bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Implicit and Explicit Cognitive Sexual Processes in Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse
Authors: Rellini Alessandra H. , Ing A. David , Meston Cindy M.
Published: June 2011

Introduction

Women with a history of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) exhibit higher rates of sexual dysfunction than nonabused women.

Aim

Because sexual responses are affected by cognitive processes, this study investigated the implicit and explicit cognitive processing of sexual stimuli in women with a history of CSA.

Methods

Women with (CSA; N = 34) and without (no history of abuse [NSA]; N = 22) a history of CSA participated in a quasi-experimental study.

Main Outcome Measure

Implicit processes, described as involuntary or unintentional responses to stimuli, were assessed using the Implicit Association Test (IAT). Explicit processes, described as intentional, voluntary, or effortful processing of sexual stimuli, were assessed through a self-reported questionnaire (Sexual Self-Schema Scale).

Results

Results showed initial evidence of between group differences in the cognitive processing of sexual stimuli. Regarding the implicit processes, women in the NSA group showed that sexual pictures were more strongly associated with positive valence (pleasure) than nonsexual pictures. For the CSA group, neutral and sexual pictures were similarly associated with pleasure. Conversely, for both groups, romantic pictures were more strongly associated with positive valence than sexual pictures. Moreover, sexual satisfaction was predicted by both implicit and explicit processes, suggesting that the sexuality of women is affected by both processes independently.

Conclusions

These results fit within the larger body of literature suggesting that implicit and explicit processes independently predict different aspects of behavior.
Employee voice and regulation in the residential aged care sector
Authors: Kaine Sarah
Published: June 2011

This article examines the interaction of regulation and employee voice in the residential aged care sector. In particular, it considers the regulatory forces shaping the expression of voice in the human services sector through the examination of three aged care providers. It suggests that in a sector characterised by low levels of unionisation and a preponderance of non‐union workplaces, employee voice does not act as a significant regulator of managerial decision‐making, rather a combination of external and internal constraints that regulates the expression of voice. This study identifies the regulatory role of location, labour law and social norms. It also highlights that the importance of these constraints will vary in different organisational contexts and as a consequence of interaction with internal regulation. Such internal regulation is most commonly expressed through the exercise of managerial prerogative.
On the Matter (and Materiality) of the Nation: Interpreting Casamance's Unresolved Separatist Struggle
Authors: Foucher Vincent
Published: June 2011

To understand both the persistence and the very low intensity of the ongoing Casamançais separatist conflict in southern Senegal, one has to take into account the longer history of the encounter between the Senegalese state and the community that the separatists claim to represent. This is not the history of an estrangement, but quite to the contrary, a history of a strong connection, one where ‘pilgrimages’ of education and state employment have played a key role. It is the intensity of the connection that explains both the vivacity of the sentiment that feeds separatism and the reluctance of many Casamançais to break these links entirely. The state's success in maintaining and even revamping this connection, and the fact that many Casamançais enjoy a working relationship with Senegal and its capital city, Dakar, have been key factors. This case confirms that the materiality of experiences of nationhood matters. It also confirms the importance of education in the formation (and contestation) of nationhood.
Becoming Nigerian: African Seamen, Decolonisation, and the Nationalisation of Consciousness
Authors: Schler Lynn
Published: June 2011

This article examines the process of nationalisation in the lives of African seamen in the era of decolonisation in order to understand why some Africans were drawn to nationalist identities at this time, and what they hoped to gain from this identification. It will be seen that in becoming Nigerian, seamen had to forfeit transnational sources of solidarity, and ultimately had to contend with new forms of exclusion and discrimination based on ethnicity and class within the Nigerian national context. The study thus follows the journey of everyday Africans as they sought out and engaged with ideological and political opportunities on the eve of independence, and the consequences of their aspirations and choices.
Rise of the machines – recommendations for ecologists when using next generation sequencing for microsatellite development
Authors: GARDNER MICHAEL G. , FITCH ALISON J. , BERTOZZI TERRY , LOWE ANDREW J.
Published: June 2011

Next generation sequencing is revolutionizing molecular ecology by simplifying the development of molecular genetic markers, including microsatellites. Here, we summarize the results of the large‐scale development of microsatellites for 54 nonmodel species using next generation sequencing and show that there are clear differences amongst plants, invertebrates and vertebrates for the number and proportion of motif types recovered that are able to be utilized as markers. We highlight that the heterogeneity within each group is very large. Despite this variation, we provide an indication of what number of sequences and consequent proportion of a 454 run are required for the development of 40 designable, unique microsatellite loci for a typical molecular ecological study. Finally, to address the challenges of choosing loci from the vast array of microsatellite loci typically available from partial genome runs (average for this study, 2341 loci), we provide a microsatellite development flowchart as a procedural guide for application once the results of a partial genome run are obtained.
Predictive genetic testing in children: The need for psychological research
Authors: Michie Susan , Marteau Theresa M.
Published: June 2011

Recent advances in molecular genetics have led to the ability to test individuals for an increasing range of genetic diseases and conditions that may not become apparent until later life. There are a variety of views among health professionals about the desirability of offering predictive genetic testing to children, as reflected in a variety of clinical practices. Little is known about the views of parents and children on this matter. Similarly, little is known about the ability of children to make informed decisions about such tests, and the psychological consequences of testing for children and their families. This article reviews research that is relevant to these questions and highlights the areas in which studies are urgently needed.
Validation of the IES as a measure of the long‐term impact of war trauma
Authors: Robbins I. , Hunt N.
Published: June 2011

This study aimed to validate the Impact of Event Scale (IES) using a sample of Second World War and Korean War veterans (N = 281), all of whom had experienced combat 40–50 years previously. Principal component analysis replicated the two‐factor (intrusion and avoidance) structure demonstrated by previous validation studies. Both factors had high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha for intrusion = .86, avoidance = .73). The correlation between the subscales was .64. The overall scale successfully predicted levels of psychological distress. These results provide further evidence that the IES is a useful instrument for assessing the impact of trauma across a range of populations.
Unwanted sexual experience and female urinary incontinence
Authors: Hunt Jen , Moss Jude
Published: June 2011

A small study was undertaken to examine the relationship between urinary symptoms, unwanted sexual experiences, psychological disturbance and sexual adjustment in incontinent women, using standardized measures. Subjects scored highly on all measures. Patients reported a high incidence of rape/attempted rape. Suggestions are made for further research.
Prevalence and correlates of anomalous experiences in a large non‐clinical sample
Authors: Pechey Rachel , Halligan Peter
Published: June 2011

Background. Anomalous experiences occur in many psychiatric conditions, but are also reported by non‐patients. Given the continuum account of psychiatric symptoms and reports of dissociation between delusions and anomalous experiences, we predicted that anomalous experiences in a large non‐clinical sample would (1) associate with delusion‐like beliefs but not with socio‐cultural beliefs and (2) that anomalous experiences would also show examples of dissociation with anomalous beliefs. A particular focus was the association between beliefs and experiences theoretically predicted to co‐occur in Capgras syndrome.

Methods. The study examined the distribution and correlates of differential levels of self‐reported anomalous experience in a British sample of 1,000 individuals.

Results. Anomalous experiences were found to be relatively common in the general population and were reported (occurring sometimes/often) by 48% of the sample. Being female and endorsing a non‐Christian religion were the only two demographic factors related to higher experience scores. Significant relationships were found between anomalous experiences and anomalous beliefs (i.e., delusion‐like and paranormal/religious), but not general societal beliefs. Dissociations between anomalous experiences and anomalous beliefs also were present but not common. No significant relationship was found between Capgras‐type beliefs and experiences.

Conclusions. This large scale study demonstrated significant association between anomalous experiences and anomalous beliefs in the general population. The relationship was not, however present in all cases similar to cases reported in the clinical literature.
A Review of the Implications of Silica in Solid Oxide Fuel Cells
Authors: Lankin Michael , Du Yanhai , Finnerty Caine
Published: June 2011

Silica is a well-known impurity in solid oxide fuel cell raw materials, namely NiO and yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ). At elevated temperatures silica will migrate to the grain boundaries, form insulating siliceous phases, and lead to a decrease in the ionic conductivity of the electrolyte. Furthermore, silica impurities have been shown to damage the anode/electrolyte interface, such that an overall decrease in cell performance and long-term stability is observed. Despite the fact that silica is ubiquitous in commercial-grade raw materials and can be incorporated from several extrinsic sources, it has negative effects on the solid oxide fuel cell, such that any further contamination should be avoided to prevent performance degradation and eventual cell failure. This paper reviews and outlines the sources and effects of silica on the solid oxide fuel cell, and attempts to determine a guideline for acceptable levels of silica contamination.
Entropy Generation in a Boundary Layer Transitioning Under the Influence of Freestream Turbulence
Authors: Walsh Edmond J. , Mc Eligot Donald M. , Brandt Luca , Schlatter Phillip
Published: June 2011

The objective of the present research is to develop new fundamental knowledge of the entropy generation process in laminar flow with significant fluctuations (called pre-transition) and during transition prematurely induced by strong freestream turbulence (bypass transition). Results of direct numerical simulations are employed. In the pre-transitional boundary layer, the perturbations by the streaky structures modify the mean velocity profile and induce a “quasi-turbulent” contribution to indirect dissipation. Application of classical laminar theory leads to underprediction of the entropy generated. In the transition region the pointwise entropy generation rate (S′′′)+ initially increases near the wall and then decreases to correspond to the distribution predicted for a fully-turbulent boundary layer as the flow progresses downstream. In contrast to a developed turbulent flow, the term for turbulent convection in the turbulence kinetic energy balance is significant and can play an important role in some regions of the transitioning boundary layer. More turbulent energy is produced than dissipated and the excess is convected downstream as the boundary layer grows. Since it is difficult to measure and predict true turbulent dissipation rates (and hence, entropy generation rates) exactly other than by expensive direct numerical simulations, a motivation for this research is to evaluate approximate methods for possible use in experiments and design. These new results demonstrate that an approximate technique, used by many investigators, overestimates the dissipation coefficient Cd by up to seventeen per cent. For better predictions and measurements, an integral approach accounting for the important turbulent energy flux is proposed and validated for the case studied.
A Methodology for Creating Shape Rules During Product Design
Authors: Oster Adam , McCormack Jay
Published: June 2011

Shape grammars provide the means to represent the physical embodiment of a class of products in a set of generative rules. Once developed, the shape grammar can be used to generate new forms through automated synthesis or interaction by one or more designers. Creating the shape rules has been most often performed after the design process by examining existing designs. Furthermore, the approach to create a set of rules from an existing set of products was usually an ad hoc process of generalizing form, identifying feature options, and classifying logical subdivisions of the complete product geometry. This paper proposes a more explicit method of shape grammar creation, that is, aligned with well-known design methodologies in order to enable the creation of a shape grammar during the new product development process. The established methodology for function first design and design exploration provides many of the requisite steps for creating a shape grammar, connecting customer requirements and constraints to product form and provides a skeleton onto which a rule creation approach is mapped. An example is included in which the proposed methodology is used to create a shape grammar that represents the internal components of a bladeless slurry pump in order to support design exploration driven by simulation and experimentation.
Simulation of Mechanical Environment in Active Lead Fixation: Effect of Fixation Helix Size
Authors: Zhao Xuefeng , Wenk Jonathan F. , Burger Mike , Liu Yi , Das Mithilesh K. , Combs William , Ge Liang , Guccione Julius M. , Kassab Ghassan S.
Published: June 2011

The risk of myocardial penetration due to active-fixation screw-in type pacing leads has been reported to increase as the helix electrodes become smaller. In order to understand the contributing factors for lead penetration, we conducted finite element analyses of acute myocardial micro-damage induced by a pacemaker lead screw-in helix electrode. We compared the propensity for myocardial micro-damage of seven lead designs including a baseline model, three modified designs with various helix wire cross-sectional diameters, and three modified designs with different helix diameters. The comparisons show that electrodes with a smaller helix wire diameter cause more severe micro-damage to the myocardium in the early stage. The damage severity, represented by the volume of failed elements, is roughly the same in the middle stage, whereas in the later stage the larger helix wire diameter generally causes more severe damage. The onset of myocardial damage is not significantly affected by the helix diameter. As the helix diameter increases, however, the extent of myocardial damage increases accordingly. The present findings identified several of the major risk factors for myocardial damage whose consideration for lead use and design might improve acute and chronic lead performance.
Contact Pressure in the Facet Joint During Sagittal Bending of the Cadaveric Cervical Spine
Authors: Jaumard Nicolas V. , Bauman Joel A. , Weisshaar Christine L. , Guarino Benjamin B. , Welch William C. , Winkelstein Beth A.
Published: June 2011

The facet joint contributes to the normal biomechanical function of the spine by transmitting loads and limiting motions via articular contact. However, little is known about the contact pressure response for this joint. Such information can provide a quantitative measure of the facet joint’s local environment. The objective of this study was to measure facet pressure during physiologic bending in the cervical spine, using a joint capsule-sparing technique. Flexion and extension bending moments were applied to six human cadaveric cervical spines. Global motions (C2-T1) were defined using infra-red cameras to track markers on each vertebra. Contact pressure in the C5-C6 facet was also measured using a tip-mounted pressure transducer inserted into the joint space through a hole in the postero-inferior region of the C5 lateral mass. Facet contact pressure increased by 67.6 ± 26.9 kPa under a 2.4 Nm extension moment and decreased by 10.3 ± 9.7 kPa under a 2.7 Nm flexion moment. The mean rotation of the overall cervical specimen motion segments was 9.6 ± 0.8° and was 1.6 ± 0.7° for the C5-C6 joint, respectively, for extension. The change in pressure during extension was linearly related to both the change in moment (51.4 ± 42.6 kPa/Nm) and the change in C5-C6 angle (18.0 ± 108.9 kPa/deg). Contact pressure in the inferior region of the cervical facet joint increases during extension as the articular surfaces come in contact, and decreases in flexion as the joint opens, similar to reports in the lumbar spine despite the difference in facet orientation in those spinal regions. Joint contact pressure is linearly related to both sagittal moment and spinal rotation. Cartilage degeneration and the presence of meniscoids may account for the variation in the pressure profiles measured during physiologic sagittal bending. This study shows that cervical facet contact pressure can be directly measured with minimal disruption to the joint and is the first to provide local pressure values for the cervical joint in a cadaveric model.
Rupture of anterior cruciate ligament monitored by acoustic emission
Authors: Aggelis D. G. , Paschos N. K. , Barkoula N. M. , Paipetis A. S. , Matikas T. E. , Georgoulis A. D.
Published: June 2011

The scope of this study is to relate the acoustic emission (AE) during rupture of human soft tissue (anterior cruciate ligament, ACL) to the mechanisms leading to its failure. The cumulative AE activity highlights the onset of serious damage, while other parameters, show repeatable tendencies, being well correlated with the tissue’s mechanical behavior. The frequency content of AE signals increases throughout the experiment, while other indices characterize between different modes of failure. Results of this preliminary study show that AE can shed light into the failure process of this tissue, and provide useful data on the ACL reconstruction.
Human cochlear tuning estimates from stimulus-frequency otoacoustic emissions
Authors: Bentsen Thomas , Harte James M. , Dau Torsten
Published: June 2011

Two objective measures of human cochlear tuning, using stimulus-frequency otoacoustic emissions (SFOAE), have been proposed. One measure used SFOAE phase-gradient delay and the other two-tone suppression (2TS) tuning curves. Here, it is hypothesized that the two measures lead to different frequency functions in the same listener. Two experiments were conducted in ten young adult normal-hearing listeners in three frequency bands (1-2 kHz, 3-4 kHz and 5-6 kHz). Experiment 1 recorded SFOAE latency as a function of stimulus frequency, and experiment 2 recorded 2TS iso-input tuning curves. In both cases, the output was converted into a sharpness-of-tuning factor based on the equivalent rectangular bandwidth. In both experiments, sharpness-of-tuning curves were shown to be frequency dependent, yielding sharper relative tuning with increasing frequency. Only a weak frequency dependence of the sharpness-of-tuning curves was observed for experiment 2, consistent with objective and behavioural estimates from the literature. Most importantly, the absolute difference between the two tuning estimates was very large and statistically significant. It is argued that the 2TS estimates of cochlear tuning likely represents the underlying properties of the suppression mechanism, and not necessarily cochlear tuning. Thus the phase-gradient delay estimate is the most likely one to reflect cochlear tuning.
Speech recognition in noise with active and passive hearing protectors: A comparative study
Authors: Bockstael Annelies , De Coensel Bert , Botteldooren Dick , D’Haenens Wendy , Keppler Hannah , Maes Leen , Philips Birgit , Swinnen Freya , Bart Vinck
Published: June 2011

The perceived negative influence of standard hearing protectors on communication is a common argument for not wearing them. Thus, “augmented” protectors have been developed to improve speech intelligibility. Nevertheless, their actual benefit remains a point of concern. In this paper, speech perception with active earplugs is compared to standard passive custom-made earplugs. The two types of active protectors included amplify the incoming sound with a fixed level or to a user selected fraction of the maximum safe level. For the latter type, minimal and maximal amplification are selected. To compare speech intelligibility, 20 different speech-in-noise fragments are presented to 60 normal-hearing subjects and speech recognition is scored. The background noise is selected from realistic industrial noise samples with different intensity, frequency, and temporal characteristics. Statistical analyses suggest that the protectors’ performance strongly depends on the noise condition. The active protectors with minimal amplification outclass the others for the most difficult and the easiest situations, but they also limit binaural listening. In other conditions, the passive protectors clearly surpass their active counterparts. Subsequently, test fragments are analyzed acoustically to clarify the results. This provides useful information for developing prototypes, but also indicates that tests with human subjects remain essential.
Near field acoustic holography with microphones on a rigid sphere (L)
Authors: Jacobsen Finn , Moreno-Pescador Guillermo , Fernandez-Grande Efren , Hald Jørgen
Published: June 2011

Spherical near field acoustic holography (spherical NAH) is a technique that makes it possible to reconstruct the sound field inside and just outside a spherical surface on which the sound pressure is measured with an array of microphones. This is potentially very useful for source identification. The sphere can be acoustically transparent or it can be rigid. A rigid sphere is somewhat more practical than an open sphere. However, spherical NAH based on a rigid sphere is only valid if it can be assumed that the sphere has a negligible influence on the incident sound field, and this is not necessarily a good assumption when the sphere is very close to a radiating surface. This Letter examines the matter through simulations and experiments.
Separation of sperm whale click-trains for multipath rejection
Authors: Baggenstoss Paul M.
Published: June 2011

In this paper an algorithm is described for grouping sperm whale clicks received at a single hydrophone into click-trains associated with a given whale and propagation path. To accomplish this, features are extracted from pairs of clicks in order to derive a statistical measure of click similarity. Then, the algorithm maximizes a global measure of similarity between the associated clicks. In addition to grouping clicks according to click-trains, it classifies click-trains into a propagation path (direct, surface, bottom reverberation). The propagation path is identified using a combination of (1) a statistical classifier operating on features extracted from individual clicks and (2) the cross-correlation of click-trains to identify the relative time delays. The algorithm is demonstrated on at-sea recorded data, showing the elimination of time-delay ambiguities associated with the reverberation paths observed at sensor pairs.
Extraction of small boat harmonic signatures from passive sonar
Authors: Ogden George L. , Zurk Lisa M. , Jones Mark E. , Peterson Mary E.
Published: June 2011

This paper investigates the extraction of acoustic signatures from small boats using a passive sonar system. Noise radiated from a small boats consists of broadband noise and harmonically related tones that correspond to engine and propeller specifications. A signal processing method to automatically extract the harmonic structure of noise radiated from small boats is developed. The Harmonic Extraction and Analysis Tool (HEAT) estimates the instantaneous fundamental frequency of the harmonic tones, refines the fundamental frequency estimate using a Kalman filter, and automatically extracts the amplitudes of the harmonic tonals to generate a harmonic signature for the boat. Results are presented that show the HEAT algorithms ability to extract these signatures.
Cetacean population density estimation from single fixed sensors using passive acoustics
Authors: Küsel Elizabeth T. , Mellinger David K. , Thomas Len , Marques Tiago A. , Moretti David , Ward Jessica
Published: June 2011

Passive acoustic methods are increasingly being used to estimate animal population density. Most density estimation methods are based on estimates of the probability of detecting calls as functions of distance. Typically these are obtained using receivers capable of localizing calls or from studies of tagged animals. However, both approaches are expensive to implement. The approach described here uses a MonteCarlo model to estimate the probability of detecting calls from single sensors. The passive sonar equation is used to predict signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) of received clicks, which are then combined with a detector characterization that predicts probability of detection as a function of SNR. Input distributions for source level, beam pattern, and whale depth are obtained from the literature. Acoustic propagation modeling is used to estimate transmission loss. Other inputs for density estimation are call rate, obtained from the literature, and false positive rate, obtained from manual analysis of a data sample. The method is applied to estimate density of Blainville’s beaked whales over a 6-day period around a single hydrophone located in the Tongue of the Ocean, Bahamas. Results are consistent with those from previous analyses, which use additional tag data.
A k-space Green’s function solution for acoustic initial value problems in homogeneous media with power law absorption
Authors: Treeby Bradley E. , Cox B. T.
Published: June 2011

An efficient Green’s function solution for acoustic initial value problems in homogeneous media with power law absorption is derived. The solution is based on the homogeneous wave equation for lossless media with two additional terms. These terms are dependent on the fractional Laplacian and separately account for power law absorption and dispersion. Given initial conditions for the pressure and its temporal derivative, the solution allows the pressure field for any time t>0 to be calculated in a single step using the Fourier transform and an exact k-space time propagator. For regularly spaced Cartesian grids, the former can be computed efficiently using the fast Fourier transform. Because no time stepping is required, the solution facilitates the efficient computation of the pressure field in one, two, or three dimensions without stability constraints. Several computational aspects of the solution are discussed, including the effect of using a truncated Fourier series to represent discrete initial conditions, the use of smoothing, and the properties of the encapsulated absorption and dispersion.
Characterization of a fiber-optic displacement sensor for measurements in high-intensity focused ultrasound fields
Authors: Haller Julian , Wilkens Volker , Jenderka Klaus-Vitold , Koch Christian
Published: June 2011

A fiber-optic sensor is presented that is capable of measuring the particle displacement in high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) fields. For this probe, a secondary calibration was performed, and the resulting complex frequency response is discussed. As a first practical application, the setup was used to measure the pressure in the field of a weakly focusing ultrasound transducer. The result is compared with that of a membrane hydrophone measurement. The feasibility of measurements in HIFU fields is demonstrated by means of measurements of the spatial distribution of the peak particle velocity within the focus of a HIFU transducer and of the dependence of the peak values on the acoustical power level.
Frequency shifts with age in click-evoked otoacoustic emissions of preterm infants
Authors: Ubbink Sander W. J. , van Dijk Pim , de Kleine Emile , Brienesse Patrick , Chenault Michelene N. , Tan Frans E. S. , Anteunis Lucien J. C.
Published: June 2011

A previous study [Brienesse et al. (1997). Pediatr. Res. 42, 478–483] demonstrated a positive shift with increasing postmenstrual age (PMA) in the frequencies of synchronized spontaneous otoacoustic emissions (SSOAEs) in preterm infants. We used a mixed model approach to describe a shift with PMA in the spectra of click-evoked otoacoustic emissions (CEOAEs) measured in a group of 22 preterm infants. The rate in shift in CEOAE spectral components was found to be frequency dependent, with a mean estimate of 10 Hz/week for frequencies around 2 kHz and 30 Hz/week for frequencies around 4.25 kHz. This rate decreased with increasing PMA. Because SSOAEs are often part of the CEOAE response, a comparison was made between the shifts in SSOAEs and CEOAEs in a sub-group of 16 preterm infants. The results indicate that the shifts found for both types of OAE are similar, which supports a common mechanism for this change in OAE-characteristic. At present it is not clear to what extent developmental processes in the cochlea and the middle ear can account for these frequency shifts in the spectra of CEOAEs and SSOAEs during the preterm period.
Two regimes of the parametrically self-exciting ultrasonic standing waves
Authors: Goldberg Zinoviy , Goldberg Iliya , Goldberg Alexander
Published: June 2011

This paper discusses a nonlinear multi-wave mechanism for the parametrically self-exciting standing waves in a plane-parallel liquid layer driven at one end of the layer. The dependence of this process on the number of parametrically self-exciting waves and the frequency detuning between the frequency “f” of the pump wave and the nearest natural frequency are analyzed. It is found that two regimes with different thresholds are possible. One of them is characterized by self-exciting subharmonic frequencies close to f/2 and the second has a much lower threshold and the presence of a self-exciting subharmonic at a frequency near to the smallest natural frequency. Three dimensionless parameters determining each regime are introduced.
Temporal modulation transfer functions for listeners with real and simulated hearing loss
Authors: Desloge Joseph G. , Reed Charlotte M. , Braida Louis D. , Perez Zachary D. , Delhorne Lorraine A.
Published: June 2011

A functional simulation of hearing loss was evaluated in its ability to reproduce the temporal modulation transfer functions (TMTFs) for nine listeners with mild to profound sensorineural hearing loss. Each hearing loss was simulated in a group of three age-matched normal-hearing listeners through spectrally shaped masking noise or a combination of masking noise and multiband expansion. TMTFs were measured for both groups of listeners using a broadband noise carrier as a function of modulation rate in the range 2 to 1024 Hz. The TMTFs were fit with a lowpass filter function that provided estimates of overall modulation-depth sensitivity and modulation cutoff frequency. Although the simulations were capable of accurately reproducing the threshold elevations of the hearing-impaired listeners, they were not successful in reproducing the TMTFs. On average, the simulations resulted in lower sensitivity and higher cutoff frequency than were observed in the TMTFs of the hearing-impaired listeners. Discrepancies in performance between listeners with real and simulated hearing loss are possibly related to inaccuracies in the simulation of recruitment.
Effects of stimulation configurations on place pitch discrimination in cochlear implants
Authors: Kwon Bomjun J. , Perry Trevor T. , Olmstead Vauna L.
Published: June 2011

The present study aimed to examine the effect of electrode configuration, specifically monopolar (MP) or bipolar (BP) stimulation, on place pitch discrimination in cochlear implants (CIs). Twelve subjects implanted with the Nucleus Freedom device were presented with various pairs of stimulation across the electrode array, with varying degrees of distance between stimulation sites, and asked to judge the higher of the two in pitch. Each pair was presented either in the same mode or in different modes of stimulation for the within-mode or across-mode condition, respectively, at least 20 times. The result of the within-mode condition revealed that subjects, on average, were able to discriminate pitches significantly better in MP than in BP, with the sensitivity index (d′) for adjacent channels of 1.2 for MP and 0.8 for BP. The result of the across-mode condition revealed that while individual variability existed, there was a strong tendency for CI subjects to perceive a higher pitch in BP stimulation than in MP for a similar site of stimulation. In other words, an MP channel needed to be shifted in a basal direction by as much as two electrodes on average to elicit a pitch comparable to that of a BP channel.
Reflection and transmission of plane waves from a fluid-porous piezoelectric solid interface
Authors: Vashishth Anil K. , Gupta Vishakha
Published: June 2011

The reflection and transmission of plane waves from a fluid-porous piezoelectric solid interface is studied. The porous piezoelectric solid, having 6 mm symmetry, is supposed to be filled with viscous fluid. The expressions for amplitude ratios and energy ratios corresponding to reflected wave and transmitted waves are derived analytically. The Christoffel equation of a leaky wave propagating along the surface of a porous piezoelectric solid is derived. The effects of the angle of incidence, frequency, porosity, piezoelectric interaction, and anisotropy on the reflected and transmitted energy ratios are studied numerically for a particular model BaTiO3. The porous piezoelectric solid half space is assumed to be loaded with water. The effects of porosity and frequency on the leaky wave velocity are also studied.
Theoretical and numerical calculations for the time-averaged acoustic force and torque acting on a rigid cylinder of arbitrary size in a low viscosity fluid
Authors: Wang Jingtao , Dual Jurg
Published: June 2011

In this paper, theoretical calculations as well as numerical simulations are performed for the time-averaged acoustic force and torque on a rigid cylinder of arbitrary size in a fluid with low viscosity, i.e., the acoustic boundary layer is thin compared to the cylinder radius. An exact analytical solution and its approximation are proposed in the form of an infinite series including Bessel functions. These solutions can be evaluated easily by a mathematical software package such as mathematica and matlab. Three types of incident waves, plane traveling wave, plane standing wave, and dual orthogonal standing waves, are investigated in detail. It is found that for a small particle, the viscous effects for an incident standing wave may be neglected but those for an incident traveling wave are notable. A nonzero viscous torque is experienced by the rigid cylinder when subjected to dual orthogonal standing waves with a phase shift even when the cylinder is located at equilibrium positions without imposed acoustic forces. Furthermore, numerical simulations are carried out based on the FVM algorithm to verify the proposed theoretical formulas. The theoretical results and the numerical ones agree with each other very well in all the cases considered.
Evaluation of similarity effects in informational masking
Authors: Lee Thomas Y. , Richards Virginia M.
Published: June 2011

The degree of similarity between signal and masker in informational masking paradigms has been hypothesized to contribute to informational masking. The present study attempted to quantify “similarity” using a discrimination task. Listeners discriminated various signal stimuli from a multitone complex and then detected the presence of those signals embedded in a multitone informational masker. Discriminability negatively correlated with detection threshold in an informational masking experiment, indicating that similarity between signal and the masker quality contributed to informational masking. These results suggest a method for specifying relevant signal attributes in informational masking paradigms involving similarity manipulations.
Solving the Sisyphean Problem of Malaria in Zanzibar
Authors: Smith David L. , Cohen Justin M. , Moonen Bruno , Tatem Andrew J. , Sabot Oliver J. , Ali Abdullah , Mugheiry Sultan M.
Published: June 2011

Whether for “elimination” or “control,” strategies for fighting malaria require sustained funding to be effective.
Addressing the Ethical Dimension
A Perfect Moral Storm
The Ethical Tragedy of Climate Change

by Stephen M. Gardiner

Oxford University Press, New York, 2011. 507 pp. $35, £22.50. ISBN 9780195379440. Environmental Ethics and Science Policy.
Authors: Moss Jeremy
Published: June 2011

Describing how a convergence of factors has greatly expanded the challenges we face, Moss argues for the crucial importance of ethics in considerations of how to respond to anthropogenic climate change.
Plants Get Hyp to O-Glycosylation
Authors: Mohnen Debra , Tierney Mary L.
Published: June 2011

The polarized growth of plant root hair cells requires specific glycosylation of proteins in the plant cell wall.
Classical Swine Fever Virus NproLimits Type I Interferon Induction in Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells by Interacting with Interferon Regulatory Factor 7
Authors: Fiebach Ana R. , Guzylack-Piriou Laurence , Python Sylvie , Summerfield Artur , Ruggli Nicolas
Published: June 2011

Viruses are detected by different classes of pattern recognition receptors that lead to the activation of interferon regulatory factors (IRF) and consequently to the induction of alpha/beta interferon (IFN-α/β). In turn, efficient viral strategies to escape the type I IFN-induced antiviral mechanisms have evolved. Previous studies established that pestivirus Nproantagonizes the early innate immune response by targeting the transcription factor IRF3 for proteasomal degradation. Here, we report that Nproof classical swine fever virus (CSFV) interacts also with IRF7, another mediator of type I IFN induction. We demonstrate that the Zn-binding domain of Nprois essential for the interaction of Nprowith IRF7. For IRF3 and IRF7, the DNA-binding domain, the central region, and most of the regulatory domain are required for the interaction with Npro. Importantly, the induction of IRF7-dependent type I IFN responses in plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDC) is reduced after wild-type CSFV infection compared with infection with virus mutants unable to interact with IRF7. This is associated with lower levels of IRF7 in pDC. Consequently, wild-type but not Npromutant CSFV-infected pDC show reduced responses to other stimuli. Taken together, the results of this study show that CSFV Nprois capable of manipulating the function of IRF7 in pDC and provides the virus with an additional strategy to circumvent the innate defense.
The Cytoplasmic Domain of Marburg Virus GP Modulates Early Steps of Viral Infection
Authors: Mittler Eva , Kolesnikova Larissa , Hartlieb Bettina , Davey Robert , Becker Stephan
Published: June 2011

Marburg virus infection is mediated by the only viral surface protein, GP, a trimeric type I transmembrane protein. While its ectodomain mediates receptor binding and fusion of viral and cellular membranes and its transmembrane domain is essential for the recruitment of GP into budding particles by the matrix protein VP40, the role of the short cytoplasmic domain has remained enigmatic. Here we show that a missing cytoplasmic domain did not impair trimerization, intracellular transport, or incorporation of GP into infectious Marburg virus-like particles (iVLPs) but altered the glycosylation pattern as well as the recognition of GP by neutralizing antibodies. These results suggest that subtle conformational changes took place in the ectodomain. To investigate the function of the cytoplasmic domain during viral entry, a novel entry assay was established to monitor the uptake of filamentous VLPs by measuring the occurrence of luciferase-labeled viral nucleocapsids in the cytosol of target cells. This quantitative assay showed that the entry process of VLPs incorporating GP missing its cytoplasmic domain (GPΔCD) was impaired. Supporting these results, iVLPs incorporating a mutant GP missing its cytoplasmic domain were significantly less infectious than iVLPs containing wild-type GP. Taken together, the data indicate that the absence of the short cytoplasmic domain of Marburg virus GP may induce conformational changes in the ectodomain which impact the filoviral entry process.
Identification of Deletion Mutant Respiratory Syncytial Virus Strains Lacking Most of the G Protein in Immunocompromised Children with Pneumonia in South Africa
Authors: Venter Marietjie , van Niekerk Stephanie , Rakgantso Andronica , Bent Nicola
Published: June 2011

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) G protein deletion mutants replicate effectively
in vitro
but have not been detected in nature. Subtyping of RSV strains in hospitalized children in South Africa identified G protein PCR amplicons significantly reduced in size in 2 out of 209 clinical specimens screened over 4 years. Sequence analysis revealed subtype B strains lacking nearly the entire G protein ectodomain in one HIV-positive and one HIV-exposed child hospitalized with pneumonia. The association of clinical strains lacking most of the G protein with lower respiratory tract infection in immunocompromised children may have implications for RSV vaccine development.
The Cellular RNA Helicase UAP56 Is Required for Prevention of Double-Stranded RNA Formation during Influenza A Virus Infection
Authors: Wisskirchen Christian , Ludersdorfer Thomas H. , Müller Dominik A. , Moritz Eva , Pavlovic Jovan
Published: June 2011

The cellular DEAD box RNA helicase UAP56 plays a pivotal role in the efficient transcription/replication of influenza A virus. UAP56 is recruited by the nucleoprotein (NP) of influenza A viruses, and recent data revealed that the RNA helicase is required for the nuclear export of a subset of spliced and unspliced viral mRNAs. The fact that influenza viruses do not produce detectable amounts of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) intermediates during transcription/replication suggests the involvement of cellular RNA helicases. Hence, we examined whether the RNA-unwinding activity of UAP56 or its paralog URH49 plays a role in preventing the accumulation of dsRNA during infection. First, our data showed that not only UAP56 but also its paralog URH49 can interact with NPs of avian and human influenza A viruses. The small interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated depletion of either RNA helicase reduced the transport of M1 and hemagglutinin (HA) mRNAs and, to a lesser extent, NP and NS1 mRNAs into the cytoplasm. Moreover, we found that virus infection of UAP56-depleted cells leads to the rapid accumulation of dsRNA in the perinuclear region. In parallel, we observed a robust virus-mediated activation of dsRNA-dependent protein kinase R (PKR), indicating that the cellular RNA helicase UAP56 may be recruited by influenza virus to prevent dsRNA formation. The accumulation of dsRNA was blocked when actinomycin D or cycloheximide was used to inhibit viral transcription/replication or translation, respectively. In summary, we demonstrate that UAP56 is utilized by influenza A viruses to prevent the formation of dsRNA and, hence, the activation of the innate immune response.
In Vitro
Whole-Virus Binding of a Norovirus Genogroup II Genotype 4 Strain to Cells of the Lamina Propria and Brunner's Glands in the Human Duodenum
Authors: Chan Martin Chi-Wai , Ho Wing-Shan , Sung Joseph Jao-Yiu
Published: June 2011

Human norovirus (hNoV) remains refractory to propagation in cell culture systems. We believe that knowing the exact cell type that hNoV targets will provide important insights into culturing the virus. By the use of an
in vitro
whole-virus binding assay, the hNoV genogroup II genotype 4 Sakai variant was found to bind predominantly to cells of the lamina propria and Brunner's glands, but not to those of the luminal epithelial surface, of human duodenum tissue. Our findings, together with accumulating evidence reported elsewhere, suggest that hNoV may display tropism to nonepithelial cells, which is distinct from observations of other human enteric pathogens.
Structural equation models in occupational health: an application to exposure modelling
Authors: Davis Mary E
Published: June 2011

Objectives

Many occupational hygiene surveys are designed to collect pollutant monitoring data from multiple locations simultaneously to better reflect the reality of work-related exposure. The exposure model must account for the complexity inherent in this study design, as well as be flexible to extrapolating exposures across an occupational cohort for dose–response modelling and risk assessment. This paper explores the structural equation model (SEM) as a tool to analyse pollutant monitoring data from occupational studies with multiple concurrent sampling across exposure locations.

Methods

This study uses exposure data from a comprehensive assessment of diesel exhaust in the US trucking industry to test the strength of SEMs over more standard analytical approaches such as ordinary least squares (OLS). The exposure data consist of concurrent sampling of elemental carbon from multiple co-located monitors on individual workers, work area and background levels at 36 different trucking terminals across the USA.

Results

The SEM is compared with two separate OLS specifications—one that focuses only on predicting personal exposure and excludes data from the additional monitoring sites, and a second that estimates three separate OLS specifications. When compared with the OLS specifications, the SEM provided a better fit to these layered exposure data. The OLS specifications suffered from bias in the coefficients, including downward bias in the work area and background exposure levels and overstatement of the smoking effect. Additionally, many theoretically valid covariates were significant only in the SEM.

Conclusions

This study provides evidence in favour of more widespread use of SEMs in occupational health. SEMs represent a more robust and realistic framework for modelling multiple exposure pathways and have the potential to reduce exposure misclassification bias and strengthen the linkages between studies of exposure and disease outcomes.