bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Exploratory Analysis of the Transient and Long‐Term Behavior of Small Three‐Dimensional Perturbations in the Circular Cylinder Wake
Authors: Scarsoglio S. , Tordella D. , Criminale W. O.
Published: July 2009

An initial‐value problem (IVP) for arbitrary small three‐dimensional vorticity perturbations imposed on a free shear flow is considered. The viscous perturbation equations are then combined in terms of the vorticity and velocity, and are solved by means of a combined Laplace–Fourier transform in the plane normal to the basic flow. The perturbations can be uniform or damped along the mean flow direction. This treatment allows for a simplification of the governing equations such that it is possible to observe long transients, which can last hundreds time scales. This result would not be possible over an acceptable lapse of time by carrying out a direct numerical integration of the linearized Navier–Stokes equations. The exploration is done with respect to physical inputs as the angle of obliquity, the symmetry of the perturbation, and the streamwise damping rate. The base flow is an intermediate section of the growing two‐dimensional circular cylinder wake where the entrainment process is still active. Two Reynolds numbers of the order of the critical value for the onset of the first instability are considered. The early transient evolution offers very different scenarios for which we present a summary for particular cases. For example, for amplified perturbations, we have observed two kinds of transients, namely (1) a monotone amplification and (2) a sequence of growth–decrease–final growth. In the latter case, if the initial condition is an asymmetric oblique or longitudinal perturbation, the transient clearly shows an initial oscillatory time scale. That increases moving downstream, and is different from the asymptotic value. Two periodic temporal patterns are thus present in the system. Furthermore, the more a perturbation is longitudinally confined, the more it is amplified in time. The long‐term behavior of two‐dimensional disturbances shows excellent agreement with a recent two‐dimensional spatio‐temporal multiscale model analysis and with laboratory data concerning the frequency and wave length of the parallel vortex shedding in the cylinder wake.
Exactly Solvable Model for Nonlinear Pulse Propagation in Optical Fibers
Authors: Lenells Jonatan
Published: July 2009

The nonlinear Schrödinger (NLS) equation is a fundamental model for the nonlinear propagation of light pulses in optical fibers. We consider an integrable generalization of the NLS equation, which was first derived by means of bi‐Hamiltonian methods in [1]. The purpose of the present paper is threefold: (a) We show how this generalized NLS equation arises as a model for nonlinear pulse propagation in monomode optical fibers when certain higher‐order nonlinear effects are taken into account; (b) We show that the equation is equivalent, up to a simple change of variables, to the first negative member of the integrable hierarchy associated with the derivative NLS equation; (c) We analyze traveling‐wave solutions.
Effect of carvacrol on hepatic marker enzymes and antioxidant status in d‐galactosamine‐induced hepatotoxicity in rats
Authors: Aristatile Balakrishnan , Al‐Numair Khalid S. , Veeramani Chinnadurai , Pugalendi Kodukkur Viswanathan
Published: July 2009

Carvacrol (2‐methyl‐5‐(1‐methylethyl)‐phenol) is a predominant monoterpenic phenol which occurs in many essential oils of the family Labiatae including Origanum, Satureja, Thymbra, Thymus, and Corydothymus species. This study was designed to investigate the hepatoprotective and antioxidant properties of carvacrol on d‐galactosamine (D‐GalN)‐induced hepatotoxicity and oxidative damage in male albino Wistar rats. D‐GalN hepatotoxic rats exhibited elevation in the activities of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, gamma‐glutamyl transpeptidase, and lipidperoxidative markers such as thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and lipid hydroperoxides. Activities of enzymatic antioxidants (superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase) and the levels of non‐enzymatic antioxidants (vitamin C, vitamin E, and reduced glutathione) in the plasma, erythrocytes, liver, and kidney decreased in the hepatotoxic rats. Oral administration of carvacrol for 21 days brought these parameters towards normal. The biochemical observations were supported by histological studies of rat liver and kidney tissues. These results suggest that carvacrol could afford a significant hepatoprotective and antioxidant effect against D‐GalN‐induced rats.
Parametric models of local search progression
Authors: Oppen Johan , Woodruff David L.
Published: July 2009

Algorithms that search for good solutions to optimization problems present a trace of current best objective values over time. We describe an empirical study of parametric models of this progression that are both interesting as ways to characterize the search progression compactly and useful as means of predicting search behavior. In our computational experiments, we give examples of a variety of problems and algorithms where we are able to use the parametric models to make predictions of performance that cross instances and instance sizes.
A Social‐Cognitive Perspective of Terrorism Risk Perception and Individual Response in Canada
Authors: Lee Jennifer E. C. , Lemyre Louise
Published: July 2009

The volume of research on terrorism has increased since the events of September 11, 2001. However, efforts to develop a contextualized model incorporating cognitive, social‐contextual, and affective factors as predictors of individual responses to this threat have been limited. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate a series of hypotheses drawn from such a model that was generated from a series of interviews with members of the Canadian public. Data of a national survey on perceived chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosives (CBRNE) terrorism threat and preparedness were analyzed. Results demonstrated that worry and behavioral responses to terrorism, such as individual preparedness, information seeking, and avoidance behaviors, were each a function of cognitive and social‐contextual factors. As an affective response, worry about terrorism independently contributed to the prediction of behavioral responses above and beyond cognitive and social‐contextual factors, and partially mediated the relationships of some of these factors with behavioral responses. Perceived coping efficacy emerged as the cognitive factor associated with the most favorable response to terrorism. Hence, findings highlight the importance of fostering a sense of coping efficacy to the effectiveness of strategies aimed at improving individual preparedness for terrorism.
Thymic involution, a co‐morbidity factor in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Authors: Seksenyan Akop , Ron‐Harel Noga , Azoulay David , Cahalon Liora , Cardon Michal , Rogeri Patricia , Ko Minhee K. , Weil Miguel , Bulvik Shlomo , Rechavi Gideon , Amariglio Ninette , Konen Eli , Koronyo‐Hamaoui Maya , Somech Raz , Schwartz Michal
Published: July 2009

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating disease, characterized by extremely rapid loss of motor neurons. Our studies over the last decade have established CD4+ T cells as important players in central nervous system maintenance and repair. Those results, together with recent findings that CD4+ T cells play a protective role in mouse models of ALS, led us to the current hypothesis that in ALS, a rapid T‐cell malfunction may develop in parallel to the motor neuron dysfunction. Here, we tested this hypothesis by assessing thymic function, which serves as a measure of peripheral T‐cell availability, in an animal model of ALS (mSOD1 [superoxide dismutase] mice; G93A) and in human patients. We found a significant reduction in thymic progenitor‐cell content, and abnormal thymic histology in 3–4‐month‐old mSOD1 mice. In ALS patients, we found a decline in thymic output, manifested in the reduction in blood levels of T‐cell receptor rearrangement excision circles, a non‐invasive measure of thymic function, and demonstrated a restricted T‐cell repertoire. The morbidity of the peripheral immune cells was also manifested in the increase of pro‐apoptotic BAX/BCXL2 expression ratio in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of these patients. In addition, gene expression screening in the same PBMCs, revealed in the ALS patients a reduction in key genes known to be associated with T‐cell activity, including: CD80, CD86, IFNG and IL18. In light of the reported beneficial role of T cells in animal models of ALS, the present observation of thymic dysfunction, both in human patients and in an animal model, might be a co‐pathological factor in ALS, regardless of the disease aetiology. These findings may lead to the development of novel therapeutic approaches directed at overcoming the thymic defect and T‐cell deficiency.
Survival and complications of computer aided‐designing and computer‐aided manufacturing vs. conventionally fabricated implant‐supported reconstructions: a systematic review
Authors: Harder Sönke , Kern Matthias
Published: July 2009

Objectives: The aim of this systematic review was to assess the internationally published survival and complication rates of implant‐supported computer‐aided designing (CAD) and computer‐aided manufacturing (CAM)‐fabricated restorations and to compare them with those of conventionally fabricated implant‐supported restorations.

Methods: An electronic MEDLINE search was conducted to identify prospective and retrospective cohort studies on CAD–CAM fabricated implant‐supported restorations with a mean follow‐up time of at least 1 year. Failure and complication rates were evaluated and descriptive statistics were performed.

Results: An electronic MEDLINE search revealed four studies reporting on implant‐supported CAD–CAM fabricated restorations. The cumulative 5‐year survival rate of implants supporting full‐arch‐fixed dental prostheses (FDPs) ranged from 81.4% to 95.6%. Reported survival rates of implants supporting all‐ceramic single crowns (SCs) were 100% [95% confidence interval (CI): 92.4–100]. The cumulative 5‐year survival rate for full‐arch FDPs ranged from 72.2% to 100%. Reported cumulative 5‐year survival rates for all‐ceramic SCs were 100% (95% CI: 92.4–100%). Technical complications were reported in two of the four selected studies and the estimated annual failure rate for chipping/fracture of the veneering material was 0.43 (95% CI: 0.06–3.06) for implant‐supported all‐ceramic SCs and 3.61 (95% CI: 2.05–6.36) for implant‐supported FDPs.

Conclusions: Only a small number of clinical studies reporting on implant‐supported CAD–CAM fabricated restorations exists which makes a scientifically valid comparison with conventionally fabricated restorations impossible.
Biomechanics/risk management (Working Group 2)
Authors: Sanz Mariano , Naert Ignace
Published: July 2009

Introduction: The remit of this workgroup was to update the existing knowledge base in biomechanical factors, navigation systems and medications that may affect the outcome of implant therapy.

Material and methods: The literature was systematically searched and critically reviewed. Five manuscripts were produced in five specific topics identified as areas where innovative approaches have been developed in biomechanical factors, navigation systems and medications that may affect the outcome of implant therapy.

Results: The results and conclusions of the review process are presented in the following papers, together with the group consensus statements, clinical implications and directions for future research: • To what extent do cantilevers affect survival and complications of implant supported restorations in partially dentate patients? • To what extent does the crown–implant ratio affect survival and complications of implant supported restorations? • A systematic review on the accuracy and the clinical outcome of computer‐guided template based implant dentistry. • What is the impact of systemic bisphosphonates on patients undergoing oral implant therapy? • What is the impact of anticoagulants on patients undergoing oral implant therapy?
Anti‐IL5 decreases the number of eosinophils but not the severity of dermatitis in Sharpin‐deficient mice
Authors: Renninger Matthew L. , Seymour Rosemarie E. , Whiteley Laurence O. , Sundberg John P. , HogenEsch Harm
Published: July 2009

Please cite this paper as: Anti‐IL5 decreases the number of eosinophils but not the severity of dermatitis in Sharpin‐deficient mice. Experimental Dermatology 2010; 19: 252–258.

Abstract:  Sharpin‐deficient (Sharpincpdm) mutant mice develop a chronic eosinophilic dermatitis. To determine the efficacy of eosinophil‐depletion in chronic inflammation, Sharpincpdm mice were treated with anti‐IL5 antibodies. Mice treated with anti‐IL5 had a 90% reduction of circulating eosinophils and a 50% decrease in cutaneous eosinophils after 10 days compared with sham‐treated littermates. Reducing the number of eosinophils resulted in increased severity of alopecia and erythema and a significant increase in epidermal thickness. Skin homogenates from mice treated with anti‐IL5 had decreased mRNA expression of arylsulfatase B (Arsb), diamine oxidase (amiloride‐binding protein 1, also called histaminase; Abp1) and Il10, which are mediators that eosinophils may release to quench inflammation. Skin homogenates from mice treated with anti‐IL5 also had decreased mRNA expression of Il4, Il5, Ccl11, kit ligand (Kitl) and Tgfa; and increased mRNA expression of Tgfb1, Mmp12 and tenascin C (Tnc). In order to further decrease the accumulation of eosinophils, Sharpincpdm mice were crossed with IL5 null mice. Il5−/−, Sharpincpdm/Sharpincpdm mice had a 98% reduction of circulating eosinophils and a 95% decrease in cutaneous eosinophils compared with IL5‐sufficient Sharpincpdm mice. The severity of the lesions was similar between IL5‐sufficient and IL5‐deficient mice. Double mutant mice had a significant decrease in Abp1, and a significant increase in Tgfb1, Mmp12 and Tnc mRNA compared with controls. These data indicate that eosinophils are not essential for the development of dermatitis in Sharpincpdm mice and suggest that eosinophils have both pro‐inflammatory and anti‐inflammatory roles in the skin of these mice.
Anti‐aging properties of melatonin in an in vitro murine senescence model: involvement of the sirtuin 1 pathway
Authors: Tajes M. , Gutierrez‐Cuesta J. , Ortuño‐Sahagun D. , Camins A. , Pallàs Mercè
Published: July 2009

Abstract:  Sirtuin 1 is a member of the sirtuin family of protein deacetylases, which have attracted considerable attention as mediators of lifespan extension in several model organisms. Induction of sirtuin 1 expression also attenuates neuronal degeneration and death in animal models of Alzheimer’s disease and Huntington’s disease. In this study, an in vitro model of neuronal aging was used to test in several ways whether melatonin acts as a sirtuin 1 inducer and if this effect could be neuroprotective. It is shown that melatonin is able to increase the level of this deacetylase in young primary neurons, as well as in aged neurons. We also observed an increase in the deacetylation of several substrates of sirtuin 1, such as p53, PGC‐1α, FoxO1, ADAM10 and NFκB. In addition, there was a reduction in its nuclear translocation and, subsequently, an improvement in transcriptional activity. Sirtinol, a sirtuin 1 inhibitor, was used to correlate these effects with sirtuin. It is shown that sirtinol reduces sirtuin 1 expression and impairs the beneficial action of melatonin on cell viability and apoptosis prevention. Moreover, some of the sirtuin 1 substrates studied also reversed the melatonin effect when sirtinol is added to the cells, mainly p53. Globally, these results add weight to the findings of previous reports, indicating a new role for melatonin in improving cell function gated to an increased neuroprotective role for the sirtuin 1 pathway.
New mutation in the CYLD gene within a family with Brooke‐Spiegler syndrome
Authors: Scholz Ina M. , Nümann Astrid , Froster Ursula G. , Helmbold Peter , Enk Alexander H. , Näher Helmut
Published: July 2009

Brooke‐Spiegler syndrome is a rare, autosomal dominant disease characterized by multiple skin appendage tumors caused by various mutations in the CYLD gene on chromosome 16q12‐q13. We describe a family, in which we performed a molecular‐genetic examination and found a new mutation in exon 19 in the CYLD gene leading to a frameshift. It is important to be aware of this syndrome and its pathogenesis as its phenotypic features can vary so that apparently different diseases are caused by the same genetic defect. In addition, there may be malignant transformation of the generally benign tumors, so that a timely diagnosis is essential for appropriate monitoring and therapy.
Henoch‐Schönlein purpura nephritis in children: risk factors, prevention and treatment
Authors: Bogdanović Radovan
Published: July 2009

Aim:  To identify risk factors for a child with Henoch‐Schönlein purpura (HSP) either to develop nephritis (HSPN) or to contract progressive course and to obtain the currently available evidence on the efficacy of treatment options in both preventing and treating the established renal disease.

Method:  Review of the literature published over the last two decades.

Results:  Persistent or recurrent purpura, severe abdominal symptoms and an older age proved as the most significant risk factors for later HSPN. The risks of long‐term renal impairment are the highest in children having at presentation nephritic/nephrotic syndrome and/or more than 50% of glomeruli occupied by large crescents or sclerosing lesions. Randomized controlled trials (RCT) do not support short course prednisone at presentation of HSP in preventing persistent renal disease. Many uncontrolled studies using various treatment regimens have reported outcomes considered better than expected. However, the data from RCTs are sparse and no treatment options for the established renal disease can be currently recommended based on RCTs.

Conclusion:  Severity and/or duration of extrarenal HSP symptoms and an older age are the most significant risk factors for developing HSPN, whereas clinical and histological severity at HSPN onset are in general predictive of a long‐term renal impairment. The existing evidence does not support of short course prednisone in preventing persistent renal disease. A well‐designed RCTs are needed in children with moderately severe or rapidly progressive (crescentic) HSPN.
Promoting shorter duration of ventilator treatment decreases the number of painful procedures in preterm infants
Authors: Axelin A , Ojajärvi U , Viitanen J , Lehtonen L
Published: July 2009

Aim:  To investigate whether promoting shorter ventilator treatment decreases the number of painful procedures and the use of analgesics in preterm infants.

Methods:  Retrospective patient chart review of all preterm infants in one Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) was carried out in 2000 (n = 240) and 2005 (n = 206). Between these cohorts, early nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) application and early extubation policy were introduced.

Results:  Fewer infants were intubated (22 vs. 32%, p = 0.03), the duration of ventilator treatment decreased (6.7 SD 11.3 vs. 9.0 SD 11.1 days, p < 0.001) and nCPAP treatment became more common (41 vs. 25%, p < 0.001) in 2005 than in 2000. Similarly, the infants’ exposure to painful procedures did not decrease significantly (61.9 SD 98.5 vs. 67.1 SD 104.3 procedures, p = 0.32) but the procedures related to respiratory support were fewer (45.2 SD 79.5 vs. 68.9 SD 91.1 procedures, p < 0.001) in 2005 than in 2000. In addition, the amount of pain medication used was significantly lower in 2005 than in 2000. One day on a ventilator included more painful procedures than a day on nCPAP (11.2 95% CI: 11.0–11.5 vs. 4.2 95% CI: 4.1–4.4 procedures, p < 0.001) during both study years.

Conclusion:  Early nCPAP and early extubation policies were successfully implemented in an NICU resulting in less invasive respiratory support. This was associated with fewer painful procedures and less pain medication in the preterm infants who required respiratory support. Despite this positive effect, the number of painful procedures in all preterm infants stayed at the same level. Our results provide further support for the use of nCPAP in preterm infants.
The Seyfert AGN RX J0136.9–3510 and the spectral state of super Eddington accretion flows
Authors: Jin Chichuan , Done Chris , Ward Martin , Gierliński Marek , Mullaney James
Published: July 2009

We have carried out a survey of long 50 ks XMM–Newton observations of a sample of bright, variable active galactic nuclei (AGN). We found a distinctive energy dependence of the variability in RX J0136.9−3510 where the fractional variability increases from 0.3 to 2 keV, and then remains constant. This is in sharp contrast to other AGN where the X-ray variability is either flat or falling with energy, sometimes with a peak at ∼2 keV superimposed on the overall trend. Intriguingly, these unusual characteristics of the variability are shared by one other AGN, namely RE J1034+396, which is so far unique showing a significant X-ray quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO). In addition, the broad-band spectrum of RX J0136.9−3510 is also remarkably similar to that of RE J1034+396, being dominated by a huge soft excess in the Extreme-UV (EUV) to soft X-ray bandpass. The bolometric luminosity of RX J0136.9−3510 gives an Eddington ratio of about 2.7 for a black hole mass (from the H beta line width) of 7.9 × 107 M⊙. This mass is about a factor of 50 higher than that of RE J1034+396, making any QPO undetectable in this length of observation. None the less, its X-ray spectral and variability similarities suggest that RE J1034+396 is simply the closest representative of a new class of AGN spectra, representing the most extreme mass accretion rates.
Climate change policy and practice in regional New Zealand: How are actors negotiating science and policy?
Authors: Greenaway Alison , Carswell Fiona
Published: July 2009

Regional governance to address climate change is being constituted in New Zealand through domestic policy measures and international discourses. We examine climate change responses in two regions: Marlborough and Waikato. Informants expressed a desire for more transparent government policy; that planning for climate change makes good business sense for farmers and other businesses; that technology is sought to increase productivity and decrease environmental impact; and research networks build capacity for local action, linking sectors and organisations. Often conflicting, these responses to climate change were informed by a mix of discourses shaping New Zealand, including participatory democracy, the knowledge economy and sustainable development.
In the Region of Babel: Public Bilingual Schooling in the Midwest, 1840s–1880s
Authors: Ramsey Paul J.
Published: July 2009

The city was to be “called Babel,” according to the book of Genesis, “because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth.” Although the Midwest of the nineteenth century had never been “of one language, and of one speech” as the ancient city with the tower to heaven, America's heartland was confounded by linguistic diversity, particularly as more and more immigrants poured into the region after the 1830s. Yet, these foreign-language speakers brought with them more than “ax and hoe and rifle,” as Mark Twain once wrote of the “poor immigrant” settlers. They also brought with them a desire to maintain their linguistic and cultural traditions—particularly in the emerging common schools—and the area that spanned along and east of the Mississippi and north of the Mason–Dixon line proved to be an excellent environment for that endeavor. Bilingual education took hold in the Midwestern schools not only because of the enormous amount of foreign-language speakers who settled there—making the region a modern Babel—but also because it was a developing area when the immigrants arrived, thus allowing them to become “co-founders and partners” in the region's affairs.
“Better” People, Better Teaching: The Vision of the National Teacher Corps, 1965–1968
Authors: Rogers Bethany
Published: July 2009

“What is our image going to be—conventional educators or innovators, milque-toasts or activists?” In posing this question, federal staff members responsible for developing the National Teacher Corps (NTC), a Great Society teacher reform initiative, articulated both their assumptions about and aspirations for teaching in the 1960s. According to the reformers’ thinking, existing teachers lacked the qualities of innovation, dedication, and social and political engagement required to teach students in America's low-income communities. In response, they called for a new breed of teacher, with attributes and characteristics distinct from those of conventional educators, as well as a new approach to teacher training. The Corps’ strategy for producing this new breed of educator involved recruiting bright, liberal arts graduates to be teaching interns in underserved classrooms and engaging them in an alternative preparation that emphasized familiarizing candidates with their prospective students’ communities and the culture of poverty. In attracting “better” people and devising more effective training for the challenges of teaching in low-income schools, the Corps exploited both the Zeitgeist of the times and a deeply entrenched historical critique of teachers and teacher education, seeking nothing less than the rehabilitation of the teaching profession itself.
Music in the Lives of Deaf Children with Cochlear Implants
Authors: Trehub Sandra E. , Vongpaisal Tara , Nakata Takayuki
Published: July 2009

Present‐day cochlear implants provide good temporal cues and coarse spectral cues. In general, these cues are adequate for perceiving speech in quiet backgrounds and for young children's acquisition of spoken language. They are inadequate, however, for conveying the rich pitch‐patterning of music. As a result, many adults who become implant users after losing their hearing find music disappointing or unacceptable. By contrast, child implant users who were born deaf or became deaf as infants or toddlers typically find music interesting and enjoyable. They recognize popular songs that they hear regularly when the test materials match critical features of the original versions. For example, they can identify familiar songs from the original recordings with words and from versions that omit the words but preserve all other cues. They also recognize theme songs from their favorite television programs when presented in original or somewhat altered form. The motivation of children with implants for listening to music or melodious speech is evident well before they understand language. Within months after receiving their implant, they prefer singing to silence. They also prefer speech in the maternal style to typical adult speech and the sounds of their native language‐to‐be to those of a foreign language. An important task of future research is to ascertain the relative contributions of perceptual and motivational factors to the apparent differences between child and adult implant users.
Music Lexical Networks
Authors: Peretz Isabelle , Gosselin Nathalie , Belin Pascal , Zatorre Robert J. , Plailly Jane , Tillmann Barbara
Published: July 2009

Successful recognition of a familiar tune depends on a selection procedure that takes place in a memory system that contains all the representations of the specific musical phrases to which one has been exposed during one's lifetime. We refer to this memory system as the musical lexicon. The goal of the study was to identify its neural correlates. The brains of students with little musical training were scanned with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while the student listened to familiar musical themes, unfamiliar music, and random tones. The familiar themes were selected from instrumental pieces well‐known to the participants; the unfamiliar music was the retrograde version of the familiar themes, which the participants did not recognize; and the random sequences contained the same musical tones but in a random order. All stimuli were synthesized and played with the sound of a piano, thereby keeping low‐level acoustical factors similar across conditions. The comparison of cerebral responses to familiar versus unfamiliar music reveals focal activation in the right superior temporal sulcus (STS). Re‐analysis of the data obtained in a previous study by Plailly et al. also points to the STS as the critical region involved in musical memories. The neuroimaging data further suggest that these auditory memories are tightly coupled with action (singing), by showing left activation in the planum temporale, in the supplementary motor area (SMA), and in the inferior frontal gyrus. Such a cortical organization of music recognition is analogous to the dorsal stream model of speech processing proposed by Hickok and Poeppel.
Using MRI to Characterize the Anatomy and Function of the Auditory Cortex in Infancy
Authors: Saccuman Maria Cristina , Scifo Paola
Published: July 2009

An extended body of behavioral work has described the auditory skills of infants, but the neural basis of these skills has remained largely unexplored. Recently, noninvasive brain imaging techniques, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), have been successfully used from the first hours after birth, providing informative data on auditory processing and its anatomic underpinnings. The goal of this paper is to examine this increasing body of data, focusing on a basic aspect of auditory processing that has attracted considerable attention and is starting to be elucidated: the hemispheric specialization for the processing of complex auditory stimuli. We will briefly discuss the peculiarities of MRI techniques applied to the infant brain, and review the anatomic and functional evidence for the existence and weighting of hemispheric asymmetry for auditory processing in infancy.
The Influence of Social Situations on Music Listening
Authors: Sutherland Mary Elizabeth , Grewe Oliver , Egermann Hauke , Nagel Frederik , Kopiez Reinhard , Altenmüller Eckart
Published: July 2009

The aim of this study was to investigate whether listening to music in a group setting influenced the emotion felt by the listeners. We hypothesized that individuals hearing music in a group would experience more intense emotions than the same individuals hearing the same music on their own. The emotional reactions to 10 musical excerpts (previously shown to contain chill‐inducing psychoacoustic parameters) were measured in a within‐subjects design. We found, contrary to our hypothesis, that the participants (all musicians) did not experience more chills when listening to music in a group than when listening alone. These findings may be explained by a lesser degree of concentration on the music in the group condition.
Auditory Pitch Imagery and Its Relationship to Musical Synchronization
Authors: Pecenka Nadine , Keller Peter E.
Published: July 2009

Musical ensemble performance requires precise coordination of action. To play in synchrony, ensemble musicians presumably anticipate the sounds that will be produced by their co‐performers. These predictions may be based on auditory images in working memory. This study examined the contribution of auditory imagery abilities to sensorimotor synchronization (SMS) in 20 musicians. The acuity of single‐tone pitch images was measured by an adjustment method and by adaptive threshold estimation. Different types of finger tapping tasks were administered to assess SMS. Auditory imagery and SMS abilities were found to be positively correlated with one another and with musical experience.
Emotion‐related Changes in Heart Rate and Its Variability during Performance and Perception of Music
Authors: Nakahara Hidehiro , Furuya Shinichi , Obata Satoshi , Masuko Tsutomu , Kinoshita Hiroshi
Published: July 2009

The present study investigated the differential effects of emotions evoked by music on heart rate (HR) and its variability (HRV) during the playing of music on the piano compared to those in persons listening to the same music. Thirteen elite pianists underwent experiments under expressive piano playing, nonexpressive piano playing, expressive listening, and nonexpressive listening conditions. The expressive conditions produced significantly higher levels of HR and low‐frequency component of HRV, as well as a lower level of its high‐frequency component. A greater modulation of these was also revealed for performance than perception. The findings suggested that musical performance would lead to a greater effect of emotion‐related modulation in cardiac autonomic nerve activity than musical perception.
The Effects of Musical Training on Structural Brain Development
Authors: Hyde Krista L. , Lerch Jason , Norton Andrea , Forgeard Marie , Winner Ellen , Evans Alan C. , Schlaug Gottfried
Published: July 2009

Long‐term instrumental music training is an intense, multisensory and motor experience that offers an ideal opportunity to study structural brain plasticity in the developing brain in correlation with behavioral changes induced by training. Here, for the first time, we demonstrate structural brain changes after only 15 months of musical training in early childhood, which were correlated with improvements in musically relevant motor and auditory skills. These findings shed light on brain plasticity, and suggest that structural brain differences in adult experts (whether musicians or experts in other areas) are likely due to training‐induced brain plasticity.
Exploring Musical Taste in Severely Autistic Subjects
Authors: Boso Marianna , Comelli Mario , Vecchi Tomaso , Barale Francesco , Politi Pierluigi
Published: July 2009

As a consequence of frequent limbic alterations, autistic persons could judge pleasant and unpleasant music in an unusual manner. We explored this possibility by using consonant and dissonant music (test 2) and excluded the eventuality that they could prefer other auditory stimuli by comparing familiar music to environmental sounds (test 1). In both tests, severe autistics and controls were asked to listen under two conditions (familiar music versus environmental sounds; pleasant versus unpleasant music) in a counterbalanced order while the time spent during each condition was measured. Both groups significantly preferred the musical task and the pleasant music condition. No difference between groups was detected. Results demonstrate that severely autistic subjects share with healthy people the same musical preferences.
Melodic Intonation Therapy
Authors: Norton Andrea , Zipse Lauryn , Marchina Sarah , Schlaug Gottfried
Published: July 2009

For more than 100 years, clinicians have noted that patients with nonfluent aphasia are capable of singing words that they cannot speak. Thus, the use of melody and rhythm has long been recommended for improving aphasic patients’ fluency, but it was not until 1973 that a music‐based treatment [Melodic Intonation Therapy (MIT)] was developed. Our ongoing investigation of MIT's efficacy has provided valuable insight into this therapy's effect on language recovery. Here we share those observations, our additions to the protocol that aim to enhance MIT's benefit, and the rationale that supports them.
Detection of Self-Stimulatory Behaviors of Children with Autism Using Wearable and Environmental Sensors
Authors: Min Cheol-Hong. , Kim Youngchun , Tewfik Ahmed , Kelly Anne
Published: July 2009

Autism is one of the five pervasive development disorders that may cause severe impairment to a child. Depending on the degree of the symptoms, autism may cause severe impairments in one's social life such as social interaction and communication with other individuals. They may also face challenges in learning, concentrating, sensation and interacting with their surroundings. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), 1 in 150 8-year old children in many areas in the United States were diagnosed with autism. It is also known from recent studies that with early diagnosis we can intervene earlier which allows better assistance and treatment. Therefore, it is critical to have an objective assessment tool to assist diagnosis and for management. We have developed an affordable, reliable system that provides evidence based tools for assessment of children with autism. This system can detect various repetitive behavioral patterns often seen in children with autism and enables long term monitoring of repetitive behaviors. Therefore, it can be used to assist doctors, therapists, caregivers and parents with diagnosis and treatment of children with autism. This system incorporates 2 different sensor platforms which include environmental and wearable sensors. The system consists of a 3-axis accelerometer, small microcontroller and a Bluetooth module to transmit data to a base station such as a PC for analysis. We have customized this wearable device to integrate these modules which can be worn by a child. The environmental sensor configuration is composed of a microphone which records the acoustic data of the subject within the room. Using this sensor system, we are able to achieve the necessary information for assessment and therapy in autism research. We have analyzed the 3-axis accelerometer and acoustic data with an intelligent machine learning algorithm. The algorithm extracts time-domain and frequency domain features from the accelerometer data and applies statistical learning techniques to detect repetitive behavioral patterns. For acoustic data, we used sparse signal representation techniques to detect repetitive patterns that indicate vocalization behaviors. We have achieved an average of 89% in classification accuracy for detecting behavioral patterns. Based on the real data collected from children with autism, we were able to detect and recognize four self-stimulatory behaviors of children with autism. In one instance in which a subject had a tantrum, using the correlation between the hand flapping ratio and vocalization intensity, we were able to predict this extreme behavior. Our study opens an application in which devices could be used in a classroom environment to predict extreme behaviors in order that the stress of children with autism could be diverted accordingly so that their actions would be more socially agreeable.
Design of a Catheter-Based Device for Performing Percutaneous Chordal-Cutting Procedures
Authors: Slocum Alexander H. , Bosworth William R. , Mazumdar Anirban , Saez Miguel A. , Culpepper Martin L. , Levine Robert A.
Published: July 2009

This paper focuses on the design and implementation of a percutaneous catheter-based device to provide physicians with an externally controlled tool capable of manipulating and cutting specific chordae tendinae within the heart to alleviate problems associated with some forms of mitral valve (MV) regurgitation. In the United States alone, approximately 500,000 people develop ischemic or functional mitral regurgitation per year. Many of these patients do not possess the required level of health necessary to survive open-heart surgery, and the development of a chordal cutting procedure and device is needed to allow these patients to receive treatment. A deterministic design process was used to generate several design concepts and then evaluate and compare each concept based on a set of functional requirements. A final concept to be alpha prototyped was then chosen, further developed, and fabricated. Experiments showed that the design was capable of locating and grabbing a chord and that ultrasound imaging is a viable method for navigating the device inside of the human body. Once contact between the chord and radio-frequency (RF) ablation tip was confirmed, the chord was successfully ablated.
A Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) Tool for Optimization and Guided Implantation of Biomedical Devices
Authors: Le T. , Borazjani I. , Sotiropoulos F.
Published: July 2009

We are developing computational tools to perform virtual surgeries under physiological conditions with patient-specific anatomies. Virtual surgery can revolutionize the biomedical device (BMD) design and implantation by: enabling the optimization of BMD on the specific patient's anatomy and flow conditions, which has already been shown to significantly affect the hemodynamics; and facilitating surgical planning to select the best location/orientation for BMD implantation. As shown by past research the difference in the implantation, for example, of a bileaflet mechanical heart valve (BMHV) can affect the performance and hemodynamics of the valve. We have developed a powerful CFD tool that can simulate the blood flow through biomedical devices with moving boundaries and the fluid-structure interaction (FSI) under physiologic conditions. This tool has been tested in different applications with complex anatomic configurations, such as aneurysm hemodynamics, Fontan surgeries, and BMHV flows. The FSI simulations of a BMHV flow was validated against in vitro experiments and could capture all the flow features with great accuracy. We have recently carried out FSI simulations of a BMHV implanted in a anatomically realistic aorta in which the left ventricle (LV) was replaced by a pulsatile inflow waveform. In this work, we propose to extend our method to simulate the flow through a BMHV driven by the actual LV motion. The anatomy of the heart is obtained from MRI scan of unhealthy volunteer (St. Jude Hospital) and the left ventricle and the aorta geometry are extracted. The first step is to simulate the flow through a stationary LV with an implanted BMHV to test the capabilities of FSI-CFD tool in real anatomical setting. The second step is to impose theoretical kinematics for LV motion and test the interaction of the BMHV with the flow. The last step is to extract the real patient-specific LV wall motions from MRI data and specify it into the simulation. The shear stress and other parameters will be calculated in the flow field and the cardiovascular walls to identify the locations with high chance of blood cell damage. This work is supported by NIH Grant RO1-HL-07262 and the Minnesota Supercomputing Institute.
High-Density Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (HD-tDCS): Skin Safety and Comfort
Authors: Patel J. , Bansal V. , Minha P. , Ho J. , Datta A. , Bikson M.
Published: July 2009

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive procedure where a weak electrical current (260 μA to 2 mA) is applied across the scalp to modulate brain function. tDCS has been applied for therapeutic purposes (e.g. addiction, depression, mood and sleep disorders) as well as cognitive performance enhancement (e.g. memory consolidation, motor learning and language recall). Despite safety and cost advantages, the developments of tDCS therapies have been restricted by spatial targeting concerns using existing two-channel systems. We have developed novel technology for High-Density tDCS (HD-tDCS) that improves spatial focality. Integral to the system are specialized HD-tDCS electrodes (<12 mm diameter) which allow safe and comfortable passage of current across the scalp. Here we evaluate a range of HD-tDCS electrode designs for comfort as well as test electrode over-potential, pH, and temperature. Passing 2 mA current for 22 minutes, both anodal and cathodal stimulations were evaluated independently. Subjective sensation during forearm stimulation was evaluated in 8 subjects. The benefits of skin electrical or chemical pre-conditioning were tested. Conductive Rubber, Ag, AgCl, pellet electrodes and AgCl ring electrodes were evaluated in combination with salty gels (Signa and CCNY4) and nominally electrolyte free gel (Lectron). The use of AgCl ring electrodes in combination with CCNY4 gel resulted in no significant pH, temperature, or over-potential changes under either polarity stimulation and was well tolerated by subjects. HD-tDCS may thus be applied with 2 mA per electrode for up to 22 minutes without skin irritation. Moreover, skin pre-conditioning can eliminate sensation such that HD-tDCS can be applied in a blinded fashion and under a broad range of therapeutic and performance enhancement applications. Our HD-tDCS system allows non-invasive, safe, and targeted modulation of selected cortical structures for electrotherapies that are individualized as well as optimized for a range of therapeutic applications.
Application of Fractional Scaling Analysis to Loss of Coolant Accidents, System Level Scaling for System Depressurization
Authors: Wulff Wolfgang , Zuber Novak , Rohatgi Upendra S. , Catton Ivan
Published: July 2009

Fractional scaling analysis (FSA) is demonstrated at the system level. The selected example is depressurization of nuclear reactor primary systems undergoing large- and small-break loss of coolant accidents (LOCA), specifically in two integral test facilities of different sizes and shapes, namely, LOFT and Semiscale. The paper demonstrates (1) the relation between pressure and volume displacement rates in analogy to generalized “effort” and “flow” in interdisciplinary analysis of complex systems and (2) using experimental data that a properly scaled depressurization history applies to both large- and small-break LOCA in two different facilities. FSA, when applied at the system, component, and process levels, serves to synthesize the worldwide wealth of results from analyses and experiments into compact form for efficient storage, transfer, and retrieval of information. The demonstration at the system level shows that during LOCAs the break flow dominates for break sizes between 0.1% and 200% of cold-leg flow cross-sectional area, and that FSA ranks processes quantitatively and thereby objectively in the order of their importance. FSA supersedes the hereunto subjectively implemented phenomena identification and ranking table. FSA readily quantifies scale distortions. FSA reduces significantly the need for and current cost of experiments and analyses.
Spontaneous Break of Symmetry in Unconfined Laminar Annular Jets
Authors: Del Taglia Christian , Moser Alfred , Blum Lars
Published: July 2009

Numerical investigations show that the spontaneous break of symmetry in annular incompressible jets occurs in the laminar flow regime and is controlled by both the Reynolds number and the blockage ratio. In the blockage ratio range between 0.50 and 0.89 the transition critical Reynolds number decreases with increasing blockage ratio, according to a defined formula. Transition to asymmetry happens in the steady regime, before the transition to the unsteady flow. Asymmetry is characterized by a preferential flow direction from one side of the jet boundary layer to the diametrically opposite side. The plane of preferential direction passes through the geometry centerline and represents the single plane of flow symmetry. Experiments reported in literature have confirmed the existence of flow asymmetry in an annular jet flow.