commentary will examine the similarities of these phenomena and look for their proper level of description within linguistic theory.
Polynomial chaos expansions for coupled mode amplitude and phase uncertainty in the presence of oceanographic uncertainty
Authors: LePage Kevin D.
Published: October 2013

Polynomial chaos (PC) techniques have recently been introduced to the field of underwater acoustics for modeling the nonlinear transfer of probabilistic measures of the propagation environment into measures of acoustic propagation uncertainty [Finette, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 117, 997–1000 (2005)]. Recently we have proposed and implemented a PC method for modeling this process for coupled mode propagation through internal waves (IWs) [LePage, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 118, 1903–1904 (2005)]. While showing promise, the approach was implemented for a single empirical orthogonal function (EOF) component of the IW field only and was derived for small PC coefficients. In this paper the restriction of small coefficients is removed for the first two terms of the PC expansion, and results for uncertainty caused by more than one uncorrelated EOF component are also presented. [Work supported by ONR.]
Ultrasound hyperthermia in clotted blood and ex vivo cranial bone
Authors: Nahirnyak Volodymyr M. , Holland Christy K.
Published: October 2013

Ultrasound thermal effects have been hypothesized to contribute moderately to ultrasound-assisted thrombolysis. Transcranial ultrasound adjuvant to thrombolytic treatment of ischemic stroke requires a detailed investigation of the heating produced by ultrasound exposure to the skull bone, brain, and blood clots. Thermocouple measurements of ex vivo cranial bone and blood clot heating were compared to theoretical predictions of ultrasound hyperthermia, which assumed adiabatic conditions and provided an estimate for the worst-case scenario. The in vitro experiments were conducted at two temperatures, 20°C and 37°C. Ex vivo human skull, and porcine or human blood clots were exposed to 120 kHz, 1 MHz, or 3.5 MHz pulsed ultrasound with an 80% duty cycle and an acoustic spatial peak intensity of 0.5 W/cm2. The thermal elevation in human cranial temporal bone was below 1°C for all three frequencies. The ultrasound hyperthermia in porcine and human clots increased with an increase in center frequency, but did not exceed (0.33±0.06)°C. These results provide the information necessary to quantify the contribution of a thermal mechanism for ultrasound-enhanced thrombolysis.
Multiple-particle tracking rheometry of gelling polymer solutions
Authors: Braun Ryan , Wirtz Dennis
Published: October 2013

Many polymer materials used for damping are generated utilizing polycondensation reactions. These polymer reactions may start in the liquid phase, undergo gelation, and then solidify. The microscopic, three-dimensional, heterogeneous network produced during the chemical reaction greatly affects the bulk material properties. The polymer architecture is mainly locked in at the point of gelation, when polymer mobility is drastically reduced. This study investigates the steady-state microstructure and micromechanics of gelling polymer materials using the recently developed method of multiple-particle tracking microrheometry (MPTM). Unlike existing methods, MPTM quantitates, in real time, the microrheology and microheterogeneity of complex fluids undergoing gelation. Brownian trajectories of probe particles are transformed into families of mean-squared displacements, from which distributions in local, frequency-dependent viscoelastic moduli or time-dependent creep compliance are readily extracted. To understand the effects the microscopic, three-dimensional architecture of a gel has on the macroscopic, bulk properties, a model polysaccharide gel system was studied. The steady-state properties of the polysaccharide gels were evaluated as a function of concentration.
Propagation of impulsive sound in the nocturnal boundary layer.
Authors: Waxler Roger , Talmadge Carrick , Di Xiao , Kenneth Gilbert
Published: October 2013

On clear, dry nights a sound channel, the nocturnal duct, forms in the lowest few hundred meters of the atmosphere. Impulsive sound propagating in a nocturnal duct undergoes severe distortion due to multipath effects and dispersion. At long ranges from the source, the signal from a single impulse is received as an extended wave train beginning with a series of distinct arrivals and ending with a low frequency tail. The nature and form of each of the arrivals will be described. The influence of elevated wind jets and the associated convergence zones will be discussed. Possible applications to signature identification and source ranging will be presented.
Rugby Hall.
Authors: Long Marshall
Published: October 2013

Rugby Hall began as a flat floored rectangular room with a low ceiling, which had false wooden beams at right angles to the main axis of the room. There was a low-raised platform on the short wall at one end of the room which served as a makeshift stage. The room was used for lectures, plays, and musicals and performed poorly for all uses. After much puzzling it was decided to excavate the floor to yield raked seating and an expanded stage area. The false beams were removed and the ceiling was raised. The new ceiling had to be designed around the large steel beams above and a unique sidewall design was developed. The resulting hall which seats 386 has served the school for over 20 years as a mixed use facility.
What the eyes can tell us about spoken-language comprehension.
Authors: Weber Andrea
Published: October 2013

As an academic great-grandchild of Jim, I had the fortune to have Jim’s personal advice during the last stages of my graduate studies and during my first steps as a postdoctoral researcher. I was inspired by his great expertise, his respectful and sage comments on my work, and his encouragement for collaboration across disciplines. This paper pays tribute to Jim Jenkins by showing how his mindset influenced my own research in the field of spoken-language comprehension. In particular, I will introduce work that investigates the intersection of lower- and higher-processing levels using eye movements. Eye movements to displayed objects are tightly linked to spoken-language comprehension and are commonly used in psycholinguistic research to gain insights into underlying processes. I will present evidence for how difficulties on the perceptual level of processing can affect lexical processing and how, in turn, sentence processing can be influenced by characteristics of the lexical level, such as lexical frequency.
Studies of speech perception: A mentor’s influence.
Authors: Miller Joanne L.
Published: October 2013

A major focus of my research program has been the nature of phonetic categorization. Many of our early studies examined the locations of boundaries between phonetic categories and the kinds of contextual factors that alter boundary locations. Later, as it became increasingly clear that phonetic categories are internally structured, with some category members more representative than others, we extended our efforts to specify the nature of this internal structure and the contextual factors that fine-tune it. Most recently, we have been investigating how these internally structured context-dependent categories might be customized for the systematic acoustic-phonetic variation in the speech of individual talkers. In this presentation, I will provide examples of our findings and drawing from studies of speech perception in adults and infants. Of particular relevance, I will point out how the many important lessons I learned in graduate school from Jim Jenkins, one of my mentors, have influenced my approach to speech research over the years. [Work supported by the NIDCD.]
Prey capture by harbor porpoises.
Authors: Miller Lee
Published: October 2013

The harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) is a small toothed whale living mostly in coastal waters. There are large, but unknown, numbers in the inner Danish waters. Four are in captivity at Fjord Belt Center, Kerteminde, Denmark, one of which was born there in 2006. Harbor porpoises use their ultrasonic clicks as biosonar for orientation and detection of prey (mostly smaller pelagic and bottom dwelling fish), and for communication. For studying wild animals, hydrophone arrays [Villadsgaard et al., J. Exp. Biol. 210 (2007)] and acoustic (time/depth) tags [Akamatsu et al., Deep Sea Res. 2 (2007)] have been used. For studying captive animals, arrays and video techniques [Verfuss et al., J. Exp. Biol. 208 (2005)], as well as miniature acoustic-behavioral tags [Deruiter et al., J. Acoust. Soc. Am 123 (2008)], have been used. While searching for prey, harbor porpoises use clicks at long intervals (50 ms) that progressively decrease when closing an object. After detecting the prey, the click interval stabilizes and then becomes progressively shorter while approaching the prey. The sequence ends in a terminal high-repetition rate buzz (500 clicks/s) just before capturing the prey (a video will be shown). The temporal sequence differs from that of beaked whales but is similar to that of bats.
Attenuation in marine sediments: In situ measurements versus propagation-loss inversions.
Authors: Buckingham Michael J.
Published: October 2013

Acoustic attenuation in marine sediments may be measured either in situ, from the difference in signal level at two embedded probes, or from an inversion of transmission loss in the water column. Most in situ measurements are performed above 10 kHz and return an attenuation that scales as the first power of frequency, whereas transmission-loss inversions are performed at lower frequencies, returning a near-square-law variation with frequency. The difference between the in situ and transmission-loss estimates could be due to a combination of factors, including bottom roughness, which may lead to an enhanced attenuation from the transmission-loss inversions. The nonoverlapping frequency bands of the two techniques could also account for the differences in the estimated scalings of attenuation with frequency. Thus, the attenuation could scale roughly as the square of the frequency below a few kilohertz, transitioning to a linear dependence above 10 kHz. Such behavior would be consistent with the recently developed VGS theory of acoustic propagation in saturated granular materials: the effective viscosity of the molecularly thin layer of pore fluid between contiguous grains dominates the low-frequency square-law behavior of the attenuation and the strain hardening controls the high-frequency linear dependence on frequency. [Research supported by ONR.]
A rough task: Defining a measure for rough voice quality.
Authors: Shrivastav Rahul , Eddins David A. , Patel Sona , Cummings Stacie
Published: October 2013

Perceptual judgments of voice quality on a rating scale or a magnitude estimation task are highly context dependent, making it difficult to compare data from one experiment to another. In previous work, a matching task using a sawtooth wave mixed with speech-shaped noise was found useful for quantifying breathiness in vowels [Patel et al., 2006, JASA, 119, 3340]. In the present experiment, we attempted to adapt this matching task for the estimation of roughness in vowels. Ten listeners participated in a matching task where listeners compared the roughness of a voice standard and the reference signal. A low-pass filtered sawtooth wave mixed with speech-shaped noise was used as the reference signal. The roughness of this signal was manipulated by amplitude modulating the waveform with a 40-Hz square wave. The modulation depth at which the signal and standard were perceived to be equally rough was used as an index of vowel roughness. Preliminary results show that listeners are able to use the matching task to estimate roughness in vowels, particularly for moderately to severely roughness voices. However, voices with little or no roughness are difficult to match to the signal because of the inherent timbre of the sawtooth.
Statistical analysis of acoustic propagation in beaked whale habitats.
Authors: Crocker Steven E. , Wezensky Eryn M. , Mitchell Glenn H. , MacLeod Colin D.
Published: October 2013

Research and regulatory communities have raised questions about the influence of oceanographic conditions on propagation of midfrequency sound produced by naval sonars prior to beaked whale mass stranding events. Resolving these questions requires detailed study of acoustic properties at locations known to support beaked whale populations potentially at risk of exposure. To address these concerns, this study investigated sound propagation at two known beaked whale habitats: the North Atlantic Frontier to the west of Scotland and Sagami Gulf in eastern Japan, by computing the range dependent propagation loss for an omnidirectional 3.5 kHz signal with a source level of 235 dB re 1 μPa at 1 m. From this, a method was developed to reduce the three-dimensional sound field to yield a source-receiver range at which there was a high probability that a given received sound pressure level would not be exceeded. To investigate the uncertainty in data for sound speed profiles and seabed acoustic properties, the sensitivity of this method to typical variations of these factors was evaluated. Understanding the physical oceanographic properties affecting sound propagation can provide critical science for development of conservation management and mitigation practices.
Neural dynamics of beat perception and production.
Authors: Iversen John
Published: October 2013

The perceptual experience of a rhythm depends on its metrical interpretation. Prior work using magnetoencephalography has shown that brain activity reflects a listener's metrical interpretation of simple ambiguous rhythms: neural response to a note coinciding with the listener's internal sense of the beat is enhanced in the beta frequency range (20–30 Hz). An unanswered question raised by this result is where in the brain the transient periodic enhancement of evoked response to the beat might arise. Ongoing research on brain responses to syncopated rhythmic patterns is presented. In these syncopated patterns, some beats are never marked by physical tones. It is asked if the increase in transient beta activity observed in prior experiments can also indicate internal beat placement even in the predictable absence of a physical input. If so, it may reveal the nature of the internal modulation of cortical responses to sound and enable localization of its source. The presentation will conclude with a discussion of what brain architectures may be able to support beat perception and synchronization, with reference to nonhuman animals. [Work supported by Neurosciences Research Foundation.]
Derating of nonlinear high intensity focused ultrasound fields to predict millisecond boiling in tissue.
Authors: Canney Michael , Bessonova Olga , Khokhlova Vera , Bailey Michael , Crum Lawrence
Published: October 2013

The most commonly used method for derating high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) fields from water to tissue is based on multiplying the acoustic intensity measured in water by an exponential factor to compensate for attenuation in the tissue path assuming linear wave propagation. Yet, in nonlinear HIFU fields, the intensity provides little information about either heating or negative and positive pressure amplitudes, which are important in predicting bioeffects. In this work, a new derating method is presented and tested for a 2 MHz high gain focused ultrasound source. Focal waveforms are experimentally measured and modeled after propagation through both water and tissue paths at output intensities of up to 24 000 W/cm2. The focal waveforms measured after propagation through tissues were made equivalent to those obtained in water by increasing the pressure amplitude at the source. From the change in source amplitude pressure, the attenuation of the tissue was determined. The focus was then shifted to within the tissue sample, and the measured attenuation was used to calculate the time to reach 100°C. Calculations were in excellent agreement with the time measured to attain boiling in the tissue, which was only several milliseconds. [Work supported by NIH DK43881 and NSBRI SMS00402.]
Localization of sources on the ground from an elevated acoustic sensor array.
Authors: Ostashev Vladimir E. , Scanlon Michael V. , Reiff Christian , Wilson D. Keith , Vecherin Sergey N.
Published: October 2013

Acoustic sensor arrays suspended below tethered aerostats are employed for localization of sources on the ground. The aerostats can be elevated up to 1–2 km above the ground. Since the values of temperature and wind velocity vary significantly from the ground up to such heights, sound refraction should be taken into account when determining the source coordinates. Previously [Ostashev et al., J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 122, 3084 (2007)], a theory was developed that enables determination of the source coordinates from the direction of sound signal propagation as measured by the sensor array, its coordinates, and the vertical profiles of temperature and wind velocity. However, these profiles can be known only with some errors and uncertainties. In the present paper, the effects of uncertainties in the vertical profiles of temperature and wind velocity on determining the source coordinates are studied. To this end, the vertical profiles are approximated with the Monin–Obukhov theory of similarity. The uncertainties in the profiles are modeled by allowing the surface roughness length, the friction velocity, and the surface sensible heat flux vary from their mean values. Some of the results obtained are compared with experimental data.
Numerical study of finite-amplitude source reconstruction in one-dimension.
Authors: Shepherd Micah R. , Gee Kent L. , Wochner Mark S.
Published: October 2013

Since its inception in the 1980s, near-field acoustic holography (NAH) has been widely used to determine structural source properties. More recently, it has also been used to determine aeroacoustic source behavior. Although several alternate forms of NAH have been developed, all are based on the (linear) Helmholtz equation and would presumably not function correctly for a finite-amplitude pressure wave propagating nonlinearly. However, when nonlinear effects or reconstruction distances are small, NAH may still be a useful tool for determining radiation characteristics of finite-amplitude sources such as jets and rockets. A one-dimensional numerical propagation scheme has been used to propagate broadband noise with various spectral shapes and amplitudes. A simple NAH-based magnitude reconstruction is used to determine frequency-, amplitude-, and propagation distance-dependent errors indicating in what regions linear NAH methods may produce large errors. The results indicate that the presence of shock coalescence causes relatively large errors in linear sound field reconstructions of broadband noise sources.
Wide-band attenuation measurements in New Jersey Shelf sediments.
Authors: Turgut Altan
Published: October 2013

The frequency dependence of attenuation in marine sediments is investigated using in situ measurements from a wide-band acoustic probe system during the Shallow Water 2006 (SW06) experiment. Direct-path pulse propagation measurements within the 10–80 kHz frequency band show linear frequency dependency of attenuation in dB/m at two silty-sand sites on the New Jersey Shelf. The measurements also show evidence of mild velocity dispersion within the 10–80 kHz frequency band. The measured attenuation and velocity dispersion curves are in good agreement with those predicted by an extended Biot theory for sediments with a distribution of pore sizes [Yamamoto and Turgut, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 83, 1744–1751 (1988)]. Attenuation roll-off measurements (dB/m kHz) were also conducted within a 3–8 kHz frequency band using a chirp-sonar subbottom profiler. The comparable levels of attenuation roll-off are observed from the chirp sonar and acoustic probe measurements. [Work supported by ONR.]
Attenuation inversions using broadband acoustic sources.
Authors: Potty Gopu R. , Wilson Preston , Lynch James F. , Newhall Arthur , Miller James H.
Published: October 2013

Low-frequency attenuation data are widely scattered. The spread most likely reflects differences in sediment type, degree of consolidation, layering, as well as other causes of effective attenuation encountered during low-frequency field measurements. Moreover, attenuation varies with depth, and longer wavelengths, i.e., low frequencies, encounter deeper sediments with different properties. The assumption that the attenuation in the sediment is constant with depth often results in interpretations which give sediment attenuations with a frequency dependence different when depth variations are included in the sediment description. Low-frequency attenuation inversions using broadband acoustic data from different field experiments will be presented and compared. Compressional wave attenuation will be estimated using modal amplitude ratios. Variation of modal attenuation coefficients with frequency and depth will be discussed. [Work supported by the Office of Naval Research.]
The Ballet Opera House competition and the New Jersey Performing Arts Center: My collaboration with Russell Johnson.
Authors: Myers Barton
Published: October 2013

I am honored and pleased to accept Damian Doria's (ARTEC) invitation to speak about my relationship to the late Russ Johnson at the November meeting of the ASA in Miami honoring Russ. I propose to speak about my relationship as an architect working with Russ, the acoustician on two major projects: the Toronto Ballet Opera House competition (unbuilt) and the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (built). One would of course have to add to the numerous anecdotes that helped create his mythical and eccentric reputation.
Quantifying the contribution of contextual information in speech perception in noise for native and non-native listeners.
Authors: Nishi Kanae , Lewis Jessica , Kopun Judy , Stelmachowicz Patricia G.
Published: October 2013

When speech is degraded, listeners tend to rely on contextual information, if available. The goal of the current study was to evaluate the use of lexical, syntactic, and semantic context for native and non-native listeners. Using an adaptive tracking method, listeners’ reliance on contextual information was assessed as signal-to-noise ratios for 70%-correct speech perception performance (SNR70) for single words and short grammatically and semantically appropriate sentences. Adult and child native speakers of American English and adult Spanish speakers learning English as a non-native language served as listeners. For all groups, SNR70 was significantly higher for words than sentences. No group difference was found for sentence SNR70, but significantly higher word SNR70 was observed for the non-native group than the two native groups, indicating greater benefit of context for non-native listeners. When non-native listeners' SNR70 measures were subjected to discriminant analysis to determine similarity to native groups, three subgroups were identified: (1) nativelike for both words and sentences, (2) nativelike only for sentences, and (3) not nativelike for either words or sentences. Possible application of this method to determine candidacy for auditory training to improve speech perception in noise will be discussed. [Work supported by the NIH.]
Getting phonetic structure from an aphonetic signal.
Authors: Lowenstein Joanna H. , Nittrouer Susan
Published: October 2013

Several studies have shown that adults can use a global structure such as that found in sine wave and amplitude envelope signals for speech perception. Recent work has demonstrated that children can perceive speech processed as sine wave signals as well as the adults, but have more difficulty perceiving vocoded signals. If speech perception can occur even when signals are abstracted down to the level of sine wave speech, why then does the human vocal tract produce a signal with such complexity? Perhaps the redundancy encoded in the complexity of the speech signal is useful for other tasks, such as phonemic awareness and short-term recall. This study presented three lists of eight near-rhyming words in sine wave speech, speech in 0-dB noise, and unprocessed speech to adults and 8-year olds as a short-term serial recall task. Adults performed the same on the unprocessed speech and speech in noise, and performed more poorly on the sine wave speech. 8-year olds, on the other hand, performed identically in all conditions, but made more errors overall than the adults. Adults who were not able to understand sine wave speech had poorer overall recall scores on the other two tasks. [Work supported by NIDCD Grant No. DC-00633.]
Transmission of noise through a double-pane window.
Authors: Yu Zhaohui , Li Kai Ming
Published: October 2013

In the present study, the sound transmission of low-frequency noise through a double-pane window is analyzed by a coupled finite element/boundary element method (FEM/BEM). Particularly, the response of solid structure due to the acoustic excitations is treated by FEM while the behavior of fluid medium, which includes the fluid loading above and below the windows and the fluid cavity inside the window (between the double panes), is simulated by BEM. The stiffness matrix in the FEM formulation is adjusted by the technique of the component mode synthesis in order to handle the mounting conditions of windows effectively. Using the proposed model, the transmission of sound pressures through double-pane windows is calculated and validated with published experimental data. A set of comprehensive parametric studies is then conducted to explore for characterizing the acoustical properties of the double-pane windows, which may be used in the design stage.
A Thermoelectric Heat Engine with Ultracold Atoms
Authors: Brantut Jean-Philippe , Grenier Charles , Meineke Jakob , Stadler David , Krinner Sebastian , Kollath Corinna , Esslinger Tilman , Georges Antoine
Published: October 2013

Cold Thermoelectrics

Thermoelectric effects—such as the creation of a voltage drop in response to a thermal gradient (known as the Seebeck effect)—can be used for a number of applications, including converting wasted heat into power. However, especially in solids that exhibit electronic interactions, this type of behavior is not well understood.

Brantut
et al.

(p.
713
, published online 24 October; see the Perspective by

Heikkilä

) studied the Seebeck effect in the very controllable setting of cold atomic gases. Two initially identical reservoirs of
6
Li atoms were connected using a quasi–two-dimensional channel, and the particle current after heating one of the reservoirs was measured. The atoms moved from the warmer to the cooler reservoir, the extent of which fit with theoretical predictions as the disorder in the channel and its geometry were varied.
Complete Genome Sequence of a UL96 Mutant Cytomegalovirus Towne-BAC (Bacterial Artificial Chromosome) Isolate Passaged in Fibroblasts To Allow Accumulation of Compensatory Mutations
Authors: Brechtel Teal M. , Tyner Molly , Tandon Ritesh
Published: October 2013

Here, we present the complete genome sequence of a cytomegalovirus Towne-BAC (bacterial artificial chromosome) isolate that we first genetically engineered to mutate the UL96 gene and then serially passaged in human fibroblasts to allow for the accumulation of compensatory mutations. A total of 17 single-base substitutions were discovered in the passaged genome compared to the reference sequence (KF493877).
Smoking cessation in the first trimester reduces most obstetric risks, but not the risks of major congenital anomalies and admission to neonatal care: a population-based cohort study of 1 164 953 singleton pregnancies in Finland
Authors: Räisänen Sari , Sankilampi Ulla , Gissler Mika , Kramer Michael R , Hakulinen-Viitanen Tuovi , Saari Juho , Heinonen Seppo
Published: October 2013

Background

In industrialised countries, approximately 5–20% of women smoke during pregnancy. We aim to study the association between smoking during pregnancy and adverse perinatal outcomes.

Methods

A retrospective population–based cohort study using data on all singleton births between 1991 and 2010 (n=1 164 953) derived from the Finnish Medical Birth Register.

Results

Of all the mothers included, 82.3% were non-smokers, 2.6% quit smoking during the first trimester of pregnancy, 12.5% smoked throughout pregnancy and 2.7% had no information on smoking. Continuing smoking after the first trimester of the pregnancy was associated with an increased prevalence of admission to a neonatal intensive care unit, stillbirth, preterm birth (<37 gestational weeks), low birth weight (LBW, <2500 g), small for gestational age (SGA, <−2 SDs) and major congenital anomaly compared with non-smokers. Smoking cessation reduced the risk of prematurity, stillbirth, LBW and SGA close to or at similar levels as those of non-smokers. Tobacco exposure in early pregnancy resulted in a 19% increased prevalence of admission to neonatal intensive care unit and a 22% increased prevalence of major congenital anomaly compared with non-smokers.

Conclusions

Smoking cessation appeared to reduce pregnancy risks close to those of non-smoking peers. Exposure to early pregnancy smoking was, however, associated with an increased admission to neonatal intensive care and an increased prevalence of major congenital anomalies.
Prevalence and antimicrobial resistance of canine urinary tract pathogens
Authors: Hall J. L. , Holmes M. A. , Baines S. J.
Published: October 2013

This study aims to describe the incidence and risk factors for positive urinary tract culture, the prevalence of urinary tract pathogens in single organism and mixed cultures and changes in their antimicrobial resistance over 10 years. A retrospective review of computer records detailing canine urine samples submitted between August 1999 and September 2009 for culture and sensitivity in a UK tertiary referral hospital is described. 17.5 per cent of 5923 samples (670 of 4530 dogs) were positive cultures. 85.3 per cent of cultures yielded a single isolate. The prevalence of bacterial species differed between mixed and single isolate cultures. Entire and neutered female dogs were more likely to return positive cultures than male dogs (OR=2.5 and 1.5, respectively).Escherichia coliwas most commonly isolated (53.9 per cent) and affected female dogs, older dogs and neutered dogs more. There was an increase in the antimicrobial resistance ofEnterococcus faecalisandPseudomonas Aeruginosa, and a decrease in the effectiveness of enrofloxacin, cephalexin and oxytetracycline. The prevalence of urinary bacterial isolates is described for a large group of dogs. Monitoring changes in antimicrobial efficacy and microbial resistance guides the empirical use of antimicrobials for the treatment of urinary tract infection and helps formulate strategic plans to limit drug resistance.
Structural setting and age of the Partridge Island block, southern New Brunswick, Canada: a link to the Cobequid Highlands of northern mainland Nova Scotia
Authors: Park Adrian F. , Treat Robert L. , Barr Sandra M. , White Chris E. , Miller Brent V. , Reynolds Peter H. , Hamilton Michael A.
Published: October 2013

The Partridge Island block is a newly identified tectonic element in the Saint John area of southern New Brunswick, located south of and in faulted contact with Proterozoic and Cambrian rocks of the Ganderian Brookville and Avalonian Caledonia terranes. It includes the Lorneville Group and Tiner Point complex. The Lorneville Group consists of interbedded volcanic and sedimentary rocks, subdivided into the Taylors Island Formation west of Saint John Harbour and West Beach Formation east of Saint John Harbour. A sample from thin rhyolite layers interbedded with basaltic flows of the Taylors Island Formation at Sheldon Point yielded a Late Devonian – Early Carboniferous U–Pb (zircon) age of 358.9 +6/–5 Ma. Petrological similarities indicate that all of the basaltic rocks of the Taylors Island and West Beach formations are of similar age and formed in a continental within-plate tectonic setting. West of Saint John Harbour, basaltic and sedimentary rocks of the Taylors Island Formation are increasingly deformed and mylonitic to the south, and in part tectonically interlayered with mylonitic granitoid rocks and minor metasedimentary rocks of the Tiner Point complex. Based on magnetic signatures, the deformed rocks of the Tiner Point complex can be traced through Partridge Island to the eastern side of Saint John Harbour, where together with the West Beach Formation, they occupy a thrust sheet above a redbed sequence of the mid-Carboniferous Balls Lake Formation. The Tiner Point complex includes leucotonalite and aegirine-bearing alkali-feldspar granite with A-type chemical affinity and Early Carboniferous U–Pb (zircon) ages of 353.6 ± 5.7 and 346.4 ± 0.7 Ma, respectively. Based on similarities in age, petrological characteristics, alteration, iron oxide – copper – gold (IOCG)-type mineralization, and deformation style, the Partridge Island block is correlated with Late Devonian – Early Carboniferous volcanic–sedimentary–plutonic rocks of the Cobequid Highlands in northern mainland Nova Scotia. Deformation was likely a result of dextral transpression along the Cobequid–Chedabucto fault zone during juxtaposition of the Meguma terrane.
Application of decision support systems in water management
Authors: Zhang Kejiang , Zargar Amin , Achari Gopal , Islam M. Shafiqul , Sadiq Rehan
Published: October 2013

This paper presents an overview of decision support systems (DSSs) as applied to water management. This includes the definition of DSSs as pertinent to water management, its basic components, various techniques employed in development of DSSs, and technological and conceptual trends in DSSs. The application of DSSs in various areas of water management such as water resource management, water and wastewater treatment operations, water distribution systems, and infrastructure asset management is discussed. Calibration and validation of DSSs and future research in the development of new generations of DSSs is presented.
TWISTED CYCLES AND TWISTED PERIOD RELATIONS FOR LAURICELLA'S HYPERGEOMETRIC FUNCTION FC
Authors: GOTO YOSHIAKI
Published: October 2013

We study Lauricella's hypergeometric function FC by using twisted (co)homology groups. We construct twisted cycles with respect to an Euler-type integral representation of FC. These cycles correspond to 2m linearly independent solutions to the system of differential equations annihilating FC. Using intersection forms of twisted (co)homology groups, we obtain twisted period relations which give quadratic relations for Lauricella's FC.
AUTOMATIC PEDESTRIAN SEGMENTATION COMBINING SHAPE, PUZZLE AND APPEARANCE
Authors: LI YANLI , ZHOU ZHONG , WU WEI
Published: October 2013

In this paper, we address the problem of automatically segmenting non-rigid pedestrians in still images. Since this task is well known difficult for any type of model or cue alone, a novel approach utilizing shape, puzzle and appearance cues is presented. The major contribution of this approach lies in the combination of multiple cues to refine pedestrian segmentation successively, which has two characterizations: (1) a shape guided puzzle integration scheme, which extracts pedestrians via assembling puzzles with constraint of a shape template; (2) a pedestrian refinement scheme, which is fulfilled by optimizing an automatically generated trimap that encodes both human silhouette and skeleton. Qualitative and quantitative evaluations on several public datasets verify the approach's effectiveness to various articulated bodies, human appearance and partial occlusion, and that this approach is able to segment pedestrians more accurately than methods based only on appearance or shape cue.
MAXIMUM VOLUME OUTLIER DETECTION AND ITS APPLICATIONS IN CREDIT RISK ANALYSIS
Authors: LI SHUKAI , NG WEE KEONG
Published: October 2013

Because of the scarcity and diversity of outliers, it is very difficult to design a robust outlier detector. In this paper, we first propose to use the maximum margin criterion to sift unknown outliers, which demonstrates superior performance. However, the resultant learning task is formulated as a Mixed Integer Programming (MIP) problem, which is computationally hard. Therefore, we alter the recently developed label generating technique, which efficiently solves a convex relaxation of the MIP problem of outlier detection. Specifically, we propose an effective procedure to find a largely violated labeling vector for identifying rare outliers from abundant normal patterns, and its convergence is also presented. Then, a set of largely violated labeling vectors are combined by multiple kernel learning methods to robustly detect outliers. Besides these, in order to further enhance the efficacy of our outlier detector, we also explore the use of maximum volume criterion to measure the quality of separation between outliers and normal patterns. This criterion can be easily incorporated into our proposed framework by introducing an additional regularization. Comprehensive experiments on toy and real-world data sets verify that the outlier detectors using the two proposed criteria outperform existing outlier detection methods. Furthermore, our models are employed to detect corporate credit risk and demonstrate excellent performance.
CONTINUOUS INFRACLAVICULAR BRACHIAL PLEXUS BLOCKADE: EFFECT ON SURVIVAL OF REPLANTED DIGITS
Authors: Niazi Ahtsham U. , El-Beheiry Hossam , Ramlogan Reva , Graham Brent , von Schroeder Herbert P. , Tumber Paul S.
Published: October 2013

In replantation surgery, the use of continuous brachial plexus blockade (CBPB) is popular as it improves postoperative analgesia and vascular flow. The aim of our study was to determine whether CBPB may affect the odds of survivability of replanted digit(s).

A four-year retrospective chart review was performed and various parameters affecting replant survival were examined. Outcome was recorded as successful if the transplanted digit(s) survived six months after discharge. All the independent variables were forced into a regression model without using a specific variable selection algorithm.

The data for 146 patients was obtained from our chart review. The success rate of replanted digits in the patients reviewed was 65.8%. The logistic regression model showed a relation between the number of digits injured and replanted digit(s) survival.

Our study showed that CBPB has no effect on the survivability of the replanted digit(s) till six months after hospital discharge.
POOR RESULTS OF RADIO-SCAPHOID CAPSULODESIS FOR SCAPHOLUNATE DISSOCIATION
Authors: Finsen Vilhjalmur , Borchgrevink Grethe Elisabeth
Published: October 2013

We reviewed 17 patients 64 (range 29–123) months after dorsal radioscaphoid capsulodesis for scapholunate dissociation. Mean loss of key pinch was 13%, grip strength 18%, wrist flexion 22% (p < 0.001), and total wrist ROM 17% (p < 0.005). VAS (0 = best; 100 = worst) was 30(±28) for pain, 43(±30) for function, and 33(±33) for general satisfaction with the outcome. Mean Quick-DASH and PRWE scores were 27 and 34, respectively. The mean scapholunate gap was 3.5 mm before surgery, 1.9 mm after surgery, and 3.3 mm at review. The corresponding scapholunate angles were 63°, 46°, and 70°, respectively. The mean radioscaphoid angle with the wrist maximally flexed was 84° (69–99) for the patients and was 91° (77–103) in ten wrists of volunteers. Six patients had changed their jobs because of the wrist. Three patients stated that they would not have consented to operation if they had known the outcome in advance. Radioscaphoid capsulodesis does not prevent volar flexion of the scaphoid.
HIGH EFFICIENT ALL-OPTICAL DIODE ACTION THROUGH NONLINEAR FINITE ONE-DIMENSIONAL PHOTONIC CRYSTAL COATED WITH A METAL FILM
Authors: FANG YUN-TUAN , ZHU MIN , YANG LI-XIA , ZHOU XIANG , KONG WA , SONG XUE-HUA
Published: October 2013

Light propagation in a finite nonlinear one-dimensional photonic crystal coated with a metal film is theoretically investigated through the nonlinear transfer matrix method and the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. It is found that the layered structure exhibits both pronounced unidirectionality and high transmission. This leads to all-optical diode actions. Compared with other similar studies, the designed structure has some advantages. First, the structure only with seven periods is much simpler than presented similar structures; second, the structure has both high transmittance and large transmission contrast; third, the perfect performance of AOD is robust to the metal loss.
Future Rx: optimism, preparation, acceptance of risk
Authors: Cathles Lawrence M.
Published: October 2013

The world contains the energy and mineral resources needed to sustain 10.5 billion (the level the world population is expected to reach in 2100) at a European standard of living for hundreds of centuries. Using physical and chemical principles to extrapolate from what we know, it is shown that the required resources are present, largely in the world's oceans. The environmental consequences of shifting to ocean supply will be positive, and a transition from fossil fuels to low carbon energy sources is provided by natural gas. The eventual steps required are big (thousands of nuclear reactors, country-size solar facilities in desert areas, large mining operations) and there are risks, but the risks are small compared with failing to meet the expectations of a growing world. The best course is to aim for success (all at European standard by 2113), accept and manage the risks of development, solving unforeseen problems as they arise, accept the transition to gas, and train and engage the best talents to prepare to tap the ocean's resources.
Gastrointestinal Tract Microbiota and Probiotics in Production Animals
Authors: Yeoman Carl J. , White Bryan A.
Published: October 2013

The gastrointestinal tract (GIT) microbiomes of production animals are now firmly established as a key feature underscoring animal health, development, and productivity. In particular, early gut colonization is critically important to the morphological and immunological development of the GIT, development of a functional fermentative environment, and neonatal resistance to pathogenic challenge. Although perturbations of an animal’s GIT microbiome at any age can have profound consequences, perturbations during early GIT development can be particularly severe and result in significant and long-lasting sequelae. As the GIT microbiome matures, it exhibits significant diversity, ostensibly an important indicator of ecosystem health. Recognition of the immense importance of the GIT microbiota to the host has led to the development of probiotic and prebiotic feedstuffs with the express aim of ensuring animal health. We herein review the current collective understanding of the GIT microbiota of production animals.