bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Multiscale ocean prediction and uncertainty estimation for acoustic studies
Authors: Lermusiaux Pierre F.
Published: May 2016

We discuss the prediction and estimation of multiscale ocean fields and their probability density distribution for acoustic studies. In high-fidelity multi-resolution simulations, the probability density function of the full ocean state is predicted and estimated, combining the governing equations with observations. Dynamically balanced stochastic forcing are included, so as to represent effects of sub-grid-scales not resolved by the deterministic model equations. The results are stochastic partial differential equations that allow to capture both deterministic effects (advection, Coriolis, etc.) and statistical effects (smaller-scale turbulence, internal wave variability, etc.) on the environment. With this modeling and data assimilation, accurate estimates of the probability density functions (pdf) of oceanographic variability are possible. They become inputs to end-to-end oceanographic-seabed-acoustic-sonar dynamical systems. This end-to-end uncertainty quantification approach is described, evaluated, and illustrated in several simulations and ocean regions.
Acoustic forces acting on particles and fluids in microscale acoustofluidics
Authors: Bruus Henrik , Karlsen Jonas T.
Published: May 2016

Acoustofluidics relying on acoustic forces to handle fluids and particles in microfluidic systems has emerged as a useful tool for characterizing, focusing, separating, and sorting cells based on their acousto-mechanical properties. Here, we present recent advances in the theoretical understanding of acoustic forces on particles and fluids. In particular, we address the effects of thermoviscous boundary layers on acoustic scattering off sub-micron particles or droplets. Re-examining the far-field method of calculating acoustic radiation forces and torques, we show that exact non-perturbative expressions can be derived regardless of boundary layer dissipation. The necessary condition for moving the surface of integration from the particle surface to the far field, is the time-periodicity of the system rather than negligible boundary-layer dissipation. In the long-wavelength limit, this approach leads to particularly simple expressions for the force and torque acting on a particle in a thermoviscous fluid. Finally, relaxing the requirement of having two immiscible phases (particle/fluid or droplet/fluid), we generalize the theory to include acoustic forces acting on continuous density and compressibility distributions of inhomogeneous fluids, such as aqueous salt solutions.
The effect of transducer directivity on properties of time reversal focusing
Authors: Clemens Miles , Willardson Matthew L. , Anderson Brian E.
Published: May 2016

This presentation explores the effect of transducer directivity on the focusing properties of time reversal acoustics. Time reversal is a signal processing technique that can be used to focus sound to a location in space for source reconstruction, communication, and intentional sound focusing. One loudspeaker and one microphone are used to produce a time reversal focus in a reverberation chamber. The primary axis of the loudspeaker is oriented in various different directions to produce a time reversal focus for each orientation. Since source directivity depends on the frequency of the sound emitted, these experiments are conducted for a low frequency band and a high frequency band such that these two frequency bands have fairly different directivities. Properties of these foci are compared to determine the overall effect of directivity on the time reversal focus.
Characterizing ambient noise in marine and terrestrial settings
Authors: Hildebrand John
Published: May 2016

Ambient noise results from both anthropogenic and natural sources. In a marine setting, low frequency ambient noise is dominated by anthropogenic sources: commercial shipping and seismic exploration. Marine ambient noise in the mid-frequency band is primarily due to sea surface agitation: breaking waves, spray, bubble formation and collapse, and rainfall. Various sonars (e.g., military and mapping), as well as small vessels, contribute anthropogenic noise at mid-frequencies. At high frequencies, acoustic attenuation becomes extreme so that all noise sources are confined to an area close to the receiver. In a terrestrial setting, ambient noise is often dominated by anthropogenic sources, from aircraft and traffic. Most terrestrial measurements of ambient noise are conducted at or near the ground surface, where temperature and wind gradients create complex sound propagation environments. Likewise, obstacles such as vegetation are important for sound propagation, as well as absorption and reflection from the ground surface. Flowing water and wind are natural sources of terrestrial ambient noise. The relationship between animal bioacoustics and ambient noise will be discussed, as a background against which studies of the impact of anthropogenic noise on animals are conducted.
Perceived gender in clear and conversational speech
Authors: Booz Jaime A. , Ferguson Sarah H.
Published: May 2016

Much of our understanding of gender perception in voice and speech is based on sustained vowels or single words, which eliminates temporal, prosodic, and articulatory cues available in more natural, connected speech. Further, while many studies have examined acoustic and sociolinguistic differences between male and female voices, the relationship between talker speaking style and perception of gender has not yet been explored. Clear speech, adopted by talkers who perceive some barrier to effective communication, is one such speaking style change. The present study examines the relationship between clear speech and talker gender perception. Clear and conversational neutral sentences produced by all 41 talkers from the Ferguson Clear Speech Database (Ferguson, 2004) were presented to young listeners with normal hearing. They rated the gender of the talker using a visual analog scale with endpoints labeled masculine and feminine, chosen to capture small within-category changes in perceived gender. Acoustic analyses of these sentences, including fundamental frequency, formant frequencies, speaking rate, fundamental frequency range, and cepstral peak prominence will be undertaken to determine the relationship between acoustic correlates of clear speech and listener ratings of femininity or masculinity. Applications to transgender voice therapy will be discussed.
Manipulating air bubbles with secondary Bjerknes forces
Authors: Lanoy Maxime , Derec Caroline , Tourin Arnaud , Leroy Valentin
Published: May 2016

Gas bubbles in a sound field are submitted to a radiative force, known as the secondary Bjerknes force. In this presentation, we propose an original experimental setup that allowed us to investigate in details this force between two neighboring bubbles. The dependance with the sonication frequency, as well as the bubbles radii and distance, was examined. We report the observation of both attractive and, more interestingly, repulsive Bjerknes force, when the two bubbles have different radii and can thus be driven in antiphase. On the contrary, our results also show the importance of taking multiple scattering into account when the bubbles radii become similar. The setup demonstrates the accuracy of secondary Bjerknes forces for attracting or repealing a bubble, and could lead to new acoustic tools for non-contact manipulation in microfluidic devices.
Active acoustic monitoring in extreme turbulence around marine renewable energy devices
Authors: Fraser Shaun , Williamson Benjamin , Scott Beth E. , Nikora Vladimir
Published: May 2016

The advance of tidal energy technologies has created new demands for active acoustic monitoring in highly dynamic marine environments. An innovative data collection approach using the FLOWBEC multi-instrument platform has been developed to acoustically observe turbulence and ecological interactions in the challenging environments around turbine installations in the UK. Standard processing approaches for echosounder data are unsuitable in these sites because of the extreme variability in acoustic conditions due to strong tidal flows and complex wind-wave interactions. Novel techniques for identifying ecological targets (fish, diving seabirds, and marine mammals) and characterising the physical conditions have been developed which are functional even during extreme turbulence. Reliable target identification is achieved using scale-sensitive filtering, morphological characterization, and multifrequency analysis of EK60 echosounder data. Combining results with synchronized multibeam data and other observations gives new oceanographic and ecological insights into these environments. This study contributes novel methodological and processing concepts for acoustic analysis in challenging sites of emerging industrial importance. The results provide vital observations on the behaviour of marine species with clear applications for the analysis of environmental impacts of marine renewable energy technologies.
William J. Strong's musical instrument models
Authors: Beauchamp James W.
Published: May 2016

After studying acoustics with Harvey Fletcher at Brigham Young University (BYU) in the 1950s, Bill joined the computer music sound analysis/synthesis group led by Melville Clark, Jr., at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1959. He presented his first musical acoustics paper, on clarinet tone synthesis, at the fall, 1964 ASA meeting in Austin. This was followed by a paper on oboe synthesis at the spring, 1965 meeting in Washington. These papers were elaborated on in two wind instrument synthesis papers he and Clark published in JASA in 1967. The pioneering method was called spectral envelope synthesis, although temporal envelope functions were also incorporated in the model. Parameters for this complex synthesis method were obtained from time-variant spectrum analyses done by David Luce (Ph.D. thesis, MIT, 1963). Later back at BYU, in the late 1970s and 1980s, Bill and his students began analyzing acoustic structures of wind instruments, culminating with Michael Thompson (M.S. thesis, BYU, 2000) and Bill publishing results on measurement and simulation of nonlinear propagation in a trombone in JASA in 2001. This clearly demonstrated that nonlinear propagation of waveforms in a pipe can produce very significant effects on the “brassiness” of a brass instrument’s output sound.
Acoustics in a physics program in the 1990s
Authors: Ludwigsen Daniel
Published: May 2016

To a recent graduate from a liberal arts college with majors in physics and music, Dr. Bill Strong presented a unique opportunity to work on a graduate degree in physics, with research in musical acoustics, using a computational approach. The historical tradition of acoustics within the discipline of physics was important to that young graduate student then, in the 1990s, and continues to be important to this member of academia twenty years later. The work of Bill Strong in shaping and sustaining acoustics at Brigham Young University was at a critical juncture. This presentation of the contemporary setting and my mentor’s approach will offer a grad student’s perspective, through an appreciative filter of years of experience as a professor.
Monitoring the acoustic effects of pile driving for the first offshore wind farm in the United States
Authors: Newhall Arthur E. , Lin Ying T. , Miller James F. , Potty Gopu R. , Vigness-Raposa Kathy , Frankel Adam , Giard Jennifer , Gallien Dennis R. , Elliot Jamey , Mason Tim
Published: May 2016

The Block Island Wind Farm, the first offshore wind farm in the United States, consists of five turbines in water depths of approximately 30 m. The turbines have a jacket type substructure with piles driven to the bottom to pin the structure to the seabed. A number of acoustic sensors were deployed to monitor the acoustic properties of the pile driving activity. The acoustic sensor systems consisted of an eight element towed hydrophone array, two fixed moorings with four hydrophones each, and a fixed sensor package for measuring particle velocity. The towed array was towed from 1 to 8 km from the pile driving location. The fixed moorings were deployed at 7.5 and 15 km from the pile location. The particle velocity sensor package was deployed at 500 m from the pile driving location. This sensor package consisted of a three-axis geophone on the seabed and a tetrahedral array of four low sensitivity hydrophones at 1 m from the bottom. Data collected on these sensor systems will be presented. Acoustic levels and particle velocity observations will be compared and their implications in the context of effects on marine life will be discussed. [Work supported by Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM).]
Measurements of infrasound blade pass frequencies inside multiple homes using narrowband analysis
Authors: Metelka Andy
Published: May 2016

Previous measurements in homes near wind turbines indicate higher pressure levels below 10Hz than audible pressure levels measured at the same time and location (Dooley and Metelka, ASA 20, 2013). Long term measurements of Infrasound pressures appear inside multiple homes as wind speed and wind direction vary. Measuring Narrowband signatures identify fingerprints of rotational components of wind turbines. The measurements directly correlate how blade pass frequencies appear and disappear everywhere as wind changes. Data from four homes were measured and broadband infrasound levels from wind are compared to tonal infrasound blade pass frequencies In both cases, broadband infrasound and blade-to-tower pressures increase with wind and advanced signal processing techniques were used tracking signatures buried in noise.
Origin of negative modulus
Authors: Lee Sam Hyeon , Wright Oliver B.
Published: May 2016

We present a new view point for effective moduli of acoustic metamaterials. We introduce the concept of hidden source of volume: the effective modulus is negative when the volume of fluid injected from the hidden source is larger than, and operates in antiphase to, the volume change of the unit cell that would be obtained in its absence. We demonstrate this ansatz for some established acoustic metamaterials with elements based on Helmholtz resonators and side holes. The hidden source for a Helmholtz-resonator-based metamaterial is the extra air volume injected from the resonator cavity. The hidden sources—more aptly termed hidden expanders of displacement in this case—can arise from light rigid trusses coupled to extra degrees of freedom for mechanical motion such as the case of coupling to masses that move at right angles to the wave-propagation direction.
Electromechanical hybrid metamaterial for the control of ultrasonic guided waves
Authors: Kherraz Nesrine , Haumesser Lionel , Levassort Franck , Benard Paul , Morvan Bruno
Published: May 2016

Last years, a growing number of research has been devoted to the control of the behavior of Phononic crystals and Metamaterials through for instance tunability of the frequency position and/or width of a band gap. This can be achieved by using active materials such as piezoelectric materials. Here, a new class of hybrid metamaterials (HMMs) is proposed to tune the dispersion of guided Lamb waves. The studied HMM is made of a single homogeneous piezoelectric plate on which metallic electrodes are laid on. These electrodes are very thin in comparison to the plate thickness and allow changing locally the electric boundary conditions (EBCs). It is shown, experimentally and theoretically, that by simply modifying the EBCs, coupling between some modes can be induced, leading to the opening of a gap at the edge or within the first Brillouin zone. Moreover, a hybridization gap is observed for the first symmetrical Lamb modes, involving the electrical resonance associated to an inductive electrical circuit connected on electrodes. Such a system opens important perspectives for the development of SAW devices for radiofrequency applications.
Normal and Impaired hearing recognition of speech segments in noise
Authors: Allen Jont B. , Abavisani Ali
Published: May 2016

The identification of very short phoneme segments of speech is the key to understanding speech in chopped noise. Over the last 12 years, UIUC has repeated Miller-Nicely's 1955 phone recognition experiment, with 60 subjects and six SNRs, from quiet to −22 dB SNR, providing an improve understanding of the fundamentals of phone perception in normal (NH) and impaired (HI) listeners. Our phone robustness metric (SNR50) is the SNR such that the phone error is 50% (Toscano and Allen (2014), JSHLR). The error rate at SNR50 + 5 [dB] is <0.33%. We interpret this to mean that above SNR50, phonemes are below the Shannon channel-capacity limit. This is a game-changer: We must reevaluate speech recognition methods. For example, in an experiment on HI ears, we found that HI ears make large errors (e.g., 100%) on a small subset of tokens (Trevino Allen, JASA 134, 607, 2012). Averaging across tokens or listeners for any given consonant conflates the scores. There is a good news: Since there are only a small number of subject-dependent difficult sounds, testing time is reduced and accuracy is increased for a fixed test duration.
Perceptual effects of fluctuating envelopes
Authors: Nelson Peggy B. , Svec Adam
Published: May 2016

Signal/masker envelope fluctuations have important effects on detection and discrimination. Narrowband Gaussian noise (GN) forward maskers yield higher masked thresholds for detecting pure tones than do low-fluctuation noise (LFN) forward maskers. The increased residual masking is due to inherent fluctuations in the temporal envelope of GN producing listener uncertainty. This uncertainty persists for longer durations for hearing-impaired (HI) than for normal-hearing (NH) listeners. In addition to listener uncertainty, amplitude-modulation (AM) forward masking may contribute to masking that occurs in complex listening tasks. In a recent study of AM forward masking, an unmodulated GN masker yielded more masking than an unmodulated LFN, suggesting that inherent envelope fluctuations were responsible for the amount of AM forward masking measured across listener groups. Contrary to predictions, there were no differences in AM forward masking between NH and HI listeners, revealing little effect of hearing loss on recovery from AM forward masking for this task. Considering the combination of listener uncertainty and AM forward masking, the persistence of masker envelope fluctuation effects likely lead HI listeners to experience sluggish recovery from prior rapid envelope fluctuations compared to NH listeners. Together, these findings may have implications for speech understanding in modulated or interrupted conditions. [Support: NIH-DC008306.]
Speech biomechanics: What have we learned and modeled since Joseph Perkell’s tongue model In 1974?
Authors: Perrier Pascal , Payan Yohan , Nazari Mohammad A. , Hermant Nicolas , Rohan Pierre-Yves , Lobos Claudio , Bijar Ahmad
Published: May 2016

With his “physiologically oriented, dynamic model of the tongue, Joseph Perkell introduced in 1974 a new methodological approach to understanding the “relationships among phonetic models and the properties and capabilities of the speech-production mechanism.” This approach has guided a large part of our studies in the two last decades. In order to investigate how mechanical properties of the orofacial motor system constrain the degrees of freedom of speech articulation and contribute to shaping the speech signals exchanged between speakers and listeners, we, among other research groups, have developed increasingly more realistic 2D, and then 3D, finite element (FE) biomechanical models of the human vocal tract and face. After summarizing some of our modeling and simulation results that shed light on some basic characteristics of speech production, we present recent developments which aim to improve the realism of the models: evaluation of the links between the FE mesh structure (based either on tetrahedra, hexahedra, or mixed elements) and simulation accuracy; development of an active 3D element that simulates muscle mechanics and muscle force generation mechanisms; use of Diffusion Tensor Imaging to investigate muscle anatomy; design of an Atlas-based method (i.e., without manual image segmentation) for the automatic generation of subject-specific models.
Inferences on target speed, depth, and range from a continuous wave transmission
Authors: Gendron Paul J. , Charles-Ogan Tamunoala , Anchieta David C. , Conor Justin
Published: May 2016

Tracking an underwater mobile object by means of a continuous wave transmission is challenging in part due to the difficulty of drawing inferences on closely spaced tones associated with target depth and speed. Considered here is a bistatic sonar arrangement employed to infer the depth, speed and range of an oncoming submerged object. Computation of the full posterior probability distribution of the returned amplitudes and frequencies from both the prior distribution and a finite duration window of the received waveform is made by Markov-chain Monte Carlo sampling. A Gibbs sampler is employed to construct the posterior joint density of all parameters by taking full advantage of the analytic tractability of the conditional and marginal densities of the received amplitudes while those of the ordered frequencies are constructed numerically by either an inverse quantile sampling or a Metropolis-Hastings sampler. The inferred density of depth, range, and speed of the target is accomplished by constructing a numerical inverse-transformation of the forward propagation model.
Sound propagation from the Canadian Basin to the Chukchi shelf during Summer 2015
Authors: Badiey Mohsen , Eickmeier Justin , Muenchow Andreas , Lin Y T. , Duda Timothy , Kemp John , Dzieciuch Matthew , Worcester Peter
Published: May 2016

During the summer of 2015 a pilot experiment for the Canadian Basin Acoustic Propagation Experiment (CANAPE) was conducted between deep Arctic basin and shallow Chukchi shelf. A vertical line array (VLA) was deployed on the shelf (72.336 N, 157.449 W) at a depth of 161 m from July 26 to August 13, 2015. Sound sources were deployed from R/V Sikuliaq at locations ranging from 131 to 375 km from the VLA. M-Sequences centered at 250 Hz (bandwidth of 62.5 Hz) were transmitted from each location. Discrete shipboard CTD data were conducted at each transmission location and continuous CTD data were recorded along the VLA. Water column data suggests a sound channel located vertically between Pacific and Atlantic waters near the depth of Arctic halocline layer. They also show upward shoaling of lower halocline waters onto the shelf. This upwelling over the continental slope moves the sound channel from offshore to onshore near the bottom. The axis of this sound duct is 100 m below the surface and is about 100 m thick. Received acoustic signals on the shelf increase rapidly in intensity at time scales that range from minutes to days. In this paper we show the acoustic variations are due to the variable sound speed profile. Signal intensity, noise, and temporal variability for geotime scale of minutes to hours are reported. Numerical simulations are conducted to investigate the associated acoustic effects in data. [Work supported by ONR 322OA.]
Unexpected challenges of luxury residential building acoustics
Authors: Hale Marlund E.
Published: May 2016

Building acoustics involving sound enhancements, noise abatement, and vibration control for luxury residential properties can present more than just technical, performance, and mitigation issues. The normal noise control issues dealing with mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) systems are common in commercial and multi-family residential projects. However, ultra-expensive, highly customized, single-family residences are a very different situation, both from the expectation of quality and the much larger and more varied types of noise producing systems. Such custom homes of entertainment and movie stars, corporate moguls, and sports personalities include features and systems that would never occur in the typical single-family home. Large in-home theaters with fully outfitted sound systems, indoor swimming pools, large entertainment centers, dance and reception halls, etc., present very challenging acoustical and noise control challenges. Many such estates also have commercial or industrial type mechanical systems, multi-fueled emergency power generators, and very large water storage and pumping systems that generate significant noise control issues both within the owner’s property and for adjacent neighboring properties. This paper summarizes a few such challenging projects and reviews the often unusual situations that occur during concept and project design, specification and bidding phases, construction, redesign, change-orders, and essential inspections.
Real-time three-dimensional tongue motion during clarinet performance
Authors: Lulich Steven M. , Charles Sherman , Lulich Benjamin
Published: May 2016

Clarinetists teach and feel that they manipulate their tongue shape and position in order to properly “voice” music with ideal intonation and timbre, as well as for special effects such as portamento (pitch bending) and glissando. Two basic postures are typically described, which are frequently called the “ee” (or “er”) and “ah” positions, or “voicings,” due to their presumed similarity to tongue shapes during production of the speech sounds [i] (or [r]) and [a]. Although some two-dimensional imaging studies of tongue shape during clarinet performance have been reported, three-dimensional (3D) data have not been previously available. This study presents 3D tongue motions during performance by one professional clarinetist. Tongue images were acquired from a 3D/4D ultrasound system with synchronized audio recordings, and the images were aligned with a digitized impression of the performer’s palate. Analyses of the data are ongoing, but initial results indicate that the “ee” and “ah” postures are based on the tongue shape but not on the tongue position. Further aspects of the tongue shape and position during clarinet “voicing” will also be discussed.
Acoustic cues for determining head position in sound source localization when listeners move
Authors: Yost William
Published: May 2016

Recently, Yost et al. [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 40, 3293–3310 (2015)] showed in experiments involving rotating listeners that everyday world-centric sound source localization involves two sources of information: information about the auditory spatial cues and information about the position of the head. In this presentation, we will describe experiments in which sound has the potential to provide information about the position of the head, allowing for world-centric sound source location. We use conditions in which sound rotates along an azimuth circular array of loudspeakers as listeners also rotate in the azimuth plane at constant velocity with their eyes open or closed. The rotation conditions and the resulting perceptions of sound rotation will be described along with how those perceptions are altered when other sounds are present. [Research supported by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, AFOSR.]
Acoustic realization of a distinctive, frequent glottal stop: The Arapaho example
Authors: Whalen Doug H. , DiCanio Christian , Geissler Christopher , King Hannah
Published: May 2016

Complete closure of the glottis is typically treated as the canonical realization of glottal stop, but it has instead been found to be “quite unusual” in running speech. However, such evidence comes mostly from English, with non-phonemic glottal stops. How do glottal stops vary in a language where they are common and contrastive, as in Arapaho (ISO 639 arp)? Does distinctive and frequent use of a glottal stop lead to more canonical productions? Moreover, glottalization is often used to mark prosodic boundaries; Are Arapaho phonemic glottal stops affected by boundary position? Glottal stops in an Arapaho corpus were classified on a scale of lenition and examined for duration, relative intensity, harmonics-to-noise ratio (HNR), and F0. Results show that glottal stops were seldom realized as a stop (only 25%) but instead mostly as glottalization. HNR was lower in glottalization than in adjacent vowels. Word-final glottal stops were more often realized with full closure than word-internal ones. The rarity of full glottal stops in English is also reflected in Arapaho: Greater use of these stops does not result primarily in canonical stop realizations. Moreover, glottal stop realization varies prosodically; thus, glottalization as a prosodic feature is not restricted to non-phonemic glottal stops.
Articulator movement contributions to formant trajectories in diphthongs
Authors: Dromey Christopher , McKell Katherine
Published: May 2016

Our purpose was to learn about the relative contributions of lip aperture and protrusion as well as tongue height and advancement to the trajectories of F1 and F2 during diphthongs produced by 20 speakers. Audio and kinematic signals were recorded with an NDI Wave system. Audio segments were analyzed with PRAAT to extract the F1 and F2 histories during the diphthongs. These were time-aligned with the kinematic records in MATLAB. Because time-series data violate the assumptions of traditional correlation and regression analyses, novel methods were developed to represent the relative contributions of individual articulator movements to F1 and F2 changes. All movement and formant tracks during diphthong transitions were converted to z-scores and overlaid on a common time scale. Absolute difference scores between kinematic (predictor) variables and acoustic (dependent) variables were summed along each plot to reflect the strength of the contribution of each movement to the acoustic outcome. The lowest difference sums reflected the closest alignment between a movement and a formant track. Results revealed differences in the relative contributions of the tongue and lips for each diphthong, suggesting that formant patterns during diphthongs may be difficult to interpret in a straightforward way in terms of articulator movement.
Underlying mechanism for nasal rustle noise during speech in children with cleft palate
Authors: Hashemi Hosseinabad Hedieh , Boyce Suzanne , Kummer Ann W.
Published: May 2016

Nasal rustle (AKA Nasal turbulence) occurs as an obligatory nasal air emission in children with cleft palate. It usually occurs as a result of air passing through a partially small velopharyngeal port. As the air moves through this small opening, the air pressure increases. When this pressurized air is released on the nasal side of the opening, it causes nasal secretions on top of the valve to bubble. The hypotheses is that nasal rustle is due to audible bubbling of secretions; so when secretions are removed, the extra noise disappears. In this study, we applied signal to noise ratio (SNR) before suctioning the secretions to explore the relationship between presence of noise and bubbling. Ten children with nasal rustle were recorded using the microphones of the Nasometer II during production of high pressure sentences pre-post suctioning. Results will be discussed. It is expected that the findings reveal that using SNR can be used clinically as an acoustic parameter to detect the effect of bubbling in nasal rustle.
Particle tracking microrheology of protein solutions
Authors: Josephson Lilian Lam , Furst Eric M. , Galush William J.
Published: May 2016

Video-based particle tracking microrheology that requires ∼2 μl per sample is used to measure the viscosity of protein solutions of monoclonal antibodies. Direct imaging provides an immediate assessment of probe stability and the validity of the microrheology measurement. Precise measurements are made by choosing a displacement lag time that is a balance between minimizing tracking error while maximizing the number of sampled particle displacements. The excess kurtosis α2 of the probe displacement probability distribution and its test statistic Zα2 are used to set the optimal lag time. The viscosity is calculated by fitting a Gaussian distribution to the sampled displacements. Microrheology viscosities for two monoclonal antibody solutions are in good agreement with bulk rheology. Using a similar comparison of the microrheology of sucrose solutions with a correlation relating viscosity and concentration, an analysis of covariance (p = 0.941) demonstrates the high accuracy of small volume microrheology measurements. Based on the relative error between measured and tabulated viscosities, the uncertainty of viscosities derived from particle tracking is less than 2% of the true value.
An oasis for orcas
Authors: Grimm David
Published: May 2016

Advocates dream of flying killer whales to an ocean sanctuary, but experts clash over whether science supports the move.
Design of structurally distinct proteins using strategies inspired by evolution
Authors: Jacobs T. M. , Williams B. , Williams T. , Xu X. , Eletsky A. , Federizon J. F. , Szyperski T. , Kuhlman B.
Published: May 2016

Building new proteins from the old

Proteins are the workhorses of biology. Designing new, stable proteins with functions desirable in biotechnology or biomedicine remains challenging. Jacobs
et al.
developed a computational method called SEWING that designs proteins using pieces of existing structures (see the Perspective by Netzer and Fleishman). The new proteins can contain structural features such as pockets or grooves that are required for function. The solved structures of two designed proteins agreed well with the design models. The method allows rapid design of a diverse set of structures that will facilitate functional design.

Science
, this issue p.
687
; see also p.
657
Real-time quantification of single RNA translation dynamics in living cells
Authors: Morisaki Tatsuya , Lyon Kenneth , DeLuca Keith F. , DeLuca Jennifer G. , English Brian P. , Zhang Zhengjian , Lavis Luke D. , Grimm Jonathan B. , Viswanathan Sarada , Looger Loren L. , Lionnet Timothee , Stasevich Timothy J.
Published: May 2016

The when, where, and how of translation

High-resolution single-molecule imaging shows the spatial and temporal dynamics of molecular events (see the Perspective by Iwasaki and Ingolia). Wu
et al.
and Morisaki
et al.
developed an approach to study the translation of single messenger RNAs (mRNAs) in live cells. Nascent polypeptides containing multimerized epitopes were imaged with fluorescent antibody fragments, while simultaneously detecting the single mRNAs using a different fluorescent tag. The approach enabled a direct readout of initiation and elongation, as well as revealing the spatial distribution of translation and allowing the correlation of polysome motility with translation dynamics. Membrane-targeted mRNAs could be distinguished from cytoplasmic mRNAs, as could single polysomes from higher-order polysomal complexes. Furthermore, the work reveals the stochasticity of translation, which can occur constitutively or in bursts, much like transcription, and the spatial regulation of translation in neuronal dendrites.

Science
, this issue p.
1430
, p.
1425
; see also p.
1391
Translation dynamics of single mRNAs in live cells and neurons
Authors: Wu Bin , Eliscovich Carolina , Yoon Young J. , Singer Robert H.
Published: May 2016

The when, where, and how of translation

High-resolution single-molecule imaging shows the spatial and temporal dynamics of molecular events (see the Perspective by Iwasaki and Ingolia). Wu
et al.
and Morisaki
et al.
developed an approach to study the translation of single messenger RNAs (mRNAs) in live cells. Nascent polypeptides containing multimerized epitopes were imaged with fluorescent antibody fragments, while simultaneously detecting the single mRNAs using a different fluorescent tag. The approach enabled a direct readout of initiation and elongation, as well as revealing the spatial distribution of translation and allowing the correlation of polysome motility with translation dynamics. Membrane-targeted mRNAs could be distinguished from cytoplasmic mRNAs, as could single polysomes from higher-order polysomal complexes. Furthermore, the work reveals the stochasticity of translation, which can occur constitutively or in bursts, much like transcription, and the spatial regulation of translation in neuronal dendrites.

Science
, this issue p.
1430
, p.
1425
; see also p.
1391
Enhanced clearance of HIV-1–infected cells by broadly neutralizing antibodies against HIV-1 in vivo
Authors: Lu Ching-Lan , Murakowski Dariusz K. , Bournazos Stylianos , Schoofs Till , Sarkar Debolina , Halper-Stromberg Ariel , Horwitz Joshua A. , Nogueira Lilian , Golijanin Jovana , Gazumyan Anna , Ravetch Jeffrey V. , Caskey Marina , Chakraborty Arup K. , Nussenzweig Michel C.
Published: May 2016

Insights into antibody therapy for HIV-1

Despite the success of antiretroviral therapy, HIV-1-infected individuals still harbor latent virus. Thus, other therapeutic strategies are needed. A single injection of a broad and potent monoclonal antibody targeting the HIV-1 envelope protein reduced viral loads in HIV-1-infected individuals, albeit only transiently. Lu
et al.
now report that antibody treatment not only blocked free virus from infecting new cells, it also accelerated the clearance of infected cells. Furthermore, Schoofs
et al.
demonstrate that therapeutic antibody treatment enhanced infected individuals' humoral response against the virus. Thus, neutralizing antibodies may be a promising therapy for HIV-1 because of their potential to reduce the viral reservoir.

Science
, this issue pp.
1001
and
997
Microtubule doublets are double-track railways for intraflagellar transport trains
Authors: Stepanek Ludek , Pigino Gaia
Published: May 2016

Stay on the right track

Cilia contain a well-ordered array of microtubule doublets along their length. A longstanding question in cilium structure and function is why the microtubule arrangement in cilia is so complex. Stepanek and Pigino developed a time-resolved correlative fluorescence and three-dimensional electron microscopy method to show that the doublets provide directionality to intraflagellar transport. One microtubule in the pair moves cargoes up to the ciliary tip. Meanwhile, the other microtubule moves cargoes back to the cell body. These results explain why the axoneme is built out of microtubule doublets and suggest a mechanistic picture of how the logistics of bidirectional intraflagellar transport are regulated.

Science
, this issue p.
721
CRISPR-directed mitotic recombination enables genetic mapping without crosses
Authors: Sadhu Meru J. , Bloom Joshua S. , Day Laura , Kruglyak Leonid
Published: May 2016

Narrowing down genetic loci of interest

Often it can be difficult to identify a gene or genetic region that underlies a specific trait. Traditional mapping relies on naturally occurring recombination events but can be limited in resolution by the natural recombination frequency. Sadhu
et al.
used CRISPR technology to more easily map genomic sites of interest in yeast. The method systematically introduces local recombination events, allowing for the fine mapping of trait variants. They used their method to identify the causative mutation responsible for altered manganese sensitivity in yeast.

Science
, this issue p.
1113
Hope for America's next generation
Authors: Bailey Martha J. , Timpe Brenden
Published: May 2016

The gap in survival rates for children in the richest and poorest U.S. communities has shrunk
Draft Genome Sequence of
Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii
(Cyanobacteria) Strain ITEP-A1 Isolated from a Brazilian Semiarid Freshwater Body: Evidence of Saxitoxin and Cylindrospermopsin Synthetase Genes
Authors: Lorenzi Adriana Sturion , Silva Genivaldo Gueiros Z. , Lopes Fabyano Alvares Cardoso , Chia Mathias Ahii , Edwards Robert A. , Bittencourt-Oliveira Maria Carmo
Published: May 2016

Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii
ITEP-A1 is a saxitoxin-producing cyanobacterium. We report the draft genome sequence of ITEP-A1, which comprised 195 contigs that were assembled with SPAdes and annotated with Rapid Annotation using Subsystem Technology. The identified genome sequence had 3,605,836 bp, 40.1% G+C, and predicted 3,553 coding sequences (including the synthetase genes).
Draft Genome Sequence of Klebsiella pneumoniae UCD-JA29 Isolated from a Patient with Sepsis
Authors: Alexiev Alexandra , Coil David A. , Jospin Guillaume , Eisen Jonathan A. , Adams Jason Y.
Published: May 2016

Here, we present the 6,155,188-bp draft genome sequence of
Klebsiella pneumoniae
UCD-JA29, isolated from blood cultures from a patient with sepsis at the University of California, Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, California, USA.
Draft Genome of Shewanella frigidimarina Ag06-30, a Marine Bacterium Isolated from Potter Peninsula, King George Island, Antarctica
Authors: Parmeciano Di Noto Gisela , Vázquez Susana C. , MacCormack Walter P. , Iriarte Andrés , Quiroga Cecilia
Published: May 2016

We present the draft genome of
Shewanella frigidimarina
Ag06-30, a marine bacterium from King George Island, Antarctica, which encodes the carbapenemase SFP-1. The assembly contains 4,799,218 bp (G+C content 41.24%). This strain harbors several mobile genetic elements that provide insight into lateral gene transfer and bacterial plasticity and evolution.
Genome Sequence of
Ustilaginoidea virens
IPU010, a Rice Pathogenic Fungus Causing False Smut
Authors: Kumagai Toshitaka , Ishii Tomoko , Terai Goro , Umemura Myco , Machida Masayuki , Asai Kiyoshi
Published: May 2016

Ustilaginoidea virens
is a rice pathogenic fungus that causes false smut disease, a disease that seriously damages the yield and quality of the grain. Analysis of the
U. virens
IPU010 33.6-Mb genome sequence will aid in the understanding of the pathogenicity of the strain, particularly in regard to effector proteins and secondary metabolic genes.
Draft Genome Sequence of Zhouia amylolytica AD3, Isolated from Tidal Flat Sediment
Authors: Jia Baolei , Jin Hyun Mi , Lee Hyo Jung , Jeon Che Ok
Published: May 2016

Zhouia amylolytica
AD3 was isolated from tidal flat sediment at Taean, South Korea. We report here the draft genome sequence of
Z. amylolytica
AD3, which is the first report of a genome sequence of the genus
Zhouia
. The genomic information will provide a better understanding of the physiology, adaptation, and evolution of
Zhouia
species.
Complete Genome Sequence of an NADC30-Like Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus Characterized by Recombination with Other Strains
Authors: Li Yingying , Ji Guobiao , Wang Juan , Tan Feifei , Zhuang Jinshan , Li Xiangdong , Tian Kegong
Published: May 2016

We report here the complete genome sequence of an NADC30-like porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), HNyc15, which was characterized by recombination with VR-2332 and CH-1a PRRSV strains in open reading frames (ORFs) 2 to 4.
Complete Genome Sequence of Streptomyces venezuelae ATCC 15439, Producer of the Methymycin/Pikromycin Family of Macrolide Antibiotics, Using PacBio Technology
Authors: He Jingxuan , Sundararajan Anitha , Devitt Nicholas P. , Schilkey Faye D. , Ramaraj Thiruvarangan , Melançon Charles E.
Published: May 2016

Here, we report the complete genome sequence of
Streptomyces venezuelae
ATCC 15439, a producer of the methymycin/pikromycin family of macrolide antibiotics and a model host for natural product studies, obtained exclusively using PacBio sequencing technology. The 9.03-Mbp genome harbors 8,775 genes and 11 polyketide and nonribosomal peptide natural product gene clusters.
Gestational trophoblastic disease in a Greenlandic Inuit: diagnosis and treatment in a remote area
Authors: Dalsgaard Jensen Trine , Penninga Luit
Published: May 2016

We report on a 21-year-old pregnant Greenlandic Inuit woman, who presented at a small local hospital in Northern Greenland. The patient suffered from lower abdominal pain, irregular bleeding and vomiting. urine-human chorionic gonadotropin (U-hCG) was positive. Ultrasonography showed the typical ‘snow-storm’ images of a mole pregnancy. Owing to the fact that local physicians were able to perform an ultrasound, proper diagnosis could be established, and the patient was transferred to the regional hospital, located nearly 1200 km away. At the regional hospital, uterine evacuation was performed under general anaesthesia. Blood analysis showed that serum hCG returned to undetectable levels, and the patient recovered uneventfully. Our case shows that ultrasonography is a valuable diagnostic tool also in remote areas. In Greenland, geographical distances are large and weather conditions can be extreme, and in this report, we discuss how healthcare can be optimised in remote areas.
Where art thou pituitary?
Authors: Ingle Vaibhav , Maharana Prafulla Kumar
Published: May 2016

A middle-aged woman presented with premature menopause and recurrent episodes of vomiting with hyponatraemia. Since primary causes of hormone deficiencies were the only studies initially evaluated, there was a delayed diagnosis. Pituitary tropic hormones (serum thyroid stimulating hormone/follicle stimulating hormone/luteinising hormone), inappropriately low for low-level of target hormones (free thyroxin/oestradiol), led to detailed evaluation of trophic hormone deficiencies by pituitary stimulation. The pituitary stimulation by insulin challenge test confirmed secondary (pituitary) hypofunction. Pituitary imaging revealed an uncommon cause of hypopituitarism, which is discussed in this case report.
‘Crazy-paving’ pattern: an exceptional presentation of cryptogenic organising pneumonia associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Authors: Kunal Shekhar , Pilaniya Vikas , Jain Sudhir , Shah Ashok
Published: May 2016

Organising pneumonia (OP) is a distinct but uncommon entity with characteristic clinicoradiological features and histological findings. When the aetiology of OP remains unknown, it is termed as cryptogenic OP (COP). COP is seen in the majority of patients with OP and usually observed in non/former smokers. A 54-year-old man, a smoker, presented with breathlessness, cough and mucoid sputum. Imaging demonstrated unilateral ‘Crazy-paving’ pattern in the left upper lobe and left-sided effusion. In addition, paraseptal emphysema and left lower lobe bullae along with very severe obstructive ventilatory defect and impaired diffusion suggested chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Transbronchial biopsy was suggestive of OP. In the absence of a definite aetiology, a diagnosis of COP associated with COPD was established. COP presenting as a unilateral ‘Crazy-paving’ pattern is yet to be documented. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first detailed description of COP presenting as unilateral ‘Crazy-paving’ pattern associated with COPD.
Unusual complications of placental chorioangioma: consumption coagulopathy and hypertension in a preterm newborn
Authors: Abiramalatha Thangaraj , Sherba Betsy , Joseph Reny , Thomas Niranjan
Published: May 2016

We report a case of a preterm neonate born to a mother with giant placental chorioangioma. The baby had microangiopathic haemolytic anaemia, thrombocytopenia and cardiac failure at birth. In addition, she had a disseminated intravascular coagulation-like picture and had bleeding from multiple sites, which was treated with transfusion of multiple blood products. She also developed transient hypertension and required antihypertensive drugs for 3 weeks. The baby was successfully managed and discharged home, though with signs of neurosensory impairment.