bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sonar off-axis target classification by an echolocating dolphin
Authors: Moore Patrick , Dankiewicz Lois , Houser Dorian
Published: September 2013

Dolphin echolocation has evolved over millions of years under selection pressures imposed by a selective niche. The complexity and effectiveness of dolphin echolocation for detection and classification of objects within that niche has useful application to U. S. Naval objectives. In these environments, Navy dolphins are likely to first encounter targets on the edge of their sonar beam during a search. It is unknown, however, if target classification is possible from the off-axis (OA) information alone, or whether a more centrally focused interrogation is necessary. This talk addresses the initial findings of an animal detecting two different targets (cylinder and sphere) presented OA (left and right). Data collection methods will be presented. Outgoing echolocation clicks and echoes are digitized and stored to a PC for acoustic characterization using a high-speed Integrated Circuits Systems, Ltd. 32 channel A/D card, sampling 24 calibrated monitor hydrophones and analog filter-amplifiers arranged in a hemispherical support web in front of the animal. Emitted signals analyzed for various acoustic characteristics are discussed as well as detection performance. Since this is an on-going study, available results to date will be presented.
Learning about hearing by listening to Charles S. Watson for 45 years
Authors: Miller James D.
Published: September 2013

I met and started working with C. S. Watson on or about the Fall of 1958. Even then there was usually a pause and a wind-up before he made a point, usually neither concise nor terse. But once made, a point would be repeated and repeated. These oft-repeated points transform and become ‘‘Watson’s Precepts.’’ Several such precepts, related to the study of speech perception by the hearing-impaired, will be quoted or paraphrased and their significance illustrated with samples from his work or that of others. Included on the list are the following. ‘‘Bryan and Harter found that learning to perceive Morse Code continued over many hundreds of hours of practice. Training in many auditory tasks may require similar investments of practice time.’’ ‘‘One must distinguish response proclivities and sensory capabilities and tasks with low- or high-uncertainty stimulus conditions.’’ ‘‘Psychoacoustic measures, other than the audiogram, don’t correlate with speech perception measures.’’ Finally, it will be revealed how this collection of ‘‘precepts’’ has led to his current views of speech perception by the hearing impaired and to our current collaboration on auditory training for the hearing-aid users which features extensive practice and transition from low- to high-uncertainty stimulus conditions.
The relative immunity of high-frequency transposed stimuli to low-frequency binaural interference
Authors: Bernstein Leslie R. , Trahiotis Constantine
Published: September 2013

We have recently demonstrated that high-frequency transposed stimuli, having envelopes designed to provide high-frequency channels with information similar to that normally available in only low-frequency channels, yield threshold-ITDs and extents of laterality comparable to those obtained with conventional low-frequency stimuli. This enhanced potency of ITDs conveyed by high-frequency transposed stimuli, as compared to conventional high-frequency stimuli, suggested to us that ITDs conveyed by transposed stimuli might be relatively immune to the presence of low-frequency binaural interferers. To investigate this issue, threshold-ITDs and extents of laterality were measured with a variety of conventional and transposed targets centered at 4 kHz. The targets were presented either in the presence or absence of a simultaneously gated diotic noise centered at 500 Hz, the interferer. As expected, the presence of the low-frequency interferer resulted in substantially elevated threshold-ITDs and reduced extents of laterality for the conventional high-frequency stimuli. In contrast, these interference effects were either greatly attenuated or absent for ITDs conveyed by the high-frequency transposed targets. The results will be discussed in the context of current models of binaural interference. [Work supported by NIH DC 04147, NIH DC04073, NIH DC 002304.]
Effects of stimulus level and harmonic resolvability on pitch discrimination
Authors: Bernstein Joshua G. W. , Oxenham Andrew J.
Published: September 2013

Fundamental frequency (F0) discrimination performance depends largely on harmonic number: only complexes containing harmonics below the 10th yield small F0 difference limens (DLs). This may be because only the low harmonics are resolved by the auditory periphery. Auditory filter bandwidths are known to increase with increasing stimulus level, providing a tool for testing the effect of reduced harmonic resolvability on F0 discrimination. F0DLs were measured for equal-amplitude, random-phase harmonic complexes, with eight different F0s between 75 and 400 Hz, bandpass filtered between 1.5 and 3.5 kHz. Complexes were presented at a constant average sensation level (12.5 dB/component before filtering) in threshold equalizing noise (TEN) with levels of 10, 40, and 65 dB SPL per equivalent rectangular bandwidth (ERBn). If good F0 discrimination requires the presence of resolved harmonics, the transition from poor to good F0 discrimination with increasing F0 should shift to higher F0s at higher levels, because fewer harmonics will be resolved. Preliminary results indicate that three out of four subjects demonstrated this shift at the highest level tested, providing some support for the idea that peripherally resolved harmonics are required for good pitch discrimination performance. [Work supported by NIH Grants R01DC05216 and 5T32DC00038.]
Revisiting the Fano factor in peripheral neurons
Authors: Wong Willy
Published: September 2013

Despite the wealth of studies on the dynamic characteristics of peripheral auditory neurons, very little has been reported on the higher statistical moments of the neural spike train. The notable exception is the study by Teich and Khanna (1985) where both the mean and the variance of the neural count are reported. The simplest model one can ascribe to a neural spike train is a homogeneous Poisson process. However, experimental data do not bear out such predictions. Other models have been proposed but the general consensus is that the underlying process is far from simple. We offer an alternative account of the fluctuations that occur at the peripheral level. Our explanation does not rely on assumptions regarding the process underlying individual spikes. Instead, we make use of the information-theoretical model of the neuron that we have been developing over the past 10 years (Norwich and Wong, 1995; Wong, 1997). The two key results predicted by the model are that (a) the mean-variance ratio has an approximate value of 2 and (b) the distribution governing the neural count is Gaussian to a good approximation.
Speech and hearing acoustics at Bell Labs
Authors: Allen Jont
Published: September 2013

A. G. Bell’s interest in basic research of speech and hearing was one of the keys to the Bell Lab culture. When the first network circuits were built, speech quality was very low. Research was needed on speech articulation (the probability correct for nonsense speech sounds). George Campbell, a mathematician and ultimate engineer, and expert on Heaviside, extended work of Lord Rayleigh. In 1910 Campbell was the first to generate consonant identification confusion matrices, and show sound grouping (features). Crandall took up this work and attempted (but failed) to define the articulation density over frequency. By 1921 Fletcher had solved Crandall’s problem, with the the Articulation Index theory, based on the idea of independent feature perception, across frequency and time. In 1929 he wrote his first book, Speech and Hearing, which sold over 5000 copies. His second book, Speech and Hearing in Communications, was first released in 1953, after his retirement. Other key people that worked closely with Fletcher were J. C. Steinberg, Munson, French, Galt, Hartley, Kingsbury, Nyquist, Sivian, White, and Wegel. I will try to introduce each of these people and describe their contributions to the speech and hearing field.
Free field reconstruction using energy density measurements
Authors: Harris Michael C. , Blotter Jonathan D. , Sommerfeldt Scott D.
Published: September 2013

Forward wave propagation to the farfield using nearfield pressure measurements has undergone extensive development. Up until now, discrete pressure measurements are typically made using a conformal array of microphones. However, complex acoustic fields require large microphone arrays in order to accomplish accurate field reconstruction. The use of energy density sensors has indicated several advantages over conventional pressure microphones in active noise control applications. This study examines possible benefits of energy-based measurements in free field reconstruction. To determine and quantify the possible advantages of energy density measurements, an analytical model was built to evaluate the performance. The error in acoustic fields reconstructed using energy density sensors is compared with conventional pressure microphone reconstruction accuracy. A number of analytical studies will be presented showing the benefits of using energy-based measurements in free field reconstruction.
High-sensitivity photoacoustic leak testing
Authors: Huang Eric , Dowling David R. , Whelan Timothy , Spiesberger John L.
Published: September 2013

The photoacoustic effect may be exploited for detection and localization of gas leaks on the surface of otherwise sealed components. The technique involves filling the test component with a photoactive tracer gas, and irradiating the component to produce photoacoustic sound from any leak site where a tracer gas cloud forms. This presentation describes demonstration experiments utilizing 10.6-μm radiation from a nominally 145-W carbon-dioxide laser with sulfur hexafluoride as a tracer gas. Here, photoacoustic sounds from six NIST-traceable calibrated leak sources with leak rates between 1 cc in 4.6 h, and 1 cc in 6.3 years were recorded with 12 microphones in a bandwidth from 3 to 80 kHz. Bartlett matched-field processing of the microphone array measurements both detect and localize these leaks when the leak and the array are separated by 152 mm. These experiments suggest that the sensitivity of photoacoustic leak testing may reach or even exceed the capabilities of the most sensitive commercial leak test systems using helium mass-spectrometers. Comparison of the measured results and an analytical scaling law suggests that tracer cloud geometry influences the photoacoustic signal amplitude. [Work supported by the U.S. Dept. of Energy.]
Acoustic pressure-vector sensor array
Authors: Huang Dehua , Elswick Roy C. , McEachern James F.
Published: September 2013

Pressure-vector sensors measure both scalar and vector components of the acoustic field. December 2003 measurements at the NUWC Seneca Lake test facility verify previous observations that acoustic ambient noise spectrum levels measured by acoustic intensity sensors are reduced relative to either acoustic pressure or acoustic vector sensor spectrum levels. The Seneca measurements indicate a reduction by as much as 15 dB at the upper measurement frequency of 2500 Hz. A nonlinear array synthesis theory for pressure-vector sensors will be introduced that allows smaller apertures to achieve narrow beams. The significantly reduced ambient noise of individual pressure-vector elements observed in the ocean by others, and now at Seneca Lake, should allow a nonlinearly combined array to detect significantly lower levels than has been observed in previous multiplicative processing of pressure sensors alone. Nonlinear array synthesis of pressure-vector sensors differs from conventional super-directive algorithms that linearly combine pressure elements with positive and negative weights, thereby reducing the sensitivity of conventional super-directive arrays. The much smaller aperture of acoustic pressure-vector sensor arrays will be attractive for acoustic systems on underwater vehicles, as well as for other applications that require narrow beam acoustic receivers. [The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of ONR and NUWC.]
Teaching tone and intonation with the Prosody Workstation using schematic versus veridical contours
Authors: Allen George D. , Eulenberg John B.
Published: September 2013

Prosodic features of speech (e.g., intonation and rhythm) are often challenging for adults to learn. Most computerized teaching tools, developed to help learners mimic model prosodic patterns, display lines representing the veridical (actual) acoustic fundamental frequency and intensity of the model speech. However, a veridical display may not be optimal for this task. Instead, stereotypical representations (e.g., simplified level or slanting lines) may help by reducing the amount of potentially distracting information. The Prosody Workstation (PW) permits the prosodic contours of both models and users’ responses to be displayed using either veridical or stereotypical contours. Users are informed by both visual displays and scores representing the degree of match of their utterance to the model. American English-speaking undergraduates are being studied learning the tone contours and rhythm of Chinese and Hausa utterances ranging in length from two to six syllables. Data include (a) accuracy of mimicking of the models’ prosodic contours, measured by the PW; (b) quality of tonal and rhythmic production, judged by native speaker listeners; and (c) learners’ perceptions of the ease of the task, measured by a questionnaire at the end of each session.
A sound-texture detection algorithm
Authors: Norris Michael J. , Denham Susan L.
Published: September 2013

A method for comparing sound textures based on the estimation of high-order information redundancy is presented. To calculate redundancy, a histogram is constructed that records the probability of occurrence of each possible short sequence of (typically about eight) samples. A self-organizing map [T. Kohonen, Proc. IEEE 78, 1464–1480 (1990)] is used to summarize the histogram. The resulting probability distribution, or a trained self-organizing map that represents it, captures the texture of the sound, and leads to a natural definition of sound texture in terms of statistical stationarity. Sound textures such as recordings of running water, cafeteria noise, and traffic noise can be intuitively distinguished and classified by this method, despite small audible variations in amplitude, frequency, filtering, noise, and sound mixtures. The algorithm requires no preprocessing, Fourier analysis, heuristics, or finely tuned parameters, and may be implemented using a simple connectionist architecture. Textures can be compared through time by decaying probability distributions as new information arrives. A mechanism based on redundancy through time can also detect arbitrary changes in a sound, providing a novel mechanism to simulate auditory change detection. This versatile algorithm may find diverse applications in signal processing and neural computation. [Work supported by EU Open FET IST-2001-38099.]
Vibroacoustics of three-dimensional drum silencer
Authors: Huang Lixi
Published: September 2013

When low-frequency sound waves travel down a duct in which a segment of hard walls is replaced by membranes backed by side branch cavities, they are reflected as a result of sound radiation by the induced membrane vibration. The reflection is effective over a broad frequency band when high tension is applied in the axial direction of the duct. The device is thus called a drumlike silencer, and its existing vibroacoustics theory is based on a two-dimensional model in which the membrane behaves as a string. This study extends the theory to three dimensions, in which the membrane covers a finite rectangular cavity with all edges fixed. It is shown analytically and validated experimentally that the fixed edges of the drum silencer have no effect on the silencing performance of the device working in the cutoff frequency range of the duct and when there is no tension in the transverse direction. Finite-element method is used to simulate the full fluid–membrane coupling and the results are validated by known solutions. The validated numerical method is then applied to demonstrate the acoustic benefit of using a circular cavity for a rectangular duct.
Surface-controlled drop oscillations in space
Authors: Holt R. Glynn
Published: September 2013

A series of experiments probing the effects of surfactants was performed by Bob Apfel and his research group in the 1990s. Several laboratory experiments were carried out in uni-axial acoustic levitators. Two experiments were carried out in a triple-axis levitator called the Drop Physics Module, which was carried on Space Shuttle Columbia as part of the First and Second United States Microgravity Laboratory missions. Liquid drops containing aqueous solutions of soluble surfactants were acoustically positioned and deformed (and in some cases rotated) in order to excite shape mode oscillations. The results of these experiments allowed the inference of surface rheological properties (Gibb’s elasticity, surface viscosity coefficients) as functions of surfactant type and concentration. The highlights of this effort will be presented in a semi-technical fashion. [Work supported by NASA.]
Dissipative silencers with an extended inlet/outlet and baffles
Authors: Selamet Ahmet , Lee Iljae , Xu Mubing , Huff Norman
Published: September 2013

The acoustic characteristics of a single-pass perforated dissipative silencer were investigated experimentally and numerically by Selamet et al. [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 109, 2364 (2001)]. The current study extends this work by considering variations in the internal structure of the dissipative silencer. In addition to the boundary element method (BEM) introduced earlier, a multi-dimensional analytical approach is now developed to investigate the wave modes and transmission loss. Both methods are then employed to study the effect of an extended inlet and outlet on the acoustic behavior of the silencer. BEM is further used to explore the effect of baffles and air space inside the dissipative chamber. The location and number of baffles inside the dissipative chamber are shown to have a significant influence on the transmission loss.
Ocean acoustic inversion for seabed geoacoustic properties
Authors: Dosso Stan E.
Published: September 2013

Estimating geoacoustic properties of the seabed from ocean acoustic data provides a convenient in situ alternative to direct sampling (e.g., coring), with parameter sensitivities relevant to sonar applications. However, this requires solving a strongly nonlinear inverse problem, which is inherently nonunique. Hence, quantifying uncertainties for the recovered geoacoustic parameters is an important, but challenging, problem. This talk will describe a nonlinear Bayesian approach to geoacoustic inversion based on estimating properties of the posterior probability density (PPD), which combines information from observed data with prior information. An efficient Markov-chain method (Gibbs sampling) is applied to extract properties of the PPD, including optimal parameter estimates, marginal probability distributions, variances/covariances, and interparameter correlations. The inversion formulation is general, and will be illustrated with examples for a variety of approaches to geoacoustic inversion, including the inversion of acoustic field data, seabed reflectivity measurements, acoustic reverberation data, and ambient noise measurements.
Immersive simulation of hearing loss and auditory prostheses
Authors: Zurek Patrick M. , Desloge Joseph G.
Published: September 2013

Simulation of hearing loss is useful for demonstrating the communication challenges facing hearing-impaired people. However, current simulations, most of which are only recordings, do not actually elevate thresholds; i.e., they do not simulate hearing loss, per se. The hearing loss simulator described in this talk is immersive; the user’s detection thresh- olds for ambient sounds are shifted by a prescribed degree. This threshold shift is achieved through a combination of passive attenuation (from muff-type hearing protectors) and additive masking noise (introduced by within-muff earphones). Acoustic signals picked up by microphones near each ear are processed through bandpass AGC channels and delivered via the earphones to complete the simulation of frequency-dependent hearing loss and loudness recruitment. Preliminary results validating the accuracy of specified threshold shift will be presented, along with speech-reception data comparing simulated with actual hearing losses. Subjective reactions of users engaged in one-on-one conversation suggest that strong feelings of communication disability are engendered by even moderate degrees of simulated hearing loss. The system, which is capable of simulating any degree of recruiting hearing loss along with hearing aids or cochlear implants, can provide effective interactive demonstrations of both auditory communication handicap and rehabilitation options. [Work supported by NIDCD.]
Perceptual assimilation of French and German vowels by American English monolinguals: Acoustic similarity does not predict perceptual similarity
Authors: Strange Winifred , Levy Erika , Lehnholf Robert
Published: September 2013

Previous research in our laboratory has demonstrated that the perceived similarity of vowels across languages is not always predictable from the closeness of their target formant values in F1/F2/F3 space. In this study, perceptual similarity was established using a task in which 11 American English (AE) monolinguals were presented multiple tokens of 9 French vowels and 14 North German vowels (in separate blocks) produced in citation-form /hVb(a)/ (bi)syllables by native speakers. They selected 1 of 11 AE vowel responses to which each non-native vowel token was most similar, and rated its goodness on a 9-point Likert scale. Of special interest was the perceptual assimilation of front rounded French [y, oe] and German [y, Y, o/, oe] vowels. Acoustically, all six French and German vowels are more similar to front unrounded AE vowels. However, all six vowels were perceived to be more similar to back rounded AE vowels (range across vowels = 55% to 100%), although relatively poor exemplars. There were differences across languages in how the same vowel was assimilated (e.g., French /y/ assimilated to front AE vowels 13%, German /y/, 0%; French [oe] 3%, German [oe] 45%). There were also large individual differences in listeners assimilation patterns. [Work supported by NIDCD.]
Temporal bone anatomy in Panthera tigris
Authors: Walsh Edward J. , Ketten Darlene R. , Arruda Julie , Armstrong Douglas L. , Curro Thomas , Simmons Lee G. , Wang Lily M. , McGee JoAnn
Published: September 2013

Preliminary findings suggest that members of Panthera tigris subspecies may rely on low-frequency acoustic cues when communicating with conspecifics either in the field or in captivity. This view is supported by the observation that individuals are sensitive to tone bursts in the 300–500-Hz range and produce significant acoustic energy in an overlapping frequency band in the case of close encounter roars. Other utterances within the vocal repertoire of tigers also contain, and are often dominated by, low frequency acoustic energy that can extend into the infrasonic range. Efforts to determine temporal bone correlates of P. tigris bioacoustical features were recently initiated using computerized tomography to assess key aspects of middle and inner ear morphology from a small set of adult Siberian tigers (P. tigris altaica) and one neonate. Obvious peripheral auditory specializations were not observed and structures comprising the auditory periphery were consistent with the anatomical character of felids generally. Although cochlear dimensions appeared to be adultlike, or nearly so, in the case of the neonate, other temporal bone features were grossly immature. The relationship between acoustic sensitivity, the spectral character of a subset of close encounter calls and cochlear dimensions will be considered.
Studying environmental sounds the Watson way
Authors: Gygi Brian
Published: September 2013

After years of research on laboratory-generated complex sounds, in the early 1990s Chuck Watson and colleagues in the Hearing and Communications Laboratory (HCL) became interested in whether sounds with some meaning to the listener were processed differently by the auditory system. So began in his lab a program of environmental sounds research, in the meticulous, deliberate manner Watson was known for. The first step was developing an addition to the Test of Basic Auditory Capabilities (TBAC) which would measure individual differences in the identification of familiar environmental sounds. Next came the psychophysical basics: detection and identification in noise. Then, borrowing a page from early speech researchers, the effects of low-, high-, and bandpass filtering on environmental sounds were investigated, as well as those of processing environmental sounds using vocoder methods. Work has continued outside the HCL on developing a standardized canon of environmental sounds for generalized testing, with an aim to creating diagnostic tests for environmental sounds similar to the SPIN and modified rhyme and reverberation (MRRT).
Modeling of surficial sediment alteration by biology
Authors: Tang Dajun
Published: September 2013

This paper describes fine-scale measurements and modeling of surficial sediment roughness at a site in the East China Sea using a conductivity probe. The spatial resolution of the measurements is designed to obtain environmental data suitable for modeling acoustic backscatter in the mid-frequency (3–4 kHz) range. The power spectrum of the bottom roughness is estimated and it is found that bottom roughness is dominated by small features caused by bottom-dwelling organisms. This is confirmed by video images of the same spot of seafloor. A model is developed to simulate the random distributions of these bottom features. The model employs a superposition of discrete features, which result in a power spectrum that is consistent with the measured power spectrum. Potentially this kind of model can provide a remote sensing means to estimate bottom biological populations through measuring sound backscatter from the bottom. [Work supported by ONR Ocean Acoustics Code.]
Ground sounds: Seismic detection in the golden mole
Authors: Narins Peter M. , Lewis Edwin R.
Published: September 2013

The Namib Desert golden mole is a nocturnal, surface-foraging mammal, possessing a massively hypertrophied malleus which presumably confers low-frequency, substrate-vibration sensitivity through inertial bone conduction. Foraging trails are punctuated with characteristic sand disturbances in which the animal’s head dips under the sand. The function of this behavior is not known but it is thought that it may be used to obtain a seismic fix on the next mound to be visited. To test this, we measured the local seismic vibrations both on the top of a mound and on the flats. The spectrum recorded on the flats shows a relatively low-amplitude peak at about 120 Hz, whereas the spectral peak recorded from the mound is nearly 17 dB greater in amplitude and centered at 310 Hz. This suggests that mounds act as seismic beacons for the golden moles that would be detectable from distances corresponding to typical intermound distances of 20–25 m. In addition, out of the 117 species for which data are available, these golden moles have the greatest ossicular mass relative to body size (Mason, personal communication). Functionally, they appear to be low-frequency specialists, and it is likely that golden moles hear through substrate conduction. [Work supported by NIH.]
Acoustic engineering at Universidad de las Americas, Ecuador
Authors: Bravo Luis A. , Naranjo Jaime O. , Tassara Alberto
Published: September 2013

Acoustics, like science, an instrument to develop new technologies, comfortable atmospheres, and pleasant sounds, has not had a sufficient push in Ecuador. The shortage of professionals in the area, and the social ignorance of the advances and benefits of acoustics have been part of the problem. The University of the Americas has taken the initiative to develop an undergraduate program—only in the country—of sound and acoustics engineering, to contribute to the formation of professional futures that fortify the recent labor market in the areas of audio, professional, and acoustic engineering. This work presents/displays the results of the studies made for the creation of the race, the curricular mesh, and its projections.
VERIFYING ASPECT-ORIENTED MODELS AGAINST CROSSCUTTING PROPERTIES
Authors: CUI ZHANQI , WANG LINZHANG , LIU XI , BU LEI , ZHAO JIANHUA , LI XUANDONG
Published: September 2013

Dealing with crosscutting concerns has been a critical problem in software development processes. To facilitate handling crosscutting concerns at design phases, we proposed an aspect-oriented modeling and integration approach with UML activity diagrams. The primary concerns are depicted with UML activity diagrams as primary models, whereas crosscutting concerns are described with aspectual extended activity diagrams as aspect models. Aspect models can be integrated into primary models automatically. The AOM approach can reduce the complexity of design models. However, potential faults that violate desired properties of the software system might still be introduced during the modeling or integration processes. The verification technique is well-known for its ability to assure the correctness of models and uncover design problems before implementation. We propose a framework to verify aspect-oriented UML activity diagrams based on Petri net verification techniques. For verification purpose, we transform the integrated activity diagrams into Petri nets and prove the consistency of the transformation. Then, crosscutting concerns in system requirements are refined to properties in the form of CTL formulas. Finally, the Petri nets are verified against the formalized properties to report whether the aspect-oriented design models satisfies the requirements. Furthermore, we implement a tool named Jasmine-AOV to support the verification process. Case studies are conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Conglomerate Firms, Internal Capital Markets, and the Theory of the Firm
Authors: Maksimovic Vojislav , Phillips Gordon M.
Published: September 2013

This article reviews the conglomerate literature, with a focus on recent papers that have cast strong doubt on the hypothesis that conglomerate firms destroy value on average when compared to similar stand-alone firms. Recent work has shown that investment decisions by conglomerate firms are consistent with value maximization; conglomerate firms trade at an average premium relative to single-segment firms when value weighting; and the valuation premia and discounts, both for conglomerates and single-segment firms, are driven by differences in the production of unique differentiated products. A profit-maximizing theory of the firm that considers how firms select their organizational structure can explain these recent findings and much of the large variation in findings in the conglomerate literature. We also review the literature showing how market imperfections create additional benefits and costs for internal capital markets and a potential for managerial distortions.
A Brief Study of Certain Class of Harmonic Functions of Bazilevič Type
Authors: Oladipo A. T. , Breaz D.
Published: September 2013

We define and investigate a new subclass of Bazilevič type harmonic univalent functions using a linear operator. We investigated the harmonic structures in terms of its coefficient conditions, extreme points, distortion bounds, convolution, and convex combination. So, also, we discussed the subordination properties for the functions in this class.
Anti-CCP Antibodies Are Not Associated with Familial Mediterranean Fever in Childhood
Authors: Onur Hatice , Aral Hale , Arica Vefik , Bercem Gamze , Usta Murat , Kasapcopur Özgur
Published: September 2013

Objective. Anticyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies (anti-CCP) testing is useful in the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with high specificity. Arthritis is a very common clinical manifestation in children with familial Mediterranean fever (FMF). The aim of the study was to show the presence of anti-CCP antibodies in child individuals diagnosed with FMF.Material and Methods. The study groups comprised one hundred and twenty-six patients (126) diagnosed with FMF (female/male (n): 66/60) and 50 healthy controls (female/male (n): 25/25). Clinical and laboratory assessments of the FMF patients were performed during attack-free periods. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), serum C-reactive protein (CRP), fibrinogen, and anti-CCP antibody levels were measured.Results. Anti-CCP was negative in healthy controls and also in all FMF patients. There was not a significant difference in anti-CCP between the patient and the control groups. Our study has shown that anti-CCP was correlated moderately with age (rs=0.271;P=0.0020), duration of illness (rs=0.331;P<0.0001), and colchicine therapy (rs=0.259;P=0.004).Conclusion. Our data show that anti-CCP antibodies are not associated with FMF. Anti-CCP does not have a priority for identifying FMF arthritis from the other inflammatory arthritis.
Coincidence Points of Weaker Contractions in Partially Ordered Metric Spaces
Authors: Jen Kuo-Ching , Lin Ing-Jer , Chen Chi-Ming
Published: September 2013

We prove new coincidence point theorems for the -contractions and generalized Meir-Keeler-type --contractions in partially ordered metric spaces. Our results generalize many recent coincidence point theorems in the literature.
Say What? The Activity of the Polyamine Biosynthesis Inhibitor Difluoromethylornithine in Chemoprevention Is a Result of Reduced Thymidine Pools?
Authors: Casero Robert A.
Published: September 2013

Summary: In this issue of Cancer Discovery, Witherspoon and colleagues use an unbiased metabolite profiling approach to study the effects of polyamine depletion by 2-difluoromethylornithine in colon cancer cells. Their surprising findings indicate that it is a decrease in thymidine pools resulting from altered tetrahydrofolate availability rather than decreases in polyamines that produces cytostasis. Cancer Discov; 3(9); 975–7. ©2013 AACR.

See related article by Witherspoon et al., p. 1072
Error Estimates for Ocean Surface Winds: Applying Desroziers Diagnostics to the Cross-Calibrated, Multiplatform Analysis of Wind Speed
Authors: Hoffman Ross N. , Ardizzone Joseph V. , Leidner S. Mark , Smith Deborah K. , Atlas Robert
Published: September 2013

The Desroziers diagnostics (DD) are applied to the cross-calibrated, multiplatform (CCMP) ocean surface wind datasets to estimate wind speed errors of the ECMWF background, the microwave satellite observations, and the resulting CCMP analysis. The DD confirm that the ECMWF operational surface wind speed error standard deviations vary with latitude in the range 0.8–1.3 m s−1 and that the cross-calibrated Remote Sensing Systems (RSS) wind speed retrievals’ standard deviations are in the range 0.5–0.7 m s−1. Further, the estimated CCMP analysis wind speed standard deviations are in the range 0.2–0.3 m s−1. The results suggest the need to revise the parameterization of the errors of the first guess at appropriate time (FGAT) procedure. Errors for wind speeds <16 m s−1 are homogeneous; however, for the relatively rare but critical higher wind speed situations, errors are much larger.
Effectiveness of the National Program of Complementary Feeding for older adults in Chile on vitamin B12 status in older adults; secondary outcome analysis from the CENEX Study (ISRCTN48153354)
Authors: Sanchez Hugo , Albala Cecilia , Lera Lydia , Dangour Alan D , Uauy Ricardo
Published: September 2013

Background

Older people are at increased risk of vitamin B12 deficiency and the provision of fortified foods may be an effective way to ensure good vitamin B12 status in later life.

Aim

To evaluate the effectiveness of a vitamin B12 fortified food provided by a national program of complementary food for older people on plasma vitamin B12 levels.

Subjects and methods

A random sub-sample of 351 subjects aged 65-67y from a large cluster randomised controlled trial provided blood samples at baseline and after 24 months of intervention. The intervention arm (10 clusters 186 participants) received a vitamin B12 fortified food designed to deliver 1.4 μg/day, while the control arm did not receive complementary food (10 clusters, 165 participants). Serum vitamin B12 and folate levels determined by radioimmunoassay were used to estimate the effect of intervention on vitamin B12 levels, adjusting for baseline levels and sex.

Results

Attrition at 24 months was 16.7% and 23.6% in the intervention and control arms respectively (p = 0.07). Over 24 months of intervention, mean (95% CI) serum vitamin B12 decreased from 392 (359–425) pmol/dL to 357 (300–414) pmol/dL (p < 0.07) in the intervention arm and from 395 (350–440) pmol/dL to 351 (308–395) pmol/dL in the control arm. There was no significant effect of the intervention on folate status.

Discussion

Our findings suggest that foods fortified with 1.4 μg/daily vitamin B12 as provided by Chile’s national programme for older people are insufficient to ensure adequate vitamin B12 levels in this population. Chile has a long and successful experience with nutrition intervention programs; however, the Country’s changing demographic and nutritional profiles require a constant adjustment of the programs.
Takayasu's arteritis is associated with HLA-B*52, but not with HLA-B*51, in Turkey
Authors: Sahin Ziver , Bıcakcıgil Muge , Aksu Kenan , Kamali Sevil , Akar Servet , Onen Fatos , Karadag Omer , Ozbalkan Zeynep , Ates Askin , Ozer Huseyin TE , Yilmaz Vuslat , Seyahi Emire , Ozturk Mehmet A , Cefle Ayse , Cobankara Veli , Onat A Mesut , Tunc Ercan , Düzgün Nursen , Aydin Sibel Z , Yilmaz Neslihan , Fresko İzzet , Karaaslan Yasar , Kiraz Sedat , Akkoc Nurullah , Inanc Murat , Keser Gokhan , Uyar F Aytul , Direskeneli Haner , Saruhan-Direskeneli Güher ,   the Turkish Takayasu Study Group
Published: September 2013

Introduction

HLA-B*51 and HLA-B*52 are two close human leukocyte antigen (HLA) allele groups with minor amino acid differences. However, they are associated with two different vasculitides (HLA-B*51 in Behçet's disease and HLA-B*52 in Takayasu's arteritis (TAK)) and with major clinical and immunological differences. In this study, we aimed to screen a large cohort of TAK patients from Turkey for the presence of HLA-B*51 and HLA-B*52 as susceptibility and severity factors.

Methods

TAK patients (n = 330) followed at a total of 15 centers were included in the study. The mean age of the patients was 37.8 years, and 86% were women. DNA samples from the patients and healthy controls (HC; n = 210) were isolated, and the presence of HLA-B*51 or HLA-B*52 was screened for by using PCR with sequence-specific primers.

Results

We found a significant association of HLA-B*52 with TAK (20.9% vs HC = 6.7%, P = 0.000, OR = 3.7, 95% CI = 2.02 to 6.77). The distribution of HLA-B*51 did not differ between TAK patients and HCs (22.7% vs 24.8%, OR = 0.9, 95% CI = 0.60 to 1.34). The presence of HLA-B*52 decreased in late-onset patients (> 40 years of age; 12.0%, P = 0.024, OR = 0.43, 95% CI = 0.20 to 0.91). Patients with angiographic type I disease with limited aortic involvement also had a lower presence of HLA-B*52 compared to those with all other disease subtypes (13.1% vs 26%, P = 0.005, OR = 0.43, 95% CI = 0.23 to 0.78).

Conclusions

In this study, the previously reported association of TAK with HLA-B*52 in other populations was confirmed in patients from Turkey. The functional relevance of HLA-B*52 in TAK pathogenesis needs to be explored further.
From “Representative” To Relatable
Authors: Stiles Stefanie
Published: September 2013

In the wake of postcolonial studies, the culture wars, and the ongoing canon debate, the task of constructing one’s own pedagogical canon as a responsible educator continues to be an arduous one. Drawing in part on the work of Robert Coles on using literature for therapeutic purposes, as well as John Guillory’s notion that representation, in the political sense, is misapplied when it comes to canon formation, this article suggests that professors rethink how they put together their own syllabi. It asks that they consider shifting their primary criteria for inclusion from the much-disputed ideal of representativeness to one of relatability, defined in this instance as a student’s potential ethical engagement with a work. The central idea is that the student’s intuitive identification with some characters and texts should actually be encouraged, not dismissed, as a means of promoting greater engagement, more active learning, and a critical analysis of the text’s and their own personal values.
Argumentation and Presentation
Authors: Lyotard Jean-François
Published: September 2013

In this essay, Jean-François Lyotard revisits the question of the postmodern in relation to the “foundation crisis” in the mathematical sciences, arguing that this crisis should be conceived not in terms of the establishment of the foundations of scientific discourses but in terms of the foundation of sense experience in the given. He opposes Karl-Otto Apel's attempt to resolve the crisis through a metapragmatics that would ground reason according to the rules of argumentation of a community of rational agents. The crisis of foundations, he argues, is rather one of the retreat of the forms of space and time. Rather than a crisis of reason or cognitive discourse pure and simple, Lyotard situates the crisis in terms of Kantian aesthetics, as the loss of the immediate community of feeling in the beautiful and the advent of an “anaesthetics” of formlessness in the sublime.
“… A Power of Sonorous Paradoxes …”
Authors: Mendez Matthew
Published: September 2013

This article sketches the development of Jean-François Lyotard's musical thinking through the lens of the composer with whom he was most often associated, John Cage. I contend that the affinity Lyotard felt for Cage's work came about on the basis of two shared concerns: first, an interest in creative strategies hinging on passivity and indifference and, second, a related desire to approach singular events free from the interference incurred by human cognition. In Lyotard's “libidinal” phase, as well as his later Kant-centered work, his investigations indicate that Cage's artistic practice is founded upon a series of logical paradoxes. However, it can be argued that Lyotard's revision of Cage's aesthetic theories in post-Freudian terms more openly faces up to these paradoxes than Cage's own sunny Jungianism does.
Opening Up
Authors: Bennington Geoffrey
Published: September 2013

This essay reads Lyotard's “Argumentation and Presentation” as a transitional text that clarifies the passage from the phrase-based analysis of The Differend to the late work on infancy and affect. It is argued that in it Lyotard continues to develop very general questions about the relation of being and thought that are already crucial to his early work in Discourse, Figure.
What to Paint?
Authors: Lyotard Jean-François
Published: September 2013

In this interview, originally given in 1988, Jean-François Lyotard discusses his then recently published book, Que Peindre? Adami, Arakawa, Buren (What to Paint?: Adami, Arakawa, Buren), situating it in the context of his broader interest in art and in terms of his insistence on painting as “presence” or “matter.” In addition to describing the composition and structure of What to Paint?, he links its concerns to the problematic of presentation/unpresentability, and from there to the very “destiny” of Western philosophy itself.
Evaluation of the interaction potential of synthetic ethylene glycol compounds with nuclear Factor ï«B
Authors: Narasimhan Srinivasan , Majdalawieh Amin F. , Abu-Yousef Imad A. , Shanmugarajan Dhivya , Ramasubramanian Vishvanathan
Published: September 2013

Â In the last three decades, nuclear factor ï«B (NF-ï«B) has been the focus of many researchers who are interested in understanding the various molecular mechanisms involved in inflammatory diseases and cancer. Interference with NF-ï«B activity can cause many cellular abnormalities including tumorigenesis. In this study, we focus on examining the potential of ten synthetic ethylene glycol based compounds to interact with the binding site of NF-ï«B. Computational analysis reveals that the ethylene glycol compounds examined in this study display differential ability to interact with NF-ï«B. Parameters such as ALOGP, dock score, and internal energy were determined for each of the studied compounds. Seven compounds were found to interact with specific amino acid residues within the binding site of NF-ï«B. The specific amino acids involved in the interaction were mapped and the nature of interaction was identified. Since NF-ï«B is implicated in the development of many inflammatory and immune-related conditions including cancer, we predict that the ethylene glycol compounds examined in this study can be targeted for the development of therapeutic agents that can be employed in the prevention and/or treatment of various diseases including cancer.
Natural Adhesives, Binders, and Matrices for Wood and Fiber Composites
Authors: Pizzi Antonio
Published: September 2013

Recent developments and trends in the field of bio-based adhesives are reviewed. The more recent developments in tannin adhesives without the use of aldehyde-yielding compounds under the conditions of processing, or even without the use of hardeners, are described. Lignin adhesives are discussed next. The combination of these two types to yield natural environmentally friendly matrices for non-woven fiber mats is also reviewed. Several new trends in the developments of protein adhesives and in carbohydrate adhesives are then addressed. Unsaturated oil adhesives based on epoxidized unsaturated vegetable oils are also described as well as an example of cashew nut shell oil modified by a new and inexpensive method to yield an adhesive by self-condensation of the material. The chapter addresses last the new process of solid wood friction welding without the use of adhesive, in which the wood interface itself is used as the binder.
Bonding Defect Imaging in Glulam with Novel Air-Coupled Ultrasound Testing
Authors: Sanabria Sergio J. , Furrer Roman , Neuenschwander Jürg , Niemz Peter , Sennhauser Urs
Published: September 2013

The objective of this chapter is to provide an overview of novel non-destructive testing methodologies for bonding quality assessment in glued laminated timber developed within a recently completed Swiss National Science Foundation research project (Sanabria, 2012). The focus is set on air-coupled ultrasound testing, which has previously been applied to wood-based panels typically up to 50 mm thick. A novel prototype capable of transmitting ultrasound signals through up to 500 mm thick glulam was developed. A computerized-scanning system allowed imaging of the position and geometry of defects within the bonding planes. A normal transmission setup allows a global assessment of defective bonding planes stacks. Latest results are as well shown for a recently patented slanted lateral transmission setup, which allows separate assessment of individual bonding planes with unlimited beam height and length. The investigations allowed an improved understanding of the wave propagation phenomena in thick laminated timber components through both analytical calculations and finite-difference numerical simulations. An overview of the main findings is as well provided. Future research is planned to combine the developed theoretical and experimental tools in a tomographic inspection method.