bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Quality of Work Life, Nurses’ Intention to Leave the Profession, and Nurses Leaving the Profession: A One‐Year Prospective Survey
Authors: Lee Ya‐Wen , Dai Yu‐Tzu , Chang Mei Yeh , Chang Yue‐Cune , Yao Kaiping Grace , Liu Mei‐Chun
Published: June 2017

Purpose

To examine the associations among quality of work life, nurses’ intention to leave the profession, and nurses leaving the profession.

Design

A prospective study design was used.

Methods

Participants were 1,283 hospital nurses with a purposive sampling in Taiwan. The self‐reported questionnaire consisted of three questionnaires: the Chinese version of the Quality of Nursing Work Life scale, an intention‐to‐leave profession questionnaire, and a demographic questionnaire. Records of nurses leaving the profession were surveyed 1 year later. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics and inferential statistics.

Findings

As many as 720 nurses (56.1%) had tendencies to leave their profession. However, only 31 nurses (2.5%) left their profession 1 year later. Nurses’ intention to leave the profession mediated the relationship between the milieu of respect and autonomy, quality of work life, and nurses leaving the profession.

Conclusions

The milieu of respect and autonomy describing the quality of work life predicts the nurses’ intention to leave the profession, and together these predict nurses leaving the profession.

Clinical Relevance

This study illustrates that nurse managers could provide effective interventions to ameliorate the milieu of respect and autonomy aspect of quality of work life to prevent nurses from leaving their profession.
Effects of Moringa oleifera leaves as a substitute for alfalfa meal on nutrient digestibility, growth performance, carcass trait, meat quality, antioxidant capacity and biochemical parameters of rabbits
Authors: Sun B. , Zhang Y. , Ding M. , Xi Q. , Liu G. , Li Y. , Liu D. , Chen X.
Published: June 2017

This contribution reports the effects of Moringa oleifera leaves (MOLs) meal on the growth performances, nutrient digestibility, carcass trait, meat quality, antioxidant capacity and biochemical parameters of growing New Zealand white rabbits. The MOL was substituted for alfalfa meal at levels of 0, 10%, 20% and 30% to obtain respective diets MOL0, MOL10, MOL20 and MOL30. Each treatment was replicated five times with 10 rabbits per replicate. Results showed the average daily weight gain (ADWG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) of rabbits fed MOL20 diet were significantly better (p < 0.05) than those of other three dietary groups. Liver and spleen index of rabbits fed MOL20 and MOL30 diets was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than that of the groups fed with lower M. oleifera leaves (MOL0, MOL10). The meat drip loss of rabbits fed with diet MOL10 was significantly lower (p < 0.05) than that of rabbits fed other diets. All rabbits fed MOL dietary groups had lower (p < 0.05) shear force of longissimus dorsi than the group without M. oleifera leaves. No significant differences were found in the digestibility of crude fibre (CF), crude fat (EE), ash, crude protein (CP) and nitrogen‐free extract (NFE) among the dietary groups. Moringa oleifera leaves also have a significant impact on serum albumin (ALB), low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLC), triiodothyroxine (T3) and tetraiodothyroxine (T4) values and the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) in serum and liver. The results indicated that M. oleifera leaves could be developed as a good feed source, and it not only could substitute for alfalfa meal well but also has a significant effect on growth performance, meat quality, antioxidant and biochemical parameters of rabbits.
Regulation of bone mineral density in the grey squirrel, Sciurus carolinensis: Bioavailability of calcium oxalate, and implications for bark stripping
Authors: Nichols C. P. , Gregory N. G. , Goode N. , Gill R. M. A. , Drewe J. A.
Published: June 2017

The damage caused when grey squirrels strip the outer bark off trees and ingest the underlying phloem can result in reduced timber quality or tree death. This is extremely costly to the UK forestry industry and can alter woodland composition, hampering conservation efforts. The calcium hypothesis proposes that grey squirrels ingest phloem to ameliorate a seasonal calcium deficiency. Calcium in the phloem predominantly takes the form of calcium oxalate (CaOx), however not all mammals can utilise CaOx as a source of calcium. Here, we present the results of a small‐scale study to determine the extent to which grey squirrels can utilise CaOx. One of three custom‐made diets containing calcium in varying forms and quantities (CaOx diet, Low‐calcium carbonate (CaCO3) diet and Control diet) were fed to three treatment groups of six squirrels for 8 weeks. Bone densitometric properties were measured at the end of this time using peripheral quantitative computed tomography and micro‐computed tomography. Pyridinoline—a serum marker of bone resorption—was measured regularly throughout the study. Bone mineral density and cortical mineralisation were lower in squirrels fed the CaOx diet compared to the Control group but similar to that of those on the Low‐calcium diet, suggesting that calcium from calcium oxalate was not effectively utilised to maintain bone mineralisation. Whilst no differences were observed in serum pyridinoline levels between individuals on different diets, females had on average higher levels than males throughout the study. Future work should seek to determine if this apparent lack of ability to utilise CaOx is common to a large sample of grey squirrels and if so, whether it is consistent across all areas and seasons.
The Compositae Tree of Life in the age of phylogenomics
Authors: Mandel Jennifer R. , Barker Michael S. , Bayer Randall J. , Dikow Rebecca B. , Gao Tian‐Gang , Jones Katy E. , Keeley Sterling , Kilian Norbert , Ma Hong , Siniscalchi Carolina M. , Susanna Alfonso , Thapa Ramhari , Watson Linda , Funk Vicki A.
Published: June 2017

Comprising more than 25 000 species, the Sunflower Family (Compositae or Asteraceae) is the largest family of flowering plants. Many of its lineages have experienced recent and rapid radiations, and the family has a deep and widespread history of large‐scale gene duplications and polyploidy. Many of the most important evolutionary questions about the family's diversity remain unanswered due to poor resolution and lack of support for major nodes of the phylogeny. Our group has employed a phylogenomics approach using Hyb‐Seq that includes sequencing ∼1000 low‐copy number nuclear markers, plus partial plastomes for large numbers of species. Here we discuss our progress to date and present two phylogenies comprising nine subfamilies and 25 tribes using concatenated and coalescence‐based analyses. We discuss future plans for incorporating high‐quality reference genomes and transcriptomes to advance systematic and evolutionary studies in the Compositae. While we have made great strides toward developing tools for employing phylogenomics and resolving relationships within Compositae, much work remains. Recently formed global partnerships will work to solve the unanswered evolutionary questions for this megafamily.
Pharmacokinetics of enrofloxacin after oral, intramuscular and bath administration in crucian carp (Carassius auratus gibelio)
Authors: Shan Q. , Fan J. , Wang J. , Zhu X. , Yin Y. , Zheng G.
Published: June 2017

The pharmacokinetics of enrofloxacin (ENR) was studied in crucian carp (Carassius auratus gibelio) after single administration by intramuscular (IM) injection and oral gavage (PO) at a dose of 10 mg/kg body weight and by 5 mg/L bath for 5 hr at 25°C. The plasma concentrations of ENR and ciprofloxacin (CIP) were determined by HPLC. Pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated based on mean ENR or CIP concentrations using WinNonlin 6.1 software. After IM, PO and bath administration, the maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) of 2.29, 3.24 and 0.36 μg/ml was obtained at 4.08, 0.68 and 0 hr, respectively; the elimination half‐life (T1/2β) was 80.95, 62.17 and 61.15 hr, respectively; the area under the concentration–time curve (AUC) values were 223.46, 162.72 and 14.91 μg hr/ml, respectively. CIP, an active metabolite of enrofloxacin, was detected and measured after all methods of drug administration except bath. It is possible and practical to obtain therapeutic blood concentrations of enrofloxacin in the crucian carp using IM, PO and bath immersion administration.
Refractory materials in comet samples
Authors: Joswiak D. J. , Brownlee D. E. , Nguyen A. N. , Messenger S.
Published: June 2017

Transmission electron microscope examination of more than 250 fragments, >1 μm from comet Wild 2 and a giant cluster interplanetary dust particle (GCP) of probable cometary origin has revealed four new calcium‐aluminum‐rich inclusions (CAIs), an amoeboid olivine aggregate (AOA), and an additional AOA or Al‐rich chondrule (ARC) object. All of the CAIs have concentric mineral structures and are composed of spinel + anorthite cores surrounded by Al,Ti clinopyroxenes and are similar to two previous CAIs discovered in Wild 2. All of the cometary refractory objects are of moderate refractory character. The mineral assemblages, textures, and bulk compositions of the comet CAIs are similar to nodules in fine‐grained, spinel‐rich inclusions (FGIs) found in primitive chondrites and like the nodules may be nebular condensates that were altered via solid–gas reactions in the solar nebula. Oxygen isotopes collected on one Wild 2 CAI also match FGIs. The lack of the most refractory inclusions in the comet samples may reflect the higher abundances of small moderately refractory CAI nodules that were produced in the nebula and the small sample sizes collected. In the comet samples, approximately 2–3% of all fragments larger than 1 μm, by number, are CAIs and nearly 50% of all bulbous Stardust tracks contain at least one CAI. We estimate that ~0.5 volume % of Wild 2 material and ~1 volume % of GCP is in the form of CAIs. ARCs and AOAs account for <1% of the Wild 2 and GCP grains by number.
Different mechanisms of Trichoderma virens‐mediated resistance in tomato against Fusarium wilt involve the jasmonic and salicylic acid pathways
Authors: Jogaiah Sudisha , Abdelrahman Mostafa , Tran Lam‐Son Phan , Ito Shin‐Ichi
Published: June 2017

In the present study, we investigated the role of Trichoderma virens (TriV_JSB100) spores or cell‐free culture filtrate in the regulation of growth and activation of the defence responses of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) plants against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici by the development of a biocontrol–plant–pathogen interaction system. Two‐week‐old tomato seedlings primed with TriV_JSB100 spores cultured on barley grains (BGS) or with cell‐free culture filtrate (CF) were inoculated with Fusarium pathogen under glasshouse conditions; this resulted in significantly lower disease incidence in tomato Oogata‐Fukuju plants treated with BGS than in those treated with CF. To dissect the pathways associated with this response, jasmonic acid (JA) and salicylic acid (SA) signalling in BGS‐ and CF‐induced resistance was evaluated using JA‐ and SA‐impaired tomato lines. We observed that JA‐deficient mutant def1 plants were susceptible to Fusarium pathogen when they were treated with BGS. However, wild‐type (WT) BGS‐treated tomato plants showed a higher JA level and significantly lower disease incidence. SA‐deficient mutant NahG plants treated with CF were also found to be susceptible to Fusarium pathogen and displayed low SA levels, whereas WT CF‐treated tomato plants exhibited moderately lower disease levels and substantially higher SA levels. Expression of the JA‐responsive defensin gene PDF1 was induced in WT tomato plants treated with BGS, whereas the SA‐inducible pathogenesis‐related protein 1 acidic (PR1a) gene was up‐regulated in WT tomato plants treated with CF. These results suggest that TriV_JSB100 BGS and CF differentially induce JA and SA signalling cascades for the elicitation of Fusarium oxysporum resistance in tomato.
Systematic review of sodium thiosulfate in treating calciphylaxis in chronic kidney disease patients
Authors: Peng Ting , Zhuo Ling , Wang Ying , Jun Min , Li Guisen , Wang Li , Hong Daqing
Published: June 2017

Aim

Calciphylaxis is a severe complication of advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD). Sodium thiosulphate (STS), an antioxidant and calcium chelating agent, has been used for the treatment of calciphylaxis. However, its efficacy and safety have not been systematically analysed and evaluated.

Methods

MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library database were systematically searched for case report or cases series on use of STS for calciphylaxis published between July 1974 and October 2016. We extracted data on clinical characteristics, laboratory tests result and medication use. The effective treatment was defined as improvement in skin lesion cicatrisation or pain relief without death. Non‐responding effects were defined as stable skin lesions without remission or exacerbation of the disease in patients who remained alive. All‐cause mortality after STS treatment was defined as death due to exacerbations of calciphylaxis or other complications of advanced CKD. We compared the baseline parameters of the patients as well as the efficacy and mortality of the STS therapy between case report and multi‐case reports. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 19.

Results

A total of 83 papers were screened, 45 of them (n = 358) met the inclusion criteria, including 36 case reports (n = 64) and nine multi‐case reports (n = 294). The mean age of the patients with calciphylaxis was 58 ± 14 years (range 26–91 years). They were female predominant, accounting for 74.1%. Among the patients with calciphylaxis, 96.1% patients were on dialysis with median dialysis vintage of 44.5 months (range 24–84 months). STS was effective in 70.1% of patients, 37.6% patients died. The proportion of patients with sepsis was higher among those who received intravenous STS. There was no significant difference in efficacy between the different STS administration methods (P = 0.19).

Conclusion

Although the study was unable to assess the efficacy of sodium thiosulphate alone in the treatment of calciphylaxis, it still reveals a promising role of STS as an effective therapy for calciphylaxis. Further prospective studies to define the optimal therapy for calciphylaxis are needed.
Dynamic modeling of the tight junction pore pathway
Authors: Weber Christopher R. , Turner Jerrold R.
Published: June 2017

Claudins define paracellular permeability to small molecules by forming ion‐selective pores within the tight junction. We recently demonstrated that claudin‐2 channels are gated and open and close on a submillisecond timescale. To determine if and how the ensemble behavior of this unique class of entirely extracellular gated ion channels could define global epithelial barrier function, we have developed an in silico model of local claudin‐2 behavior. This model considers the complex anastomosing ultrastructure of tight junction strands and can be scaled to show that local behavior defines global epithelial barrier function of epithelial monolayers expressing different levels of claudin‐2. This is the first mathematical model to describe global epithelial barrier function in terms of the dynamic behavior of single tight junction channels and establishes a framework to consider gating kinetics as a means to regulate barrier function.
Increasing the efficiency of CRISPR‐Cas9‐VQR precise genome editing in rice
Authors: Hu Xixun , Meng Xiangbing , Liu Qing , Li Jiayang , Wang Kejian
Published: June 2017

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats‐associated protein 9 (CRISPR‐Cas9) is a revolutionary technology that enables efficient genomic modification in many organisms. Currently, the wide use of Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9 (SpCas9) primarily recognizes sites harbouring a canonical NGG protospacer adjacent motif (PAM). The newly developed VQR (D1135V/R1335Q/T1337R) variant of Cas9 has been shown to cleave sites containing NGA PAM in rice, which greatly expanded the range of genome editing. However, the low editing efficiency of the VQR variant remains, which limits its wide application in genome editing. In this study, by modifying the single guide RNA (sgRNA) structure and strong endogenous promoters, we significantly increased the editing efficiency of the VQR variant. The modified CRISPR‐Cas9‐VQR system provides a robust toolbox for multiplex genome editing at sites containing noncanonical NGA PAM.
A study of special care dental patient preference toward choice of mask and visor use by dental clinicians
Authors: Emanuel Robert , Corcoran Richard , Cass Helen
Published: June 2017

Background

Do patients have a preference for the clinician's choice of face protection (visor or mask), and can this make a difference to the patient's feelings of anxiety?

Method

In a normative sample (n = 72) of patients from Special Care Dentistry, different combinations of face protection were studied to see whether the patients clearly preferred one type over another, and whether that was related to the levels of anxiety they suffered, based on the modified dental anxiety scale.

Results

The majority of patients, 68% had the visor only as their first choice of face protection. This was followed by 22% having the mask only as their first choice and 10% having the visor and mask combination as their first choice. Patients with higher anxiety levels were more likely to believe that the type of face protection worn by the dentist would affect their levels of anxiety.

Conclusion

The patients preferred the visor only option. As the level of anxiety rose, so did the percentage of patients that felt the style of protection worn by the dentist would affect their level of anxiety. The comments from patients referred to the benefit of nonverbal communication offered by the visor.
Waste management regulation: policy solutions and policy shortcomings
Authors: Berger Wolfram , Nagase Yoko
Published: June 2017

A model of packaging waste management is presented to explore the policy options available to governments to implement waste regulation in light of the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). Our model endogenizes the packaging design as an additional determinant for the overall amount of waste jointly with consumers’ sorting effort and producers’ output decisions. The model shows that the policies that yield the first‐best allocation may not find public support. Furthermore, if the set of available policy instruments is limited, production and consumption of the good is likely to settle on a sub‐optimal level even though the optimal allocation may be achievable. Finally, the model demonstrates that a landfill tax may actually increase landfill waste in the presence of tradable credits for recycling activities. The results shed light on some shortcomings of existing regulatory schemes such as the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations of the UK.
Effects of a dynamic core stability program on the biomechanics of cutting maneuvers: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Whyte E. F. , Richter C. , O'Connor S. , Moran K. A.
Published: June 2017

Deficits in trunk control predict ACL injuries which frequently occur during high‐risk activities such as cutting. However, no existing trunk control/core stability program has been found to positively affect trunk kinematics during cutting activities. This study investigated the effectiveness of a 6‐week dynamic core stability program (DCS) on the biomechanics of anticipated and unanticipated side and crossover cutting maneuvers. Thirty‐one male, varsity footballers participated in this randomized controlled trial. Three‐dimensional trunk and lower limb biomechanics were captured in a motion analysis laboratory during the weight acceptance phase of anticipated and unanticipated side and crossover cutting maneuvers at baseline and 6‐week follow‐up. The DCS group performed a DCS program three times weekly for 6 weeks in a university rehabilitation room. Both the DCS and control groups concurrently completed their regular practice and match play. Statistical parametric mapping and repeated measures analysis of variance were used to determine any group (DCS vs control) by time (pre vs post) interactions. The DCS resulted in greater internal hip extensor (P=.017, η2=0.079), smaller internal knee valgus (P=.026, η2=0.076), and smaller internal knee external rotator moments (P=.041, η2=0.066) during anticipated side cutting compared with the control group. It also led to reduced posterior ground reaction forces for all cutting activities (P=.015‐.030, η2=0.074‐0.105). A 6‐week DCS program did not affect trunk kinematics, but it did reduce a small number of biomechanical risk factors for ACL injury, predominantly during anticipated side cutting. A DCS program could play a role in multimodal ACL injury prevention programs.
Modern Asian ecclesiastical interconnections: Catholic Tamil Nadu and its diaspora in Malaysia
Authors: Pillai Shanthini
Published: June 2017

This paper explores the dynamics of the modern Asian Catholic ecclesiastical experience in Malaysia within the context of diaspora. Using the South Indian Tamil Catholic community in Malaysia as a case in point, I explore the mediations that occur in ecclesiastical spaces as a result of the points of contact between Catholic Tamil Nadu and its diaspora in Malaysia. Through an analysis of two festivals of ethnic Tamil heritage, the Feast of Our Lady of Good Health and the Pongal Festival, in a predominantly Tamil parish community, the discussion will show how the interactions between ethnicity, culture, and the Catholic Tamil diaspora in Malaysia foreground a sinuous interweaving of the threads of continuity, adaptation and dialogue. I also attempt to extend the investigation a little further to show instances of subtle differences that emerge as a result of the diasporic relocation of vernacular Catholicism inherited from South India. The latter subsequently reveal the modern Asian ecclesiastical interconnections that occur as South Indian Catholicism is practised within its national Malaysian Catholic context.
A comparison of hematology, plasma chemistry, and injuries in Hickory shad (Alosa mediocris) captured by electrofishing or angling during a spawning run
Authors: Matsche Mark A. , Rosemary Kevin , Stence Charles P.
Published: June 2017

Background

Declines in Hickory shad (Alosa mediocris) populations in Chesapeake Bay have prompted efforts at captive propagation of wild broodfish for stock enhancement and research.

Objective

The objectives of this study were to evaluate injuries sustained, and immediate and delayed (24 hours) effects on blood variables related to 2 fish capturing methods (electrofishing [EF] and angling).

Methods

Blood specimens were collected from fish immediately following capture by EF and angling (n = 40 per sex and capture method) from the Susquehanna River (MD,USA). Additional fish (n = 25 per sex and capture method) were collected on the same day, placed in holding tanks and bled 24 hours following capture. Blood data that were non‐Gaussian in distribution were transformed (Box–Cox), and effects of sex, method of capture, and holding time were tested usingANOVAwith general linear models. Fish were evaluated for injuries by necropsy and radiography.

Results

Sex‐specific differences were observed forRBC,HGB,PCV,MCH,MCHC, total proteins (TP), globulins, glucose, calcium,AST,CK, and lactate, whileRBC,HGB,PCV,MCV,MCH,MCHC,TP, albumin, globulins, glucose, potassium, sodium,AST,CK, and lactate differed significantly by fish capturing method. Electrofishing may have induced greater disruption in blood variables, but mortality (4%) was not significantly different compared to angling.

Conclusions

Electrofishing for Hickory shad using a constantDCvoltage resulted in numerous hematologic and biochemical changes, with no additional injuries or deaths compared to angling. Capture method must be considered when evaluating fish condition, and blood variables should be partitioned by sex during spawning season.
The use of therapeutic plasma exchange to reduce serum bilirubin in a dog with kernicterus
Authors: Tovar Tricia , Deitschel Sarah , Guenther Christine
Published: June 2017

Objective

To describe the use of a manual method of therapeutic plasma exchange to reduce total serum bilirubin, manage kernicterus, and halt progression of neurological dysfunction in a dog with immune‐mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA).

Case Summary

A 5‐year‐old male neutered Lhasa Apso diagnosed with IMHA developed acute onset neurologic signs consistent with kernicterus. Manual therapeutic plasma exchange was performed in an attempt to reduce total serum bilirubin. The initial exchange was performed at a lower plasma exchange volume due to the dog's critical status and the dog's clinical signs progressed. More aggressive plasma exchange was performed that resulted in a reduction in total serum bilirubin and no further progression of neurologic signs. The dog was euthanized due to suspicion of permanent neurologic changes and need for further blood transfusions. Histopathology postmortem confirmed a diagnosis of kernicterus.

New or Unique Information Provided

Kernicterus secondary to hyperbilirubinemia is well described in people, but has rarely been reported in dogs. Therapeutic plasma exchange has been used for decades in people to rapidly decrease serum bilirubin when hyperbilirubinemia progresses to neurologic signs, but to the authors’ knowledge this has not been described in a dog.
Book Review: Pensamento Sociológico. Uma Introdução Didática às Teorias Clássicas [Sociological Thought. A Didactic Introduction to Classical Theories]
Authors: Serpa Sandro
Published: June 2017

This book review presents a handbook that addresses several classical authors in sociology, and that may be mobilized to be, with interest, clarity and pedagogical quality, a useful instrument in the teaching-learning process of some of the perspectives that contributed most to the institutionalization of sociology as form of specific knowledge. They are, even today, unavoidable for those who wish to deepen contemporary sociological view(s) of a pluri-paradigmatic science.
Forming Limit Differences in Hemispherical Dome and Biaxial Test During Equibiaxial Tension on Cruciform
Authors: Nikhare Chetan P. , Vorisek Emmett , Nolan John R. , Roth John T.
Published: June 2017

Traditionally, the mechanical properties of materials have been characterized using the uniaxial tension test. This test is considered adequate for simple forming operations where single axis loading is dominant. Previous studies, however, have noted that the data acquired from this type of testing are not enough and additional details in other axes under simultaneous deformation conditions are important. To analyze the biaxial strain, some studies have suggested using the limiting dome height test and bulge test. However, these tests limit the extent of using multi-axial loading and the resulting stress pattern due to contact surfaces. Therefore, researchers devised the biaxial machine which is designed specifically to provide biaxial stress components using multiple and varying loading conditions. The idea of this work is to evaluate the relationship between the dome test data and the biaxial test data. For this comparison, cruciform specimens with a diamond shaped thinner gage in the center were deformed with biaxial stretching on the biaxial testing machine. In addition, the cruciform specimens were biaxially stretched with a hemispherical punch in a conventional die-punch setting. Furthermore, in each case, the process was simulated using a three-dimensional (3D) model generated on abaqus. These models were then compared with the experimental results. The forces on each arm, strain path, forming, and formability were analyzed. The differences between the processes were detailed. It was found that biaxial tests eliminated the pressurization effect which could be found in hemispherical dome tests.
Exploitation of phased-based features for emotional arousal evaluation from speech
Authors: Guoth Igor , Rusko Milan , Ritomský Marian , Marian Trnka , Darjaa Sakhia
Published: June 2017

The mel cepstral coefficients representing magnitude spectrum and Teager energy operators are often used as features in emotion recognition. The phase spectrum information is generally ignored. In this work an approach is proposed based on the use of group delay function from all pole models (APGD) to represent the phase information for the emotional arousal recognition from speech. The experiments were done on the CRISIS acted speech database with four levels of stress. The results of the arousal recognition system using the APGD features are compared to those using mel-frequency cepstral coefficients (MFCCs) and with Critical Band Based TEO Autocorrelation Envelope features (TEO-CB-Auto-Env) which have been successfully used in the task of emotion and stress detection in the past. The feature extraction is applied on the voiced parts of speech. The combination of APGD, MFCC, and TEO-CB-Auto-Env features has shown the best recognition results confirming the hypothesis that the phase and magnitude spectra contain complementary information and their combination can improve the reliability of the arousal recognition system.
Case study: Renovation of a historical building to create a boutique hotel, restaurant, and pub in a harbor town
Authors: Pettyjohn Steve
Published: June 2017

An existing inn and restaurant were to be refurbished to create a boutique hotel, restaurant, and pub in Ft. Bragg, California. Live bands would play in the restaurant while hotel guests would occupy the rooms above the restaurant and pub and at the rear of the pub. The existing structure allowed only a limited number of guest rooms. Other structures were to renovated to provide more lodging space. The proposed uses provide multiple types of and conflicts between the different soundscapes. Sound levels with or without bands must be acceptable in guest rooms. Both wall and floor/ceiling assemblies were designed to meet State Codes and the standard of the industry for sound and impact transmission loss. The soundscape goal for the pub and the restaurant was to control excess sound generated by the patrons. When a band is playing, the potential for significant impacts is greater without acoustical treatment and some control over the band volume. A discussion of the options for acoustical treatments within the restaurant and pub are discussed based on the architectural designs and goals. Alternate methods of controlling sound transmission through wall and floor/ceiling assemblies are presented on the real world conditions and contractors methods.
Apparent sound insulation in cross-laminated timber buildings
Authors: Hoeller Christoph , Mahn Jeffrey , Quirt David
Published: June 2017

With the 2015 National Building Code now in effect in Canada, predicting the apparent sound insulation in buildings from laboratory measurements is becoming increasingly relevant for architects and designers. In North America, the apparent sound insulation is classified in terms of Apparent Sound Transmission Class (ASTC). The ASTC rating includes both the transmission through the separating assembly and the transmission via flanking paths. The National Research Council Canada has published a number of guideline documents that detail the calculation procedure for ASTC and provide the required laboratory data for various construction types. In NRC Research Report RR-335, “Apparent Sound Insulation in Cross-Laminated Timber Buildings” the focus is on buildings which are constructed from cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels. Measurements of the direct sound insulation of CLT panels and the vibration attenuation at their junctions were conducted at the NRC in recent years. The report RR-335 describes how to combine the relevant data to obtain estimates of the apparent transmission loss and the ASTC rating for a given CLT construction. This presentation will present highlights of the report and demonstrate the use of the Simplified Method and the Detailed Method to calculate the ASTC rating.
Compiled acoustic and indoor environmental condition data from 220 K-12 classrooms
Authors: Brill Laura C. , Wang Lily M.
Published: June 2017

A team at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln is currently engaged in a comprehensive study of indoor environmental conditions in K-12 classrooms. Information about the indoor air quality, thermal comfort, lighting, and acoustic conditions have been collected from 220 classrooms across five school districts in Nebraska and Iowa. This paper will present an overview of the acoustic results with regards to sound levels and reverberation time as well as how these results vary based on grade level and school district. This paper will also present an initial overview of the relationship between acoustic metrics and some of the metrics from indoor air quality, thermal comfort, and lighting such as carbon dioxide levels, temperature, and electric illuminance levels. [Work supported by the United States Environmental Protection Agency Grant Number R835633.]
NCPAprop—A software package for infrasound propagation modeling
Authors: Waxler Roger M. , Assink Jelle D. , Hetzer Claus , Velea Doru
Published: June 2017

Developed by the infrasound group at the National Center of Physical Acoustics, University of Mississippi, and a few collaborators, NCPAprop is an open source software package aiming at providing a comprehensive set of tested and validated numerical models for simulating the long range propagation of infrasonic signals through the earth's atmosphere. The algorithms implemented in NCPAprop are designed for frequencies large enough that the effects of buoyancy can be neglected and small enough that propagation to ranges of hundreds to thousands of kilometers is possible without significant signal attenuation. Nominally, NCPAprop can, without modification, be used to efficiently model narrowband propagation from 0.1 to 10 Hz and broadband propagation from 0.05 Hz to 2 or 3 Hz. NCPAprop provides both geometrical acoustic and full wave models which will be presented. The geometrical acoustics part consists of 2-d and 3-d ray tracing programs as well as a non-linear ray theory model. The full wave models consist of a suite of normal mode models of increasing complexity and a Parabolic Equation (PE) model.
Musical acoustics and science education: What I learned from Thomas D. Rossing
Authors: Morrison Andrew C.
Published: June 2017

My professional journey into teaching and working on musical acoustics projects owes a great amount to the mentorship I was fortunate to receive from Thomas D. Rossing. I had the great privilege to meet Dr. Rossing as an undergraduate when my advisor arranged for us to make some measurements in Rossing's acoustics lab at Northern Illinois University. I expressed interest in attending NIU to study with him and was thrilled to realize that dream when I started (and completed) my Ph. D. program under Dr. Rossing's supervision. I frequently think about the many ways in which I learned what was important for student learning about science, especially acoustics, from my time as Dr. Rossing's teaching assistant. Throughout the years of knowing him, he has continuously been an inspiration to my way of thinking about how I teach and how I mentor my students. His pursuit of knowledge and love of learning have been instilled in my teaching and in the musical acoustics work that I do with students. In this talk I will highlight the various ways in which my career and life have been enriched by the example that Thomas Rossing has set.
Simplified exponential horns
Authors: Dalmont Jean-Pierre , Kameni Carole , Béquin Philippe
Published: June 2017

The exponential horn is known as the shape realizing the best matching between a source and the external field for frequencies higher than its cut-off frequency. In practice, the horn being of finite length the effective cut-off is significantly higher and resonances appear as waves are reflected at the end of the horn. So, the response of the horn is far from being flat. Then, a question arises: in what extend the shape of an exponential horn has to be strictly respected in order to keep its main acoustical properties. The present paper intend to answer this question. First, a review of the different ways to calculate the input impedance of a horn and their accuracy is made. Comparison with input impedance measurements show that plane wave approximation is often sufficient even when the horn is strongly bended. Second, some criteria are proposed to characterize horns ability to match with the external field. These criteria are finally used to compare the performances of some simplified geometries of horns to that of strictly exponential horns.
Acoustical characteristics of Chinese musical instrument bamboo flute
Authors: Peng Linhui , Geng Tao
Published: June 2017

There are few reports on acoustical study about Chinese music instruments, which is an area worthy of researching. Nowadays there are more and more new and comprehensive ways that can be used to analyze acoustical characteristics and quality of musical instruments, such as experimental modal analysis, finite element software. It is said that music is a kind of a world language. However, the music is an expression of a culture, which is expressed by the musical instrument with its specific acoustical property and character. Therefore, it is necessary to research the acoustical characteristics that can express Chinese culture in the acoustical music instrument study. Bamboo flute is one of the most important musical instruments in any Chinese music ensemble or Chines orchestra. Acoustical structure and characteristics of bamboo flute tone are researched. Meanwhile, acoustical characteristic features for some main playing technique of bamboo flute are also researched. Then, the identified characteristics of bamboo flute tone related with Chinese music and culture are analyzed.
Minimum Energy Method (MEM) microphone array back-propagation for measuring musical wind instruments sound hole radiation
Authors: Bader Rolf , Fischer Jost L. , Abel Markus
Published: June 2017

Using a 128 microphone array, the sound source distribution of musical wind instruments from their blowing and finger holes are measured. The Japanese \emph{shakuhachi} flute, the Chinese \emph{dizi} transverse flute, the Balinese \emph{suling} bamboo flute and flue organ pipes are investigated. The sound radiation is measured by a rectangular microphone array in the near field, and back-propagated onto the flute radiation plane using the Minimum Energy Method (MEM). Here, the radiation is assumed to be composed of as many sound sources as there are microphones, where the source positions can be chosen arbitrarily in space. Using a regularization parameter $\alpha$ the virtual sound sources, which are monopoles for $\alpha = 0$ are narrowed for higher $\alpha$. Calculating the reconstruction energy on the radiation plane while using different $\alpha$, this energy becomes minimal for the correct $\alpha$. The ill-posedness of the solved Fredholm integral at the presence of measurement noise is met by easing $\alpha$ slightly, therefore stabilizing the solution in a robust way. This is especially necessary for problems like musical wind instruments, where the sound sources are the air itself and often a precise sound source position cannot be known in advance. The flutes show complex radiation behavior and sometimes even a coupling of the sound field between finger holes outside the flute. Coupling between organ pipes can also lead to synchronization between the pipes.
Miniature disposable phononic crystal biosensors
Authors: Lucklum Ralf , Lucklum Frieder
Published: June 2017

We introduce concept and first realizations of a disposable phononic crystal sensor, dedicated to point-of-care applications. Home tests, screening at a physician’s office or decentralized hospital tests require a disposable element filled with liquid analytes like blood or urine. The application of ultrasound leads to the advantage that speed of sound is sensitive to molecular shape, hydration or type of interaction potentials between mixture components. This provides reliable access to sensor specificity. The deviations however are rather small and require measurement at high resolution. The phononic crystal sensor concept applies the idea of liquid cavity resonance which can be realized with planar or cylindrical 2D or fully 3D phononic crystals containing the analyte in at least one element. High-Q resonance virtually extends the interaction path of the probing acoustic signal with the analyte. The specific challenge of a miniature disposable phononic crystal liquid cavity resonator is two-fold: First to find designs with high concentration of acoustic energy of a longitudinal mode in the cavity, and second to utilize a fabrication technology which meets the requirements in terms of materials, geometry, and prize. We use numerical models for design optimization and investigate high-resolution 3D printing as rapid, low-cost fabrication method.
A biologically inspired piezoelectric microphone
Authors: Hall Neal A. , Kuntzman Michael , Kim Donghwan
Published: June 2017

The parasitoid fly Ormia ochracea has the remarkable ability to locate crickets using audible sound. This ability is, in fact, remarkable as the fly’s hearing mechanism spans only 1.5 mm, which is 50 times smaller than the wavelength of sound emitted by the cricket. The hearing mechanism is, for all practical purposes, a point in space with no significant interaural time or level differences to draw from. It has been discovered that the fly's hearing organ utilizes multiple vibration modes to amplify interaural time and level differences (see Miles et al., J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 98 (6), December 1995). Here, we present a fully integrated mimic of the Ormia’s hearing mechanism capable of replicating the remarkable sound localization ability of the special fly. A silicon-micromachined prototype is presented which uses multiple piezoelectric sensing ports to simultaneously transduce two orthogonal vibration modes of the sensing structure, thereby enabling simultaneous measurement of sound pressure and pressure gradient.
Long-term maintenance for learning on pitch and melody discrimination in congenital amusia
Authors: Whiteford Kelly L. , Oxenham Andrew J.
Published: June 2017

Congenital amusia is described as a life-long disorder in melody discrimination, related to poor fine-grained pitch perception. A recent study in our lab found, however, that pitch and melody discrimination in amusia can improve with laboratory training. After training, over half of the amusics no longer met the standard diagnostic criterion for amusia, assessed via the Montreal Battery of Evaluation of Amusia (MBEA). The present study examined the durability of learning effects by re-examining frequency difference limens (FDLs) and melody discrimination in the same participants one year after post training. Pure-tone FDLs were measured at 500, 2000, and 8000 Hz using an adaptive three-interval forced-choice procedure, and melody discrimination was assessed via the MBEA. Preliminary results (n = 23; 11 amusics) showed no significant change in FDLs or melody discrimination between post training and one-year follow-up. Consistent with post-training results, there were significant main effects of group, with amusics performing more poorly than controls. Despite these differences, eight originally identified amusics no longer met the criterion for amusia based on the MBEA. Results suggest learning on pitch- and melody-related tasks is robust and can be maintained for at least one year. [Work supported by NIH grant R01DC005216.]
On the developments of psychoacoustics in the Netherlands in the first half of the 20th century
Authors: Duifhuis Hendrikus
Published: June 2017

Formally psychoacoustics started after ~1950, but during the preceding period many basic elements emerged. Traditionally the Netherlands’ developments were most directly linked to European mainland schools, but in the forties British and American interests took over most links. The great wars during this period stimulated an interest in information transmission (telephone and radio) and later in (de)coding. The development of smaller electronic devices had a spin off for the hearing impaired—portable hearing aids (Philips). Two researchers active in these fields were E. ter Kuile and J. F. Schouten. Ter Kuile received his Ph.D. degree in Amsterdam (1904), Schouten his in Utrecht (1937). Ter Kuile was the first investigator with a theory about the function of the tectorial membrane and the cochlear haircells, but he was also interested in the role of waveform and spectra re timbre and speech properties. Schouten, after his PhD in vision, switched to hearing at Philips “Nat.Lab” in Eindhoven, and worked on the case of “the missing fundamental,” for which he introduced the term “residue.” Again a problem in which spectral and temporal coding are competitive. Whereas Ter Kuile strongly builds on Helmholtz, after 1945 Schouten got in touch with colleagues at MIT and Bell-Labs.
A comparison of modal and spatially matched-filter beamforming for rigid spherical microphone arrays in the context of data-based binaural synthesis
Authors: Spors Sascha , Rettberg Till , Winter Fiete
Published: June 2017

Several approaches to data-based binaural synthesis have been published that capture a sound field by means of a spherical microphone array. The captured sound field is decomposed into plane waves, which are auralized using (far-field) head-related impulse responses (HRIRs). In practice, the decomposition into plane waves is performed by beamforming. A well-known technique for spherical microphone arrays is modal beamforming where the sound field is represented with respect to surface spherical harmonics. A numerically stable approximation is the spatio-temporal matched-filter technique. Here the acoustic reciprocity theorem is used in conjunction with the matched filter technique for beamforming. This paper reviews the matched filter beamformer and compares its properties to the modal beamformer in a realistic scenario. The performance of the two beamforming techniques is compared in the context of data-based binaural synthesis. Time-domain properties of the resulting ear-signals, as well as suitable binaural measures, are investigated for simulated and captured scenarios.
Simplified airport noise models for integrated environmental impact assessment of aviation
Authors: Torija Antonio J. , Self Rod H. , Flindell Ian H.
Published: June 2017

With the projected significant increase in air traffic demand over the next few years, to ensure the sustainability of the aviation sector and to avoid further deterioration of quality of life of communities near airports, the various stakeholders, i.e., manufacturers, airlines, airports, and government are required to address projections of future aviation scenarios in an integrated manner, where noise and also air quality and carbon release are considered. Our research group is currently developing simplified airport noise models to overcome the important input data requirements and computation complexity of existing airport noise models for computing precise noise contours (e.g., FAA’s Integrated Noise Model, INM), and also to ensure compatibility against input and output requirements of climate and air quality models. These models are intended to be incorporated into an overall architecture for the strategic environmental assessment of aviation scenarios where different technology and fleet composition options (considering retirements and market penetrations) and growth rates are examined. This paper presents the results of a series of cases studies for illustrating the applicability of simplified airport noise models for analysing strategic aviation noise impact. Both the unavoidable limitations and advantages of simplified models for computing noise outputs under complex scenarios are discussed.