bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The heterologous expression of a plastocyanin in the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum improves cell growth under iron‐deficient conditions
Authors: Castell Carmen , Bernal‐Bayard Pilar , Ortega José M. , Roncel Mercedes , Hervás Manuel , Navarro José A.
Published: November 2020

We have investigated if the heterologous expression of a functional green alga plastocyanin in the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum can improve photosynthetic activity and cell growth. Previous in vitro assays showed that a single‐mutant of the plastocyanin from the green algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is effective in reducing P. tricornutum photosystem I. In this study, in vivo assays with P. tricornutum strains expressing this plastocyanin indicate that even the relatively low intracellular concentrations of holo‐plastocyanin detected (≈4 μM) are enough to promote an increased growth (up to 60%) under iron‐deficient conditions as compared with the WT strain, measured as higher cell densities, content in pigments and active photosystem I, global photosynthetic rates per cell, and even cell volume. In addition, the presence of plastocyanin as an additional photosynthetic electron carrier seems to decrease the over‐reduction of the plastoquinone pool. Consequently, it promotes an improvement in the maximum quantum yield of both photosystem II and I, together with a decrease in the acceptor side photoinhibition of photosystem II—also associated to a reduced oxidative stress—a decrease in the peroxidation of membrane lipids in the choroplast, and a lower degree of limitation on the donor side of photosystem I. Thus the heterologous plastocyanin appears to act as a functional electron carrier, alternative to the native cytochrome c6, under iron‐limiting conditions.
Importance of inositols and their derivatives in cowpea under root dehydration: An omics perspective
Authors: Ferreira‐Neto José R. C. , da Silva Manassés D. , Rodrigues Fabiana A. , Nepomuceno Alexandre L. , Pandolfi Valesca , de Lima Morais David A. , Kido Ederson A. , Benko‐Iseppon Ana M.
Published: November 2020

This work presents a robust analysis of the inositols (INSs) and raffinose family oligosaccharides (RFOs) pathways, using genomic and transcriptomic tools in cowpea under root dehydration. Nineteen (~70%) of the 26 scrutinized enzymes presented transcriptional up‐regulation in at least one treatment time. The transcriptional orchestration allowed categorization of the analyzed enzymes as time‐independent (those showing the same regulation throughout the assay) and time‐dependent (those showing different transcriptional regulation over time). It is suggested that up‐regulated time‐independent enzymes (INSs: myo‐inositol oxygenase, inositol‐tetrakisphosphate 1‐kinase 3, phosphatidylinositol 4‐phosphate 5‐kinase 4‐like, 1‐phosphatidylinositol‐3‐phosphate 5‐kinase, phosphoinositide phospholipase C, and non‐specific phospholipase C; RFOs: α‐galactosidase, invertase, and raffinose synthase) actively participate in the reorganization of cowpea molecular physiology under the applied stress. In turn, time‐dependent enzymes, especially those up‐regulated in some of the treatment times (INSs: inositol‐pentakisphosphate 2‐kinase, phosphatidylinositol 4‐kinase, phosphatidylinositol synthase, multiple inositol polyphosphate phosphatase 1, methylmalonate‐semialdehyde dehydrogenase, triosephosphate isomerase, myo‐inositol‐3‐phosphate synthase, phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5‐trisphosphate 3‐phosphatase and protein‐tyrosine‐phosphatase, and phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase; RFOs: galactinol synthase) seem to participate in fine‐tuning of the molecular physiology, helping the cowpea plants to acclimatize under dehydration stress. Not all loci encoding the studied enzymes were expressed during the assay; most of the expressed ones exhibited a variable transcriptional profile in the different treatment times. Genes of the INSs and RFOs pathways showed high orthology with analyzed Phaseoleae members, suggesting a relevant role within this legume group. Regarding the promoter regions of INSs and RFOs genes, some bona fide cis‐regulatory elements were identified in association with seven transcription factor families (AP2‐EFR, Dof‐type, MADS‐box, bZIP, CPP, ZF‐HD, and GATA‐type). Members of INSs and RFOs pathways potentially participate in other processes regulated by these proteins in cowpea.
As Births Diminish and Deaths Increase, Natural Decrease becomes More Widespread in Rural America*
Authors: Johnson Kenneth M.
Published: November 2020

Even before the onset of the Covid‐19 pandemic, the U.S. population growth rate last year was the lowest in 100 years. And, from 2010 to 2019 nonmetropolitan America lost population for the first time in history. Diminished natural increase was a major contributor to this and also accelerated the incidence of natural decrease (more deaths than births), particularly in rural America. Deaths exceeded births in 46 percent of all U.S. counties—a near record high. Nearly 79 percent of these natural decrease counties were nonmetropolitan. This research uses recent data and a multivariate spatial regression model to update our understanding of the growing incidence of natural decrease in both rural and urban America. In light of the mortality increase and likely fertility declines stemming from the Covid‐19 pandemic, these findings have significant implications for future nonmetropolitan demographic trends.
A review on the interactions between dendritic cells, filarial parasite and parasite‐derived molecules in regulating the host immune responses
Authors: Joardar Nikhilesh , Mondal Chandrani , Sinha Babu Santi P.
Published: November 2020

Lymphatic filariasis (LF) is the second leading cause of parasitic disabilities that affects millions of people in India and several other tropical countries. The complexity of this disease is endorsed by various immunopathological consequences such as lymphangitis, lymphadenitis and elephantiasis. The immune evasion strategies that a filarial parasite usually follows are chiefly initiated with the communication between the invaded parasites and parasite‐derived molecules, with the Toll‐like receptors (TLRs) present on the surface of the antigen‐presenting cells (APCs). Classically, the filarial parasites interact with the DCs resulting in lowering of CD4+ T‐cell responses. These CD4+ T‐cell responses are the key players behind the immune‐mediated pathologies associated with LF. In chronic stage, the canonical pro‐inflammatory immune responses are shifted towards an anti‐inflammatory subtype, which is favouring the parasite survivability within the host. The central theme of this review article is to present the overall immune response elicited when an APC, particularly a DC, encounters a filarial parasite.
Strength development and non‐contact lower limb injury in academy footballers across age groups
Authors: Jones Steven , Clair Zoe , Wrigley Russ , Mullen Rich , Andersen Thor Einar , Williams Morgan
Published: November 2020

Non‐contact lower limb injuries are common in academy football. Yet, the impact these injuries have on strength development in academy footballers remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the impact of non‐contact lower limb injury on hip, groin, and knee flexor strength development in male academy youth footballers. Furthermore, this study: reports normative strength data of emerging field‐based tests that can be easily deployed in football academies; explores the effect of age on injury occurrence; and highlights the number of days lost from injury in male youth footballers. Assessments of hip adductor, abductor, and eccentric knee flexor strength were obtained from 195 academy football players during pre‐season and at the end of season. In‐season injuries were recorded by medical staff. Those footballers who sustained non‐contact lower limb injury were compared with those who did not sustain a non‐contact lower limb injury. No between‐group differences were observed for any strength assessments when controlled for pre‐season measures. Stronger footballers at pre‐season experienced strength loses, while those weaker players gained strength across the season. Hip strength development was impaired in older age group footballers. Sustaining a non‐contact lower limb injury had minimal impact on strength development. In the absence of in‐season lower limb strength monitoring, development in academy youth footballers may not progress as expected, and in particular, stronger and older youth athletes may benefit from individualized strength training.
Establishing best practices in measles, mumps, and rubella serologic screening for kidney transplant candidates
Authors: Ramakrishna Jahanavi M. , Brumble Lisa M. , Larimore Kelly L. , Wadei Hani M. , Jarmi Tambi , Libertin Claudia R.
Published: November 2020

Optimizing immunity against vaccine‐preventable diseases improves outcomes in kidney transplant (KT) patients (Arora et al,World J Transplant, 2019, 9:1; Sester et al,Transplant Rev, 2008, 22:274; Fishman,N Engl J Med, 2007, 357:2601). The American Society for Transplantation (AST) Clinical Practice Guidelines advises that serologic screening for measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) be conducted for all KT candidates, since live‐attenuated vaccines are contraindicated post‐transplantation (Malinis et al,Clin Transplant, 2019, 33:e13548). Our team at Mayo Clinic Florida (MCF) conducted a quality improvement (QI) initiative to establish a best MMR screening and immunizations clinical practice in KT candidates using a Plan‐Do‐Study‐Act (PDSA) model. By retrospective chart review of all KT candidates evaluated at our institution from January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2017, baseline data determining the rate of MMR serologic screening was established. PDSA cycles were implemented to adopt protocol‐driven testing for MMR serologies, immunization documentation, and vaccination in cases of seronegativity to any of the three MMR viruses in all pre‐KT candidates. Two PDSA cycles were completed in 4 months. The study population totaled 447 patients (baseline n = 283, PDSA 1 n = 61, PDSA 2 n = 103). Baseline data showed that 83% (n = 235) of pre‐KT candidates received infectious disease consultation (IDC). Complete MMR (all three viruses) serological screening in KT candidates improved from baseline 3.9%‐87.4% post‐PDSA cycle 2 (P < .001). Necessary immunizations per AST guidelines were ordered in only 41.1% (n = 23) of the control cohort vs 100% (n = 12) and 96.9% (n = 31) of PDSA cycles 1 and 2, respectively (P < .001). The data reflect significant practice improvements in MMR screening and immunization rates among KT candidates by using protocol‐driven orders combined with our pre‐existing IDCs.
The territoriality of atmosphere: Rethinking affective urbanism through the collateral atmospheres of Lisbon’s tourism
Authors: Paiva Daniel , Sánchez‐Fuarros Iñigo
Published: November 2020

This paper draws on a year‐long ethnographic observation of the tourism‐related practices of atmospheric production in Lisbon (Portugal) and the protests against its unintended consequences. We expand the literature on atmospheric design, staging, and performance by introducing the concept of collateral atmospheres to describe the “other” atmospheres that emerge in the spaces and times beyond produced atmospheres.
The effect of cannabidiol on canine neoplastic cell proliferation and mitogen‐activated protein kinase activation during autophagy and apoptosis
Authors: Henry Joshua G. , Shoemaker Gregory , Prieto Jennifer M. , Hannon Many Beth , Wakshlag Joseph J.
Published: November 2020

Low tetrahydrocannabinol Cannabis sativa products, also known as hemp products, have become widely available and their use in veterinary patients has become increasingly popular. Despite prevalence of use, the veterinary literature is lacking and evidence‐based resource for cannabinoid efficacy. The most prevailing cannabinoid found in hemp is cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) and becomes cannabidiol (CBD) during heat extraction; CBD has been studied for its direct anti‐neoplastic properties alone and in combination with standard cancer therapies, yielding encouraging results. The objectives of our study were to explore the anti‐proliferative and cell death response associated with in vitro treatment of canine cancer cell lines with CBD alone and combination with common chemotherapeutics, as well as investigation into major proliferative pathways (eg, p38, JNK, AKT and mTOR) potentially involved in the response to treatment with CBD. CBD significantly reduced canine cancer cell proliferation far better than CBDA across five canine neoplastic cell lines when treated with concentrations ranging from 2.5 to 10 μg/mL. Combinatory treatment with CBD and vincristine reduced cell proliferation in a synergistic or additive manner at anti‐proliferative concentrations with less clear results using doxorubicin in combination with CBD. The cellular signalling effects of CBD treatment, showed that autophagy supervened induction of apoptosis and may be related to prompt induction of ERK and JNK phosphorylation prior to autophagy. In conclusion, CBD is effective at hindering cell proliferation and induction of autophagy and apoptosis rapidly across neoplastic cell lines and further clinical trials are needed to understand its efficacy and interactions with traditional chemotherapy.
Effectiveness of Multidisciplinary Care for Chronic Kidney Disease: A Systematic Review
Authors: Hsu Hsin‐Tien , Chiang Yen‐Chiu , Lai Yu‐Hung , Lin Li‐Yuan , Hsieh Hsiu‐Fen , Chen Jyu‐Lin
Published: November 2020

Background

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a common chronic disease. As this disease is extremely complex, multidisciplinary care (MDC) is needed to provide complete and continuous care.

Aim

A systematic literature review was performed to examine the constituents of MDC, the content of MDC interventions, and the health outcomes in CKD patients receiving MDC.

Methods

Searches of five Chinese and English databases for studies of CKD patients who had received MDC from 2007 to 2019 revealed 11 studies, which comprised 16,066 CKD patients. The Physiotherapy Evidence Database scale (Physiotherapy Evidence Database, 2017) was used to appraise study quality for randomized controlled trials, and the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal tools (Joanna Briggs Institute, 2017) were for cohort studies.

Results

The MDC teams that provided comprehensive medical care for these patients included nephrologists, nurses, surgeons, general practitioners, pharmacists, psychotherapists, social workers, nutritionists, and other specialists. The literature review revealed that MDC for CKD slows the decline in estimated glomerular filtration rate and decreases patient mortality, the risk of renal replacement therapy, the need for emergent dialysis, and annual medical costs. Analyses of biochemical markers in the CKD patients showed that MDC improves control of serum levels of calcium and phosphate, improves control of parathyroid hormone, and reduces proteinuria and fasting blood glucose values. However, further studies are needed to determine the effects of MDC on all‐cause mortality, blood pressure control, hospitalization rate, hospitalization for cardiovascular or infection events, medications use, and other biochemical markers in CKD patients.

Linking Evidence to Action

Cross‐disciplinary collaboration of healthcare professionals is needed to ensure that patients undergo regular follow‐up and periodic assessment of clinical status, in addition to ensuring that relevant resources and assistance are provided in a timely manner. A follow‐up period of at least 2 years is also needed to ensure sufficient time to observe MDC results.
Technical Basis for Proposed Revisions to ASME Section III Code Case N-891 on Maximum Allowable Indentation Depths in HDPE Pipe to Extend Applicability to PENT Ratings Up to 10,000 Hours
Authors: Scarth Douglas , Krishnaswamy Prabhat , Rush Phillip , Munson Douglas
Published: December 2020

Mandatory Appendix XXVI of Section III of the ASME B&PV Code contains rules for the construction of Class 3 pressure piping systems comprised of PE4710 High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) with a minimum Pennsylvania Notched Test (PENT) rating of 2,000 hours. Appendix XXVI contains acceptance standards for the maximum allowable depths of gouges, cuts or other surface conditions that are characterized as indentations. The acceptance standards are very conservative, in particular for large diameter HDPE pipes. Less restrictive maximum allowable indentation depths for PE4710 HDPE pipes with a minimum PENT rating of 2,000 hours were previously developed based on analyses of tests on HDPE pipes containing scratches. These less restrictive maximum allowable indentation depths were published in the ASME Section III Code Case N-891 as an alternative to the acceptance standards in Appendix XXVI. The PENT rating of PE4710 HDPE material can significantly exceed 2,000 hours, and the current maximum allowable indentation depths in Code Case N-891 are overly-restrictive for the higher PENT ratings. Maximum allowable indentation depths for PENT ratings up to 10,000 hours have been developed, and are proposed to be implemented into a revision of Code Case N-891 and Appendix XXVI. The technical basis for the maximum allowable indentation depths for these higher PENT ratings is provided in this paper. The proposed revisions to Code Case N-891 include a provision to permit use of results from accelerated PENT testing at a higher temperature and stress level than standard PENT test conditions. The technical basis for the use of results from accelerated PENT testing is also provided in this paper.
Mean Stress Correction of S45C Carbon Steel Based on Crack Growth Concept
Authors: Kamaya Masayuki
Published: December 2020

Influence of the mean stress on fatigue life and fatigue limit was investigated for carbon steel. Uni-axial fatigue tests were conducted under stress and strain-controlled conditions at room temperature. The fatigue life and fatigue limit were reduced by applying the mean stress for the same stress amplitude. The fatigue life exhibited a better correlation with the strain range than the stress amplitude did. Increase in strain range caused by applying the mean stress correlated well with the decrease in the fatigue life. It was assumed that the mean stress effect on the fatigue life was brought about by the change in crack growth rate caused by applying the mean stress. The mean stress enhanced crack mouth opening and accelerated the crack growth. The reduction in the fatigue limit was also brought about by the same effect. It was shown that the effective strain range gave good prediction of fatigue life and fatigue limit with and without the mean stress.
Speech privacy in healthcare: A case study discussion of design and measurement results
Authors: Kolak Nicole A. , Holst Peter
Published: December 2020

This presentation will be an overview of speech privacy design and measurement summary for a medical office building in Roseville, CA, where TEECOM provided the acoustical design services. Speech privacy can be analyzed in several ways. For this presentation, TEECOM will compare the measured speech privacy performance using Speech Privacy Predictor (SPP) and Speech Privacy Class (SPC) for partitions between exam rooms and between offices as well as their respective door-walls. The project encountered budget constraints that limited the design options; demising walls were required to be partial-height. An electronic sound masking system was incorporated to elevate the ambient noise levels within comfortable limits to provide a controlled background noise level in the hallways and in enclosed spaces. Post-occupancy comments on the quality of speech privacy were gathered by the Architecture client and will be shared to support the quantifiable findings. Considerations for further improvements are described, including space planning and other design elements that can be used to achieve the confidentially goals and requirements established by HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act).
Echo-counting in the mesopelagic zone using a broadband split-beam acoustic scattering system
Authors: Zhuang Zhaozhong , Lavery Andone C.
Published: December 2020

The ocean mesopelagic zone (200–1000 m depths) is a largely unexplored and remote ecosystem. Recent studies have suggested that the biomass of mesopelagic fish may be up to ten times larger than previously reported, more that the rest of the ocean combined. Interpretation of shipboard measurements of mesopelagic scattering layers in terms of abundance and biomass is complicated by large sampling volumes, complex assemblages of organisms, and highly uncertain target strength models. To address some of these challenges, Deep-See, a towed sensor platform carrying multiple broadband acoustic systems, has been developed, allowing real-time measurements of target strength and abundance. The focus here is on a new broadband split-beam echosounder (5.5 kHz–18.5 kHz) deployed in summer 2018 and 2019 off the New England shelf. This system is used to estimate the density of mesopelagic organisms using echo-counting and echo-statisticsapproaches. The parameters selected for echo-counting are discussed in order to achieve accurate estimates of abundance and also to identify and track individual targets. The calibrated broadband spectra of individual targets are used to determine the number of organisms with resonance frequencies in the band. [Funding provided by the WHOI Ocean Twilight Zone Audacious Project and an NSF MRI grant.]
Seasonal and annual variability in daily vertical migration observed from acoustic Doppler current profiler derived backscatter at the Mid-Atlantic Bight shelf break
Authors: Partida Jacob S. , Zhang Weifeng G. , Lavery Andone C. , Jech J Michael
Published: December 2020

75 kHz ADCPs stationed near the 450-meter isobath within the Ocean Observatories Initiative Coastal Pioneer Array capture consistent patterns indicative of daily vertical migration (DVM) in depth profiles of both mean volume backscatter (MVB) and the vertical component of velocity (w). While the presence of DVM patterns is consistent throughout 2018 and 2019, attributes of MVB and w profiles are subject to variability within and across different seasons and years. This variability may be influenced by abiotic factors characteristic of the Mid-Atlantic Bight region such as the disruption of typical spring time temperature-salinity structures via frontal instability or the episodic introduction of warm-core rings. Additionally, biological community composition in the region may be reflected in MVB and w profiles given zooplankton survey data and knowledge of seasonal biophysical dynamics in the region, along with measured variability of other environmental properties observed by the Pioneer Array including dissolved oxygen concentration, chlorophyll-a concentration, and photosynthetically available radiation. Linking all of these factors, driven by long-term, stationary acoustical observations, can provide a useful framework for more directly assessing the impacts of aberrational physical phenomena on regional biological patterns.
Deep learning the sound of light to guide surgeries
Authors: Bell Muyinatu
Published: December 2020

Photoacoustic imaging utilizes light and sound to make images by transmitting laser pulses that illuminate regions of interest, which subsequently absorb the light, causing thermal expansion and the generation of sound waves that are detected with conventional ultrasound transducers. The Photoacoustic and Ultrasonic Systems Engineering (PULSE) Lab is developing novel methods that use photoacoustic imaging to guide surgeries with the ultimate goal of eliminating surgical complications caused by injury to important structures like major blood vessels and nerves that are otherwise hidden from a surgeons immediate view. This invited presentation will summarize our recent work to learn from the physics of sound propagation in tissue and develop acoustic beamforming algorithms that improve image quality, using state-of-the-art deep learning methods. These deep learning methods hold promise for robotic tracking tasks, visualization and visual servoing of surgical tool tips, and assessment of relative distances between the surgical tool and nearby critical structures (e.g., major blood vessels and nerves that if injured will cause severe complications, paralysis, or patient death). Impacted surgeries and procedures include neurosurgery, spinal fusion surgery, hysterectomies, cardiac interventions, and biopsies.
On an improvement of low bass characteristics on the OLED flat panel speaker
Authors: Lee Sungtae , Park Kwanho , Bae Myungjin
Published: December 2020

Recently, researches using OLED flat panel displays as speakers have attracted attention. However, due to the local characteristics of the flat panel speaker, the bass characteristic below 500 Hz is insufficient. The flat panel loudspeaker drives several watts of power into the exciter attached to the back of the flat panel. The exciter of the flat plate has a characteristic that the sound is driven forward from the local region, so the characteristics of the bass region are deteriorated. Therefore, in this paper, the research was conducted to widen the sound by attaching the exciter to the rigid bar. It is a principle to compensate the bass region of the flat panel speaker using an array type exciter. In order to improve the bass sound, the rigidity bar is used instead of the array exciters to improve the manufacturing process and cost. Compared to the conventional flat panel speaker, when the rigid bar is attached, the bass bandwidth is improved to 200 Hz. In the future, it is necessary to minimize the effect of the rigid bar on the high-pitched area compared to using exciter array.
Elastic softening of sandstone due to a wideband acoustic pulse observed by dynamic acousto-elastic testing
Authors: Cormack John M. , Muir Thomas G. , Slack Charles M. , Hamilton Mark F.
Published: December 2020

Laboratory measurements of finite-amplitude, wideband elastic pulse propagation in a thin bar of Texas moss sandstone have been reported [Muir et al., JASA 147 (2020)] that utilized pulses generated by impact excitation with a pendulum hammer at one end of the bar. Each pulse is essentially unipolar in strain, with bandwidth of approximately 3 kHz and amplitude between 10 and 130 microstrain. Reduction of the sandstone elastic modulus by up to 17% resulted from propagation of the impact-generated pulse, as calculated from time-of-flight measurements of the pulse as it reflected between the ends of the bar. In the present work, elastic softening is observed locally using a Dynamic Acousto-Elastic Testing (DAET) configuration. During propagation of an impact-generated pulse, changes in the sandstone elastic properties are observed by tracking variations in the arrival time and amplitude of a continuous-wave 1 MHz P-wave signal that propagates perpendicular to the bar axis. Repetitive reflection of the pulse from the stress-free ends of the bar enables separate observation of effects from compressive and tensile strains. Reduction of the elastic modulus of up to 20% is observed, with almost all of the softening occurring during the tensile phase of the impact-generated pulse. a)Deceased.
Numerical study of reflectivity signals with diffracting airborne ultrasound beams
Authors: Ortega-Aguilar Alejandro , Velasco-Segura Roberto , García-Valenzuela Augusto
Published: December 2020

In this work, we investigate an efficient method for calculating the reflected and transmitted acoustic fields from diffracting ultrasound beams incident to a gas/gas interface. The study is motivated by the application to gas sensors of an experimental setup consisting of air and CO2 separated by a thin membrane and a 40 kHz acoustic incident beam at oblique angles. The numerical method consists of performing a Plane Wave Expansion (PWE) of the incident beam using standard Fourier transform methods. Expressions for the reflected and transmitted acoustic fields are obtained in terms of two-dimensional integrals of simple Kernels. These can be performed numerically in a straightforward way. The main approximation in this method comes from guessing the acoustic pressure field at a plane just in front of the ultrasonic emitter. We compare calculations with the PWE method with Finite Element Method simulations in a 2-D geometry, finding good agreement. Among the advantages of the PWE method we have that there is no need to calculate the whole acoustic fields in a large volume of many cubic wavelengths, while still considering rigorously diffraction effects. We will present predictions for practical airborne ultrasound reflection measurements of interest in developing novel acoustic gas sensors.
Spatial release from masking and working memory task
Authors: Charney Lauren , Srinivasan Nirmal Kumar
Published: December 2020

While listening to a target talker in the presence of masking talkers, the overlap of sound energy at the cochlea (energetic masking) and confusions among speech sounds (informational masking) can reduce speech intelligibility. Improvement in speech intelligibility can occur when the target speech is spatially separated from competing speech, thus encouraging spatial release from masking. Spatial separation between target and maskers facilitate selective attention, a mechanism that depends on the availability of Working Memory (WM) capacity. Here, we present data describing the relationship between spatial release from masking and performance on attentional and working memory tasks. Working memory performance was calculated using both auditory and visual stimuli in a single-modality selective attention task and in a dual-modality selective and divided attention task. Coordinate Response Measure (CRM) sentences were used to quantify spatial release from masking. Initial analyses of the data revealed that individuals with better WM capacity had higher amounts of release from masking. These results suggest that the ability to allocate attentional resources in complex listening environments can help individuals to better understand speech.
Child hearing loss and vocal turn-taking between family members
Authors: Kinney Kaelin , Kondaurova Maria V. , VanDam Mark , Zheng Qi
Published: December 2020

How does hearing loss affect vocal turn-taking within families? This study examined turn-taking between children and multiple members of their social environment. For children with hearing loss, we also examined potential differences by device, hearing aids (HA) versus cochlear implants (CI). Daylong audio recordings were obtained monthly for about a year using a wearable recorder. Conversational turns per hour (CTC/hr) between children with- and without hearing loss and their family members were estimated by automated speech processing. Results indicate that the CI children engaged in fewer CTC/hr with adult caregivers compared to the HA and normal-hearing groups. Initially, a higher CTC/hr between the target child and the adult female was observed compared to the adult male or the other child. With child age, turn taking between the target child and the adult female increased relative to the target child and the adult male. Over time, CTC/hr between the target child and other child exceeded turn taking between others. This increase occurred earlier in families with siblings. Results suggest vocal turn-taking between family members depends on the degree of child hearing loss and relations within the family. Longitudinally, there was a positive effect of assistive device on the quantity of turns.
Analysis of acoustic cue production for atypical speech diagnosis
Authors: Jang Soo Jung , Choi Jeung-Yoon , Shattuck-Hufnagel Stefanie
Published: December 2020

Acoustic cues to lexical distinctive features can be found by examining speech waveform and spectrogram measurements, and can provide a more detailed analysis of speech than is currently provided by methods for identifying atypical speech production. Applying this individual-feature-cue framework to the clinical diagnosis domain, this project analyzes the acoustic cue patterns of young patients with various diagnoses, such as autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, and Specific Language Impairment. It is hypothesized that each group will produce distinctive acoustic cue patterns for a widely used non-word repetition task, C-TOPP. The speech recordings of 37 subjects were labeled with their acoustic cues; these were then aligned with the cues expected in a canonical production, and acoustic cue level discrepancies were identified. With mispronunciation patterns of each atypical group identified, a Support Vector Machine (SVM) model was developed that can computationally help with diagnosing a patient, given his/her speech recording for this task. Although there are limitations to the study's diagnosis model due to the small data set, the preliminary results show promising insights, yielding 75.7% prediction accuracy for the diagnostic group.
Acoustic and articulatory development in deaf and heard of hearing children after pediatric auditory brainstem implantation
Authors: Faes Jolien , Gillis Steven
Published: December 2020

Auditory brainstem implantation (ABI) is still in its infancy in pediatric populations (Puram and Lee, 2015). For children born with a severe-to-profound hearing loss who cannot benefit from cochlear implants (CI), ABI is shown a valid option for (partial) hearing restoration (Sennaroglu et al., 2016). Research has already showed the perceptual benefits after ABI implantation (Sennaroglu et al., 2016). However, fairly little is known about the effect of ABI implantation on speech production development. We aim to study the acoustic and articulatory development of these children in comparison to children with CI and typical hearing. Our design is longitudinal: the spontaneous speech of three cases is recorded monthly up to four years after implantation. Acoustic features of vowels after two years of device use suggest smaller vowel spaces in children with ABI than in children with CI. There is a clear effect on phonological development: the children produce an increasing amount of ambient language phonemes with longer device use and extended vocabulary size. Nevertheless, the children have lower phonological complexity and production (accuracy) then children with CI and typical hearing. Despite the (individual) differences, ABI implantation shows a positive effect on oral language production in children with severe-to-profound hearing loss.
Aspiration in voiceless nasals in Angami
Authors: Terhiija Viyazonuo , Sarmah Priyankoo
Published: December 2020

Angami or Tenyidie is a Tibeto-Burman language spoken in Nagaland, India, with contrasting voiced and voiceless nasals. Voiceless nasals are considered phonological sequences of voiced nasals followed by /h/ and phonetically as voiceless nasals (Bhaskararao and Ladefoged,1991). Using a Nasometer II 6450, we recorded 156 words with voiceless nasal onsets produced by Angami speakers. As the data was in stereo, it enabled us to separate the nasal and the oral channels. The results revealed that the initial 50–100 ms of a voiceless nasal is “nasal only,” exhibited by high amplitude signals in the nasal channel. Afterward, aperiodic oral components appear resembling aspiration, while nasal components continue. Voicelessness in the ‘nasal only' part depends on the context. For instance, /m°ha/, when embedded in the sentence frame as /a m°ha puba/, the nasal only part was fully voiced, and when produced in isolation, it was voiceless. The average nasalance of the aspiration following the nasal only part was higher when produced in isolation. Hence, we conclude, voiceless nasals in Angami are aspirated voiceless nasals, and voicing of the nasals in sentences is due to resyllabification. As [am.ha] with the nasal only part realized as voiced nasal and aspiration as a fricative.
A quantitative study of sound change in progress: The case of Suzhou Wu
Authors: Fei Wenxi , Lee Albert
Published: December 2020

Suzhou Wu is one of the major Chinese varieties and represents the Wu culture. Many researchers have anecdotally noted ongoing sound change of its phonemic and tonal systems. However, the latest investigation remains Ye and Sheng's description (1996). Thus, this study conducted an acoustic analysis on how young (M = 21.63, SD = 0.92) and middle-aged (M = 46.75, SD = 3.77) native speakers produced monosyllables in Suzhou Wu. Four male and four female local Mandarin-Wu bilinguals from each age group (16 speakers in total) were recruited to read 97 Chinese characters covering all phonemes and the 7 tones in the previous Suzhou Wu inventories (Wang, 1987; Ye and Sheng, 1996). Results suggest that there are noticeable acoustic differences between the two age groups in terms of consonants (excluding the lateral approximant [l]), vowels (some monophthongs: [i, a, ã, ˀ], most diphthongs and triphthongs), the tonal patterns (tone 2: low rising, tone 3: high falling). These results not only indicate sound change of Suzhou Wu, but also provide evidence for the age-related divergence which might be attributed to its frequent contact with the official language (Mandarin).
Regionally accented Mandarin lexical tones
Authors: LI Yanping , Best Catherine T. , Tyler Michael D. , Burnham Denis
Published: December 2020

This study investigated tone variations in regionally accented Mandarin (i.e., Standard Mandarin [SM] spoken by native speakers of other regional dialects in China). Yantai, Shanghai, and Guangzhou dialects were selected because their tone systems are different in various ways from the Beijing dialect, which is the basis of the SM tone system. 16 female regional speakers (4 speakers × 4 dialectal regions) were recruited to produce SM monosyllabic words that allow minimal contrasts among the four Mandarin lexical tones (i.e., level, rising, dipping, and falling tones). The overall f0 contours within and across the four regional accents were modelled with growth curve analysis up to second-order orthogonal polynomials. The averaged tone shapes were significantly different within each of the regional accents, indicating that each group of regional Mandarin speakers successfully differentiated the four Mandarin lexical tones. However, the tone shape for each of the non-Beijing groups deviated significantly from Beijing Mandarin in two ways: (1) The quadratic term for the regional accents' dipping tones each differed significantly from Beijing accent; (2) The slopes of the regional accents' rising and falling tones each differed significantly from Beijing accent. These two differences facilitate better understanding of tone variations triggered by regional accents.
Whitening and source enumeration for large underwater arrays
Authors: Diaz-Santos Jose A. , Wage Kathleen E.
Published: December 2020

Source enumeration for underwater arrays typically requires a whitening preprocessing stage due to ocean colored noise. A whitening transform requires the estimation of the noise-only sample covariance matrix (SCM). Estimation of a SCM is a challenging problem for large arrays in nonstationary environments due to the limited number of snapshots available for training. This talk considers a source enumeration method based on the dominant mode rejection (DMR) whitening transform (Diaz-Santos and Wage, 2015), inspired by Abraham and Owsley's DMR beamformer (1990). The DMR whitening transform reduces the number of snapshots required to estimate the noise-only SCM by replacing the small eigenvalues of the SCM with their average. In reduced-snapshot scenarios, replacing zero amplitude eigenvalues makes the SCM invertible. The new source enumeration method based on DMR whitening uses random matrix theory and high dimension, low sample size asymptotics to define a threshold that guarantees a specified probability of false alarm in scenarios where the number of array elements is larger than the number of noise-only snapshots. This talk analyzes the performance of whitened source enumeration method using noise from underwater experiments. [Work supported by ONR and NSWCDD.]
Performance of the median dominant mode rejection beamformer against array element perturbations
Authors: Anchieta David C. , Buck John R.
Published: December 2020

The dominant mode rejection (DMR) beamformer [Abraham and Owsley, OCEANS (1990)] modifies the Capon's minimum variance distortionless response to operate with low rank sample covariance matrices (SCM). The DMR imposes an eigenstructure on the SCM by replacing the eigenvalues of the noise subspace with an estimated noise power. Standard DMR estimates the noise power by averaging the noise subspace eigenvalues. This estimated noise power is negatively biased when the dominant subspace dimension is overestimated. The proposed median DMR estimates the noise power from the median of the noise subspace eigenvalues, based on the Marchenko-Pastur probability distribution. The median estimator is not dependent on the estimated interferer subspace dimension. Simulations demonstrated that the median DMR improves the white noise gain (WNG) when compared to the standard DMR in snapshot deficient scenarios with overestimated interferer subspace dimension. Increased WNG also implies increased robustness to array perturbations [Gilbert and Morgan, BSTJ (1955)]. This work compared the median DMR to standard DMR in simulations with perturbed array element phase responses. The scenario included two interferers and background white noise. The median DMR preserved deeper notches than standard DMR in this scenario, increasing the output signal-to-noise ratio by roughly 1.1 dB. [Work supported by ONR code 321US.]
Understanding the impact of room acoustic conditions on the kurtosis levels of various noise signals
Authors: Spallino William J. , Wang Lily M.
Published: December 2020

Impulsive noise can be common in certain occupational and recreational settings, such as manufacturing plants, construction sites, and firing ranges. While many regulations and guidelines for noise exposure exist, their mathematical basis is stronger for continuous noise, and concerns have been raised that impulsive noise may be more harmful to people's hearing than those metrics would let on. Much work has been done on establishing metrics that accurately assess the severity of risk associated with impulsive noise, and the kurtosis level shows promise. The effects of varying room acoustic conditions on that metric, however, have not been studied in great depth. This paper presents an investigation of how room acoustical properties may change measured kurtosis levels. Impulse responses of four different spaces were measured and used to assess each room's sound absorption and sound scattering properties. Four noise signals (a pure tone, white noise, Laplacian noise, and a series of impulses) were then computer-generated and convolved with each impulse response. The kurtosis level of each convolved signal was then calculated and analyzed with respect to both sound absorption and sound scattering properties. The potential relationships found between the kurtosis level and room acoustical properties are presented for each signal type.
The effect of room acoustics on voice parameters: A systematic review
Authors: Sierra Tomas E. , Nudelman Charles , Cantor Cutiva Lady Catherine , BOTTALICO PASQUALE
Published: December 2020

The purpose of this study was to quantify the relationships between voice parameters and room acoustics. A comprehensive literature search was conducted using PubMed/MEDLINE, Science Direct, and Scopus. Several terms regarding self-reported vocal parameters (vocal fatigue, vocal effort, vocal load, and vocal comfort), as well as possible variants, were included in the search. Also, we included different terms related to room acoustic parameters, such as reverberation time, noise conditions, decay times, room sizes, among others. Finally, a focus group of four experts in the field (current authors) worked together to make conceptual connections and quantify the proposed relationship. In total, 26 publications met the criteria for inclusion. The occurrence and frequency of the most common parameters in the literature are presented, and a quantitative summary of their relationships are reported. The most common journals and proceedings that may be involved in this subject are also pointed out. Through a comprehensive literature search, the most relevant parameters reported are Sound Pressure Level and self-reported vocal assessments for voice parameters, and reverberation time and/or noise conditions for room acoustics. These relationships are quantified and reported while maintaining the concepts as stated in the original articles and outlining their similarities.
Voice intensity changes in artificial acoustics
Authors: Sierra Tomas E. , Bottalico Pasquale , Marzolf Ella J
Published: December 2020

The regulation of speech level is primarily affected by the physiological features of the speaker such as vocal tract size and lung capacity; however, the auditory feedback plays a fundamental role in voice production. The current study examined the effects of room acoustics in an artificial setting on voice production in terms of sound pressure level and the relationship with the perceived vocal comfort and control. Three independent room acoustic parameters were considered: reverberation time, gain (alteration of the sidetone), and background noise. An increase in the sidetone led to a decrease in vocal intensity, thus increasing vocal comfort and vocal control. This effect was consistent in different reverberation times considered. Mid-range reverberation times (T30 ≈ 1.3 seconds) led to a decrease in the vocal intensity along with an increase on vocal comfort and vocal control. The presence of noise amplified the aforementioned effects for the variables analyzed.
Remote acoustic measurement of the velocity within water-immersed gravity-driven granular flows
Authors: Hare Jenna , Hay Alex E.
Published: December 2020

Measuring bedload transport at high spatial and temporal resolution in energetic aqueous environments is challenging. Acoustic remote-sensing technologies are attractive because the measurement can be made without disturbing the mobile bed or the near-bed flow. Of particular interest is the development of broadband MHz-frequency acoustic systems capable of simultaneous measurements of backscatter amplitude and phase at mm-scale range resolution and 100 Hz sampling frequencies. Using such an instrument, we study granular flow in a water-submerged rectangular chute. By releasing sediments in the upstream portion of the chute, a O(1)cm-thick layer of avalanching sediment is produced. Trials were carried out for both erodible and fixed roughness beds. Natural sand and glass beads with median grain sizes ranging from 0.22 to 0.4 mm were used. The thickness of, and velocity profile within, the moving layer were measured using a wide bandwidth coherent Doppler profiler operating at 1.2 MHz. The velocity profiles are compared to estimates made with video imagery through the chute sidewall. The velocities at the sediment-water interface are compared to estimates made with a commercially available Doppler profiler (Vectrino) operating at 10 MHz and with imagery from a submerged video camera.