bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Standing surface acoustic wave enabled acoustofluidics for bioparticle manipulation
Authors: Ding Xiaoyun
Published: November 2017

Techniques that can noninvasively and dexterously manipulate cells and other bioparticles in a compact system are invaluable for many applications in life sciences and medicine. The past two decades have witnessed the emerging of acoustofluidics: the fusion of acoustics and microfluidics, due to it numerous advantages such as biocompatibility, miniaturization with lost cost, compatibility with other microfluidic system, and many others. Here, we first demonstrate surface acoustic wave (SAW) enabled acoustic tweezers platform for on-chip particle manipulation. Surface acoustic wave is a kind of ultrasound wave that propagates on the surface of a substrate. By tuning the standing SAW field, we demonstrated the functions of: (1) manipulation of nanoparticles, cells, and C elegance; (2) label free cell separation; (3) multichannel cell/droplet sorting, and (4) tunable cell patterning. Cells viability and proliferation assays were also conducted to confirm the non-invasiveness of our technique. The simple structure/setup of these acoustic tweezers can be integrated with a small radio-frequency power supply and basic electronics to function as a fully integrated, portable, and inexpensive cell-manipulation system. We believe that these unique advantages and functions position our acoustic tweezers to be a useful tool in medical diagnostics and biological/chemical studies.
Dynamic measurement of blood viscoelasticity by an oscillatory acoustic tweezing technique
Authors: Kasireddy Nithya , Chelales Erika M. , Ansari Hosseinzadeh Vahideh , Luo Daishen , Holt Ray , Khismatullin Damir
Published: November 2017

Acoustic tweezing rheometry is an innovative technology for low-volume non-contact rheological analysis of complex fluids characterized by increased sensitivity and accuracy as compared to traditional contact techniques. In this method, a small drop of a fluid sample is levitated in air by acoustic radiation forces and its viscoelasticity at different time instants is measured from drop shape changes. The acoustic tweezing rheometer operates in two different modes: quasi-static and oscillatory. This presentation focuses on the oscillatory technique in which the sample drop is forced into freely decaying shape oscillation by transient modulation of the standing acoustic field. Images of oscillating drops acquired by a high-speed camera are analyzed by a custom MATLAB code to obtain the shape amplitude vs. time curves and then the decay factor and resonance frequency of drop shape oscillation. Dynamic viscoelasticity of the sample (viscosity, relaxation time, and elastic modulus) was measured by applying the experimental data to the analytical formulae, derived from normal mode analysis of drop oscillation for viscoelastic fluid (Maxwell model) and viscoelastic solid (Kelvin-Voigt) materials. Using the oscillatory technique, we measured changes in blood viscoelasticity during coagulation and showed that the Kelvin-Voigt model leads to physically consistent results on rheology of coagulating blood.
Effects of nonlinear frequency compression on Mandarin speech recognition and sound quality perception in hearing-aid users
Authors: Chen Xueqing , You Yanyan , Yang Jing , Xu Li
Published: November 2017

The aim of the present study is to evaluate the effects of nonlinear frequency compression (NLFC) on Mandarin speech recognition and sound quality perception. Thirty Chinese-speaking, hearing-impaired adults without hearing-aid experiences participated in the study. They were fitted bilaterally with the Phonak behind-the-ear hearing aids. Each participant was evaluated with the Phoneme Perception Test, Mandarin speech recognition, and sound quality perception at post-fitting 0, 4, and 12 weeks with NLFC-on vs. NLFC-off. The NLFC were active at home. Results show significant differences in detection of phonemes of high-frequency components (such as /sa/) between NLFC on and off. The difference between NLFC on and off was significant for consonant and sentence recognition. Duration of NLFC use had significant effects on the recognition of consonants, vowels, and sentences. Regarding the sound quality perception test, there were significant effects of NLFC conditions (on vs. off), duration of NLFC use, and sound types on the four categories of percepts (i.e., loudness, clarity, naturalness, and overall preference). Therefore, NLFC improves the audibility of high-frequency speech signals and provides better recognition of consonants and sentences and perception of sound quality. The benefit of NLFC on speech recognition and sound quality perception requires certain amount of acclimatization.
Crowdsourcing the creation of an audio dataset for human and machine medical diagnosis training
Authors: Hawley Scott H. , Baird Tamara , Baird Frank
Published: November 2017

We describe a method for creating and maintaining an open, annotated, community-moderated dataset of audio recordings of heart and lung sounds, with which to train machine listening systems to perform medical diagnosis. This is achieved by partnering with education programs for nursing and medical professionals who will receive training in diagnosis using digital stethoscopes. We developed a low-cost digital stethoscope using a peer-reviewed, open-source, 3-D printed design. With sufficiently numerous examples supplied and tagged by nursing and medical students, it is possible to employ machine learning classifiers such as our convolutional neural network code—originally developed for music information retrieval—to identify diagnosis classes. While primary intent of this dataset-creation and moderation system is for medical audio, the underlying functionality of community moderation could be applied to other waveform content, including a variety of musical datasets.
Simplified shell modeling for submerged structures
Authors: Ginsberg Jerry H.
Published: November 2017

Faithful numerical models of the acoustical response of submerged structures are complicated by the necessity to account for the interaction of three fundamentally different systems: the outer pressure hull, the internal substructure, and the surrounding fluid. Standard finite element techniques are the only recourse for a complex substructure, and boundary element or finite element techniques usually are necessary for the fluid. This paper proposes an alternative approach for the pressure hull based on an observation regarding the relative importance of extensional and flexural effects in a curved shell. The formulation entails applying an energy-based correction to membrane theory in order to account for flexural deformation. In some cases doing so enables an analytical representation of the shell's behavior, and it also simplifies a finite element representation. Whereas the interaction laws between the shell and the fluid are enforced conventionally, coupling of the shell and the substructures may be implemented a procedure rooted in analytical dynamics. It imposes constraint equations on the displacement variables, which introduces Lagrange multipliers to the equations of motion. In this manner, explicit consideration of the forces at attachments is avoided.
Signal processing trade-offs for the quality assessment of acoustic color signatures
Authors: Bissinger Brett E. , Park J. D. , Cook Daniel , Hunter Alan J.
Published: November 2017

Acoustic color is a representation of the spectral response over aspect, typically in 2-D. The two natural axes for this representation are frequency and the aspect to the object. It is intuitive to assume finer resolution in the two dimensions would lead to more information extractable for improved quality. However, with conventional linear track data collection methods, there is an inherent trade-off between signal processing decisions and the amount of information that can be utilized without loss of quality. In this work, how the information distribution is affected with choices of representation domain will be presented. The quality metrics including resolution, signal-to-noise-ratio, and other metrics will be discussed in the context of various signal processing choices and parameters. Other representation approaches as extensions of acoustic color will also be explored, such as time-evolving acoustic color that shows how the spectral response changes within a ping cycle.
Signature mining and analysis of urban environment data
Authors: Fields Morris , Bennett Hollis
Published: November 2017

When investigating low energy acoustic signatures such as infrasound, determining signal from noise can be complex, particularly in urban environments. Understanding the characteristics of all sources will assist in suppression of signatures deemed to be noise, and in the enhancement of the signatures of items of interest. The first part of the task is to determine the signatures of interest. These signatures will form the basis set for different classifiers. Development of classifiers for these signals of interest will involve categories such as stationary signals, transient signals, and types of infrastructure including utilities. Following classification, an idea of the usage can be determined based on signals from the infrastructure detected. The research to be presented focuses on signal extraction from a data set in order to begin development of classifiers and eventual detection algorithms for infrasound signals in urban environments.
Improving marine mammal classification using context from multiple hydrophones
Authors: Helble Tyler A. , Guazzo Regina A. , Martin Stephen W. , Henderson E. E. , Alongi Gabriela C. , Ierley Glenn , Martin Cameron R.
Published: November 2017

Detection, classification, localization, and tracking (DCLT) of marine mammals is oftentimes performed in that order. However, in the sonar-signal processing communities and elsewhere, classification is usually the final step. Thus, more appropriately, the working order should be “DLTC.” If classification is performed as the final step, the results can be greatly improved by using the context of the calls. By grouping likely calls into tracks, a collective of calls can provide much more information for classification than single calls alone. Additionally, when multiple species are calling at the same time, the location of the calls can be used to distinguish confusing signals. The time-series and spectral information of a call can also be enhanced by localizing first, and choosing the nearest hydrophone to the calling animal for signal analysis. If localization is not possible, classification can still be improved if two or more hydrophones are available with overlapping coverage, by using cross-correlograms. Multiple sensors also provide the ability to reduce detections due to sensor self-noise, and noise from fish and snapping shrimp. Collectively, these techniques were applied to vocalizing baleen whales on the Navy’s Pacific Missile Range Facility, and proved to greatly enhance the ability to classify Bryde’s, humpback, fin, and minke whales.
Chaos theory and topology for classification of marine mammals
Authors: Firneno Matthew , Bienvenu Kirk D. , LeBien Jack G. , Ioup Juliette W. , Xiros Nikolas , Saxton Ralph
Published: November 2017

The Littoral Acoustic Demonstration Center–Gulf Ecological Monitoring and Modeling (LADC-GEMM) project collected underwater acoustic data in the northern Gulf of Mexico during the summer of 2015, with passive acoustic data recorded by the LADC-GEMM Environmental Acoustic Recording Systems (EARS). Such data have been widely studied in the past by Fourier/spectral analysis. Although highly useful, there are, however, novel perspectives that may be obtained with techniques from chaos theory and topology. Using a method known as time-delay embedding, a time-series manifold can be constructed from measured data. This manifold will be classified in terms of a topological score (measures of connectedness, compactness, etc.), in conjunction with its fractal and correlation dimensions. These combined features can potentially be used to produce a more robust classification means for the identification of marine mammals heard by the EARS buoys in the LADC-GEMM data. [This research was made possible in part by a grant from The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative, and in part by an Internal Grant from the University of New Orleans Office of Research and Sponsored Programs. Data are publicly available through the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative Information & Data Cooperative (GRIIDC) at https://data.gulfresearchinitiative.org.]
Sediment characterization through normal-incidence echo sounding at the SeaBed Characterization Experiment 2017
Authors: Rukavina Michael , Isakson Marcia J.
Published: November 2017

The Seabed Characterization Experiment (SBC17) was conducted in February 2017 off the east coast of the United States in the New England Mudpatch. The overall mission of the experiment was to determine the effect of the seabed on acoustic propagation. However, it was determined from pre-surveys that the area also contained a significant concentration of benthic biology. In order to characterize the variability of the sediment and the influence of the biology, the Applied Research Laboratories at the University of Texas (ARL:UT), deployed an acoustic system to collect normal-incidence echo returns from a 6 to 20 kHz chirp. The system was deployed in various locations around the mud patch to obtain a diverse set of data. The data displayed a long coda, which has been previously linked to the presence of benthic biology. The ability of these data to predict and measure sediment type and benthic biology concentration will be assessed. [Work sponsored by ONR, Ocean Acoustics.]
The development and experimental study of the Ballast in situ Sediment Acoustic Measurement System
Authors: Li Guanbao , Liu Baohua , Kan Guangming , Wang Jingqiang , Meng Xiangmei
Published: November 2017

A ballast in situ sediment acoustic measurement system (BISAMS) was newly developed. The mechanical structure, the function modules, the working principles, and a sea trial will be reported in this study. The system relies on its own weight to insert transducers into seafloor sediments and can accurately measure the penetration depth using a specially designed mechanism. The system comprises an underwater position monitoring and working status judgment module and has two operation modes: self-contained measurement and real-time visualization. The designed maximum working water depth of the system is 3000 m, and the maximum measured depth of seafloor sediment is 0.8 m. The system has 1 transmitting transducers and 3 receiving transducers. The transmitting frequency band is 20–120 kHz. The in situ acoustic measurement system was tested at 15 stations in the northern South China Sea, and the repeated measurements in seawater demonstrated good working performance. Comparison with predictions from empirical equations indicated that the measured speed of sound and attenuation matched with the predicted values and that the in situ measured data were reliable.
Gas-bubble inversion in marine sediments
Authors: Zheng Guangying , Huang Yiwang , Hua Jian
Published: November 2017

The acoustic properties of marine sediments can dramatically change because of the presence of gas-bubbles. Many applications require the detailed information of gas-bubbles, such as gas void fraction and gas-bubble size distribution. It is possible to relate the acoustic transmission measurements with bubble sizes. This study aims toward the development of an acoustic method able to both detect and quantify the gas present in marine sediments. This acoustic method adapts the effective density fluid model corrected by gas-bubble pulsations as a forward model and expands the unknown gas-bubble size distribution by a finite sum of cubit B-splines. The inverse problem can be transformed into solving the equation groups involving the coefficients of cubit B-splines. This method can be verified by testing analytical results and then applied to measurement sound speed and attenuation data which were acquired via transmission experiments.
Chester McKinney’s legacy at Applied Research Laboratories, The University of Texas
Authors: Penrod Clark
Published: November 2017

Chester McKinney joined the ARL:UT staff as our first graduate student employee in 1946. Subsequently, he was the prime mover in establishing ARL’s high frequency acoustics program, in which he retained a strong interest throughout career. However, Chester's contributions were by no means confined to research in underwater acoustics. Chester served as ARL’s second director from 1965-80, and it was certainly the case that his efforts to establish ARL as a great laboratory were as important as anything he did. His thoughts and philosophy about how contract laboratories should operate in a university setting continue to guide ARL today. Chester believed in ARL having strong involvement in scientific research, that staff should participate in scholarly societies such as ASA and publish their work in archival journals, and that we should engage students in research. Alongside these activities, he also believed we should have strong engagement in applications, system development, and prototyping. He felt that the academic and applied areas of emphasis would complement each other, and lead to a more productive lab. ARL’s current status as a healthy university laboratory owes much to our continued adherence to the set of guidelines that Chester formulated five decades ago.
Using ODEON acoustical modeling software to predict speech privacy in open-plan offices: Part 2
Authors: Smith Valerie , Duty Jason R. , Hernandez Diego
Published: November 2017

Speech Privacy Index is one of the commonly used metrics to discuss an occupant’s acoustical comfort in an open-plan office. This paper continues our discussion from the Boston ’17 conference on using the ODEON acoustical modeling software to predict the speech privacy index in open-plan offices. Our original paper examined the effects of using the ODEON provided equation for Articulation Index to calculate Privacy Index, compared these results to “real world” measurements, and attempted to adjust this equation to better fit the Speech Privacy Index (per ASTM 1130-16). In this paper, we will update our analysis to include a larger open-place office floorplate. To continue the discussion, we will also analyze the variation in results, if any, due to changing the scattering coefficients for various materials to determine if this significantly affects the modeled speech privacy results.
Evaluation of ambient noise including conversation in medical facilities
Authors: Koyama Yumi , Shimizu Yasushi
Published: November 2017

We are studying the research focusing on an ambient noise in medical facilities with the aim of improving the acoustical environment, which can make patients comfortable to cure own illness at a medical area such as a patient room. At medical areas, there are many sound sources such as device sounds, personal active sounds, and talker’s voices during a conversation. It is necessary to develop a method which can record and analyze an ambient noise without any intelligible contents of conversation voices, since all personal information belonging to a patient should be protected as confidential in medical facilities. In this experiment, acoustical measurement of each environmental sound such as the sound of footsteps, equipment alarm, intravenous stand, and medical cart at the simulated patient room in my school was conducted. Then, recorded ambient noises mixed with conversation voices and the other environmental sounds were fragmented in time, and the fragmented signal components were removed alternately so that the original conversation was unintelligible. The results are presented on the appropriate time duration of fragmentation and audio signal removal processing, and on the also prediction of each environmental sound except conversation voices for the processed audio signal.
Ultrasound and lipid-coated microbubbles for osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells in 3D printed tissue scaffolds
Authors: Osborne Jenna , Aliabouzar Mitra , Zhou Xuan , Rao Raj , Zhang Lijie G. , Sarkar Kausik
Published: November 2017

With increasing incidence of bone disorders in a rapidly aging, sedentary and overweight population, engineered bone tissues promise to be a better alternative for conventional bone grafts. However, bone tissue engineering currently suffers due to the inability to form mechanically strong porous structures that can be grown quickly. In this study, lipid-coated microbubbles (MB), traditionally used for contrast enhanced ultrasound imaging, were applied to harness the beneficial effects of ultrasound stimulation on proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) on 3D printed poly(lactic acid) (PLA) scaffolds. A significant increase in cell number was observed with low intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) treatment in the presence of MB after 1, 3, and 5 days of culture on scaffolds. Total protein content, alkaline phosphatase activity, and total calcium content were also found to increase with LIPUS with and without MB indicating enhancement in osteogenic differentiation. Integrating LIPUS and MB appears to be a promising strategy for bone tissue engineering and regeneration therapies.
Hydronephones: Acoustic receivers on unmanned underwater vehicles
Authors: Van Uffelen Lora J.
Published: November 2017

Noun | hy-drone-phone | \hi-drōn-fōn\ : An Instrument for listening to sound, mounted on an unmanned underwater vehicle. Yes, I made that word up—you heard it here first! The acronyms “UUV” (Unmanned Underwater Vehicle) and “AUV” (Autonomous Underwater Vehicle) have been buzzing around the underwater community recently, along with the term “underwater drone,” which gained popularity in the media due to an international incident in December 2016 regarding an ocean glider (a subclass of AUV). Unmanned underwater vehicles are quickly becoming ubiquitous in the world of oceanographic sensing, military operations, and oil and gas exploration. Because sound travels far and fast underwater, it is an enabling mechanism for navigation and communication for these vehicles. “Hydronephones,” specifically ocean gliders, are being used by our underwater acoustics community as receivers for long-range acoustics and marine mammal sensing. Key advantages of these vehicles are that they can be deployed for long durations of time in harsh environments and that they are much more cost-effective than traditional ship-based observational methods. An overview of this exciting technology will be presented along with details of some recent and ongoing “hydronephone” projects in underwater acoustics.
Music perception and the Hunt Fellowship
Authors: Lindevald Ian M.
Published: November 2017

I was the 1987–1988 Hunt Postdoctoral Research Fellow a lifetime ago. As a mathematics/physics nerd with a love of music, I consider it the greatest privilege of my life to have spent my formative years at the feet of Dr. Arthur Benade at Case Western Reserve University, where I earned my Ph.D. in physics. Art was my mentor and my friend, and I was his last Ph.D. student. I accompanied him to many ASA meetings in the early 1980’s. Although Art’s primary expertise was in the physics of wind instruments, he put me to work on issues of perception of musical sounds in the random sound fields of enclosed spaces. The focus on music perception paved the way for my post-doctoral research in Munich, supported by the Hunt Fellowship, where I worked with Professor Ernst Terhardt at the Technical University of Munich, testing his robust pitch algorithm with genuine musical sounds derived in a reverberant space. The results of that research mainly supported Terhardt’s work. Since then, I have redirected my interests to physics education and undergraduate research and also serve in departmental leadership at Truman State University, a public liberal arts institution in rural northeast Missouri.
Nucleation of a career in biomedical ultrasound
Authors: Mast T. Douglas
Published: November 2017

I was introduced to the Acoustical Society of America by Allan Pierce, who supervised my doctoral dissertation “Physical Theory of Narrow-Band Sounds Associated with Intracranial Aneurysms” in Penn State's Graduate Program in Acoustics. Professor Pierce also introduced me to Robert Waag, whose Diagnostic Ultrasound Research Laboratory I joined as a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Rochester. I received the 17th F. V. Hunt Postdoctoral Fellowship in 1994/1995 to investigate “Ultrasonic scattering: new techniques for measurement, analysis, and imaging.” As a Hunt Fellow in Professor Waag’s laboratory, I was immersed in the broad, interdisciplinary field of biomedical ultrasound, including tissue characterization from scattering measurements, breast imaging by diffraction tomography, and numerical modeling of propagation through realistic tissue models. My subsequent career has focused on biomedical applications of ultrasound, including positions at Penn State working with David Swanson, at Ethicon Endo-Surgery where Inder Makin recruited me to collaborate on a therapeutic ultrasound platform, and at University of Cincinnati where Christy Holland recruited me to join the Department of Biomedical Engineering. Through collaborations with these and many other acousticians, I have learned the value of applying physical acoustics principles to biomedical problems.
Distinctive Features
Authors: Hasegawa-Johnson Mark A.
Published: November 2017

I was the Hunt Post-Doctoral Fellow in 1996–1997; my Hunt fellowship led directly to a successful application for an NIH R01 post-doctoral fellowship with the same mentor, which led, in turn, to my current position as Professor at the University of Illinois. As part of my Hunt post-doc, I rented a very low frequency electromagnetic field meter, and demonstrated that the articulograph presents minimal risk to human subjects; this was published as my first article in JASA. As part of my NIH post-doc, I acquired MRI of static vowel configurations (http://isle.illinois.edu/sst/data/mri/), and demonstrated that a PARAFAC rank-3 factor analysis of the English vowels supports two speaker-independent factors matching the distinctive features. As part of my research in Urbana, I have developed automatic speech recognizers using distinctive feature models grounded in both speech production and speech perception. In 2015, Preethi Jyothi and I published the idea of mismatched crowdsourcing: an American listening to Uyghur is modeled as a machine who transcribes each distinctive feature shared by the two languages, with an error probability related to the similarity with which the two languages use the feature.
HUNTing for new biomedical ultrasound applications
Authors: Porter Tyrone M.
Published: November 2017

The use of ultrasound in biomedical applications has evolved dramatically in the last few decades. Biomedical ultrasound first gained widespread use clinically as an imaging modality for monitoring pregnancy and diagnosing cardiovascular diseases. The introduction of encapsulated microbubbles as contrast agents enabled the development of contrast-enhanced diagnostic ultrasound initially and ultrasound-mediated drug delivery more recently. During my year as a Hunt Postdoctoral Fellow, I worked on the development of submicron vesicles that could serve as both ultrasound contrast agents and drug carriers. These vesicles could be leveraged for image-guided ultrasound-mediated drug delivery for various medical conditions. My tenure as a Hunt Postdoctoral Fellow paved the way for a faculty position at Boston University where I continue to work on vesicles and droplets in an emerging research field that combines therapy and diagnostics more commonly known as theranostics. This poster illustrates research and activities that were spawned by my tenure as a Hunt Postdoctoral Fellow.
I wonder how animals can do it so well: An ongoing detour to build better sonar, enabled by the Hunt fellowship
Authors: Lee Wu-Jung
Published: November 2017

The Hunt Postdoctoral Research Fellowship gave me the freedom and flexibility to take a detour to pursue research topics that are not on a linear path from my Ph.D. training. My graduate study in the MIT-WHOI Joint Program in Oceanography focused on modeling and measuring the acoustic scattering of marine organisms for improving sonar, or echosounder, performance. Knowing the current limitation of human-made sonar, I have always been curious about how echolocating bats and dolphins can perform acoustic-guided search, identification and tracking of prey so efficiently. As a Hunt fellow in Dr. Cynthia Moss’ lab in Johns Hopkins University, I learned first-hand the sophisticated echolocation and flight behavior of bats, which helped me develop insights for computational modeling. Using the research funds provided by the Hunt fellowship, I was fortunate to work with Dr. Whitlow Au, who first introduced me to the field of acoustics before graduate school, again to investigate the dolphins’ adaptive biosonar beam control during prey capture. These opportunities lay the foundation for me as an early career scientist to integrate the conventional physics-based approach with the study of biological sonar toward a goal of developing better acoustic tools to observe and understand the ocean.
Acoustic planning of a music festival site
Authors: Young Adam
Published: November 2017

CSTI acoustics worked with a community on the planning of a festival site that will host outdoor concerts. Our work involved measuring sound from an outdoor concert at a nearby venue, documenting ambient sound levels in communities surrounding the proposed festival site, modeling the sound propagation from optional stage locations and orientations, and proposing procedures and sound limits for future performances.
Intersections of neuromodulation, focused ultrasound, and gene delivery with brain-penetrating nanoparticles
Authors: Mead Brian , Kim Namho , Negron Karina , Miller Wilson , Mastorakos Panos , Suk Jung Soo , Kilbanov Alexander , Hanes Justin , Price Richard J.
Published: November 2017

Focused ultrasound (FUS) can modulate CNS tissue function by facilitating MR image-guided transfection of selected brain structures with therapeutic genes. Conversely, we hypothesize that modulation of CNS tissue with FUS may be used to enhance transfection. In previous studies, our group has (i) transfected selected brain structures by delivering systemically administered, non-viral, “brain-penetrating” nanoparticles (BPN) across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) with FUS and microbubbles (MBs) and (ii) employed this platform to restore dopaminergic motor neuron structure and function in a rat Parkinson’s disease model via delivery of a neurotrophic factor (GDNF) gene to striatum. Here, we show that pre-conditioning of rat neural tissue with pulsed FUS or pulsed FUS + MBs before intrastriatal convection-enhanced delivery of BPN complexed with a reporter gene (CMV-ZsGreen) serves to enhance transfection volume by 36% or 151%, respectively. Pre-conditioning with both FUS and FUS + MBs proved effective in mice as well, with both FUS protocols yielding ~75% increases in transfection. We conclude that modulation of CNS tissue plays an important role in dispersing BPN after they are delivered across the BBB using pulsed FUS and MBs. Pre-conditioning of CNS tissue with FUS may eventually represent an attractive means for enhancing transfection.
Going beyond noise in urban planning—Human perception will be the trusted guide
Authors: Schulte-Fortkamp Brigitte , Fiebig Andrè
Published: November 2017

When it comes to urban planning “people’s perceptions or experiences and/or understanding of an acoustic environment” should be the guiding feature. The use of a variety of data collection methods related to human perception, acoustic environment and context is recommended according to ISO 12913. Following this standard, it is human perception which is paramount determining and stimulating any physical measurement. The international standard ISO 12913 will allow the collection of perceptual data in a harmonized way to get access to the key components in Soundscape: people, acoustic environment, and context. This paper will introduce and discuss techniques of interviews and guidelines, exploration of areas through soundwalks, but also the collaboration platform within a soundscape approach regarding urban planning. It will present strategies for “measurement by persons,” and those applied in “measurement by instruments” to overcome the significant gaps that still exists between the both.
Effects of listener’s whole-body rotation and sound duration on sound localization accuracy
Authors: Honda Akio , Tsunokake Sayaka , Suzuki Yôiti , Sakamoto Shuichi
Published: November 2017

Listener's head movement is known to facilitate sound localization, which creates dynamic changes to the information input to both ears. For this study, we used a digitally controlled spinning chair to examine the effects of a listener’s whole-body rotation and sound duration on sound localization accuracy. We measured their sound localization accuracy at locations from left 30 deg to right 30 deg with respect to the listener. Stimuli were 1/3-octave band noise burst (fc = 1 kHz, SPL = 65 dB) with duration of 50, 200, and 1000 ms. Each stimulus was presented from a loudspeaker in a circular array. The listener, sitting on the chair at the circle center, reported the position of the presented stimulus in chair-still (0 deg/s) and chair-rotation (10 deg/s) conditions. Results showed superior sound localization accuracy of chair-rotation condition to that of a chair-still condition. Moreover, a significant effect of sound duration was observed, but interaction of the test condition and the sound duration was not significant. Although the listener's head movement might influence the localization performance more for long stimuli than for short stimuli, results suggest that the effects of a listener's whole-body rotation were less influenced by the sound duration.
No Difference in Young Adult Athletes’ Resting Energy Expenditure When Measured Under Inpatient or Outpatient Conditions
Authors: Bone Julia L. , Burke Louise M.
Published: November 2017

Low energy availability can place athletes at increased risk of injury and illness and can be detected by a lower metabolic rate. The lowest metabolic rate is captured at the bedside, after an overnight fast and termed inpatient resting energy expenditure (REE). Measurements done in a laboratory with a shorter overnight fast are termed outpatient REE. Although important to know what the lowest energy expenditure, a bedside measure and/or 12-hr fast is not always practical or logistically possible particularly when you take into account an athlete’s training schedule. The aim of this investigation was to compare a bedside measure of resting metabolism with a laboratory measure in athletes following an 8-hr fast. Thirty-two athletes (24 females and eight males) underwent measures of resting metabolism using indirect calorimetry once at their bedside (inpatient) and once in a simulated laboratory setting (outpatient). Paired t test was used to compare the mean ± SD differences between the two protocols. Inpatient REE was 7,302 ± 1,272 kJ/day and outpatient REE was 7,216 ± 1,116 kJ/day (p = .448). Thirteen participants repeated the outpatient protocol and 17 repeated the inpatient protocol to assess the day-to-day variation. Reliability was assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient and typical error. The inpatient-protocol variability was 96% with a typical error of 336.2 kJ/day. For the outpatient protocol, the intraclass correlation coefficient and typical error were 87% and 477.6 kJ/day, respectively. Results indicate no difference in REE when measured under inpatient and outpatient conditions; however, the inpatient protocol has greater reliability.
Coffee Ingestion Enhances 1-Mile Running Race Performance
Authors: Clarke Neil D. , Richardson Darren L. , Thie James , Taylor Richard
Published: November 2017

Context: Caffeine, often in the form of coffee, is frequently used as a supplement by athletes in an attempt to facilitate improved performance during exercise. Purpose: To investigate the effectiveness of coffee ingestion as an ergogenic aid prior to a 1-mile (1609 m) race. Methods: In a double-blind, randomized, cross-over, and placebo-controlled design, 13 trained male runners completed a 1-mile race 60 minutes following the ingestion of 0.09 g·kg−1 coffee (COF), 0.09 g·kg−1 decaffeinated coffee (DEC), or a placebo (PLA). All trials were dissolved in 300 mL of hot water. Results: The race completion time was 1.3% faster following the ingestion of COF (04:35.37 [00:10.51] min:s.ms) compared with DEC (04:39.14 [00:11.21] min:s.ms; P = .018; 95% confidence interval [CI], −0.11 to −0.01; d = 0.32) and 1.9% faster compared with PLA (04:41.00 [00:09.57] min:s.ms; P = .006; 95% CI, −0.15 to −0.03; d = 0.51). A large trial and time interaction for salivary caffeine concentration was observed (P < .001; ), with a very large increase (6.40 [1.57] μg·mL−1; 95% CI, 5.5–7.3; d = 3.86) following the ingestion of COF. However, only a trivial difference between DEC and PLA was observed (P = .602; 95% CI, −0.09 to 0.03; d = 0.17). Furthermore, only trivial differences were observed for blood glucose (P = .839; ) and lactate (P = .096; ) and maximal heart rate (P = .286; ) between trials. Conclusions: The results of this study show that 60 minutes after ingesting 0.09 g·kg−1 of caffeinated coffee, 1-mile race performance was enhanced by 1.9% and 1.3% compared with placebo and decaffeinated coffee, respectively, in trained male runners.
Turn-Taking and Concurrent Dyad Practice Aid Efficiency but not Effectiveness of Motor Learning in a Balance-Related Task
Authors: Karlinsky April , Hodges Nicola J.
Published: November 2017

We studied two forms of dyad practice, compared to individual practice, to determine whether and how practice with a partner impacts performance and learning of a balance task, as well as learners’ subjective perceptions of the practice experience. Participants were assigned to practice alone or in pairs. Partners either alternated turns practicing and observing one another, or they practiced and observed one another concurrently. Concurrent action observation impacted online action execution such that partners tended to show coupled movements, and it was perceived as more interfering than practicing in alternation. These differences did not impact error during practice. While dyad practice was associated with higher ratings of effort than individual practice, all groups improved and showed similar immediate and delayed retention irrespective of whether practice was alone or in pairs. These data provide evidence that a partner’s concurrent practice influences one’s own performance, but not to the detriment (or benefit) of learning. Thus, both alternating and concurrent forms of dyad practice are viable means of enhancing the efficiency, albeit not necessarily the effectiveness, of motor learning.
Infraspinatus Cross-Sectional Area and Shoulder Range of Motion Change Following Live-Game Baseball Pitching
Authors: Pexa Brett S. , Ryan Eric D. , Hibberd Elizabeth E. , Teel Elizabeth , Rucinski Terri Jo , Myers Joseph B.
Published: November 2017

Context:Following a baseball pitching bout, changes can occur to glenohumeral range of motion that could be linked to injury. These effects are in part due to the posterior shoulder’s eccentric muscle activity, which can disrupt muscle contractile elements and lead to changes in muscle cross-sectional area (CSA), as measured by ultrasound.Objective:To assess changes in muscle CSA, and range of motion immediately before and after pitching, and days 1 to 5 following pitching.Design:Repeated measures.Setting:Satellite athletic training room.Patients:Ten elite college baseball pitchers participating in the fall season (age: 18.8 [1.2] y, height: 189.2 [7.3] cm, mass: 93.1 [15.3] kg, 8 starters, 2 long relievers).Intervention:A pitching bout of at least 25 pitches (63.82 [17.42] pitches).Main Outcome Measures:Dominant and nondominant infraspinatus CSA, as measured by ultrasound, and glenohumeral range of motion including internal rotation (IRROM), external rotation (ERROM), and total rotation range of motion (TROM) before pitching, after pitching, and days 1 to 5 following the pitching bout.Results:Dominant limb CSA significantly increased day 1 after pitching, and returned to baseline on day 2 (P < .001). Dominant and nondominant TROM did not change until day 5 (4.4°,P < .001) and day 3 (4.5°,P < .001), respectively, where they increased. Dominant IRROM was significantly decreased for 3 days (day 1: 1.9°,P < .001; day 2: 3.1°,P < .001; day 3: 0.3°,P < .001) following pitching and returned to baseline on day 4, with no such changes in the nondominant limb. Dominant external rotation significantly increased immediately post pitching (4.4°,P < .001) but returned to baseline by day 1.Conclusions:The results of the study demonstrate that infraspinatus CSA does not recover until 2 days following pitching, and IRROM does not recover until 4 days following pitching. Baseball pitching elicits damage to the posterior shoulder muscle architecture, resulting in changes to physical characteristics that last up to 4 days following pitching.
A role for bacterial urease in gut dysbiosis and Crohn’s disease
Authors: Ni Josephine , Shen Ting-Chin David , Chen Eric Z. , Bittinger Kyle , Bailey Aubrey , Roggiani Manuela , Sirota-Madi Alexandra , Friedman Elliot S. , Chau Lillian , Lin Andrew , Nissim Ilana , Scott Justin , Lauder Abigail , Hoffmann Christian , Rivas Gloriany , Albenberg Lindsey , Baldassano Robert N. , Braun Jonathan , Xavier Ramnik J. , Clish Clary B. , Yudkoff Marc , Li Hongzhe , Goulian Mark , Bushman Frederic D. , Lewis James D. , Wu Gary D.
Published: November 2017

Bacterial urease activity of the gut microbiota alters nitrogen flux, leading to gut dysbiosis and worsening of colitis in mice.
Practical Guidance for Clinical Microbiology Laboratories: Laboratory Diagnosis of Parasites from the Gastrointestinal Tract
Authors: Garcia Lynne S. , Arrowood Michael , Kokoskin Evelyne , Paltridge Graeme P. , Pillai Dylan R. , Procop Gary W. , Ryan Norbert , Shimizu Robyn Y. , Visvesvara Govinda
Published: November 2017

This Practical Guidance for Clinical Microbiology document on the laboratory diagnosis of parasites from the gastrointestinal tract provides practical information for the recovery and identification of relevant human parasites. The document is based on a comprehensive literature review and expert consensus on relevant diagnostic methods. However, it does not include didactic information on human parasite life cycles, organism morphology, clinical disease, pathogenesis, treatment, or epidemiology and prevention. As greater emphasis is placed on neglected tropical diseases, it becomes highly probable that patients with gastrointestinal parasitic infections will become more widely recognized in areas where parasites are endemic and not endemic. Generally, these methods are nonautomated and require extensive bench experience for accurate performance and interpretation.
The Epstein-Barr Virus Episome Maneuvers between Nuclear Chromatin Compartments during Reactivation
Authors: Moquin Stephanie A. , Thomas Sean , Whalen Sean , Warburton Alix , Fernandez Samantha G. , McBride Alison A. , Pollard Katherine S. , Miranda JJ L.
Published: November 2017

The human genome is structurally organized in three-dimensional space to facilitate functional partitioning of transcription. We learned that the latent episome of the human Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) preferentially associates with gene-poor chromosomes and avoids gene-rich chromosomes. Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus behaves similarly, but human papillomavirus does not. Contacts on the EBV side localize to OriP, the latent origin of replication. This genetic element and the EBNA1 protein that binds there are sufficient to reconstitute chromosome association preferences of the entire episome. Contacts on the human side localize to gene-poor and AT-rich regions of chromatin distant from transcription start sites. Upon reactivation from latency, however, the episome moves away from repressive heterochromatin and toward active euchromatin. Our work adds three-dimensional relocalization to the molecular events that occur during reactivation. Involvement of myriad interchromosomal associations also suggests a role for this type of long-range association in gene regulation.

IMPORTANCE
The human genome is structurally organized in three-dimensional space, and this structure functionally affects transcriptional activity. We set out to investigate whether a double-stranded DNA virus, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), uses mechanisms similar to those of the human genome to regulate transcription. We found that the EBV genome associates with repressive compartments of the nucleus during latency and with active compartments during reactivation. This study advances our knowledge of the EBV life cycle, adding three-dimensional relocalization as a novel component to the molecular events that occur during reactivation. Furthermore, the data add to our understanding of nuclear compartments, showing that disperse interchromosomal interactions may be important for regulating transcription.
Entry of Human Coronavirus NL63 into the Cell
Authors: Milewska Aleksandra , Nowak Paulina , Owczarek Katarzyna , Szczepanski Artur , Zarebski Miroslaw , Hoang Agnieszka , Berniak Krzysztof , Wojarski Jacek , Zeglen Slawomir , Baster Zbigniew , Rajfur Zenon , Pyrc Krzysztof
Published: November 2017

The first steps of human coronavirus NL63 (HCoV-NL63) infection were previously described. The virus binds to target cells by use of heparan sulfate proteoglycans and interacts with the ACE2 protein. Subsequent events, including virus internalization and trafficking, remain to be elucidated. In this study, we mapped the process of HCoV-NL63 entry into the LLC-Mk2 cell line and
ex vivo
three-dimensional (3D) tracheobronchial tissue. Using a variety of techniques, we have shown that HCoV-NL63 virions require endocytosis for successful entry into the LLC-MK2 cells, and interaction between the virus and the ACE2 molecule triggers recruitment of clathrin. Subsequent vesicle scission by dynamin results in virus internalization, and the newly formed vesicle passes the actin cortex, which requires active cytoskeleton rearrangement. Finally, acidification of the endosomal microenvironment is required for successful fusion and release of the viral genome into the cytoplasm. For 3D tracheobronchial tissue cultures, we also observed that the virus enters the cell by clathrin-mediated endocytosis, but we obtained results suggesting that this pathway may be bypassed.

IMPORTANCE
Available data on coronavirus entry frequently originate from studies employing immortalized cell lines or undifferentiated cells. Here, using the most advanced 3D tissue culture system mimicking the epithelium of conductive airways, we systematically mapped HCoV-NL63 entry into susceptible cells. The data obtained allow for a better understanding of the infection process and may support development of novel treatment strategies.