Sample records for acoustic stimulation eas

  1. A partial hearing animal model for chronic electro-acoustic stimulation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Irving, S.; Wise, A. K.; Millard, R. E.; Shepherd, R. K.; Fallon, J. B.

    2014-08-01

    Objective. Cochlear implants (CIs) have provided some auditory function to hundreds of thousands of people around the world. Although traditionally carried out only in profoundly deaf patients, the eligibility criteria for implantation have recently been relaxed to include many partially-deaf patients with useful levels of hearing. These patients receive both electrical stimulation from their implant and acoustic stimulation via their residual hearing (electro-acoustic stimulation; EAS) and perform very well. It is unclear how EAS improves speech perception over electrical stimulation alone, and little evidence exists about the nature of the interactions between electric and acoustic stimuli. Furthermore, clinical results suggest that some patients that undergo cochlear implantation lose some, if not all, of their residual hearing, reducing the advantages of EAS over electrical stimulation alone. A reliable animal model with clinically-relevant partial deafness combined with clinical CIs is important to enable these issues to be studied. This paper outlines such a model that has been successfully used in our laboratory. Approach. This paper outlines a battery of techniques used in our laboratory to generate, validate and examine an animal model of partial deafness and chronic CI use. Main results. Ototoxic deafening produced bilaterally symmetrical hearing thresholds in neonatal and adult animals. Electrical activation of the auditory system was confirmed, and all animals were chronically stimulated via adapted clinical CIs. Acoustic compound action potentials (CAPs) were obtained from partially-hearing cochleae, using the CI amplifier. Immunohistochemical analysis allows the effects of deafness and electrical stimulation on cell survival to be studied. Significance. This animal model has applications in EAS research, including investigating the functional interactions between electric and acoustic stimulation, and the development of techniques to maintain residual

  2. Simultaneous masking between electric and acoustic stimulation in cochlear implant users with residual low-frequency hearing.

    PubMed

    Krüger, Benjamin; Büchner, Andreas; Nogueira, Waldo

    2017-09-01

    Ipsilateral electric-acoustic stimulation (EAS) is becoming increasingly important in cochlear implant (CI) treatment. Improvements in electrode designs and surgical techniques have contributed to improved hearing preservation during implantation. Consequently, CI implantation criteria have been expanded toward people with significant residual low-frequency hearing, who may benefit from the combined use of both the electric and acoustic stimulation in the same ear. However, only few studies have investigated the mutual interaction between electric and acoustic stimulation modalities. This work characterizes the interaction between both stimulation modalities using psychophysical masking experiments and cone beam computer tomography (CBCT). Two psychophysical experiments for electric and acoustic masking were performed to measure the hearing threshold elevation of a probe stimulus in the presence of a masker stimulus. For electric masking, the probe stimulus was an acoustic tone while the masker stimulus was an electric pulse train. For acoustic masking, the probe stimulus was an electric pulse train and the masker stimulus was an acoustic tone. Five EAS users, implanted with a CI and ipsilateral residual low-frequency hearing, participated in the study. Masking was determined at different electrodes and different acoustic frequencies. CBCT scans were used to determine the individual place-pitch frequencies of the intracochlear electrode contacts by using the Stakhovskaya place-to-frequency transformation. This allows the characterization of masking as a function of the difference between electric and acoustic stimulation sites, which we term the electric-acoustic frequency difference (EAFD). The results demonstrate a significant elevation of detection thresholds for both experiments. In electric masking, acoustic-tone thresholds increased exponentially with decreasing EAFD. In contrast, for the acoustic masking experiment, threshold elevations were present

  3. Effects of hearing aid settings for electric-acoustic stimulation.

    PubMed

    Dillon, Margaret T; Buss, Emily; Pillsbury, Harold C; Adunka, Oliver F; Buchman, Craig A; Adunka, Marcia C

    2014-02-01

    Cochlear implant (CI) recipients with postoperative hearing preservation may utilize an ipsilateral bimodal listening condition known as electric-acoustic stimulation (EAS). Studies on EAS have reported significant improvements in speech perception abilities over CI-alone listening conditions. Adjustments to the hearing aid (HA) settings to match prescription targets routinely used in the programming of conventional amplification may provide additional gains in speech perception abilities. Investigate the difference in users' speech perception scores when listening with the recommended HA settings for EAS patients versus HA settings adjusted to match National Acoustic Laboratories' nonlinear fitting procedure version 1 (NAL-NL1) targets. Prospective analysis of the influence of HA settings. Nine EAS recipients with greater than 12 mo of listening experience with the DUET speech processor. Subjects were tested in the EAS listening condition with two different HA setting configurations. Speech perception materials included consonant-nucleus-consonant (CNC) words in quiet, AzBio sentences in 10-talker speech babble at a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of +10, and the Bamford-Kowal-Bench sentences in noise (BKB-SIN) test. The speech perception performance on each test measure was compared between the two HA configurations. Subjects experienced a significant improvement in speech perception abilities with the HA settings adjusted to match NAL-NL1 targets over the recommended HA settings. EAS subjects have been shown to experience improvements in speech perception abilities when listening to ipsilateral combined stimulation. This population's abilities may be underestimated with current HA settings. Tailoring the HA output to the patient's individual hearing loss offers improved outcomes on speech perception measures. American Academy of Audiology.

  4. Speech Perception With Combined Electric-Acoustic Stimulation: A Simulation and Model Comparison.

    PubMed

    Rader, Tobias; Adel, Youssef; Fastl, Hugo; Baumann, Uwe

    2015-01-01

    The aim of this study is to simulate speech perception with combined electric-acoustic stimulation (EAS), verify the advantage of combined stimulation in normal-hearing (NH) subjects, and then compare it with cochlear implant (CI) and EAS user results from the authors' previous study. Furthermore, an automatic speech recognition (ASR) system was built to examine the impact of low-frequency information and is proposed as an applied model to study different hypotheses of the combined-stimulation advantage. Signal-detection-theory (SDT) models were applied to assess predictions of subject performance without the need to assume any synergistic effects. Speech perception was tested using a closed-set matrix test (Oldenburg sentence test), and its speech material was processed to simulate CI and EAS hearing. A total of 43 NH subjects and a customized ASR system were tested. CI hearing was simulated by an aurally adequate signal spectrum analysis and representation, the part-tone-time-pattern, which was vocoded at 12 center frequencies according to the MED-EL DUET speech processor. Residual acoustic hearing was simulated by low-pass (LP)-filtered speech with cutoff frequencies 200 and 500 Hz for NH subjects and in the range from 100 to 500 Hz for the ASR system. Speech reception thresholds were determined in amplitude-modulated noise and in pseudocontinuous noise. Previously proposed SDT models were lastly applied to predict NH subject performance with EAS simulations. NH subjects tested with EAS simulations demonstrated the combined-stimulation advantage. Increasing the LP cutoff frequency from 200 to 500 Hz significantly improved speech reception thresholds in both noise conditions. In continuous noise, CI and EAS users showed generally better performance than NH subjects tested with simulations. In modulated noise, performance was comparable except for the EAS at cutoff frequency 500 Hz where NH subject performance was superior. The ASR system showed similar behavior

  5. Masking release with changing fundamental frequency: Electric acoustic stimulation resembles normal hearing subjects.

    PubMed

    Auinger, Alice Barbara; Riss, Dominik; Liepins, Rudolfs; Rader, Tobias; Keck, Tilman; Keintzel, Thomas; Kaider, Alexandra; Baumgartner, Wolf-Dieter; Gstoettner, Wolfgang; Arnoldner, Christoph

    2017-07-01

    It has been shown that patients with electric acoustic stimulation (EAS) perform better in noisy environments than patients with a cochlear implant (CI). One reason for this could be the preserved access to acoustic low-frequency cues including the fundamental frequency (F0). Therefore, our primary aim was to investigate whether users of EAS experience a release from masking with increasing F0 difference between target talker and masking talker. The study comprised 29 patients and consisted of three groups of subjects: EAS users, CI users and normal-hearing listeners (NH). All CI and EAS users were implanted with a MED-EL cochlear implant and had at least 12 months of experience with the implant. Speech perception was assessed with the Oldenburg sentence test (OlSa) using one sentence from the test corpus as speech masker. The F0 in this masking sentence was shifted upwards by 4, 8, or 12 semitones. For each of these masker conditions the speech reception threshold (SRT) was assessed by adaptively varying the masker level while presenting the target sentences at a fixed level. A statistically significant improvement in speech perception was found for increasing difference in F0 between target sentence and masker sentence in EAS users (p = 0.038) and in NH listeners (p = 0.003). In CI users (classic CI or EAS users with electrical stimulation only) speech perception was independent from differences in F0 between target and masker. A release from masking with increasing difference in F0 between target and masking speech was only observed in listeners and configurations in which the low-frequency region was presented acoustically. Thus, the speech information contained in the low frequencies seems to be crucial for allowing listeners to separate multiple sources. By combining acoustic and electric information, EAS users even manage tasks as complicated as segregating the audio streams from multiple talkers. Preserving the natural code, like fine-structure cues in

  6. Potential Benefits of an Integrated Electric-Acoustic Sound Processor with Children: A Preliminary Report.

    PubMed

    Wolfe, Jace; Neumann, Sara; Schafer, Erin; Marsh, Megan; Wood, Mark; Baker, R Stanley

    2017-02-01

    A number of published studies have demonstrated the benefits of electric-acoustic stimulation (EAS) over conventional electric stimulation for adults with functional low-frequency acoustic hearing and severe-to-profound high-frequency hearing loss. These benefits potentially include better speech recognition in quiet and in noise, better localization, improvements in sound quality, better music appreciation and aptitude, and better pitch recognition. There is, however, a paucity of published reports describing the potential benefits and limitations of EAS for children with functional low-frequency acoustic hearing and severe-to-profound high-frequency hearing loss. The objective of this study was to explore the potential benefits of EAS for children. A repeated measures design was used to evaluate performance differences obtained with EAS stimulation versus acoustic- and electric-only stimulation. Seven users of Cochlear Nucleus Hybrid, Nucleus 24 Freedom, CI512, and CI422 implants were included in the study. Sentence recognition (assayed using the pediatric version of the AzBio sentence recognition test) was evaluated in quiet and at three fixed signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) (0, +5, and +10 dB). Functional hearing performance was also evaluated with the use of questionnaires, including the comparative version of the Speech, Spatial, and Qualities, the Listening Inventory for Education Revised, and the Children's Home Inventory for Listening Difficulties. Speech recognition in noise was typically better with EAS compared to participants' performance with acoustic- and electric-only stimulation, particularly when evaluated at the less favorable SNR. Additionally, in real-world situations, children generally preferred to use EAS compared to electric-only stimulation. Also, the participants' classroom teachers observed better hearing performance in the classroom with the use of EAS. Use of EAS provided better speech recognition in quiet and in noise when compared to

  7. A simulation study of harmonics regeneration in noise reduction for electric and acoustic stimulation.

    PubMed

    Hu, Yi

    2010-05-01

    Recent research results show that combined electric and acoustic stimulation (EAS) significantly improves speech recognition in noise, and it is generally established that access to the improved F0 representation of target speech, along with the glimpse cues, provide the EAS benefits. Under noisy listening conditions, noise signals degrade these important cues by introducing undesired temporal-frequency components and corrupting harmonics structure. In this study, the potential of combining noise reduction and harmonics regeneration techniques was investigated to further improve speech intelligibility in noise by providing improved beneficial cues for EAS. Three hypotheses were tested: (1) noise reduction methods can improve speech intelligibility in noise for EAS; (2) harmonics regeneration after noise reduction can further improve speech intelligibility in noise for EAS; and (3) harmonics sideband constraints in frequency domain (or equivalently, amplitude modulation in temporal domain), even deterministic ones, can provide additional benefits. Test results demonstrate that combining noise reduction and harmonics regeneration can significantly improve speech recognition in noise for EAS, and it is also beneficial to preserve the harmonics sidebands under adverse listening conditions. This finding warrants further work into the development of algorithms that regenerate harmonics and the related sidebands for EAS processing under noisy conditions.

  8. A Systematic Review of Electric-Acoustic Stimulation

    PubMed Central

    Ching, Teresa Y. C.; Cowan, Robert

    2013-01-01

    Cochlear implant systems that combine electric and acoustic stimulation in the same ear are now commercially available and the number of patients using these devices is steadily increasing. In particular, electric-acoustic stimulation is an option for patients with severe, high frequency sensorineural hearing impairment. There have been a range of approaches to combining electric stimulation and acoustic hearing in the same ear. To develop a better understanding of fitting practices for devices that combine electric and acoustic stimulation, we conducted a systematic review addressing three clinical questions: what is the range of acoustic hearing in the implanted ear that can be effectively preserved for an electric-acoustic fitting?; what benefits are provided by combining acoustic stimulation with electric stimulation?; and what clinical fitting practices have been developed for devices that combine electric and acoustic stimulation? A search of the literature was conducted and 27 articles that met the strict evaluation criteria adopted for the review were identified for detailed analysis. The range of auditory thresholds in the implanted ear that can be successfully used for an electric-acoustic application is quite broad. The effectiveness of combined electric and acoustic stimulation as compared with electric stimulation alone was consistently demonstrated, highlighting the potential value of preservation and utilization of low frequency hearing in the implanted ear. However, clinical procedures for best fitting of electric-acoustic devices were varied. This clearly identified a need for further investigation of fitting procedures aimed at maximizing outcomes for recipients of electric-acoustic devices. PMID:23539259

  9. Cochlear Implant Electrode Effect on Sound Energy Transfer within the Cochlea during Acoustic Stimulation

    PubMed Central

    Greene, Nathaniel T.; Mattingly, Jameson K.; Jenkins, Herman A.; Tollin, Daniel J.; Easter, James R.; Cass, Stephen P.

    2015-01-01

    Hypothesis Cochlear implants (CI) designed for hearing preservation will not alter mechanical properties of the middle and inner ear as measured by intracochlear pressure (PIC) and stapes velocity (Vstap). Background CIs designed to provide combined electrical and acoustic stimulation (EAS) are now available. To maintain functional acoustic hearing, it is important to know if a CI electrode can alter middle or inner ear mechanics, as any alteration could contribute to elevated low-frequency thresholds in EAS patients. Methods Seven human cadaveric temporal bones were prepared, and pure-tone stimuli from 120Hz–10kHz were presented at a range of intensities up to 110 dB SPL. PIC in the scala vestibuli (PSV) and tympani (PST) were measured with fiber-optic pressure sensors concurrently with VStap using laser Doppler vibrometry. Five CI electrodes from two different manufacturers, with varying dimensions were inserted via a round window approach at six different depths (16–25 mm). Results The responses of PIC and VStap to acoustic stimulation were assessed as a function of stimulus frequency, normalized to SPL in the external auditory canal (EAC), in baseline and electrode inserted conditions. Responses measured with electrodes inserted were generally within ~5 dB of baseline, indicating little effect of cochlear implant electrode insertion on PIC and VStap. Overall, mean differences across conditions were small for all responses, and no substantial differences were consistently visible across electrode types. Conclusions Results suggest that the influence of a CI electrode on middle and inner ear mechanics is minimal, despite variation in electrode lengths and configurations. PMID:26333018

  10. [Speech perception with electric-acoustic stimulation : Comparison with bilateral cochlear implant users in different noise conditions].

    PubMed

    Rader, T

    2015-02-01

    Cochlear implantation with the aim of hearing preservation for combined electric-acoustic stimulation (EAS) is the therapy of choice for patients with residual low-frequency hearing. Preserved residual acoustic hearing has a positive effect on speech intelligibility in difficult noise conditions. The goal of this study was to assess speech reception thresholds in various complex noise conditions for patients with EAS in comparison with patients using bilateral cochlear implants (CI). Speech perception in noise was measured for bilateral CI and EAS patient groups. A total of 22 listeners with normal hearing served as a control group. Speech reception thresholds (SRT) were measured using a closed-set sentence matrix test. Speech was presented with a single source in frontal position; noise was presented in frontal position or in a multisource noise field (MSNF) consisting of a four-loudspeaker array with independent noise sources. Modulated speech-simulating noise and pseudocontinuous noise served respectively as interference signal with different temporal characteristics. The average SRTs in the EAS group were significantly better in all test conditions than those of the group with bilateral CI. Both user groups showed significant improvement in the MSNF condition compared with the frontal noise condition as a result of bilateral interaction. The normal-hearing control group was able to use short temporal gaps in modulated noise to improve speech perception in noise (gap listening). This effect was absent in both implanted user groups. Patients with combined EAS in one ear and a hearing aid in the contralateral ear show significantly improved speech perception in complex noise conditions compared with bilateral CI recipients.

  11. Transcanal endoscopic ear surgery for perilymphatic fistula after electric acoustic stimulation.

    PubMed

    Omichi, Ryotaro; Kariya, Shin; Maeda, Yukihide; Nishizaki, Kazunori

    2018-06-01

    Transcanal endoscopic ear surgery (TEES) will become a very useful therapeutic option. A perilymphatic fistula (PLF) is defined as sudden sensorineural hearing loss and/or vertigo caused by leakage of the perilymph through a fistula from the oval window and/or round window. We report a case of PLF after electric acoustic stimulation (EAS), a kind of cochlear implant, successfully treated by TEES. A 38-year-old man presented to our hospital with vertigo and hearing loss (HL). His vertigo was induced by Valsalva maneuvers. Eight months ago, he underwent EAS for his right ear for congenital sensorineural HL. Although he maintained his hearing level after EAS, his pure tone audiogram this time showed deterioration of hearing at low frequencies in his right ear. A diagnosis of right PLF was made. After confirming the non-effectiveness of oral prednisolone treatment, PLF repair surgery to patch the oval and round windows by TEES was performed. His vertigo did not recur after the surgery. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of PLF repair surgery by TEES without a microscope. The wide-field view of the middle ear by TEES was useful to prevent electrode damage in a PLF patient with a cochlear implant. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. [Simulation of speech perception with cochlear implants : Influence of frequency and level of fundamental frequency components with electronic acoustic stimulation].

    PubMed

    Rader, T; Fastl, H; Baumann, U

    2017-03-01

    After implantation of cochlear implants with hearing preservation for combined electronic acoustic stimulation (EAS), the residual acoustic hearing ability relays fundamental speech frequency information in the low frequency range. With the help of acoustic simulation of EAS hearing perception the impact of frequency and level fine structure of speech signals can be systematically examined. The aim of this study was to measure the speech reception threshold (SRT) under various noise conditions with acoustic EAS simulation by variation of the frequency and level information of the fundamental frequency f0 of speech. The study was carried out to determine to what extent the SRT is impaired by modification of the f0 fine structure. Using partial tone time pattern analysis an acoustic EAS simulation of the speech material from the Oldenburg sentence test (OLSA) was generated. In addition, determination of the f0 curve of the speech material was conducted. Subsequently, either the parameter frequency or level of f0 was fixed in order to remove one of the two fine contour information of the speech signal. The processed OLSA sentences were used to determine the SRT in background noise under various test conditions. The conditions "f0 fixed frequency" and "f0 fixed level" were tested under two different situations, under "amplitude modulated background noise" and "continuous background noise" conditions. A total of 24 subjects with normal hearing participated in the study. The SRT in background noise for the condition "f0 fixed frequency" was more favorable in continuous noise with 2.7 dB and in modulated noise with 0.8 dB compared to the condition "f0 fixed level" with 3.7 dB and 2.9 dB, respectively. In the simulation of speech perception with cochlear implants and acoustic components, the level information of the fundamental frequency had a stronger impact on speech intelligibility than the frequency information. The method of simulation of transmission of

  13. Morphological correlates of hearing loss after cochlear implantation and electro-acoustic stimulation in a hearing-impaired Guinea pig model.

    PubMed

    Reiss, Lina A J; Stark, Gemaine; Nguyen-Huynh, Anh T; Spear, Kayce A; Zhang, Hongzheng; Tanaka, Chiemi; Li, Hongzhe

    2015-09-01

    Hybrid or electro-acoustic stimulation (EAS) cochlear implants (CIs) are designed to provide high-frequency electric hearing together with residual low-frequency acoustic hearing. However, 30-50% of EAS CI recipients lose residual hearing after implantation. The objective of this study was to determine the mechanisms of EAS-induced hearing loss in an animal model with high-frequency hearing loss. Guinea pigs were exposed to 24 h of noise (12-24 kHz at 116 dB) to induce a high-frequency hearing loss. After recovery, two groups of animals were implanted (n = 6 per group), with one group receiving chronic acoustic and electric stimulation for 10 weeks, and the other group receiving no stimulation during this time frame. A third group (n = 6) was not implanted, but received chronic acoustic stimulation. Auditory brainstem responses were recorded biweekly to monitor changes in hearing. The organ of Corti was immunolabeled with phalloidin, anti-CtBP2, and anti-GluR2 to quantify hair cells, ribbons and post-synaptic receptors. The lateral wall was immunolabeled with phalloidin and lectin to quantify stria vascularis capillary diameters. Bimodal or trimodal diameter distributions were observed; the number and location of peaks were objectively determined using the Aikake Information Criterion and Expectation Maximization algorithm. Noise exposure led to immediate hearing loss at 16-32 kHz for all groups. Cochlear implantation led to additional hearing loss at 4-8 kHz; this hearing loss was negatively and positively correlated with minimum and maximum peaks of the bimodal or trimodal distributions of stria vascularis capillary diameters, respectively. After chronic stimulation, no significant group changes in thresholds were seen; however, elevated thresholds at 1 kHz in implanted, stimulated animals were significantly correlated with decreased presynaptic ribbon and postsynaptic receptor counts. Inner and outer hair cell counts did not differ between groups and

  14. Morphological Correlates of Hearing Loss after Cochlear Implantation and Electro-Acoustic Stimulation in a Hearing-Impaired Guinea Pig Model

    PubMed Central

    Reiss, Lina A.J.; Stark, Gemaine; Nguyen-Huynh, Anh T.; Spear, Kayce A.; Zhang, Hongzheng; Tanaka, Chiemi; Li, Hongzhe

    2016-01-01

    Hybrid or electro-acoustic stimulation (EAS) cochlear implants (CIs) are designed to provide high-frequency electric hearing together with residual low-frequency acoustic hearing. However, 30-50% of EAS CI recipients lose residual hearing after implantation. The objective of this study was to determine the mechanisms of EAS-induced hearing loss in an animal model with high-frequency hearing loss. Guinea pigs were exposed to 24 hours of noise (12-24 kHz at 116 dB) to induce a high-frequency hearing loss. After recovery, two groups of animals were implanted (n=6 per group), with one group receiving chronic acoustic and electric stimulation for 10 weeks, and the other group receiving no stimulation during this time frame. A third group (n=6) was not implanted, but received chronic acoustic stimulation. Auditory brainstem responses were recorded biweekly to monitor changes in hearing. The organ of Corti was immunolabeled with phalloidin, anti-CtBP2, and anti-GluR2 to quantify hair cells, ribbons and post-synaptic receptors. The lateral wall was immunolabeled with phalloidin and lectin to quantify stria vascularis capillary diameters. Bimodal or trimodal diameter distributions were observed; the number and location of peaks were objectively determined using the Aikake Information Criterion and Expectation Maximization algorithm. Noise exposure led to immediate hearing loss at 16-32 kHz for all groups. Cochlear implantation led to additional hearing loss at 4-8 kHz; this hearing loss was negatively and positively correlated with minimum and maximum peaks of the bimodal or trimodal distributions of stria vascularis capillary diameters, respectively. After chronic stimulation, no significant group changes in thresholds were seen; however, elevated thresholds at 1 kHz in implanted, stimulated animals were significantly correlated with decreased presynaptic ribbon and postsynaptic receptor counts. Inner and outer hair cell counts did not differ between groups and were not

  15. A physiologically-inspired model reproducing the speech intelligibility benefit in cochlear implant listeners with residual acoustic hearing.

    PubMed

    Zamaninezhad, Ladan; Hohmann, Volker; Büchner, Andreas; Schädler, Marc René; Jürgens, Tim

    2017-02-01

    This study introduces a speech intelligibility model for cochlear implant users with ipsilateral preserved acoustic hearing that aims at simulating the observed speech-in-noise intelligibility benefit when receiving simultaneous electric and acoustic stimulation (EA-benefit). The model simulates the auditory nerve spiking in response to electric and/or acoustic stimulation. The temporally and spatially integrated spiking patterns were used as the final internal representation of noisy speech. Speech reception thresholds (SRTs) in stationary noise were predicted for a sentence test using an automatic speech recognition framework. The model was employed to systematically investigate the effect of three physiologically relevant model factors on simulated SRTs: (1) the spatial spread of the electric field which co-varies with the number of electrically stimulated auditory nerves, (2) the "internal" noise simulating the deprivation of auditory system, and (3) the upper bound frequency limit of acoustic hearing. The model results show that the simulated SRTs increase monotonically with increasing spatial spread for fixed internal noise, and also increase with increasing the internal noise strength for a fixed spatial spread. The predicted EA-benefit does not follow such a systematic trend and depends on the specific combination of the model parameters. Beyond 300 Hz, the upper bound limit for preserved acoustic hearing is less influential on speech intelligibility of EA-listeners in stationary noise. The proposed model-predicted EA-benefits are within the range of EA-benefits shown by 18 out of 21 actual cochlear implant listeners with preserved acoustic hearing. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Combined Electric and Acoustic Stimulation With Hearing Preservation: Effect of Cochlear Implant Low-Frequency Cutoff on Speech Understanding and Perceived Listening Difficulty.

    PubMed

    Gifford, René H; Davis, Timothy J; Sunderhaus, Linsey W; Menapace, Christine; Buck, Barbara; Crosson, Jillian; O'Neill, Lori; Beiter, Anne; Segel, Phil

    The primary objective of this study was to assess the effect of electric and acoustic overlap for speech understanding in typical listening conditions using semidiffuse noise. This study used a within-subjects, repeated measures design including 11 experienced adult implant recipients (13 ears) with functional residual hearing in the implanted and nonimplanted ear. The aided acoustic bandwidth was fixed and the low-frequency cutoff for the cochlear implant (CI) was varied systematically. Assessments were completed in the R-SPACE sound-simulation system which includes a semidiffuse restaurant noise originating from eight loudspeakers placed circumferentially about the subject's head. AzBio sentences were presented at 67 dBA with signal to noise ratio varying between +10 and 0 dB determined individually to yield approximately 50 to 60% correct for the CI-alone condition with full CI bandwidth. Listening conditions for all subjects included CI alone, bimodal (CI + contralateral hearing aid), and bilateral-aided electric and acoustic stimulation (EAS; CI + bilateral hearing aid). Low-frequency cutoffs both below and above the original "clinical software recommendation" frequency were tested for all patients, in all conditions. Subjects estimated listening difficulty for all conditions using listener ratings based on a visual analog scale. Three primary findings were that (1) there was statistically significant benefit of preserved acoustic hearing in the implanted ear for most overlap conditions, (2) the default clinical software recommendation rarely yielded the highest level of speech recognition (1 of 13 ears), and (3) greater EAS overlap than that provided by the clinical recommendation yielded significant improvements in speech understanding. For standard-electrode CI recipients with preserved hearing, spectral overlap of acoustic and electric stimuli yielded significantly better speech understanding and less listening effort in a laboratory-based, restaurant

  17. Ipsilateral masking between acoustic and electric stimulations.

    PubMed

    Lin, Payton; Turner, Christopher W; Gantz, Bruce J; Djalilian, Hamid R; Zeng, Fan-Gang

    2011-08-01

    Residual acoustic hearing can be preserved in the same ear following cochlear implantation with minimally traumatic surgical techniques and short-electrode arrays. The combined electric-acoustic stimulation significantly improves cochlear implant performance, particularly speech recognition in noise. The present study measures simultaneous masking by electric pulses on acoustic pure tones, or vice versa, to investigate electric-acoustic interactions and their underlying psychophysical mechanisms. Six subjects, with acoustic hearing preserved at low frequencies in their implanted ear, participated in the study. One subject had a fully inserted 24 mm Nucleus Freedom array and five subjects had Iowa/Nucleus hybrid implants that were only 10 mm in length. Electric masking data of the long-electrode subject showed that stimulation from the most apical electrodes produced threshold elevations over 10 dB for 500, 625, and 750 Hz probe tones, but no elevation for 125 and 250 Hz tones. On the contrary, electric stimulation did not produce any electric masking in the short-electrode subjects. In the acoustic masking experiment, 125-750 Hz pure tones were used to acoustically mask electric stimulation. The acoustic masking results showed that, independent of pure tone frequency, both long- and short-electrode subjects showed threshold elevations at apical and basal electrodes. The present results can be interpreted in terms of underlying physiological mechanisms related to either place-dependent peripheral masking or place-independent central masking.

  18. Speech perception with combined electric-acoustic stimulation and bilateral cochlear implants in a multisource noise field.

    PubMed

    Rader, Tobias; Fastl, Hugo; Baumann, Uwe

    2013-01-01

    The aim of the study was to measure and compare speech perception in users of electric-acoustic stimulation (EAS) supported by a hearing aid in the unimplanted ear and in bilateral cochlear implant (CI) users under different noise and sound field conditions. Gap listening was assessed by comparing performance in unmodulated and modulated Comité Consultatif International Téléphonique et Télégraphique (CCITT) noise conditions, and binaural interaction was investigated by comparing single source and multisource sound fields. Speech perception in noise was measured using a closed-set sentence test (Oldenburg Sentence Test, OLSA) in a multisource noise field (MSNF) consisting of a four-loudspeaker array with independent noise sources and a single source in frontal position (S0N0). Speech simulating noise (Fastl-noise), CCITT-noise (continuous), and OLSA-noise (pseudo continuous) served as noise sources with different temporal patterns. Speech tests were performed in two groups of subjects who were using either EAS (n = 12) or bilateral CIs (n = 10). All subjects in the EAS group were fitted with a high-power hearing aid in the opposite ear (bimodal EAS). The average group score on monosyllable in quiet was 68.8% (EAS) and 80.5% (bilateral CI). A group of 22 listeners with normal hearing served as controls to compare and evaluate potential gap listening effects in implanted patients. Average speech reception thresholds in the EAS group were significantly lower than those for the bilateral CI group in all test conditions (CCITT 6.1 dB, p = 0.001; Fastl-noise 5.4 dB, p < 0.01; Oldenburg-(OL)-noise 1.6 dB, p < 0.05). Bilateral CI and EAS user groups showed a significant improvement of 4.3 dB (p = 0.004) and 5.4 dB (p = 0.002) between S0N0 and MSNF sound field conditions respectively, which signifies advantages caused by bilateral interaction in both groups. Performance in the control group showed a significant gap listening effect with a difference of 6.5 dB between

  19. Hearing Preservation Outcomes After Cochlear Implantation Depending on the Angle of Insertion: Indication for Electric or Electric-Acoustic Stimulation.

    PubMed

    Helbig, Silke; Adel, Youssef; Leinung, Martin; Stöver, Timo; Baumann, Uwe; Weissgerber, Tobias

    2018-06-15

    This study reviewed outcomes of hearing preservation (HP) surgery depending on the angle of insertion (AOI) in a cochlear implant (CI) patient population who used electric stimulation (ES) or combined electric-acoustic stimulation (EAS). Retrospective case review. Tertiary referral university hospital. Ninety-one patients with different degrees of preoperative low-frequency residual hearing who underwent HP surgery with a free-fitting lateral-wall electrode array (MED-EL Flex) with lengths ranging from 20.0 to 31.5 mm. Cochlear implantation using HP surgery technique and subsequent fitting with CI speech processor for ES, or combined CI and hearing aid speech processor for EAS. Individual AOI were estimated using modified Stenvers' projection. Freiburg monosyllable test in quiet (free-field presentation at 65 dB SPL) and pure-tone averages for low frequencies (125, 250, and 500 Hz; PTAlow) were evaluated during a follow-up period of 12 months after implantation. Estimated AOIs showed bimodal distribution: shallow insertion (SI) with mean AOI of 377 degrees and deep insertion (DI) with mean AOI of 608 degrees. Speech test scores after 12 months were comparable between AOI groups, however, they were significantly different between stimulation types with better scores for EAS. Only ES showed a positive correlation (r = 0.293) between speech test score and AOI. When HP was possible, both SI and DI showed significant postoperative PTAlow shifts with mean of 17.8 and 21.6 dB, respectively. These were comparable between AOI groups and no significant shifts were observed in follow-up intervals. Audiometric indication for HP and subsequent EAS is proposed up to 65 dB HL at 500 Hz, and up to 87 dB HL for HP. CI candidates can benefit from HP surgery with deep insertion when only using ES due to insufficient residual hearing. Conversely, candidates with preoperative threshold up to 65 dB HL at 500 Hz could perform significantly better with EAS which

  20. Electric-acoustic stimulation suppresses tinnitus in a subject with high-frequency single-sided deafness.

    PubMed

    Mertens, Griet; Van Rompaey, Vincent; Van de Heyning, Paul

    2018-05-17

    A suggested solution to suppress tinnitus is to restore the normal sensory input. This is based on the auditory deprivation hypothesis. It is known that hearing aids can provide sufficient activation of the auditory nervous system and reduce tinnitus in subjects with mild to moderate hearing loss and that cochlear implantation can reduce tinnitus in subjects with severe to profound hearing loss. This applies to subjects with single-sided deafness (SSD) or bilateral hearing loss. To investigate if electric-acoustic stimulation (EAS) can reduce severe tinnitus in a subject with residual hearing in the ipsilateral ear and contralateral normal hearing (high-frequency SSD) by restoring the auditory input. Tinnitus reduction was investigated for 1 year after implantation in a subject with high-frequency SSD, who uses EAS, and was compared to 11 subjects with a cochlear implant (CI) with SSD. The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and the Tinnitus Questionnaire (TQ) were administered pre-operatively and at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after implantation. Significant tinnitus reduction was observed 1 month after implantation on the VAS in the subjects with SSD using a CI. Tinnitus reduction was also observed in the subject with high-frequency SSD using EAS. A further decrease was observed 3 months after implantation. The TQ and VAS scores remained stable up to 1 year after implantation. A CI can significantly reduce ipsilateral severe tinnitus in a subject with SSD. Ipsilateral severe tinnitus can also be reduced using EAS in subjects with high-frequency SSD.

  1. Combined electric and acoustic hearing performance with Zebra® speech processor: speech reception, place, and temporal coding evaluation.

    PubMed

    Vaerenberg, Bart; Péan, Vincent; Lesbros, Guillaume; De Ceulaer, Geert; Schauwers, Karen; Daemers, Kristin; Gnansia, Dan; Govaerts, Paul J

    2013-06-01

    To assess the auditory performance of Digisonic(®) cochlear implant users with electric stimulation (ES) and electro-acoustic stimulation (EAS) with special attention to the processing of low-frequency temporal fine structure. Six patients implanted with a Digisonic(®) SP implant and showing low-frequency residual hearing were fitted with the Zebra(®) speech processor providing both electric and acoustic stimulation. Assessment consisted of monosyllabic speech identification tests in quiet and in noise at different presentation levels, and a pitch discrimination task using harmonic and disharmonic intonating complex sounds ( Vaerenberg et al., 2011 ). These tests investigate place and time coding through pitch discrimination. All tasks were performed with ES only and with EAS. Speech results in noise showed significant improvement with EAS when compared to ES. Whereas EAS did not yield better results in the harmonic intonation test, the improvements in the disharmonic intonation test were remarkable, suggesting better coding of pitch cues requiring phase locking. These results suggest that patients with residual hearing in the low-frequency range still have good phase-locking capacities, allowing them to process fine temporal information. ES relies mainly on place coding but provides poor low-frequency temporal coding, whereas EAS also provides temporal coding in the low-frequency range. Patients with residual phase-locking capacities can make use of these cues.

  2. The role of first formant information in simulated electro-acoustic hearing.

    PubMed

    Verschuur, Carl; Boland, Conor; Frost, Emily; Constable, Jack

    2013-06-01

    Cochlear implant (CI) recipients with residual hearing show improved performance with the addition of low-frequency acoustic stimulation (electro-acoustic stimulation, EAS). The present study sought to determine whether a synthesized first formant (F1) signal provided benefit to speech recognition in simulated EAS hearing and to compare such benefit with that from other low-frequency signals. A further aim was to determine if F1 amplitude or frequency was more important in determining benefit and if F1 benefit varied with formant bandwidth. In two experiments, sentence recordings from a male speaker were processed via a simulation of a partial insertion CI, and presented to normal hearing listeners in combination with various low-frequency signals, including a tone tracking fundamental frequency (F0), low-pass filtered speech, and signals based on F1 estimation. A simulated EAS benefit was found with F1 signals, and was similar to the benefit from F0 or low-pass filtered speech. The benefit did not differ significantly with the narrowing or widening of the F1 bandwidth. The benefit from low-frequency envelope signals was significantly less than the benefit from any low-frequency signal containing fine frequency information. Results indicate that F1 provides a benefit in simulated EAS hearing but low frequency envelope information is less important than low frequency fine structure in determining such benefit.

  3. Induction of slow oscillations by rhythmic acoustic stimulation.

    PubMed

    Ngo, Hong-Viet V; Claussen, Jens C; Born, Jan; Mölle, Matthias

    2013-02-01

    Slow oscillations are electrical potential oscillations with a spectral peak frequency of ∼0.8 Hz, and hallmark the electroencephalogram during slow-wave sleep. Recent studies have indicated a causal contribution of slow oscillations to the consolidation of memories during slow-wave sleep, raising the question to what extent such oscillations can be induced by external stimulation. Here, we examined whether slow oscillations can be effectively induced by rhythmic acoustic stimulation. Human subjects were examined in three conditions: (i) with tones presented at a rate of 0.8 Hz ('0.8-Hz stimulation'); (ii) with tones presented at a random sequence ('random stimulation'); and (iii) with no tones presented in a control condition ('sham'). Stimulation started during wakefulness before sleep and continued for the first ∼90 min of sleep. Compared with the other two conditions, 0.8-Hz stimulation significantly delayed sleep onset. However, once sleep was established, 0.8-Hz stimulation significantly increased and entrained endogenous slow oscillation activity. Sleep after the 90-min period of stimulation did not differ between the conditions. Our data show that rhythmic acoustic stimulation can be used to effectively enhance slow oscillation activity. However, the effect depends on the brain state, requiring the presence of stable non-rapid eye movement sleep. © 2012 European Sleep Research Society.

  4. Semicircular Canal Pressure Changes During High-intensity Acoustic Stimulation.

    PubMed

    Maxwell, Anne K; Banakis Hartl, Renee M; Greene, Nathaniel T; Benichoux, Victor; Mattingly, Jameson K; Cass, Stephen P; Tollin, Daniel J

    2017-08-01

    Acoustic stimulation generates measurable sound pressure levels in the semicircular canals. High-intensity acoustic stimuli can cause hearing loss and balance disruptions. To examine the propagation of acoustic stimuli to the vestibular end-organs, we simultaneously measured fluid pressure in the cochlea and semicircular canals during both air- and bone-conducted sound presentation. Five full-cephalic human cadaveric heads were prepared bilaterally with a mastoidectomy and extended facial recess. Vestibular pressures were measured within the superior, lateral, and posterior semicircular canals, and referenced to intracochlear pressure within the scala vestibuli with fiber-optic pressure probes. Pressures were measured concurrently with laser Doppler vibrometry measurements of stapes velocity during stimulation with both air- and bone-conduction. Stimuli were pure tones between 100 Hz and 14 kHz presented with custom closed-field loudspeakers for air-conducted sounds and via commercially available bone-anchored device for bone-conducted sounds. Pressures recorded in the superior, lateral, and posterior semicircular canals in response to sound stimulation were equal to or greater in magnitude than those recorded in the scala vestibuli (up to 20 dB higher). The pressure magnitudes varied across canals in a frequency-dependent manner. High sound pressure levels were recorded in the semicircular canals with sound stimulation, suggesting that similar acoustical energy is transmitted to the semicircular canals and the cochlea. Since these intralabyrinthine pressures exceed intracochlear pressure levels, our results suggest that the vestibular end-organs may also be at risk for injury during exposure to high-intensity acoustic stimuli known to cause trauma in the auditory system.

  5. Phase-Locked Loop for Precisely Timed Acoustic Stimulation during Sleep

    PubMed Central

    Santostasi, Giovanni; Malkani, Roneil; Riedner, Brady; Bellesi, Michele; Tononi, Giulio; Paller, Ken A.; Zee, Phyllis C.

    2016-01-01

    Background A Brain-Computer Interface could potentially enhance the various benefits of sleep. New Method We describe a strategy for enhancing slow-wave sleep (SWS) by stimulating the sleeping brain with periodic acoustic stimuli that produce resonance in the form of enhanced slow-wave activity in the electroencephalogram (EEG). The system delivers each acoustic stimulus at a particular phase of an electrophysiological rhythm using a Phase-Locked Loop (PLL). Results The PLL is computationally economical and well suited to follow and predict the temporal behavior of the EEG during slow-wave sleep. Comparison with Existing Methods Acoustic stimulation methods may be able to enhance SWS without the risks inherent in electrical stimulation or pharmacological methods. The PLL method differs from other acoustic stimulation methods that are based on detecting a single slow wave rather than modeling slow-wave activity over an extended period of time. Conclusions By providing real-time estimates of the phase of ongoing EEG oscillations, the PLL can rapidly adjust to physiological changes, thus opening up new possibilities to study brain dynamics during sleep. Future application of these methods hold promise for enhancing sleep quality and associated daytime behavior and improving physiologic function. PMID:26617321

  6. Plasticity in Human Pitch Perception Induced by Tonotopically Mismatched Electro-Acoustic Stimulation

    PubMed Central

    Reiss, Lina A.J.; Turner, Christopher W.; Karsten, Sue A.; Gantz, Bruce J.

    2013-01-01

    Under normal conditions, the acoustic pitch percept of a pure tone is determined mainly by the tonotopic place of the stimulation along the cochlea. Unlike acoustic stimulation, electric stimulation of a cochlear implant (CI) allows for the direct manipulation of the place of stimulation in human subjects. CI sound processors analyze the range of frequencies needed for speech perception and allocate portions of this range to the small number of electrodes distributed in the cochlea. Because the allocation is assigned independently of the original resonant frequency of the basilar membrane associated with the location of each electrode, CI users who have access to residual hearing in either or both ears often have tonotopic mismatches between the acoustic and electric stimulation. Here we demonstrate plasticity of place pitch representations of up to 3 octaves in Hybrid CI users after experience with combined electro-acoustic stimulation. The pitch percept evoked by single CI electrodes, measured relative to acoustic tones presented to the non-implanted ear, changed over time in directions that reduced the electro-acoustic pitch mismatch introduced by the CI programming. This trend was particularly apparent when the allocations of stimulus frequencies to electrodes were changed over time, with pitch changes even reversing direction in some subjects. These findings show that pitch plasticity can occur more rapidly and on a greater scale in the mature auditory system than previously thought possible. Overall, the results suggest that the adult auditory system can impose perceptual order on disordered arrays of inputs. PMID:24157931

  7. Direct Intracochlear Acoustic Stimulation Using a PZT Microactuator.

    PubMed

    Luo, Chuan; Omelchenko, Irina; Manson, Robert; Robbins, Carol; Oesterle, Elizabeth C; Cao, Guo Zhong; Shen, I Y; Hume, Clifford R

    2015-12-01

    Combined electric and acoustic stimulation has proven to be an effective strategy to improve hearing in some cochlear implant users. We describe an acoustic microactuator to directly deliver stimuli to the perilymph in the scala tympani. The 800 µm by 800 µm actuator has a silicon diaphragm driven by a piezoelectric thin film (e.g., lead-zirconium-titanium oxide or PZT). This device could also be used as a component of a bimodal acoustic-electric electrode array. In the current study, we established a guinea pig model to test the actuator for its ability to deliver auditory signals to the cochlea in vivo. The actuator was placed through the round window of the cochlea. Auditory brainstem response (ABR) thresholds, peak latencies, and amplitude growth were calculated for an ear canal speaker versus the intracochlear actuator for tone burst stimuli at 4, 8, 16, and 24 kHz. An ABR was obtained after removal of the probe to assess loss of hearing related to the procedure. In some animals, the temporal bone was harvested for histologic analysis of cochlear damage. We show that the device is capable of stimulating ABRs in vivo with latencies and growth functions comparable to stimulation in the ear canal. Further experiments will be necessary to evaluate the efficiency and safety of this modality in long-term auditory stimulation and its ability to be integrated with conventional cochlear implant arrays. © The Author(s) 2015.

  8. Direct Intracochlear Acoustic Stimulation Using a PZT Microactuator

    PubMed Central

    Luo, Chuan; Omelchenko, Irina; Manson, Robert; Robbins, Carol; Oesterle, Elizabeth C.; Cao, Guo Zhong; Hume, Clifford R.

    2015-01-01

    Combined electric and acoustic stimulation has proven to be an effective strategy to improve hearing in some cochlear implant users. We describe an acoustic microactuator to directly deliver stimuli to the perilymph in the scala tympani. The 800 µm by 800 µm actuator has a silicon diaphragm driven by a piezoelectric thin film (e.g., lead-zirconium-titanium oxide or PZT). This device could also be used as a component of a bimodal acoustic-electric electrode array. In the current study, we established a guinea pig model to test the actuator for its ability to deliver auditory signals to the cochlea in vivo. The actuator was placed through the round window of the cochlea. Auditory brainstem response (ABR) thresholds, peak latencies, and amplitude growth were calculated for an ear canal speaker versus the intracochlear actuator for tone burst stimuli at 4, 8, 16, and 24 kHz. An ABR was obtained after removal of the probe to assess loss of hearing related to the procedure. In some animals, the temporal bone was harvested for histologic analysis of cochlear damage. We show that the device is capable of stimulating ABRs in vivo with latencies and growth functions comparable to stimulation in the ear canal. Further experiments will be necessary to evaluate the efficiency and safety of this modality in long-term auditory stimulation and its ability to be integrated with conventional cochlear implant arrays. PMID:26631107

  9. Education in acoustics in Argentina

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Miyara, Federico

    2002-11-01

    Over the last decades, education in acoustics (EA) in Argentina has experienced ups and downs due to economic and political issues interfering with long term projects. Unlike other countries, like Chile, where EA has reached maturity in spite of the acoustical industry having shown little development, Argentina has several well-established manufacturers of acoustic materials and equipment but no specific career with a major in acoustics. At the university level, acoustics is taught as a complementary--often elective--course for careers such as architecture, communication engineering, or music. In spite of this there are several research centers with programs covering environmental and community noise, effects of noise on man, acoustic signal processing, musical acoustics and acoustic emission, and several national and international meetings are held each year in which results are communicated and discussed. Several books on a variety of topics such as sound system, architectural acoustics, and noise control have been published as well. Another chapter in EA is technical and vocational education, ranging between secondary and postsecondary levels, with technical training on sound system operation or design. Over the last years there have been several attempts to implement master degrees in acoustics or audio engineering, with little or no success.

  10. Electrocortical effects of MDMA are potentiated by acoustic stimulation in rats

    PubMed Central

    Iannone, Michelangelo; Bulotta, Stefania; Paolino, Donatella; Zito, Maria Cristina; Gratteri, Santo; Costanzo, Francesco S; Rotiroti, Domenicantonio

    2006-01-01

    Background 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA; ecstasy) is known for its toxicological, psychopathological and abuse potential. Some environmental conditions, e.g. acoustic stimulation typical of the "rave scene" can influence the toxicity of this drug. Results We investigated the effects of low doses of MDMA in vivo using Wistar rats in the absence of acoustic stimulation (white noise; 95 Db) demonstrating that ecstasy is able to induce a significant activation (reduction of Electrocortical total power) of the telencephalic cortex that spontaneously reverts in the absence of sensorial stimuli, whereas it persists for several days if, in addition to MDMA, the animals are exposed to acoustic stimulation. Conclusion Our data demonstrate that low doses of MDMA are able to reduce electrocortical total power, and that this effect is potentiated by sensorial stimuli commonly present in certain environments, such as rave parties. PMID:16480519

  11. Electrocortical effects of MDMA are potentiated by acoustic stimulation in rats.

    PubMed

    Iannone, Michelangelo; Bulotta, Stefania; Paolino, Donatella; Zito, Maria Cristina; Gratteri, Santo; Costanzo, Francesco S; Rotiroti, Domenicantonio

    2006-02-16

    3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA; ecstasy) is known for its toxicological, psychopathological and abuse potential. Some environmental conditions, e.g. acoustic stimulation typical of the "rave scene" can influence the toxicity of this drug. We investigated the effects of low doses of MDMA in vivo using Wistar rats in the absence of acoustic stimulation (white noise; 95 Db) demonstrating that ecstasy is able to induce a significant activation (reduction of Electrocortical total power) of the telencephalic cortex that spontaneously reverts in the absence of sensorial stimuli, whereas it persists for several days if, in addition to MDMA, the animals are exposed to acoustic stimulation. Our data demonstrate that low doses of MDMA are able to reduce electrocortical total power, and that this effect is potentiated by sensorial stimuli commonly present in certain environments, such as rave parties.

  12. Investigation of the effect of cochlear implant electrode length on speech comprehension in quiet and noise compared with the results with users of electro-acoustic-stimulation, a retrospective analysis

    PubMed Central

    Majdani, Omid; Lenarz, Thomas

    2017-01-01

    Objectives This investigation evaluated the effect of cochlear implant (CI) electrode length on speech comprehension in quiet and noise and compare the results with those of EAS users. Methodes 91 adults with some degree of residual hearing were implanted with a FLEX20, FLEX24, or FLEX28 electrode. Some subjects were postoperative electric-acoustic-stimulation (EAS) users; the other subjects were in the groups of electric stimulation-only (ES-only). Speech perception was tested in quiet and noise at 3 and 6 months of ES or EAS use. Speech comprehension results were analyzed and correlated to electrode length. Results While the FLEX20 ES and FLEX24 ES groups were still in their learning phase between the 3 to 6 months interval, the FLEX28 ES group was already reaching a performance plateau at the three months appointment yielding remarkably high test scores. EAS subjects using FLEX20 or FLEX24 electrodes outscored ES-only subjects with the same short electrodes on all 3 tests at each interval, reaching significance with FLEX20 ES and FLEX24 ES subjects on all 3 tests at the 3-months interval and on 2 tests at the 6- months interval. Amongst ES-only subjects at the 3- months interval, FLEX28 ES subjects significantly outscored FLEX20 ES subjects on all 3 tests and the FLEX24 ES subjects on 2 tests. At the-6 months interval, FLEX28 ES subjects still exceeded the other ES-only subjects although the difference did not reach significance. Conclusions Among ES-only users, the FLEX28 ES users had the best speech comprehension scores, at the 3- months appointment and tendentially at the 6 months appointment. EAS users showed significantly better speech comprehension results compared to ES-only users with the same short electrodes. PMID:28505158

  13. Investigation of the effect of cochlear implant electrode length on speech comprehension in quiet and noise compared with the results with users of electro-acoustic-stimulation, a retrospective analysis.

    PubMed

    Büchner, Andreas; Illg, Angelika; Majdani, Omid; Lenarz, Thomas

    2017-01-01

    This investigation evaluated the effect of cochlear implant (CI) electrode length on speech comprehension in quiet and noise and compare the results with those of EAS users. 91 adults with some degree of residual hearing were implanted with a FLEX20, FLEX24, or FLEX28 electrode. Some subjects were postoperative electric-acoustic-stimulation (EAS) users; the other subjects were in the groups of electric stimulation-only (ES-only). Speech perception was tested in quiet and noise at 3 and 6 months of ES or EAS use. Speech comprehension results were analyzed and correlated to electrode length. While the FLEX20 ES and FLEX24 ES groups were still in their learning phase between the 3 to 6 months interval, the FLEX28 ES group was already reaching a performance plateau at the three months appointment yielding remarkably high test scores. EAS subjects using FLEX20 or FLEX24 electrodes outscored ES-only subjects with the same short electrodes on all 3 tests at each interval, reaching significance with FLEX20 ES and FLEX24 ES subjects on all 3 tests at the 3-months interval and on 2 tests at the 6- months interval. Amongst ES-only subjects at the 3- months interval, FLEX28 ES subjects significantly outscored FLEX20 ES subjects on all 3 tests and the FLEX24 ES subjects on 2 tests. At the-6 months interval, FLEX28 ES subjects still exceeded the other ES-only subjects although the difference did not reach significance. Among ES-only users, the FLEX28 ES users had the best speech comprehension scores, at the 3- months appointment and tendentially at the 6 months appointment. EAS users showed significantly better speech comprehension results compared to ES-only users with the same short electrodes.

  14. Modeling of Oil Output Intensification in Porous Permeable Medium at Acoustical Stimulation from a Well

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Maksimov, German A.; Radchenko, Aleksei V.

    2006-05-01

    Acoustical stimulation (AS) of oil production rate from a well is perspective technology for oil industry but physical mechanisms of acoustical action are not understood clear due to complex character of the phenomena. In practice the role of these mechanisms is appeared non-directly in the form of additional oil output. Thus the validity examination of any physical model has to be carried out as with account of mechanism of acoustic action by itself as well with account of previous and consequent stages dealt with fluid filtration into a well. The advanced model of physical processes taking place at acoustical stimulation is considered in the framework of heating mechanism of acoustical action, but for two-component fluid in porous permeable media. The porous fluid is considered as consisted of light and heavy hydrocarbonaceous phases, which are in a thermodynamic equilibrium. Filtration or acoustical stimulation can change equilibrium balance between phases so the heavy phase can be precipitated on pores walls or dissolved. The set of acoustical, heat and filtration tasks were solved numerically to describe oil output from a well — the final result of acoustical action, which can be compared with experimental data. It is shown that the suggested numerical model allows us to reproduce the basic features of fluid filtration in a well before during and after acoustical stimulation.

  15. Contrast Enhancement for Thermal Acoustic Breast Cancer Imaging via Resonant Stimulation

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-03-01

    thermal acoustic signals tend to be weak. However, when the tumor is excited into resonance via EM stimulation, the effective acoustic scattering...the effective acoustic scattering cross-section may increase by a factor in excess of 100 based on predic tions for microsphere-based ultrasound...not apply, the heat conduction effects should be taken into consideration in calculating the pre ssure wave generated by electrom agnetic illum

  16. Changes in cochlear function related to acoustic stimulation of cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potential stimulation.

    PubMed

    Strömberg, Anna-Karin; Olofsson, Åke; Westin, Magnus; Duan, Maoli; Stenfelt, Stefan

    2016-10-01

    Evaluation of cervical evoked myogenic potentials (c-VEMP) is commonly applied in clinical investigations of patients with suspected neurotological symptoms. Short intense acoustic stimulation of peak levels close to 130 dB SPL is required to elicit the responses. A recent publication on bilateral significant sensorineural hearing loss related to extensive VEMP stimulation motivates evaluations of immediate effects on hearing acuity related to the intense acoustic stimulation required to elicit c-VEMP responses. The aim of the current study was to investigate changes in DPOAE-levels and hearing thresholds in relation to c-VEMP testing in humans. More specifically, the current focus is on immediate changes in hearing thresholds and changes in DPOAE-levels at frequencies 0.5 octaves above the acoustic stimulation when applying shorter tone bursts than previously used. Hearing acuity before and immediately after exposure to c-VEMP stimulation was examined in 24 patients with normal hearing referred for neurotologic testing. The stimulation consisted of 192 tonebursts of 6 ms and was presented at 500 Hz and 130 dB peSPL. Békésy thresholds at 0.125-8 kHz and DPOAE I/O growth functions with stimulation at 0.75 and 3 kHz were used to assess c-VEMP related changes in hearing status. No significant deterioration in Békésy thresholds was detected. Significant reduction in DPOAE levels at 0.75 (0.5-1.35 dB) and 3 kHz (1.6-2.1 dB) was observed after c-VEMP stimulation without concomitant changes in cochlear compression. The results indicated that there was no immediate audiometric loss related to c-VEMP stimulation in the current group of patients. The significant reduction of DPOAE levels at a wider frequency range than previously described after the c-VEMP test could be related to the stimulation with shorter tone bursts. The results show that c-VEMP stimulation causes reduction in DPOAE-levels at several frequencies that corresponds to half the reductions in

  17. A new brain stimulation method: Noninvasive transcranial magneto-acoustical stimulation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yuan, Yi; Chen, Yu-Dong; Li, Xiao-Li

    2016-08-01

    We investigate transcranial magneto-acoustical stimulation (TMAS) for noninvasive brain neuromodulation in vivo. TMAS as a novel technique uses an ultrasound wave to induce an electric current in the brain tissue in the static magnetic field. It has the advantage of high spatial resolution and penetration depth. The mechanism of TMAS onto a neuron is analyzed by combining the TMAS principle and Hodgkin-Huxley neuron model. The anesthetized rats are stimulated by TMAS, resulting in the local field potentials which are recorded and analyzed. The simulation results show that TMAS can induce neuronal action potential. The experimental results indicate that TMAS can not only increase the amplitude of local field potentials but also enhance the effect of focused ultrasound stimulation on the neuromodulation. In summary, TMAS can accomplish brain neuromodulation, suggesting a potentially powerful noninvasive stimulation method to interfere with brain rhythms for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 61503321 and 61273063) and the Natural Science Foundation of Hebei Province, China (Grant No. F2014203161).

  18. Acoustic stimulation on the round window for active middle ear implants.

    PubMed

    Seong, Kiwoong; Lee, Kyuyup; Puria, Sunil; Cho, Jin-Ho

    2018-06-01

    Many clinical reports have discussed the effectiveness of stimulating the ear's round window (RW) with a tool to mitigate conductive and mixed hearing loss. The RW is one of the two openings from the middle ear into the inner ear. Various methods have been proposed to construct a highly efficient, easily implanted, and reliable RW transducer. Devices, however, such as floating mass transducers, have difficulty establishing proper contact without some degree of bone incision around the RW. Additionally, vibration energy may not be fully transmitted to the cochlea, but instead will be spread through the soft tissue around the transducer. We propose a more direct RW stimulation with very high acoustical impedance using a receiver that is a volume velocity source. We expect this source to overcome large acoustic impedance by maximizing sound pressure in a confined space, the RW niche. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed method, ear canal pressure, RW pressure, and stapes velocity are measured by acoustic RW stimulation of human temporal bones. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Contrast Enhancement for Thermal Acoustic Breast Cancer Imaging via Resonant Stimulation

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2008-03-01

    AD_________________ Award Number: W81XWH-06-1-0389 TITLE: Contrast Enhancement for Thermal...5a. CONTRACT NUMBER Contrast Enhancement for Thermal Acoustic Breast Cancer Imaging via Resonant Stimulation 5b. GRANT NUMBER W81XWH-06-1-0389...13. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES 14. ABSTRACT This research plans to develop enhanced contrast thermal acoustic imaging (TAI) technology for the

  20. Electromotile hearing: Acoustic tones mask psychophysical response to high-frequency electrical stimulation of intact guinea pig cochleaea)

    PubMed Central

    Le Prell, Colleen G.; Kawamoto, Kohei; Raphael, Yehoash; Dolan, David F.

    2011-01-01

    When sinusoidal electric stimulation is applied to the intact cochlea, a frequency-specific acoustic emission can be recorded in the ear canal. Acoustic emissions are produced by basilar membrane motion, and have been used to suggest a corresponding acoustic sensation termed “electromotile hearing.” Electromotile hearing has been specifically attributed to electric stimulation of outer hair cells in the intact organ of Corti. To determine the nature of the auditory perception produced by electric stimulation of a cochlea with intact outer hair cells, we tested guinea pigs in a psychophysical task. First, subjects were trained to report detection of sinusoidal acoustic stimuli and dynamic range was assessed using response latency. Subjects were then implanted with a ball electrode placed into scala tympani. Following the surgical implant procedure, subjects were transferred to a task in which acoustic signals were replaced by sinusoidal electric stimulation, and dynamic range was assessed again. Finally, the ability of acoustic pure-tone stimuli to mask the detection of the electric signals was assessed. Based on the masking effects, we conclude that sinusoidal electric stimulation of the intact cochlea results in perception of a tonal (rather than a broad-band or noisy) sound at a frequency of 8 kHz or above. PMID:17225416

  1. Experimental study of a hybrid electro-acoustic nonlinear membrane absorber

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bryk, P. Y.; Bellizzi, S.; Côte, R.

    2018-06-01

    A hybrid electro-acoustic nonlinear membrane absorber working as a nonlinear energy sink (here after named EA-NES) is described. The device is composed of a thin circular visco-elastic membrane working as an essentially cubic oscillator. One face of the membrane is coupled to the acoustic field to be reduced and the other face is enclosed. The enclosure includes a loudspeaker for the control of the acoustic pressure felt by the rear face of the membrane through proportional feedback control. An experimental set-up has been developed where the EA-NES is weakly coupled to a linear acoustic system. The linear acoustic system is an open-ended tube, coupled on one side to the EA-NES by a box, and on the other side to a source loudspeaker by another box. Only sinusoidal forcing is considered. It is shown that the EA-NES is able to perform resonance capture with the acoustic field, resulting in noise reduction by targeted energy transfer, and to operate in a large frequency band, tuning itself passively to any linear system. We demonstrate the ability of the feedback gain defining the active loop to modify the resonance frequency of the EA-NES, which is a key factor to tune the triggering threshold of energy pumping. The novelty of this work is to use active control combined to passive nonlinear transfer energy to improve it. In this paper, only experimental results are analyzed.

  2. Klamath Falls: High-Power Acoustic Well Stimulation Technology

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Black, Brian

    Acoustic well stimulation (AWS) technology uses high-power sonic waves from specific frequency spectra in an attempt to stimulate production in a damaged or low-production wellbore. AWS technology is one of the most promising technologies in the oil and gas industry, but it has proven difficult for the industry to develop an effective downhole prototype. This collaboration between Klamath Falls Inc. and the Rocky Mountain Oilfield Testing Center (RMOTC) included a series of tests using high-power ultrasonic tools to stimulate oil and gas production. Phase I testing was designed and implemented to verify tool functionality, power requirements, and capacity of high-powermore » AWS tools. The purpose of Phase II testing was to validate the production response of wells with marginal production rates to AWS stimulation and to capture and identify any changes in the downhole environment after tool deployment. This final report presents methodology and results.« less

  3. In situ Probe Microphone Measurement for Testing the Direct Acoustical Cochlear Stimulator.

    PubMed

    Stieger, Christof; Alnufaily, Yasser H; Candreia, Claudia; Caversaccio, Marco D; Arnold, Andreas M

    2017-01-01

    Hypothesis: Acoustical measurements can be used for functional control of a direct acoustic cochlear stimulator (DACS). Background: The DACS is a recently released active hearing implant that works on the principle of a conventional piston prosthesis driven by the rod of an electromagnetic actuator. An inherent part of the DACS actuator is a thin titanium diaphragm that allows for movement of the stimulation rod while hermetically sealing the housing. In addition to mechanical stimulation, the actuator emits sound into the mastoid cavity because of the motion of the diaphragm. Methods: We investigated the use of the sound emission of a DACS for intra-operative testing. We measured sound emission in the external auditory canal (P EAC ) and velocity of the actuators stimulation rod (V act ) in five implanted ears of whole-head specimens. We tested the influence various positions of the loudspeaker and a probe microphone on P EAC and simulated implant malfunction in one example. Results: Sound emission of the DACS with a signal-to-noise ratio >10 dB was observed between 0.5 and 5 kHz. Simulated implant misplacement or malfunction could be detected by the absence or shift in the characteristic resonance frequency of the actuator. P EAC changed by <6 dB for variations of the microphone and loudspeaker position. Conclusion: Our data support the feasibility of acoustical measurements for in situ testing of the DACS implant in the mastoid cavity as well as for post-operative monitoring of actuator function.

  4. Utility of bilateral acoustic hearing in combination with electrical stimulation provided by the cochlear implant.

    PubMed

    Plant, Kerrie; Babic, Leanne

    2016-01-01

    The aim of the study was to quantify the benefit provided by having access to amplified acoustic hearing in the implanted ear for use in combination with contralateral acoustic hearing and the electrical stimulation provided by the cochlear implant. Measures of spatial and non-spatial hearing abilities were obtained to compare performance obtained with different configurations of acoustic hearing in combination with electrical stimulation. In the combined listening condition participants had access to bilateral acoustic hearing whereas the bimodal condition used acoustic hearing contralateral to the implanted ear only. Experience was provided with each of the listening conditions using a repeated-measures A-B-B-A experimental design. Sixteen post-linguistically hearing-impaired adults participated in the study. Group mean benefit was obtained with use of the combined mode on measures of speech recognition in coincident speech in noise, localization ability, subjective ratings of real-world benefit, and musical sound quality ratings. Access to bilateral acoustic hearing after cochlear implantation provides significant benefit on a range of functional measures.

  5. Influence of Asymmetric Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Stimulation on Vibration, Acoustics, and Aerodynamics

    PubMed Central

    Chhetri, Dinesh K.; Neubauer, Juergen; Sofer, Elazar

    2015-01-01

    Objectives/Hypothesis Evaluate the influence of asymmetric recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) stimulation on the vibratory phase, acoustics and aerodynamics of phonation. Study Design Basic science study using an in vivo canine model. Methods The RLNs were symmetrically and asymmetrically stimulated over eight graded levels to test a range of vocal fold activation conditions from subtle paresis to paralysis. Vibratory phase, fundamental frequency (F0), subglottal pressure, and airflow were noted at phonation onset. The evaluations were repeated for three levels of symmetric superior laryngeal nerve (SLN) stimulation. Results Asymmetric laryngeal adductor activation from asymmetric left-right RLN stimulation led to a consistent pattern of vibratory phase asymmetry, with the more activated vocal fold leading in the opening phase of the glottal cycle and in mucosal wave amplitude. Vibratory amplitude asymmetry was also observed, with more lateral excursion of the glottis of the less activated side. Onset fundamental frequency was higher with asymmetric activation because the two RLNs were synergistic in decreasing F0, glottal width, and strain. Phonation onset pressure increased and airflow decreased with symmetric RLN activation. Conclusion Asymmetric laryngeal activation from RLN paresis and paralysis has consistent effects on vocal fold vibration, acoustics, and aerodynamics. This information may be useful in diagnosis and management of vocal fold paresis. PMID:24913182

  6. Influence of asymmetric recurrent laryngeal nerve stimulation on vibration, acoustics, and aerodynamics.

    PubMed

    Chhetri, Dinesh K; Neubauer, Juergen; Sofer, Elazar

    2014-11-01

    Evaluate the influence of asymmetric recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) stimulation on the vibratory phase, acoustics and aerodynamics of phonation. Basic science study using an in vivo canine model. The RLNs were symmetrically and asymmetrically stimulated over eight graded levels to test a range of vocal fold activation conditions from subtle paresis to paralysis. Vibratory phase, fundamental frequency (F0 ), subglottal pressure, and airflow were noted at phonation onset. The evaluations were repeated for three levels of symmetric superior laryngeal nerve (SLN) stimulation. Asymmetric laryngeal adductor activation from asymmetric left-right RLN stimulation led to a consistent pattern of vibratory phase asymmetry, with the more activated vocal fold leading in the opening phase of the glottal cycle and in mucosal wave amplitude. Vibratory amplitude asymmetry was also observed, with more lateral excursion of the glottis of the less activated side. Onset fundamental frequency was higher with asymmetric activation because the two RLNs were synergistic in decreasing F0 , glottal width, and strain. Phonation onset pressure increased and airflow decreased with symmetric RLN activation. Asymmetric laryngeal activation from RLN paresis and paralysis has consistent effects on vocal fold vibration, acoustics, and aerodynamics. This information may be useful in diagnosis and management of vocal fold paresis. N/A. © 2014 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

  7. A short latency vestibular evoked potential (VsEP) produced by bone-conducted acoustic stimulation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McAngus Todd, Neil P.; Rosengren, Sally M.; Colebatch, James G.

    2003-12-01

    In this paper data are presented from an experiment which provides evidence for the existence of a short latency, acoustically evoked potential of probable vestibular origin. The experiment was conducted in two phases using bone-conducted acoustic stimulation. In the first phase subjects were stimulated with 6-ms, 500-Hz tone bursts in order to obtain the threshold VT for vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMP). It was confirmed that the difference between bone-conducted auditory and acoustic vestibular thresholds was slightly over 30 dB. The estimated threshold was then used as a reference value in the second part of the experiment to stimulate subjects over a range of intensities from -6 to +18 dB (re:VT). Averaged EEG recordings were made with eight Ag/AgCl electrodes placed on the scalp at Fpz, F3, F4, F7, F8, Cz, T3, and T4 according to the 10-20 system. Below VT auditory midlatency responses (MLRs) were observed. Above VT two additional potentials appeared: a positivity at about 10 ms (P10) which was maximal at Cz, and a negativity at about 15 ms (N15) which was maximal at Fpz. Extrapolation of the growth functions for the P10 and N15 indicated a threshold close to VT, consistent with a vestibular origin of these potentials. Given the low threshold of vestibular acoustic sensitivity it is possible that this mode may make a contribution to the detection of and affective responses to loud low frequency sounds. The evoked potentials may also have application as a noninvasive and nontraumatic test of vestibular projections to the cortex.

  8. A measure of acoustic noise generated from transcranial magnetic stimulation coils.

    PubMed

    Dhamne, Sameer C; Kothare, Raveena S; Yu, Camilla; Hsieh, Tsung-Hsun; Anastasio, Elana M; Oberman, Lindsay; Pascual-Leone, Alvaro; Rotenberg, Alexander

    2014-01-01

    The intensity of sound emanating from the discharge of magnetic coils used in repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) can potentially cause acoustic trauma. Per Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards for safety of noise exposure, hearing protection is recommended beyond restricted levels of noise and time limits. We measured the sound pressure levels (SPLs) from four rTMS coils with the goal of assessing if the acoustic artifact levels are of sufficient amplitude to warrant protection from acoustic trauma per OSHA standards. We studied the SPLs at two frequencies (5 and 10 Hz), three machine outputs (MO) (60, 80 and 100%), and two distances from the coil (5 and 10 cm). We found that the SPLs were louder at closer proximity from the coil and directly dependent on the MO. We also found that in all studied conditions, SPLs were lower than the OSHA permissible thresholds for short (<15 min) acoustic exposure, but at extremes of use, may generate sufficient noise to warrant ear protection with prolonged (>8 h) exposure. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Ion-acoustic and electron-acoustic type nonlinear waves in dusty plasmas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Volosevich, A.-V.; Meister, C.-V.

    2003-04-01

    In the present work, two three-dimensional nonlinear theoretical models of electrostatic solitary waves are investigated within the frame of magnetohydrodynamics. Both times, a multi-component plasma is considered, which consists of hot electrons with a rather flexible distribution function, hot ions with Boltzmann-type distribution, and (negatively as well as positively charged) dust. Additionally, cold ion beams are taken into account in the model to study ion-acoustic structures (IAS), and cold electron beams are included into the model to investigate electron-acoustic structures (EAS). The numerical results of the considered theoretical models allow to make the following conclusions: 1) Electrostatic structures with negative potential (of rarefaction type) are formed both in the IAS model and in the EAS model, but structures with negative potential (of compressional type) are formed in the IAS model only. 2) The intervals of various plasma parameters (velocities of ion and electron beams, temperatures, densities of the plasma components, ions' masses), for which the existence of IAS and EAS solitary waves and structures is possible, are calculated. 3) Further, the parameters of the electrostatic structures (wave amplitudes, scales along and perpendicular to the magnetic field, velocities) are estimated. 4) The application of the present numerical simulation for multi-component plasmas to various astrophysical systems under different physical conditions is discussed.

  10. Electro-acupuncture stimulation acts on the basal ganglia output pathway to ameliorate motor impairment in Parkinsonian model rats.

    PubMed

    Jia, Jun; Li, Bo; Sun, Zuo-Li; Yu, Fen; Wang, Xuan; Wang, Xiao-Min

    2010-04-01

    The role of electro-acupuncture (EA) stimulation on motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease (PD) has not been well studied. In a rat hemiparkinsonian model induced by unilateral transection of the medial forebrain bundle (MFB), EA stimulation improved motor impairment in a frequency-dependent manner. Whereas EA stimulation at a low frequency (2 Hz) had no effect, EA stimulation at a high frequency (100 Hz) significantly improved motor coordination. However, neither low nor high EA stimulation could significantly enhance dopamine levels in the striatum. EA stimulation at 100 Hz normalized the MFB lesion-induced increase in midbrain GABA content, but it had no effect on GABA content in the globus pallidus. These results suggest that high-frequency EA stimulation improves motor impairment in MFB-lesioned rats by increasing GABAergic inhibition in the output structure of the basal ganglia.

  11. The effect of static force on round window stimulation with the direct acoustic cochlea stimulator.

    PubMed

    Maier, Hannes; Salcher, Rolf; Schwab, Burkard; Lenarz, Thomas

    2013-07-01

    The Direct Acoustic Cochlea Stimulator Partial Implant (DACS PI, Phonak Acoustic Implants SA, Switzerland) is intended to stimulate the cochlea by a conventional stapedotomy piston that is crimped onto the DACS PI artificial incus. An alternative approach to the round window (RW) is successfully done with other devices, having the advantage of being also independent of the existence of middle ear structure (e.g. ossicles). Here the possibility of stimulating the RW with the DACS actuator is investigated including the impact of static force on sound transmission to the cochlea. The maximum equivalent sound pressure output with RW stimulation was determined experimentally in fresh human temporal bones. Experiments were performed in analogy to the ASTM standard (F2504.24930-1) method for the output determination of implantable middle ear hearing devices (IMEHDs) in human cadaveric temporal bones (TBs). ASTM compliant temporal bones were stimulated with a prosthesis having a spherical tip (∅0.5 mm) attached to the actuator. The stimulation was performed perpendicular to the round window membrane (RWM) at varying position relative to the RW and the resulting static force on the RW membrane was determined. At each position the displacement output of the DACS PI actuator and the stapes footplate (SFP) vibration in response to actuator stimulation was measured with a Laser Doppler Velocimeter (LDV). By comparison of the achieved output at the stapes footplate in response to sound and transducer stimulation the equivalent sound pressure level at the tympanic membrane at 1Vrms input voltage was calculated assuming that the SFP displacement in both conditions is a measure of perceived loudness, as it is done in the ASTM standard. Ten TB preparations within the acceptance range of the ASTM standard were used for analysis. The actuator driven stapes footplate displacement amplitude as well as the resulting equivalent sound pressure level was highly dependent on the static

  12. Stimulated phase-shift acoustic nanodroplets enhance vancomycin efficacy against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus biofilms.

    PubMed

    Guo, Hao; Wang, Ziming; Du, Quanyin; Li, Pan; Wang, Zhigang; Wang, Aimin

    2017-01-01

    Bacterial biofilms on the surface of prostheses are becoming a rising concern in managing prosthetic joint infections. The inherent resistant features of biofilms render traditional antimicrobial therapy unproductive and revision surgery outcomes uncertain. This situation has prompted the exploration of novel antimicrobial strategies. The synergy of ultrasound microbubbles and vancomycin has been proposed as an efficient alternative for biofilm eradication. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the anti-biofilm effect of stimulated phase-shift acoustic nanodroplets (NDs) combined with vancomycin. We fabricated lipid phase-shift NDs with a core of liquid perfluoropentane. A new phase change mode for NDs incorporating an initial unfocused low-intensity pulsed ultrasound for 5 minutes and a subsequent incubation at 37°C into a 24-hour duration was developed. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) biofilms were incubated with vancomycin and NDs under the hybrid stimulation. Biofilm morphology following treatment was determined using confocal laser scanning microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Resazurin assay was used to quantify bactericidal efficacy against MRSA biofilm bacteria. NDs treated sequentially with ultrasound and heating at 37°C achieved gradual and substantial ND vaporization and cavitation in a successive process. NDs after stimulation were capable of generating stronger destruction on biofilm structure which was best characterized by residual circular arc margins and more dead bacteria. Furthermore, NDs combined with vancomycin contributed to significantly decreasing the metabolic activity of bacteria in MRSA biofilms ( P <0.05). Phase-shift acoustic NDs could exert a significant bactericidal effect against MRSA biofilms through a new stimulation mode. Acoustic NDs present advantages over microbubbles for biofilm damage. This anti-biofilm strategy could be used either alone or as an enhancer of traditional antibiotics in the

  13. Comparison of absolute intensity between EAS with gamma-families and general EAS at Mount Norikura

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mitsumune, T.; Nakatsuka, T.; Nishikawa, K.; Saito, T.; Sakata, M.; Shima, M.; Yamamoto, Y.; Dake, S.; Kawamoto, M.; Kusumose, M.

    1985-01-01

    Gamma-families with total energy greater than 10 TeV, found in the EX chamber which was cooperated with the EAS array were combined with EAS triggered by big bursts. The absolute intensity of the size spectrum of these combined EAS was compared with that of general EAS obtained by AS trigger. The EAS with sizes greater than 2x1 million were always accompanied by gamma-families with sigma E sub gamma H 10 TeV, n sub gamma, H 2 and Emin=3 TeV, although the rate of EAS accompaning such gamma-families decreases rapidly as their sizes decrease.

  14. The efficiency of simultaneous binaural ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potentials: a comparative study with monaural acoustic stimulation in healthy subjects.

    PubMed

    Kim, Min-Beom; Ban, Jae Ho

    2012-12-01

    To evaluate the test-retest reliability and convenience of simultaneous binaural acoustic-evoked ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (oVEMP). Thirteen healthy subjects with no history of ear diseases participated in this study. All subjects underwent oVEMP test with both separated monaural acoustic stimulation and simultaneous binaural acoustic stimulation. For evaluating test-retest reliability, three repetitive sessions were performed in each ear for calculating the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for both monaural and binaural tests. We analyzed data from the biphasic n1-p1 complex, such as latency of peak, inter-peak amplitude, and asymmetric ratio of amplitude in both ears. Finally, we checked the total time required to complete each test for evaluating test convenience. No significant difference was observed in amplitude and asymmetric ratio in comparison between monaural and binaural oVEMP. However, latency was slightly delayed in binaural oVEMP. In test-retest reliability analysis, binaural oVEMP showed excellent ICC values ranging from 0.68 to 0.98 in latency, asymmetric ratio, and inter-peak amplitude. Additionally, the test time was shorter in binaural than monaural oVEMP. oVEMP elicited from binaural acoustic stimulation yields similar satisfactory results as monaural stimulation. Further, excellent test-retest reliability and shorter test time were achieved in binaural than in monaural oVEMP.

  15. Twisted electron-acoustic waves in plasmas

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Aman-ur-Rehman, E-mail: amansadiq@gmail.com; Department of Physics and Applied Mathematics; Ali, S.

    2016-08-15

    In the paraxial limit, a twisted electron-acoustic (EA) wave is studied in a collisionless unmagnetized plasma, whose constituents are the dynamical cold electrons and Boltzmannian hot electrons in the background of static positive ions. The analytical and numerical solutions of the plasma kinetic equation suggest that EA waves with finite amount of orbital angular momentum exhibit a twist in its behavior. The twisted wave particle resonance is also taken into consideration that has been appeared through the effective wave number q{sub eff} accounting for Laguerre-Gaussian mode profiles attributed to helical phase structures. Consequently, the dispersion relation and the damping ratemore » of the EA waves are significantly modified with the twisted parameter η, and for η → ∞, the results coincide with the straight propagating plane EA waves. Numerically, new features of twisted EA waves are identified by considering various regimes of wavelength and the results might be useful for transport and trapping of plasma particles in a two-electron component plasma.« less

  16. Acoustic stimulation can induce a selective neural network response mediated by piezoelectric nanoparticles.

    PubMed

    Rojas, Camilo; Tedesco, Mariateresa; Massobrio, Paolo; Marino, Attilio; Ciofani, Gianni; Martinoia, Sergio; Raiteri, Roberto

    2018-06-01

    We aim to develop a novel non-invasive or minimally invasive method for neural stimulation to be applied in the study and treatment of brain (dys)functions and neurological disorders. We investigate the electrophysiological response of in vitro neuronal networks when subjected to low-intensity pulsed acoustic stimulation, mediated by piezoelectric nanoparticles adsorbed on the neuronal membrane. We show that the presence of piezoelectric barium titanate nanoparticles induces, in a reproducible way, an increase in network activity when excited by stationary ultrasound waves in the MHz regime. Such a response can be fully recovered when switching the ultrasound pulse off, depending on the generated pressure field amplitude, whilst it is insensitive to the duration of the ultrasound pulse in the range 0.5 s-1.5 s. We demonstrate that the presence of piezoelectric nanoparticles is necessary, and when applying the same acoustic stimulation to neuronal cultures without nanoparticles or with non-piezoelectric nanoparticles with the same size distribution, no network response is observed. We believe that our results open up an extremely interesting approach when coupled with suitable functionalization strategies of the nanoparticles in order to address specific neurons and/or brain areas and applied in vivo, thus enabling remote, non-invasive, and highly selective modulation of the activity of neuronal subpopulations of the central nervous system of mammalians.

  17. Acoustic stimulation can induce a selective neural network response mediated by piezoelectric nanoparticles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rojas, Camilo; Tedesco, Mariateresa; Massobrio, Paolo; Marino, Attilio; Ciofani, Gianni; Martinoia, Sergio; Raiteri, Roberto

    2018-06-01

    Objective. We aim to develop a novel non-invasive or minimally invasive method for neural stimulation to be applied in the study and treatment of brain (dys)functions and neurological disorders. Approach. We investigate the electrophysiological response of in vitro neuronal networks when subjected to low-intensity pulsed acoustic stimulation, mediated by piezoelectric nanoparticles adsorbed on the neuronal membrane. Main results. We show that the presence of piezoelectric barium titanate nanoparticles induces, in a reproducible way, an increase in network activity when excited by stationary ultrasound waves in the MHz regime. Such a response can be fully recovered when switching the ultrasound pulse off, depending on the generated pressure field amplitude, whilst it is insensitive to the duration of the ultrasound pulse in the range 0.5 s–1.5 s. We demonstrate that the presence of piezoelectric nanoparticles is necessary, and when applying the same acoustic stimulation to neuronal cultures without nanoparticles or with non-piezoelectric nanoparticles with the same size distribution, no network response is observed. Significance. We believe that our results open up an extremely interesting approach when coupled with suitable functionalization strategies of the nanoparticles in order to address specific neurons and/or brain areas and applied in vivo, thus enabling remote, non-invasive, and highly selective modulation of the activity of neuronal subpopulations of the central nervous system of mammalians.

  18. Suppression and facilitation of auditory neurons through coordinated acoustic and midbrain stimulation: investigating a deep brain stimulator for tinnitus

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Offutt, Sarah J.; Ryan, Kellie J.; Konop, Alexander E.; Lim, Hubert H.

    2014-12-01

    Objective. The inferior colliculus (IC) is the primary processing center of auditory information in the midbrain and is one site of tinnitus-related activity. One potential option for suppressing the tinnitus percept is through deep brain stimulation via the auditory midbrain implant (AMI), which is designed for hearing restoration and is already being implanted in deaf patients who also have tinnitus. However, to assess the feasibility of AMI stimulation for tinnitus treatment we first need to characterize the functional connectivity within the IC. Previous studies have suggested modulatory projections from the dorsal cortex of the IC (ICD) to the central nucleus of the IC (ICC), though the functional properties of these projections need to be determined. Approach. In this study, we investigated the effects of electrical stimulation of the ICD on acoustic-driven activity within the ICC in ketamine-anesthetized guinea pigs. Main Results. We observed ICD stimulation induces both suppressive and facilitatory changes across ICC that can occur immediately during stimulation and remain after stimulation. Additionally, ICD stimulation paired with broadband noise stimulation at a specific delay can induce greater suppressive than facilitatory effects, especially when stimulating in more rostral and medial ICD locations. Significance. These findings demonstrate that ICD stimulation can induce specific types of plastic changes in ICC activity, which may be relevant for treating tinnitus. By using the AMI with electrode sites positioned with the ICD and the ICC, the modulatory effects of ICD stimulation can be tested directly in tinnitus patients.

  19. Effects of Asymmetric Superior Laryngeal Nerve Stimulation on Glottic Posture, Acoustics, Vibration

    PubMed Central

    Chhetri, Dinesh K.; Neubauer, Juergen; Bergeron, Jennifer L.; Sofer, Elazar; Peng, Kevin A.; Jamal, Nausheen

    2013-01-01

    Objectives Evaluate the effects of asymmetric superior laryngeal nerve stimulation on the vibratory phase, laryngeal posture, and acoustics. Study Design Basic science study using an in vivo canine model. Methods The superior laryngeal nerves were symmetrically and asymmetrically stimulated over eight activation levels to mimic laryngeal asymmetries representing various levels of superior laryngeal nerve paresis and paralysis conditions. Glottal posture change, vocal fold speed, and vibration of these 64 distinct laryngeal activation conditions were evaluated by high speed video and concurrent acoustic and aerodynamic recordings. Assessments were made at phonation onset. Results Vibratory phase was symmetric in all symmetric activation conditions but consistent phase asymmetry towards the vocal fold with higher superior laryngeal nerve activation was observed. Superior laryngeal nerve paresis and paralysis conditions had reduced vocal fold strain and fundamental frequency. Superior laryngeal nerve activation increased vocal fold closure speed, but this effect was more pronounced for the ipsilateral vocal fold. Increasing asymmetry led to aperiodic and chaotic vibration. Conclusions This study directly links vocal fold tension asymmetry with vibratory phase asymmetry; in particular the side with greater tension leads in the opening phase. The clinical observations of vocal fold lag, reduced vocal range, and aperiodic voice in superior laryngeal paresis and paralysis is also supported. PMID:23712542

  20. Performance comparisons between PCA-EA-LBG and PCA-LBG-EA approaches in VQ codebook generation for image compression

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tsai, Jinn-Tsong; Chou, Ping-Yi; Chou, Jyh-Horng

    2015-11-01

    The aim of this study is to generate vector quantisation (VQ) codebooks by integrating principle component analysis (PCA) algorithm, Linde-Buzo-Gray (LBG) algorithm, and evolutionary algorithms (EAs). The EAs include genetic algorithm (GA), particle swarm optimisation (PSO), honey bee mating optimisation (HBMO), and firefly algorithm (FF). The study is to provide performance comparisons between PCA-EA-LBG and PCA-LBG-EA approaches. The PCA-EA-LBG approaches contain PCA-GA-LBG, PCA-PSO-LBG, PCA-HBMO-LBG, and PCA-FF-LBG, while the PCA-LBG-EA approaches contain PCA-LBG, PCA-LBG-GA, PCA-LBG-PSO, PCA-LBG-HBMO, and PCA-LBG-FF. All training vectors of test images are grouped according to PCA. The PCA-EA-LBG used the vectors grouped by PCA as initial individuals, and the best solution gained by the EAs was given for LBG to discover a codebook. The PCA-LBG approach is to use the PCA to select vectors as initial individuals for LBG to find a codebook. The PCA-LBG-EA used the final result of PCA-LBG as an initial individual for EAs to find a codebook. The search schemes in PCA-EA-LBG first used global search and then applied local search skill, while in PCA-LBG-EA first used local search and then employed global search skill. The results verify that the PCA-EA-LBG indeed gain superior results compared to the PCA-LBG-EA, because the PCA-EA-LBG explores a global area to find a solution, and then exploits a better one from the local area of the solution. Furthermore the proposed PCA-EA-LBG approaches in designing VQ codebooks outperform existing approaches shown in the literature.

  1. 47 CFR 11.32 - EAS Encoder.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false EAS Encoder. 11.32 Section 11.32....32 EAS Encoder. (a) EAS Encoders must at a minimum be capable of encoding the EAS protocol described... must additionally provide the following minimum specifications: (1) Encoder programming. Access to...

  2. A wirelessly powered electro-acupuncture based on adaptive pulsewidth monophase stimulation.

    PubMed

    Kiseok Song; Long Yan; Seulki Lee; Yoo, Jerald; Hoi-Jun Yoo

    2011-04-01

    A wirelessly powered electro-acupuncture (EA) system with adaptive-pulsewidth (APW) monophase stimulation is presented for convenient invasive medicine. The proposed system removes cumbersome wires connected between EA nodes and an EA controller in order to realize both patients' convenience and remedial values simultaneously. An ultra-low-power stimulator integrated circuit (IC) that is integrated on the flexible-printed-circuit board (F-PCB) is attached to the tip of a needle electrode. Combined with a conductive yarn helical antenna wound around the needle electrode, the EA node receives wireless power from the EA controller using 433 MHz with the maximum loss of 6 dB. A zero-Vth nMOS rectifier harvests a supply voltage of 1.0 V from a -16-dBm incoming power signal with 32% efficiency. To deal with a body impedance variation (BIV) in the range of 100-200 kΩ , the proposed APW stimulator IC, fabricated in a 0.18-μm 1P6M complementary metal-oxide semiconductor CMOS process and occupying 1.56 mm(2), enables constant charge injection of 80-nC/stimulation. To ensure the patients' safety, the EA node (a pair of EAs) shares ground and clock wires to operate in alternate monophase (AMP) fashion for neutralizing the injected charge. The proposed wirelessly powered EA node was verified by applying it to a chunk of pork as a body model with the wireless power supplied from an RF signal generator (output power of 10 dBm and located 30 cm away).

  3. Preliminary Outcomes Report for CO2 Laser Assisted Electric-Acoustic Cochlear Implantation.

    PubMed

    Stevens, Shawn M; Redmann, Andrew; Whitaker, Kayla; Ruotanen, Alyson; Houston, Lisa; Hammer, Theresa; Samy, Ravi N

    2018-06-01

    Report on the safety/efficacy of a novel, carbon dioxide (CO2) laser-assisted protocol for hearing-preservation cochlear implantation (HPCI) and electric-acoustic stimulation (EAS). Retrospective case review. Tertiary referral center. Adult patients meeting established criteria for HPCI and EAS. Therapeutic/rehabilitative. A standardized protocol used CO2 laser to achieve meticulous hemostasis and perform cochleostomy was evaluated. Audiometric assessments included low-tone pure tone average (LtPTA), consonant-nucleus-consonant (CNC), and AzBio scores. Primary outcomes were low-tone hearing-preservation (LtHP) and EAS usage rates. Secondary outcomes included change in LtPTA, outcomes durability, and the rate/onset/presentation of delayed hearing loss (DHL). Subset analyses stratified data by presenting LtPTA and surgeon experience. Forty-seven patients and 52 ears were included. Mean follow-up was 20.7 ± 12.6 months. When adjusted for preoperative LtPTA less than 60 dB, the LtHP rate was 77%. This was significantly better than for patients with LtPTA more than 60 dB (24%; p < 0.0001). Outcomes were highly durable. EAS usage was excellent in those with LtPTA less than 60 dB (100%). Nine patients developed DHL. Three additional patients (25%) were successfully salvaged via steroids. Both CNC and AzBio scores improved significantly (p < 0.0001) at definitive testing. Speech-hearing scores did not differ significantly between patients using/not using EAS. The complication rate was 3.8%; none were caused by the laser. Surgeon experience was associated with significantly better outcomes. Use of a CO2 laser-assisted HPCI protocol was safe and effective. Outcomes were consistent with contemporary literature reporting. Patient selection and surgeon experience both significantly impacted outcomes.

  4. Electric-acoustic interactions in the hearing cochlea: single fiber recordings.

    PubMed

    Tillein, J; Hartmann, R; Kral, A

    2015-04-01

    The present study investigates interactions of simultaneous electric and acoustic stimulation in single auditory nerve fibers in normal hearing cats. First, the auditory nerve was accessed with a microelectrode and response areas of single nerve fibers were determined for acoustic stimulation. Second, response thresholds to extracochlear sinusoidal electric stimulation using ball electrodes positioned at the round window were measured. Third, interactions that occurred with combined electric-acoustic stimulation were investigated in two areas: (1) the spectral domain (frequency response areas) and (2) the temporal domain (phase-locking to each stimulus) at moderate stimulus intensities (electric: 6 dB re threshold, acoustic: 20-40 dB re threshold at the characteristic frequency, CF). For fibers responding to both modalities responses to both electric and acoustic stimulation could be clearly identified. CFs, thresholds, and bandwidth (Q10dB) of acoustic responses were not significantly affected by simultaneous electric stimulation. Phase-locking of electric responses decreased in the presence of acoustic stimulation. Indication for electric stimulation of inner hair cells with 125 and 250 Hz were observed. However, these did not disturb the acoustic receptive fields of auditory nerve fibers. There was a trade-off between these responses when the intensities of the stimulation were varied: Relatively more intense stimulation dominated less intense stimulation. The scarcity of interaction between the different stimulus modalities demonstrates the ability of electric-acoustic stimulation to transfer useful information through both stimulation channels at the same time despite cochlear electrophonic effects. Application of 30 Hz electric stimulation resulted in a strong suppression of acoustic activity in the anodic phase of the stimulus. An electric stimulation like this might thus be used to control acoustic responses. This article is part of a Special Issue

  5. Different effects of transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation and electroacupuncture at ST36–ST37 on the cerebral cortex

    PubMed Central

    Kang, Yu-Tien; Liao, Yi-Sheng; Hsieh, Ching-Liang

    2015-01-01

    Background The effects of transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation (TENS) and electroacupuncture (EA) on the cerebral cortex are largely unclear. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of TENS and EA on the cerebral cortex by examining their effect on the median nerve-somatosensory evoked potentials (MN-SEPs). Methods Twenty volunteers were studied. The cortical and cervical spinal potentials were recorded by median nerve stimulation at the left wrist. Sham TENS, 2 Hz TENS and 2 Hz EA were applied to both ST36 and ST37. MN-SEPs were recorded during sham TENS, 2 Hz TENS and 2 Hz EA, with at least 1 week interval for each subject. One-way analysis of variance was used to determine the differences in latency and amplitude of the MN-SEPs observed in the stimulation and post-stimulation periods compared with baseline. Scheffe's post hoc correction was employed to identify pairwise differences. Results No differences in mean latency were found between the stimulation procedures during the stimulation and post-stimulation periods. 2 Hz EA but not sham TENS or 2 Hz TENS caused higher mean amplitudes in N20 and N30 during the stimulation and post-stimulation periods. Conclusions EA, but not TENS, induces changes in certain components of the signal. PMID:25432425

  6. Perturbation and Nonlinear Dynamic Analysis of Acoustic Phonatory Signal in Parkinsonian Patients Receiving Deep Brain Stimulation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lee, Victoria S.; Zhou, Xiao Ping; Rahn, Douglas A., III; Wang, Emily Q.; Jiang, Jack J.

    2008-01-01

    Nineteen PD patients who received deep brain stimulation (DBS), 10 non-surgical (control) PD patients, and 11 non-pathologic age- and gender-matched subjects performed sustained vowel phonations. The following acoustic measures were obtained on the sustained vowel phonations: correlation dimension (D[subscript 2]), percent jitter, percent shimmer,…

  7. Different effects of transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation and electroacupuncture at ST36-ST37 on the cerebral cortex.

    PubMed

    Kang, Yu-Tien; Liao, Yi-Sheng; Hsieh, Ching-Liang

    2015-02-01

    The effects of transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation (TENS) and electroacupuncture (EA) on the cerebral cortex are largely unclear. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of TENS and EA on the cerebral cortex by examining their effect on the median nerve-somatosensory evoked potentials (MN-SEPs). Twenty volunteers were studied. The cortical and cervical spinal potentials were recorded by median nerve stimulation at the left wrist. Sham TENS, 2 Hz TENS and 2 Hz EA were applied to both ST36 and ST37. MN-SEPs were recorded during sham TENS, 2 Hz TENS and 2 Hz EA, with at least 1 week interval for each subject. One-way analysis of variance was used to determine the differences in latency and amplitude of the MN-SEPs observed in the stimulation and post-stimulation periods compared with baseline. Scheffe's post hoc correction was employed to identify pairwise differences. No differences in mean latency were found between the stimulation procedures during the stimulation and post-stimulation periods. 2 Hz EA but not sham TENS or 2 Hz TENS caused higher mean amplitudes in N20 and N30 during the stimulation and post-stimulation periods. EA, but not TENS, induces changes in certain components of the signal. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

  8. Deep Brain Stimulation of the Subthalamic Nucleus Parameter Optimization for Vowel Acoustics and Speech Intelligibility in Parkinson's Disease

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Knowles, Thea; Adams, Scott; Abeyesekera, Anita; Mancinelli, Cynthia; Gilmore, Greydon; Jog, Mandar

    2018-01-01

    Purpose: The settings of 3 electrical stimulation parameters were adjusted in 12 speakers with Parkinson's disease (PD) with deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus (STN-DBS) to examine their effects on vowel acoustics and speech intelligibility. Method: Participants were tested under permutations of low, mid, and high STN-DBS frequency,…

  9. Effect of electroacupuncture stimulation on long-term recovery following Achilles tendon rupture in a rat model.

    PubMed

    Imaeda, Miwa; Hojo, Tatsuya; Kitakoji, Hiroshi; Tanaka, Kazuto; Itoi, Megumi; Inoue, Motohiro

    2018-04-19

    In this study we examined the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) stimulation on the mechanical strength of the rat Achilles tendon after long-term recovery. Using 20 rats, an Achilles tendon rupture model was created in an invasive manner. The rats were assigned to one of three groups, that received EA treatment (EA group), minimal acupuncture (MA group) or remained untreated (Control group). In the EA group, EA stimulation (5 ms, 50 Hz, 20 µA, 20 min) was applied to the rupture region over a period of 90 days (five times/week). In the MA group, needles were inserted into the same positions as in the EA group but no electrical current was applied. After 90 days the tendon was measured to calculate the cross-sectional area of the rupture region. Then, the mechanical strength of the tendon was measured by tensile testing. No significant differences were observed between the three groups in cross-sectional area of the injured tendon. For maximum breaking strength, the EA group showed a significantly higher threshold compared with the Control group (P<0.05) but not the MA group (P=0.24). No significant difference was seen between the MA group and the Control group (P=0.96). Given the EA group showed a significant increase in maximum breaking strength, it is likely that EA stimulation increases the mechanical strength of a repaired tendon after long-term recovery, and EA stimulation could be useful for preventing re-rupture. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

  10. 47 CFR 11.18 - EAS Designations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... Designations. (a) National Primary (NP) is a source of EAS Presidential messages. (b) Local Primary (LP) is a... as specified in its EAS Local Area Plan. If it is unable to carry out this function, other LP sources... broadcast stations in the Local Area. (c) State Primary (SP) is a source of EAS State messages. These...

  11. 47 CFR 11.18 - EAS Designations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... Designations. (a) National Primary (NP) is a source of EAS Presidential messages. (b) Local Primary (LP) is a... as specified in its EAS Local Area Plan. If it is unable to carry out this function, other LP sources... broadcast stations in the Local Area. (c) State Primary (SP) is a source of EAS State messages. These...

  12. The Effect of Contralateral Acoustic Stimulation on Spontaneous Otoacoustic Emissions

    PubMed Central

    Dhar, Sumitrajit

    2009-01-01

    Evoked otoacoustic emissions are often used to study the medial olivocochlear (MOC) efferents in humans. There has been concern that the emission-evoking stimulus may itself elicit efferent activity and alter the evoked otoacoustic emission. Spontaneous otoacoustic emissions (SOAEs) are hence advantageous as no external stimulation is necessary to record the response in the test ear. Contralateral acoustic stimulation (CAS) has been shown to suppress SOAE level and elevate SOAE frequency, but the time course of these effects is largely unknown. By utilizing the Choi–Williams distribution, here we report a gradual adaptation during the presence of CAS and an overshoot following CAS offset in both SOAE magnitude and frequency from six normal-hearing female human subjects. Furthermore, we have quantified the time constants of both magnitude and frequency shifts at the onset, presence, and offset of four levels of CAS. Most studies using contralateral elicitors do not stringently control the middle-ear muscle (MEM) reflex, leaving the results difficult to interpret. In addition to clinically available measures of the MEM reflex, we have incorporated a sensitive laboratory technique to monitor the MEM reflex in our subjects, allowing us to interpret the results with greater confidence. PMID:19798532

  13. Comprehensive evaluation of gene expression signatures in response to electroacupuncture stimulation at Zusanli (ST36) acupoint by transcriptomic analysis.

    PubMed

    Wu, Jing-Shan; Lo, Hsin-Yi; Li, Chia-Cheng; Chen, Feng-Yuan; Hsiang, Chien-Yun; Ho, Tin-Yun

    2017-08-15

    Electroacupuncture (EA) has been applied to treat and prevent diseases for years. However, molecular events happened in both the acupunctured site and the internal organs after EA stimulation have not been clarified. Here we applied transcriptomic analysis to explore the gene expression signatures after EA stimulation. Mice were applied EA stimulation at ST36 for 15 min and nine tissues were collected three hours later for microarray analysis. We found that EA affected the expression of genes not only in the acupunctured site but also in the internal organs. EA commonly affected biological networks involved in cytoskeleton and cell adhesion, and also regulated unique process networks in specific organs, such as γ-aminobutyric acid-ergic neurotransmission in brain and inflammation process in lung. In addition, EA affected the expression of genes related to various diseases, such as neurodegenerative diseases in brain and obstructive pulmonary diseases in lung. This report applied, for the first time, a global comprehensive genome-wide approach to analyze the gene expression profiling of acupunctured site and internal organs after EA stimulation. The connection between gene expression signatures, biological processes, and diseases might provide a basis for prediction and explanation on the therapeutic potentials of acupuncture in organs.

  14. Long-term results of hearing preservation cochlear implant surgery in patients with residual low frequency hearing.

    PubMed

    Moteki, Hideaki; Nishio, Shin-Ya; Miyagawa, Maiko; Tsukada, Keita; Iwasaki, Satoshi; Usami, Shin-Ichi

    2017-05-01

    Differences were found between patients with stable hearing and those with progressive hearing loss in the lower frequencies with respect to the rate of progression in the contralateral ear. It is suggested that the electric acoustic stimulation (EAS) can provide improvement in hearing ability over the long-term if residual hearing might be lost to some extent. To evaluate the long-term threshold changes in the low frequency hearing of the implanted ear as compared with the non-implanted ear, and the hearing abilities with EAS along with the extent of residual hearing. Seventeen individuals were enrolled and received the EAS implant with a 24-mm FLEXeas electrode array. Hearing thresholds and speech perception were measured pre- and post-operatively for 1-5 years. Post-operative hearing preservation (HP) rates were calculated using the preservation numerical scale. The average linear regression coefficient for the decline in hearing preservation score was -6.9 for the implanted ear and the patients were subsequently categorized into two groups: those with better than average, stable hearing; and those with worse than average, progressive hearing loss. EAS showed better results than electric stimulation alone, in spite of an absence of speech perception with acoustic stimulation.

  15. 47 CFR 90.761 - EA and Regional licenses.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... Policies Governing the Licensing and Use of Phase II Ea, Regional and Nationwide Systems § 90.761 EA and Regional licenses. (a) EA licenses for spectrum blocks listed in Table 2 of § 90.721(b) are available in... 47 Telecommunication 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false EA and Regional licenses. 90.761 Section 90.761...

  16. 47 CFR 90.761 - EA and Regional licenses.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... Policies Governing the Licensing and Use of Phase II Ea, Regional and Nationwide Systems § 90.761 EA and Regional licenses. (a) EA licenses for spectrum blocks listed in Table 2 of § 90.721(b) are available in... 47 Telecommunication 5 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false EA and Regional licenses. 90.761 Section 90.761...

  17. 32 CFR 651.34 - EA components.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... and comparison of impacts should provide sufficient analysis to reach a conclusion regarding the... ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS OF ARMY ACTIONS (AR 200-2) Environmental Assessment § 651.34 EA components. EAs should be...

  18. 32 CFR 651.34 - EA components.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... and comparison of impacts should provide sufficient analysis to reach a conclusion regarding the... ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS OF ARMY ACTIONS (AR 200-2) Environmental Assessment § 651.34 EA components. EAs should be...

  19. [A comparative study of effects of electroacupuncture with different stimulation parameters on medicine-induced abortion].

    PubMed

    Ma, Liang-xiao; Yang, Fang; Zhu, Jiang; He, Zhi-ping; Chen, Yan; Xu, Hong-yan; Liu, Yu-qi; Chen, Yin-ying

    2008-07-01

    To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) with different stimulation parameters on medicine-induced abortion. One hundred and nine cases of early pregnancy who asked medicine-induced abortion were allocated to an EA group A (n = 37), an EA group B (n = 38) and a medication group (n = 34). Within 30-60 min after oral administration of Misoprostol, in the EA group A, EA was given at bilateral Hegu (LI 4) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6) with cluster waves of 100 Hz and in the EA group B, EA was given at Hegu (LI 4) for 20 min and then at Sanyinjiao (SP 6) for 5 min with continuous waves of 50 Hz. EA was not given to the medication group. The complete abortion rate, duration of eliminating embryonic sac, colporrhagia lasting time and abdominal pain condition were recorded. The complete abortion rate was 91.9% in the EA group A and 86.8% in the EA group B, which were higher than 82.4% in the medication group, with no significant differences between the 3 groups (P>0.05); the duration of eliminating embryonic sac and the colporrhagia lasting time in the two EA groups were significantly shorter than those in the medication group (P<0.05, P<0.01); alleviation of abdominal pain in the EA group B was better than the medication group (P<0.01) and the EA group A (P<0.05). Different stimulation parameters of EA have different effects on abortion.

  20. Caloric stimulation

    MedlinePlus

    ... differences in temperature to diagnose damage to the acoustic nerve. This is the nerve that is involved ... This test stimulates your acoustic nerve by delivering cold or warm water or air into your ear canal. When cold water or air enters your ...

  1. Phase-sensitive detection of acoustically stimulated electromagnetic response in steel

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yamada, Hisato; Yotsuji, Junichi; Ikushima, Kenji

    2018-07-01

    The signal amplitude and the phase of acoustically stimulated electromagnetic (ASEM) response have been investigated in steel. In the ASEM method, magnetization is temporally modulated with the radio frequency (rf) of irradiated ultrasonic waves through magnetomechanical coupling. The first-harmonic components of the induced rf dipolar magnetic fields are detected using a resonant loop antenna. The signal amplitude of ASEM waves is determined by the magnitude of local piezomagnetic coefficients on an acoustically excited spot. Here, we divided the ASEM waves into the “in-phase” and “quadrature” components by phase-sensitive detection (PSD). On the basis of the linear response theory, we provided the theoretical formalism of ASEM response by introducing local complex piezomagnetic coefficients, d loc = d‧ + id‧‧. We investigated the magnetic field (H) dependence of the individual components on the different surface conditions of steel plates. The in-phase component [∝ d‧(H)] shows a hysteresis loop on the machined surface of a steel plate, in which d‧(H) switches sign at two finite field values, ±H 0. The inversion of magnetization associated with the applied static fields is thus definitely observed in the PSD measurements. In addition, we measured the hysteresis behaviors on a steel surface with a thin mill scale (iron oxide layers). The hysteresis loop broadens and a significant contribution of the quadrature component [∝ d‧‧(H)] is found. We discuss the origin of the hysteresis behaviors of d‧ and d‧‧ using the Debye relaxation model.

  2. 47 CFR 11.56 - EAS Participants receive CAP-formatted alerts.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false EAS Participants receive CAP-formatted alerts... SYSTEM (EAS) Emergency Operations § 11.56 EAS Participants receive CAP-formatted alerts. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, all EAS Participants must be able to receive CAP-formatted EAS alerts no...

  3. Cerebellar interaction with the acoustic reflex.

    PubMed

    Jastreboff, P J

    1981-01-01

    The involvement of the cerebellar vermis in the acoustic reflex was analyzed in 12 cats, decerebrated or in pentobarbital anesthesia. Anatomical data suggested the existence of a connection of lobules VIII with the ventral cochlear nucleus. Single cell recording and evoked potential techniques demonstrated the existence of the acoustic projection to lobulus VIII. Electrical stimulation of this area changed the tension of the middle ear muscle and caused evoked potential responses in the caudal part of the ventral cochlear nucleus. Electrical stimulation of the motor nucleus of the facial nerve evoked a slow wave in the recording taken from the surrounding of the cochlear round window. A hypothesis is proposed which postulates the involvement of the acoustic reflex in space localization of acoustic stimuli and the action of cerebellar vermis in order to assure the stability and plasticity of the acoustic reflex arc.

  4. 7 CFR 1794.23 - Proposals normally requiring an EA.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 12 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Proposals normally requiring an EA. 1794.23 Section... § 1794.23 Proposals normally requiring an EA. RUS will normally prepare an EA for all proposed actions... require an EA and shall be subject to the requirements of §§ 1794.40 through 1794.44. (a) General...

  5. 7 CFR 1794.23 - Proposals normally requiring an EA.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 12 2014-01-01 2013-01-01 true Proposals normally requiring an EA. 1794.23 Section... § 1794.23 Proposals normally requiring an EA. RUS will normally prepare an EA for all proposed actions... require an EA and shall be subject to the requirements of §§ 1794.40 through 1794.44. (a) General...

  6. 7 CFR 1794.23 - Proposals normally requiring an EA.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 12 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Proposals normally requiring an EA. 1794.23 Section... § 1794.23 Proposals normally requiring an EA. RUS will normally prepare an EA for all proposed actions... require an EA and shall be subject to the requirements of §§ 1794.40 through 1794.44. (a) General...

  7. Automatic detection of unattended changes in room acoustics.

    PubMed

    Frey, Johannes Daniel; Wendt, Mike; Jacobsen, Thomas

    2015-01-01

    Previous research has shown that the human auditory system continuously monitors its acoustic environment, detecting a variety of irregularities (e.g., deviance from prior stimulation regularity in pitch, loudness, duration, and (perceived) sound source location). Detection of irregularities can be inferred from a component of the event-related brain potential (ERP), referred to as the mismatch negativity (MMN), even in conditions in which participants are instructed to ignore the auditory stimulation. The current study extends previous findings by demonstrating that auditory irregularities brought about by a change in room acoustics elicit a MMN in a passive oddball protocol (acoustic stimuli with differing room acoustics, that were otherwise identical, were employed as standard and deviant stimuli), in which participants watched a fiction movie (silent with subtitles). While the majority of participants reported no awareness for any changes in the auditory stimulation, only one out of 14 participants reported to have become aware of changing room acoustics or sound source location. Together, these findings suggest automatic monitoring of room acoustics. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. 36 CFR 1010.11 - Preparation of an EA.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Preparation of an EA. 1010.11 Section 1010.11 Parks, Forests, and Public Property PRESIDIO TRUST ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY § 1010.11... prepare or require an EA at any time to assist planning and decision-making. (b) Content and format. An EA...

  9. 36 CFR 1010.11 - Preparation of an EA.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Preparation of an EA. 1010.11 Section 1010.11 Parks, Forests, and Public Property PRESIDIO TRUST ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY § 1010.11... prepare or require an EA at any time to assist planning and decision-making. (b) Content and format. An EA...

  10. 36 CFR 1010.11 - Preparation of an EA.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Preparation of an EA. 1010.11 Section 1010.11 Parks, Forests, and Public Property PRESIDIO TRUST ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY § 1010.11... prepare or require an EA at any time to assist planning and decision-making. (b) Content and format. An EA...

  11. 36 CFR 1010.11 - Preparation of an EA.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Preparation of an EA. 1010.11 Section 1010.11 Parks, Forests, and Public Property PRESIDIO TRUST ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY § 1010.11... prepare or require an EA at any time to assist planning and decision-making. (b) Content and format. An EA...

  12. 47 CFR 11.31 - EAS protocol.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... End Of Message (EOM) Codes. (1) The Preamble and EAS Codes must use Audio Frequency Shift Keying at a rate of 520.83 bits per second to transmit the codes. Mark frequency is 2083.3 Hz and space frequency... Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION GENERAL EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM (EAS) Equipment Requirements § 11...

  13. 47 CFR 11.31 - EAS protocol.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... End Of Message (EOM) Codes. (1) The Preamble and EAS Codes must use Audio Frequency Shift Keying at a rate of 520.83 bits per second to transmit the codes. Mark frequency is 2083.3 Hz and space frequency... Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION GENERAL EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM (EAS) Equipment Requirements § 11...

  14. 47 CFR 11.31 - EAS protocol.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... End Of Message (EOM) Codes. (1) The Preamble and EAS Codes must use Audio Frequency Shift Keying at a rate of 520.83 bits per second to transmit the codes. Mark frequency is 2083.3 Hz and space frequency... Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION GENERAL EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM (EAS) Equipment Requirements § 11...

  15. 47 CFR 11.31 - EAS protocol.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... End Of Message (EOM) Codes. (1) The Preamble and EAS Codes must use Audio Frequency Shift Keying at a rate of 520.83 bits per second to transmit the codes. Mark frequency is 2083.3 Hz and space frequency... Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION GENERAL EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM (EAS) Equipment Requirements § 11...

  16. 47 CFR 11.31 - EAS protocol.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... End Of Message (EOM) Codes. (1) The Preamble and EAS Codes must use Audio Frequency Shift Keying at a rate of 520.83 bits per second to transmit the codes. Mark frequency is 2083.3 Hz and space frequency... Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION GENERAL EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM (EAS) Equipment Requirements § 11...

  17. Factors associated with Hearing Loss in a Normal-Hearing Guinea Pig Model of Hybrid Cochlear Implants

    PubMed Central

    Tanaka, Chiemi; Nguyen-Huynh, Anh; Loera, Katherine; Stark, Gemaine; Reiss, Lina

    2014-01-01

    The Hybrid cochlear implant (CI), also known as Electro- Acoustic Stimulation (EAS), is a new type of CI that preserves residual acoustic hearing and enables combined cochlear implant and hearing aid use in the same ear. However, 30-55% of patients experience acoustic hearing loss within days to months after activation, suggesting that both surgical trauma and electrical stimulation may cause hearing loss. The goals of this study were to: 1) determine the contributions of both implantation surgery and EAS to hearing loss in a normal-hearing guinea pig model; 2) determine which cochlear structural changes are associated with hearing loss after surgery and EAS. Two groups of animals were implanted (n=6 per group), with one group receiving chronic acoustic and electric stimulation for 10 weeks, and the other group receiving no direct acoustic or electric stimulation during this time frame. A third group (n=6) was not implanted, but received chronic acoustic stimulation. Auditory brainstem response thresholds were followed over time at 1, 2, 6, and 16 kHz. At the end of the study, the following cochlear measures were quantified: hair cells, spiral ganglion neuron density, fibrous tissue density, and stria vascularis blood vessel density; the presence or absence of ossification around the electrode entry was also noted. After surgery, implanted animals experienced a range of 0-55 dB of threshold shifts in the vicinity of the electrode at 6 and 16 kHz. The degree of hearing loss was significantly correlated with reduced stria vascularis vessel density and with the presence of ossification, but not with hair cell counts, spiral ganglion neuron density, or fibrosis area. After 10 weeks of stimulation, 67% of implanted, stimulated animals had more than 10 dB of additional threshold shift at 1 kHz, compared to 17% of implanted, non-stimulated animals and 0% of non-implanted animals. This 1-kHz hearing loss was not associated with changes in any of the cochlear measures

  18. 47 CFR 11.61 - Tests of EAS procedures.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... receipt, as specified in § 11.35(a) and 11.54(a)(3). (iii) The EAS weekly test is not required during the... message when transmitting the required weekly test. (3) National tests. (i) All EAS Participants shall... Management Agency (FEMA). Such tests will consist of the delivery by FEMA to PEP/NP stations of a coded EAS...

  19. 47 CFR 11.61 - Tests of EAS procedures.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... receipt, as specified in § 11.35(a) and 11.54(a)(3). (iii) The EAS weekly test is not required during the... message when transmitting the required weekly test. (3) National tests. (i) All EAS Participants shall... Management Agency (FEMA). Such tests will consist of the delivery by FEMA to PEP/NP stations of a coded EAS...

  20. 47 CFR 11.61 - Tests of EAS procedures.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... receipt, as specified in § 11.35(a) and 11.54(a)(3). (iii) The EAS weekly test is not required during the... message when transmitting the required weekly test. (3) National tests. (i) All EAS Participants shall... Management Agency (FEMA). Such tests will consist of the delivery by FEMA to PEP/NP stations of a coded EAS...

  1. Acoustic stimulation promotes DNA fragmentation in the Guinea pig cochlea.

    PubMed

    Kamio, Tomonobu; Watanabe, Ken-Ichi; Okubo, Kimihiro

    2012-01-01

    Apoptosis can be described as programmed cell death. Apoptosis regulates cell turnover and is involved in various pathological conditions. The characteristic features of apoptosis are shrinkage of the cell body, chromatin condensation, and nucleic acid fragmentation. During apoptosis, double-stranded DNA is broken down into single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) by proteases. Acoustic trauma is commonly encountered in otorhinolaryngology clinics. Intense noise can cause inner ear damage, such as hearing disturbance, tinnitus, ear fullness, and decreased speech discrimination. In this study, we used immunohistochemical and electrophysiological methods to examine the fragmentation of DNA in the cochleas of guinea pigs that had been exposed to intense noise. Twenty-four guinea pigs weighing 250 to 350 g were used. The animals were divided into 4 groups: (I) a control group (n=6), (II) a group that was exposed to noise for 2 hours (n=6), (III) a group that was exposed to noise for 5 hours (n=6), and (IV) a group that was exposed to noise for 20 hours. The stimulus was a pure tone delivered at a frequency of 2 kHz. The sound pressure level was 120 dBSPL. No threshold shifts were apparent in group I. Group II showed a significant elevation of the hearing threshold (ANOVA, p<0.05(*)). The ABR threshold level was also significantly elevated immediately after the acoustic stimulation in groups III and IV (ANOVA, p<0.01(**)). In groups I, II, and IV, the lateral wall of the ear did not show immunoreactivity to ssDNA but did in group III. No immunoreactivity was apparent in the organ of Corti in group I or II. However, the supporting cells and outer hair cells in groups III and IV showed reactions for ssDNA. The fine structure of the organ of Corti had been destroyed in group IV. The lateral wall showed immunoreactivity for ssDNA only in group III, whereas the organ of Corti showed reactions for ssDNA in groups III and IV. Our study suggests that apoptotic changes occur in patients that

  2. Acoustic (loudspeaker) facial EMG monitoring: II. Use of evoked EMG activity during acoustic neuroma resection.

    PubMed

    Prass, R L; Kinney, S E; Hardy, R W; Hahn, J F; Lüders, H

    1987-12-01

    Facial electromyographic (EMG) activity was continuously monitored via loudspeaker during eleven translabyrinthine and nine suboccipital consecutive unselected acoustic neuroma resections. Ipsilateral facial EMG activity was synchronously recorded on the audio channels of operative videotapes, which were retrospectively reviewed in order to allow detailed evaluation of the potential benefit of various acoustic EMG patterns in the performance of specific aspects of acoustic neuroma resection. The use of evoked facial EMG activity was classified and described. Direct local mechanical (surgical) stimulation and direct electrical stimulation were of benefit in the localization and/or delineation of the facial nerve contour. Burst and train acoustic patterns of EMG activity appeared to indicate surgical trauma to the facial nerve that would not have been appreciated otherwise. Early results of postoperative facial function of monitored patients are presented, and the possible value of burst and train acoustic EMG activity patterns in the intraoperative assessment of facial nerve function is discussed. Acoustic facial EMG monitoring appears to provide a potentially powerful surgical tool for delineation of the facial nerve contour, the ongoing use of which may lead to continued improvement in facial nerve function preservation through modification of dissection strategy.

  3. 47 CFR 11.51 - EAS code and Attention Signal Transmission requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false EAS code and Attention Signal Transmission... SYSTEM (EAS) Emergency Operations § 11.51 EAS code and Attention Signal Transmission requirements. (a... programming before EAS message transmission should not cause television receivers to mute EAS audio messages...

  4. Reconceptualizing public participation in environmental assessment as EA civics

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Sinclair, A. John, E-mail: jsincla@umanitoba.ca; Diduck, Alan P., E-mail: a.diduck@uwinnipeg.ca

    Notwithstanding the considerable attention placed on creating meaningful opportunities for public participation in environmental assessment (EA), many participants and those who have reviewed participation processes often find practice sorely wanting. This reality stands in stark juxtaposition to future environmental governance needs, which will require increased openness, deliberation and transdisciplinary knowledge in order to deal with environmental change that is ever more uncertain, complex and conflictual. In this paper, our purpose was to consider how to meet those needs through reconceptualizing public participation as EA civics, founded on an active citizen base, deliberative in nature and orientated toward learning. We domore » this through developing a new conceptual model of next generation participation processes that is relevant at multiple spatial scales and institutional levels, is applicable to the entire assessment cycle and spans temporal scales through feedback loops. Our EA civics model builds on the “civics approach” to environmental governance and “action civics” by extending their core ideas to participation in EA. We did this by conducting an integrative literature review (including numerous papers we have contributed over the years) and reflecting on our own experiences as EA participants. We apply current thinking on public participation design to our EA civics conceptualization and highlight important design features that have received scant attention. We conclude that EA civics holds promise for fairer and more robust participation processes if all aspects of the model are considered and the actions related to each are implemented. - Highlights: • Consideration of the ‘civics approach’ and ‘action civics’ in an EA context • Conceptualization of public participation as EA civics • Reflection on the EA civics as a model of participation suitable for next generation assessment.« less

  5. Electron-acoustic rogue waves in a plasma with Tribeche–Tsallis–Cairns distributed electrons

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Merriche, Abderrzak; Tribeche, Mouloud, E-mail: mouloudtribeche@yahoo.fr; Algerian Academy of Sciences and Technologies, Algiers

    2017-01-15

    The problem of electron-acoustic (EA) rogue waves in a plasma consisting of fluid cold electrons, nonthermal nonextensive electrons and stationary ions, is addressed. A standard multiple scale method has been carried out to derive a nonlinear Schrödinger-like equation. The coefficients of dispersion and nonlinearity depend on the nonextensive and nonthermal parameters. The EA wave stability is analyzed. Interestingly, it is found that the wave number threshold, above which the EA wave modulational instability (MI) sets in, increases as the nonextensive parameter increases. As the nonthermal character of the electrons increases, the MI occurs at large wavelength. Moreover, it is shownmore » that as the nonextensive parameter increases, the EA rogue wave pulse grows while its width is narrowed. The amplitude of the EA rogue wave decreases with an increase of the number of energetic electrons. In the absence of nonthermal electrons, the nonextensive effects are more perceptible and more noticeable. In view of the crucial importance of rogue waves, our results can contribute to the understanding of localized electrostatic envelope excitations and underlying physical processes, that may occur in space as well as in laboratory plasmas.« less

  6. 33 CFR 230.10 - Environmental Assessments (EA).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Environmental Assessments (EA). 230.10 Section 230.10 Navigation and Navigable Waters CORPS OF ENGINEERS, DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE PROCEDURES FOR IMPLEMENTING NEPA § 230.10 Environmental Assessments (EA). (a) Purpose...

  7. 33 CFR 230.10 - Environmental Assessments (EA).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Environmental Assessments (EA). 230.10 Section 230.10 Navigation and Navigable Waters CORPS OF ENGINEERS, DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE PROCEDURES FOR IMPLEMENTING NEPA § 230.10 Environmental Assessments (EA). (a) Purpose...

  8. 33 CFR 230.10 - Environmental Assessments (EA).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Environmental Assessments (EA). 230.10 Section 230.10 Navigation and Navigable Waters CORPS OF ENGINEERS, DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE PROCEDURES FOR IMPLEMENTING NEPA § 230.10 Environmental Assessments (EA). (a) Purpose...

  9. 33 CFR 230.10 - Environmental Assessments (EA).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Environmental Assessments (EA). 230.10 Section 230.10 Navigation and Navigable Waters CORPS OF ENGINEERS, DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE PROCEDURES FOR IMPLEMENTING NEPA § 230.10 Environmental Assessments (EA). (a) Purpose...

  10. 33 CFR 230.10 - Environmental Assessments (EA).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Environmental Assessments (EA). 230.10 Section 230.10 Navigation and Navigable Waters CORPS OF ENGINEERS, DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE PROCEDURES FOR IMPLEMENTING NEPA § 230.10 Environmental Assessments (EA). (a) Purpose...

  11. Effect of long-term electroacupuncture stimulation on recovery of sensorimotor function after peripheral nerve anastomosis.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Mingxing; Zhang, Ye; Bian, Yuhong; Fu, Hui; Xu, Ying; Guo, Yi

    2018-06-01

    Recently, application of electroacupuncture (EA) to stimulate nerve regeneration has become a mainstream treatment in clinical rehabilitation and related basic research, but the efficacy of long-term stimulation has not been confirmed. To evaluate the influence of long term EA on peripheral nerve injury (PNI) from multiple angles. Twenty-four rats were divided into three groups: control, PNI and PNI+EA. In the latter two groups, PNI was modelled by transection followed by re-anastomosis of thesciatic nerve. In the PNI+EA group only,EA was delivered using a discontinuous wave with frequency 5 Hz, pulse width 2 ms, and intensity approximately 2 mA, until the affected limb was observed to twitch slightly. The treatment was given for 15 min each time, six times a week (continuously for 6 days followed by a 1-day break) for a total of 8 weeks. The effects of EA on anastomotic sciatic nerve regeneration were evaluated using the sciatic function index (SFI), mechanical withdrawal thresholds, thermo-nociceptive thresholds, conduction velocity of the sciatic nerve and bilateral gastrocnemius wet weight. From weeks 2 to 4 after modelling, the SFI recovery rate in the PNI+EA group was faster than that in the PNI group. In week 4, the SFI of the PNI+EA group was significantly higher than that of the PNI group (p<0.05). However, a significant effect of EA was no longer evident from weeks 5 to 8. There was no effect of acupuncture on anti-amyotrophy and conduction velocity of the sciatic nerve at 8 weeks after modelling. EA did not shorten the paw withdrawal threshold time, but appeared to alleviate thermo-nociceptive sensitivity. Long term repeated stimulation of the same site with EA does not appear to be conducive to the functional recovery of an injured sciatic nerve in rats. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly

  12. 47 CFR 11.11 - The Emergency Alert System (EAS).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... through the use of a single set of EAS equipment at the hub station (or common studio or control point... as low earth orbiting satellites, that wish to participate in the EAS may contact the FCC's Public... 47 Telecommunication 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false The Emergency Alert System (EAS). 11.11 Section...

  13. 47 CFR 11.11 - The Emergency Alert System (EAS).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... through the use of a single set of EAS equipment at the hub station (or common studio or control point... as low earth orbiting satellites, that wish to participate in the EAS may contact the FCC's Public... 47 Telecommunication 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false The Emergency Alert System (EAS). 11.11 Section...

  14. On the determination of the depth of EAS development maximum using the lateral distribution of Cerenkov light at distances 150 m from EAS axis

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Aliev, N.; Alimov, T.; Kakhkharov, M.; Makhmudov, B. M.; Rakhimova, N.; Tashpulatov, R.; Kalmykov, N. N.; Khristiansen, G. B.; Prosin, V. V.

    1985-01-01

    The Samarkand extensive air showers (EAS) array was used to measure the mean and individual lateral distribution functions (LDF) of EAS Cerenkov light. The analysis of the individual parameters b showed that the mean depth of EAS maximum and the variance of the depth distribution of maxima of EAS with energies of approx. 2x10 to the 15th power eV can properly be described in terms of Kaidalov-Martirosyan quark-gluon string model (QGSM).

  15. Visuo-acoustic stimulation that helps you to relax: A virtual reality setup for patients in the intensive care unit.

    PubMed

    Gerber, Stephan M; Jeitziner, Marie-Madlen; Wyss, Patric; Chesham, Alvin; Urwyler, Prabitha; Müri, René M; Jakob, Stephan M; Nef, Tobias

    2017-10-16

    After prolonged stay in an intensive care unit (ICU) patients often complain about cognitive impairments that affect health-related quality of life after discharge. The aim of this proof-of-concept study was to test the feasibility and effects of controlled visual and acoustic stimulation in a virtual reality (VR) setup in the ICU. The VR setup consisted of a head-mounted display in combination with an eye tracker and sensors to assess vital signs. The stimulation consisted of videos featuring natural scenes and was tested in 37 healthy participants in the ICU. The VR stimulation led to a reduction of heart rate (p = 0. 049) and blood pressure (p = 0.044). Fixation/saccade ratio (p < 0.001) was increased when a visual target was presented superimposed on the videos (reduced search activity), reflecting enhanced visual processing. Overall, the VR stimulation had a relaxing effect as shown in vital markers of physical stress and participants explored less when attending the target. Our study indicates that VR stimulation in ICU settings is feasible and beneficial for critically ill patients.

  16. 47 CFR 11.61 - Tests of EAS procedures.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... message when transmitting the required weekly test. (3) National tests. (i) All EAS Participants shall... Management Agency (FEMA). Such tests will consist of the delivery by FEMA to PEP/NP stations of a coded EAS...

  17. 47 CFR 11.51 - EAS code and Attention Signal Transmission requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... Message (EOM) codes using the EAS Protocol. The Attention Signal must precede any emergency audio message... audio messages. No Attention Signal is required for EAS messages that do not contain audio programming... EAS messages in the main audio channel. All DAB stations shall also transmit EAS messages on all audio...

  18. 47 CFR 11.51 - EAS code and Attention Signal Transmission requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... Message (EOM) codes using the EAS Protocol. The Attention Signal must precede any emergency audio message... audio messages. No Attention Signal is required for EAS messages that do not contain audio programming... EAS messages in the main audio channel. All DAB stations shall also transmit EAS messages on all audio...

  19. 47 CFR 11.51 - EAS code and Attention Signal Transmission requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... Message (EOM) codes using the EAS Protocol. The Attention Signal must precede any emergency audio message... audio messages. No Attention Signal is required for EAS messages that do not contain audio programming... EAS messages in the main audio channel. All DAB stations shall also transmit EAS messages on all audio...

  20. 47 CFR 11.52 - EAS code and Attention Signal Monitoring requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false EAS code and Attention Signal Monitoring... SYSTEM (EAS) Emergency Operations § 11.52 EAS code and Attention Signal Monitoring requirements. (a) EAS Participants must be capable of receiving the Attention Signal required by § 11.32(a)(9) and emergency messages...

  1. Wideband Acoustic Immittance: Normative Study and Test-Retest Reliability of Tympanometric Measurements in Adults

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sun, Xiao-Ming

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this study was to present normative data of tympanometric measurements of wideband acoustic immittance and to characterize wideband tympanograms. Method: Data were collected in 84 young adults with strictly defined normal hearing and middle ear status. Energy absorbance (EA) was measured using clicks for 1/12-octave…

  2. [Effect of Different Stimulating Strength of Electroacupuncture on Gastrointestinal Motility and RhoA/ROCK Signaling in Gastric Antral Smooth Muscle in Diabetic Gastroparesis Rats].

    PubMed

    Wu, Xue-Fen; Chen, Xiao-Li; Zheng, Xue-Na; Guo, Xin; Xie, Zhi-Qiang; Liu, Li; Wei, Xin-Ran; Yue, Zeng-Hui

    2018-03-25

    To observe the effect of different strength of electroacupuncture (EA) stimulation on gastrointestinal motility and Ras homolog gene family member (RhoA)/Rho associated coiled-coil forming protein kinase (ROCK) signaling in diabetic gastroparesis (DGP) rats, so as to reveal the underlying mechanisms of EA for improving DGP. Sixty SD rats were randomly and equally divided into blank control, DGP model, weak EA, medium EA, and strong EA groups ( n =12 rats in each). The DGP model was established by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ, 55 mmol/kg, 2%) and high-sugar and high-fat fodder feeding for 8 weeks. EA (0.12, 0.24, 0.36 mA, 20 Hz/100 Hz) was applied to "Zusanli" (ST 36), "Sanyinjiao" (SP 6) and "Liangmen" (ST 21) for 20 min, once daily for 15 successive days. Blood glucose levels were measured weekly with blood glucose meter and blood glucose test paper. Fecal phenol red excretion method was used to display gastric emptying and small intestinal propulsion function. The expression of RhoA protein in the gastric antral smooth muscle tissue was detected by immunohistochemistry and Western blot (WB), separately, and that of ROCK, myosin phosphatase target subunit 1 (MYPT 1) and phosphorylated (p)-MYPT 1 proteins in gastric antrum detected by WB. Compared with the blank control group, the gastric emptying rate and small intestine propulsion rate of the model group were significantly decreased ( P <0.05), and the blood glucose level was remarkably increased ( P <0.05). Moreover, the expression levels of RhoA, ROCK, MYPT 1 and p-MYPT 1 proteins in the gastric antrum were significantly down-regulated relevant to the control group ( P <0.05). After administration of EA, the decreased gastric emptying rate and intestinal propulsion rate, and the down-regulated expression of RhoA, ROCK, MYPT 1 and p-MYPT 1 proteins were significantly increased in the strong, medium and weak EA stimulation groups ( P <0.05). Comparison among the 3 EA groups showed that the

  3. 77 FR 1676 - EasTrans, LLC; Notice Granting Extension of Time

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-01-11

    ... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. PR10-30-002] EasTrans, LLC; Notice Granting Extension of Time On December 16, 2011, EasTrans, LLC (EasTrans) filed a request to... 20, 2010). Upon consideration, notice is hereby given that an extension of time for EasTrans to file...

  4. 47 CFR 90.761 - EA and Regional licenses.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... Regional licenses. (a) EA licenses for spectrum blocks listed in Table 2 of § 90.721(b) are available in 175 Economic Areas (EAs) as defined in § 90.7. (b) Regional licenses for spectrum blocks listed in...

  5. 47 CFR 90.761 - EA and Regional licenses.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... Regional licenses. (a) EA licenses for spectrum blocks listed in Table 2 of § 90.721(b) are available in 175 Economic Areas (EAs) as defined in § 90.7. (b) Regional licenses for spectrum blocks listed in...

  6. 47 CFR 90.761 - EA and Regional licenses.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... Regional licenses. (a) EA licenses for spectrum blocks listed in Table 2 of § 90.721(b) are available in 175 Economic Areas (EAs) as defined in § 90.7. (b) Regional licenses for spectrum blocks listed in...

  7. 47 CFR 11.19 - EAS Non-participating National Authorization Letter.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false EAS Non-participating National Authorization Letter. 11.19 Section 11.19 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION GENERAL EMERGENCY ALERT... level EAS. It states that the EAS Participant has agreed to go off the air or discontinue programming on...

  8. 47 CFR 11.19 - EAS Non-participating National Authorization Letter.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false EAS Non-participating National Authorization Letter. 11.19 Section 11.19 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION GENERAL EMERGENCY ALERT... level EAS. It states that the EAS Participant has agreed to go off the air or discontinue programming on...

  9. Acute effects and after-effects of acoustic coordinated reset neuromodulation in patients with chronic subjective tinnitus.

    PubMed

    Adamchic, Ilya; Toth, Timea; Hauptmann, Christian; Walger, Martin; Langguth, Berthold; Klingmann, Ingrid; Tass, Peter Alexander

    2017-01-01

    Chronic subjective tinnitus is an auditory phantom phenomenon characterized by abnormal neuronal synchrony in the central auditory system. As shown computationally, acoustic coordinated reset (CR) neuromodulation causes a long-lasting desynchronization of pathological synchrony by downregulating abnormal synaptic connectivity. In a previous proof of concept study acoustic CR neuromodulation, employing stimulation tone patterns tailored to the dominant tinnitus frequency, was compared to noisy CR-like stimulation, a CR version significantly detuned by sparing the tinnitus-related pitch range and including substantial random variability of the tone spacing on the frequency axis. Both stimulation protocols caused an acute relief as measured with visual analogue scale scores for tinnitus loudness (VAS-L) and annoyance (VAS-A) in the stimulation-ON condition (i.e. 15 min after stimulation onset), but only acoustic CR neuromodulation had sustained long-lasting therapeutic effects after 12 weeks of treatment as assessed with VAS-L, VAS-A scores and a tinnitus questionnaire (TQ) in the stimulation-OFF condition (i.e. with patients being off stimulation for at least 2.5 h). To understand the source of the long-lasting therapeutic effects, we here study whether acoustic CR neuromodulation has different electrophysiological effects on oscillatory brain activity as compared to noisy CR-like stimulation under stimulation-ON conditions and immediately after cessation of stimulation. To this end, we used a single-blind, single application, cross over design in 18 patients with chronic tonal subjective tinnitus and administered three different 16-minute stimulation protocols: acoustic CR neuromodulation, noisy CR-like stimulation and low frequency range (LFR) stimulation, a CR type stimulation with deliberately detuned pitch and repetition rate of stimulation tones, as control stimulation. We measured VAS-L and VAS-A scores together with spontaneous EEG activity pre-, during

  10. Theoretical study of EAS hadronic structure

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Popova, L.

    1985-01-01

    The structure of extensive air showers (EAS) is determined mainly by the energetic hadrons. They are strongly collimated in the core of the shower and essential difficulties are encountered for resolution of individual hadrons. The properties for resolution are different from the variety of hadron detectors used in EAS experiments. This is the main difficulty in obtaining a general agreement between actually registered data with different detectors. The most plausible source for disagreement is the uncertainty in determination of the energy of individual hadrons. This research demonstrates that a better agreement can be obtained with the average tendency of hadronic measurements if one assumes a larger coefficient of inelasticity and stronger energy increase of the total inelastic cross section in high energy pion interactions. EAS data above 10 to the 5th power GeV are revealing a faster development of hadronic cascades in the air then can be expected by extrapolating the parameters of hadron interactions obtained in accelerator measurements.

  11. 47 CFR 90.763 - EA, Regional and nationwide system operations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... Frequencies in the 220-222 MHz Band Policies Governing the Licensing and Use of Phase II Ea, Regional and Nationwide Systems § 90.763 EA, Regional and nationwide system operations. (a) A nationwide licensee... 47 Telecommunication 5 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false EA, Regional and nationwide system operations...

  12. 47 CFR 11.51 - EAS code and Attention Signal Transmission requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... transmitting requirements contained in this section for the combined stations or systems with one EAS Encoder... the encoder. (2) Manual interrupt of programming and transmission of EAS messages may be used. EAS...

  13. 28 CFR 91.64 - Supplemental EA or EIS.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Supplemental EA or EIS. 91.64 Section 91.64 Judicial Administration DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE (CONTINUED) GRANTS FOR CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES... Supplemental EA or EIS. (a) OJP's duty to supplement. OJP shall prepare supplements to either completed...

  14. Investigating the effect of STN-DBS stimulation and different frequency settings on the acoustic-articulatory features of vowels.

    PubMed

    Yilmaz, Atilla; Sarac, Elif Tuğba; Aydinli, Fatma Esen; Yildizgoren, Mustafa Turgut; Okuyucu, Emine Esra; Serarslan, Yurdal

    2018-06-25

    Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most frequent progressive neuro-degenerative disorder. In addition to motor symptoms, nonmotor symptoms and voice and speech disorders can also develop in 90% of PD patients. The aim of our study was to investigate the effects of DBS and different DBS frequencies on speech acoustics of vowels in PD patients. The study included 16 patients who underwent STN-DBS surgery due to PD. The voice recordings for the vowels including [a], [e], [i], and [o] were performed at frequencies including 230, 130, 90, and 60 Hz and off-stimulation. The voice recordings were gathered and evaluated by the Praat software, and the effects on the first (F1), second (F2), and third formant (F3) frequencies were analyzed. A significant difference was found for the F1 value of the vowel [a] at 130 Hz compared to off-stimulation. However, no significant difference was found between the three formant frequencies with regard to the stimulation frequencies and off-stimulation. In addition, though not statistically significant, stimulation at 60 and 230 Hz led to several differences in the formant frequencies of other three vowels. Our results indicated that STN-DBS stimulation at 130 Hz had a significant positive effect on articulation of [a] compared to off-stimulation. Although there is not any statistical significant stimulation at 60 and 230 Hz may also have an effect on the articulation of [e], [i], and [o] but this effect needs to be investigated in future studies with higher numbers of participants.

  15. 47 CFR 90.359 - Field strength limits for EA-licensed LMS systems.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 5 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Field strength limits for EA-licensed LMS... § 90.359 Field strength limits for EA-licensed LMS systems. EA-licensed multilateration systems shall limit the field strength of signals transmitted from their base stations to 47 dBuV/m at their EA...

  16. The Effect of Uni- and Bilateral Thalamic Deep Brain Stimulation on Speech in Patients With Essential Tremor: Acoustics and Intelligibility.

    PubMed

    Becker, Johannes; Barbe, Michael T; Hartinger, Mariam; Dembek, Till A; Pochmann, Jil; Wirths, Jochen; Allert, Niels; Mücke, Doris; Hermes, Anne; Meister, Ingo G; Visser-Vandewalle, Veerle; Grice, Martine; Timmermann, Lars

    2017-04-01

    Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the ventral intermediate nucleus (VIM) is performed to suppress medically-resistant essential tremor (ET). However, stimulation induced dysarthria (SID) is a common side effect, limiting the extent to which tremor can be suppressed. To date, the exact pathogenesis of SID in VIM-DBS treated ET patients is unknown. We investigate the effect of inactivated, uni- and bilateral VIM-DBS on speech production in patients with ET. We employ acoustic measures, tempo, and intelligibility ratings and patient's self-estimated speech to quantify SID, with a focus on comparing bilateral to unilateral stimulation effects and the effect of electrode position on speech. Sixteen German ET patients participated in this study. Each patient was acoustically recorded with DBS-off, unilateral-right-hemispheric-DBS-on, unilateral-left-hemispheric-DBS-on, and bilateral-DBS-on during an oral diadochokinesis task and a read German standard text. To capture the extent of speech impairment, we measured syllable duration and intensity ratio during the DDK task. Naïve listeners rated speech tempo and speech intelligibility of the read text on a 5-point-scale. Patients had to rate their "ability to speak". We found an effect of bilateral compared to unilateral and inactivated stimulation on syllable durations and intensity ratio, as well as on external intelligibility ratings and patients' VAS scores. Additionally, VAS scores are associated with more laterally located active contacts. For speech ratings, we found an effect of syllable duration such that tempo and intelligibility was rated worse for speakers exhibiting greater syllable durations. Our data confirms that SID is more pronounced under bilateral compared to unilateral stimulation. Laterally located electrodes are associated with more severe SID according to patient's self-ratings. We can confirm the relation between diadochokinetic rate and SID in that listener's tempo and intelligibility ratings can be

  17. 47 CFR 11.61 - Tests of EAS procedures.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... EAS header codes, Attention Signal, Test Script and EOM code. (i) Tests in odd numbered months shall... substitute for a monthly test, activation must include transmission of the EAS header codes, Attention Signal, emergency message and EOM code and comply with the visual message requirements in § 11.51. To substitute for...

  18. Fetal acoustic stimulation test for early intrapartum fetal monitoring.

    PubMed

    Goonewardene, M; Hanwellage, K

    2011-03-01

    The fetal acoustic stimulation test (FAST) is a simple cost effective screening test for antenatal fetal monitoring. The aim of the study was to evaluate the FAST as a screening test for early intrapartum fetal well being. An initial non stress test (NST) followed by a FAST using corometric model 146 was carried out in 486 participants in early labour with uncomplicated singleton pregnancies and > 32 weeks gestation. A repeat NST was recorded in the participants who had an initial non reactive NST. The results of the NST and FAST were compared with fetal outcome. Maternal perception of fetal movements after FAST, results of NST before and after FAST, and the babies' 5 minute APGAR scores were measured. Of the 486 participants 413 (85%) noticed fetal movements after FAST. Initial NST was non reactive in 203 (42%) but 149 (31%) became reactive after FAST. Compared to the NST, FAST had a better sensitivity (97% vs 62%, p < 0.001), specificity (100% vs 87%, p = 0.017), positive predictive value (100% vs 98%, p = 0.024), negative predictive value (79% vs 17%, p < 0.001) and accuracy (99%vs 64%, p < 0.001) in predicting 5 minute APGAR < 7 in the baby. FAST is a reliable screening test for assessing fetal well being in early labour. It complements the NST and is better than the NST alone.

  19. 47 CFR 90.691 - Emission mask requirements for EA-based systems.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Emission mask requirements for EA-based systems. 90.691 Section 90.691 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) SAFETY AND... of Ea-Based Smr Systems in the 809-824/851-869 Mhz Band § 90.691 Emission mask requirements for EA...

  20. Physical Properties and Evolutionary States of EA-type Eclipsing Binaries Observed by LAMOST

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Qian, S.-B.; Zhang, J.; He, J.-J.; Zhu, L.-Y.; Zhao, E.-G.; Shi, X.-D.; Zhou, X.; Han, Z.-T.

    2018-03-01

    About 3196 EA-type binaries (EAs) were observed by LAMOST by 2017 June 16 and their spectral types were derived. Meanwhile, the stellar atmospheric parameters of 2020 EAs were determined. In this paper, those EAs are cataloged and their physical properties and evolutionary states are investigated. The period distribution of EAs suggests that the period limit of tidal locking for the close binaries is about 6 days. It is found that the metallicity of EAs is higher than that of EW-type binaries (EWs), indicating that EAs are generally younger than EWs and they are the progenitors of EWs. The metallicities of long-period EWs (0.4< P< 1 days) are the same as those of EAs with the same periods, while their values of Log (g) are usually smaller than those of EAs. These support the evolutionary process that EAs evolve into long-period EWs through the combination of angular momentum loss (AML) via magnetic braking and case A mass transfer. For short-period EWs, their metallicities are lower than those of EAs, while their gravitational accelerations are higher. These reveal that they may be formed from cool short-period EAs through AML via magnetic braking with little mass transfer. For some EWs with high metallicities, they may be contaminated by material from the evolution of unseen neutron stars and black holes or they have third bodies that may help them to form rapidly through a short timescale of pre-contact evolution. The present investigation suggests that the modern EW populations may have formed through a combination of these mechanisms.

  1. Evidence for a bipolar change in distortion product otoacoustic emissions during contralateral acoustic stimulation in humans

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Müller, Jörg; Janssen, Thomas; Heppelmann, Guido; Wagner, Wolfgang

    2005-12-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate the activity of the medial olivocochlear (MOC) efferents during contralateral (CAS) and ipsilateral acoustic stimulation (IAS) by recording distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) suppression and DPOAE adaptation in humans. The main question was: do large bipolar changes in DPOAE level (transition from enhancement to suppression) also occur in humans when changing the primary tone level within a small range as described by Maison and Liberman for guinea pigs [J. Neurosci. 20, 4701-4707 (2000)]? In the present study, large bipolar changes in DPOAE level (14 dB on average across subjects) were found during CAS predominantly at frequencies where dips in the DPOAE fine structure occurred. Thus, effects of the second DPOAE source might be responsible for the observed bipolar effect. In contrast, comparable effects were not found during IAS as was reported in guinea pigs. Reproducibility of CAS DPOAEs was better than that for IAS DPOAEs. Thus, contralateral DPOAE suppression is suggested to be superior to ipsilateral DPOAE adaptation with regard to measuring the MOC reflex strength and for evaluating the vulnerability of the cochlea to acoustic overexposure in a clinical context.

  2. Stimulated Brillouin scatter in a magnetized ionospheric plasma.

    PubMed

    Bernhardt, P A; Selcher, C A; Lehmberg, R H; Rodriguez, S P; Thomason, J F; Groves, K M; McCarrick, M J; Frazer, G J

    2010-04-23

    High power electromagnetic waves transmitted from the HAARP facility in Alaska can excite low-frequency electrostatic waves by magnetized stimulated Brillouin scatter. Either an ion-acoustic wave with a frequency less than the ion cyclotron frequency (f(CI)) or an electrostatic ion cyclotron (EIC) wave just above f(CI) can be produced. The coupled equations describing the magnetized stimulated Brillouin scatter instability show that the production of both ion-acoustic and EIC waves is strongly influenced by the wave propagation relative to the background magnetic field. Experimental observations of stimulated electromagnetic emissions using the HAARP transmitter have confirmed that only ion-acoustic waves are excited for propagation along the magnetic zenith and that EIC waves can only be detected with oblique propagation angles. The ion composition can be obtained from the measured EIC frequency.

  3. 36 CFR 1010.6 - Determination of requirement for EA or EIS.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... for EA or EIS. 1010.6 Section 1010.6 Parks, Forests, and Public Property PRESIDIO TRUST ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY § 1010.6 Determination of requirement for EA or EIS. In deciding whether to require the preparation of an EA or an EIS, the NEPA Compliance Coordinator will determine whether the proposal is one...

  4. Use of electroacupuncture and transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation in reproductive medicine: a group consensus.

    PubMed

    Qu, Fan; Li, Rong; Sun, Wei; Lin, Ge; Zhang, Rong; Yang, Jing; Tian, Li; Xing, Guo-Gang; Jiang, Hui; Gong, Fei; Liang, Xiao-Yan; Meng, Yan; Liu, Jia-Yin; Zhou, Li-Ying; Wang, Shu-Yu; Wu, Yan; He, Yi-Jing; Ye, Jia-Yu; Han, Song-Ping; Han, Ji-Sheng

    With the rapid development of assisted reproductive technology, various reproductive disorders have been effectively addressed. Acupuncture-like therapies, including electroacupuncture (EA) and transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS), become more popular world-wide. Increasing evidence has demonstrated that EA and TEAS are effective in treating gynecological disorders, especially infertility. This present paper describes how to select acupoints for the treatment of infertility from the view of theories of traditional Chinese medicine and how to determine critical parameters of electric pulses of EA/TEAS based on results from animal and clinical studies. It summarizes the principles of clinical application of EA/TEAS in treating various kinds of reproductive disorders, such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), pain induced by oocyte retrieval, diminished ovarian reserve, embryo transfer, and oligospermia/ asthenospermia. The possible underlying mechanisms mediating the therapeutic effects of EA/TEAS in reproductive medicine are also examined.

  5. Observation of EAS using a large water tank

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Inoue, K.; Sakuyama, H.; Suzuki, N.; Suzuki, T.

    1985-01-01

    Using a large water tank (30 m in diameter, 4.5 m in depth) transition of extensive air showers (EAS) was investigated at Taro (200 m above sea level). There are set 150,0.4 sq m proportional counters on the bottom of the water tank. A conventional EAS array of 25 plastic scintillation detectors was arranged within several tens meter from the water tank. A proportional counter (10x10x200 cc x2) is made of a square shaped pipe of iron. Tungsten wire (100 mu m phi) is stretched tight in the center of the counter. A gas mixture of 90% argon and 10% methane is used at 760 mmHg. About 3000 EAS were obtained through 1 m of water since 1984.

  6. 47 CFR 90.685 - Authorization, construction and implementation of EA licenses.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... into operation a sufficient number of base stations to provide coverage to at least one-third of the population of its EA-based service area. Further, each EA licensee must provide coverage to at least two-thirds of the population of the EA-based service area within five years of the grant of their initial...

  7. 47 CFR 90.685 - Authorization, construction and implementation of EA licenses.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... into operation a sufficient number of base stations to provide coverage to at least one-third of the population of its EA-based service area. Further, each EA licensee must provide coverage to at least two-thirds of the population of the EA-based service area within five years of the grant of their initial...

  8. 47 CFR 90.685 - Authorization, construction and implementation of EA licenses.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... into operation a sufficient number of base stations to provide coverage to at least one-third of the population of its EA-based service area. Further, each EA licensee must provide coverage to at least two-thirds of the population of the EA-based service area within five years of the grant of their initial...

  9. 47 CFR 90.685 - Authorization, construction and implementation of EA licenses.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... into operation a sufficient number of base stations to provide coverage to at least one-third of the population of its EA-based service area. Further, each EA licensee must provide coverage to at least two-thirds of the population of the EA-based service area within five years of the grant of their initial...

  10. 47 CFR 90.685 - Authorization, construction and implementation of EA licenses.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... into operation a sufficient number of base stations to provide coverage to at least one-third of the population of its EA-based service area. Further, each EA licensee must provide coverage to at least two-thirds of the population of the EA-based service area within five years of the grant of their initial...

  11. 7 CFR 1794.24 - Proposals normally requiring an EA with scoping.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 12 2014-01-01 2013-01-01 true Proposals normally requiring an EA with scoping. 1794... Classification of Proposals § 1794.24 Proposals normally requiring an EA with scoping. (a) General. Applications... development of the EA. These types of actions are subject to the requirements of §§ 1794.50 through 1794.54...

  12. 7 CFR 1794.24 - Proposals normally requiring an EA with scoping.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 12 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Proposals normally requiring an EA with scoping. 1794... Classification of Proposals § 1794.24 Proposals normally requiring an EA with scoping. (a) General. Applications... development of the EA. These types of actions are subject to the requirements of §§ 1794.50 through 1794.54...

  13. 7 CFR 1794.24 - Proposals normally requiring an EA with scoping.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 12 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Proposals normally requiring an EA with scoping. 1794... Classification of Proposals § 1794.24 Proposals normally requiring an EA with scoping. (a) General. Applications... development of the EA. These types of actions are subject to the requirements of §§ 1794.50 through 1794.54...

  14. 7 CFR 1794.24 - Proposals normally requiring an EA with scoping.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 12 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Proposals normally requiring an EA with scoping. 1794... Classification of Proposals § 1794.24 Proposals normally requiring an EA with scoping. (a) General. Applications... development of the EA. These types of actions are subject to the requirements of §§ 1794.50 through 1794.54...

  15. 7 CFR 1794.24 - Proposals normally requiring an EA with scoping.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 12 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Proposals normally requiring an EA with scoping. 1794... Classification of Proposals § 1794.24 Proposals normally requiring an EA with scoping. (a) General. Applications... development of the EA. These types of actions are subject to the requirements of §§ 1794.50 through 1794.54...

  16. Demonstrating the saturation of stimulated Brillouin scattering by ion acoustic decay using fully kinetic simulations

    DOE PAGES

    Chapman, T.; Winjum, B. J.; Brunner, S.; ...

    2015-09-01

    The saturation of stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) by the decay to turbulence of the ion acoustic wave (IAW) that participates in the three-wave SBS interaction is demonstrated using a quasi-noiseless one-dimensional numerical solution to the Vlasov-Maxwell system of equations. This simulation technique permits careful examination of the decay process and its role in the complex evolution of SBS. Here, the IAW decay process is shown to be an effective SBS saturation mechanism. In our example, the instantaneous plasma reflectivity saturates at ~30% and drops to ~0% as a direct consequence of IAW decay. A contrasting example where the reflectivity ismore » controlled by dephasing due to the nonlinear frequency of the IAW is also discussed.« less

  17. Anti-inflammatory effects and mechanisms of vagal nerve stimulation combined with electroacupuncture in a rodent model of TNBS-induced colitis.

    PubMed

    Jin, Haifeng; Guo, Jie; Liu, Jiemin; Lyu, Bin; Foreman, Robert D; Yin, Jieyun; Shi, Zhaohong; Chen, Jiande D Z

    2017-09-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine the effects and mechanisms of vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) and additive effects of electroacupuncture (EA) on colonic inflammation in a rodent model of IBD. Chronic inflammation in rats was induced by intrarectal TNBS (2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid). The rats were then treated with sham ES (electrical stimulation), VNS, or VNS + EA for 3 wk. Inflammatory responses were assessed by disease activity index (DAI), macroscopic scores and histological scores of colonic tissues, plasma levels of TNFα, IL-1β, and IL-6, and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity of colonic tissues. The autonomic function was assessed by the spectral analysis of heart rate variability (HRV) derived from the electrocardiogram. It was found that 1 ) the area under curve (AUC) of DAI was substantially decreased with VNS + EA and VNS, with VNS + EA being more effective than VNS ( P < 0.001); 2 ) the macroscopic score was 6.43 ± 0.61 in the sham ES group and reduced to 1.86 ± 0.26 with VNS ( P < 0.001) and 1.29 ± 0.18 with VNS + EA ( P < 0.001); 3 ) the histological score was 4.05 ± 0.58 in the sham ES group and reduced to 1.93 ± 0.37 with VNS ( P < 0.001) and 1.36 ± 0.20 with VNS + EA ( P < 0.001); 4 ) the plasma levels of TNFα, IL-1β, IL-6, and MPO were all significantly decreased with VNS and VNS + EA compared with the sham ES group; and 5 ) autonomically, both VNS + EA and VNS substantially increased vagal activity and decreased sympathetic activity compared with sham EA ( P < 0.001, P < 0.001, respectively). In conclusion, chronic VNS improves inflammation in TNBS-treated rats by inhibiting proinflammatory cytokines via the autonomic mechanism. Addition of noninvasive EA to VNS may enhance the anti-inflammatory effect of VNS. NEW & NOTEWORTHY This is the first study to address and compare the effects of vagal nerve stimulation (VNS), electrical acupuncture (EA) and VNS + EA on TNBS (2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid

  18. Systematic Review of Three Electrical Stimulation Techniques for Rehabilitation After Total Knee Arthroplasty.

    PubMed

    Yue, Chen; Zhang, Xue; Zhu, Yingjie; Jia, Yudong; Wang, Huichao; Liu, Youwen

    2018-07-01

    The comparative effectiveness of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES), transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), and electroacupuncture (EA) for improving patient rehabilitation following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is controversial. Therefore we conducted this systematic review to assess the available evidence. The PubMed, OVID, and ScienceDirect databases were comprehensively searched and studies were selected and analyzed according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) recommendations. Data were extracted and qualitatively synthesized for several outcomes. Data were analyzed from 17 randomized controlled trials involving 1285 procedures: 8 NMES studies (608 procedures), 7 TENS studies (560 procedures), and 2 EA studies (117 procedures). Qualitative analysis suggested that NMES was associated with higher quadriceps strength and functional recovery after TKA. Recovery benefits were maximal when the stimulation was performed once or twice a day for 4-6 weeks at an intensity of 100-120 mA and frequency of 30-100 Hz. The electrode should be sufficiently large (100-200 cm 2 ) to reduce discomfort. TENS at an intensity of 15-40 mA and frequency of 70-150 Hz provided effective analgesia after TKA. EA at an intensity of 2 mA and frequency of 2 Hz may also provide postoperative analgesia of TKA. As adjunct modalities, NMES and TENS can effectively improve rehabilitation after TKA without triggering significant intolerance, and maximal benefits depend on optimized parameters and intervention protocols. EA may be an effective adjunct modality for analgesia after TKA. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. EA Shuttle Document Retention Effort

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wagner, Howard A.

    2010-01-01

    This slide presentation reviews the effort of code EA at Johnson Space Center (JSC) to identify and acquire databases and documents from the space shuttle program that are adjudged important for retention after the retirement of the space shuttle.

  20. Stimulated Brillouin Scatter in a Magnetized Ionospheric Plasma

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bernhardt, P. A.; Selcher, C. A.; Lehmberg, R. H.

    2010-04-23

    High power electromagnetic waves transmitted from the HAARP facility in Alaska can excite low-frequency electrostatic waves by magnetized stimulated Brillouin scatter. Either an ion-acoustic wave with a frequency less than the ion cyclotron frequency (f{sub CI}) or an electrostatic ion cyclotron (EIC) wave just above f{sub CI} can be produced. The coupled equations describing the magnetized stimulated Brillouin scatter instability show that the production of both ion-acoustic and EIC waves is strongly influenced by the wave propagation relative to the background magnetic field. Experimental observations of stimulated electromagnetic emissions using the HAARP transmitter have confirmed that only ion-acoustic waves aremore » excited for propagation along the magnetic zenith and that EIC waves can only be detected with oblique propagation angles. The ion composition can be obtained from the measured EIC frequency.« less

  1. 47 CFR 90.763 - EA, Regional and nationwide system operations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... on a case-by-case basis upon submission by the EA or Regional licensee of: (A) A technical analysis... by a licensee or the Commission, an EA or regional licensee shall furnish the technical parameters...

  2. The accidental (acoustical) tourist

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Van Kirk, Wayne

    2002-11-01

    The acoustical phenomenon observed at an ancient temple in the Great Ball Court at Chichen Itza was described as ''little short of amazing--an ancient whispering gallery'' by Silvanus G. Morley, leader of the Carnegie Institute's archaeological team that excavated and restored these structures in the 1920s. Since then, many others have experienced the extraordinary acoustics at Chichen Itza and other Maya sites. Despite these reports, archaeologists and acousticians have until recently shown little interest in understanding these phenomena. After experiencing Chichen Itza's remarkable acoustics as a tourist in 1994, the author commenced collecting and disseminating information about acoustical phenomena there and at other Mayan sites, hoping to stimulate interest among archaeologists and acousticians. Were these designs accidental or intentional? If intentional, how was the knowledge obtained? How were acoustical features used? This paper highlights the author's collection of anecdotal reports of mysterious Mayan acoustics (http://http://www.ianlawton.com/pa1.htm<\\/A>), recommended reading for scientists and engineers who wish to pursue this fascinating study. Also recounted are some of the reactions of archaeologists-ranging from curious, helpful, and insightful to humorous and appalling--to outsiders' efforts to bring serious scientific attention to the new field of acoustical archaeology.

  3. 47 CFR 11.11 - The Emergency Alert System (EAS).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... through the use of a single set of EAS equipment at the hub station (or common studio or control point... the FCC in any agreements. (e) Other technologies and public service providers, such as low earth... 47 Telecommunication 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false The Emergency Alert System (EAS). 11.11 Section...

  4. 47 CFR 11.11 - The Emergency Alert System (EAS).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... through the use of a single set of EAS equipment at the hub station (or common studio or control point... the FCC in any agreements. (e) Other technologies and public service providers, such as low earth... 47 Telecommunication 1 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false The Emergency Alert System (EAS). 11.11 Section...

  5. 47 CFR 11.11 - The Emergency Alert System (EAS).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... through the use of a single set of EAS equipment at the hub station (or common studio or control point... the FCC in any agreements. (e) Other technologies and public service providers, such as low earth... 47 Telecommunication 1 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false The Emergency Alert System (EAS). 11.11 Section...

  6. 36 CFR § 1010.11 - Preparation of an EA.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 3 2013-07-01 2012-07-01 true Preparation of an EA. § 1010.11 Section § 1010.11 Parks, Forests, and Public Property PRESIDIO TRUST ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY § 1010... Trust may prepare or require an EA at any time to assist planning and decision-making. (b) Content and...

  7. Electroacupuncture Reduces the Effects of Acute Noxious Stimulation on the Electrical Activity of Pain-Related Neurons in the Hippocampus of Control and Neuropathic Pain Rats

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Jun-Ying; Chen, Renbo; Feng, Xiu-Mei; Yan, Yaxia; Lippe, Irmgard Th.

    2016-01-01

    To study the effects of acupuncture analgesia on the hippocampus, we observed the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MEK) inhibitor on pain-excited neurons (PENs) and pain-inhibited neurons (PINs) in the hippocampal area CA1 of sham or chronic constrictive injury (CCI) rats. The animals were randomly divided into a control, a CCI, and a U0126 (MEK1/2 inhibitor) group. In all experiments, we briefly (10-second duration) stimulated the sciatic nerve electrically and recorded the firing rates of PENs and PINs. The results showed that in both sham and CCI rats brief sciatic nerve stimulation significantly increased the electrical activity of PENs and markedly decreased the electrical activity of PINs. These effects were significantly greater in CCI rats compared to sham rats. EA treatment reduced the effects of the noxious stimulus on PENs and PINs in both sham and CCI rats. The effects of EA treatment could be inhibited by U0126 in sham-operated rats. The results suggest that EA reduces effects of acute sciatic nerve stimulation on PENs and PINs in the CA1 region of the hippocampus of both sham and CCI rats and that the ERK (extracellular regulated kinase) signaling pathway is involved in the modulation of EA analgesia. PMID:27833763

  8. EAS thermal neutron detection with the PRISMA-LHAASO-16 experiment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, B.-B.; Alekseenko, V. V.; Cui, S.-w.; Chen, T.-L.; Dangzengluobu; Feng, S.-H.; Gao, Q.; Liu, Y.; Huang, Q.-C.; He, Y.-Y.; Liu, M.-Y.; Ma, X.-H.; Pozdnyakov, E. I.; Shchegolev, O. B.; Shen, F.-Z.; Stenkin, Yu. V.; Stepanov, V. I.; Yanin, Ya. V.; Yao, J.-D.; Zhou, R.

    2017-12-01

    EAS (extensive air shower) thermal neutron measurement gives advantages to study energy and mass composition of primary cosmic rays especially in the knee region. After the success of the PRISMA-YBJ experiment, we build a new EAS thermal neutron detection array at Tibet University, Lhasa, China (3700 m a.s.l.) in March, 2017. This prototype array so called "PRISMA-LHAASO-16" consists of 16 EAS EN-detectors ("EN" is abbreviation for electron and neutron) measuring two main EAS components: hadronic and electromagnetic ones. Different from PRISMA-YBJ, these detectors use a thin layer of a novel type of ZnS(Ag) scintillator alloyed with natural boron compound for thermal neutron capture. PRISMA-LHAASO-16 will be moved to the LHAASO site in the near future. In this paper, we introduce principle of the detection technique, deployment of the array, and the test results of the array.

  9. Effects of the foliar-applied protein "Harpin(Ea)" (messenger) on tomatoes infected with Phytophthora infestans.

    PubMed

    Fontanilla, M; Montes, M; De Prado, R

    2005-01-01

    The active ingredient in Messenger, is Harpin(Ea), a naturally occurring protein derived from Erwinia amylovora, a causal agent of fire blight. When Messenger is applied to a plant, the protein Harpin(Ea) binds foliar receptors to it. The receptors recognize the presence of Harpin(Ea), sending a signal that a pathogen is present, actually "tricking" the plant into thinking that it is under attack. This binding process triggers a cascade of responses affecting a global change of gene expressions, stimulating several distinct biochemical pathways within the plant responsible for growth and disease and insect resistance. The objective of this work is to characterize the development of an induced resistance against Phytophthora infestans. No effective treatment is currently available against this pathogenic agent, which causes the loss of complete harvests of different crops. Tomato plants with and without Messenger applications were inoculated with Phytophthora infestans in the same way. In addition, some plants with and without Messenger applications were not inoculated. Inoculated plants were symptomatologically checked for local and systemic symptoms. Evaluations of the number of tomatoes produced, with or without damage, and their growth, were also carried out. Based on the data obtained from the assays, significant changes were observed in the parameters measured due to Messenger treatment. The severe damage of this disease was reduced in the plants which received Messenger applications. These results open up new pathways in the control of diseases like Phytophthora infestans, in which effective means to combat them still do not exist, or these means are harmful to the environment.

  10. Acoustic Enhancement of Sleep Slow Oscillations and Concomitant Memory Improvement in Older Adults

    PubMed Central

    Papalambros, Nelly A.; Santostasi, Giovanni; Malkani, Roneil G.; Braun, Rosemary; Weintraub, Sandra; Paller, Ken A.; Zee, Phyllis C.

    2017-01-01

    Acoustic stimulation methods applied during sleep in young adults can increase slow wave activity (SWA) and improve sleep-dependent memory retention. It is unknown whether this approach enhances SWA and memory in older adults, who generally have reduced SWA compared to younger adults. Additionally, older adults are at risk for age-related cognitive impairment and therefore may benefit from non-invasive interventions. The aim of this study was to determine if acoustic stimulation can increase SWA and improve declarative memory in healthy older adults. Thirteen participants 60–84 years old completed one night of acoustic stimulation and one night of sham stimulation in random order. During sleep, a real-time algorithm using an adaptive phase-locked loop modeled the phase of endogenous slow waves in midline frontopolar electroencephalographic recordings. Pulses of pink noise were delivered when the upstate of the slow wave was predicted. Each interval of five pulses (“ON interval”) was followed by a pause of approximately equal length (“OFF interval”). SWA during the entire sleep period was similar between stimulation and sham conditions, whereas SWA and spindle activity were increased during ON intervals compared to matched periods during the sham night. The increases in SWA and spindle activity were sustained across almost the entire five-pulse ON interval compared to matched sham periods. Verbal paired-associate memory was tested before and after sleep. Overnight improvement in word recall was significantly greater with acoustic stimulation compared to sham and was correlated with changes in SWA between ON and OFF intervals. Using the phase-locked-loop method to precisely target acoustic stimulation to the upstate of sleep slow oscillations, we were able to enhance SWA and improve sleep-dependent memory storage in older adults, which strengthens the theoretical link between sleep and age-related memory integrity. PMID:28337134

  11. Analysis of equi-intensity curves and NU distribution of EAS

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Tanahashi, G.

    1985-01-01

    The distribution of the number of muons in extensive air showers (EAS) and the equi-intensity curves of EAS are analyzed on the basis of Monte Carlo simulation of various cosmic ray composition and the interaction models. Problems in the two best combined models are discussed.

  12. Microbial-Induced Heterogeneity in the Acoustic Properties of Porous Media

    EPA Science Inventory

    Acoustic wave data were acquired over a two-dimensional region of a microbial-stimulated sand column and an unstimulated sand column to assess the spatiotemporal changes in a porous medium caused by microbial growth and biofilm formation. The acoustic signals from the unstimulate...

  13. Efficacy of electroacupuncture compared with transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation for functional constipation

    PubMed Central

    Zeng, Yuxiao; Zhang, Xuecheng; Zhou, Jing; Wang, Xinwei; Jiao, Ruimin; Liu, Zhishun

    2018-01-01

    Abstract Background: To treat functional constipation, both electroacupuncture (EA) therapy and transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation (TENS) are safe and effective. However, no head-to-head comparison trial has been conducted. This trial compares the efficacy of electroacupuncture relative to transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation for functional constipation. Methods: Individuals with functional constipation will be randomly allocated to receive either EA or TENS (n = 51, each), 3 times per week for 8 weeks. The primary outcome is the percentage of participants with an average increase from baseline of 1 or more complete spontaneous bowel movements at week 8. The secondary outcome measures are the following: at the time of visits, changes in the number of complete spontaneous bowel movements, number of spontaneous bowel movements, stool character, difficulty in defecation, patients’ assessment of quality of life regarding constipation (self-report questionnaire), and use of auxiliary defecation methods. Discussion: The results of this trial should verify whether EA is more efficacious than TENS for relieving symptoms of functional constipation. The major limitation of the study is the lack of blinding of the participants and acupuncturist. PMID:29742718

  14. Single-transducer dual-frequency ultrasound generation to enhance acoustic cavitation.

    PubMed

    Liu, Hao-Li; Hsieh, Chao-Ming

    2009-03-01

    Dual- or multiple-frequency ultrasound stimulation is capable of effectively enhancing the acoustic cavitation effect over single-frequency ultrasound. Potential application of this sonoreactor design has been widely proposed such as on sonoluminescence, sonochemistry enhancement, and transdermal drug release enhancement. All currently available sonoreactor designs employed multiple piezoelectric transducers for generating single-frequency ultrasonic waves separately and then these waves were mixed and interfered in solutions. The purpose of this research is to propose a novel design of generating dual-frequency ultrasonic waves with single piezoelectric elements, thereby enhancing acoustic cavitation. Macroscopic bubbles were detected optically, and they were quantified at either a single-frequency or for different frequency combinations for determining their efficiency for enhancing acoustic cavitation. Visible bubbles were optically detected and hydrogen peroxide was measured to quantify acoustic cavitation. Test water samples with different gas concentrations and different power levels were used to determine the efficacy of enhancing acoustic cavitation of this design. The spectrum obtained from the backscattered signals was also recorded and examined to confirm the occurrence of stable cavitation. The results confirmed that single-element dual-frequency ultrasound stimulation can enhance acoustic cavitation. Under certain testing conditions, the generation of bubbles can be enhanced up to a level of five times higher than the generation of bubbles in single-frequency stimulation, and can increase the hydrogen peroxide production up to an increase of one fold. This design may serve as a useful alternative for future sonoreactor design owing to its simplicity to produce dual- or multiple-frequency ultrasound.

  15. 47 CFR 11.54 - EAS operation during a National Level emergency.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... licensees and DBS providers may choose their two EAS sources, one of which must be a PEP station. (2... header codes for a national emergency. (3) After completing the above transmission procedures, key EAS...

  16. 47 CFR 11.54 - EAS operation during a National Level emergency.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... licensees and DBS providers may choose their two EAS sources, one of which must be a PEP station. (2... header codes for a national emergency. (3) After completing the above transmission procedures, key EAS...

  17. 36 CFR 1010.10 - Actions that normally require an EA.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Actions that normally require an EA. 1010.10 Section 1010.10 Parks, Forests, and Public Property PRESIDIO TRUST ENVIRONMENTAL.... An EA assists the Trust in complying with NEPA when no EIS is necessary, and it facilitates the...

  18. 36 CFR 1010.10 - Actions that normally require an EA.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Actions that normally require an EA. 1010.10 Section 1010.10 Parks, Forests, and Public Property PRESIDIO TRUST ENVIRONMENTAL.... An EA assists the Trust in complying with NEPA when no EIS is necessary, and it facilitates the...

  19. 36 CFR 1010.10 - Actions that normally require an EA.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Actions that normally require an EA. 1010.10 Section 1010.10 Parks, Forests, and Public Property PRESIDIO TRUST ENVIRONMENTAL.... An EA assists the Trust in complying with NEPA when no EIS is necessary, and it facilitates the...

  20. 36 CFR 1010.10 - Actions that normally require an EA.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Actions that normally require an EA. 1010.10 Section 1010.10 Parks, Forests, and Public Property PRESIDIO TRUST ENVIRONMENTAL.... An EA assists the Trust in complying with NEPA when no EIS is necessary, and it facilitates the...

  1. 75 FR 33799 - EasTrans, LLC; Notice of Baseline Filing

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-06-15

    ... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. PR10-30-000] EasTrans, LLC; Notice of Baseline Filing June 8, 2010. Take notice that on June 4, 2010, EasTrans, LLC submitted a baseline filing of its Statement of Operating Conditions for services provided under section 311 of the...

  2. 47 CFR 11.54 - EAS operation during a National Level emergency.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... emergency, EAS Participants may transmit in lieu of the EAS audio feed an audio feed of the President's voice message from an alternative source, such as a broadcast network audio feed. [77 FR 16705, Mar. 22...

  3. 47 CFR 11.54 - EAS operation during a National Level emergency.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... emergency, EAS Participants may transmit in lieu of the EAS audio feed an audio feed of the President's voice message from an alternative source, such as a broadcast network audio feed. [77 FR 16705, Mar. 22...

  4. 47 CFR 11.54 - EAS operation during a National Level emergency.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... emergency, EAS Participants may transmit in lieu of the EAS audio feed an audio feed of the President's voice message from an alternative source, such as a broadcast network audio feed. [77 FR 16705, Mar. 22...

  5. Suppression of stimulated Brillouin scattering in all-solid chalcogenide-tellurite photonic bandgap fiber.

    PubMed

    Cheng, Tonglei; Liao, Meisong; Gao, Weiqing; Duan, Zhongchao; Suzuki, Takenobu; Ohishi, Yasutake

    2012-12-17

    A new way to suppress stimulated Brillouin scattering by using an all-solid chalcogenide-tellurite photonic bandgap fiber is presented in the paper. The compositions of the chalcogenide and the tellurite glass are As(2)Se(3) and TeO(2)-ZnO-Li(2)O-Bi(2)O(3). The light and the acoustic wave are confined in the fiber by photonic bandgap and acoustic bandgap mechanism, respectively. When the pump wavelength is within the photonic bandgap and the acoustic wave generated by the pump light is outside the acoustic bandgap, the interaction between the optical and the acoustic modes is very weak, thus stimulated Brillouin scattering is suppressed in the photonic bandgap fiber.

  6. 47 CFR 11.55 - EAS operation during a State or Local Area emergency.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... day-to-day emergency situations posing a threat to life and property. Examples of natural emergencies... Participants providing foreign language programming should transmit all EAS announcements in the same language as the primary language of the EAS Participant. (5) Upon completion of the State or Local Area EAS...

  7. 47 CFR 11.55 - EAS operation during a State or Local Area emergency.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... day-to-day emergency situations posing a threat to life and property. Examples of natural emergencies... Participants providing foreign language programming should transmit all EAS announcements in the same language as the primary language of the EAS Participant. (5) Upon completion of the State or Local Area EAS...

  8. 47 CFR 11.55 - EAS operation during a State or Local Area emergency.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... day-to-day emergency situations posing a threat to life and property. Examples of natural emergencies... Participants providing foreign language programming should transmit all EAS announcements in the same language as the primary language of the EAS Participant. (5) Upon completion of the State or Local Area EAS...

  9. Development of wireless, chipless neural stimulator by using one-port surface acoustic wave delay line and diode-capacitor interface

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Jisung; Kim, Saehan; Lee, Keekeun

    2017-06-01

    For the first time, a wireless and chipless neuron stimulator was developed by utilizing a surface acoustic wave (SAW) delay line, a diode-capacitor interface, a sharp metal tip, and antennas for the stimulation of neurons in the brain. The SAW delay line supersedes presently existing complex wireless transmission systems composed of a few thousands of transistors, enabling the fabrication of wireless and chipless transceiver systems. The diode-capacitor interface was used to convert AC signals to DC signals and induce stimulus pulses at a sharp metal probe. A 400 MHz RF energy was wirelessly radiated from antennas and then stimulation pulses were observed at a sharp gold probe. A ˜5 m reading distance was obtained using a 1 mW power from a network analyzer. The cycles of electromagnetic (EM) radiation from an antenna were controlled by shielding the antenna with an EM absorber. Stimulation pulses with different amplitudes and durations were successfully observed at the probe. The obtained pulses were ˜0.08 mV in amplitude and 3-10 Hz in frequency. Coupling-of-mode (COM) and SPICE modeling simulations were also used to determine the optimal structural parameters for SAW delay line and the values of passive elements. On the basis of the extracted parameters, the entire system was experimentally implemented and characterized.

  10. The effects of acoustic vibration on fibroblast cell migration.

    PubMed

    Mohammed, Taybia; Murphy, Mark F; Lilley, Francis; Burton, David R; Bezombes, Frederic

    2016-12-01

    Cells are known to interact and respond to external mechanical cues and recent work has shown that application of mechanical stimulation, delivered via acoustic vibration, can be used to control complex cell behaviours. Fibroblast cells are known to respond to physical cues generated in the extracellular matrix and it is thought that such cues are important regulators of the wound healing process. Many conditions are associated with poor wound healing, so there is need for treatments/interventions, which can help accelerate the wound healing process. The primary aim of this research was to investigate the effects of mechanical stimulation upon the migratory and morphological properties of two different fibroblast cells namely; human lung fibroblast cells (LL24) and subcutaneous areolar/adipose mouse fibroblast cells (L929). Using a speaker-based system, the effects of mechanical stimulation (0-1600Hz for 5min) on the mean cell migration distance (μm) and actin organisation was investigated. The results show that 100Hz acoustic vibration enhanced cell migration for both cell lines whereas acoustic vibration above 100Hz was found to decrease cell migration in a frequency dependent manner. Mechanical stimulation was also found to promote changes to the morphology of both cell lines, particularly the formation of lamellipodia and filopodia. Overall lamellipodia was the most prominent actin structure displayed by the lung cell (LL24), whereas filopodia was the most prominent actin feature displayed by the fibroblast derived from subcutaneous areolar/adipose tissue. Mechanical stimulation at all the frequencies used here was found not to affect cell viability. These results suggest that low-frequency acoustic vibration may be used as a tool to manipulate the mechanosensitivity of cells to promote cell migration. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. 47 CFR 11.55 - EAS operation during a State or Local Area emergency.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... the State or Local Area EAS must discontinue normal programming and follow the procedures in the State...); and DBS providers must comply with § 11.54(b)(7). EAS Participants providing foreign language programming should comply with § 11.54(b)(8). (5) Upon completion of the State or Local Area EAS transmission...

  12. Responses evoked from man by acoustic stimulation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Galambos, R.; Hecox, K.; Picton, T.

    1974-01-01

    Clicks and other acoustic stimuli evoke time-locked responses from the brain of man. The properties of the waves recordable within the interval from 1 to 10 msec after the stimuli strike the eardrum are discussed along with factors influencing the waves in the 100 to 500 msec epoch. So-called brainstem responses from a normal young adult are considered. No waves were observed for clicks to weak to be heard. With increasing stimulus strength the waves become larger in amplitude and their latency shortens.

  13. The Codacs™ direct acoustic cochlear implant actuator: exploring alternative stimulation sites and their stimulation efficiency.

    PubMed

    Grossöhmichen, Martin; Salcher, Rolf; Kreipe, Hans-Heinrich; Lenarz, Thomas; Maier, Hannes

    2015-01-01

    This work assesses the efficiency of the Codacs system actuator (Cochlear Ltd., Sydney Australia) in different inner ear stimulation modalities. Originally the actuator was intended for direct perilymph stimulation after stapedotomy using a piston prosthesis. A possible alternative application is the stimulation of middle ear structures or the round window (RW). Here the perilymph stimulation with a K-piston through a stapes footplate (SFP) fenestration (N = 10) as well as stimulation of the stapes head (SH) with a Bell prosthesis (N = 9), SFP stimulation with an Omega/Aerial prosthesis (N = 8) and reverse RW stimulation (N = 10) were performed in cadaveric human temporal bones (TBs). Codacs actuator output is expressed as equivalent sound pressure level (eq. SPL) using RW and SFP displacement responses, measured by Laser Doppler velocimetry as reference. The axial actuator coupling force in stimulation of stapes and RW was adjusted to ~5 mN. The Bell prosthesis and Omega/Aerial prosthesis stimulation generated similar mean eq. SPLs (Bell: 127.5-141.8 eq. dB SPL; Omega/Aerial: 123.6-143.9 eq. dB SPL), being significantly more efficient than K-piston perilymph stimulation (108.6-131.6 eq. dB SPL) and RW stimulation (108.3-128.2 eq. dB SPL). Our results demonstrate that SH, SFP and RW are adequate alternative stimulation sites for the Codacs actuator using coupling prostheses and an axial coupling force of ~5 mN. Based on the eq. SPLs, all investigated methods were adequate for in vivo hearing aid applications, provided that experimental conditions including constant coupling force will be implemented.

  14. Expert Advisor (EA) Evaluation System Using Web-based ELECTRE Method in Foreign Exchange (Forex) Market

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Satibi; Widodo, Catur Edi; Farikhin

    2018-02-01

    This research aims to optimize forex trading profit automatically using EA but its still keep considering accuracy and drawdown levels. The evaluation system will classify EA performance based on trading market sessions (Sydney, Tokyo, London and New York) to determine the right EA to be used in certain market sessions. This evaluation system is a web-based ELECTRE methods that interact in real-time with EA through web service and are able to present real-time charts performance dashboard using web socket protocol communications. Web applications are programmed using NodeJs. In the testing period, all EAs had been simulated 24 hours in all market sessions for three months, the best EA is valued by its profit, accuracy and drawdown criteria that calculated using web-based ELECTRE method. The ideas of this research are to compare the best EA on testing period with collaboration performances of each best classified EA by market sessions. This research uses three months historical data of EUR/USD as testing period and other 3 months as validation period. As a result, performance of collaboration four best EA classified by market sessions can increase profits percentage consistently in testing and validation periods and keep securing accuracy and drawdown levels.

  15. The Codacs™ Direct Acoustic Cochlear Implant Actuator: Exploring Alternative Stimulation Sites and Their Stimulation Efficiency

    PubMed Central

    Grossöhmichen, Martin; Salcher, Rolf; Kreipe, Hans-Heinrich; Lenarz, Thomas; Maier, Hannes

    2015-01-01

    This work assesses the efficiency of the Codacs system actuator (Cochlear Ltd., Sydney Australia) in different inner ear stimulation modalities. Originally the actuator was intended for direct perilymph stimulation after stapedotomy using a piston prosthesis. A possible alternative application is the stimulation of middle ear structures or the round window (RW). Here the perilymph stimulation with a K-piston through a stapes footplate (SFP) fenestration (N = 10) as well as stimulation of the stapes head (SH) with a Bell prosthesis (N = 9), SFP stimulation with an Omega/Aerial prosthesis (N = 8) and reverse RW stimulation (N = 10) were performed in cadaveric human temporal bones (TBs). Codacs actuator output is expressed as equivalent sound pressure level (eq. SPL) using RW and SFP displacement responses, measured by Laser Doppler velocimetry as reference. The axial actuator coupling force in stimulation of stapes and RW was adjusted to ~ 5 mN. The Bell prosthesis and Omega/Aerial prosthesis stimulation generated similar mean eq. SPLs (Bell: 127.5–141.8 eq. dB SPL; Omega/Aerial: 123.6–143.9 eq. dB SPL), being significantly more efficient than K-piston perilymph stimulation (108.6–131.6 eq. dB SPL) and RW stimulation (108.3–128.2 eq. dB SPL). Our results demonstrate that SH, SFP and RW are adequate alternative stimulation sites for the Codacs actuator using coupling prostheses and an axial coupling force of ~ 5 mN. Based on the eq. SPLs, all investigated methods were adequate for in vivo hearing aid applications, provided that experimental conditions including constant coupling force will be implemented. PMID:25785860

  16. 47 CFR 76.1711 - Emergency alert system (EAS) tests and activation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 4 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Emergency alert system (EAS) tests and activation. 76.1711 Section 76.1711 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) BROADCAST RADIO SERVICES MULTICHANNEL VIDEO AND CABLE TELEVISION SERVICE Documents to be Maintained for Inspection § 76.1711 Emergency alert system (EAS)...

  17. 47 CFR 76.1711 - Emergency alert system (EAS) tests and activation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 4 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Emergency alert system (EAS) tests and activation. 76.1711 Section 76.1711 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) BROADCAST RADIO SERVICES MULTICHANNEL VIDEO AND CABLE TELEVISION SERVICE Documents to be Maintained for Inspection § 76.1711 Emergency alert system (EAS)...

  18. Overexpression of EaDREB2 and pyramiding of EaDREB2 with the pea DNA helicase gene (PDH45) enhance drought and salinity tolerance in sugarcane (Saccharum spp. hybrid).

    PubMed

    Augustine, Sruthy Maria; Ashwin Narayan, J; Syamaladevi, Divya P; Appunu, C; Chakravarthi, M; Ravichandran, V; Tuteja, Narendra; Subramonian, N

    2015-02-01

    EaDREB2 overexpressed in sugarcane enhanced tolerance to drought and salinity. When co-transformed with plant DNA helicase gene, DREB2 showed greater level of salinity tolerance than in single-gene transgenics. Drought is one of the most challenging agricultural issues limiting sustainable sugarcane production and can potentially cause up to 50 % yield loss. DREB proteins play a vital regulatory role in abiotic stress tolerance in plants. We previously reported that expression of EaDREB2 is enhanced by drought stress in Erianthus arundinaceus. In this study, we have isolated the DREB2 gene from E. arundinaceus, transformed one of the most popular sugarcane variety Co 86032 in tropical India with EaDREB2 through Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, pyramided the EaDREB2 gene with the gene coding for PDH45 driven by Port Ubi 2.3 promoter through particle bombardment and evaluated the V1 transgenics for soil deficit moisture and salinity stresses. Soil moisture stress was imposed at the tillering phase by withholding irrigation. Physiological, molecular and morphological parameters were used to assess drought tolerance. Salinity tolerance was assessed through leaf disc senescence and bud sprout assays under salinity stress. Our results indicate that overexpression of EaDREB2 in sugarcane enhances drought and salinity tolerance to a greater extent than the untransformed control plants. This is the first report of the co-transformation of EaDREB2 and PDH45 which shows higher salinity tolerance but lower drought tolerance than EaDREB2 alone. The present study seems to suggest that, for combining drought and salinity tolerance together, co-transformation is a better approach.

  19. Perception of power modulation of light in conjunction with acoustic stimulation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hahlweg, Cornelius F.; Weyer, Cornelia; Gercke-Hahn, Harald; Gutzmann, Holger L.; Brahmann, Andre; Rothe, Hendrik

    2013-09-01

    The present paper is derived from an ongoing study on the human perception of combined optical and acoustical periodical stimuli. Originating from problems of occupational medicine concerning artificial illumination and certain machinery with coherent optical and acoustical emissions there are effects which are interesting in the context of Optics and Music. Because of the difficulties in evaluation of physical and psychological effects of such coherent stimuli in a first step we questioned if such coherence is perceivable at all. Concept, experimental set-up and first results are discussed in short.

  20. Increased cardiogenesis in P19-GFP teratocarcinoma cells expressing the propeptide IGF-1Ea

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Poudel, Bhawana; Bilbao, Daniel; Sarathchandra, Padmini

    2011-12-16

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer In this study, we explored the function of IGF-1Ea propeptide in inducing cardiogenesis of stem cells. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer IGF-1Ea promoted cardiac mesodermal induction in uncommitted cells. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Under differentiation condition, IGF-1Ea increased expression of cardiac differentiation markers. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Furthermore, it promoted formation of finely organized sarcomeric structure. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer IGF-1Ea propeptide may be a good candidate to improve production of cardiomyocytes from pluripotent cells. -- Abstract: The mechanism implicated in differentiation of endogenous cardiac stem cells into cardiomyocytes to regenerate the heart tissue upon an insult remains elusive, limiting the therapeutical goals to exogenous cell injection and/or gene therapy. Wemore » have shown previously that cardiac specific overexpression of the insulin-like growth factor 1 propeptide IGF-1Ea induces beneficial myocardial repair after infarct. Although the mechanism is still under investigation, the possibility that this propeptide may be involved in promoting stem cell differentiation into the cardiac lineage has yet to be explored. To investigate whether IGF-1Ea promote cardiogenesis, we initially modified P19 embryonal carcinoma cells to express IGF-1Ea. Taking advantage of their cardiomyogenic nature, we analyzed whether overexpression of this propeptide affected cardiac differentiation program. The data herein presented showed for the first time that constitutively overexpressed IGF-1Ea increased cardiogenic differentiation program in both undifferentiated and DMSO-differentiated cells. In details, IGF-1Ea overexpression promoted localization of alpha-actinin in finely organized sarcomeric structure compared to control cells and upregulated the cardiac mesodermal marker NKX-2.5 and the ventricular structural protein MLC2v. Furthermore, activated IGF-1 signaling promoted cardiac

  1. 47 CFR 11.32 - EAS Encoder.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION GENERAL EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM (EAS) Equipment Requirements § 11... fundamental frequencies of 853 and 960 Hz and not vary over ±0.5 Hz. (ii) Harmonic Distortion. The total... the two tones for calibration of associated systems. (iv) Time Period for Transmission of Tones. The...

  2. The a priori SDR Estimation Techniques with Reduced Speech Distortion for Acoustic Echo and Noise Suppression

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thoonsaengngam, Rattapol; Tangsangiumvisai, Nisachon

    This paper proposes an enhanced method for estimating the a priori Signal-to-Disturbance Ratio (SDR) to be employed in the Acoustic Echo and Noise Suppression (AENS) system for full-duplex hands-free communications. The proposed a priori SDR estimation technique is modified based upon the Two-Step Noise Reduction (TSNR) algorithm to suppress the background noise while preserving speech spectral components. In addition, a practical approach to determine accurately the Echo Spectrum Variance (ESV) is presented based upon the linear relationship assumption between the power spectrum of far-end speech and acoustic echo signals. The ESV estimation technique is then employed to alleviate the acoustic echo problem. The performance of the AENS system that employs these two proposed estimation techniques is evaluated through the Echo Attenuation (EA), Noise Attenuation (NA), and two speech distortion measures. Simulation results based upon real speech signals guarantee that our improved AENS system is able to mitigate efficiently the problem of acoustic echo and background noise, while preserving the speech quality and speech intelligibility.

  3. Results of EAS characteristics calculations in the framework of the universal hadronic interaction model NEXUS

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kalmykov, N. N.; Ostapchenko, S. S.; Werner, K.

    An extensive air shower (EAS) calculation scheme based on cascade equations and some EAS characteristics for energies 1014 -1017 eV are presented. The universal hadronic interaction model NEXUS is employed to provide the necessary data concerning hadron-air collisions. The influence of model assumptions on the longitudinal EAS development is discussed in the framework of the NEXUS and QGSJET models. Applied to EAS simulations, perspectives of combined Monte Carlo and numerical methods are considered.

  4. 36 CFR § 1010.10 - Actions that normally require an EA.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 3 2013-07-01 2012-07-01 true Actions that normally require an EA. § 1010.10 Section § 1010.10 Parks, Forests, and Public Property PRESIDIO TRUST ENVIRONMENTAL.... An EA assists the Trust in complying with NEPA when no EIS is necessary, and it facilitates the...

  5. 47 CFR 11.33 - EAS Decoder.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... decoders manufactured after August 1, 2003 must provide a means to permit the selective display and logging... upgrade their decoders on an optional basis to include a selective display and logging capability for EAS... decoders after February 1, 2004 must install decoders that provide a means to permit the selective display...

  6. 47 CFR 11.32 - EAS Encoder.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... used for audio messages and at least one input port used for data messages. (3) Outputs. The encoder shall have at least one audio output port and at least one data output port. (4) Calibration. EAS... that complies with the following: (i) Tone Frequencies. The audio tones shall have fundamental...

  7. 47 CFR 11.32 - EAS Encoder.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... used for audio messages and at least one input port used for data messages. (3) Outputs. The encoder shall have at least one audio output port and at least one data output port. (4) Calibration. EAS... that complies with the following: (i) Tone Frequencies. The audio tones shall have fundamental...

  8. 47 CFR 11.32 - EAS Encoder.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... used for audio messages and at least one input port used for data messages. (3) Outputs. The encoder shall have at least one audio output port and at least one data output port. (4) Calibration. EAS... that complies with the following: (i) Tone Frequencies. The audio tones shall have fundamental...

  9. 24 CFR 50.31 - The EA.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false The EA. 50.31 Section 50.31 Housing and Urban Development Office of the Secretary, Department of Housing and Urban Development PROTECTION... assistance from professional experts and other HUD staff as needed. Additional information may also be...

  10. 24 CFR 50.31 - The EA.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false The EA. 50.31 Section 50.31 Housing and Urban Development Office of the Secretary, Department of Housing and Urban Development PROTECTION... assistance from professional experts and other HUD staff as needed. Additional information may also be...

  11. Human T cell activation. III. Induction of an early activation antigen, EA 1 by TPA, mitogens and antigens

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hara, T.; Jung, L.K.L.; FU, S.M.

    1986-03-01

    With human T cells activated for 12 hours by 12-o-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate (TPA) as immunogen, an IgG/sub 2a/ monoclonal antibody, mAb Ea 1, has been generated to a 60KD phosphorylated protein with 32KD and 28KD subunits. The antigen, Ea 1, is readily detected on 60% of isolated thymocytes by indirect immunofluorescence. A low level of Ea 1 expression is detectable on 2-6% of blood lymphocytes. Isolated T cells have been induced to express Ea 1 by TPA, mitogens and anitgens. TPA activated T cells express Ea 1 as early as 1 hour after activation. By 4 hours, greater than 95% ofmore » the T cells stain with mAb Ea 1. About 50% of the PHA or Con A activated T cells express Ea 1 with a similar kinetics. Ea 1 expression proceeds that of IL-2 receptor in these activation processes. T cells activated by soluble antigens (tetanus toxoid and PPD) and alloantigens in MLR also express Ea 1 after a long incubation. About 20% of the T cells stain for Ea 1 at day 6. Ea 1 expression is not limited to activated T cells. B cells activated by TPA or anti-IgM Ab plus B cell growth factor express Ea 1. The kinetics of Ea 1 expression is slower and the staining is less intense. Repeated attempts to detect Ea 1 on resting and activated monocytes and granulocytes have not been successful. Ea 1 expression is due to de novo synthesis for its induction is blocked by cycloheximide and actinomycin D. Ea 1 is the earliest activation antigen detectable to-date.« less

  12. Arbitrary electron acoustic waves in degenerate dense plasmas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rahman, Ata-ur; Mushtaq, A.; Qamar, A.; Neelam, S.

    2017-05-01

    A theoretical investigation is carried out of the nonlinear dynamics of electron-acoustic waves in a collisionless and unmagnetized plasma whose constituents are non-degenerate cold electrons, ultra-relativistic degenerate electrons, and stationary ions. A dispersion relation is derived for linear EAWs. An energy integral equation involving the Sagdeev potential is derived, and basic properties of the large amplitude solitary structures are investigated in such a degenerate dense plasma. It is shown that only negative large amplitude EA solitary waves can exist in such a plasma system. The present analysis may be important to understand the collective interactions in degenerate dense plasmas, occurring in dense astrophysical environments as well as in laser-solid density plasma interaction experiments.

  13. [Unconscious Acoustical Stimuli Effects on Event-related Potentials in Humans].

    PubMed

    Kopeikina, E A; Choroshich, V V; Aleksandrov, A Y; Ivanova, V Y

    2015-01-01

    Unconscious perception essentially affects human behavior. The main results in this area obtained in experiments with visual stimuli. However, the acoustical stimuli play not less important role in behavior. The main idea of this paper is the electroencephalographic investigation of unconscious acoustical stimulation effects on electro-physiological activity of the brain. For this purpose, the event-related potentials were acquired under unconscious stimulus priming paradigm. The one syllable, three letter length, Russian words and pseudo-words with single letter substitution were used as primes and targets. As a result, we find out that repetition and alternative priming similarly affects the event-related potential's component with 200 ms latency after target application in frontal parietal and temporal areas. Under alternative priming the direction of potential amplitude modification nearby 400 ms was altered for word and semi-word targets. Alternative priming reliably increase ERP's amplitude in 400 ms locality with pseudo-word targets and decrease it under word targets. Taking into account, that all participants were unable to distinguish the applied prime stimuli, we can assume that the event-related potential changes evoked by unconscious perception of acoustical stimuli. The ERP amplitude dynamics revealed in current investigation demonstrate the opportunity of subliminal acoustical stimuli to modulate the electrical activity evoked by verbal acoustical stimulation.

  14. 47 CFR 11.33 - EAS Decoder.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ...: (1) Inputs. Decoders must have the capability to receive at least two audio inputs from EAS... externally, at least two minutes of audio or text messages. A decoder manufactured without an internal means to record and store audio or text must be equipped with a means (such as an audio or digital jack...

  15. 47 CFR 11.33 - EAS Decoder.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ...: (1) Inputs. Decoders must have the capability to receive at least two audio inputs from EAS... externally, at least two minutes of audio or text messages. A decoder manufactured without an internal means to record and store audio or text must be equipped with a means (such as an audio or digital jack...

  16. 47 CFR 11.33 - EAS Decoder.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ...: (1) Inputs. Decoders must have the capability to receive at least two audio inputs from EAS... externally, at least two minutes of audio or text messages. A decoder manufactured without an internal means to record and store audio or text must be equipped with a means (such as an audio or digital jack...

  17. Characterization of a new ViI-like Erwinia amylovora bacteriophage phiEa2809.

    PubMed

    Lagonenko, Alexander L; Sadovskaya, Olga; Valentovich, Leonid N; Evtushenkov, Anatoly N

    2015-04-01

    Erwinia amylovora is a Gram-negative plant pathogenic bacteria causing fire blight disease in many Rosaceae species. A novel E. amylovora bacteriophage, phiEa2809, was isolated from symptomless apple leaf sample collected in Belarus. This phage was also able to infect Pantoea agglomerans strains. The genome of phiEa2809 is a double-stranded linear DNA 162,160 bp in length, including 145 ORFs and one tRNA gene. The phiEa2809 genomic sequence is similar to the genomes of the Serratia plymutica phage MAM1, Shigella phage AG-3, Dickeya phage vB DsoM LIMEstone1 and Salmonella phage ViI and lacks similarity to described E. amylovora phage genomes. Based on virion morphology (an icosahedral head, long contractile tail) and genome structure, phiEa2809 was classified as a member of Myoviridae, ViI-like bacteriophages group. PhiEa2809 is the firstly characterized ViI-like bacteriophage able to lyse E. amylovora. © FEMS 2015. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  18. [Effect of Electroacupuncture Stimulation of Acupoints at the Distal Limbs on Heart Function of Volunteers with Acute Hypoxia].

    PubMed

    Dong, Ya-qin; Xiu, Chun-ying; Sa, Zhe-yan; Xu, Jin-sen

    2015-10-01

    To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) stimulation of different acupoints at the distal ends of the limbs on cardiac function in volunteers with acute hypoxia, so as to determine if its actions are realized by way of segmental innervations or meridians. Twenty healthy volunteers were divided into control, Quze (PC 3), Shousanli (LI 10), Guangming (GB 37) and Zusanli (ST 36) groups (both PC 3 and LI 10 are innervated by spinal C3-C6, and both ST 36 and GB 37 innervated by L5-S1). Acute hyoxia (simulating the conditions of about 5,000 m height above the sea level) was induced by asking the volunteers to inhale low-oxygen gas mixture (10.8% O2 + 89.2% N2) for 30 min, when, the participants' cardiac output (CO), heart rate (HR), left cardiac work (LOW), left ventricular ejection time (LVET)were measured using a ICG Monitor and EA stimulation (10 Hz/20 Hz, 1-2 V) was also conducted for 20 min following inhaling low-oxygen for 10 min. Before low-oxygen inhale, the levels of CO, HR, LCW and LVET ratios (test value/basic value) of the control, PC 3, LI 10, ST 36 and GB 37 groups were comparable (P > 0.05). After inhaling low-oxygen gas mixture for 10 min, the levels of CO, HR, and LCW ratios were significantly increased, and the LVET ratios were notably decreased in the five groups (P < 0.05). Compared with the 10 min-low-oxygen inhale of the same one group, CO and HR ratios at both EA 10 min and 20 min in the PC 3 and ST 36 groups, LCW ratios at EA 10 min in both PC 3 and ST 36 groups were notably down-regulated (P < 0.05), while the LVET ratios of both PC 3 and ST 36 groups was significantly prolonged (P < 0.05). No significant changes of CO, HR, LCW and LVET ratios were found in the LI 10 and GB 37 groups after EA for 10 min and 20 min (P > 0.05). EA stimulation of Quze (PC 3) and Zusanli (ST 36), but not Shousanli (LI 10) and Guangming (GB 37) can lower CO, HR and LCW levels and increase LVET in volunteer subjects undergoing acute hypoxia, suggesting that the

  19. Sensory contribution to vocal emotion deficit in Parkinson's disease after subthalamic stimulation.

    PubMed

    Péron, Julie; Cekic, Sezen; Haegelen, Claire; Sauleau, Paul; Patel, Sona; Drapier, Dominique; Vérin, Marc; Grandjean, Didier

    2015-02-01

    Subthalamic nucleus (STN) deep brain stimulation in Parkinson's disease induces modifications in the recognition of emotion from voices (or emotional prosody). Nevertheless, the underlying mechanisms are still only poorly understood, and the role of acoustic features in these deficits has yet to be elucidated. Our aim was to identify the influence of acoustic features on changes in emotional prosody recognition following STN stimulation in Parkinson's disease. To this end, we analysed the performances of patients on vocal emotion recognition in pre-versus post-operative groups, as well as of matched controls, entering the acoustic features of the stimuli into our statistical models. Analyses revealed that the post-operative biased ratings on the Fear scale when patients listened to happy stimuli were correlated with loudness, while the biased ratings on the Sadness scale when they listened to happiness were correlated with fundamental frequency (F0). Furthermore, disturbed ratings on the Happiness scale when the post-operative patients listened to sadness were found to be correlated with F0. These results suggest that inadequate use of acoustic features following subthalamic stimulation has a significant impact on emotional prosody recognition in patients with Parkinson's disease, affecting the extraction and integration of acoustic cues during emotion perception. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. A speech processing study using an acoustic model of a multiple-channel cochlear implant

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, Ying

    1998-10-01

    A cochlear implant is an electronic device designed to provide sound information for adults and children who have bilateral profound hearing loss. The task of representing speech signals as electrical stimuli is central to the design and performance of cochlear implants. Studies have shown that the current speech- processing strategies provide significant benefits to cochlear implant users. However, the evaluation and development of speech-processing strategies have been complicated by hardware limitations and large variability in user performance. To alleviate these problems, an acoustic model of a cochlear implant with the SPEAK strategy is implemented in this study, in which a set of acoustic stimuli whose psychophysical characteristics are as close as possible to those produced by a cochlear implant are presented on normal-hearing subjects. To test the effectiveness and feasibility of this acoustic model, a psychophysical experiment was conducted to match the performance of a normal-hearing listener using model- processed signals to that of a cochlear implant user. Good agreement was found between an implanted patient and an age-matched normal-hearing subject in a dynamic signal discrimination experiment, indicating that this acoustic model is a reasonably good approximation of a cochlear implant with the SPEAK strategy. The acoustic model was then used to examine the potential of the SPEAK strategy in terms of its temporal and frequency encoding of speech. It was hypothesized that better temporal and frequency encoding of speech can be accomplished by higher stimulation rates and a larger number of activated channels. Vowel and consonant recognition tests were conducted on normal-hearing subjects using speech tokens processed by the acoustic model, with different combinations of stimulation rate and number of activated channels. The results showed that vowel recognition was best at 600 pps and 8 activated channels, but further increases in stimulation rate and

  1. 47 CFR 90.767 - Construction and implementation of EA and Regional licenses.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... Regional licenses. 90.767 Section 90.767 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED... Use of Frequencies in the 220-222 MHz Band Policies Governing the Licensing and Use of Phase II Ea, Regional and Nationwide Systems § 90.767 Construction and implementation of EA and Regional licenses. (a...

  2. Analysing the Effect of Demand Uncertainty in Dynamic Pricing with EAs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shakya, Siddhartha; Oliveira, Fernando; Owusu, Gilbert

    Dynamic pricing is a pricing strategy where a firm adjust the price for their products and services as a function of its perceived demand at different times. In this paper, we show how Evolutionary algorithms (EA) can be used to analyse the effect of demand uncertainty in dynamic pricing. The experiments are conducted in a range of dynamic pricing problems considering a number of different stochastic scenarios with a number of different EAs. The results are analysed, which suggest that higher demand fluctuation may not have adverse effect to the profit in comparison to the lower demand fluctuation, and that the reliability of EA for finding accurate policy could be higher when there is higher fluctuation then when there is lower fluctuation.

  3. 47 CFR 90.767 - Construction and implementation of EA and Regional licenses.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ...) An EA or Regional licensee must construct a sufficient number of base stations (i.e., base stations... all of their base stations or fixed stations. [69 FR 75172, Dec. 15, 2004] ... constructed stations. (d) EA and Regional licensees will not be permitted to count the resale of the services...

  4. Acoustic Immittance, Absorbance, and Reflectance in the Human Ear Canal

    PubMed Central

    Rosowski, John J.; Wilber, Laura Ann

    2015-01-01

    Ear canal measurements of acoustic immittance (a term that groups impedance and its inverse, admittance) and the related quantities of acoustic reflectance and power absorbance have been used to assess auditory function and aid in the differential diagnosis of conductive hearing loss for over 50 years. The change in such quantities after stimulation of the acoustic reflex also has been used in diagnosis. In this article, we define these quantities, describe how they are commonly measured, and discuss appropriate calibration procedures and standards necessary for accurate immittance/reflectance measurements. PMID:27516708

  5. Efficacy of electroacupuncture compared with transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation for functional constipation: Study protocol for a randomized, controlled trial.

    PubMed

    Zeng, Yuxiao; Zhang, Xuecheng; Zhou, Jing; Wang, Xinwei; Jiao, Ruimin; Liu, Zhishun

    2018-05-01

    To treat functional constipation, both electroacupuncture (EA) therapy and transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation (TENS) are safe and effective. However, no head-to-head comparison trial has been conducted. This trial compares the efficacy of electroacupuncture relative to transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation for functional constipation. Individuals with functional constipation will be randomly allocated to receive either EA or TENS (n = 51, each), 3 times per week for 8 weeks. The primary outcome is the percentage of participants with an average increase from baseline of 1 or more complete spontaneous bowel movements at week 8. The secondary outcome measures are the following: at the time of visits, changes in the number of complete spontaneous bowel movements, number of spontaneous bowel movements, stool character, difficulty in defecation, patients' assessment of quality of life regarding constipation (self-report questionnaire), and use of auxiliary defecation methods. The results of this trial should verify whether EA is more efficacious than TENS for relieving symptoms of functional constipation. The major limitation of the study is the lack of blinding of the participants and acupuncturist.

  6. 47 CFR 90.767 - Construction and implementation of EA and Regional licenses.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ...) An EA or Regional licensee must construct a sufficient number of base stations (i.e., base stations for land mobile and/or paging operations) to provide coverage to at least one-third of the population... the population of its EA or REAG within ten years of the issuance of its initial license. Licensees...

  7. 47 CFR 90.767 - Construction and implementation of EA and Regional licenses.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ...) An EA or Regional licensee must construct a sufficient number of base stations (i.e., base stations for land mobile and/or paging operations) to provide coverage to at least one-third of the population... the population of its EA or REAG within ten years of the issuance of its initial license. Licensees...

  8. 47 CFR 90.767 - Construction and implementation of EA and Regional licenses.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ...) An EA or Regional licensee must construct a sufficient number of base stations (i.e., base stations for land mobile and/or paging operations) to provide coverage to at least one-third of the population... the population of its EA or REAG within ten years of the issuance of its initial license. Licensees...

  9. TRANSPORT PROPERTY MEASUREMENTS OF HFC-236EA

    EPA Science Inventory

    The report gives results of an evaluation of transport properties of 1,1,1,2,3,3,-hexafluoropropane (HFC-236ea), with liquid viscosity and thermal conductivity being the two main transport properties of interest. In addition, the specific heat and density of refrigerant/lubrican...

  10. Contralateral acoustic stimulation alters the magnitude and phase of distortion product otoacoustic emissions.

    PubMed

    Deeter, Ryan; Abel, Rebekah; Calandruccio, Lauren; Dhar, Sumitrajit

    2009-11-01

    Activation of medial olivocochlear efferents through contralateral acoustic stimulation (CAS) has been shown to modulate distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) level in various ways (enhancement, reduction, or no change). The goal of this study was to investigate the effect of a range of CAS levels on DPOAE fine structure. The 2f(1)-f(2) DPOAE was recorded (f(2)/f(1)=1.22, L(1)=55 dB, and L(2)=40 dB) from eight normal-hearing subjects, using both a frequency-sweep paradigm and a fixed frequency paradigm. Contamination due to the middle ear muscle reflex was avoided by monitoring the magnitude and phase of a probe in the test ear and by monitoring DPOAE stimulus levels throughout testing. Results show modulations in both level and frequency of DPOAE fine structure patterns. Frequency shifts observed at DPOAE level minima could explain reports of enhancement in DPOAE level due to efferent activation. CAS affected the magnitude and phase of the DPOAE component from the characteristic frequency region to a greater extent than the component from the overlap region between the stimulus tones. This differential effect explains the occasional enhancement observed in DPOAE level as well as the frequency shift in fine structure patterns.

  11. 47 CFR 90.904 - Aggregation of EA licenses.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... Service § 90.904 Aggregation of EA licenses. The Commission will license each Spectrum Block A through V in the 800 MHz band separately. Applicants may aggregate across spectrum blocks within the...

  12. 47 CFR 90.904 - Aggregation of EA licenses.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... Service § 90.904 Aggregation of EA licenses. The Commission will license each Spectrum Block A through V in the 800 MHz band separately. Applicants may aggregate across spectrum blocks within the...

  13. 47 CFR 90.904 - Aggregation of EA licenses.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... Service § 90.904 Aggregation of EA licenses. The Commission will license each Spectrum Block A through V in the 800 MHz band separately. Applicants may aggregate across spectrum blocks within the...

  14. 47 CFR 90.904 - Aggregation of EA licenses.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... Service § 90.904 Aggregation of EA licenses. The Commission will license each Spectrum Block A through V in the 800 MHz band separately. Applicants may aggregate across spectrum blocks within the...

  15. 47 CFR 90.904 - Aggregation of EA licenses.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... Service § 90.904 Aggregation of EA licenses. The Commission will license each Spectrum Block A through V in the 800 MHz band separately. Applicants may aggregate across spectrum blocks within the...

  16. Sensory contribution to vocal emotion deficit in Parkinson’s disease after subthalamic stimulation

    PubMed Central

    Péron, Julie; Cekic, Sezen; Haegelen, Claire; Sauleau, Paul; Patel, Sona; Drapier, Dominique; Vérin, Marc; Grandjean, Didier

    2016-01-01

    Subthalamic nucleus (STN) deep brain stimulation in Parkinson’s disease induces modifications in the recognition of emotion from voices (or emotional prosody). Nevertheless, the underlying mechanisms are still only poorly understood, and the role of acoustic features in these deficits has yet to be elucidated. Our aim was to identify the influence of acoustic features on changes in emotional prosody recognition following STN stimulation in Parkinson’s disease. To this end, we analysed the performances of patients on vocal emotion recognition in pre-versus post-operative groups, as well as of matched controls, entering the acoustic features of the stimuli into our statistical models. Analyses revealed that the post-operative biased ratings on the Fear scale when patients listened to happy stimuli were correlated with loudness, while the biased ratings on the Sadness scale when they listened to happiness were correlated with fundamental frequency (F0). Furthermore, disturbed ratings on the Happiness scale when the post-operative patients listened to sadness were found to be correlated with F0. These results suggest that inadequate use of acoustic features following subthalamic stimulation has a significant impact on emotional prosody recognition in patients with Parkinson’s disease, affecting the extraction and integration of acoustic cues during emotion perception. PMID:25282055

  17. Crystal Structure and Functional Characterization of an Esterase (EaEST) from Exiguobacterium antarcticum.

    PubMed

    Lee, Chang Woo; Kwon, Sena; Park, Sun-Ha; Kim, Boo-Young; Yoo, Wanki; Ryu, Bum Han; Kim, Han-Woo; Shin, Seung Chul; Kim, Sunghwan; Park, Hyun; Kim, T Doohun; Lee, Jun Hyuck

    2017-01-01

    A novel microbial esterase, EaEST, from a psychrophilic bacterium Exiguobacterium antarcticum B7, was identified and characterized. To our knowledge, this is the first report describing structural analysis and biochemical characterization of an esterase isolated from the genus Exiguobacterium. Crystal structure of EaEST, determined at a resolution of 1.9 Å, showed that the enzyme has a canonical α/β hydrolase fold with an α-helical cap domain and a catalytic triad consisting of Ser96, Asp220, and His248. Interestingly, the active site of the structure of EaEST is occupied by a peracetate molecule, which is the product of perhydrolysis of acetate. This result suggests that EaEST may have perhydrolase activity. The activity assay showed that EaEST has significant perhydrolase and esterase activity with respect to short-chain p-nitrophenyl esters (≤C8), naphthyl derivatives, phenyl acetate, and glyceryl tributyrate. However, the S96A single mutant had low esterase and perhydrolase activity. Moreover, the L27A mutant showed low levels of protein expression and solubility as well as preference for different substrates. On conducting an enantioselectivity analysis using R- and S-methyl-3-hydroxy-2-methylpropionate, a preference for R-enantiomers was observed. Surprisingly, immobilized EaEST was found to not only retain 200% of its initial activity after incubation for 1 h at 80°C, but also retained more than 60% of its initial activity after 20 cycles of reutilization. This research will serve as basis for future engineering of this esterase for biotechnological and industrial applications.

  18. 47 CFR 73.4097 - EBS (now EAS) attention signals on automated programing systems.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false EBS (now EAS) attention signals on automated programing systems. 73.4097 Section 73.4097 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED... (now EAS) attention signals on automated programing systems. See Public Notice dated March 1, 1979. 72...

  19. A novel mechanism of cochlear excitation during simultaneous stimulation and pressure relief through the round window

    PubMed Central

    Weddell, Thomas D.; Yarin, Yury M.; Drexl, Markus; Russell, Ian J.; Elliott, Stephen J.; Lukashkin, Andrei N.

    2014-01-01

    The round window (RW) membrane provides pressure relief when the cochlea is excited by sound. Here, we report measurements of cochlear function from guinea pigs when the cochlea was stimulated at acoustic frequencies by movements of a miniature magnet which partially occluded the RW. Maximum cochlear sensitivity, corresponding to subnanometre magnet displacements at neural thresholds, was observed for frequencies around 20 kHz, which is similar to that for acoustic stimulation. Neural response latencies to acoustic and RW stimulation were similar and taken to indicate that both means of stimulation resulted in the generation of conventional travelling waves along the cochlear partition. It was concluded that the relatively high impedance of the ossicles, as seen from the cochlea, enabled the region of the RW not occluded by the magnet, to act as a pressure shunt during RW stimulation. We propose that travelling waves, similar to those owing to acoustic far-field pressure changes, are driven by a jet-like, near-field component of a complex pressure field, which is generated by the magnetically vibrated RW. Outcomes of research described here are theoretical and practical design principles for the development of new types of hearing aids, which use near-field, RW excitation of the cochlea. PMID:24501274

  20. Cochlear excitation by the near-field component during stimulation through the partially occluded round window

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Weddell, Thomas D.; Yarin, Yury M.; Drexl, Markus; Russell, Ian J.; Elliott, Stephen J.; Lukashkin, Andrei N.

    2015-12-01

    The round window membrane (RW) provides pressure relief when the cochlea is excited by sound. While normal function of the RW is important for effective stimulation of the cochlea through the conventional oval window route, the cochlea can be stimulated successfully in non-conventional ways (e.g. through bone conduction, through the RW, and through perforations in the cochlea's apical turn). We report measurements of cochlear function from guinea pigs when the cochlea was stimulated at acoustic frequencies by movements of a miniature magnet which partially occluded the RW. Neural response latencies to acoustic and RW stimulation were similar and taken to indicate that both means of stimulation resulted in the generation of conventional travelling waves along the cochlear partition. It was concluded that the relatively high impedance of the ossicles, as seen from the cochlea, enabled the region of the RW not occluded by the magnet, to act as a pressure shunt during RW stimulation. We propose that travelling waves, similar to those due to acoustic far-field pressure changes, are driven by a jet-like, near-field component of a complex fluid-pressure field, which is generated by the magnetically vibrated RW.

  1. Integration of acoustic and light sensors for marine bio-mining

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wiegand, Gordon

    2016-05-01

    Maximum diversity of life exists within the estuaries and coral reefs of the Globe. The absence of vertebrate and other land dwelling adaptations has resulted in an enormous range of complexity among invertebrates and their symbiotic biome resulting in the generation of compounds finding uses in anti-tumor and antibiotic applications. It has been widely reported that the greatest factor limiting progress in characterizing and processing new therapeutics derived from invertebrates is the lack of adequate original material. Symbiotic bacteria within specific tunicates often synthesize antitumor compounds as secondary metabolites. We describe a 3-stage protocol that utilizes acoustic and photonic analysis of large areas of marine ecosystem and life forms. We refer to this as Estuary Assessment System (EAS), which includes a multi-frequency acoustic transducer/sensing instrument mounted on our research vessel. This generates a topological map of surveyed tracks of marine locations known to be habitats of useful actinobacteria laden invertebrates. Photonic devices are used to generate image and pulse data leading to location, identification and isolation of tunicates and actinobacteria.

  2. Combined Electric and Contralateral Acoustic Hearing: Word and Sentence Recognition with Bimodal Hearing

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gifford, Rene H.; Dorman, Michael F.; McKarns, Sharon A.; Spahr, Anthony J.

    2007-01-01

    Purpose: The authors assessed whether (a) a full-insertion cochlear implant would provide a higher level of speech understanding than bilateral low-frequency acoustic hearing, (b) contralateral acoustic hearing would add to the speech understanding provided by the implant, and (c) the level of performance achieved with electric stimulation plus…

  3. Reliability and validity of the Euthanasia Attitude Scale (EAS) for Hong Kong medical doctors.

    PubMed

    Tang, Wai-Kiu; Mak, Kwok-Kei; Kam, Philip Ming-Ho; Ho, Joanna Wing-Kiu; Chan, Denise Che-Ying; Suen, To-Lam; Lau, Michael Chak-Kwan; Cheng, Adrian Ka-Chun; Wan, Yuen-Ting; Wan, Ho-Yan; Hussain, Assad

    2010-08-01

    This study aimed to examine the reliability and validity of the Euthanasia Attitude Scale (EAS) in Hong Kong medical doctors. A total of 107 medical doctors (61.7% men) participated in a survey at clinical settings in 2008. The 21-item EAS was used to assess their attitudes toward euthanasia. The mean (standard deviation) and median of the EAS were 63.60 (60.31) and 63.00. Total EAS scores correlated well with ''Ethical Considerations,'' ''Practical Considerations,'' and ''Treasuring Life'' (Spearman rho =.37-.96, P < .001) but not ''Naturalistic Beliefs.'' The construct validity of the 3-factor model was appropriate (Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin [KMO] value = 0.90) and showed high internal consistency (Cronbach alpha =.79-.92). Euthanasia Attitude Scale may be a reliable and valid measure for assessing the attitudes toward euthanasia in medical professionals.

  4. Changes in Infants' Vocalizations as a Function of Differential Acoustic Stimulation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Webster, R. L.; And Others

    1972-01-01

    Results of this study indicated that the frequency of an auditory stimulus is a dimension to which infants differentially respond in terms of response rate and acoustic characteristics of their vocalizations. (Authors)

  5. Acoustic actuation of in situ fabricated artificial cilia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Orbay, Sinem; Ozcelik, Adem; Bachman, Hunter; Huang, Tony Jun

    2018-02-01

    We present on-chip acoustic actuation of in situ fabricated artificial cilia. Arrays of cilia structures are UV polymerized inside a microfluidic channel using a photocurable polyethylene glycol (PEG) polymer solution and photomasks. During polymerization, cilia structures are attached to a silane treated glass surface inside the microchannel. Then, the cilia structures are actuated using acoustic vibrations at 4.6 kHz generated by piezo transducers. As a demonstration of a practical application, DI water and fluorescein dye solutions are mixed inside a microfluidic channel. Using pulses of acoustic excitations, and locally fabricated cilia structures within a certain region of the microchannel, a waveform of mixing behavior is obtained. This result illustrates one potential application wherein researchers can achieve spatiotemporal control of biological microenvironments in cell stimulation studies. These acoustically actuated, in situ fabricated, cilia structures can be used in many on-chip applications in biological, chemical and engineering studies.

  6. Acoustical standards in engineering acoustics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Burkhard, Mahlon D.

    2004-05-01

    The Engineering Acoustics Technical Committee is concerned with the evolution and improvement of acoustical techniques and apparatus, and with the promotion of new applications of acoustics. As cited in the Membership Directory and Handbook (2002), the interest areas include transducers and arrays; underwater acoustic systems; acoustical instrumentation and monitoring; applied sonics, promotion of useful effects, information gathering and transmission; audio engineering; acoustic holography and acoustic imaging; acoustic signal processing (equipment and techniques); and ultrasound and infrasound. Evident connections between engineering and standards are needs for calibration, consistent terminology, uniform presentation of data, reference levels, or design targets for product development. Thus for the acoustical engineer standards are both a tool for practices, for communication, and for comparison of his efforts with those of others. Development of many standards depends on knowledge of the way products are put together for the market place and acoustical engineers provide important input to the development of standards. Acoustical engineers and members of the Engineering Acoustics arm of the Society both benefit from and contribute to the Acoustical Standards of the Acoustical Society.

  7. Isolation and characterization of new lignin streams derived from extractive-ammonia (EA) pretreatment

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    da Costa Sousa, Leonardo; Foston, Marcus; Bokade, Vijay

    One of the key challenges facing lignin conversion to fuels and chemicals is related to the level of carbohydrate and ash impurities found in extracted lignin. Structural modifications of lignin may also occur as a result of biomass pretreatment and harsh lignin extraction protocols. Extractive-Ammonia (EA) is a new pretreatment technology that uses liquid ammonia to cleave lignin–carbohydrate complexes, decrystallize cellulose, solubilize lignin, and selectively extract lignin from lignocellulosic biomass, enabling better utilization of both lignin and carbohydrate components in a biorefinery. The EA-based biorefinery produces two different lignin-rich streams, with different properties, that could potentially be upgraded to fuelsmore » and chemicals using green processes. Here, a water/ethanol-based fractionation method was developed to enrich the ammonia-soluble extractives, resulting in a major product stream containing 92% lignin. Detailed characterization of the various streams resulting from EA treatment, including compositional analysis, structural characterization by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometry, elemental analysis, molecular weight analysis, and thermo-gravimetric analysis provides a broad evaluation of the EA-derived lignin product stream structures and properties, assessing their potential for commercial applications. In conclusion, EA-derived lignins preserve much of lignin's functionality, including the sensitive β-aryl ether units. Furthermore, we observed nitrogen incorporation in the lignin-rich streams, notably due to the presence of hydroxycinnamoyl amides formed during ammonia pretreatment.« less

  8. The Stellar Kinematics of E+A Galaxies in SDSS IV-MaNGA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Johnson, Amalya; Dudley, Raymond; Edwards, Kay; Gonzalez, Andrea; Kerrison, Nicole; Marinelli, Mariarosa; Melchert, Nancy; Ojanen, Winonah; Liu, Charles; SDSS-IV MaNGA

    2018-01-01

    E+A galaxies, hypothesized to be “transition” galaxies between the blue cloud and the red sequence, are valuable sources for studying the evolution of galaxies. Using data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory (MaNGA) survey, a large scale integral field spectroscopic survey of nearby galaxies from 3600 to 10300 Å, we identifed galaxies that exhibitted E+A characteristics within their optical spectra. We analyzed the 2,812 galaxies thus far observed by MaNGA to identify those that showed evidence of a starburst about 1 billion years ago, followed by cessation of star formation and quenching of the galaxy. Through this process we identifed 39 E+A galaxies by directly looking at the optical spectra and ensuring they exhibited the necessary properties of an E+A spectra, including a strong break at the 4000 Å mark, little to no Hα emission and absorption through the Balmer series, and a blue slope of the continuum past ~5000 Å as the flux decreases. We analyzed the stellar kinematics of these galaxies to determine whether or not they were fast or slow rotators, a proposed indicator of a major merger in their recent past. Using Voronoi binned graphs from the MaNGA Marvin database, we measured their stellar rotation curves in order to more clearly show the range of velocities within the galaxies. Among our 39 E+A candidates, all but two exhibited significant, orderly rotation across the galaxy, and 29 out of 39 of our galaxies show rotation faster than 30 km/s. With the caveat that our selection process was biased toward galaxies with orderly rotation, this prevalence of rotation challenges the belief that all E+A galaxies are created from major mergers. This work was supported by grants AST-1460860 from the National Science Foundation and SDSS FAST/SSP-483 from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to the CUNY College of Staten Island.

  9. Reconstruction of Vectorial Acoustic Sources in Time-Domain Tomography

    PubMed Central

    Xia, Rongmin; Li, Xu; He, Bin

    2009-01-01

    A new theory is proposed for the reconstruction of curl-free vector field, whose divergence serves as acoustic source. The theory is applied to reconstruct vector acoustic sources from the scalar acoustic signals measured on a surface enclosing the source area. It is shown that, under certain conditions, the scalar acoustic measurements can be vectorized according to the known measurement geometry and subsequently be used to reconstruct the original vector field. Theoretically, this method extends the application domain of the existing acoustic reciprocity principle from a scalar field to a vector field, indicating that the stimulating vectorial source and the transmitted acoustic pressure vector (acoustic pressure vectorized according to certain measurement geometry) are interchangeable. Computer simulation studies were conducted to evaluate the proposed theory, and the numerical results suggest that reconstruction of a vector field using the proposed theory is not sensitive to variation in the detecting distance. The present theory may be applied to magnetoacoustic tomography with magnetic induction (MAT-MI) for reconstructing current distribution from acoustic measurements. A simulation on MAT-MI shows that, compared to existing methods, the present method can give an accurate estimation on the source current distribution and a better conductivity reconstruction. PMID:19211344

  10. Sound-by-sound thalamic stimulation modulates midbrain auditory excitability and relative binaural sensitivity in frogs

    PubMed Central

    Ponnath, Abhilash; Farris, Hamilton E.

    2014-01-01

    Descending circuitry can modulate auditory processing, biasing sensitivity to particular stimulus parameters and locations. Using awake in vivo single unit recordings, this study tested whether electrical stimulation of the thalamus modulates auditory excitability and relative binaural sensitivity in neurons of the amphibian midbrain. In addition, by using electrical stimuli that were either longer than the acoustic stimuli (i.e., seconds) or presented on a sound-by-sound basis (ms), experiments addressed whether the form of modulation depended on the temporal structure of the electrical stimulus. Following long duration electrical stimulation (3–10 s of 20 Hz square pulses), excitability (spikes/acoustic stimulus) to free-field noise stimuli decreased by 32%, but returned over 600 s. In contrast, sound-by-sound electrical stimulation using a single 2 ms duration electrical pulse 25 ms before each noise stimulus caused faster and varied forms of modulation: modulation lasted <2 s and, in different cells, excitability either decreased, increased or shifted in latency. Within cells, the modulatory effect of sound-by-sound electrical stimulation varied between different acoustic stimuli, including for different male calls, suggesting modulation is specific to certain stimulus attributes. For binaural units, modulation depended on the ear of input, as sound-by-sound electrical stimulation preceding dichotic acoustic stimulation caused asymmetric modulatory effects: sensitivity shifted for sounds at only one ear, or by different relative amounts for both ears. This caused a change in the relative difference in binaural sensitivity. Thus, sound-by-sound electrical stimulation revealed fast and ear-specific (i.e., lateralized) auditory modulation that is potentially suited to shifts in auditory attention during sound segregation in the auditory scene. PMID:25120437

  11. Sound-by-sound thalamic stimulation modulates midbrain auditory excitability and relative binaural sensitivity in frogs.

    PubMed

    Ponnath, Abhilash; Farris, Hamilton E

    2014-01-01

    Descending circuitry can modulate auditory processing, biasing sensitivity to particular stimulus parameters and locations. Using awake in vivo single unit recordings, this study tested whether electrical stimulation of the thalamus modulates auditory excitability and relative binaural sensitivity in neurons of the amphibian midbrain. In addition, by using electrical stimuli that were either longer than the acoustic stimuli (i.e., seconds) or presented on a sound-by-sound basis (ms), experiments addressed whether the form of modulation depended on the temporal structure of the electrical stimulus. Following long duration electrical stimulation (3-10 s of 20 Hz square pulses), excitability (spikes/acoustic stimulus) to free-field noise stimuli decreased by 32%, but returned over 600 s. In contrast, sound-by-sound electrical stimulation using a single 2 ms duration electrical pulse 25 ms before each noise stimulus caused faster and varied forms of modulation: modulation lasted <2 s and, in different cells, excitability either decreased, increased or shifted in latency. Within cells, the modulatory effect of sound-by-sound electrical stimulation varied between different acoustic stimuli, including for different male calls, suggesting modulation is specific to certain stimulus attributes. For binaural units, modulation depended on the ear of input, as sound-by-sound electrical stimulation preceding dichotic acoustic stimulation caused asymmetric modulatory effects: sensitivity shifted for sounds at only one ear, or by different relative amounts for both ears. This caused a change in the relative difference in binaural sensitivity. Thus, sound-by-sound electrical stimulation revealed fast and ear-specific (i.e., lateralized) auditory modulation that is potentially suited to shifts in auditory attention during sound segregation in the auditory scene.

  12. Chronic Electrical Stimulation at Acupoints Reduces Body Weight and Improves Blood Glucose in Obese Rats via Autonomic Pathway.

    PubMed

    Liu, Jiemin; Jin, Haifeng; Foreman, Robert D; Lei, Yong; Xu, Xiaohong; Li, Shiying; Yin, Jieyun; Chen, Jiande D Z

    2015-07-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate effects and mechanisms of chronic electrical stimulation at acupoints (CEA) using surgically implanted electrodes on food intake, body weight, and metabolisms in diet-induced obese (DIO) rats. Thirty-six DIO rats were chronically implanted with electrodes at acupoints ST-36 (Zusanli). Three sets of parameters were tested: electrical acupuncture (EA) 1 (2-s on, 3-s off, 0.5 ms, 15 Hz, 6 mA), EA2 (same as EA1 but continuous pulses), and EA3 (same as EA2 but 10 mA). A chronic study was then performed to investigate the effects of CEA on body weight and mechanisms involving gastrointestinal hormones and autonomic functions. EA2 significantly reduced food intake without uncomfortable behaviors. CEA at EA2 reduced body weight and epididymal fat pad weight (P < 0.05). CEA reduced both postprandial blood glucose and HbA1c (P < 0.05). CEA delayed gastric emptying (P < 0.03) and increased small intestinal transit (P < 0.02). CEA increased fasting plasma level of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and peptide YY (P < 0.05); the increase of GLP-1 was inversely correlated with postprandial blood glucose (R (2) = 0.89, P < 0.05); and the plasma ghrelin level remained unchanged. EA increased sympathetic activity (P < 0.01) and reduced vagal activity (P < 0.01). CEA at ST-36 reduces body weight and improves blood glucose possibly attributed to multiple mechanisms involving gastrointestinal motility and hormones via the autonomic pathway.

  13. Probing the evolution of the EAS muon content in the atmosphere with KASCADE-Grande

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Apel, W. D.; Arteaga-Velázquez, J. C.; Bekk, K.; Bertaina, M.; Blümer, J.; Bozdog, H.; Brancus, I. M.; Cantoni, E.; Chiavassa, A.; Cossavella, F.; Daumiller, K.; de Souza, V.; Di Pierro, F.; Doll, P.; Engel, R.; Fuhrmann, D.; Gherghel-Lascu, A.; Gils, H. J.; Glasstetter, R.; Grupen, C.; Haungs, A.; Heck, D.; Hörandel, J. R.; Huege, T.; Kampert, K.-H.; Kang, D.; Klages, H. O.; Link, K.; Łuczak, P.; Mathes, H. J.; Mayer, H. J.; Milke, J.; Mitrica, B.; Morello, C.; Oehlschläger, J.; Ostapchenko, S.; Pierog, T.; Rebel, H.; Roth, M.; Schieler, H.; Schoo, S.; Schröder, F. G.; Sima, O.; Toma, G.; Trinchero, G. C.; Ulrich, H.; Weindl, A.; Wochele, J.; Zabierowski, J.

    2017-10-01

    The evolution of the muon content of very high energy air showers (EAS) in the atmosphere is investigated with data of the KASCADE-Grande observatory. For this purpose, the muon attenuation length in the atmosphere is obtained to Λμ = 1256 ± 85-232+229 (syst) g/cm2 from the experimental data for shower energies between 1016.3 and 1017.0 eV. Comparison of this quantity with predictions of the high-energy hadronic interaction models QGSJET-II-02, SIBYLL 2.1, QGSJET-II-04 and EPOS-LHC reveals that the attenuation of the muon content of measured EAS in the atmosphere is lower than predicted. Deviations are, however, less significant with the post-LHC models. The presence of such deviations seems to be related to a difference between the simulated and the measured zenith angle evolutions of the lateral muon density distributions of EAS, which also causes a discrepancy between the measured absorption lengths of the density of shower muons and the predicted ones at large distances from the EAS core. The studied deficiencies show that all four considered hadronic interaction models fail to describe consistently the zenith angle evolution of the muon content of EAS in the aforesaid energy regime.

  14. Acoustic manipulation: Bessel beams and active carriers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rajabi, Majid; Mojahed, Alireza

    2017-10-01

    In this paper, we address the interaction of zero-order acoustic Bessel beams as an acoustic manipulation tool, with an active spherical shell, as a carrier in drug, agent, or material delivery systems, in order to investigate the controllability of exerted acoustic radiation force as the driver. The active body is comprised of a spherical elastic shell stimulated in its monopole mode of vibrations with the same frequency as the incident wave field via an internally bonded and spatially uniformly excited piezoelectric actuator. The main aim of this work is to examine the performance of a nondiffracting and self-reconstructing zero-order Bessel beam to obtain the full manipulability condition of active carriers in comparison with the case of a plane wave field. The results unveil some unique potentials of the Bessel beams in the company of active carriers, with emphasis on the consumed power of the actuation system. This paper will widen the path toward the single-beam robust acoustic manipulation techniques and may lead to the prospect of combined tweezers and fields, with applications in delivery systems, microswimmers, and trapper designs.

  15. Spectrophotometric Properties of E+A Galaxies in SDSS-IV MaNGA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Marinelli, Mariarosa; Dudley, Raymond; Edwards, Kay; Gonzalez, Andrea; Johnson, Amalya; Kerrison, Nicole; Melchert, Nancy; Ojanen, Winonah; Weaver, Olivia; Liu, Charles; SDSS-IV MaNGA

    2018-01-01

    Quenched post-starburst galaxies, or E+A galaxies, represent a unique and informative phase in the evolution of galaxies. We used a qualitative rubric-based methodology, informed by the literature, to manually select galaxies from the SDSS-IV IFU survey Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory (MaNGA) using the single-fiber spectra from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 8. Of the 2,812 galaxies observed so far in MaNGA, we found 39 galaxies meeting our criteria for E+A classification. Spectral energy distributions of these 39 galaxies from the far-UV to the mid-infrared demonstrate a heterogeneity in our sample emerging in the infrared, indicating many distinct paths to visually similar optical spectra. We used SDSS-IV MaNGA Pipe3D data products to analyze stellar population ages, and found that 34 galaxies exhibited stellar populations that were older at 1 effective radius than at the center of the galaxy. Given that our sample was manually chosen based on E+A markers in the single-fiber spectra aimed at the center of each galaxy, our E+A galaxies may have only experienced their significant starbursts in the central region, with a disk of quenched or quenching material further outward. This work was supported by grants AST-1460860 from the National Science Foundation and SDSS FAST/SSP-483 from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to the CUNY College of Staten Island.

  16. Infrared neural stimulation in the cochlea

    PubMed Central

    Richter, Claus-Peter; Rajguru, Suhrud; Bendett, Mark

    2014-01-01

    The application of photonics to manipulate and stimulate neurons and to study neural networks has gained momentum over the last decade. Two general methods have been used: the genetic expression of light or temperature sensitive ion channels in the plasma membrane of neurons (Optogenetics and Thermogenetics) and the direct stimulation of neurons using infrared radiation (Infrared Neural Stimulation, INS). Both approaches have their strengths and challenges, which are well understood with a profound understanding of the light tissue interaction(s). This paper compares the opportunities of the methods for the use in cochlear prostheses. Ample data are already available on the stimulation of the cochlea with INS. The data show that the stimulation is selective, feasible at rates that would be sufficient to encode acoustic information and may be beneficial over conventional pulsed electrical stimulation. A third approach, using lasers in stress confinement to generate pressure waves and to stimulate the functional cochlea mechanically will also be discussed. PMID:25075260

  17. Infrared neural stimulation in the cochlea

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Richter, Claus-Peter; Rajguru, Suhrud; Bendett, Mark

    2013-03-01

    The application of photonics to manipulate and stimulate neurons and to study neural networks has gained momentum over the last decade. Two general methods have been used: the genetic expression of light or temperature sensitive ion channels in the plasma membrane of neurons (Optogenetics and Thermogenetics) and the direct stimulation of neurons using infrared radiation (Infrared Neural Stimulation, INS). Both approaches have their strengths and challenges, which are well understood with a profound understanding of the light tissue interaction(s). This paper compares the opportunities of the methods for the use in cochlear prostheses. Ample data are already available on the stimulation of the cochlea with INS. The data show that the stimulation is selective, feasible at rates that would be sufficient to encode acoustic information and may be beneficial over conventional pulsed electrical stimulation. A third approach, using lasers in stress confinement to generate pressure waves and to stimulate the functional cochlea mechanically will also be discussed.

  18. Acoustic Events and “Optophonic” Cochlear Responses Induced by Pulsed Near-Infrared LASER

    PubMed Central

    Maier, Hannes; Richter, Claus-Peter; Kral, Andrej

    2012-01-01

    Optical stimulation of neural tissue within the cochlea was described as a possible alternative to electrical stimulation. Most optical stimulation was performed with pulsed lasers operating with near-infrared (NIR) light and in thermal confinement. Under these conditions, the coexistence of laser-induced optoacoustic stimulation of the cochlea (“optophony”) has not been analyzed yet. This study demonstrates that pulsed 1850-nm laser light used for neural stimulation also results in sound pressure levels up to 62 dB peak-to-peak equivalent sound pressure level (SPL) in air. The sound field was confined to a small volume along the laser beam. In dry nitrogen, laser-induced acoustic events disappeared. Hydrophone measurements demonstrated pressure waves for laser fibers immersed in water. In hearing rats, laser-evoked signals were recorded from the cochlea without targeting neural tissue. The signals showed a two-domain response differing in amplitude and latency functions, as well as sensitivity to white-noise masking. The first component had characteristics of a cochlear microphonic potential, and the second component was characteristic for a compound action potential. The present data demonstrate that laser-evoked acoustic events can stimulate a hearing cochlea. Whenever optical stimulation is used, care must be taken to distinguish between such “optophony” and the true optoneural response. PMID:21278011

  19. 47 CFR 1.1308 - Consideration of environmental assessments (EAs); findings of no significant impact.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 1969 § 1.1308 Consideration of environmental assessments (EAs); findings of no significant impact. (a) Applicants shall prepare EAs for actions that may have a significant environmental impact (see § 1.1307). An...), that the proposal will have a significant environmental impact upon the quality of the human...

  20. [Effect of electroacupuncture stimulation of "Fenglong" (ST 40) on expression of inflammatory cytokines of celiac macrophages in hyperlipidemia rats].

    PubMed

    Tian, Jia-Yu; Wang, Qiong; Chen, Ying-Fang; Xiao, Ying; Yue, Wei; Zhang, Hong-Xing

    2014-08-01

    To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) stimulation of "Fenglong" (ST 40) on celiac inflammatory factors in rats with hyperlipemia (HLP), so as to reveal its mechanism underlying improvement of HLP. A total of 40 SD rats were randomized into normal control, high fat forage, high fat + common forage, high fat + EA, and high fat + common forage+ EA groups, with 8 rats in each group. The HLP model was established by feeding the animals with high fat forage for 28 days. EA (2 mA, 2 Hz/100 Hz) was applied to bilateral ST 40 for 30 min, once daily for 28 days. Contents of plasma total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) were detected by using an automatic biochemistry analyzer. Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1), and interleukin-1 gamma (IL-1gamma) in macrophages of the abdominal cavity were detected using flow cytometry (FCM). Compared with the normal control group, the contents of plasma TC and LDL-C, and celiac macrophages' MCP-1, ICAM-1 and IL-1gamma contents were significantly increased in the high fat forage group and high fat + common forage group (P < 0.01). In comparison with the high fat forage group, contents of plasma TC and LDL-C, and macrophages' MCP-1, ICAM-1 and IL-1gamma were considerably down-regulated in the high fat + EA group (P < 0.01). Similarly, the levels of plasma TC and LDL-C, and macrophages' MCP-1, ICAM-1 and IL-1gamma were obviously lower in the high fat+ common forage+ EA group than in the high fat + common forage group (P < 0.01). No significant differences were found in plasma TG and HDL-C levels among the five groups (P > 0.05). EA stimulation of "Fenglong" (ST 40) has a role in down-regulating contents of plasma TC and LDL-C and celiac macrophages' MCP-1, ICAM-1 and IL-1gamma in the abdominal cavity in hyperlipemia rats, which may contribute to its effect in improving hyperlipemia.

  1. ComEA Is Essential for the Transfer of External DNA into the Periplasm in Naturally Transformable Vibrio cholerae Cells

    PubMed Central

    Seitz, Patrick; Pezeshgi Modarres, Hassan; Borgeaud, Sandrine; Bulushev, Roman D.; Steinbock, Lorenz J.; Radenovic, Aleksandra; Dal Peraro, Matteo; Blokesch, Melanie

    2014-01-01

    The DNA uptake of naturally competent bacteria has been attributed to the action of DNA uptake machineries resembling type IV pilus complexes. However, the protein(s) for pulling the DNA across the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria remain speculative. Here we show that the competence protein ComEA binds incoming DNA in the periplasm of naturally competent Vibrio cholerae cells thereby promoting DNA uptake, possibly through ratcheting and entropic forces associated with ComEA binding. Using comparative modeling and molecular simulations, we projected the 3D structure and DNA-binding site of ComEA. These in silico predictions, combined with in vivo and in vitro validations of wild-type and site-directed modified variants of ComEA, suggested that ComEA is not solely a DNA receptor protein but plays a direct role in the DNA uptake process. Furthermore, we uncovered that ComEA homologs of other bacteria (both Gram-positive and Gram-negative) efficiently compensated for the absence of ComEA in V. cholerae, suggesting that the contribution of ComEA in the DNA uptake process might be conserved among naturally competent bacteria. PMID:24391524

  2. Auditory Responses to Electric and Infrared Neural Stimulation of the Rat Cochlear Nucleus

    PubMed Central

    Verma, Rohit; Guex, Amelie A.; Hancock, Kenneth E.; Durakovic, Nedim; McKay, Colette M.; Slama, Michaël C. C.; Brown, M. Christian; Lee, Daniel J.

    2014-01-01

    In an effort to improve the auditory brainstem implant, a prosthesis in which user outcomes are modest, we applied electric and infrared neural stimulation (INS) to the cochlear nucleus in a rat animal model. Electric stimulation evoked regions of neural activation in the inferior colliculus and short-latency, multipeaked auditory brainstem responses (ABRs). Pulsed INS, delivered to the surface of the cochlear nucleus via an optical fiber, evoked broad neural activation in the inferior colliculus. Strongest responses were recorded when the fiber was placed at lateral positions on the cochlear nucleus, close to the temporal bone. INS-evoked ABRs were multipeaked but longer in latency than those for electric stimulation; they resembled the responses to acoustic stimulation. After deafening, responses to electric stimulation persisted, whereas those to INS disappeared, consistent with a reported “optophonic” effect, a laser-induced acoustic artifact. Thus, for deaf individuals who use the auditory brainstem implant, INS alone did not appear promising as a new approach. PMID:24508368

  3. A novel plasmid pEA68 of Erwinia amylovora and the description of a new family of plasmids.

    PubMed

    Ismail, Emadeldeen; Blom, Jochen; Bultreys, Alain; Ivanović, Milan; Obradović, Aleksa; van Doorn, Joop; Bergsma-Vlami, Maria; Maes, Martine; Willems, Anne; Duffy, Brion; Stockwell, Virginia O; Smits, Theo H M; Puławska, Joanna

    2014-12-01

    Recent genome analysis of Erwinia amylovora, the causal agent of fire blight disease on Rosaceae, has shown that the chromosome is highly conserved among strains and that plasmids are the principal source of genomic diversity. A new circular plasmid, pEA68, was found in E. amylovora strain 692 (LMG 28361), isolated in Poland from Sorbus (mountain ash) with fire blight symptoms. Annotation of the 68,763-bp IncFIIa-type plasmid revealed that it contains 79 predicted CDS, among which two operons (tra, pil) are associated with mobility. The plasmid is maintained stably in E. amylovora and does not possess genes associated with antibiotic resistance or known virulence genes. Curing E. amylovora strain 692 of pEA68 did not influence its virulence in apple shoots nor amylovoran synthesis. Of 488 strains of E. amylovora from seventeen countries, pEA68 was only found in two additional strains from Belgium. Although the spread of pEA68 is currently limited to Europe, pEA68 comprises, together with pEA72 and pEA78 both found in North America, a new plasmid family that spans two continents.

  4. Effects of Deep Electroacupuncture Stimulation at “Huantiao” (GB 30) on Expression of Apoptosis-Related Factors in Rats with Acute Sciatic Nerve Injury

    PubMed Central

    Dai, Lili; Ma, Tieming; Liu, Yuli; Ren, Lu; Bai, Zenghua; Li, Ye

    2015-01-01

    SD rats were randomly divided into normal control, model, deep EA, and shallow EA groups. The model was established by mechanical clamping of the sciatic nerve stem. For deep and shallow EA, the needles were inserted into “Huantiao” (GB 30) by about 16 mm and 7 mm, respectively, once daily for 14 days. The results showed that, compared with the normal control group, the nerve-muscle excitability of rat's hip muscle decreased and the nerve conduction velocity of sciatic nerve slowed down in the model group; meanwhile, the number of apoptotic cells and the expression level of Bax protein in the injured nerve increased significantly, and the expression level of Bcl-2 protein and the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax decreased considerably. Compared with the model group, the indices mentioned above were reversed in the two treatment groups, and the changes in the deep EA group were more significant than those in the shallow EA group. These results indicate that EA stimulation at GB 30 can improve the function of injured sciatic nerve, which is closely associated with its effects in upregulating the expression of apoptosis inhibitive factor Bcl-2 and downregulating apoptosis promotive factor Bax. Deep EA is relatively better. PMID:26167187

  5. Airborne Acoustic Perception by a Jumping Spider.

    PubMed

    Shamble, Paul S; Menda, Gil; Golden, James R; Nitzany, Eyal I; Walden, Katherine; Beatus, Tsevi; Elias, Damian O; Cohen, Itai; Miles, Ronald N; Hoy, Ronald R

    2016-11-07

    Jumping spiders (Salticidae) are famous for their visually driven behaviors [1]. Here, however, we present behavioral and neurophysiological evidence that these animals also perceive and respond to airborne acoustic stimuli, even when the distance between the animal and the sound source is relatively large (∼3 m) and with stimulus amplitudes at the position of the spider of ∼65 dB sound pressure level (SPL). Behavioral experiments with the jumping spider Phidippus audax reveal that these animals respond to low-frequency sounds (80 Hz; 65 dB SPL) by freezing-a common anti-predatory behavior characteristic of an acoustic startle response. Neurophysiological recordings from auditory-sensitive neural units in the brains of these jumping spiders showed responses to low-frequency tones (80 Hz at ∼65 dB SPL)-recordings that also represent the first record of acoustically responsive neural units in the jumping spider brain. Responses persisted even when the distances between spider and stimulus source exceeded 3 m and under anechoic conditions. Thus, these spiders appear able to detect airborne sound at distances in the acoustic far-field region, beyond the near-field range often thought to bound acoustic perception in arthropods that lack tympanic ears (e.g., spiders) [2]. Furthermore, direct mechanical stimulation of hairs on the patella of the foreleg was sufficient to generate responses in neural units that also responded to airborne acoustic stimuli-evidence that these hairs likely play a role in the detection of acoustic cues. We suggest that these auditory responses enable the detection of predators and facilitate an acoustic startle response. VIDEO ABSTRACT. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. MISCIBILITY, SOLUBILITY, VISCOSITY, AND DENSITY MEASUREMENTS FOR R-236EA WITH FOUR DIFFERENT EXXON LUBRICANTS

    EPA Science Inventory

    The report discusses miscibility, solubility, viscosity, and density data for the refrigerant hydrofluorocarbon (HFC)-236ea (or R-236ea) and four lubricants supplied by Exxon Corporation. Such data are needed to determine the suitability of refrigerant/lubricant combinations for ...

  7. Evaluation of EA-934NA with 2.5 percent Cab-O-Sil

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Caldwell, Gordon A.

    1990-01-01

    Currently, Hysol adhesive EA-934NA is used to bond the Field Joint Protection System on the Shuttle rocket motors at Kennedy Space Center. However, due to processing problems, an adhesive with a higher viscosity is needed to alleviate these difficulties. One possible solution is to add Cab-O-Sil to the current adhesive. The adhesive strength and bond strengths that can be obtained when 2.5 percent Cab-O-Sil is added to adhesive EA-934NA are examined and tested over a range of test temperatures from -20 to 300 F. Tensile adhesion button and lap shear specimens were bonded to D6AC steel and uniaxial tensile specimens (testing for strength, initial tangent modulus, elongation and Poisson's ratio) were prepared using Hysol adhesive EA-934NA with 2.5 percent Cab-O-Sil added. These specimens were tested at -20, 20, 75, 100, 125, 150, 200, 250, and 300 F, respectively. Additional tensile adhesion button specimens bonding Rust-Oleum primed and painted D6AC steel to itself and to cork using adhesive EA-934NA with 2.5 percent Cab-O-Sil added were tested at 20, 75, 125, 200, and 300 F, respectively. Results generally show decreasing strength values with increasing test temperatures. The bond strengths obtained using cork as a substrate were totally dependent on the cohesive strength of the cork.

  8. 78 FR 54635 - Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for EA-18G Growler Airfield...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-09-05

    ... the potential environmental effects associated with the introduction of two additional EA-18G Growler... CONTACT: EA-18G EIS Project Manager (Code EV21/ SS); Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC... request should be submitted to: EA-18G EIS Project Manager (Code EV21/SS); Naval Facilities Engineering...

  9. Transcranial focused ultrasound stimulation of human primary visual cortex

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, Wonhye; Kim, Hyun-Chul; Jung, Yujin; Chung, Yong An; Song, In-Uk; Lee, Jong-Hwan; Yoo, Seung-Schik

    2016-09-01

    Transcranial focused ultrasound (FUS) is making progress as a new non-invasive mode of regional brain stimulation. Current evidence of FUS-mediated neurostimulation for humans has been limited to the observation of subjective sensory manifestations and electrophysiological responses, thus warranting the identification of stimulated brain regions. Here, we report FUS sonication of the primary visual cortex (V1) in humans, resulting in elicited activation not only from the sonicated brain area, but also from the network of regions involved in visual and higher-order cognitive processes (as revealed by simultaneous acquisition of blood-oxygenation-level-dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging). Accompanying phosphene perception was also reported. The electroencephalo graphic (EEG) responses showed distinct peaks associated with the stimulation. None of the participants showed any adverse effects from the sonication based on neuroimaging and neurological examinations. Retrospective numerical simulation of the acoustic profile showed the presence of individual variability in terms of the location and intensity of the acoustic focus. With exquisite spatial selectivity and capability for depth penetration, FUS may confer a unique utility in providing non-invasive stimulation of region-specific brain circuits for neuroscientific and therapeutic applications.

  10. [A sporadic case of episodic ataxia with nystagmus (EA-2)].

    PubMed

    Namekawa, M; Takiyama, Y; Ueno, N; Nishizawa, M

    1998-05-01

    A 39-year-old man with episodic ataxia with nystagmus (EA-2) was reported. He showed intermittent cerebellar dysfunction, i.e., ataxia, nystagmus, dysarthria and vertigo, since he was 10 years old. Although this attack lasted for several hours, he was normal with exception of interictal nystagmus. His parents and sister showed no episodic ataxia. We ruled out the diseases, which may cause episodic ataxia, such as multiple sclerosis, vascular disorders, metabolic disorders and congenital anomalies. He was released from the attack by treatment with acetazolamide. EA-2 has been associated with mutations in the alpha 1A-voltage dependent calcium channel gene (CACNL1A4), which is also affected in familial hemiplegic migraine (FMH) and spinocerebellar ataxia type 6 (SCA6). In EA-2, frame-shift mutation leading to premature stop and splice-site mutation leading to truncated, non-functional channel protein have been reported. However, our patient did not have the mutations in the CACNL1A4 gene that were previously reported. In addition, our patient did not have an expanded CAG allele in the CACNL1A4 gene which is responsible for SCA6. Further examination is required to address whether a new mutation exists in the CACNL1A4 gene in our patient.

  11. 76 FR 54525 - Notice of Availability of a Final Environmental Assessment (Final EA) and a Finding of No...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-09-01

    ... Environmental Assessment (Final EA) and a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI)/Record of Decision (ROD) for... Environmental Assessment (Final EA) and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI)/Record of Decision (ROD) for a...)/Record of Decision (ROD) based on the Final Environmental Assessment (Final EA) for a Proposed Airport...

  12. Multi-dimensional dynamics of stimulated Brillouin scattering in a laser speckle: Ion acoustic wave bowing, breakup, and laser-seeded two-ion-wave decay

    DOE PAGES

    Albright, B. J.; Yin, L.; Bowers, K. J.; ...

    2016-03-04

    Two- and three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations of stimulated Brillouin scattering(SBS) in laser speckle geometry have been analyzed to evaluate the relative importance of competing nonlinear processes in the evolution and saturation of SBS. It is found that ion-trapping-induced wavefront bowing and breakup of ion acoustic waves(IAW) and the associated side-loss of trapped ions dominate electron-trapping-induced IAW wavefront bowing and breakup, as well as the two-ion-wave decay instability over a range of ZT e/T i conditions and incident laser intensities. In the simulations, the latter instability does not govern the nonlinear saturation of SBS; however, evidence of two-ion-wave decay is seen, appearingmore » as a modulation of the ion acoustic wavefronts. This modulation is periodic in the laser polarization plane, anti-symmetric across the speckle axis, and of a wavenumber matching that of the incident laser pulse. Furthermore, a simple analytic model is provided for how spatial “imprinting” from a high frequency inhomogeneity (in this case, the density modulation from the laser) in an unstable system with continuum eigenmodes can selectively amplify modes with wavenumbers that match that of the inhomogeneity.« less

  13. View of Anderson removing the EAS during a session of EVA on Expedition 15

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2007-07-23

    ISS015-E-19140 (23 July 2007) --- Anchored to the Canadarm2 foot restraint, astronaut Clay Anderson, Expedition 15 flight engineer, removes the Early Ammonia Servicer (EAS) from its place on the International Space Station during a session of extravehicular activity (EVA). Anderson later jettisoned the EAS by shoving it opposite of the station's direction of travel. The EAS was installed on the P6 truss during STS-105 in August 2001, as an ammonia reservoir if a leak had occurred. It was never used, and was no longer needed after the permanent cooling system was activated last December. The blackness of space and Earth's horizon provide the backdrop for the scene.

  14. View of Anderson removing the EAS during a session of EVA on Expedition 15

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2007-07-23

    ISS015-E-19135 (23 July 2007) --- Anchored to the Canadarm2 foot restraint, astronaut Clay Anderson, Expedition 15 flight engineer, removes the Early Ammonia Servicer (EAS) from its place on the International Space Station during a session of extravehicular activity (EVA). Anderson later jettisoned the EAS by shoving it opposite of the station's direction of travel. The EAS was installed on the P6 truss during STS-105 in August 2001, as an ammonia reservoir if a leak had occurred. It was never used, and was no longer needed after the permanent cooling system was activated last December. The blackness of space and Earth's horizon provide the backdrop for the scene.

  15. Acoustical features of two Mayan monuments at Chichen Itza: Accident or design?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lubman, David

    2002-11-01

    Chichen Itza dominated the early postclassic Maya world, ca. 900-1200 C.E. Two of its colossal monuments, the Great Ball Court and the temple of Kukulkan, reflect the sophisticated, hybrid culture of a Mexicanized Maya civilization. The architecture seems intended for ceremony and ritual drama. Deducing ritual practices will advance the understanding of a lost civilization, but what took place there is largely unknown. Perhaps acoustical science can add value. Unexpected and unusual acoustical features can be interpreted as intriguing clues or irrelevant accidents. Acoustical advocates believe that, when combined with an understanding of the Maya worldview, acoustical features can provide unique insights into how the Maya designed and used theater spaces. At Chichen Itza's monuments, sound reinforcement features improve rulers and priests ability to address large crowds, and Ball Court whispering galleries permit speech communication over unexpectedly large distances. Handclaps at Kukulkan stimulate chirps that mimic a revered bird (''Kukul''), thus reinforcing cultic beliefs. A ball striking playing field wall stimulates flutter echoes at the Great Ball Court; their strength and duration arguably had dramatic, mythic, and practical significance. Interpretations of the possible mythic, magic, and political significance of sound phenomena at these Maya monuments strongly suggests intentional design.

  16. Target structures in the cochlea for infrared neural stimulation (INS)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Young, Hunter; Tan, Xiaodong; Richter, Claus-Peter

    2014-03-01

    Spatial selective infrared neural stimulation has potential to improve neural prostheses, including cochlear implants. The heating of a confined target volume depolarizes the cell membrane and results in an action potential. Tissue heating may also result in the generation of a stress relaxation wave causing mechanical stimulation of hair cells in the cochlea, creating an optoacoustic response. Data are presented that quantify the effect of an acoustical stimulus (noise masker) on the response obtained with INS in normal hearing, and chronic deaf animals. While in normal hearing animals an acoustic masker can reduce the response to INS, in chronic deaf animals this effect has not been detected. The responses to INS remain stable following the different degrees of cochlear damage.

  17. Business Architecture Development at Public Administration - Insights from Government EA Method Engineering Project in Finland

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Valtonen, Katariina; Leppänen, Mauri

    Governments worldwide are concerned for efficient production of services to customers. To improve quality of services and to make service production more efficient, information and communication technology (ICT) is largely exploited in public administration (PA). Succeeding in this exploitation calls for large-scale planning which embraces issues from strategic to technological level. In this planning the notion of enterprise architecture (EA) is commonly applied. One of the sub-architectures of EA is business architecture (BA). BA planning is challenging in PA due to a large number of stakeholders, a wide set of customers, and solid and hierarchical structures of organizations. To support EA planning in Finland, a project to engineer a government EA (GEA) method was launched. In this chapter, we analyze the discussions and outputs of the project workshops and reflect emerged issues on current e-government literature. We bring forth insights into and suggestions for government BA and its development.

  18. Analysis of sound absorption performance of an electroacoustic absorber using a vented enclosure

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cho, Youngeun; Wang, Semyung; Hyun, Jaeyub; Oh, Seungjae; Goo, Seongyeol

    2018-03-01

    The sound absorption performance of an electroacoustic absorber (EA) is primarily influenced by the dynamic characteristics of the loudspeaker that acts as the actuator of the EA system. Therefore, the sound absorption performance of the EA is maximum at the resonance frequency of the loudspeaker and tends to degrade in the low-frequency and high-frequency bands based on this resonance frequency. In this study, to adjust the sound absorption performance of the EA system in the low-frequency band of approximately 20-80 Hz, an EA system using a vented enclosure that has previously been used to enhance the radiating sound pressure of a loudspeaker in the low-frequency band, is proposed. To verify the usefulness of the proposed system, two acoustic environments are considered. In the first acoustic environment, the vent of the vented enclosure is connected to an external sound field that is distinct from the sound field coupled to the EA. In this case, the acoustic effect of the vented enclosure on the performance of the EA is analyzed through an analytical approach using dynamic equations and an impedance-based equivalent circuit. Then, it is verified through numerical and experimental approaches. Next, in the second acoustic environment, the vent is connected to the same external sound field as the EA. In this case, the effect of the vented enclosure on the EA is investigated through an analytical approach and finally verified through a numerical approach. As a result, it is confirmed that the characteristics of the sound absorption performances of the proposed EA system using the vented enclosure in the two acoustic environments considered in this study are different from each other in the low-frequency band of approximately 20-80 Hz. Furthermore, several case studies on the change tendency of the performance of the EA using the vented enclosure according to the critical design factors or vent number for the vented enclosure are also investigated. In the future

  19. Speech disorders in Parkinson's disease: early diagnostics and effects of medication and brain stimulation.

    PubMed

    Brabenec, L; Mekyska, J; Galaz, Z; Rektorova, Irena

    2017-03-01

    Hypokinetic dysarthria (HD) occurs in 90% of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. It manifests specifically in the areas of articulation, phonation, prosody, speech fluency, and faciokinesis. We aimed to systematically review papers on HD in PD with a special focus on (1) early PD diagnosis and monitoring of the disease progression using acoustic voice and speech analysis, and (2) functional imaging studies exploring neural correlates of HD in PD, and (3) clinical studies using acoustic analysis to evaluate effects of dopaminergic medication and brain stimulation. A systematic literature search of articles written in English before March 2016 was conducted in the Web of Science, PubMed, SpringerLink, and IEEE Xplore databases using and combining specific relevant keywords. Articles were categorized into three groups: (1) articles focused on neural correlates of HD in PD using functional imaging (n = 13); (2) articles dealing with the acoustic analysis of HD in PD (n = 52); and (3) articles concerning specifically dopaminergic and brain stimulation-related effects as assessed by acoustic analysis (n = 31); the groups were then reviewed. We identified 14 combinations of speech tasks and acoustic features that can be recommended for use in describing the main features of HD in PD. While only a few acoustic parameters correlate with limb motor symptoms and can be partially relieved by dopaminergic medication, HD in PD seems to be mainly related to non-dopaminergic deficits and associated particularly with non-motor symptoms. Future studies should combine non-invasive brain stimulation with voice behavior approaches to achieve the best treatment effects by enhancing auditory-motor integration.

  20. Acoustic pressure wound therapy to facilitate granulation tissue in sacral pressure ulcers in patients with compromised mobility: a case series.

    PubMed

    Schmuckler, Jo

    2008-08-01

    Electrical stimulation and other modalities are recommended for treatment of pressure ulcers in spinal cord injury patients but their use may be limited by clinical contraindications such as necrosis and infection. Acoustic pressure wound therapy can be used to address infection and has no known contraindications related to wound status. A retrospective nonconsecutive study was conducted involving five inpatients with sacral pressure ulcers and compromised mobility (spinal cord injury, ventilator/mobility dependency, or persistent vegetative state) treated with acoustic pressure wound therapy three times per week, 4 to 6 minutes per session, for 5 weeks to 5.5 months. Acoustic pressure wound therapy was administered until necrotic tissue was removed, granulation was complete, drainage resolved to moderate levels, and wound size was compatible with indications for high-voltage electrical stimulation. Within 1 to 4 weeks of starting acoustic pressure wound therapy, four out of five wounds with substantial yellow slough or eschar demonstrated 100% granulation tissue and wound area and volume decreased 71% to 97% and 75% to 99%, respectively. Subsequent treatments included electrical stimulation alone (three patients) or in conjunction with negative pressure wound therapy (one patient), and silver foam (one patient). Acoustic pressure wound therapy was found to be an effective option in preparing wounds for subsequent therapy.

  1. Microscopic Behavior Of Colloidal Particles Under The Effect Of Acoustic Stimulations In The Ultrasonic To Megasonic Range

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abdel-Fattah, Amr I.; Roberts, Peter M.

    2006-05-01

    It is well known that colloid attachment and detachment at solid surfaces are influenced strongly by physico-chemical conditions controlling electric double layer (EDL) and solvation-layer effects. We present experimental observations demonstrating that, in addition, acoustic waves can produce strong effects on colloid/surface interactions that can alter the behavior of colloid and fluid transport in porous media. Microscopic colloid visualization experiments were performed with polystyrene micro-spheres suspended in water in a parallel-plate glass flow cell. When acoustic energy was applied to the cell at frequencies from 500 kHz to 5 MHz, changes in colloid attachment to and detachment from the glass cell surfaces were observed. Quantitative measurements of acoustically-induced detachment of 300-nm microspheres in 0.1M NaCl solution demonstrated that roughly 30% of the colloids that were attached to the glass cell wall during flow alone could be detached rapidly by applying acoustics at frequencies in the range of 0.7 to 1.2 MHz. The remaining attached colloids could not be detached by acoustics. This implies the existence of both "strong" and "weak" attachment sites at the cell surface. Subsequent re-attachment of colloids with acoustics turned off occurred only at new, previously unoccupied sites. Thus, acoustics appears to accelerate simultaneously both the deactivation of existing weak sites where colloids are already attached, and the activation of new weak sites where future attachments can occur. Our observations indicate that acoustics (and, in general, dynamic stress) can influence colloid-colloid and colloid-surface interactions in ways that could cause significant changes in porous-media permeability and mass transport. This would occur due to either buildup or release of colloids present in the porous matrix.

  2. Post-Starburst Galaxies At The End of The E+A Phase

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Charles; Marinelli, Mariarosa; Chang, Madeleine; Lyczko, Camilla; Vega Orozco, Cecilia; SDSS-IV Collaboration

    2018-06-01

    Post-starburst galaxies, once thought to be rare curiosities, are now recognized to represent a key phase in the galaxy evolution. The post-starburst, or E+A phase, should however not be considered as a single, short-lived phenomenon; rather, it is an extended evolutionary process that occurs a galaxy transitions from an actively star-forming system into a quiescent one. We present a study of nearby galaxies at or near the end of the E+A phase, wherein all star formation has been quenched, the fossilized stellar population of the most recent starburst is highly localized, and the remainder of the galaxy's stellar population is old and quiescent. The luminosity and stellar age distribution of these "end-phase E+As" can provide insights into the evolution of galaxies onto and within the red sequence, from active to passive systems. This work is supported by National Science Foundation grants to CUNY College of Staten Island and the American Museum of Natural History; the College of Staten Island Office of Academic Affairs; the Sherman Fairchild Science Pathways Scholars Program (SP^2) at Barnard College; and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

  3. 7 CFR 4280.190 - EA/REDA grant applications-content.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... America Program General Energy Audit and Renewable Energy Development Assistance Grants § 4280.190 EA/REDA...) Applicant's experience as follows: (i) If applying for a renewable energy development assistance grant, the applicant's experience in completing similar renewable energy development assistance activities, including...

  4. 7 CFR 4280.190 - EA/REDA grant applications-content.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... America Program General Energy Audit and Renewable Energy Development Assistance Grants § 4280.190 EA/REDA...) Applicant's experience as follows: (i) If applying for a renewable energy development assistance grant, the applicant's experience in completing similar renewable energy development assistance activities, including...

  5. 7 CFR 4280.190 - EA/REDA grant applications-content.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... America Program General Energy Audit and Renewable Energy Development Assistance Grants § 4280.190 EA/REDA...) Applicant's experience as follows: (i) If applying for a renewable energy development assistance grant, the applicant's experience in completing similar renewable energy development assistance activities, including...

  6. Auditory responses to electric and infrared neural stimulation of the rat cochlear nucleus.

    PubMed

    Verma, Rohit U; Guex, Amélie A; Hancock, Kenneth E; Durakovic, Nedim; McKay, Colette M; Slama, Michaël C C; Brown, M Christian; Lee, Daniel J

    2014-04-01

    In an effort to improve the auditory brainstem implant, a prosthesis in which user outcomes are modest, we applied electric and infrared neural stimulation (INS) to the cochlear nucleus in a rat animal model. Electric stimulation evoked regions of neural activation in the inferior colliculus and short-latency, multipeaked auditory brainstem responses (ABRs). Pulsed INS, delivered to the surface of the cochlear nucleus via an optical fiber, evoked broad neural activation in the inferior colliculus. Strongest responses were recorded when the fiber was placed at lateral positions on the cochlear nucleus, close to the temporal bone. INS-evoked ABRs were multipeaked but longer in latency than those for electric stimulation; they resembled the responses to acoustic stimulation. After deafening, responses to electric stimulation persisted, whereas those to INS disappeared, consistent with a reported "optophonic" effect, a laser-induced acoustic artifact. Thus, for deaf individuals who use the auditory brainstem implant, INS alone did not appear promising as a new approach. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. 32 CFR 651.33 - Actions normally requiring an EA.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... normally requiring an EA during the life cycle include, but are not limited to, testing, production... will use hazardous chemicals, drugs, or biological or radioactive materials. (p) An activity that affects a federally listed threatened or endangered plant or animal species, a federal candidate species...

  8. 32 CFR 651.33 - Actions normally requiring an EA.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... normally requiring an EA during the life cycle include, but are not limited to, testing, production... will use hazardous chemicals, drugs, or biological or radioactive materials. (p) An activity that affects a federally listed threatened or endangered plant or animal species, a federal candidate species...

  9. 32 CFR 651.33 - Actions normally requiring an EA.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... normally requiring an EA during the life cycle include, but are not limited to, testing, production... will use hazardous chemicals, drugs, or biological or radioactive materials. (p) An activity that affects a federally listed threatened or endangered plant or animal species, a federal candidate species...

  10. Auditory stimulation of sleep slow oscillations modulates subsequent memory encoding through altered hippocampal function

    PubMed Central

    Ong, Ju Lynn; Chee, Nicholas I Y N; Lee, Xuan Kai; Poh, Jia-Hou; Chee, Michael W L

    2018-01-01

    Abstract Study Objectives Slow oscillations (SO) during sleep contribute to the consolidation of learned material. How the encoding of declarative memories during subsequent wakefulness might benefit from their enhancement during sleep is less clear. In this study, we investigated the impact of acoustically enhanced SO during a nap on subsequent encoding of declarative material. Methods Thirty-seven healthy young adults were studied under two conditions: stimulation (STIM) and no stimulation (SHAM), in counter-balanced order following a night of sleep restriction (4 hr time-in-bed [TIB]). In the STIM condition, auditory tones were phase-locked to the SO up-state during a 90 min nap opportunity. In the SHAM condition, corresponding time points were marked but tones were not presented. Thirty minutes after awakening, participants encoded pictures while undergoing fMRI. Picture recognition was tested 60 min later. Results Acoustic stimulation augmented SO across the group, but there was no group level benefit on memory. However, the magnitude of SO enhancement correlated with greater recollection. SO enhancement was also positively correlated with hippocampal activation at encoding. Although spindle activity increased, this did not correlate with memory benefit or shift in hippocampal signal. Conclusions Acoustic stimulation during a nap can benefit encoding of declarative memories. Hippocampal activation positively correlated with SO augmentation. PMID:29425369

  11. Auditory stimulation of sleep slow oscillations modulates subsequent memory encoding through altered hippocampal function.

    PubMed

    Ong, Ju Lynn; Patanaik, Amiya; Chee, Nicholas I Y N; Lee, Xuan Kai; Poh, Jia-Hou; Chee, Michael W L

    2018-05-01

    Slow oscillations (SO) during sleep contribute to the consolidation of learned material. How the encoding of declarative memories during subsequent wakefulness might benefit from their enhancement during sleep is less clear. In this study, we investigated the impact of acoustically enhanced SO during a nap on subsequent encoding of declarative material. Thirty-seven healthy young adults were studied under two conditions: stimulation (STIM) and no stimulation (SHAM), in counter-balanced order following a night of sleep restriction (4 hr time-in-bed [TIB]). In the STIM condition, auditory tones were phase-locked to the SO up-state during a 90 min nap opportunity. In the SHAM condition, corresponding time points were marked but tones were not presented. Thirty minutes after awakening, participants encoded pictures while undergoing fMRI. Picture recognition was tested 60 min later. Acoustic stimulation augmented SO across the group, but there was no group level benefit on memory. However, the magnitude of SO enhancement correlated with greater recollection. SO enhancement was also positively correlated with hippocampal activation at encoding. Although spindle activity increased, this did not correlate with memory benefit or shift in hippocampal signal. Acoustic stimulation during a nap can benefit encoding of declarative memories. Hippocampal activation positively correlated with SO augmentation.

  12. Ultrasound neuro-modulation chip: activation of sensory neurons in Caenorhabditis elegans by surface acoustic waves.

    PubMed

    Zhou, Wei; Wang, Jingjing; Wang, Kaiyue; Huang, Bin; Niu, Lili; Li, Fei; Cai, Feiyan; Chen, Yan; Liu, Xin; Zhang, Xiaoyan; Cheng, Hankui; Kang, Lijun; Meng, Long; Zheng, Hairong

    2017-05-16

    Ultrasound neuro-modulation has gained increasing attention as a non-invasive method. In this paper, we present an ultrasound neuro-modulation chip, capable of initiating reversal behaviour and activating neurons of C. elegans under the stimulation of a single-shot, short-pulsed ultrasound. About 85.29% ± 6.17% of worms respond to the ultrasound stimulation exhibiting reversal behaviour. Furthermore, the worms can adapt to the ultrasound stimulation with a lower acoustic pulse duration of stimulation. In vivo calcium imaging shows that the activity of ASH, a polymodal sensory neuron in C. elegans, can be directly evoked by the ultrasound stimulation. On the other hand, AFD, a thermal sensitive neuron, cannot be activated by the ultrasound stimulation using the same parameter and the temperature elevation during the stimulation process is relatively small. Consistent with the calcium imaging results, the tax-4 mutants, which are insensitive to temperature increase, do not show a significant difference in avoidance probability compared to the wild type. Therefore, the mechanical effects induced by ultrasound are the main reason for neural and behavioural modulation of C. elegans. With the advantages of confined acoustic energy on the surface, compatible with standard calcium imaging, this neuro-modulation chip could be a powerful tool for revealing the molecular mechanisms of ultrasound neuro-modulation.

  13. Changes in Regional Brain Homogeneity Induced by Electro-Acupuncture Stimulation at the Baihui Acupoint in Healthy Subjects: A Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study.

    PubMed

    Deng, Demao; Duan, Gaoxiong; Liao, Hai; Liu, Yanfei; Wang, Geliang; Liu, Huimei; Tang, Lijun; Pang, Yong; Tao, Jien; He, Xin; Yuan, Wenzhao; Liu, Peng

    2016-10-01

    According to the Traditional Chinese Medicine theory of acupuncture, Baihui (GV20) is applied to treat neurological and psychiatric disorders. However, the relationships between neural responses and GV20 remain unknown. Thus, the main aim of this study was to examine the brain responses induced by electro-acupuncture stimulation (EAS) at GV20. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was performed in 33 healthy subjects. Based on the non-repeated event-related (NRER) paradigm, group differences were examined between GV20 and a sham acupoint using the regional homogeneity (ReHo) method. Compared with the sham acupoint, EAS at GV20 induced increased ReHo in regions including the orbital frontal cortex (OFC), middle cingulate cortex (MCC), precentral cortex, and precuneus (preCUN). Decreased ReHo was found in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), supplementary motor area (SMA), thalamus, putamen, and cerebellum. The current findings provide preliminary neuroimaging evidence to indicate that EAS at GV20 could induce a specific pattern of neural responses by analysis of ReHo of brain activity. These findings might improve the understanding of mechanisms of acupuncture stimulation at GV20.

  14. 47 CFR 90.683 - EA-based SMR system operations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... operate base stations using any of the base station frequencies identified in their spectrum block... use of frequencies identified in their spectrum block, including the provisions of § 90.619 relating... authorization for a previously authorized co-channel station within the EA licensee's spectrum block is...

  15. 47 CFR 90.683 - EA-based SMR system operations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... operate base stations using any of the base station frequencies identified in their spectrum block... use of frequencies identified in their spectrum block, including the provisions of § 90.619 relating... authorization for a previously authorized co-channel station within the EA licensee's spectrum block is...

  16. 47 CFR 90.683 - EA-based SMR system operations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... operate base stations using any of the base station frequencies identified in their spectrum block... use of frequencies identified in their spectrum block, including the provisions of § 90.619 relating... authorization for a previously authorized co-channel station within the EA licensee's spectrum block is...

  17. Comparing acoustic measurement data in eastern margin of Sea of Japan and Umitaka Spur

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kondo, M., IV; Aoyama, C.

    2017-12-01

    Recently, methane hydrate is gaining remarkable attention for the abundant amount in the sea area around Japan, and also for its carbon dioxide emission amount being as little as that of natural resources when being combusted. Two types of methane hydrates are known to exist, depending on the settings. Sand layer type methane hydrate contains sand particles and is extracted mainly in the Pacific Ocean, around 100 to 400m below seafloor. On the other hand, shallow type is found around 100m below seafloor in the Sea of Japan, in clumps, veins, and particles. One of the extraction methods of shallow type methane hydrate observed in the Sea of Japan is the seabed exploration system using acoustic equipment, which Chiharu Aoyama owns patent. Methane plumes often exist in the vicinity of shallow type methane hydrate and these seeping plumes are visualized as images on acoustic instruments such as quantitative echo sounder and multi-beam echo sounder (hereinafter referred to as MBES). These images look like rising beams on monitors and are called gas plumes. Methane hydrate can be explored effectively in the area using this method and it is understood that even when the same plume is examined, backscattering strength data (hereinafter referred as SV) observed using acoustic equipment will not be the same on quantitative echo sounder and MBES. In June 2017, measurement of acoustic data using multi-beam sonar (EM122) and quantitative echo sounder (EA600) were performed onboard DAIICHI KAIYOMARU (KAIYO ENGINEERING CO., LTD) at eastern margin of Sea of Japn and at Umitaka Spur. In this study, author will make comparisons of the acoustic data.

  18. COMPACT E+A GALAXIES AS A PROGENITOR OF MASSIVE COMPACT QUIESCENT GALAXIES AT 0.2 < z < 0.8

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Zahid, H. Jabran; Hochmuth, Nicholas Baeza; Geller, Margaret J.

    We search the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and the Baryon Oscillation Sky Survey to identify ∼5500 massive compact quiescent galaxy candidates at 0.2 < z < 0.8. We robustly classify a subsample of 438 E+A galaxies based on their spectral properties and make this catalog publicly available. We examine sizes, stellar population ages, and kinematics of galaxies in the sample and show that the physical properties of compact E+A galaxies suggest that they are a progenitor of massive compact quiescent galaxies. Thus, two classes of objects—compact E+A and compact quiescent galaxies—may be linked by a common formation scenario. The typicalmore » stellar population age of compact E+A galaxies is <1 Gyr. The existence of compact E+A galaxies with young stellar populations at 0.2 < z < 0.8 means that some compact quiescent galaxies first appear at intermediate redshifts. We derive a lower limit for the number density of compact E+A galaxies. Assuming passive evolution, we convert this number density into an appearance rate of new compact quiescent galaxies at 0.2 < z < 0.8. The lower limit number density of compact quiescent galaxies that may appear at z < 0.8 is comparable to the lower limit of the total number density of compact quiescent galaxies at these intermediate redshifts. Thus, a substantial fraction of the z < 0.8 massive compact quiescent galaxy population may descend from compact E+A galaxies at intermediate redshifts.« less

  19. Thomson-Scattering Study of the Subharmonic Decay of Ion-Acoustic Waves Driven by the Brillouin Instability

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bandulet, H. C.; Labaune, C.; Lewis, K.; Depierreux, S.

    2004-07-01

    Thomson scattering (TS) has been used to investigate the two-ion decay instability of ion acoustic waves generated by stimulated Brillouin scattering in an underdense CH plasma. Two complementary TS diagnostics, spectrally and spatially resolved, demonstrate the occurrence of the subharmonic decay of the primary ion acoustic wave into two secondary waves. The study of the laser intensity dependence shows that the secondary ion acoustic waves are correlated with the SBS reflectivity saturation, at a level of a few percent.

  20. View of EAS as it moves away from the ISS during Expedition 15

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2007-07-23

    ISS015-E-18967 (23 July 2007) --- An Early Ammonia Servicer (EAS) moves away from the International Space Station after it was jettisoned by astronaut Clay Anderson (out of frame), Expedition 15 flight engineer, during today's session of extravehicular activity (EVA). The EAS was installed on the P6 truss during STS-105 in August 2001, as an ammonia reservoir if a leak had occurred. It was never used, and was no longer needed after the permanent cooling system was activated last December.

  1. [Status and progress of stimulating parameters in acupuncture treatment of ischemic cerebrovascular disease].

    PubMed

    Wei, Yuan-yuan; Fan, Xiao-nong; Wang, Shu; Shi, Xue-min

    2008-08-01

    Acute ischemic cerebrovascular disease is one of the critical diseases seriously endangering human health. Acupuncture therapy, an effective treatment method for many types of disorders has been generally acknowledged. In recent years, many scientific researchers have studied the relationship between the effects of acupuncture in relieving cerebral ischemia-induced sequelae and the stimulating parameters. The acupuncture stimulating parameter includes the frequency of electroacupuncture (EA), the frequency of acupuncture treatment, and the acquired quantity of stimulation, etc for clinical patients and experimental animals. It was found that different stimulating parameters may have different efficacies. Current research results provide a good basis not only for analysis of the factors of acupuncture-produced effects, but also for determination of the optimal combination of stimulating parameters. However, acupuncture therapeutic effect involves multiple factors and multiple levels, and current quantitative acupuncture parameter researches have been mainly restricted to animal experiments. Hence, more researches in which statistics specialists take part are definitely needed.

  2. MODELING AND DESIGN STUDY USING HFC-236EA AS AN ALTERNATIVE REFRIGERANT IN A CENTRIFUGAL COMPRESSOR

    EPA Science Inventory

    The report gives results of an investigation of the operation of a centrifugal compressor--part of a chlorofluorocarbon (CFC)-114 chiller installation--with the new refrigerant hydrofluorocarbon (HFC)-236ea, a proposed alternative to CFC-114. A large set of CFC-236ea operating da...

  3. The muon content of EAS as a function of primary energy

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Blake, P. R.; Nash, W. F.; Saich, M. S.; Sephton, A. J.

    1985-01-01

    The muon content of extensive air showers (EAS) was measured over the wide primary energy range 10 to the 16th power to 10 to the 20th power eV. It is reported that the relative muon content of EAS decreases smoothly over the energy range 10 to the 17th power to 10 to the 19th power eV and concluded that the primary cosmic ray flux has a constant mass composition over this range. It is also reported that an apparent significant change in the power index occurs below 10 to the 17th power eV rho sub c (250 m) sup 0.78. Such a change indicates a significant change in primary mass composition in this range. The earlier conclusions concerning EAS of energy 10 to the 17th power eV are confirmed. Analysis of data in the 10 to the 16th power - 10 to the 17th power eV range revealed a previously overlooked selection bias in the data set. The full analysis of the complete data set in the energy range 10 to the 16th power - 10 to the 17th power ev with the selection bias eliminated is presented.

  4. 32 CFR 651.24 - Supplemental EAs and supplemental EISs.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 32 National Defense 4 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Supplemental EAs and supplemental EISs. 651.24 Section 651.24 National Defense Department of Defense (Continued) DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY (CONTINUED) ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS OF ARMY ACTIONS (AR 200-2) Records and Documents § 651.24...

  5. 7 CFR 1794.23 - Proposals normally requiring an EA.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... classification are: (1) Construction of fuel cell, combustion turbine, combined cycle, or diesel generating... be covered in the EA; (2) Construction of fuel cell, combustion turbine, combined cycle, or diesel... boundaries. (12) Installing a heat recovery steam generator and steam turbine with a rating of more than 200...

  6. Effect of acute acoustic stress on anorectal function sensation in healthy human.

    PubMed

    Gonlachanvit, S; Rhee, J; Sun, W M; Chey, W D

    2005-04-01

    Little is known about the effects of acute acoustic stress on anorectal function. To determine the effects of acute acoustic stress on anorectal function and sensation in healthy volunteers. Ten healthy volunteers (7 M, 3 F, mean age 34 +/- 3 years) underwent anorectal manometry, testing of rectal compliance and sensation using a barostat with and without acute noise stress on separate days. Rectal perception was assessed using an ascending method of limits protocol and a 5-point Likert scale. Arousal and anxiety status were evaluated using a visual analogue scale. Acoustic stress significantly increased anxiety score (P < 0.05). Rectal compliance was significantly decreased with acoustic stress compared with control P (P < 0.000001). In addition, less intraballoon volume was needed to induce the sensation of severe urgency with acoustic stress (P < 0.05). Acoustic stress had no effect on hemodynamic parameters, anal sphincter pressure, threshold for first sensation, sensation of stool, or pain. Acute acoustic stimulation increased anxiety scores, decreased rectal compliance, and enhanced perception of severe urgency to balloon distention but did not affect anal sphincter pressure in healthy volunteers. These results may offer insight into the pathogenesis of stress-in-induced diarrhoea and faecal urgency.

  7. 33 CFR 230.7 - Actions normally requiring an Environmental Assessment (EA) but not necessarily an EIS.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... Environmental Assessment (EA) but not necessarily an EIS. 230.7 Section 230.7 Navigation and Navigable Waters CORPS OF ENGINEERS, DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE PROCEDURES FOR IMPLEMENTING NEPA § 230.7 Actions normally requiring an Environmental Assessment (EA) but not necessarily an EIS. Actions...

  8. 33 CFR 230.7 - Actions normally requiring an Environmental Assessment (EA) but not necessarily an EIS.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... Environmental Assessment (EA) but not necessarily an EIS. 230.7 Section 230.7 Navigation and Navigable Waters CORPS OF ENGINEERS, DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE PROCEDURES FOR IMPLEMENTING NEPA § 230.7 Actions normally requiring an Environmental Assessment (EA) but not necessarily an EIS. Actions...

  9. 33 CFR 230.7 - Actions normally requiring an Environmental Assessment (EA) but not necessarily an EIS.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... Environmental Assessment (EA) but not necessarily an EIS. 230.7 Section 230.7 Navigation and Navigable Waters CORPS OF ENGINEERS, DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE PROCEDURES FOR IMPLEMENTING NEPA § 230.7 Actions normally requiring an Environmental Assessment (EA) but not necessarily an EIS. Actions...

  10. 33 CFR 230.7 - Actions normally requiring an Environmental Assessment (EA) but not necessarily an EIS.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... Environmental Assessment (EA) but not necessarily an EIS. 230.7 Section 230.7 Navigation and Navigable Waters CORPS OF ENGINEERS, DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE PROCEDURES FOR IMPLEMENTING NEPA § 230.7 Actions normally requiring an Environmental Assessment (EA) but not necessarily an EIS. Actions...

  11. 33 CFR 230.7 - Actions normally requiring an Environmental Assessment (EA) but not necessarily an EIS.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... Environmental Assessment (EA) but not necessarily an EIS. 230.7 Section 230.7 Navigation and Navigable Waters CORPS OF ENGINEERS, DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE PROCEDURES FOR IMPLEMENTING NEPA § 230.7 Actions normally requiring an Environmental Assessment (EA) but not necessarily an EIS. Actions...

  12. Comparison of tone burst versus logon stimulation for vestibular evoked myogenic potentials.

    PubMed

    Ozdek, Ali; Bayır, Omer; Tatar, Emel Cadallı; Korkmaz, Mehmet Hakan

    2012-05-01

    The following study has been carried out to compare the effectiveness of logon and tone burst acoustic stimulation to elicit vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP) responses. The methods and the subjects include 31 healthy adult volunteers (62 ears) who were enrolled in this study. Two different acoustic stimuli, logon (L-VEMP) and tone burst (T-VEMP), were used to elicit VEMP responses in each subject. Bilateral recordings with simultaneous binaural acoustic stimulations were used during VEMP recordings. During the recording period, the subjects were in supine position with their head elevated. The results observed were that the response rate of p1n1 wave was 91.9% for L-VEMP and 88.7% for T-VEMP. The response rate of n2p2 wave was 80.6% for L-VEMP, and 75.8% for T-VEMP. There were no significant differences between the two groups with respect to the latencies of p1, n1, n2 and p2, p1n1 and n2p2 interval, and p1n1 and n2p2 amplitude. The conclusion was that there was no difference between logon and tone burst stimulation with respect to VEMP response rates and VEMP parameters. Therefore, they are not superior to each other.

  13. Early Bimodal Stimulation Benefits Language Acquisition for Children With Cochlear Implants.

    PubMed

    Moberly, Aaron C; Lowenstein, Joanna H; Nittrouer, Susan

    2016-01-01

    Adding a low-frequency acoustic signal to the cochlear implant (CI) signal (i.e., bimodal stimulation) for a period of time early in life improves language acquisition. Children must acquire sensitivity to the phonemic units of language to develop most language-related skills, including expressive vocabulary, working memory, and reading. Acquiring sensitivity to phonemic structure depends largely on having refined spectral (frequency) representations available in the signal, which does not happen with CIs alone. Combining the low-frequency acoustic signal available through hearing aids with the CI signal can enhance signal quality. A period with this bimodal stimulation has been shown to improve language skills in very young children. This study examined whether these benefits persist into childhood. Data were examined for 48 children with CIs implanted under age 3 years, participating in a longitudinal study. All children wore hearing aids before receiving a CI, but upon receiving a first CI, 24 children had at least 1 year of bimodal stimulation (Bimodal group), and 24 children had only electric stimulation subsequent to implantation (CI-only group). Measures of phonemic awareness were obtained at second and fourth grades, along with measures of expressive vocabulary, working memory, and reading. Children in the Bimodal group generally performed better on measures of phonemic awareness, and that advantage was reflected in other language measures. Having even a brief period of time early in life with combined electric-acoustic input provides benefits to language learning into childhood, likely because of the enhancement in spectral representations provided.

  14. The effects of Thalamic Deep Brain Stimulation on speech dynamics in patients with Essential Tremor: An articulographic study.

    PubMed

    Mücke, Doris; Hermes, Anne; Roettger, Timo B; Becker, Johannes; Niemann, Henrik; Dembek, Till A; Timmermann, Lars; Visser-Vandewalle, Veerle; Fink, Gereon R; Grice, Martine; Barbe, Michael T

    2018-01-01

    Acoustic studies have revealed that patients with Essential Tremor treated with thalamic Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) may suffer from speech deterioration in terms of imprecise oral articulation and reduced voicing control. Based on the acoustic signal one cannot infer, however, whether this deterioration is due to a general slowing down of the speech motor system (e.g., a target undershoot of a desired articulatory goal resulting from being too slow) or disturbed coordination (e.g., a target undershoot caused by problems with the relative phasing of articulatory movements). To elucidate this issue further, we here investigated both acoustics and articulatory patterns of the labial and lingual system using Electromagnetic Articulography (EMA) in twelve Essential Tremor patients treated with thalamic DBS and twelve age- and sex-matched controls. By comparing patients with activated (DBS-ON) and inactivated stimulation (DBS-OFF) with control speakers, we show that critical changes in speech dynamics occur on two levels: With inactivated stimulation (DBS-OFF), patients showed coordination problems of the labial and lingual system in terms of articulatory imprecision and slowness. These effects of articulatory discoordination worsened under activated stimulation, accompanied by an additional overall slowing down of the speech motor system. This leads to a poor performance of syllables on the acoustic surface, reflecting an aggravation either of pre-existing cerebellar deficits and/or the affection of the upper motor fibers of the internal capsule.

  15. Stimulated Brillouin scatter and stimulated ion Bernstein scatter during electron gyroharmonic heating experiments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fu, H.; Scales, W. A.; Bernhardt, P. A.; Samimi, A.; Mahmoudian, A.; Briczinski, S. J.; McCarrick, M. J.

    2013-09-01

    Results of secondary radiation, Stimulated Electromagnetic Emission (SEE), produced during ionospheric modification experiments using ground-based high-power radio waves are reported. These results obtained at the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) facility specifically considered the generation of Magnetized Stimulated Brillouin Scatter (MSBS) and Stimulated Ion Bernstein Scatter (SIBS) lines in the SEE spectrum when the transmitter frequency is near harmonics of the electron gyrofrequency. The heater antenna beam angle effect was investigated on MSBS in detail and shows a new spectral line postulated to be generated near the upper hybrid resonance region due to ion acoustic wave interaction. Frequency sweeping experiments near the electron gyroharmonics show for the first time the transition from MSBS to SIBS lines as the heater pump frequency approaches the gyroharmonic. Significantly far from the gyroharmonic, MSBS lines dominate, while close to the gyroharmonic, SIBS lines strengthen while MSBS lines weaken. New possibilities for diagnostic information are discussed in light of these new observations.

  16. Escaping the maze: micro-swimmers using acoustic forces to navigate

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Louf, Jean-Francois; Dollet, Benjamin; Stephan, Olivier; Marmottant, Philippe

    2017-11-01

    The goal of this study is to make 3D micro-swimmers containing a bubble that can be stimulated with acoustic waves emitted by a transducer, and whose direction is accurately controlled. By using 3D micro-fabrication techniques, we designed 40x40 μm swimmers with a trapped air bubble. We then applied acoustic vibration to the bubble, which generates a strong steady flow (1-100 mm/s) behind it, an effect referred as acoustic streaming. However, independently from the orientation of the bubble and thus from the flow, the motion of the swimmer is found to be towards the transducer. This suggests that primary Bjerknes forces, i.e. acoustic radiation forces, are involved. Subsequently, using different transducers located at different points, we could be able to navigate the swimmer in a chosen direction. The next step of our study is to use a stationary wave and Bjerknes forces to bring encapsulated objects in a pressure node. Without bubbles, the effect of acoustic streaming on big objects of more than a micrometer is not sufficient to generate motion. However, with the presence of bubbles, our swimmers should be able to move. ERC BUBBLEBOOST.

  17. 47 CFR 90.683 - EA-based SMR system operations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... operate base stations using any of the base station frequencies identified in their spectrum block... base stations at any location on the border of the EA service area in accordance with § 90.689; (4... with § 90.621(b), to all previously authorized co-channel stations that are not associated with another...

  18. Speed of sound and ideal-gas heat capacity of freon R-236ea

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Komarov, S. G.; Gruzdev, V. A.; Stankus, S. V.

    2008-09-01

    Speed of sound in the gaseous freon R-236ea with the purity of 99.68 mol. % has been measured by the method of ultrasonic interferometer in the range from 263 to 423 K and at pressures from 17 kPA to 4.2 MPa. Errors of temperature, pressure, and speed of sound measurement were estimated to be within +/- 20 mK, ± 1.5 kPa, and ±(0.1+0.2) % respectively. Temperature dependence of ideal-gas heat capacity of R-236ea has been calculated on the basis of the obtained data.

  19. Spatially resolved medium resolution spectroscopy of an interacting E+A (post-starburst) system with the Subaru Telescope

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Goto, Tomotsugu; Yagi, Masafumi; Yamauchi, Chisato

    2008-12-01

    We have performed spatially resolved medium resolution long-slit spectroscopy of a nearby E+A (post-starburst) galaxy system, SDSSJ161330.18+510335.5, with the FOCAS spectrograph mounted on the Subaru Telescope. This E+A galaxy has an obvious companion galaxy 14kpc in front with the velocity difference of 61.8kms-1. Both galaxies have obviously disturbed morphology. Thus, this E+A system provides us with a perfect opportunity to investigate the relation between the post-starburst phenomena and galaxy-galaxy interaction. We have found that the Hδ equivalent width (EW) of the E+A galaxy is greater than 7Å galaxy wide (8.5kpc) with no significant spatial variation. The E+A galaxy has a weak [OIII] emission (EW ~ 1Å) offset by ~2.6kpc from the peak of the Balmer absorption lines. We detected a rotational velocity in the companion galaxy of >175kms-1. The progenitor of the companion may have been a rotationally supported, but yet passive S0 galaxy. We did not detect significant rotation on the E+A galaxy. A metallicity estimate based on the r - H colour suggests Z = 0.008 and 0.02, for the E+A and the companion galaxies, respectively. Assuming these metallicity estimates, the age of the E+A galaxy after quenching the star formation is estimated to be 100-500Myr, with its centre having a slightly younger stellar population. The companion galaxy is estimated to have an older stellar population of >2Gyr of age with no significant spatial variation. These findings are inconsistent with a simple picture where the dynamical interaction creates infall of the gas reservoir that causes the central starburst/post-starburst. Instead, our results present an important example where the galaxy-galaxy interaction can trigger a galaxy-wide post-starburst phenomenon. Based on data collected at the Subaru Telescope, which is operated by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan. E-mail: tomo@ifa.hawaii.edu ‡ Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) SPD Fellow.

  20. Selective Neuronal Activation by Cochlear Implant Stimulation in Auditory Cortex of Awake Primate

    PubMed Central

    Johnson, Luke A.; Della Santina, Charles C.

    2016-01-01

    Despite the success of cochlear implants (CIs) in human populations, most users perform poorly in noisy environments and music and tonal language perception. How CI devices engage the brain at the single neuron level has remained largely unknown, in particular in the primate brain. By comparing neuronal responses with acoustic and CI stimulation in marmoset monkeys unilaterally implanted with a CI electrode array, we discovered that CI stimulation was surprisingly ineffective at activating many neurons in auditory cortex, particularly in the hemisphere ipsilateral to the CI. Further analyses revealed that the CI-nonresponsive neurons were narrowly tuned to frequency and sound level when probed with acoustic stimuli; such neurons likely play a role in perceptual behaviors requiring fine frequency and level discrimination, tasks that CI users find especially challenging. These findings suggest potential deficits in central auditory processing of CI stimulation and provide important insights into factors responsible for poor CI user performance in a wide range of perceptual tasks. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The cochlear implant (CI) is the most successful neural prosthetic device to date and has restored hearing in hundreds of thousands of deaf individuals worldwide. However, despite its huge successes, CI users still face many perceptual limitations, and the brain mechanisms involved in hearing through CI devices remain poorly understood. By directly comparing single-neuron responses to acoustic and CI stimulation in auditory cortex of awake marmoset monkeys, we discovered that neurons unresponsive to CI stimulation were sharply tuned to frequency and sound level. Our results point out a major deficit in central auditory processing of CI stimulation and provide important insights into mechanisms underlying the poor CI user performance in a wide range of perceptual tasks. PMID:27927962

  1. NONLINEAR AND FIBER OPTICS: Stimulated scattering of electromagnetic radiation in thermodynamic-nonequilibrium media

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Blinov, N. A.; Zolotkov, V. N.; Lezin, A. Yu; Cheburkin, N. V.

    1990-04-01

    An analysis is made of transient stimulated scattering in a vibrationally nonequilibrium gas excited by a non-self-sustained discharge. A stability theory approach is used to describe the behavior of perturbation wave packets, yielding asymptotic expressions for the maximal increments of an instability of stimulated small-angle scattering by entropic and acoustic modes.

  2. Tail Nerve Electrical Stimulation and Electro-Acupuncture Can Protect Spinal Motor Neurons and Alleviate Muscle Atrophy after Spinal Cord Transection in Rats

    PubMed Central

    Zhang, Yu-Ting; Jin, Hui; Wang, Jun-Hua; Wen, Lan-Yu; Yang, Yang; Ruan, Jing-Wen; Zhang, Shu-Xin; Ling, Eng-Ang

    2017-01-01

    Spinal cord injury (SCI) often results in death of spinal neurons and atrophy of muscles which they govern. Thus, following SCI, reorganizing the lumbar spinal sensorimotor pathways is crucial to alleviate muscle atrophy. Tail nerve electrical stimulation (TANES) has been shown to activate the central pattern generator (CPG) and improve the locomotion recovery of spinal contused rats. Electroacupuncture (EA) is a traditional Chinese medical practice which has been proven to have a neural protective effect. Here, we examined the effects of TANES and EA on lumbar motor neurons and hindlimb muscle in spinal transected rats, respectively. From the third day postsurgery, rats in the TANES group were treated 5 times a week and those in the EA group were treated once every other day. Four weeks later, both TANES and EA showed a significant impact in promoting survival of lumbar motor neurons and expression of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and ameliorating atrophy of hindlimb muscle after SCI. Meanwhile, the expression of neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) in the same spinal cord segment was significantly increased. These findings suggest that TANES and EA can augment the expression of NT-3 in the lumbar spinal cord that appears to protect the motor neurons as well as alleviate muscle atrophy. PMID:28744378

  3. 7 CFR 520.6 - Preparation of an Environmental Assessment (EA).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 6 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Preparation of an Environmental Assessment (EA). 520.6 Section 520.6 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE PROCEDURES FOR IMPLEMENTING NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT § 520.6...

  4. The website-based eaTracker® 'My Goals' feature: a qualitative evaluation.

    PubMed

    Lieffers, Jessica Rl; Haresign, Helen; Mehling, Christine; Arocha, Jose F; Hanning, Rhona M

    2017-04-01

    In 2011, Dietitians of Canada added 'My Goals' to its website-based nutrition/activity tracking program (eaTracker®, http://www.eaTracker.ca/); this feature allows users to choose 'ready-made' or 'write-your-own' goals and to self-report progress. The purpose of the present study was to document experiences and perceptions of goal setting and My Goals, and report users' feedback on what is needed in future website-based goal setting/tracking tools. One-on-one semi-structured interviews were conducted with (i) My Goals users and (ii) dietitians providing a public information support service, EatRight Ontario (ERO). My Goals users from Ontario and Alberta, Canada were recruited via an eaTracker website pop-up box; ERO dietitians working in Ontario, Canada were recruited via ERO. My Goals users (n 23; age 19-70 years; 91 % female; n 5 from Alberta/n 18 from Ontario) and ERO dietitians (n 5). Dietitians and users felt goal setting for nutrition (and activity) behaviour change was both a beneficial and a challenging process. Dietitians were concerned about users setting poor-quality goals and users felt it was difficult to stick to their goals. Both users and dietitians were enthusiastic about the My Goals concept, but felt the current feature had limitations that affected use. Dietitians and users provided suggestions to improve My Goals (e.g. more prominent presence of My Goals in eaTracker; assistance with goal setting; automated personalized feedback). Dietitians and users shared similar perspectives on the My Goals feature and both felt goal use was challenging. Several suggestions were provided to enhance My Goals that are relevant to website-based goal setting/tracking tool design in general.

  5. Membrane topology and identification of key residues of EaDAcT, a plant MBOAT with unusual substrate specificity.

    PubMed

    Tran, Tam N T; Shelton, Jennifer; Brown, Susan; Durrett, Timothy P

    2017-10-01

    Euonymus alatus diacylglycerol acetyltransferase (EaDAcT) catalyzes the transfer of an acetyl group from acetyl-CoA to the sn-3 position of diacylglycerol to form 3-acetyl-1,2-diacyl-sn-glycerol (acetyl-TAG). EaDAcT belongs to a small, plant-specific subfamily of the membrane bound O-acyltransferases (MBOAT) that acylate different lipid substrates. Sucrose gradient density centrifugation revealed that EaDAcT colocalizes to the same fractions as an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-specific marker. By mapping the membrane topology of EaDAcT, we obtained an experimentally determined topology model for a plant MBOAT. The EaDAcT model contains four transmembrane domains (TMDs), with both the N- and C-termini orientated toward the lumen of the ER. In addition, there is a large cytoplasmic loop between the first and second TMDs, with the MBOAT signature region of the protein embedded in the third TMD close to the interface between the membrane and the cytoplasm. During topology mapping, we discovered two cysteine residues (C187 and C293) located on opposite sides of the membrane that are important for enzyme activity. In order to identify additional amino acid residues important for acetyltransferase activity, we isolated and characterized acetyltransferases from other acetyl-TAG-producing plants. Among them, the acetyltransferase from Euonymus fortunei possessed the highest activity in vivo and in vitro. Mutagenesis of conserved amino acids revealed that S253, H257, D258 and V263 are essential for EaDAcT activity. Alteration of residues unique to the acetyltransferases did not alter the unique acyl donor specificity of EaDAcT, suggesting that multiple amino acids are important for substrate recognition. © 2017 The Authors The Plant Journal © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  6. 7 CFR 520.6 - Preparation of an Environmental Assessment (EA).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... commercial phase; (2) Field work having an impact on the local environment such as earth excavation... may have a significant environmental impact and thus warrant preparation of an EIS. The EA will... need for the project or other proposal, alternatives, environmental impacts of the proposed action and...

  7. NEW CHEMICAL ALTERNATIVE FOR OZONE-DEPLETING SUBSTANCES: HFC-236EA

    EPA Science Inventory

    The report gives results of a preliminary evaluation of a new hydrofluorocarbon (HFC-236ea or 1, 1, 1, 2, 3, 3-hexafluoropropane) as a possible alternative for chlorofluorocarbon (CFC)-114 (1, 2-dichloro-1, 1, 2, 2-tetrafluoroethane) refrigerant in chillers and high-temperature i...

  8. Thermophysical Properties and Spectral Characterization of EA 6043

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-10-01

    TGS) detector. The vapor-phase FTIR spectrum was measured using a Nicolet (Thermo Scientific Dionex ; Sunnyvale, CA) 6700 FTIR system equipped with a...3), 195 (1). A small feature near 267 m/z is probably associated with the parent ion . Figure 9. EI-MS of EA 6043. m/z 15 3.6 Nuclear...photometric detector with a phosphorus filter GC gas chromatography MCT mercury–cadmium telluride m/z mass-to-charge ratio NIR near infrared

  9. Soldier detection using unattended acoustic and seismic sensors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Naz, P.; Hengy, S.; Hamery, P.

    2012-06-01

    During recent military conflicts, as well as for security interventions, the urban zone has taken a preponderant place. Studies have been initiated in national and in international programs to stimulate the technical innovations for these specific scenarios. For example joint field experiments have been organized by the NATO group SET-142 to evaluate the capability for the detection and localization of snipers, mortars or artillery guns using acoustic devices. Another important operational need corresponds to the protection of military sites or buildings. In this context, unattended acoustic and seismic sensors are envisaged to contribute to the survey of specific points by the detection of approaching enemy soldiers. This paper describes some measurements done in an anechoic chamber and in free field to characterize typical sounds generated by the soldier activities (walking, crawling, weapon handling, radio communication, clothing noises...). Footstep, speech and some specific impulsive sounds are detectable at various distances from the source. Such detection algorithms may be easily merged with the existing weapon firing detection algorithms to provide a more generic "battlefield acoustic" early warning system. Results obtained in various conditions (grassy terrain, gravel path, road, forest) will be presented. A method to extrapolate the distances of detection has been developed, based on an acoustic propagation model and applied to the laboratory measurements.

  10. Application of MPVR and TL-VR with 64-row MDCT in neonates with congenital EA and distal TEF.

    PubMed

    Wen, Yang; Peng, Yun; Zhai, Ren-You; Li, Ying-Zi

    2011-03-28

    To assess the application of multiple planar volume reconstruction (MPVR) and three-dimensional (3D) transparency lung volume rendering (TL-VR) with 64-row multidetector-row computed tomography (MDCT) in neonates with congenital esophageal atresia (EA) and distal tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF). Twenty neonates (17 boys, 3 girls) with EA and distal TEF at a mean age of 4.6 d (range 1-16 d) were enrolled in this study. A helical scan of 64-row MDCT was performed at the 64 mm × 0.625 mm collimation. EA and TEF were reconstructed with MPVR and TL-VR, respectively. Initial diagnosis of EA was made by chest radiography showing the inserted catheter in the proximal blind-ended esophageal pouch. Manifestations of MDCT images were compared with the findings at surgery. MDCT showed the proximal and distal esophageal pouches in 20 cases. No significant difference was observed in gaps between the proximal and distal esophageal pouches detected by MPVR and TL-VR. The lengths of gaps between the proximal and distal esophageal pouches detected by MPVR and TL-VR correlated well with the findings at surgery (R = 0.87, P < 0.001). The images of MPVR revealed the orifice of TEF in 13 cases, while TL-VR images showed the orifice of TEF in 4 cases. EA and distal TEF can be reconstructed using MPVR and TL-VR of 64-row MDCT, which is a noninvasive technique to demonstrate the distal esophageal pouches and inter-pouch distance in neonates with EA and distal TEF.

  11. Singing whales generate high levels of particle motion: implications for acoustic communication and hearing?

    PubMed

    Mooney, T Aran; Kaplan, Maxwell B; Lammers, Marc O

    2016-11-01

    Acoustic signals are fundamental to animal communication, and cetaceans are often considered bioacoustic specialists. Nearly all studies of their acoustic communication focus on sound pressure measurements, overlooking the particle motion components of their communication signals. Here we characterized the levels of acoustic particle velocity (and pressure) of song produced by humpback whales. We demonstrate that whales generate acoustic fields that include significant particle velocity components that are detectable over relatively long distances sufficient to play a role in acoustic communication. We show that these signals attenuate predictably in a manner similar to pressure and that direct particle velocity measurements can provide bearings to singing whales. Whales could potentially use such information to determine the distance of signalling animals. Additionally, the vibratory nature of particle velocity may stimulate bone conduction, a hearing modality found in other low-frequency specialized mammals, offering a parsimonious mechanism of acoustic energy transduction into the massive ossicles of whale ears. With substantial concerns regarding the effects of increasing anthropogenic ocean noise and major uncertainties surrounding mysticete hearing, these results highlight both an unexplored pathway that may be available for whale acoustic communication and the need to better understand the biological role of acoustic particle motion. © 2016 The Author(s).

  12. Singing whales generate high levels of particle motion: implications for acoustic communication and hearing?

    PubMed Central

    Kaplan, Maxwell B.; Lammers, Marc O.

    2016-01-01

    Acoustic signals are fundamental to animal communication, and cetaceans are often considered bioacoustic specialists. Nearly all studies of their acoustic communication focus on sound pressure measurements, overlooking the particle motion components of their communication signals. Here we characterized the levels of acoustic particle velocity (and pressure) of song produced by humpback whales. We demonstrate that whales generate acoustic fields that include significant particle velocity components that are detectable over relatively long distances sufficient to play a role in acoustic communication. We show that these signals attenuate predictably in a manner similar to pressure and that direct particle velocity measurements can provide bearings to singing whales. Whales could potentially use such information to determine the distance of signalling animals. Additionally, the vibratory nature of particle velocity may stimulate bone conduction, a hearing modality found in other low-frequency specialized mammals, offering a parsimonious mechanism of acoustic energy transduction into the massive ossicles of whale ears. With substantial concerns regarding the effects of increasing anthropogenic ocean noise and major uncertainties surrounding mysticete hearing, these results highlight both an unexplored pathway that may be available for whale acoustic communication and the need to better understand the biological role of acoustic particle motion. PMID:27807249

  13. A Reconstruction Algorithm of Magnetoacoustic Tomography with Magnetic Induction for Acoustically Inhomogeneous Tissue

    PubMed Central

    Zhou, Lian; Zhu, Shanan

    2014-01-01

    Magnetoacoustic tomography with Magnetic Induction (MAT-MI) is a noninvasive electrical conductivity imaging approach that measures ultrasound wave induced by magnetic stimulation, for reconstructing the distribution of electrical impedance in biological tissue. Existing reconstruction algorithms for MAT-MI are based on the assumption that the acoustic properties in the tissue are homogeneous. However, the tissue in most parts of human body, has heterogeneous acoustic properties, which leads to potential distortion and blurring of small buried objects in the impedance images. In the present study, we proposed a new algorithm for MAT-MI to image the impedance distribution in tissues with inhomogeneous acoustic speed distributions. With a computer head model constructed from MR images of a human subject, a series of numerical simulation experiments were conducted. The present results indicate that the inhomogeneous acoustic properties of tissues in terms of speed variation can be incorporated in MAT-MI imaging. PMID:24845284

  14. Brillouin light scattering from surface acoustic waves in a subwavelength-diameter optical fibre

    PubMed Central

    Beugnot, Jean-Charles; Lebrun, Sylvie; Pauliat, Gilles; Maillotte, Hervé; Laude, Vincent; Sylvestre, Thibaut

    2014-01-01

    Brillouin scattering in optical fibres is a fundamental interaction between light and sound with important implications ranging from optical sensors to slow and fast light. In usual optical fibres, light both excites and feels shear and longitudinal bulk elastic waves, giving rise to forward-guided acoustic wave Brillouin scattering and backward-stimulated Brillouin scattering. In a subwavelength-diameter optical fibre, the situation changes dramatically, as we here report with the first experimental observation of Brillouin light scattering from surface acoustic waves. These Rayleigh-type surface waves travel the wire surface at a specific velocity of 3,400 m s−1 and backscatter the light with a Doppler shift of about 6 GHz. As these acoustic resonances are sensitive to surface defects or features, surface acoustic wave Brillouin scattering opens new opportunities for various sensing applications, but also in other domains such as microwave photonics and nonlinear plasmonics. PMID:25341638

  15. The role of treatment timing and mode of stimulation in the treatment of primary dysmenorrhea with acupuncture: An exploratory randomised controlled trial.

    PubMed

    Armour, Mike; Dahlen, Hannah G; Zhu, Xiaoshu; Farquhar, Cindy; Smith, Caroline A

    2017-01-01

    We examined the effect of changing treatment timing and the use of manual, electro acupuncture on the symptoms of primary dysmenorrhea. A randomised controlled trial was performed with four arms, low frequency manual acupuncture (LF-MA), high frequency manual acupuncture (HF-MA), low frequency electro acupuncture (LF-EA) and high frequency electro acupuncture (HF-EA). A manualised trial protocol was used to allow differentiation and individualized treatment over three months. A total of 74 women were randomly assigned to one of the four groups (LF-MA n = 19, HF-MA n = 18, LF-EA n = 18, HF-EA n = 19). Twelve treatments were performed over three menstrual cycles, either once per week (LF groups) or three times in the week prior to menses (HF groups). All groups received a treatment in the first 48 hours of menses. The primary outcome was the reduction in peak menstrual pain at 12 months from trial entry. During the treatment period and nine month follow-up all groups showed statistically significant (p < .001) reductions in peak and average menstrual pain compared to baseline but there were no differences between groups (p > 0.05). Health related quality of life increased significantly in six domains in groups having high frequency of treatment compared to two domains in low frequency groups. Manual acupuncture groups required less analgesic medication than electro-acupuncture groups (p = 0.02). HF-MA was most effective in reducing secondary menstrual symptoms compared to both-EA groups (p<0.05). Acupuncture treatment reduced menstrual pain intensity and duration after three months of treatment and this was sustained for up to one year after trial entry. The effect of changing mode of stimulation or frequency of treatment on menstrual pain was not significant. This may be due to a lack of power. The role of acupuncture stimulation on menstrual pain needs to be investigated in appropriately powered randomised controlled trials.

  16. The role of treatment timing and mode of stimulation in the treatment of primary dysmenorrhea with acupuncture: An exploratory randomised controlled trial

    PubMed Central

    Dahlen, Hannah G.; Zhu, Xiaoshu; Farquhar, Cindy; Smith, Caroline A.

    2017-01-01

    Objectives We examined the effect of changing treatment timing and the use of manual, electro acupuncture on the symptoms of primary dysmenorrhea. Methods A randomised controlled trial was performed with four arms, low frequency manual acupuncture (LF-MA), high frequency manual acupuncture (HF-MA), low frequency electro acupuncture (LF-EA) and high frequency electro acupuncture (HF-EA). A manualised trial protocol was used to allow differentiation and individualized treatment over three months. A total of 74 women were randomly assigned to one of the four groups (LF-MA n = 19, HF-MA n = 18, LF-EA n = 18, HF-EA n = 19). Twelve treatments were performed over three menstrual cycles, either once per week (LF groups) or three times in the week prior to menses (HF groups). All groups received a treatment in the first 48 hours of menses. The primary outcome was the reduction in peak menstrual pain at 12 months from trial entry. Results During the treatment period and nine month follow-up all groups showed statistically significant (p < .001) reductions in peak and average menstrual pain compared to baseline but there were no differences between groups (p > 0.05). Health related quality of life increased significantly in six domains in groups having high frequency of treatment compared to two domains in low frequency groups. Manual acupuncture groups required less analgesic medication than electro-acupuncture groups (p = 0.02). HF-MA was most effective in reducing secondary menstrual symptoms compared to both–EA groups (p<0.05). Conclusion Acupuncture treatment reduced menstrual pain intensity and duration after three months of treatment and this was sustained for up to one year after trial entry. The effect of changing mode of stimulation or frequency of treatment on menstrual pain was not significant. This may be due to a lack of power. The role of acupuncture stimulation on menstrual pain needs to be investigated in appropriately powered randomised controlled trials

  17. Spectral Analysis, Synthesis, & Energy Distributions of Nearby E+A Galaxies Using SDSS-IV MaNGA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Weaver, Olivia A.; Anderson, Miguel Ricardo; Wally, Muhammad; James, Olivia; Falcone, Julia; Liu, Allen; Wallack, Nicole; Liu, Charles; SDSS Collaboration

    2017-01-01

    Utilizing data from the Mapping Nearby Galaxies at APO (MaNGA) Survey (MaNGA Product Launch-4, or MPL-4), of the latest generation of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS-IV), we identified nine post-starburst (E+A) systems that lie within the Green Valley transition zone. We identify the E+A galaxies by their SDSS single fiber spectrum and u-r color, then confirmed their classification as post-starburst by coding/plotting methods and spectral synthesis codes (FIREFLY and PIPE3D), as well as with their Spectral Energy Distributions (SEDs) from 0.15 µm to 22 µm, using GALEX, SDSS, 2MASS, and WISE data. We produced maps of gaussian-fitted fluxes, equivalent widths, stellar velocities, metallicities and age. We also produced spectral line ratio diagrams to classify regions of stellar populations of the galaxies. We found that our sample of E+As retain their post-starburst properties across the entire galaxy, not just at their center. We detected matching a trend line in the ultraviolet and optical bands, consistent with the expected SEDs for an E+A galaxy, and also through the J, H and Ks bands, except for one object. We classified one of the nine galaxies as a luminous infrared galaxy, unusual for a post-starburst object. Our group seeks to further study stellar population properties, spectral energy distributions and quenching properties in E+A galaxies, and investigate their role in galaxy evolution as a whole. This work was supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation via the SDSS-IV Faculty and Student Team (FAST) initiative, ARC Agreement #SSP483 to the CUNY College of Staten Island. This work was also supported by grants to The American Museum of Natural History, and the CUNY College of Staten Island through from National Science Foundation.

  18. Method of Adjusting Acoustic Impedances for Impedance-Tunable Acoustic Segments

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jones, Kennie H (Inventor); Nark, Douglas M. (Inventor); Jones, Michael G. (Inventor); Parrott, Tony L. (Inventor); Lodding, Kenneth N. (Inventor)

    2012-01-01

    A method is provided for making localized decisions and taking localized actions to achieve a global solution. In an embodiment of the present invention, acoustic impedances for impedance-tunable acoustic segments are adjusted. A first acoustic segment through an N-th acoustic segment are defined. To start the process, the first acoustic segment is designated as a leader and a noise-reducing impedance is determined therefor. This is accomplished using (i) one or more metrics associated with the acoustic wave at the leader, and (ii) the metric(s) associated with the acoustic wave at the N-th acoustic segment. The leader, the N-th acoustic segment, and each of the acoustic segments exclusive of the leader and the N-th acoustic segment, are tuned to the noise-reducing impedance. The current leader is then excluded from subsequent processing steps. The designation of leader is then given one of the remaining acoustic segments, and the process is repeated for each of the acoustic segments through an (N-1)-th one of the acoustic segments.

  19. A simple miniature device for wireless stimulation of neural circuits in small behaving animals.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Yisi; Langford, Bruce; Kozhevnikov, Alexay

    2011-10-30

    The use of wireless neural stimulation devices offers significant advantages for neural stimulation experiments in behaving animals. We demonstrate a simple, low-cost and extremely lightweight wireless neural stimulation device which is made from off-the-shelf components. The device has low power consumption and does not require a high-power RF preamplifier. Neural stimulation can be carried out in either a voltage source mode or a current source mode. Using the device, we carry out wireless stimulation in the premotor brain area HVC of a songbird and demonstrate that such stimulation causes rapid perturbations of the acoustic structure of the song. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  20. Synchronous electrical stimulation of laryngeal muscles: an alternative for enhancing recovery of unilateral recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis.

    PubMed

    Garcia Perez, Alejandro; Hernández López, Xochiquetzal; Valadez Jiménez, Víctor Manuel; Minor Martínez, Arturo; Ysunza, Pablo Antonio

    2014-07-01

    Although electrical stimulation of the larynx has been widely studied for treating voice disorders, its effectiveness has not been assessed under safety and comfortable conditions. This article describes design, theoretical issues, and preliminary evaluation of an innovative system for transdermal electrical stimulation of the larynx. The proposed design includes synchronization of electrical stimuli with laryngeal neuromuscular activity. To study whether synchronous electrical stimulation of the larynx could be helpful for improving voice quality in patients with dysphonia due to unilateral recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis (URLNP). A 3-year prospective study was carried out at the Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitacion in the Mexico City. Ten patients were subjected to transdermal current electrical stimulation synchronized with the fundamental frequency of the vibration of the vocal folds during phonation. The stimulation was triggered during the phase of maximum glottal occlusion. A complete acoustic voice analysis was performed before and after the period of electrical stimulation. Acoustic analysis revealed significant improvements in all parameters after the stimulation period. Transdermal synchronous electrical stimulation of vocal folds seems to be a safe and reliable procedure for enhancing voice quality in patients with (URLNP). Copyright © 2014 The Voice Foundation. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Translational illusion of acoustic sources by transformation acoustics.

    PubMed

    Sun, Fei; Li, Shichao; He, Sailing

    2017-09-01

    An acoustic illusion of creating a translated acoustic source is designed by utilizing transformation acoustics. An acoustic source shifter (ASS) composed of layered acoustic metamaterials is designed to achieve such an illusion. A practical example where the ASS is made with naturally available materials is also given. Numerical simulations verify the performance of the proposed device. The designed ASS may have some applications in, e.g., anti-sonar detection.

  2. Articulation Features of Parkinson's Disease Patients with Subthalamic Nucleus Deep Brain Stimulation.

    PubMed

    Tanaka, Yasuhiro; Tsuboi, Takashi; Watanabe, Hirohisa; Kajita, Yasukazu; Nakatsubo, Daisuke; Fujimoto, Yasushi; Ohdake, Reiko; Ito, Mizuki; Atsuta, Naoki; Yamamoto, Masahiko; Wakabayashi, Toshihiko; Katsuno, Masahisa; Sobue, Gen

    2016-10-19

    Voice and speech disorders are one of the most important issues after subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (STN-DBS) in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. However, articulation features in this patient population remain unclear. We studied the articulation features of PD patients with STN-DBS. Participants were 56 PD patients treated with STN-DBS (STN-DBS group) and 41 patients treated only with medical therapy (medical-therapy-alone group). Articulation function was evaluated with acoustic and auditory-perceptual analyses. The vowel space area (VSA) was calculated using the formant frequency data of three vowels (/a/, /i/, and /u/) from sustained phonation task. The VSA reportedly reflects the distance of mouth/jaw and tongue movements during speech and phonation. Correlations between acoustic and auditory-perceptual measurements were also assessed. The VSA did not significantly differ between the medical-therapy-alone group and the STN-DBS group in the off-stimulation condition. In the STN-DBS group, the VSA was larger in the on-stimulation condition than in the off-stimulation condition. However, individual analysis showed the VSA changes after stopping stimulation were heterogeneous. In total, 89.8% of the STN-DBS group showed a large VSA size in the on- than in the off-stimulation condition. In contrast, the VSA of the remaining patients in that group was smaller in the on- than the off-stimulation condition. STN-DBS may resolve hypokinesia of the articulation structures, including the mouth/jaw and tongue, and improve maximal vowel articulation. However, in the on-stimulation condition, the VSA was not significantly correlated with speech intelligibility. This may be because STN-DBS potentially affects other speech processes such as voice and/or respiratory process.

  3. 7 CFR 650.8 - When to prepare an environmental assessment (EA).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 6 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false When to prepare an environmental assessment (EA). 650.8 Section 650.8 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE SUPPORT ACTIVITIES COMPLIANCE WITH NEPA Procedures...

  4. 7 CFR 650.8 - When to prepare an environmental assessment (EA).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 6 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false When to prepare an environmental assessment (EA). 650.8 Section 650.8 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE SUPPORT ACTIVITIES COMPLIANCE WITH NEPA Procedures...

  5. 7 CFR 650.8 - When to prepare an environmental assessment (EA).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 6 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false When to prepare an environmental assessment (EA). 650.8 Section 650.8 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE SUPPORT ACTIVITIES COMPLIANCE WITH NEPA Procedures...

  6. 7 CFR 650.8 - When to prepare an environmental assessment (EA).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 6 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false When to prepare an environmental assessment (EA). 650.8 Section 650.8 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE SUPPORT ACTIVITIES COMPLIANCE WITH NEPA Procedures...

  7. 7 CFR 650.8 - When to prepare an environmental assessment (EA).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 6 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false When to prepare an environmental assessment (EA). 650.8 Section 650.8 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE SUPPORT ACTIVITIES COMPLIANCE WITH NEPA Procedures...

  8. 76 FR 24874 - Initiation of Scoping for an Environmental Assessment (EA)

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-05-03

    ...) General Permit for Discharges from Construction Activities. The EA will evaluate the potential environmental impacts from the discharge of pollutants associated with stormwater runoff from construction... days of the date of the publication of the Proposed Construction General Permit in the Federal Register...

  9. Masking of infrared neural stimulation (INS) in hearing and deaf guinea pigs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kadakia, Sama; Young, Hunter; Richter, Claus-Peter

    2013-03-01

    Spatial selective infrared neural stimulation has potential to improve neural prostheses, including cochlear implants. The heating of a confined target volume depolarizes the cell membrane and results in an action potential. Tissue heating may also results in thermal damage or the generation of a stress relaxation wave. Stress relaxation waves may result in a direct mechanical stimulation of remaining hair cells in the cochlea, so called optophony. Data are presented that quantify the effect of an acoustical stimulus (noise masker) on the response obtained with INS in normal hearing, acutely deafened, and chronic deaf animals. While in normal hearing animals an acoustic masker can reduce the response to INS, in acutely deafened animals the masking effect is reduced, and in chronic deaf animals this effect has not been detected. The responses to INS remain stable following the different degrees of cochlear damage.

  10. Deformation of red blood cells using acoustic radiation forces

    PubMed Central

    Mishra, Puja; Hill, Martyn; Glynne-Jones, Peter

    2014-01-01

    Acoustic radiation forces have been used to manipulate cells and bacteria in a number of recent microfluidic applications. The net force on a cell has been subject to careful investigation over a number of decades. We demonstrate that the radiation forces also act to deform cells. An ultrasonic standing wave field is created in a 0.1 mm glass capillary at a frequency of 7.9 MHz. Using osmotically swollen red-blood cells, we show observable deformations up to an aspect ratio of 1.35, comparable to deformations created by optical tweezing. In contrast to optical technologies, ultrasonic devices are potentially capable of deforming thousands of cells simultaneously. We create a finite element model that includes both the acoustic environment of the cell, and a model of the cell membrane subject to forces resulting from the non-linear aspects of the acoustic field. The model is found to give reasonable agreement with the experimental results, and shows that the deformation is the result of variation in an acoustic force that is directed outwards at all points on the cell membrane. We foresee applications in diagnostic devices, and in the possibility of mechanically stimulating cells to promote differentiation and physiological effects. PMID:25379070

  11. Fundamentals of Acoustics. Psychoacoustics and Hearing. Acoustical Measurements

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Begault, Durand R.; Ahumada, Al (Technical Monitor)

    1997-01-01

    These are 3 chapters that will appear in a book titled "Building Acoustical Design", edited by Charles Salter. They are designed to introduce the reader to fundamental concepts of acoustics, particularly as they relate to the built environment. "Fundamentals of Acoustics" reviews basic concepts of sound waveform frequency, pressure, and phase. "Psychoacoustics and Hearing" discusses the human interpretation sound pressure as loudness, particularly as a function of frequency. "Acoustic Measurements" gives a simple overview of the time and frequency weightings for sound pressure measurements that are used in acoustical work.

  12. Spread of cochlear excitation during stimulation with pulsed infrared radiation: inferior colliculus measurements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Richter, C.-P.; Rajguru, S. M.; Matic, A. I.; Moreno, E. L.; Fishman, A. J.; Robinson, A. M.; Suh, E.; Walsh, J. T., Jr.

    2011-10-01

    Infrared neural stimulation (INS) has received considerable attention over the last few years. It provides an alternative method to artificially stimulate neurons without electrical current or the introduction of exogenous chromophores. One of the primary benefits of INS could be the improved spatial selectivity when compared with electrical stimulation. In the present study, we have evaluated the spatial selectivity of INS in the acutely damaged cochlea of guinea pigs and compared it to stimulation with acoustic tone pips in normal-hearing animals. The radiation was delivered via a 200 µm diameter optical fiber, which was inserted through a cochleostomy into the scala tympani of the basal cochlear turn. The stimulated section along the cochlear spiral ganglion was estimated from the neural responses recorded from the central nucleus of the inferior colliculus (ICC). ICC responses were recorded in response to cochlear INS using a multichannel penetrating electrode array. Spatial tuning curves (STCs) were constructed from the responses. For INS, approximately 55% of the activation profiles showed a single maximum, ~22% had two maxima and ~13% had multiple maxima. The remaining 10% of the profiles occurred at the limits of the electrode array and could not be classified. The majority of ICC STCs indicated that the spread of activation evoked by optical stimuli is comparable to that produced by acoustic tone pips.

  13. Acoustic source for generating an acoustic beam

    DOEpatents

    Vu, Cung Khac; Sinha, Dipen N.; Pantea, Cristian

    2016-05-31

    An acoustic source for generating an acoustic beam includes a housing; a plurality of spaced apart piezo-electric layers disposed within the housing; and a non-linear medium filling between the plurality of layers. Each of the plurality of piezoelectric layers is configured to generate an acoustic wave. The non-linear medium and the plurality of piezo-electric material layers have a matching impedance so as to enhance a transmission of the acoustic wave generated by each of plurality of layers through the remaining plurality of layers.

  14. Town of Chino Valley Municipal Water System Improvement Project FONSI and EA

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    EPA Region 9 has prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA) describing the potential environmental impacts associated with, and the alternatives to, the proposed Water System Improvement Project in the town of China Valley, Arizona. This Finding of No Signi

  15. Acoustic calibration apparatus for calibrating plethysmographic acoustic pressure sensors

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Zuckerwar, Allan J. (Inventor); Davis, David C. (Inventor)

    1995-01-01

    An apparatus for calibrating an acoustic sensor is described. The apparatus includes a transmission material having an acoustic impedance approximately matching the acoustic impedance of the actual acoustic medium existing when the acoustic sensor is applied in actual in-service conditions. An elastic container holds the transmission material. A first sensor is coupled to the container at a first location on the container and a second sensor coupled to the container at a second location on the container, the second location being different from the first location. A sound producing device is coupled to the container and transmits acoustic signals inside the container.

  16. Acoustic calibration apparatus for calibrating plethysmographic acoustic pressure sensors

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Zuckerwar, Allan J. (Inventor); Davis, David C. (Inventor)

    1994-01-01

    An apparatus for calibrating an acoustic sensor is described. The apparatus includes a transmission material having an acoustic impedance approximately matching the acoustic impedance of the actual acoustic medium existing when the acoustic sensor is applied in actual in-service conditions. An elastic container holds the transmission material. A first sensor is coupled to the container at a first location on the container and a second sensor coupled to the container at a second location on the container, the second location being different from the first location. A sound producing device is coupled to the container and transmits acoustic signals inside the container.

  17. North Pacific Acoustic Laboratory and Deep Water Acoustics

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-09-30

    range acoustic systems, whether for acoustic surveillance, communication, or remote sensing of the ocean interior . The data from the NPAL network, and...1 DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A. Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. North Pacific Acoustic Laboratory and Deep Water... Acoustics PI James A. Mercer Applied Physics Laboratory, University of Washington 1013 NE 40th Street Seattle, WA 98105 phone: (206) 543-1361 fax

  18. Evaluation of RSDL, M291 SDK, 0.5% Bleach, 1% Soapy Water and SERPACWA. Part 12: Challenge with EA1212 (GF, cyclosarin)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-01-01

    products in the haired guinea pig model following exposure to GF (EA1212). 15. SUBJECT TERMS decontamination, delayed decontamination, Reactive Skin...the four listed decontamination products in the haired guinea pig model following exposure to GF (EA1212). In all experiments, guinea pigs were close...the four listed decontamination products and SERPACWA in the haired guinea pig model following exposure to GF [cyclosarin, EA1212, Cyclohexyl

  19. MISCIBILITY, SOLUBILITY, AND VISCOSITY MEASUREMENTS FOR R-236EA WITH POTENTIAL LUBRICANTS

    EPA Science Inventory

    The report gives results of miscibility, solubility, and viscosity measurements of refrigerant R-236ea with three potential lubricants. (NOTE: The data were needed to determine the suitability of refrigerant/lubricant combinations for use in refrigeration systems.) The lubricants...

  20. Wavefront modulation and subwavelength diffractive acoustics with an acoustic metasurface.

    PubMed

    Xie, Yangbo; Wang, Wenqi; Chen, Huanyang; Konneker, Adam; Popa, Bogdan-Ioan; Cummer, Steven A

    2014-11-24

    Metasurfaces are a family of novel wavefront-shaping devices with planar profile and subwavelength thickness. Acoustic metasurfaces with ultralow profile yet extraordinary wave manipulating properties would be highly desirable for improving the performance of many acoustic wave-based applications. However, designing acoustic metasurfaces with similar functionality to their electromagnetic counterparts remains challenging with traditional metamaterial design approaches. Here we present a design and realization of an acoustic metasurface based on tapered labyrinthine metamaterials. The demonstrated metasurface can not only steer an acoustic beam as expected from the generalized Snell's law, but also exhibits various unique properties such as conversion from propagating wave to surface mode, extraordinary beam-steering and apparent negative refraction through higher-order diffraction. Such designer acoustic metasurfaces provide a new design methodology for acoustic signal modulation devices and may be useful for applications such as acoustic imaging, beam steering, ultrasound lens design and acoustic surface wave-based applications.

  1. Acoustically Induced Vibration of Structures: Reverberant Vs. Direct Acoustic Testing

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kolaini, Ali R.; O'Connell, Michael R.; Tsoi, Wan B.

    2009-01-01

    Large reverberant chambers have been used for several decades in the aerospace industry to test larger structures such as solar arrays and reflectors to qualify and to detect faults in the design and fabrication of spacecraft and satellites. In the past decade some companies have begun using direct near field acoustic testing, employing speakers, for qualifying larger structures. A limited test data set obtained from recent acoustic tests of the same hardware exposed to both direct and reverberant acoustic field testing has indicated some differences in the resulting structural responses. In reverberant acoustic testing, higher vibration responses were observed at lower frequencies when compared with the direct acoustic testing. In the case of direct near field acoustic testing higher vibration responses appeared to occur at higher frequencies as well. In reverberant chamber testing and direct acoustic testing, standing acoustic modes of the reverberant chamber or the speakers and spacecraft parallel surfaces can strongly couple with the fundamental structural modes of the test hardware. In this paper data from recent acoustic testing of flight hardware, that yielded evidence of acoustic standing wave coupling with structural responses, are discussed in some detail. Convincing evidence of the acoustic standing wave/structural coupling phenomenon will be discussed, citing observations from acoustic testing of a simple aluminum plate. The implications of such acoustic coupling to testing of sensitive flight hardware will be discussed. The results discussed in this paper reveal issues with over or under testing of flight hardware that could pose unanticipated structural and flight qualification issues. Therefore, it is of paramount importance to understand the structural modal coupling with standing acoustic waves that has been observed in both methods of acoustic testing. This study will assist the community to choose an appropriate testing method and test setup in

  2. Two-dimensional simulations of stimulated Brillouin scattering in laser produced plasmas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Amin, M. R.; Capjack, C. E.; Frycz, P.; Rozmus, W.; Tikhonchuk, V. T.

    1993-07-01

    A system of electromagnetic and ion acoustic wave equations coupled via the ponderomotive force are solved numerically in a two-dimensional planar geometry. The competition between forward, side, and backward Brillouin scattering of the finite size laser beam is studied for the first time without the standard paraxial optics approximation. Simulations reveal a strong dependence of the scattered light characteristics on the geometry of the interaction region, the shape of the pump beam, and the ion acoustic wave damping. The main effects include side and forward scattering enhancement and a stimulation of collimated backward scattered radiation.

  3. Comparison of electroacupuncture frequency-related effects on heart rate variability in healthy volunteers: a randomized clinical trial.

    PubMed

    Lee, Jong-Ho; Kim, Kyu-Hyeong; Hong, Jin-Woo; Lee, Won-Chul; Koo, Sungtae

    2011-06-01

    This study aimed to compare the effects of high frequency electroacupuncture (EA) and low-frequency EA on the autonomic nervous system by using a heart rate variability measuring device in normal individuals. Fourteen participants were recruited and each participated in the high-frequency and low-frequency sessions (crossover design). The order of sessions was randomized and the interval between the two sessions was over 2 weeks. Participants received needle insertion with 120-Hz stimulation during the high-frequency session (high-frequency EA group), and with 2-Hz stimulation during the low-frequency session (low-frequency EA group). Acupuncture needles were directly inserted perpendicularly to LI 4 and LI 11 acupoints followed by delivery of electric pulses to these points for 15 minutes. Heart rate variability was measured 5 minutes before and after EA stimulation by a heart rate variability measuring system. We found a significant increase in the standard deviation of the normal-to-normal interval in the high-frequency EA group, with no change in the low-frequency EA group. Both the high-frequency and low-frequency EA groups showed no significant differences in other parameters including high-frequency power, low-frequency power, and the ratio of low-frequency power to high-frequency power. Based on these findings, we concluded that high-frequency EA stimulation is more effective than low-frequency EA stimulation in increasing autonomic nervous activity and there is no difference between the two EA frequencies in enhancing sympathovagal balance. Copyright © 2011 Korean Pharmacopuncture Institute. Published by .. All rights reserved.

  4. An ethyl acetate fraction derived from Houttuynia cordata extract inhibits the production of inflammatory markers by suppressing NF-кB and MAPK activation in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages.

    PubMed

    Chun, Jin Mi; Nho, Kyoung Jin; Kim, Hyo Seon; Lee, A Yeong; Moon, Byeong Cheol; Kim, Ho Kyoung

    2014-07-10

    Houttuynia cordata Thunb. (Saururaceae) has been used in traditional medicine for treatment of inflammatory diseases. This study evaluated the anti-inflammatory effects of an ethyl acetate fraction derived from a Houttuynia cordata extract (HCE-EA) on the production of inflammatory mediators and the activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages. To measure the effects of HCE-EA on pro-inflammatory cytokine and inflammatory mediator's expression in RAW 264.7 cells, we used the following methods: cell viability assay, Griess reagent assay, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blotting analysis. HCE-EA downregulated nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin (IL-6) production in the cells, as well as inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression. Furthermore, HCE-EA suppressed nuclear translocation of the NF-κB p65 subunit, which correlated with an inhibitory effect on IκBα (nuclear factor of kappa light polypeptide gene enhancer in B-cells inhibitor, alpha) phosphorylation. HCE-EA also attenuated the activation of MAPKs (p38 and JNK). Our results suggest that the anti-inflammatory properties of HCE-EA may stem from the inhibition of pro-inflammatory mediators via suppression of NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways.

  5. Headspace solid phase microextraction--GC/C-IRMS for delta13CVPDB measurements of mono-aromatic hydrocarbons using EA-IRMS calibration.

    PubMed

    Ebongué, Véronique Woule; Geypens, Benny; Berglund, Michael; Taylor, Philip

    2009-03-01

    This work aims at comparing the delta(13)C(VPDB) of mono-aromatic hydrocarbons benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene isomers (BTEX) measured by elemental analyser (EA)-isotope ratio mass spectrometer (IRMS) with the delta(13)C(VPDB) measured on the same compounds by headspace solid phase microextraction - GC/C-IRMS (hSPME - GC/C-IRMS) with the final goal of using these compounds as internal standards on the latter system. The EA-IRMS measurements were done using calcium and lithium carbonate isotopic reference materials: NBS19 and L-SVEC for establishing the delta(13)C(VPDB) scale. The EA-IRMS measurements with helium dilution of a set of five reference materials (USGS40, USGS41, IAEA-CH-6, IAEA-CH-3 and IAEA-601) show systematic bias of 1 per thousand relative to their assigned values. This bias due to the dilution mechanism in the used ConfloII interface device could not be avoided. As the selected hydrocarbons: BTEX could not be analysed by EA-IRMS without helium dilution, their delta(13)C(VPDB) must be corrected from this observed bias using an external calibration. The CO(2) gas calibrated using EA-IRMS without helium dilution, was used as an in-house reference for the delta(13)C(VPDB) measurements of the BTEX by the hSPME - GC/C-IRMS system. The comparison made between the delta(13)C(VPDB) measured on the same BTEX compounds by EA-IRMS (with external calibration) and by hSPME - GC/C-IRMS techniques showed good agreement.

  6. 77 FR 33780 - Interim Staff Guidance JLD-ISG-2012-03; Compliance with Order EA-12-051, Order Modifying Licenses...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-06-07

    ... Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant in March 2011. Order EA-12-051 requires all licensees and... complying with Order EA-12-051. Following the events at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, the NRC... agency should make additional improvements to these programs in light of the events at Fukushima Dai-ichi...

  7. Electron Gyro-Harmonic Effects on Ionospheric Stimulated Brillouin Scatter

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-08-21

    27709-2211 Brillouin, SBS, emission lines, pump frequency stepping, cyclotron , EIC, airglow, upper hybrid REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE 11. SPONSOR...direction and the background magnetic field vector, the excited electrostatic wave could be either ion acoustic (IA) or electrostatic ion cyclotron (EIC...A. Hedberg, B. Lundborg, P. Stubbe, H. Kopka, and M. T. Rietveld (1989), Stimulated electromagnetic emission near electron cyclotron harmonics in

  8. 75 FR 45075 - Airworthiness Directives; Eclipse Aerospace, Inc. Model EA500 Airplanes

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-08-02

    ... Airworthiness Directives; Eclipse Aerospace, Inc. Model EA500 Airplanes AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration... in the Federal Register on July 9, 2010 (75 FR 39472), and applies to certain Eclipse Aerospace, Inc... Federal holidays. For service information identified in this proposed AD, contact Eclipse Aerospace, Inc...

  9. Influence of Acoustic Overstimulation on the Central Auditory System: An Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) Study.

    PubMed

    Wolak, Tomasz; Cieśla, Katarzyna; Rusiniak, Mateusz; Piłka, Adam; Lewandowska, Monika; Pluta, Agnieszka; Skarżyński, Henryk; Skarżyński, Piotr H

    2016-11-28

    BACKGROUND The goal of the fMRI experiment was to explore the involvement of central auditory structures in pathomechanisms of a behaviorally manifested auditory temporary threshold shift in humans. MATERIAL AND METHODS The material included 18 healthy volunteers with normal hearing. Subjects in the exposure group were presented with 15 min of binaural acoustic overstimulation of narrowband noise (3 kHz central frequency) at 95 dB(A). The control group was not exposed to noise but instead relaxed in silence. Auditory fMRI was performed in 1 session before and 3 sessions after acoustic overstimulation and involved 3.5-4.5 kHz sweeps. RESULTS The outcomes of the study indicate a possible effect of acoustic overstimulation on central processing, with decreased brain responses to auditory stimulation up to 20 min after exposure to noise. The effect can be seen already in the primary auditory cortex. Decreased BOLD signal change can be due to increased excitation thresholds and/or increased spontaneous activity of auditory neurons throughout the auditory system. CONCLUSIONS The trial shows that fMRI can be a valuable tool in acoustic overstimulation studies but has to be used with caution and considered complimentary to audiological measures. Further methodological improvements are needed to distinguish the effects of TTS and neuronal habituation to repetitive stimulation.

  10. Influence of Acoustic Overstimulation on the Central Auditory System: An Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) Study

    PubMed Central

    Wolak, Tomasz; Cieśla, Katarzyna; Rusiniak, Mateusz; Piłka, Adam; Lewandowska, Monika; Pluta, Agnieszka; Skarżyński, Henryk; Skarżyński, Piotr H.

    2016-01-01

    Background The goal of the fMRI experiment was to explore the involvement of central auditory structures in pathomechanisms of a behaviorally manifested auditory temporary threshold shift in humans. Material/Methods The material included 18 healthy volunteers with normal hearing. Subjects in the exposure group were presented with 15 min of binaural acoustic overstimulation of narrowband noise (3 kHz central frequency) at 95 dB(A). The control group was not exposed to noise but instead relaxed in silence. Auditory fMRI was performed in 1 session before and 3 sessions after acoustic overstimulation and involved 3.5–4.5 kHz sweeps. Results The outcomes of the study indicate a possible effect of acoustic overstimulation on central processing, with decreased brain responses to auditory stimulation up to 20 min after exposure to noise. The effect can be seen already in the primary auditory cortex. Decreased BOLD signal change can be due to increased excitation thresholds and/or increased spontaneous activity of auditory neurons throughout the auditory system. Conclusions The trial shows that fMRI can be a valuable tool in acoustic overstimulation studies but has to be used with caution and considered complimentary to audiological measures. Further methodological improvements are needed to distinguish the effects of TTS and neuronal habituation to repetitive stimulation. PMID:27893698

  11. Impacts of the EA and SCA patterns on the 20th century NAO-winter precipitation relationship in Europe

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Comas-Bru, Laia; McDermott, Frank

    2013-04-01

    Much of the 20th century multi-decadal variability in the NAO-winter precipitation relationship over the N. Atlantic / European sector can be ascribed to the combined effects of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and either the East Atlantic pattern (EA) or the Scandinavian pattern (SCA). The NAO, EA and SCA indices employed here are defined as the three leading vectors of the cross-correlation matrix calculated from monthly sea-level pressure anomalies for 138 complete winters from the 20CRv2 dataset (Compo et al., 2011). Winter precipitation data over Europe for the entire 20th century is derived from the high resolution CRU-TS3.1 climate dataset (Mitchell and Jones, 2005). Here we document for the first time, that different NAO/EA and NAO/SCA combinations systematically influence winter precipitation conditions in Europe as a consequence of NAO dipole migrations. We find that the zero-correlated line of the NAO-winter precipitation relationship migrates southwards when the EA is in the opposite phase to the NAO. This can be related to a south-westwards migration of the NAO dipole under these conditions, as shown by teleconnectivity maps. Similarly, a clockwise movement of the NAO-winter climate correlated areas occurs when the phase of the SCA is opposite to that of the NAO, reflecting a clockwise movement of the NAO dipole under these conditions. An important implication of these migrations is that they influence the spatial and temporal stationarity of climate-NAO relationships. As a result, the link between winter precipitation patterns and the NAO is not straightforward in some regions such as the southern UK, Ireland and France. For instance, much of the inter-annual variability in the N-S winter precipitation gradient in the UK, originally attributed to inter-annual and inter-decadal variability of the NAO, reflects the migration of the NAO dipole, linked to linear combinations of the NAO and the EA. Our results indicate that when the N-S winter

  12. Surface-water Interface Induces Conformational Changes Critical for Protein Adsorption: Implications for Monolayer Formation of EAS Hydrophobin.

    PubMed

    Ley, Kamron; Christofferson, Andrew; Penna, Matthew; Winkler, Dave; Maclaughlin, Shane; Yarovsky, Irene

    2015-01-01

    The class I hydrophobin EAS is part of a family of small, amphiphilic fungal proteins best known for their ability to self-assemble into stable monolayers that modify the hydrophobicity of a surface to facilitate further microbial growth. These proteins have attracted increasing attention for industrial and biomedical applications, with the aim of designing surfaces that have the potential to maintain their clean state by resisting non-specific protein binding. To gain a better understanding of this process, we have employed all-atom molecular dynamics to study initial stages of the spontaneous adsorption of monomeric EAS hydrophobin on fully hydroxylated silica, a commonly used industrial and biomedical substrate. Particular interest has been paid to the Cys3-Cys4 loop, which has been shown to exhibit disruptive behavior in solution, and the Cys7-Cys8 loop, which is believed to be involved in the aggregation of EAS hydrophobin at interfaces. Specific and water mediated interactions with the surface were also analyzed. We have identified two possible binding motifs, one which allows unfolding of the Cys7-Cys8 loop due to the surfactant-like behavior of the Cys3-Cys4 loop, and another which has limited unfolding due to the Cys3-Cys4 loop remaining disordered in solution. We have also identified intermittent interactions with water which mediate the protein adsorption to the surface, as well as longer lasting interactions which control the diffusion of water around the adsorption site. These results have shown that EAS behaves in a similar way at the air-water and surface-water interfaces, and have also highlighted the need for hydrophilic ligand functionalization of the silica surface in order to prevent the adsorption of EAS hydrophobin.

  13. Surface-water Interface Induces Conformational Changes Critical for Protein Adsorption: Implications for Monolayer Formation of EAS Hydrophobin

    PubMed Central

    Ley, Kamron; Christofferson, Andrew; Penna, Matthew; Winkler, Dave; Maclaughlin, Shane; Yarovsky, Irene

    2015-01-01

    The class I hydrophobin EAS is part of a family of small, amphiphilic fungal proteins best known for their ability to self-assemble into stable monolayers that modify the hydrophobicity of a surface to facilitate further microbial growth. These proteins have attracted increasing attention for industrial and biomedical applications, with the aim of designing surfaces that have the potential to maintain their clean state by resisting non-specific protein binding. To gain a better understanding of this process, we have employed all-atom molecular dynamics to study initial stages of the spontaneous adsorption of monomeric EAS hydrophobin on fully hydroxylated silica, a commonly used industrial and biomedical substrate. Particular interest has been paid to the Cys3-Cys4 loop, which has been shown to exhibit disruptive behavior in solution, and the Cys7-Cys8 loop, which is believed to be involved in the aggregation of EAS hydrophobin at interfaces. Specific and water mediated interactions with the surface were also analyzed. We have identified two possible binding motifs, one which allows unfolding of the Cys7-Cys8 loop due to the surfactant-like behavior of the Cys3-Cys4 loop, and another which has limited unfolding due to the Cys3-Cys4 loop remaining disordered in solution. We have also identified intermittent interactions with water which mediate the protein adsorption to the surface, as well as longer lasting interactions which control the diffusion of water around the adsorption site. These results have shown that EAS behaves in a similar way at the air-water and surface-water interfaces, and have also highlighted the need for hydrophilic ligand functionalization of the silica surface in order to prevent the adsorption of EAS hydrophobin. PMID:26636091

  14. Source analysis of auditory steady-state responses in acoustic and electric hearing.

    PubMed

    Luke, Robert; De Vos, Astrid; Wouters, Jan

    2017-02-15

    Speech is a complex signal containing a broad variety of acoustic information. For accurate speech reception, the listener must perceive modulations over a range of envelope frequencies. Perception of these modulations is particularly important for cochlear implant (CI) users, as all commercial devices use envelope coding strategies. Prolonged deafness affects the auditory pathway. However, little is known of how cochlear implantation affects the neural processing of modulated stimuli. This study investigates and contrasts the neural processing of envelope rate modulated signals in acoustic and CI listeners. Auditory steady-state responses (ASSRs) are used to study the neural processing of amplitude modulated (AM) signals. A beamforming technique is applied to determine the increase in neural activity relative to a control condition, with particular attention paid to defining the accuracy and precision of this technique relative to other tomographies. In a cohort of 44 acoustic listeners, the location, activity and hemispheric lateralisation of ASSRs is characterised while systematically varying the modulation rate (4, 10, 20, 40 and 80Hz) and stimulation ear (right, left and bilateral). We demonstrate a complex pattern of laterality depending on both modulation rate and stimulation ear that is consistent with, and extends, existing literature. We present a novel extension to the beamforming method which facilitates source analysis of electrically evoked auditory steady-state responses (EASSRs). In a cohort of 5 right implanted unilateral CI users, the neural activity is determined for the 40Hz rate and compared to the acoustic cohort. Results indicate that CI users activate typical thalamic locations for 40Hz stimuli. However, complementary to studies of transient stimuli, the CI population has atypical hemispheric laterality, preferentially activating the contralateral hemisphere. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  15. Electrical and optical co-stimulation in the deaf white cat

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cao, Zhiping; Xu, Yingyue; Tan, Xiaodong; Suematsu, Naofumi; Robinson, Alan; Richter, Claus-Peter

    2018-02-01

    Spatial selectivity of neural stimulation with photons, such as infrared neural stimulation (INS) is higher than the selectivity obtained with electrical stimulation. To obtain more independent channels for stimulation in neural prostheses, INS may be implemented to better restore the fidelity of the damaged neural system. However, irradiation with infrared light also bares the risk of heat accumulation in the target tissue with subsequent neural damage. Lowering the threshold for stimulation could reduce the amount of heat delivered to the tissue and the risk for subsequent tissue damage. It has been shown in the rat sciatic nerve that simultaneous irradiation with infrared light and the delivery of biphasic sub-threshold electrical pulses can reduce the threshold for INS [1]. In this study, deaf white cats have been used to test whether opto-electrical co-stimulation can reduce the stimulation threshold for INS in the auditory system too. The cochleae of the deaf white cats have largely reduced spiral ganglion neuron counts and significant degeneration of the organ of Corti and do not respond to acoustic stimuli. Combined electrical and optical stimulation was used to demonstrate that simultaneous stimulation with infrared light and biphasic electrical pulses can reduce the threshold for stimulation.

  16. An evaluation of proposed acoustic treatments for the NASA LaRC 4 x 7 meter wind tunnel

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Abrahamson, A. L.

    1985-01-01

    The NASA LaRC 4 x 7 Meter Wind Tunnel is an existing facility specially designed for powered low speed (V/STOL) testing of large scale fixed wing and rotorcraft models. The enhancement of the facility for scale model acoustic testing is examined. The results are critically reviewed and comparisons are drawn with a similar wind tunnel (the DNW Facility in the Netherlands). Discrepancies observed in the comparison stimulated a theoretical investigation using the acoustic finite element ADAM System, of the ways in which noise propagating around the tunnel circuit radiates into the open test section. The reasons for the discrepancies noted above are clarified and assists in the selection of acoustic treatment options for the facility.

  17. Hadronic interactions and EAS muon pseudorapidities investigated with the Muon Tracking Detector in KASCADE-Grande

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zabierowski, J.; Apel, W. D.; Arteaga, J. C.; Badea, F.; Bekk, K.; Bertaina, M.; Blümer, H.; Bozdog, H.; Brancus, I. M.; Brüggemann, M.; Buchholz, P.; Cantoni, E.; Chiavassa, A.; Cossavella, F.; Daumiller, K.; de Souza, V.; di Pierro, F.; Doll, P.; Engel, R.; Engler, J.; Finger, M.; Fuhrmann, D.; Ghia, P. L.; Gils, H. J.; Glasstetter, R.; Grupen, C.; Haungs, A.; Heck, D.; Hörandel, J. R.; Huege, T.; Isar, P. G.; Kampert, K.-H.; Kang, D.; Kickelbick, D.; Klages, H. O.; Kolotaev, Y.; Łuczak, P.; Mathes, H. J.; Mayer, H. J.; Milke, J.; Mitrica, B.; Morello, C.; Navarra, G.; Nehls, S.; Oehlschläger, J.; Ostapchenko, S.; Petcu, M.; Pierog, T.; Rebel, H.; Roth, M.; Schieler, H.; Schröder, F.; Sima, O.; Stümpert, M.; Toma, G.; Trinchero, G. C.; Ulrich, H.; van Buren, J.; Walkowiak, W.; Weindl, A.; Wochele, J.; Wommer, M.; KASCADE-Grande Collaboration

    2009-12-01

    The Muon Tracking Detector in the KASCADE-Grande EAS experiment allows the precise measurement of shower muon directions up to 700 m distance from the shower center. This directional information is used to study the pseudorapidity of muons in EAS, closely related to the pseudorapidity of their parent mesons. Moreover, the mean value of muon pseudorapidity in a registered shower reflects the longitudinal development of its hadronic component. All of this makes it a good tool for testing hadronic interaction models. The possibilities of such tests given by the KASCADE-Grande experimental setup are discussed and an example of the obtained muon pseudorapidity spectrum is shown.

  18. Topological Acoustics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Zhaoju; Gao, Fei; Shi, Xihang; Lin, Xiao; Gao, Zhen; Chong, Yidong; Zhang, Baile

    2015-03-01

    The manipulation of acoustic wave propagation in fluids has numerous applications, including some in everyday life. Acoustic technologies frequently develop in tandem with optics, using shared concepts such as waveguiding and metamedia. It is thus noteworthy that an entirely novel class of electromagnetic waves, known as "topological edge states," has recently been demonstrated. These are inspired by the electronic edge states occurring in topological insulators, and possess a striking and technologically promising property: the ability to travel in a single direction along a surface without backscattering, regardless of the existence of defects or disorder. Here, we develop an analogous theory of topological fluid acoustics, and propose a scheme for realizing topological edge states in an acoustic structure containing circulating fluids. The phenomenon of disorder-free one-way sound propagation, which does not occur in ordinary acoustic devices, may have novel applications for acoustic isolators, modulators, and transducers.

  19. Characteristics of Ni-Cr-Fe laser clad layers on EA4T steel

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Wenjing; Chen, Hui; Wang, Yongjing; Li, Congchen; Wang, Xiaoli

    2017-07-01

    The Ni-Cr-Fe metal powder was deposited on EA4T steel by laser cladding technology. The microstructure and chemical composition of the cladding layer were analyzed by optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The bonding ability between the cladding layer and the matrix was measured. The results showed that the bonding between the cladding layer and the EA4T steel was metallurgical bonding. The microstructure of cladding layer was composed of planar crystals, columnar crystals and dendrite, which consisted of Cr2Ni3, γ phase, M23C6 and Ni3B phases. When the powder feeding speed reached 4 g/min, the upper bainite occurred in the heat affected zone (HAZ). Moreover, the tensile strength of the joint increased, while the yield strength and the ductility decreased.

  20. Acoustic sensors using microstructures tunable with energy other than acoustic energy

    DOEpatents

    Datskos, Panagiotis G.

    2003-11-25

    A sensor for detecting acoustic energy includes a microstructure tuned to a predetermined acoustic frequency and a device for detecting movement of the microstructure. A display device is operatively linked to the movement detecting device. When acoustic energy strikes the acoustic sensor, acoustic energy having a predetermined frequency moves the microstructure, where the movement is detected by the movement detecting device.

  1. Acoustic sensors using microstructures tunable with energy other than acoustic energy

    DOEpatents

    Datskos, Panagiotis G.

    2005-06-07

    A sensor for detecting acoustic energy includes a microstructure tuned to a predetermined acoustic frequency and a device for detecting movement of the microstructure. A display device is operatively linked to the movement detecting device. When acoustic energy strikes the acoustic sensor, acoustic energy having a predetermined frequency moves the microstructure, where the movement is detected by the movement detecting device.

  2. Miscibility, solubility, viscosity, and density measurements for R-236ea with four different Exxon lubricants. Final report, March 1995-March 1997

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kang, H.M.; Pate, M.B.

    1999-06-15

    The report discusses miscibility, solubility, viscosity, and density data for the refrigerant hydrofluorocarbon (HFC)-236ea (or R-236ea) and four lubricants supplied by Exxon Corporation. The miscibility tests were performed in a test facility consisting of a series of miniature test cells submerged in a constant temperature bath, precisely controlled over a range of {minus}50 to 90 C. Critical solution temperatures obtained from the miscibility data are presented for each refrigerant/lubricant combination. Data for the R-236ea in each of the test lubricants have been collected for refrigerant concentrations of 10--90%. The raw data have been presented, and the results have been summarized.more » Solubility, viscosity, and density data were also obtained for R-236ea mixed with the same four oils for a refrigerant concentration range of 0--40 wt% refrigerant over a temperature range of 30--100 C.« less

  3. Stimulated Brillouin scattering of laser radiation in a compensated magnetoactive semiconductor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ferdous, T.; Salahuddin, M.; Amin, M. R.; Salimullah, M.

    1995-09-01

    In the present paper we have studied the stimulated Brillouin scattering of laser radiation in a compensated magnetoactive semiconductor. The nonlinearity in the low-frequency ion-acoustic wave arises through the ponderomotive force on both electrons and holes. The high-frequency nonlinearity arises through the nonlinear current density. For typical plasma parameters in compensated Ge, ɛL=16, T0=77 K, n00=1017 cm-3, Bs=60 kG, θ=30°, laser power density corresponding to a CO2 laser ~=0.1 MW cm-2, the growth rate of the low-frequency ion-acoustic wave turns out to be ~=107 rad sec-1.

  4. Acoustic dispersive prism.

    PubMed

    Esfahlani, Hussein; Karkar, Sami; Lissek, Herve; Mosig, Juan R

    2016-01-07

    The optical dispersive prism is a well-studied element, which allows separating white light into its constituent spectral colors, and stands in nature as water droplets. In analogy to this definition, the acoustic dispersive prism should be an acoustic device with capability of splitting a broadband acoustic wave into its constituent Fourier components. However, due to the acoustical nature of materials as well as the design and fabrication difficulties, there is neither any natural acoustic counterpart of the optical prism, nor any artificial design reported so far exhibiting an equivalent acoustic behaviour. Here, based on exotic properties of the acoustic transmission-line metamaterials and exploiting unique physical behaviour of acoustic leaky-wave radiation, we report the first acoustic dispersive prism, effective within the audible frequency range 800 Hz-1300 Hz. The dispersive nature, and consequently the frequency-dependent refractive index of the metamaterial are exploited to split the sound waves towards different and frequency-dependent directions. Meanwhile, the leaky-wave nature of the structure facilitates the sound wave radiation into the ambient medium.

  5. The maximum depth of shower with E sub 0 larger than 10(17) eV on average characteristics of EAS different components

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Glushkov, A. V.; Efimov, N. N.; Makarov, I. T.; Pravdin, M. I.; Dedenko, L. G.

    1985-01-01

    The extensive air shower (EAS) development model independent method of the determination of a maximum depth of shower (X sub m) is considered. X sub m values obtained on various EAS parameters are in a good agreement.

  6. The genome of the Erwinia amylovora phage PhiEaH1 reveals greater diversity and broadens the applicability of phages for the treatment of fire blight.

    PubMed

    Meczker, Katalin; Dömötör, Dóra; Vass, János; Rákhely, Gábor; Schneider, György; Kovács, Tamás

    2014-01-01

    The enterobacterium Erwinia amylovora is the causal agent of fire blight. This study presents the analysis of the complete genome of phage PhiEaH1, isolated from the soil surrounding an E. amylovora-infected apple tree in Hungary. Its genome is 218 kb in size, containing 244 ORFs. PhiEaH1 is the second E. amylovora infecting phage from the Siphoviridae family whose complete genome sequence was determined. Beside PhiEaH2, PhiEaH1 is the other active component of Erwiphage, the first bacteriophage-based pesticide on the market against E. amylovora. Comparative genome analysis in this study has revealed that PhiEaH1 not only differs from the 10 formerly sequenced E. amylovora bacteriophages belonging to other phage families, but also from PhiEaH2. Sequencing of more Siphoviridae phage genomes might reveal further diversity, providing opportunities for the development of even more effective biological control agents, phage cocktails against Erwinia fire blight disease of commercial fruit crops.

  7. 47 CFR 90.359 - Field strength limits for EA-licensed LMS systems.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Field strength limits for EA-licensed LMS systems. 90.359 Section 90.359 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) SAFETY AND SPECIAL RADIO SERVICES PRIVATE LAND MOBILE RADIO SERVICES Intelligent Transportation Systems Radio Service § 90.359 Field strength limits for...

  8. An ethyl acetate fraction derived from Houttuynia cordata extract inhibits the production of inflammatory markers by suppressing NF-кB and MAPK activation in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background Houttuynia cordata Thunb. (Saururaceae) has been used in traditional medicine for treatment of inflammatory diseases. This study evaluated the anti-inflammatory effects of an ethyl acetate fraction derived from a Houttuynia cordata extract (HCE-EA) on the production of inflammatory mediators and the activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages. Methods To measure the effects of HCE-EA on pro-inflammatory cytokine and inflammatory mediator’s expression in RAW 264.7 cells, we used the following methods: cell viability assay, Griess reagent assay, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blotting analysis. Results HCE-EA downregulated nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin (IL-6) production in the cells, as well as inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression. Furthermore, HCE-EA suppressed nuclear translocation of the NF-κB p65 subunit, which correlated with an inhibitory effect on IκBα (nuclear factor of kappa light polypeptide gene enhancer in B-cells inhibitor, alpha) phosphorylation. HCE-EA also attenuated the activation of MAPKs (p38 and JNK). Conclusions Our results suggest that the anti-inflammatory properties of HCE-EA may stem from the inhibition of pro-inflammatory mediators via suppression of NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways. PMID:25012519

  9. Modulating Human Auditory Processing by Transcranial Electrical Stimulation

    PubMed Central

    Heimrath, Kai; Fiene, Marina; Rufener, Katharina S.; Zaehle, Tino

    2016-01-01

    Transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) has become a valuable research tool for the investigation of neurophysiological processes underlying human action and cognition. In recent years, striking evidence for the neuromodulatory effects of transcranial direct current stimulation, transcranial alternating current stimulation, and transcranial random noise stimulation has emerged. While the wealth of knowledge has been gained about tES in the motor domain and, to a lesser extent, about its ability to modulate human cognition, surprisingly little is known about its impact on perceptual processing, particularly in the auditory domain. Moreover, while only a few studies systematically investigated the impact of auditory tES, it has already been applied in a large number of clinical trials, leading to a remarkable imbalance between basic and clinical research on auditory tES. Here, we review the state of the art of tES application in the auditory domain focussing on the impact of neuromodulation on acoustic perception and its potential for clinical application in the treatment of auditory related disorders. PMID:27013969

  10. Acoustic energy harvesting based on a planar acoustic metamaterial

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Qi, Shuibao; Oudich, Mourad; Li, Yong; Assouar, Badreddine

    2016-06-01

    We theoretically report on an innovative and practical acoustic energy harvester based on a defected acoustic metamaterial (AMM) with piezoelectric material. The idea is to create suitable resonant defects in an AMM to confine the strain energy originating from an acoustic incidence. This scavenged energy is converted into electrical energy by attaching a structured piezoelectric material into the defect area of the AMM. We show an acoustic energy harvester based on a meta-structure capable of producing electrical power from an acoustic pressure. Numerical simulations are provided to analyze and elucidate the principles and the performances of the proposed system. A maximum output voltage of 1.3 V and a power density of 0.54 μW/cm3 are obtained at a frequency of 2257.5 Hz. The proposed concept should have broad applications on energy harvesting as well as on low-frequency sound isolation, since this system acts as both acoustic insulator and energy harvester.

  11. Panel acoustic contribution analysis.

    PubMed

    Wu, Sean F; Natarajan, Logesh Kumar

    2013-02-01

    Formulations are derived to analyze the relative panel acoustic contributions of a vibrating structure. The essence of this analysis is to correlate the acoustic power flow from each panel to the radiated acoustic pressure at any field point. The acoustic power is obtained by integrating the normal component of the surface acoustic intensity, which is the product of the surface acoustic pressure and normal surface velocity reconstructed by using the Helmholtz equation least squares based nearfield acoustical holography, over each panel. The significance of this methodology is that it enables one to analyze and rank relative acoustic contributions of individual panels of a complex vibrating structure to acoustic radiation anywhere in the field based on a single set of the acoustic pressures measured in the near field. Moreover, this approach is valid for both interior and exterior regions. Examples of using this method to analyze and rank the relative acoustic contributions of a scaled vehicle cabin are demonstrated.

  12. A Fully-Implantable Cochlear Implant SoC with Piezoelectric Middle-Ear Sensor and Arbitrary Waveform Neural Stimulation.

    PubMed

    Yip, Marcus; Jin, Rui; Nakajima, Hideko Heidi; Stankovic, Konstantina M; Chandrakasan, Anantha P

    2015-01-01

    A system-on-chip for an invisible, fully-implantable cochlear implant is presented. Implantable acoustic sensing is achieved by interfacing the SoC to a piezoelectric sensor that detects the sound-induced motion of the middle ear. Measurements from human cadaveric ears demonstrate that the sensor can detect sounds between 40 and 90 dB SPL over the speech bandwidth. A highly-reconfigurable digital sound processor enables system power scalability by reconfiguring the number of channels, and provides programmable features to enable a patient-specific fit. A mixed-signal arbitrary waveform neural stimulator enables energy-optimal stimulation pulses to be delivered to the auditory nerve. The energy-optimal waveform is validated with in-vivo measurements from four human subjects which show a 15% to 35% energy saving over the conventional rectangular waveform. Prototyped in a 0.18 μ m high-voltage CMOS technology, the SoC in 8-channel mode consumes 572 μ W of power including stimulation. The SoC integrates implantable acoustic sensing, sound processing, and neural stimulation on one chip to minimize the implant size, and proof-of-concept is demonstrated with measurements from a human cadaver ear.

  13. Is dust acoustic wave a new plasma acoustic mode?

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Dwivedi, C.B.

    1997-09-01

    In this Brief Communication, the claim of the novelty of the dust acoustic wave in a dusty plasma within the constant dust charge model is questioned. Conceptual lacunas behind the claim have been highlighted and appropriate physical arguments have been forwarded against the claim. It is demonstrated that the so-called dust acoustic wave could better be termed as a general acoustic fluctuation response with a dominant characteristic feature of the acoustic-like mode (ALM) fluctuation response reported by Dwivedi {ital et al.} [J. Plasma Phys. {bold 41}, 219 (1989)]. It is suggested that both correct and more usable nomenclature of themore » ALM should be the so-called acoustic mode. {copyright} {ital 1997 American Institute of Physics.}« less

  14. Lead-resistant Providencia alcalifaciens strain 2EA bioprecipitates Pb+2 as lead phosphate.

    PubMed

    Naik, M M; Khanolkar, D; Dubey, S K

    2013-02-01

    A lead-resistant bacteria isolated from soil contaminated with car battery waste were identified as Providencia alcalifaciens based on biochemical characteristics, FAME profile and 16S rRNA sequencing and designated as strain 2EA. It resists lead nitrate up to 0·0014 mol l(-1) by precipitating soluble lead as insoluble light brown solid. Scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometric analysis (SEM-EDX) and X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD) revealed extracellular light brown precipitate as lead orthophosphate mineral, that is, Pb(9) (PO(4))(6) catalysed by phosphatase enzyme. This lead-resistant bacterial strain also demonstrated tolerance to high levels of cadmium and mercury along with multiple antibiotic resistance. Providencia alcalifaciens strain 2EA could be used for bioremediation of lead-contaminated environmental sites, as it can efficiently precipitate lead as lead phosphate. © 2012 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

  15. [The Impact of Electroacupuncture Intervention on Expression of 5-HTR 1 B/2 C Genes in Mice under Radiation Stimulation from Mobile Phone].

    PubMed

    Dai, Jian-yu; Chen, Yi-guo; Zhang, Xiao-qing

    2015-08-01

    To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) stimulation of "Yifen" (TE 17), "Shenshu" (BL 23) on the expression of 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor 1 B (5-HTR 1 B) mRNA and 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor 2 C (5-HTR 2 C) mRNA in the cochlear nucleus tissue in mice experiencing radiation from mobile phone, so as to explore its mechanisms underlying improvement of tinnitus. Thirty Kunming mice were randomly divided into control group (n = 6) and modeling group (n = 24). The tinnitus model was established by giving the mice with mobile phone-radiation for 1 h in the morning and 1 h in the afternoon, continuously for 40 days. EA stimulation was applied to "Yifeng" (TE 17) group (n = 6) and "Shenshu" (BL 23) group (n = 6) for 20 min, once a day for 7 days. The expression of 5-THR 1 B/2 C mRNA in the cochlear nucleus was assayed by fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (real time-PCR). The expression level of 5-HTR 1 B was significantly lower in the model group than in the control group (P < 0.05), while that of 5-HTR 2 C mRNA significantly increased (P < 0.01). TE 17 group received a significant acupoint intervention effect (P < 0.01). Compared with TE 17 group, BL 23 group received a weaker effect (P < 0.05). EA of TE 17 can up-regulate expression level of 5-HTR 1 B and down-regulate expression level of 5-HTR 2 C in the cochlear nucleus in mice experiencing mobile-phone radiation.

  16. Temporal pattern of acoustic imaging noise asymmetrically modulates activation in the auditory cortex.

    PubMed

    Ranaweera, Ruwan D; Kwon, Minseok; Hu, Shuowen; Tamer, Gregory G; Luh, Wen-Ming; Talavage, Thomas M

    2016-01-01

    This study investigated the hemisphere-specific effects of the temporal pattern of imaging related acoustic noise on auditory cortex activation. Hemodynamic responses (HDRs) to five temporal patterns of imaging noise corresponding to noise generated by unique combinations of imaging volume and effective repetition time (TR), were obtained using a stroboscopic event-related paradigm with extra-long (≥27.5 s) TR to minimize inter-acquisition effects. In addition to confirmation that fMRI responses in auditory cortex do not behave in a linear manner, temporal patterns of imaging noise were found to modulate both the shape and spatial extent of hemodynamic responses, with classically non-auditory areas exhibiting responses to longer duration noise conditions. Hemispheric analysis revealed the right primary auditory cortex to be more sensitive than the left to the presence of imaging related acoustic noise. Right primary auditory cortex responses were significantly larger during all the conditions. This asymmetry of response to imaging related acoustic noise could lead to different baseline activation levels during acquisition schemes using short TR, inducing an observed asymmetry in the responses to an intended acoustic stimulus through limitations of dynamic range, rather than due to differences in neuronal processing of the stimulus. These results emphasize the importance of accounting for the temporal pattern of the acoustic noise when comparing findings across different fMRI studies, especially those involving acoustic stimulation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Parameter-specific analgesic effects of electroacupuncture mediated by degree of regulation TRPV1 and P2X3 in inflammatory pain in rats.

    PubMed

    Fang, J Q; Du, J Y; Fang, J F; Xiao, T; Le, X Q; Pan, N F; Yu, J; Liu, B Y

    2018-05-01

    Observing the parameter-specific anti-hyperalgesic effects of EA with different stimulation times and frequencies on painful hyperalgesia mediated by the level of TRPV1 and P2X3 expression in DRG after CFA injection. The model was induced by the injection of CFA in each rat's right hind paw. EA treatment was applied to the bilateral ST36 and BL60. Paw withdrawal threshold (PWT) and paw withdrawal latency (PWL) were tested with Von Frey filaments and the radiant heat source of the test instrument, respectively. TRPV1 and P2X3 expressions were measured by immunofluorescence and western blot. αβ-meATP and capsaicine combined with EA were further utilized to investigate the change in PWL. Different stimulation times (20, 30, 45 min) combined with different frequencies (2 Hz, 100 Hz, 2/100 Hz) of EA have analgesic effects on the PWT and PWL; however, the level of the hypoalgesic efficacy of EA was primarily associated with EA frequency. The analgesic effect of EA was better at 100 Hz than at 2 Hz. The level of regulation of 100 Hz EA on TRPV1 and P2X3 in DRG was greater than that of 2 Hz. Furthermore, both TRPV1 agonist and P2X3 agonist may impair the level of EA analgesia. EA has a parameter-specific effect on chronic inflammatory pain relief, which primarily depend on the stimulation frequency and not on the stimulation time at a certain stimulation time. The parameter-specific analgesic effect of EA is at least partially related to mediation of the protein level of TRPV1 and P2X3 expression in DRG of CFA rats. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Genetic variants in one-carbon metabolism genes and breast cancer risk in European American (EA) and African American (AA) women

    PubMed Central

    Gong, Zhihong; Yao, Song; Zirpoli, Gary; Cheng, Ting-Yuan David; Roberts, Michelle; Khoury, Thaer; Ciupak, Gregory; Davis, Warren; Pawlish, Karen; Jandorf, Lina; Bovbjerg, Dana H.; Bandera, Elisa V.; Ambrosone, Christine B.

    2015-01-01

    Folate-mediated one-carbon metabolism plays critical roles in DNA synthesis, repair, and DNA methylation. The impact of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in folate-metabolizing enzymes has been investigated in risk of breast cancer among European or Asian populations, but not among women of African ancestry. We conducted a comprehensive analysis of SNPs in eleven genes involved in one-carbon metabolism and risk of breast cancer in 1,275 European-American (EA) and 1,299 African-American (AA) women who participated in the Women’s Circle of Health Study. Allele frequencies varied significantly between EA and AA populations. A number of these SNPs, specifically in genes including MTR, MTRR, SHMT1, TYMS, and SLC19A1, were associated with overall breast cancer risk, as well as risk by estrogen receptor (ER) status, in either EA or AA women. Associations appeared to be modified by dietary folate intake. Although single-SNP associations were not statistically significant after correcting for multiple comparisons, polygenetic score analyses revealed significant associations with breast cancer risk. Per unit increase of the risk score was associated with a modest 19% to 50% increase in risk of breast cancer overall, ER positive or ER negative cancer (all P<0.0005) in EAs or AAs. In summary, our data suggest that one-carbon metabolizing gene polymorphisms could play a role in breast cancer and that may differ between EA and AA women. PMID:25598430

  19. Acoustic Seal

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Steinetz, Bruce M. (Inventor)

    2006-01-01

    The invention relates to a sealing device having an acoustic resonator. The acoustic resonator is adapted to create acoustic waveforms to generate a sealing pressure barrier blocking fluid flow from a high pressure area to a lower pressure area. The sealing device permits noncontacting sealing operation. The sealing device may include a resonant-macrosonic-synthesis (RMS) resonator.

  20. Acoustic seal

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Steinetz, Bruce M. (Inventor)

    2006-01-01

    The invention relates to a sealing device having an acoustic resonator. The acoustic resonator is adapted to create acoustic waveforms to generate a sealing pressure barrier blocking fluid flow from a high pressure area to a lower pressure area. The sealing device permits noncontacting sealing operation. The sealing device may include a resonant-macrosonic-synthesis (RMS) resonator.

  1. Quantum Control of a Nitrogen-Vacancy Center using Surface Acoustic Waves in the Resolved Sideband Limit

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Golter, David; Oo, Thein; Amezcua, Maira; Wang, Hailin

    Micro-electromechanical systems research is producing increasingly sophisticated tools for nanophononic applications. Such technology is well-suited for achieving chip-based, integrated acoustic control of solid-state quantum systems. We demonstrate such acoustic control in an important solid-state qubit, the diamond nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center. Using an interdigitated transducer to generate a surface acoustic wave (SAW) field in a bulk diamond, we observe phonon-assisted sidebands in the optical excitation spectrum of a single NV center. This exploits the strong strain sensitivity of the NV excited states. The mechanical frequencies far exceed the relevant optical linewidths, reaching the resolved-sideband regime. This enables us to use the SAW field for driving Rabi oscillations on the phonon-assisted optical transition. These results stimulate the further integration of SAW-based technologies with the NV center system.

  2. Speaker verification system using acoustic data and non-acoustic data

    DOEpatents

    Gable, Todd J [Walnut Creek, CA; Ng, Lawrence C [Danville, CA; Holzrichter, John F [Berkeley, CA; Burnett, Greg C [Livermore, CA

    2006-03-21

    A method and system for speech characterization. One embodiment includes a method for speaker verification which includes collecting data from a speaker, wherein the data comprises acoustic data and non-acoustic data. The data is used to generate a template that includes a first set of "template" parameters. The method further includes receiving a real-time identity claim from a claimant, and using acoustic data and non-acoustic data from the identity claim to generate a second set of parameters. The method further includes comparing the first set of parameters to the set of parameters to determine whether the claimant is the speaker. The first set of parameters and the second set of parameters include at least one purely non-acoustic parameter, including a non-acoustic glottal shape parameter derived from averaging multiple glottal cycle waveforms.

  3. High-acoustic-impedance tantalum oxide layers for insulating acoustic reflectors.

    PubMed

    Capilla, Jose; Olivares, Jimena; Clement, Marta; Sangrador, Jesús; Iborra, Enrique; Devos, Arnaud

    2012-03-01

    This work describes the assessment of the acoustic properties of sputtered tantalum oxide films intended for use as high-impedance films of acoustic reflectors for solidly mounted resonators operating in the gigahertz frequency range. The films are grown by sputtering a metallic tantalum target under different oxygen and argon gas mixtures, total pressures, pulsed dc powers, and substrate biases. The structural properties of the films are assessed through infrared absorption spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction measurements. Their acoustic impedance is assessed by deriving the mass density from X-ray reflectometry measurements and the acoustic velocity from picosecond acoustic spectroscopy and the analysis of the frequency response of the test resonators.

  4. Classification of methods in transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) and evolving strategy from historical approaches to contemporary innovations.

    PubMed

    Guleyupoglu, Berkan; Schestatsky, Pedro; Edwards, Dylan; Fregni, Felipe; Bikson, Marom

    2013-10-15

    Transcranial Electrical Stimulation (tES) encompasses all methods of non-invasive current application to the brain used in research and clinical practice. We present the first comprehensive and technical review, explaining the evolution of tES in both terminology and dosage over the past 100 years of research to present day. Current transcranial Pulsed Current Stimulation (tPCS) approaches such as Cranial Electrotherapy Stimulation (CES) descended from Electrosleep (ES) through Cranial Electro-stimulation Therapy (CET), Transcerebral Electrotherapy (TCET), and NeuroElectric Therapy (NET) while others like Transcutaneous Cranial Electrical Stimulation (TCES) descended from Electroanesthesia (EA) through Limoge, and Interferential Stimulation. Prior to a contemporary resurgence in interest, variations of transcranial Direct Current Stimulation were explored intermittently, including Polarizing current, Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation (GVS), and Transcranial Micropolarization. The development of these approaches alongside Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) and pharmacological developments are considered. Both the roots and unique features of contemporary approaches such as transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS) and transcranial Random Noise Stimulation (tRNS) are discussed. Trends and incremental developments in electrode montage and waveform spanning decades are presented leading to the present day. Commercial devices, seminal conferences, and regulatory decisions are noted. We conclude with six rules on how increasing medical and technological sophistication may now be leveraged for broader success and adoption of tES. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Classification of methods in transcranial Electrical Stimulation (tES) and evolving strategy from historical approaches to contemporary innovations

    PubMed Central

    Guleyupoglu, Berkan; Schestatsky, Pedro; Edwards, Dylan; Fregni, Felipe; Bikson, Marom

    2013-01-01

    Transcranial Electrical Stimulation (tES) encompasses all methods of non-invasive current application to the brain used in research and clinical practice. We present the first comprehensive and technical review, explaining the evolution of tES in both terminology and dosage over the past 100 years of research to present day. Current transcranial Pulsed Current Stimulation (tPCS) approaches such as Cranial Electrotherapy Stimulation (CES) descended from Electrosleep (ES) through Cranial Electro-stimulation Therapy (CET), Transcerebral Electrotherapy (TCET), and NeuroElectric Therapy (NET) while others like Transcutaneous Cranial Electrical Stimulation (TCES) descended from Electroanesthesia (EA) through Limoge, and Interferential Stimulation. Prior to a contemporary resurgence in interest, variations of trans-cranial Direct Current Stimulation were explored intermittently, including Polarizing current, Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation (GVS), and Transcranial Micropolarization. The development of these approaches alongside Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) and pharmacological developments are considered. Both the roots and unique features of contemporary approaches such as transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS) and transcranial Random Noise Stimulation (tRNS) are discussed. Trends and incremental developments in electrode montage and waveform spanning decades are presented leading to the present day. Commercial devices, seminal conferences, and regulatory decisions are noted. We conclude with six rules on how increasing medical and technological sophistication may now be leveraged for broader success and adoption of tES. PMID:23954780

  6. Special report. Update on EAS (electronic article surveillance) systems: protecting against patient wandering, infant abduction, property theft.

    PubMed

    1993-10-01

    Concern about wandering patients and infant abduction on the part of hospitals has sparked renewed interest in Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) systems. Such systems had their origins in department stores and libraries where they are almost universally used. They also have applications in hospitals for preventing the theft of supplies and equipment. A number of companies provide EAS products for the health care field. How do you select the system that is best for your needs? "Talk to users. Pick out a number of profit and non-profit hospitals to get their views," advises Ted Algaier, vice president, marketing and sales, Innovative Control Systems, Inc., Waukesha, WI. "Examine the history of the company or vendor to determine if it understands the health care market and find out if the product really works." In this report, we'll review a number of EAS systems currently on the market, and present information on how they work, how effective they are, and costs involved. Also included are comments from users who have installed such systems.

  7. A comparison study of immune-inflammatory response in electroacupuncture and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation for patients undergoing supratentorial craniotomy

    PubMed Central

    Li, Guoyan; Li, Shuqin; Sun, Lizhi; Lin, Fangcai; Wang, Baoguo

    2015-01-01

    Objective: The effect of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) on immuno-inflammatory response was tested and the differences between electroacupuncture (EA) and TENS in immuno-inflammatory response in patients undergoing supratentorial craniotomy were explored. Methods: 51 patients received craniotomy were randomly divided into 3 groups: control (group C, n=18), EA (group A, n=19) and TENS (group T, n=14) groups. Blood samples were collected before anesthesia (T0) and 30 min (T1), 2 h (T2) and 4 h (T3) after induction of anesthesia to measure the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-8, IL-10, IgM, IgA and IgG. Results: No significant difference existed between group A and group T during craniotomy. IgM and IgA decreased significantly in group C compared with groups A and T at T2 and T3 time points. Compared with group C, there were significant differences in TNF-α, IgM and IgA levels at T0 in groups A and T; no significant difference was found in the levels of IgG, IL-10 and IL-8. Conclusion: EA and TENS could reduce immunosuppression in patients undergoing supratentorial craniotomy and it has significance in choice of treatment in immunosuppressive therapy. PMID:25785107

  8. A comparison study of immune-inflammatory response in electroacupuncture and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation for patients undergoing supratentorial craniotomy

    PubMed Central

    Li, Guoyan; Li, Shuqin; Sun, Lizhi; Lin, Fangcai; Wang, Baoguo

    2015-01-01

    Objective: The effect of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) on immuno-inflammatory response was tested and the differences between electroacupuncture (EA) and TENS in immuno-inflammatory response in patients undergoing supratentorial craniotomy were explored. Methods: 51 patients received craniotomy were divided randomly into 3 groups: control (group C, n=18), EA (group A, n=19) and TENS (group T, n=14) groups. Blood samples were collected before anesthesia (T0) and 30 min (T1), 2 h (T2) and 4 h (T3) after induction of anesthesia to measure the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-8, IL-10, IgM, IgA and IgG.. Results: No significant difference existed between groups A and group T during craniotomy. IgM and IgA decreased significantly in group C compared with groups A and T at T2 and T3 time points. Compared with group C, there were significant difference in TNF-α, IgM and IgA level at T0 in groups A and T; no significant difference was found in the levels of IgG, IL-10 and IL-8. Conclusion: EA and TENS could reduce immunosuppression in patients undergoing supratentorial craniotomy and it has significance in choice of treatment in immunosuppressive therapy. PMID:25932216

  9. Impact of Acoustic Standing Waves on Structural Responses: Reverberant Acoustic Testing (RAT) vs. Direct Field Acoustic Testing (DFAT)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kolaini, Ali R.; Doty, Benjamin; Chang, Zensheu

    2012-01-01

    Loudspeakers have been used for acoustic qualification of spacecraft, reflectors, solar panels, and other acoustically responsive structures for more than a decade. Limited measurements from some of the recent speaker tests used to qualify flight hardware have indicated significant spatial variation of the acoustic field within the test volume. Also structural responses have been reported to differ when similar tests were performed using reverberant chambers. To address the impact of non-uniform acoustic field on structural responses, a series of acoustic tests were performed using a flat panel and a 3-ft cylinder exposed to the field controlled by speakers and repeated in a reverberant chamber. The speaker testing was performed using multi-input-single-output (MISO) and multi-input-multi-output (MIMO) control schemes with and without the test articles. In this paper the spatial variation of the acoustic field due to acoustic standing waves and their impacts on the structural responses in RAT and DFAT (both using MISO and MIMO controls for DFAT) are discussed in some detail.

  10. An acoustic switch.

    PubMed

    Vanhille, Christian; Campos-Pozuelo, Cleofé

    2014-01-01

    The benefits derived from the development of acoustic transistors which act as switches or amplifiers have been reported in the literature. Here we propose a model of acoustic switch. We theoretically demonstrate that the device works: the input signal is totally restored at the output when the switch is on whereas the output signal nulls when the switch is off. The switch, on or off, depends on a secondary acoustic field capable to manipulate the main acoustic field. The model relies on the attenuation effect of many oscillating bubbles on the main travelling wave in the liquid, as well as on the capacity of the secondary acoustic wave to move the bubbles. This model evidences the concept of acoustic switch (transistor) with 100% efficiency. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Electro-opto-mechanical radio-frequency oscillator driven by guided acoustic waves in standard single-mode fiber

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    London, Yosef; Diamandi, Hilel Hagai; Zadok, Avi

    2017-04-01

    An opto-electronic radio-frequency oscillator that is based on forward scattering by the guided acoustic modes of a standard single-mode optical fiber is proposed and demonstrated. An optical pump wave is used to stimulate narrowband, resonant guided acoustic modes, which introduce phase modulation to a co-propagating optical probe wave. The phase modulation is converted to an intensity signal at the output of a Sagnac interferometer loop. The intensity waveform is detected, amplified, and driven back to modulate the optical pump. Oscillations are achieved at a frequency of 319 MHz, which matches the resonance of the acoustic mode that provides the largest phase modulation of the probe wave. Oscillations at the frequencies of competing acoustic modes are suppressed by at least 40 dB. The linewidth of the acoustic resonance is sufficiently narrow to provide oscillations at a single longitudinal mode of the hybrid cavity. Competing longitudinal modes are suppressed by at least 38 dB as well. Unlike other opto-electronic oscillators, no radio-frequency filtering is required within the hybrid cavity. The frequency of oscillations is entirely determined by the fiber opto-mechanics.

  12. Acoustic tweezers via sub-time-of-flight regime surface acoustic waves.

    PubMed

    Collins, David J; Devendran, Citsabehsan; Ma, Zhichao; Ng, Jia Wei; Neild, Adrian; Ai, Ye

    2016-07-01

    Micrometer-scale acoustic waves are highly useful for refined optomechanical and acoustofluidic manipulation, where these fields are spatially localized along the transducer aperture but not along the acoustic propagation direction. In the case of acoustic tweezers, such a conventional acoustic standing wave results in particle and cell patterning across the entire width of a microfluidic channel, preventing selective trapping. We demonstrate the use of nanosecond-scale pulsed surface acoustic waves (SAWs) with a pulse period that is less than the time of flight between opposing transducers to generate localized time-averaged patterning regions while using conventional electrode structures. These nodal positions can be readily and arbitrarily positioned in two dimensions and within the patterning region itself through the imposition of pulse delays, frequency modulation, and phase shifts. This straightforward concept adds new spatial dimensions to which acoustic fields can be localized in SAW applications in a manner analogous to optical tweezers, including spatially selective acoustic tweezers and optical waveguides.

  13. Acoustic levitation of an object larger than the acoustic wavelength.

    PubMed

    Andrade, Marco A B; Okina, Fábio T A; Bernassau, Anne L; Adamowski, Julio C

    2017-06-01

    Levitation and manipulation of objects by sound waves have a wide range of applications in chemistry, biology, material sciences, and engineering. However, the current acoustic levitation techniques are mainly restricted to particles that are much smaller than the acoustic wavelength. In this work, it is shown that acoustic standing waves can be employed to stably levitate an object much larger than the acoustic wavelength in air. The levitation of a large slightly curved object weighting 2.3 g is demonstrated by using a device formed by two 25 kHz ultrasonic Langevin transducers connected to an aluminum plate. The sound wave emitted by the device provides a vertical acoustic radiation force to counteract gravity and a lateral restoring force that ensure horizontal stability to the levitated object. In order to understand the levitation stability, a numerical model based on the finite element method is used to determine the acoustic radiation force that acts on the object.

  14. ACOUSTICS IN ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN, AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY ON ARCHITECTURAL ACOUSTICS.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    DOELLE, LESLIE L.

    THE PURPOSE OF THIS ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY ON ARCHITECTURAL ACOUSTICS WAS--(1) TO COMPILE A CLASSIFIED BIBLIOGRAPHY, INCLUDING MOST OF THOSE PUBLICATIONS ON ARCHITECTURAL ACOUSTICS, PUBLISHED IN ENGLISH, FRENCH, AND GERMAN WHICH CAN SUPPLY A USEFUL AND UP-TO-DATE SOURCE OF INFORMATION FOR THOSE ENCOUNTERING ANY ARCHITECTURAL-ACOUSTIC DESIGN…

  15. AST Launch Vehicle Acoustics

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Houston, Janice; Counter, D.; Giacomoni, D.

    2015-01-01

    The liftoff phase induces acoustic loading over a broad frequency range for a launch vehicle. These external acoustic environments are then used in the prediction of internal vibration responses of the vehicle and components which result in the qualification levels. Thus, predicting these liftoff acoustic (LOA) environments is critical to the design requirements of any launch vehicle. If there is a significant amount of uncertainty in the predictions or if acoustic mitigation options must be implemented, a subscale acoustic test is a feasible pre-launch test option to verify the LOA environments. The NASA Space Launch System (SLS) program initiated the Scale Model Acoustic Test (SMAT) to verify the predicted SLS LOA environments and to determine the acoustic reduction with an above deck water sound suppression system. The SMAT was conducted at Marshall Space Flight Center and the test article included a 5% scale SLS vehicle model, tower and Mobile Launcher. Acoustic and pressure data were measured by approximately 250 instruments. The SMAT liftoff acoustic results are presented, findings are discussed and a comparison is shown to the Ares I Scale Model Acoustic Test (ASMAT) results.

  16. Contralateral Bimodal Stimulation: A Way to Enhance Speech Performance in Arabic-Speaking Cochlear Implant Patients.

    PubMed

    Abdeltawwab, Mohamed M; Khater, Ahmed; El-Anwar, Mohammad W

    2016-01-01

    The combination of acoustic and electric stimulation as a way to enhance speech recognition performance in cochlear implant (CI) users has generated considerable interest in the recent years. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the bimodal advantage of the FS4 speech processing strategy in combination with hearing aids (HA) as a means to improve low-frequency resolution in CI patients. Nineteen postlingual CI adults were selected to participate in this study. All patients wore implants on one side and HA on the contralateral side with residual hearing. Monosyllabic word recognition, speech in noise, and emotion and talker identification were assessed using CI with fine structure processing/FS4 and high-definition continuous interleaved sampling strategies, HA alone, and a combination of CI and HA. The bimodal stimulation showed improvement in speech performance and emotion identification for the question/statement/order tasks, which was statistically significant compared to patients with CI alone, but there were no significant statistical differences in intragender talker discrimination and emotion identification for the happy/angry/neutral tasks. The poorest performance was obtained with HA only, and it was statistically significant compared to the other modalities. The bimodal stimulation showed enhanced speech performance in CI patients, and it improves the limitations provided by electric or acoustic stimulation alone. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  17. Acoustic neuroma

    MedlinePlus

    ... Cerebellopontine angle tumor; Angle tumor; Hearing loss - acoustic; Tinnitus - acoustic ... that makes it hard to hear conversations Ringing ( tinnitus ) in the affected ear Less common symptoms include: ...

  18. Role of the Internal Superior Laryngeal Nerve in the Motor Responses of Vocal Cords and the Related Voice Acoustic Changes

    PubMed Central

    Seifpanahi, Sadegh; Izadi, Farzad; Jamshidi, Ali-Ashraf; Torabinezhad, Farhad; Sarrafzadeh, Javad; Mohammadi, Siavash

    2016-01-01

    Background: Repeated efforts by researchers to impose voice changes by laryngeal surface electrical stimulation (SES) have come to no avail. This present pre-experimental study employed a novel method for SES application so as to evoke the motor potential of the internal superior laryngeal nerve (ISLN) and create voice changes. Methods: Thirty-two normal individuals (22 females and 10 males) participated in this study. The subjects were selected from the students of Iran University of Medical Sciences in 2014. Two monopolar active electrodes were placed on the thyrohyoid space at the location of the ISLN entrance to the larynx and 1 dispersive electrode was positioned on the back of the neck. A current with special programmed parameters was applied to stimulate the ISLN via the active electrodes and simultaneously the resultant acoustic changes were evaluated. All the means of the acoustic parameters during SES and rest periods were compared using the paired t-test. Results: The findings indicated significant changes (P=0.00) in most of the acoustic parameters during SES presentation compared to them at rest. The mean of fundamental frequency standard deviation (SD F0) at rest was 1.54 (SD=0.55) versus 4.15 (SD=3.00) for the SES period. The other investigated parameters comprised fundamental frequency (F0), minimum F0, jitter, shimmer, harmonic-to-noise ratio (HNR), mean intensity, and minimum intensity. Conclusion: These findings demonstrated significant changes in most of the important acoustic features, suggesting that the stimulation of the ISLN via SES could induce motor changes in the vocal folds. The clinical applicability of the method utilized in the current study in patients with vocal fold paralysis requires further research. PMID:27582586

  19. Effects of Additional Low-Pass-Filtered Speech on Listening Effort for Noise-Band-Vocoded Speech in Quiet and in Noise.

    PubMed

    Pals, Carina; Sarampalis, Anastasios; van Dijk, Mart; Başkent, Deniz

    2018-05-11

    Residual acoustic hearing in electric-acoustic stimulation (EAS) can benefit cochlear implant (CI) users in increased sound quality, speech intelligibility, and improved tolerance to noise. The goal of this study was to investigate whether the low-pass-filtered acoustic speech in simulated EAS can provide the additional benefit of reducing listening effort for the spectrotemporally degraded signal of noise-band-vocoded speech. Listening effort was investigated using a dual-task paradigm as a behavioral measure, and the NASA Task Load indeX as a subjective self-report measure. The primary task of the dual-task paradigm was identification of sentences presented in three experiments at three fixed intelligibility levels: at near-ceiling, 50%, and 79% intelligibility, achieved by manipulating the presence and level of speech-shaped noise in the background. Listening effort for the primary intelligibility task was reflected in the performance on the secondary, visual response time task. Experimental speech processing conditions included monaural or binaural vocoder, with added low-pass-filtered speech (to simulate EAS) or without (to simulate CI). In Experiment 1, in quiet with intelligibility near-ceiling, additional low-pass-filtered speech reduced listening effort compared with binaural vocoder, in line with our expectations, although not compared with monaural vocoder. In Experiments 2 and 3, for speech in noise, added low-pass-filtered speech allowed the desired intelligibility levels to be reached at less favorable speech-to-noise ratios, as expected. It is interesting that this came without the cost of increased listening effort usually associated with poor speech-to-noise ratios; at 50% intelligibility, even a reduction in listening effort on top of the increased tolerance to noise was observed. The NASA Task Load indeX did not capture these differences. The dual-task results provide partial evidence for a potential decrease in listening effort as a result of

  20. Double negative acoustic metastructure for attenuation of acoustic emissions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kumar, Sanjay; Bhushan, Pulak; Prakash, Om; Bhattacharya, Shantanu

    2018-03-01

    Acoustic metamaterials hold great potential for attenuation of low frequency acoustic emissions. However, a fundamental challenge is achieving high transmission loss over a broad frequency range. In this work, we report a double negative acoustic metastructure for absorption of low frequency acoustic emissions in an aircraft. This is achieved by utilizing a periodic array of hexagonal cells interconnected with a neck and mounted with an elastic membrane on both ends. An average transmission loss of 56 dB under 500 Hz and an overall absorption of over 48% have been realized experimentally. The negative mass density is derived from the dipolar resonances created as a result of the in-phase movement of the membranes. Further, the negative bulk modulus is ascribed to the combined effect of out-of-phase acceleration of the membranes and the Helmholtz resonator. The proposed metastructure enables absorption of low frequency acoustic emissions with improved functionality that is highly desirable for varied applications.

  1. Measurement of the methyl cyanide E/A ratio in TMC-1

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Minh, Y. C.; Irvine, W. M.; Ohishi, M.; Ishikawa, S.; Saito, S.; Kaifu, N.

    1993-01-01

    We have observed the methyl cyanide (CH3CN) J = 2-1 K = 0 and 1 transitions toward the cyanopolyyne peak of TMC-1 and have derived an E/A (ortho/para)abundance ratio N(E)/N(A) = 0.75 +/- 0.10. The total methyl cyanide column density is N(total) = 5 x 10 exp 12/sq cm toward TMC-1, in agreement with earlier results from the J = 1-0 lines.

  2. Modulation of Neurally Mediated Vasodepression and Bradycardia by Electroacupuncture through Opioids in Nucleus Tractus Solitarius.

    PubMed

    Tjen-A-Looi, Stephanie C; Fu, Liang-Wu; Guo, Zhi-Ling; Longhurst, John C

    2018-01-30

    Stimulation of vagal afferent endings with intravenous phenylbiguanide (PBG) causes both bradycardia and vasodepression, simulating neurally mediated syncope. Activation of µ-opioid receptors in the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) increases blood pressure. Electroacupuncture (EA) stimulation of somatosensory nerves underneath acupoints P5-6, ST36-37, LI6-7 or G37-39 selectively but differentially modulates sympathoexcitatory responses. We therefore hypothesized that EA-stimulation at P5-6 or ST36-37, but not LI6-7 or G37-39 acupoints, inhibits the bradycardia and vasodepression through a µ-opioid receptor mechanism in the NTS. We observed that stimulation at acupoints P5-6 and ST36-37 overlying the deep somatosensory nerves and LI6-7 and G37-39 overlying cutaneous nerves differentially evoked NTS neural activity in anesthetized and ventilated animals. Thirty-min of EA-stimulation at P5-6 or ST36-37 reduced the depressor and bradycardia responses to PBG while EA at LI6-7 or G37-39 did not. Congruent with the hemodynamic responses, EA at P5-6 and ST36-37, but not at LI6-7 and G37-39, reduced vagally evoked activity of cardiovascular NTS cells. Finally, opioid receptor blockade in the NTS with naloxone or a specific μ-receptor antagonist reversed P5-6 EA-inhibition of the depressor, bradycardia and vagally evoked NTS activity. These data suggest that point specific EA stimulation inhibits PBG-induced vasodepression and bradycardia responses through a μ-opioid mechanism in the NTS.

  3. Reducing the dimensions of acoustic devices using anti-acoustic-null media

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Borui; Sun, Fei; He, Sailing

    2018-02-01

    An anti-acoustic-null medium (anti-ANM), a special homogeneous medium with anisotropic mass density, is designed by transformation acoustics (TA). Anti-ANM can greatly compress acoustic space along the direction of its main axis, where the size compression ratio is extremely large. This special feature can be utilized to reduce the geometric dimensions of classic acoustic devices. For example, the height of a parabolic acoustic reflector can be greatly reduced. We also design a brass-air structure on the basis of the effective medium theory to materialize the anti-ANM in a broadband frequency range. Numerical simulations verify the performance of the proposed anti-ANM.

  4. North Pacific Acoustic Laboratory: Deep Water Acoustic Propagation in the Philippine Sea

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-06-21

    the "Special Issue on Deep-water Ocean Acoustics" in the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America (Vol. 134, No . 4, Pt. 2 of 2 , October20 13...also listed. Fourteen (14) of these publications appeared in the " Special Issue on Deep-water Ocean Acoustics" in the Journal of the Acoustical

  5. Relationships between objective acoustic indices and acoustic comfort evaluation in nonacoustic spaces

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kang, Jian

    2004-05-01

    Much attention has been paid to acoustic spaces such as concert halls and recording studios, whereas research on nonacoustic buildings/spaces has been rather limited, especially from the viewpoint of acoustic comfort. In this research a series of case studies has been carried out on this topic, considering various spaces including shopping mall atrium spaces, library reading rooms, football stadia, swimming spaces, churches, dining spaces, as well as urban open public spaces. The studies focus on the relationships between objective acoustic indices such as sound pressure level and reverberation time and perceptions of acoustic comfort. The results show that the acoustic atmosphere is an important consideration in such spaces and the evaluation of acoustic comfort may vary considerably even if the objective acoustic indices are the same. It is suggested that current guidelines and technical regulations are insufficient in terms of acoustic design of these spaces, and the relationships established from the case studies between objective and subjective aspects would be useful for developing further design guidelines. [Work supported partly by the British Academy.

  6. Virtual acoustics displays

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wenzel, Elizabeth M.; Fisher, Scott S.; Stone, Philip K.; Foster, Scott H.

    1991-03-01

    The real time acoustic display capabilities are described which were developed for the Virtual Environment Workstation (VIEW) Project at NASA-Ames. The acoustic display is capable of generating localized acoustic cues in real time over headphones. An auditory symbology, a related collection of representational auditory 'objects' or 'icons', can be designed using ACE (Auditory Cue Editor), which links both discrete and continuously varying acoustic parameters with information or events in the display. During a given display scenario, the symbology can be dynamically coordinated in real time with 3-D visual objects, speech, and gestural displays. The types of displays feasible with the system range from simple warnings and alarms to the acoustic representation of multidimensional data or events.

  7. Virtual acoustics displays

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wenzel, Elizabeth M.; Fisher, Scott S.; Stone, Philip K.; Foster, Scott H.

    1991-01-01

    The real time acoustic display capabilities are described which were developed for the Virtual Environment Workstation (VIEW) Project at NASA-Ames. The acoustic display is capable of generating localized acoustic cues in real time over headphones. An auditory symbology, a related collection of representational auditory 'objects' or 'icons', can be designed using ACE (Auditory Cue Editor), which links both discrete and continuously varying acoustic parameters with information or events in the display. During a given display scenario, the symbology can be dynamically coordinated in real time with 3-D visual objects, speech, and gestural displays. The types of displays feasible with the system range from simple warnings and alarms to the acoustic representation of multidimensional data or events.

  8. Simulation of Acoustics for Ares I Scale Model Acoustic Tests

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Putnam, Gabriel; Strutzenberg, Louise L.

    2011-01-01

    The Ares I Scale Model Acoustics Test (ASMAT) is a series of live-fire tests of scaled rocket motors meant to simulate the conditions of the Ares I launch configuration. These tests have provided a well documented set of high fidelity acoustic measurements useful for validation including data taken over a range of test conditions and containing phenomena like Ignition Over-Pressure and water suppression of acoustics. To take advantage of this data, a digital representation of the ASMAT test setup has been constructed and test firings of the motor have been simulated using the Loci/CHEM computational fluid dynamics software. Results from ASMAT simulations with the rocket in both held down and elevated configurations, as well as with and without water suppression have been compared to acoustic data collected from similar live-fire tests. Results of acoustic comparisons have shown good correlation with the amplitude and temporal shape of pressure features and reasonable spectral accuracy up to approximately 1000 Hz. Major plume and acoustic features have been well captured including the plume shock structure, the igniter pulse transient, and the ignition overpressure.

  9. 47 CFR 11.55 - EAS operation during a State or Local Area emergency.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... leaks or liquid spills, widespread power failures, industrial explosions, and civil disorders. (1) DBS...); analog cable systems, digital cable systems, and wireless cable systems must comply with § 11.54(b)(6... programming should comply with § 11.54(b)(8). (5) Upon completion of the State or Local Area EAS transmission...

  10. New installation for inclined EAS investigations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zadeba, E. A.; Ampilogov, N. V.; Barbashina, N. S.; Bogdanov, A. G.; Borisov, A. A.; Chernov, D. V.; Dushkin, L. I.; Fakhrutdinov, R. M.; Kokoulin, R. P.; Kompaniets, K. G.; Kozhin, A. S.; Ovchinnikov, V. V.; Ovechkin, A. S.; Petrukhin, A. A.; Shutenko, V. V.; Volkov, N. S.; Vorobjev, V. S.; Yashin, I. I.

    2017-06-01

    The large-scale coordinate-tracking detector TREK for registration of inclined EAS is being developed in MEPhI. The detector is based on multiwire drift chambers from the neutrino experiment at the IHEP U-70 accelerator. Their key advantages are a large effective area (1.85 m2), a good coordinate and angular resolution with a small number of measuring channels. The detector will be operated as part of the experimental complex NEVOD, in particular, jointly with a Cherenkov water detector (CWD) with a volume of 2000 cubic meters and the coordinate detector DECOR. The first part of the detector named Coordinate-Tracking Unit based on the Drift Chambers (CTUDC), representing two coordinate planes of 8 drift chambers in each, has been developed and mounted on opposite sides of the CWD. It has the same principle of joint operation with the NEVOD-DECOR triggering system and the same drift chambers alignment, so the main features of the TREK detector will be examined. Results of the CTUDC development and a joint operation with NEVOD-DECOR complex are presented.

  11. COMPARISON OF CFC-114 AND HFC-236EA PERFORMANCE IN SHIPBOARD VAPOR COMPRESSION SYSTEMS

    EPA Science Inventory

    The report gives results of a comparison of the performance of two refrigerants - 1,1,1,2,3,3-hexafluoropropane (HFC-236ea) and 1,2-dichloro-tetrafluoroethane (CFC-114) - in shipboard vapor compression refrigeration systems. (NOTE: In compliance with the Montreal Protocol and Dep...

  12. HEAT TRANSFER EVALUATION OF HFC-236EA AND CFC-114 IN CONDENSATION AND EVAPORATION

    EPA Science Inventory

    The report gives results of a heat transfer evaluation of the refrigerants hexafluoropropane (HFC-236ea) and 1,1,2,2-dichloro-tetrafluoroethane (CFC-114). (NOTE: With the mandatory phase-out of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), as dictated by the Montreal Protocol and Clean Air Act Ame...

  13. Humoral immune response in infectious mononucleosis. Late emergence of anti-EA(R) and the effects of corticosteroid therapy.

    PubMed

    Fleisher, G R; Collins, M; Fager, S

    1985-11-01

    The antibody response to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) antigens in patients with infectious mononucleosis (IM) was studied to assess antibody appearance to the restricted (R) component of the early antigen (EA) complex and to determine the effect of corticosteroids on all aspects of the humoral immune response. Sixty college students with heterophil-positive clinical IM, confirmed by EBV-specific serology, were followed for a period of 4-26 weeks, Half received prednisone for six days, and the remainder received no corticosteroid therapy. Regardless of therapy, 48% of the patients developed anti-EA(R) antibodies. The response to other antigens was similar in both groups with the exception that antibodies to the EB-associated nuclear antigen (EBNA) developed later during convalescence and at lower titers in the corticosteroid-treated group. We conclude that 1) anti-EA(R) antibodies develop with considerable frequency following IM and are not a marker, as previously proposed, of unusually severe disease, and 2) corticosteroid therapy may retard the formation of anti-EBNA antibodies but it does not otherwise influence the humoral immune response to EBV.

  14. The effect of deep brain stimulation on the speech motor system.

    PubMed

    Mücke, Doris; Becker, Johannes; Barbe, Michael T; Meister, Ingo; Liebhart, Lena; Roettger, Timo B; Dembek, Till; Timmermann, Lars; Grice, Martine

    2014-08-01

    Chronic deep brain stimulation of the nucleus ventralis intermedius is an effective treatment for individuals with medication-resistant essential tremor. However, these individuals report that stimulation has a deleterious effect on their speech. The present study investigates one important factor leading to these effects: the coordination of oral and glottal articulation. Sixteen native-speaking German adults with essential tremor, between 26 and 86 years old, with and without chronic deep brain stimulation of the nucleus ventralis intermedius and 12 healthy, age-matched subjects were recorded performing a fast syllable repetition task (/papapa/, /tatata/, /kakaka/). Syllable duration and voicing-to-syllable ratio as well as parameters related directly to consonant production, voicing during constriction, and frication during constriction were measured. Voicing during constriction was greater in subjects with essential tremor than in controls, indicating a perseveration of voicing into the voiceless consonant. Stimulation led to fewer voiceless intervals (voicing-to-syllable ratio), indicating a reduced degree of glottal abduction during the entire syllable cycle. Stimulation also induced incomplete oral closures (frication during constriction), indicating imprecise oral articulation. The detrimental effect of stimulation on the speech motor system can be quantified using acoustic measures at the subsyllabic level.

  15. Subwavelength diffractive acoustics and wavefront manipulation with a reflective acoustic metasurface

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Wenqi; Xie, Yangbo; Popa, Bogdan-Ioan; Cummer, Steven A.

    2016-11-01

    Acoustic metasurfaces provide useful wavefront shaping capabilities, such as beam steering, acoustic focusing, and asymmetric transmission, in a compact structure. Most acoustic metasurfaces described in the literature are transmissive devices and focus their performance on steering sound beam of the fundamental diffractive order. In addition, the range of incident angles studied is usually below the critical incidence predicted by generalized Snell's law of reflection. In this work, we comprehensively analyze the wave interaction with a generic periodic phase-modulating structure in order to predict the behavior of all diffractive orders, especially for cases beyond critical incidence. Under the guidance of the presented analysis, a broadband reflective metasurface is designed based on an expanded library of labyrinthine acoustic metamaterials. Various local and nonlocal wavefront shaping properties are experimentally demonstrated, and enhanced absorption of higher order diffractive waves is experimentally shown for the first time. The proposed methodology provides an accurate approach for predicting practical diffracted wave behaviors and opens a new perspective for the study of acoustic periodic structures. The designed metasurface extends the functionalities of acoustic metasurfaces and paves the way for the design of thin planar reflective structures for broadband acoustic wave manipulation and extraordinary absorption.

  16. Permeability determination through NMR detection of acoustically induced fluid oscillation.

    PubMed

    Looyestijn, Wim J; Smits, Robert M M; Abu-Shiekah, Issa; Kuvshinov, Boris; Hofman, Jan P; Schwing, Alex

    2006-11-01

    We present a novel approach for directly measuring the permeability of reservoir rocks by an instrument lowered in a well bore. The measurement is made by creating an oscillatory motion of fluids in the pores by acoustic stimulation and by detecting the amplitude response as a phase shift on a nuclear magnetic resonance relaxation signal. A full theoretical description is given. The feasibility of the method has been verified in the laboratory on a set of sandstone and carbonate samples spanning the entire range of practical interest.

  17. Laser Stimulation of Single Auditory Nerve Fibers

    PubMed Central

    Littlefield, Philip D.; Vujanovic, Irena; Mundi, Jagmeet; Matic, Agnella Izzo; Richter, Claus-Peter

    2011-01-01

    Objectives/Hypothesis One limitation with cochlear implants is the difficulty stimulating spatially discrete spiral ganglion cell groups because of electrode interactions. Multipolar electrodes have improved on this some, but also at the cost of much higher device power consumption. Recently, it has been shown that spatially selective stimulation of the auditory nerve is possible with a mid-infrared laser aimed at the spiral ganglion via the round window. However, these neurons must be driven at adequate rates for optical radiation to be useful in cochlear implants. We herein use single-fiber recordings to characterize the responses of auditory neurons to optical radiation. Study Design In vivo study using normal-hearing adult gerbils. Methods Two diode lasers were used for stimulation of the auditory nerve. They operated between 1.844 μm and 1.873 μm, with pulse durations of 35 μs to 1,000 μs, and at repetition rates up to 1,000 pulses per second (pps). The laser outputs were coupled to a 200-μm-diameter optical fiber placed against the round window membrane and oriented toward the spiral ganglion. The auditory nerve was exposed through a craniotomy, and recordings were taken from single fibers during acoustic and laser stimulation. Results Action potentials occurred 2.5 ms to 4.0 ms after the laser pulse. The latency jitter was up to 3 ms. Maximum rates of discharge averaged 97 ± 52.5 action potentials per second. The neurons did not strictly respond to the laser at stimulation rates over 100 pps. Conclusions Auditory neurons can be stimulated by a laser beam passing through the round window membrane and driven at rates sufficient for useful auditory information. Optical stimulation and electrical stimulation have different characteristics; which could be selectively exploited in future cochlear implants. Level of Evidence Not applicable. PMID:20830761

  18. Tuning acoustic and mechanical properties of materials for ultrasound phantoms and smart substrates for cell cultures.

    PubMed

    Cafarelli, A; Verbeni, A; Poliziani, A; Dario, P; Menciassi, A; Ricotti, L

    2017-02-01

    Materials with tailored acoustic properties are of great interest for both the development of tissue-mimicking phantoms for ultrasound tests and smart scaffolds for ultrasound mediated tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. In this study, we assessed the acoustic properties (speed of sound, acoustic impedance and attenuation coefficient) of three different materials (agarose, polyacrylamide and polydimethylsiloxane) at different concentrations or cross-linking levels and doped with different concentrations of barium titanate ceramic nanoparticles. The selected materials, besides different mechanical features (stiffness from few kPa to 1.6MPa), showed a wide range of acoustic properties (speed of sound from 1022 to 1555m/s, acoustic impedance from 1.02 to 1.67MRayl and attenuation coefficient from 0.2 to 36.5dB/cm), corresponding to ranges in which natural soft tissues can fall. We demonstrated that this knowledge can be used to build tissue-mimicking phantoms for ultrasound-based medical procedures and that the mentioned measurements enable to stimulate cells with a highly controlled ultrasound dose, taking into account the attenuation due to the cell-supporting scaffold. Finally, we were able to correlate for the first time the bioeffect on human fibroblasts, triggered by piezoelectric barium titanate nanoparticles activated by low-intensity pulsed ultrasound, with a precise ultrasound dose delivered. These results may open new avenues for the development of both tissue-mimicking materials for ultrasound phantoms and smart triggerable scaffolds for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. This study reports for the first time the results of a systematic acoustic characterization of agarose, polyacrylamide and polydimethylsiloxane at different concentrations and cross-linking extents and doped with different concentrations of barium titanate nanoparticles. These results can be used to build tissue-mimicking phantoms, useful for many ultrasound

  19. 47 CFR 1.1311 - Environmental information to be included in the environmental assessment (EA).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... earth stations, a description of the facilities as well as supporting structures and appurtenances, and..., the applicant's analysis must utilize the best scientific and commercial data available, see 50 CFR...'s environmental impact, if any. The EA shall deal specifically with any feature of the site which...

  20. 47 CFR 1.1311 - Environmental information to be included in the environmental assessment (EA).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... earth stations, a description of the facilities as well as supporting structures and appurtenances, and..., the applicant's analysis must utilize the best scientific and commercial data available, see 50 CFR...'s environmental impact, if any. The EA shall deal specifically with any feature of the site which...

  1. 47 CFR 1.1311 - Environmental information to be included in the environmental assessment (EA).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... earth stations, a description of the facilities as well as supporting structures and appurtenances, and..., the applicant's analysis must utilize the best scientific and commercial data available, see 50 CFR...'s environmental impact, if any. The EA shall deal specifically with any feature of the site which...

  2. Comparing models of the combined-stimulation advantage for speech recognition.

    PubMed

    Micheyl, Christophe; Oxenham, Andrew J

    2012-05-01

    The "combined-stimulation advantage" refers to an improvement in speech recognition when cochlear-implant or vocoded stimulation is supplemented by low-frequency acoustic information. Previous studies have been interpreted as evidence for "super-additive" or "synergistic" effects in the combination of low-frequency and electric or vocoded speech information by human listeners. However, this conclusion was based on predictions of performance obtained using a suboptimal high-threshold model of information combination. The present study shows that a different model, based on Gaussian signal detection theory, can predict surprisingly large combined-stimulation advantages, even when performance with either information source alone is close to chance, without involving any synergistic interaction. A reanalysis of published data using this model reveals that previous results, which have been interpreted as evidence for super-additive effects in perception of combined speech stimuli, are actually consistent with a more parsimonious explanation, according to which the combined-stimulation advantage reflects an optimal combination of two independent sources of information. The present results do not rule out the possible existence of synergistic effects in combined stimulation; however, they emphasize the possibility that the combined-stimulation advantages observed in some studies can be explained simply by non-interactive combination of two information sources.

  3. Acoustic Neuroma

    MedlinePlus

    An acoustic neuroma is a benign tumor that develops on the nerve that connects the ear to the brain. ... can press against the brain, becoming life-threatening. Acoustic neuroma can be difficult to diagnose, because the ...

  4. Acoustic suspension system

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lee, M. C.; Wang, T. G. (Inventor)

    1983-01-01

    An acoustic levitation system is described, with single acoustic source and a small reflector to stably levitate a small object while the object is processed as by coating or heating it. The system includes a concave acoustic source which has locations on opposite sides of its axis that vibrate towards and away from a focal point to generate a converging acoustic field. A small reflector is located near the focal point, and preferably slightly beyond it, to create an intense acoustic field that stably supports a small object near the reflector. The reflector is located about one-half wavelength from the focal point and is concavely curved to a radius of curvature (L) of about one-half the wavelength, to stably support an object one-quarter wavelength (N) from the reflector.

  5. Optimizing the Combination of Acoustic and Electric Hearing in the Implanted Ear

    PubMed Central

    Karsten, Sue A.; Turner, Christopher W.; Brown, Carolyn J.; Jeon, Eun Kyung; Abbas, Paul J.; Gantz, Bruce J.

    2016-01-01

    Objectives The aim of this study was to determine an optimal approach to program combined acoustic plus electric (A+E) hearing devices in the same ear to maximize speech-recognition performance. Design Ten participants with at least 1 year of experience using Nucleus Hybrid (short electrode) A+E devices were evaluated across three different fitting conditions that varied in the frequency ranges assigned to the acoustically and electrically presented portions of the spectrum. Real-ear measurements were used to optimize the acoustic component for each participant, and the acoustic stimulation was then held constant across conditions. The lower boundary of the electric frequency range was systematically varied to create three conditions with respect to the upper boundary of the acoustic spectrum: Meet, Overlap, and Gap programming. Consonant recognition in quiet and speech recognition in competing-talker babble were evaluated after participants were given the opportunity to adapt by using the experimental programs in their typical everyday listening situations. Participants provided subjective ratings and evaluations for each fitting condition. Results There were no significant differences in performance between conditions (Meet, Overlap, Gap) for consonant recognition in quiet. A significant decrement in performance was measured for the Overlap fitting condition for speech recognition in babble. Subjective ratings indicated a significant preference for the Meet fitting regimen. Conclusions Participants using the Hybrid ipsilateral A+E device generally performed better when the acoustic and electric spectra were programmed to meet at a single frequency region, as opposed to a gap or overlap. Although there is no particular advantage for the Meet fitting strategy for recognition of consonants in quiet, the advantage becomes evident for speech recognition in competing-talker babble and in patient preferences. PMID:23059851

  6. Real-time, in situ monitoring of nanoporation using electric field-induced acoustic signal

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zarafshani, Ali; Faiz, Rowzat; Samant, Pratik; Zheng, Bin; Xiang, Liangzhong

    2018-02-01

    The use of nanoporation in reversible or irreversible electroporation, e.g. cancer ablation, is rapidly growing. This technique uses an ultra-short and intense electric pulse to increase the membrane permeability, allowing non-permeant drugs and genes access to the cytosol via nanopores in the plasma membrane. It is vital to create a real-time in situ monitoring technique to characterize this process and answer the need created by the successful electroporation procedure of cancer treatment. All suggested monitoring techniques for electroporation currently are for pre-and post-stimulation exposure with no real-time monitoring during electric field exposure. This study was aimed at developing an innovative technology for real-time in situ monitoring of electroporation based on the typical cell exposure-induced acoustic emissions. The acoustic signals are the result of the electric field, which itself can be used in realtime to characterize the process of electroporation. We varied electric field distribution by varying the electric pulse from 1μ - 100ns and varying the voltage intensity from 0 - 1.2ܸ݇ to energize two electrodes in a bi-polar set-up. An ultrasound transducer was used for collecting acoustic signals around the subject under test. We determined the relative location of the acoustic signals by varying the position of the electrodes relative to the transducer and varying the electric field distribution between the electrodes to capture a variety of acoustic signals. Therefore, the electric field that is utilized in the nanoporation technique also produces a series of corresponding acoustic signals. This offers a novel imaging technique for the real-time in situ monitoring of electroporation that may directly improve treatment efficiency.

  7. Acoustic evaluation of wood quality in standing trees. Part I, Acoustic wave behavior

    Treesearch

    Xiping Wang; Robert J. Ross; Peter Carter

    2007-01-01

    Acoustic wave velocities in standing trees or live softwood species were measured by the time-of-flight (TOF) method. Tree velocities were compared with acoustic velocities measured in corresponding butt logs through a resonance acoustic method. The experimental data showed a skewed relationship between tree and log acoustic measurements. For most trees tested,...

  8. Acoustic Wave Treatment For Cellulite—A New Approach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Russe-Wilflingseder, Katharina; Russe, Elisabeth

    2010-05-01

    Background and Objectives: Cellulite is a biological caused modification of the female connective tissue. In extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) pulses are penetrating into the tissue without causing a thermal effect or micro lesions, but leading to a stimulation of tissue metabolism and blood circulation, inducing a natural repair process with cell activation and stem cells proliferation. Recently ESWT treatment showed evidence of remodelling collagen within the dermis and of stimulating microcirculation in fatty tissue. Study Design and Methods: The study was designed to assess acoustic wave treatment for cellulite by comparison treated vs. untreated side (upper-leg and buttock). Each individual served as its own control. 11 females with a BMI less then 30 and an age over 18 years were included. 6 treatments were given weekly with radial acoustic waves. Documentation was done before and 1, 4, 12 weeks after last treatment by standardized photo documentation, relaxed and with muscle contraction, measurement of body weight and circumference of the thigh, pinch test, and evaluation of hormonal status and lifestyle. The efficacy of AWT/EPAT was evaluated before and 1, 4, 12 weeks after last treatment. Patients rated the improvement of cellulite, overall satisfaction and acceptance. The therapist assessed improvement of cellulite, side effects and photo documentation treated vs. untreated side, before vs. after treatment. The blinded investigator evaluated the results using photo documentation right vs. left leg, before vs. after treatment in a frontal, lateral and dorsal view, relaxed and with muscle contraction. Results: The improvement of cellulite at the treated side was rated by patients with 27,3% at week 4 and 12, by the therapist with 34,1% at week 4 and 31,2% at week 12 after the last treatment The blinded investigator could verify an improvement of cellulite in an increasing number of patients with increasing time interval after treatment. No side

  9. Room Acoustics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kuttruff, Heinrich; Mommertz, Eckard

    The traditional task of room acoustics is to create or formulate conditions which ensure the best possible propagation of sound in a room from a sound source to a listener. Thus, objects of room acoustics are in particular assembly halls of all kinds, such as auditoria and lecture halls, conference rooms, theaters, concert halls or churches. Already at this point, it has to be pointed out that these conditions essentially depend on the question if speech or music should be transmitted; in the first case, the criterion for transmission quality is good speech intelligibility, in the other case, however, the success of room-acoustical efforts depends on other factors that cannot be quantified that easily, not least it also depends on the hearing habits of the listeners. In any case, absolutely "good acoustics" of a room do not exist.

  10. Acoustic scaling: A re-evaluation of the acoustic model of Manchester Studio 7

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Walker, R.

    1984-12-01

    The reasons for the reconstruction and re-evaluation of the acoustic scale mode of a large music studio are discussed. The design and construction of the model using mechanical and structural considerations rather than purely acoustic absorption criteria is described and the results obtained are given. The results confirm that structural elements within the studio gave rise to unexpected and unwanted low-frequency acoustic absorption. The results also show that at least for the relatively well understood mechanisms of sound energy absorption physical modelling of the structural and internal components gives an acoustically accurate scale model, within the usual tolerances of acoustic design. The poor reliability of measurements of acoustic absorption coefficients, is well illustrated. The conclusion is reached that such acoustic scale modelling is a valid and, for large scale projects, financially justifiable technique for predicting fundamental acoustic effects. It is not appropriate for the prediction of fine details because such small details are unlikely to be reproduced exactly at a different size without extensive measurements of the material's performance at both scales.

  11. Geophysical Remote Sensing Using the HF Pumped Stimulated Brillouin Scatter (SBS) Emission Lines Produced by HAARP

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bernhardt, P. A.; Selcher, C. A.

    2009-12-01

    An ordinary or extraordinary mode electromagnetic wave can decay into a low frequency electrostatic wave and a scattered electromagnetic wave by a process called stimulated Brillouin scatter (SBS). The low frequency wave can be either an ion acoustic wave (IA) or an electrostatic ion cyclotron (EIC) wave. The first detection ion acoustic waves by this process during ionospheric modification with high power radio waves was reported by Norin et al. (2009) using the HAARP transmitter in Alaska. The first detection of the electrostatic ion cyclotron waves is reported here using HAARP during the March 2009 campaign. Subsequent experiments have provided additional verification of the SBS process and quantitative interpretation of the scattered wave frequency offsets to yield measurements of the electron temperatures in the heated ionosphere by Bernhardt et al. (2009). Using the SBS technique to generate ion acoustic waves, electron temperatures between 3000 and 4000 K were measured over the HAARP facility. The matching conditions for decay of the high frequency pump wave show that in addition to the production of an ion-acoustic wave, an electrostatic ion cyclotron wave can produced by the generalized SBS processes only if the pump waves makes a large angle with the magnetic field. When the EIC mode is produced, it is seen as a narrow of stimulated electromagnetic emissions at the ion cyclotron frequency. Occasionally, multiple lines are seen and analyzed to yield the relative abundance of oxygen, and molecular ions in the lower ionosphere. This ion mass spectrometer interpretation of the SBS data is new to the field of ionosphere remote sensing. In addition, based on the matching condition theory, the first profiles of the scattered wave amplitude are produced using the stimulated Brillouin scatter (SBS) matching conditions. These profiles are consistent with maximum ionospheric interactions at the upper-hybrid resonance height and at a region just below the plasma

  12. Acoustic Test Characterization of Melamine Foam for Usage in NASA's Payload Fairing Acoustic Attenuation Systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hughes, William O.; McNelis, Anne M.; McNelis, Mark E.

    2014-01-01

    The external acoustic liftoff levels predicted for NASA's future heavy lift launch vehicles are expected to be significantly higher than the environment created by today's commercial launch vehicles. This creates a need to develop an improved acoustic attenuation system for future NASA payload fairings. NASA Glenn Research Center initiated an acoustic test series to characterize the acoustic performance of melamine foam, with and without various acoustic enhancements. This testing was denoted as NEMFAT, which stands for NESC Enhanced Melamine Foam Acoustic Test, and is the subject of this paper. Both absorption and transmission loss testing of numerous foam configurations were performed at the Riverbank Acoustical Laboratory in July 2013. The NEMFAT test data provides an initial acoustic characterization and database of melamine foam for NASA. Because of its acoustic performance and lighter mass relative to fiberglass blankets, melamine foam is being strongly considered for use in the acoustic attenuation systems of NASA's future launch vehicles.

  13. E+A Galaxy Properties and Post-Starburst Galaxy Evolution Data through SDSS-IV MaNGA and Illustris: A Co-Analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ojanen, Winonah; Dudley, Raymond; Edwards, Kay; Gonzalez, Andrea; Johnson, Amalya; Kerrison, Nicole; Marinelli, Mariarosa; Melchert, Nancy; Liu, Charles; Sloan Collaboration, SDSS-IV MaNGA

    2018-01-01

    E+A galaxies (Elliptical + A-type stars) are post-starburst galaxies that have experienced a sudden quenching phase. Using previous research methods, 39 candidates out of 2,812 galaxies observed, or 1.4%, were selected from the SDSS-IV MaNGA survey. We then identified morphological characteristics of the 39 galaxies including stellar kinematics, Gini coefficient, gas density and distribution and stellar ages. To study the origin of how E+A galaxies evolved to their present state, galaxy simulation data from the Illustris simulation was utilized to identify similar quenched post-starburst candidates. Seven post-starburst candidates were identified through star formation rate histories of Illustris simulated galaxies. The evolution of these galaxies is studied from 0 to 13.8 billion years ago to identify what caused the starburst and quenching of the Illustris candidates. Similar morphological characteristics of Illustris post-starburst candidates are pulled from before, during, and post-starburst and compared to the same morphological characteristics of the E+A galaxies from SDSS-IV MaNGA. The characteristics and properties of the Illustris galaxies are used to identify the possible evolutionary histories of the observed E+A galaxies. This work was supported by grants AST-1460860 from the National Science Foundation and SDSS FAST/SSP-483 from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to the CUNY College of Staten Island.

  14. Nonlinear Electron Acoustic Waves in Dissipative Plasma with Superthermal Electrons

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    El-Hanbaly, A. M.; El-Shewy, E. K.; Kassem, A. I.; Darweesh, H. F.

    2016-01-01

    The nonlinear properties of small amplitude electron-acoustic ( EA) solitary and shock waves in a homogeneous system of unmagnetized collisionless plasma consisted of a cold electron fluid and superthermal hot electrons obeying superthermal distribution, and stationary ions have been investigated. A reductive perturbation method was employed to obtain the Kadomstev-Petviashvili-Burgers (KP-Brugers) equation. Some solutions of physical interest are obtained. These solutions are related to soliton, monotonic and oscillatory shock waves and their behaviour are shown graphically. The formation of these solutions depends crucially on the value of the Burgers term and the plasma parameters as well. By using the tangent hyperbolic (tanh) method, another interesting type of solution which is a combination between shock and soliton waves is obtained. The topology of phase portrait and potential diagram of the KP-Brugers equation is investigated.The advantage of using this method is that one can predict different classes of the travelling wave solutions according to different phase orbits. The obtained results may be helpful in better understanding of waves propagation in various space plasma environments as well as in inertial confinement fusion laboratory plasmas.

  15. Lateral distribution on charged particles in EAS

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dedenko, L. G.; Kulikov, G. V.; Solovjeva, V. I.; Sulakov, V. F.

    1985-01-01

    Lateral distribution of charged particles which allow for the finiteness of energy gamma-quanta, the inhomogeneity of the atmosphere and the experimental selection of EAS are needed to interpret experimental data. The effects of finiteness of energy of gamma-quanta which produce the partial electron-photon cascades were considered by substituting K R sub m instead of R sub m in NKG approximation where K was found to be 0.56 from comparison with the experimental data. New results on the lateral distribution of electrons in the partial cascades from gamma-quanta were obtained. It is shown that the coefficient K can be regarded as a constant. The last approximation of K was found to be most adequate when compared with the experimental data. The inhomogeneity of the atmosphere, muons and experimental selection are considered. The calculation of Ne are extended from 100,000 to 10 million for sea level and for Akeno level.

  16. Liquid jet response to internal modulated ultrasonic radiation pressure and stimulated drop production.

    PubMed

    Lonzaga, Joel B; Osterhoudt, Curtis F; Thiessen, David B; Marston, Philip L

    2007-06-01

    Experimental evidence shows that a liquid jet in air is an acoustic waveguide having a cutoff frequency inversely proportional to the jet diameter. Ultrasound applied to the jet supply liquid can propagate within the jet when the acoustic frequency is near to or above the cutoff frequency. Modulated radiation pressure is used to stimulate large amplitude deformations and the breakup of the jet into drops. The jet response to the modulated internal ultrasonic radiation pressure was monitored along the jet using (a) an optical extinction method and (b) images captured by a video camera. The jet profile oscillates at the frequency of the radiation pressure modulation and where the response is small, the amplitude was found to increase in proportion to the square of the acoustic pressure amplitude as previously demonstrated for oscillating drops [P.L. Marston and R.E. Apfel, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 67, 27-37 (1980)]. Small amplitude deformations initially grow approximately exponentially with axial distance along the jet. Though aspects of the perturbation growth can be approximated from Rayleigh's analysis of the capillary instability, some detailed features of the observed jet response to modulated ultrasound are unexplained neglecting the effects of gravity.

  17. Effects of subsampling of passive acoustic recordings on acoustic metrics.

    PubMed

    Thomisch, Karolin; Boebel, Olaf; Zitterbart, Daniel P; Samaran, Flore; Van Parijs, Sofie; Van Opzeeland, Ilse

    2015-07-01

    Passive acoustic monitoring is an important tool in marine mammal studies. However, logistics and finances frequently constrain the number and servicing schedules of acoustic recorders, requiring a trade-off between deployment periods and sampling continuity, i.e., the implementation of a subsampling scheme. Optimizing such schemes to each project's specific research questions is desirable. This study investigates the impact of subsampling on the accuracy of two common metrics, acoustic presence and call rate, for different vocalization patterns (regimes) of baleen whales: (1) variable vocal activity, (2) vocalizations organized in song bouts, and (3) vocal activity with diel patterns. To this end, above metrics are compared for continuous and subsampled data subject to different sampling strategies, covering duty cycles between 50% and 2%. The results show that a reduction of the duty cycle impacts negatively on the accuracy of both acoustic presence and call rate estimates. For a given duty cycle, frequent short listening periods improve accuracy of daily acoustic presence estimates over few long listening periods. Overall, subsampling effects are most pronounced for low and/or temporally clustered vocal activity. These findings illustrate the importance of informed decisions when applying subsampling strategies to passive acoustic recordings or analyses for a given target species.

  18. Electrophysiological channel interactions using focused multipolar stimulation for cochlear implants

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    George, Shefin S.; Shivdasani, Mohit N.; Wise, Andrew K.; Shepherd, Robert K.; Fallon, James B.

    2015-12-01

    Objective. Speech intelligibility with existing multichannel cochlear implants (CIs) is thought to be limited by poor spatial selectivity and interactions between CI channels caused by overlapping activation with monopolar (MP) stimulation. Our previous studies have shown that focused multipolar (FMP) and tripolar (TP) stimulation produce more restricted neural activation in the inferior colliculus (IC), compared to MP stimulation. Approach. This study explored interactions in the IC produced by simultaneous stimulation of two CI channels. We recorded multi-unit neural activity in the IC of anaesthetized cats with normal and severely degenerated spiral ganglion neuron populations in response to FMP, TP and MP stimulation from a 14 channel CI. Stimuli were applied to a ‘fixed’ CI channel, chosen toward the middle of the cochlear electrode array, and the effects of simultaneously stimulating a more apical ‘test’ CI channel were measured as a function of spatial separation between the two stimulation channels and stimulus level of the fixed channel. Channel interactions were quantified by changes in neural responses and IC threshold (i.e., threshold shift) elicited by simultaneous stimulation of two CI channels, compared to stimulation of the test channel alone. Main results. Channel interactions were significantly lower for FMP and TP than for MP stimulation (p < 0.001), whereas no significant difference was observed between FMP and TP stimulation. With MP stimulation, threshold shifts increased with decreased inter-electrode spacing and increased stimulus levels of the fixed channel. For FMP and TP stimulation, channel interactions were found to be similar for different inter-electrode spacing and stimulus levels of the fixed channel. Significance. The present study demonstrates how the degree of channel interactions in a CI can be controlled using stimulation configurations such as FMP and TP; such knowledge is essential in enhancing CI function in complex

  19. Acoustical and optical radiation pressure and the development of single beam acoustical tweezers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thomas, Jean-Louis; Marchiano, Régis; Baresch, Diego

    2017-07-01

    Studies on radiation pressure in acoustics and optics have enriched one another and have a long common history. Acoustic radiation pressure is used for metrology, levitation, particle trapping and actuation. However, the dexterity and selectivity of single-beam optical tweezers are still to be matched with acoustical devices. Optical tweezers can trap, move and position micron size particles, biological samples or even atoms with subnanometer accuracy in three dimensions. One limitation of optical tweezers is the weak force that can be applied without thermal damage due to optical absorption. Acoustical tweezers overcome this limitation since the radiation pressure scales as the field intensity divided by the speed of propagation of the wave. However, the feasibility of single beam acoustical tweezers was demonstrated only recently. In this paper, we propose a historical review of the strong similarities but also the specificities of acoustical and optical radiation pressures, from the expression of the force to the development of single-beam acoustical tweezers.

  20. Broadband acoustic focusing by Airy-like beams based on acoustic metasurfaces

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Di-Chao; Zhu, Xing-Feng; Wei, Qi; Wu, Da-Jian; Liu, Xiao-Jun

    2018-01-01

    An acoustic metasurface (AM) composed of space-coiling subunits is proposed to generate acoustic Airy-like beams (ALBs) by manipulating the transmitted acoustic phase. The self-accelerating, self-healing, and non-diffracting features of ALBs are demonstrated using finite element simulations. We further employ two symmetrical AMs to realize two symmetrical ALBs, resulting in highly efficient acoustic focusing. At the working frequency, the focal intensity can reach roughly 20 times that of the incident wave. It is found that the highly efficient acoustic focusing can circumvent obstacles in the propagating path and can be maintained in a broad frequency bandwidth. In addition, simply changing the separation between the two AMs can modulate the focal length of the proposed AM lens. ALBs generated by AMs and the corresponding AM lens may benefit applications in medical ultrasound imaging, biomedical therapy, and particle trapping and manipulation.

  1. Origin and function of short-latency inputs to the neural substrates underlying the acoustic startle reflex

    PubMed Central

    Gómez-Nieto, Ricardo; Horta-Júnior, José de Anchieta C.; Castellano, Orlando; Millian-Morell, Lymarie; Rubio, Maria E.; López, Dolores E.

    2014-01-01

    The acoustic startle reflex (ASR) is a survival mechanism of alarm, which rapidly alerts the organism to a sudden loud auditory stimulus. In rats, the primary ASR circuit encompasses three serially connected structures: cochlear root neurons (CRNs), neurons in the caudal pontine reticular nucleus (PnC), and motoneurons in the medulla and spinal cord. It is well-established that both CRNs and PnC neurons receive short-latency auditory inputs to mediate the ASR. Here, we investigated the anatomical origin and functional role of these inputs using a multidisciplinary approach that combines morphological, electrophysiological and behavioral techniques. Anterograde tracer injections into the cochlea suggest that CRNs somata and dendrites receive inputs depending, respectively, on their basal or apical cochlear origin. Confocal colocalization experiments demonstrated that these cochlear inputs are immunopositive for the vesicular glutamate transporter 1 (VGLUT1). Using extracellular recordings in vivo followed by subsequent tracer injections, we investigated the response of PnC neurons after contra-, ipsi-, and bilateral acoustic stimulation and identified the source of their auditory afferents. Our results showed that the binaural firing rate of PnC neurons was higher than the monaural, exhibiting higher spike discharges with contralateral than ipsilateral acoustic stimulations. Our histological analysis confirmed the CRNs as the principal source of short-latency acoustic inputs, and indicated that other areas of the cochlear nucleus complex are not likely to innervate PnC. Behaviorally, we observed a strong reduction of ASR amplitude in monaural earplugged rats that corresponds with the binaural summation process shown in our electrophysiological findings. Our study contributes to understand better the role of neuronal mechanisms in auditory alerting behaviors and provides strong evidence that the CRNs-PnC pathway mediates fast neurotransmission and binaural summation

  2. Acoustic integrated extinction.

    PubMed

    Norris, Andrew N

    2015-05-08

    The integrated extinction (IE) is defined as the integral of the scattering cross section as a function of wavelength. Sohl et al. (2007 J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 122 , 3206-3210. (doi:10.1121/1.2801546)) derived an IE expression for acoustic scattering that is causal, i.e. the scattered wavefront in the forward direction arrives later than the incident plane wave in the background medium. The IE formula was based on electromagnetic results, for which scattering is causal by default. Here, we derive a formula for the acoustic IE that is valid for causal and non-causal scattering. The general result is expressed as an integral of the time-dependent forward scattering function. The IE reduces to a finite integral for scatterers with zero long-wavelength monopole and dipole amplitudes. Implications for acoustic cloaking are discussed and a new metric is proposed for broadband acoustic transparency.

  3. Clinical predictors of facial nerve outcome after translabyrinthine resection of acoustic neuromas.

    PubMed

    Shamji, Mohammed F; Schramm, David R; Benoit, Brien G

    2007-01-01

    The translabyrinthine approach to acoustic neuroma resection offers excellent exposure for facial nerve dissection with 95% preservation of anatomic continuity. Acceptable outcome in facial asymptomatic patients is reported at 64-90%, but transient postoperative deterioration often occurs. The objective of this study was to identify preoperative clinical presentation and intraoperative surgical findings that predispose patients to facial nerve dysfunction after acoustic neuroma surgery. The charts of 128 consecutive translabyrinthine patients were examined retrospectively to identify new clinical and intraoperative predictors of facial nerve outcome. Postoperative evaluation of patients to normal function or mild asymmetry upon close inspection (House-Brackmann grades of I or II) was defined as an acceptable outcome, with obvious asymmetry to no movement (grades III to VI) defined as unacceptable. Intraoperative nerve stimulation was performed in all cases, and clinical grading was performed by a single neurosurgeon in all cases. Among patients with no preoperative facial nerve deficit, 87% had an acceptable result. Small size (P < 0.01) and low intraoperative nerve stimulation of < 0.10 mA (P< 0.01) were reaffirmed as predictive of functional nerve preservation. Additionally, preoperative tinnitus (P = 0.03), short duration of hearing loss (P< 0. 01), and lack of subjective tumour adherence to the facial nerve (P = 0.02) were independently correlated with positive outcome. Our experience with the translabyrinthine approach reveals the previously unestablished associations of facial nerve outcome to include presence of tinnitus and duration of hypoacusis. Independent predictors of tumour size and nerve stimulation thresholds were reaffirmed, and the subjective description of tumour adherence to the facial nerve making dissection more difficult appears to be important.

  4. Differential impact of thalamic versus subthalamic deep brain stimulation on lexical processing.

    PubMed

    Krugel, Lea K; Ehlen, Felicitas; Tiedt, Hannes O; Kühn, Andrea A; Klostermann, Fabian

    2014-10-01

    Roles of subcortical structures in language processing are vague, but, interestingly, basal ganglia and thalamic Deep Brain Stimulation can go along with reduced lexical capacities. To deepen the understanding of this impact, we assessed word processing as a function of thalamic versus subthalamic Deep Brain Stimulation. Ten essential tremor patients treated with thalamic and 14 Parkinson׳s disease patients with subthalamic Deep Brain Stimulation performed an acoustic Lexical Decision Task ON and OFF stimulation. Combined analysis of task performance and event-related potentials allowed the determination of processing speed, priming effects, and N400 as neurophysiological correlate of lexical stimulus processing. 12 age-matched healthy participants acted as control subjects. Thalamic Deep Brain Stimulation prolonged word decisions and reduced N400 potentials. No comparable ON-OFF effects were present in patients with subthalamic Deep Brain Stimulation. In the latter group of patients with Parkinson' disease, N400 amplitudes were, however, abnormally low, whether under active or inactive Deep Brain Stimulation. In conclusion, performance speed and N400 appear to be influenced by state functions, modulated by thalamic, but not subthalamic Deep Brain Stimulation, compatible with concepts of thalamo-cortical engagement in word processing. Clinically, these findings specify cognitive sequels of Deep Brain Stimulation in a target-specific way. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Interacting Multiscale Acoustic Vortices as Coherent Excitations in Dust Acoustic Wave Turbulence

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lin, Po-Cheng; I, Lin

    2018-03-01

    In this work, using three-dimensional intermittent dust acoustic wave turbulence in a dusty plasma as a platform and multidimensional empirical mode decomposition into different-scale modes in the 2 +1 D spatiotemporal space, we demonstrate the experimental observation of the interacting multiscale acoustic vortices, winding around wormlike amplitude hole filaments coinciding with defect filaments, as the basic coherent excitations for acoustic-type wave turbulence. For different decomposed modes, the self-similar rescaled stretched exponential lifetime histograms of amplitude hole filaments, and the self-similar power spectra of dust density fluctuations, indicate that similar dynamical rules are followed over a wide range of scales. In addition to the intermode acoustic vortex pair generation, propagation, or annihilation, the intra- and intermode interactions of acoustic vortices with the same or opposite helicity, their entanglement and synchronization, are found to be the key dynamical processes in acoustic wave turbulence, akin to the interacting multiscale vortices around wormlike cores observed in hydrodynamic turbulence.

  6. Acoustic Test Results of Melamine Foam with Application to Payload Fairing Acoustic Attenuation Systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hughes, William O.; McNelis, Anne M.

    2014-01-01

    A spacecraft at launch is subjected to a harsh acoustic and vibration environment resulting from the passage of acoustic energy, created during the liftoff of a launch vehicle, through the vehicle's payload fairing. In order to ensure the mission success of the spacecraft it is often necessary to reduce the resulting internal acoustic sound pressure levels through the usage of acoustic attenuation systems. Melamine foam, lining the interior walls of the payload fairing, is often utilized as the main component of such a system. In order to better understand the acoustic properties of melamine foam, with the goal of developing improved acoustic attenuation systems, NASA has recently performed panel level testing on numerous configurations of melamine foam acoustic treatments at the Riverbank Acoustical Laboratory. Parameters assessed included the foam's thickness and density, as well as the effects of a top outer cover sheet material and mass barriers embedded within the foam. This testing followed the ASTM C423 standard for absorption and the ASTM E90 standard for transmission loss. The acoustic test data obtained and subsequent conclusions are the subjects of this paper.

  7. Acoustic Suppression Systems and Related Methods

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kolaini, Ali R. (Inventor); Kern, Dennis L. (Inventor)

    2013-01-01

    An acoustic suppression system for absorbing and/or scattering acoustic energy comprising a plurality of acoustic targets in a containment is described, the acoustic targets configured to have resonance frequencies allowing the targets to be excited by incoming acoustic waves, the resonance frequencies being adjustable to suppress acoustic energy in a set frequency range. Methods for fabricating and implementing the acoustic suppression system are also provided.

  8. A Multi-Level Investigation into the Antecedents of Enterprise Architecture (EA) Assimilation in the U.S. Federal Government: A Longitudinal Mixed Methods Research Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Makiya, George K.

    2012-01-01

    This dissertation reports on a multi-dimensional longitudinal investigation of the factors that influence Enterprise Architecture (EA) diffusion and assimilation within the U.S. federal government. The study uses publicly available datasets of 123 U.S. federal departments and agencies, as well as interview data among CIOs and EA managers within…

  9. Introducing passive acoustic filter in acoustic based condition monitoring: Motor bike piston-bore fault identification

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jena, D. P.; Panigrahi, S. N.

    2016-03-01

    Requirement of designing a sophisticated digital band-pass filter in acoustic based condition monitoring has been eliminated by introducing a passive acoustic filter in the present work. So far, no one has attempted to explore the possibility of implementing passive acoustic filters in acoustic based condition monitoring as a pre-conditioner. In order to enhance the acoustic based condition monitoring, a passive acoustic band-pass filter has been designed and deployed. Towards achieving an efficient band-pass acoustic filter, a generalized design methodology has been proposed to design and optimize the desired acoustic filter using multiple filter components in series. An appropriate objective function has been identified for genetic algorithm (GA) based optimization technique with multiple design constraints. In addition, the sturdiness of the proposed method has been demonstrated in designing a band-pass filter by using an n-branch Quincke tube, a high pass filter and multiple Helmholtz resonators. The performance of the designed acoustic band-pass filter has been shown by investigating the piston-bore defect of a motor-bike using engine noise signature. On the introducing a passive acoustic filter in acoustic based condition monitoring reveals the enhancement in machine learning based fault identification practice significantly. This is also a first attempt of its own kind.

  10. The molecular mechanism of the termination of insect diapause, part 1: A timer protein, TIME-EA4, in the diapause eggs of the silkworm Bombyx mori is a metallo-glycoprotein.

    PubMed

    Isobe, Minoru; Kai, Hidenori; Kurahashi, Takuya; Suwan, Sathorn; Pitchayawasin-Thapphasaraphong, Suthasinee; Franz, Thomas; Tani, Naoki; Higashi, Kenichiro; Nishida, Hideo

    2006-10-01

    TIME-EA4 is an ATPase that measures time intervals, functioning as a diapause duration clock in diapause eggs of the silkworm, Bombyx mori. Characterization of the primary and higher structures of the TIME-EA4 would be desirable to clarify the mechanism by which the protein measures the time intervals. In our current studies, the whole sequence of TIME-EA4 has been established as that of a metallo-glycoprotein by combinational means involving peptide sequence analysis, nano-HPLC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS and MS/MS, and cDNA dictation. The amino acid sequence of TIME-EA4 showed 46-55 % homology with the reported proteins of the Cu,Zn-SOD (superoxide dismutase) family; in particular, the SOD active site (core domain) includes metal-binding amino acid ligands and a disulfide bond, and these structures are completely identical in Bombyx SOD, bovine SOD, and TIME-EA4 proteins. We found, however, that TIME-EA4 contains one more copper ion than other SODs, as was proven under neutral nondenaturing conditions. ESI mass spectrometry revealed that the timer function was not in the SOD core domain. In addition, TIME-EA4 has an attached sugar chain, which is indispensable to its functioning as a timer protein.

  11. New Acoustic Arena Qualified at NASA Glenn's Aero-Acoustic Propulsion Laboratory

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wnuk, Stephen P.

    2004-01-01

    A new acoustic arena has been qualified in the Aero-Acoustic Propulsion Laboratory (AAPL) at the NASA Glenn Research Center. This arena is outfitted specifically for conducting fan noise research with the Advanced Noise Control Fan (ANCF) test rig. It features moveable walls with large acoustic wedges (2 by 2 by 1 ft) that create an acoustic environment usable at frequencies as low as 250 Hz. The arena currently uses two dedicated microphone arrays to acquire fan inlet and exhaust far-field acoustic data. It was used successfully in fiscal year 2003 to complete three ANCF tests. It also allowed Glenn to improve the operational efficiency of the four test rigs at AAPL and provided greater flexibility to schedule testing. There were a number of technical challenges to overcome in bringing the new arena to fruition. The foremost challenge was conflicting acoustic requirements of four different rigs. It was simply impossible to construct a static arena anywhere in the facility without intolerably compromising the acoustic test environment of at least one of the test rigs. This problem was overcome by making the wall sections of the new arena movable. Thus, the arena can be reconfigured to meet the operational requirements of any particular rig under test. Other design challenges that were encountered and overcome included structural loads of the large wedges, personnel access requirements, equipment maintenance requirements, and typical time and budget constraints. The new acoustic arena improves operations at the AAPL facility in several significant ways. First, it improves productivity by allowing multiple rigs to operate simultaneously. Second, it improves research data quality by providing a unique test area within the facility that is optimal for conducting fan noise research. Lastly, it reduces labor and equipment costs by eliminating the periodic need to transport the ANCF into and out of the primary AAPL acoustic arena. The investment to design, fabricate, and

  12. Acoustic cooling engine

    DOEpatents

    Hofler, Thomas J.; Wheatley, John C.; Swift, Gregory W.; Migliori, Albert

    1988-01-01

    An acoustic cooling engine with improved thermal performance and reduced internal losses comprises a compressible fluid contained in a resonant pressure vessel. The fluid has a substantial thermal expansion coefficient and is capable of supporting an acoustic standing wave. A thermodynamic element has first and second ends and is located in the resonant pressure vessel in thermal communication with the fluid. The thermal response of the thermodynamic element to the acoustic standing wave pumps heat from the second end to the first end. The thermodynamic element permits substantial flow of the fluid through the thermodynamic element. An acoustic driver cyclically drives the fluid with an acoustic standing wave. The driver is at a location of maximum acoustic impedance in the resonant pressure vessel and proximate the first end of the thermodynamic element. A hot heat exchanger is adjacent to and in thermal communication with the first end of the thermodynamic element. The hot heat exchanger conducts heat from the first end to portions of the resonant pressure vessel proximate the hot heat exchanger. The hot heat exchanger permits substantial flow of the fluid through the hot heat exchanger. The resonant pressure vessel can include a housing less than one quarter wavelength in length coupled to a reservoir. The housing can include a reduced diameter portion communicating with the reservoir. The frequency of the acoustic driver can be continuously controlled so as to maintain resonance.

  13. Acoustic Translation of an Acoustically Levitated Sample

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Barmatz, M. B.; Allen, J. L.

    1986-01-01

    Acoustic-levitation apparatus uses only one acoustic mode to move sample from one region of chamber to another. Sample heated and cooled quickly by translation between hot and cold regions of levitation chamber. Levitated sample is raised into furnace region by raising plunger. Frequency of sound produced by transducers adjusted by feedback system to maintain (102) resonant mode, which levitates sample midway between transducers and plunger regardless of plunger position.

  14. Contour mode resonators with acoustic reflectors

    DOEpatents

    Olsson, Roy H [Albuquerque, NM; Fleming, James G [Albuquerque, NM; Tuck, Melanie R [Albuquerque, NM

    2008-06-10

    A microelectromechanical (MEM) resonator is disclosed which has a linear or ring-shaped acoustic resonator suspended above a substrate by an acoustic reflector. The acoustic resonator can be formed with a piezoelectric material (e.g. aluminum nitride, zinc oxide or PZT), or using an electrostatically-actuated material. The acoustic reflector (also termed an acoustic mirror) uses alternating sections of a relatively low acoustic impedance Z.sub.L material and a relatively high acoustic impedance Z.sub.H material to isolate the acoustic resonator from the substrate. The MEM resonator, which can be formed on a silicon substrate with conventional CMOS circuitry, has applications for forming oscillators, rf filters, and acoustic sensors.

  15. Effects of stimulation configurations on place pitch discrimination in cochlear implants.

    PubMed

    Kwon, Bomjun J; Perry, Trevor T; Olmstead, Vauna L

    2011-06-01

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

  16. Stronger efferent suppression of cochlear neural potentials by contralateral acoustic stimulation in awake than in anesthetized chinchilla.

    PubMed

    Aedo, Cristian; Tapia, Eduardo; Pavez, Elizabeth; Elgueda, Diego; Delano, Paul H; Robles, Luis

    2015-01-01

    There are two types of sensory cells in the mammalian cochlea, inner hair cells, which make synaptic contact with auditory-nerve afferent fibers, and outer hair cells that are innervated by crossed and uncrossed medial olivocochlear (MOC) efferent fibers. Contralateral acoustic stimulation activates the uncrossed efferent MOC fibers reducing cochlear neural responses, thus modifying the input to the central auditory system. The chinchilla, among all studied mammals, displays the lowest percentage of uncrossed MOC fibers raising questions about the strength and frequency distribution of the contralateral-sound effect in this species. On the other hand, MOC effects on cochlear sensitivity have been mainly studied in anesthetized animals and since the MOC-neuron activity depends on the level of anesthesia, it is important to assess the influence of anesthesia in the strength of efferent effects. Seven adult chinchillas (Chinchilla laniger) were chronically implanted with round-window electrodes in both cochleae. We compared the effect of contralateral sound in awake and anesthetized condition. Compound action potentials (CAP) and cochlear microphonics (CM) were measured in the ipsilateral cochlea in response to tones in absence and presence of contralateral sound. Control measurements performed after middle-ear muscles section in one animal discarded any possible middle-ear reflex activation. Contralateral sound produced CAP amplitude reductions in all chinchillas, with suppression effects greater by about 1-3 dB in awake than in anesthetized animals. In contrast, CM amplitude increases of up to 1.9 dB were found in only three awake chinchillas. In both conditions the strongest efferent effects were produced by contralateral tones at frequencies equal or close to those of ipsilateral tones. Contralateral CAP suppressions for 1-6 kHz ipsilateral tones corresponded to a span of uncrossed MOC fiber innervation reaching at least the central third of the chinchilla cochlea.

  17. Acoustic Remote Sensing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dowling, David R.; Sabra, Karim G.

    2015-01-01

    Acoustic waves carry information about their source and collect information about their environment as they propagate. This article reviews how these information-carrying and -collecting features of acoustic waves that travel through fluids can be exploited for remote sensing. In nearly all cases, modern acoustic remote sensing involves array-recorded sounds and array signal processing to recover multidimensional results. The application realm for acoustic remote sensing spans an impressive range of signal frequencies (10-2 to 107 Hz) and distances (10-2 to 107 m) and involves biomedical ultrasound imaging, nondestructive evaluation, oil and gas exploration, military systems, and Nuclear Test Ban Treaty monitoring. In the past two decades, approaches have been developed to robustly localize remote sources; remove noise and multipath distortion from recorded signals; and determine the acoustic characteristics of the environment through which the sound waves have traveled, even when the recorded sounds originate from uncooperative sources or are merely ambient noise.

  18. The acoustic vector sensor: a versatile battlefield acoustics sensor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    de Bree, Hans-Elias; Wind, Jelmer W.

    2011-06-01

    The invention of the Microflown sensor has made it possible to measure acoustic particle velocity directly. An acoustic vector sensor (AVS) measures the particle velocity in three directions (the source direction) and the pressure. The sensor is a uniquely versatile battlefield sensor because its size is a few millimeters and it is sensitive to sound from 10Hz to 10kHz. This article shows field tests results of acoustic vector sensors, measuring rifles, heavy artillery, fixed wing aircraft and helicopters. Experimental data shows that the sensor is suitable as a ground sensor, mounted on a vehicle and on a UAV.

  19. Attenuation analysis of real GPR wavelets: The equivalent amplitude spectrum (EAS)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Economou, Nikos; Kritikakis, George

    2016-03-01

    Absorption of a Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) pulse is a frequency dependent attenuation mechanism which causes a spectral shift on the dominant frequency of GPR data. Both energy variation of GPR amplitude spectrum and spectral shift were used for the estimation of Quality Factor (Q*) and subsequently the characterization of the subsurface material properties. The variation of the amplitude spectrum energy has been studied by Spectral Ratio (SR) method and the frequency shift by the estimation of the Frequency Centroid Shift (FCS) or the Frequency Peak Shift (FPS) methods. The FPS method is more automatic, less robust. This work aims to increase the robustness of the FPS method by fitting a part of the amplitude spectrum of GPR data with Ricker, Gaussian, Sigmoid-Gaussian or Ricker-Gaussian functions. These functions fit different parts of the spectrum of a GPR reference wavelet and the Equivalent Amplitude Spectrum (EAS) is selected, reproducing Q* values used in forward Q* modeling analysis. Then, only the peak frequencies and the time differences between the reference wavelet and the subsequent reflected wavelets are used to estimate Q*. As long as the EAS is estimated, it is used for Q* evaluation in all the GPR section, under the assumption that the selected reference wavelet is representative. De-phasing and constant phase shift, for obtaining symmetrical wavelets, proved useful in the sufficiency of the horizons picking. Synthetic, experimental and real GPR data were examined in order to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology.

  20. Evaluation of focused multipolar stimulation for cochlear implants in acutely deafened cats

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    George, Shefin S.; Wise, Andrew K.; Shivdasani, Mohit N.; Shepherd, Robert K.; Fallon, James B.

    2014-12-01

    Objective. The conductive nature of the fluids and tissues of the cochlea can lead to broad activation of spiral ganglion neurons using contemporary cochlear implant stimulation configurations such as monopolar (MP) stimulation. The relatively poor spatial selectivity is thought to limit implant performance, particularly in noisy environments. Several current focusing techniques have been proposed to reduce the spread of activation with the aim towards achieving improved clinical performance. Approach. The present research evaluated the efficacy of focused multipolar (FMP) stimulation, a relatively new focusing technique in the cochlea, and compared its efficacy to both MP stimulation and tripolar (TP) stimulation. The spread of neural activity across the inferior colliculus (IC), measured by recording the spatial tuning curve, was used as a measure of spatial selectivity. Adult cats (n = 6) were acutely deafened and implanted with an intracochlear electrode array before multi-unit responses were recorded across the cochleotopic gradient of the contralateral IC. Recordings were made in response to acoustic and electrical stimulation using the MP, TP and FMP configurations. Main results. FMP and TP stimulation resulted in greater spatial selectivity than MP stimulation. However, thresholds were significantly higher (p < 0.001) for FMP and TP stimulation compared to MP stimulation. There were no differences found in spatial selectivity and threshold between FMP and TP stimulation. Significance. The greater spatial selectivity of FMP and TP stimulation would be expected to result in improved clinical performance. However, further research will be required to demonstrate the efficacy of these modes of stimulation after longer durations of deafness.

  1. Acoustic manipulation of oscillating spherical bodies: Emergence of axial negative acoustic radiation force

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rajabi, Majid; Mojahed, Alireza

    2016-11-01

    In this paper, emergence of negative axial acoustic radiation force on a rigid oscillating spherical body is investigated for acoustic manipulation purposes. The problem of plane acoustic wave scattering from an oscillating spherical body submerged in an ideal acoustic fluid medium is solved. For the case of oscillating direction collinear with the wave propagation wave number vector (desired path), it has been shown that the acoustic radiation force, as a result of nonlinear acoustic wave interaction with bodies can be expressed as a linear function of incident wave field and the oscillation properties of the oscillator (i.e., amplitude and phase of oscillation). The negative (i.e., pulling effects) and positive (i.e., pushing effects) radiation force situations are divided in oscillation complex plane with a specific frequency-dependant straight line. This characteristic line defines the radiation force cancellation state. In order to investigate the stability of the mentioned manipulation strategy, the case of misaligned oscillation of sphere with the wave propagation direction is studied. The proposed methodology may suggest a novel concept of single-beam acoustic handling techniques based on smart carriers.

  2. Investigation of electroacupuncture and manual acupuncture on carnitine and glutathione in muscle.

    PubMed

    Toda, Shizuo

    2011-01-01

    Electroacupuncture (EA) and manual acupuncture (MA) have therapeutic effects on muscle fatigue in muscle disease. The deficiencies of carnitine and glutathione induce muscle fatigue. This report investigated the effects of EA and MA on carnitine and glutathione in muscle. After the mice of EA group were fixed in the animal cage, right Zusanli (ST36) and Jiexi (ST41) were acupunctured and stimulated with uniform reinforcing and reducing method by twirling the acupuncture needle for 15 min. And then, the needle handles were connected to an electric stimulator for stimulating the acupoint with dense-sparse waves. After the mice of MA group were fixed in an animal cage, right ST36 and ST41 were acupunctured and allowed for 15 min. The mice of normal control group were not acupunctured and stimulated for 15 min. The mice of all groups were killed for collecting muscle tissue 1 h after the final treatment. Carnitine and glutathione in homogenate of muscle tissue were determined with carnitine (Kainos Laboratories Co., Tokyo, Japan) and glutathione assay kit (Dojin Chemicals Co., Kumamoto, Japan). Carnitine level in muscle tissue of MA group was significantly higher than those of EA group and normal control group. Carnitine level in muscle tissue of EA group was not significantly different from that of normal control group. Glutathione levels in muscle tissue of EA group and MA group were significantly higher than that of normal control group. This report presented that carnitine in muscle is increased by MA, and not increased by EA, and that glutathione in muscle is increased by EA and MA.

  3. Hybrid Electrostatic/Acoustic Levitator

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rhim, Won K.; Trinh, Eugene H.; Chung, Sang K.; Elleman, Daniel D.

    1987-01-01

    Because electrostatic and acoustic forces independent of each other, hybrid levitator especially suitable for studies of drop dynamics. Like all-acoustic or all-electrostatic systems, also used in studies of containerless material processing. Vertical levitating force applied to sample by upper and lower electrodes. Torques or vibrational forces in horizontal plane applied by acoustic transducers. Electrically charged water drop about 4 mm in diameter levitated electrostatically and rotated acoustically until it assumed dumbell shape and broke apart.

  4. The North Pacific Acoustic Laboratory deep-water acoustic propagation experiments in the Philippine Sea.

    PubMed

    Worcester, Peter F; Dzieciuch, Matthew A; Mercer, James A; Andrew, Rex K; Dushaw, Brian D; Baggeroer, Arthur B; Heaney, Kevin D; D'Spain, Gerald L; Colosi, John A; Stephen, Ralph A; Kemp, John N; Howe, Bruce M; Van Uffelen, Lora J; Wage, Kathleen E

    2013-10-01

    A series of experiments conducted in the Philippine Sea during 2009-2011 investigated deep-water acoustic propagation and ambient noise in this oceanographically and geologically complex region: (i) the 2009 North Pacific Acoustic Laboratory (NPAL) Pilot Study/Engineering Test, (ii) the 2010-2011 NPAL Philippine Sea Experiment, and (iii) the Ocean Bottom Seismometer Augmentation of the 2010-2011 NPAL Philippine Sea Experiment. The experimental goals included (a) understanding the impacts of fronts, eddies, and internal tides on acoustic propagation, (b) determining whether acoustic methods, together with other measurements and ocean modeling, can yield estimates of the time-evolving ocean state useful for making improved acoustic predictions, (c) improving our understanding of the physics of scattering by internal waves and spice, (d) characterizing the depth dependence and temporal variability of ambient noise, and (e) understanding the relationship between the acoustic field in the water column and the seismic field in the seafloor. In these experiments, moored and ship-suspended low-frequency acoustic sources transmitted to a newly developed distributed vertical line array receiver capable of spanning the water column in the deep ocean. The acoustic transmissions and ambient noise were also recorded by a towed hydrophone array, by acoustic Seagliders, and by ocean bottom seismometers.

  5. Model-based optical coherence elastography using acoustic radiation force

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aglyamov, Salavat; Wang, Shang; Karpiouk, Andrei; Li, Jiasong; Emelianov, Stanislav; Larin, Kirill V.

    2014-02-01

    Acoustic Radiation Force (ARF) stimulation is actively used in ultrasound elastography to estimate mechanical properties of tissue. Compared with ultrasound imaging, OCT provides advantage in both spatial resolution and signal-to-noise ratio. Therefore, a combination of ARF and OCT technologies can provide a unique opportunity to measure viscoelastic properties of tissue, especially when the use of high intensity radiation pressure is limited for safety reasons. In this presentation we discuss a newly developed theoretical model of the deformation of a layered viscoelastic medium in response to an acoustic radiation force of short duration. An acoustic impulse was considered as an axisymmetric force generated on the upper surface of the medium. An analytical solution of this problem was obtained using the Hankel transform in frequency domain. It was demonstrated that layers at different depths introduce different frequency responses. To verify the developed model, experiments were performed using tissue-simulating, inhomogeneous phantoms of varying mechanical properties. The Young's modulus of the phantoms was varied from 5 to 50 kPa. A single-element focused ultrasound transducer (3.5 MHz) was used to apply the radiation force with various durations on the surface of phantoms. Displacements on the phantom surface were measured using a phase-sensitive OCT at 25 kHz repetition frequency. The experimental results were in good agreement with the modeling results. Therefore, the proposed theoretical model can be used to reconstruct the mechanical properties of tissue based on ARF/OCT measurements.

  6. Review of Progress in Acoustic Levitation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Andrade, Marco A. B.; Pérez, Nicolás; Adamowski, Julio C.

    2018-04-01

    Acoustic levitation uses acoustic radiation forces to counteract gravity and suspend objects in mid-air. Although acoustic levitation was first demonstrated almost a century ago, for a long time, it was limited to objects much smaller than the acoustic wavelength levitating at fixed positions in space. Recent advances in acoustic levitation now allow not only suspending but also rotating and translating objects in three dimensions. Acoustic levitation is also no longer restricted to small objects and can now be employed to levitate objects larger than the acoustic wavelength. This article reviews the progress of acoustic levitation, focusing on the working mechanism of different types of acoustic levitation devices developed to date. We start with a brief review of the theory. Then, we review the acoustic levitation methods to suspend objects at fixed positions, followed by the techniques that allow the manipulation of objects. Finally, we present a brief summary and offer some future perspectives for acoustic levitation.

  7. Oxygen isotope analysis of phosphate: improved precision using TC/EA CF-IRMS.

    PubMed

    LaPorte, D F; Holmden, C; Patterson, W P; Prokopiuk, T; Eglington, B M

    2009-06-01

    Oxygen isotope values of biogenic apatite have long demonstrated considerable promise for paleothermometry potential because of the abundance of material in the fossil record and greater resistance of apatite to diagenesis compared to carbonate. Unfortunately, this promise has not been fully realized because of relatively poor precision of isotopic measurements, and exceedingly small size of some substrates for analysis. Building on previous work, we demonstrate that it is possible to improve precision of delta18O(PO4) measurements using a 'reverse-plumbed' thermal conversion elemental analyzer (TC/EA) coupled to a continuous flow isotope ratio mass spectrometer (CF-IRMS) via a helium stream [Correction made here after initial online publication]. This modification to the flow of helium through the TC/EA, and careful location of the packing of glassy carbon fragments relative to the hot spot in the reactor, leads to narrower, more symmetrically distributed CO elution peaks with diminished tailing. In addition, we describe our apatite purification chemistry that uses nitric acid and cation exchange resin. Purification chemistry is optimized for processing small samples, minimizing isotopic fractionation of PO4(-3) and permitting Ca, Sr and Nd to be eluted and purified further for the measurement of delta44Ca and 87Sr/86Sr in modern biogenic apatite and 143Nd/144Nd in fossil apatite. Our methodology yields an external precision of +/- 0.15 per thousand (1sigma) for delta18O(PO4). The uncertainty is related to the preparation of the Ag3PO4 salt, conversion to CO gas in a reversed-plumbed TC/EA, analysis of oxygen isotopes using a CF-IRMS, and uncertainty in constructing calibration lines that convert raw delta18O data to the VSMOW scale. Matrix matching of samples and standards for the purpose of calibration to the VSMOW scale was determined to be unnecessary. Our method requires only slightly modified equipment that is widely available. This fact, and the

  8. Measuring acoustic habitats

    PubMed Central

    Merchant, Nathan D; Fristrup, Kurt M; Johnson, Mark P; Tyack, Peter L; Witt, Matthew J; Blondel, Philippe; Parks, Susan E

    2015-01-01

    1. Many organisms depend on sound for communication, predator/prey detection and navigation. The acoustic environment can therefore play an important role in ecosystem dynamics and evolution. A growing number of studies are documenting acoustic habitats and their influences on animal development, behaviour, physiology and spatial ecology, which has led to increasing demand for passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) expertise in the life sciences. However, as yet, there has been no synthesis of data processing methods for acoustic habitat monitoring, which presents an unnecessary obstacle to would-be PAM analysts. 2. Here, we review the signal processing techniques needed to produce calibrated measurements of terrestrial and aquatic acoustic habitats. We include a supplemental tutorial and template computer codes in matlab and r, which give detailed guidance on how to produce calibrated spectrograms and statistical analyses of sound levels. Key metrics and terminology for the characterisation of biotic, abiotic and anthropogenic sound are covered, and their application to relevant monitoring scenarios is illustrated through example data sets. To inform study design and hardware selection, we also include an up-to-date overview of terrestrial and aquatic PAM instruments. 3. Monitoring of acoustic habitats at large spatiotemporal scales is becoming possible through recent advances in PAM technology. This will enhance our understanding of the role of sound in the spatial ecology of acoustically sensitive species and inform spatial planning to mitigate the rising influence of anthropogenic noise in these ecosystems. As we demonstrate in this work, progress in these areas will depend upon the application of consistent and appropriate PAM methodologies. PMID:25954500

  9. Measuring acoustic habitats.

    PubMed

    Merchant, Nathan D; Fristrup, Kurt M; Johnson, Mark P; Tyack, Peter L; Witt, Matthew J; Blondel, Philippe; Parks, Susan E

    2015-03-01

    1. Many organisms depend on sound for communication, predator/prey detection and navigation. The acoustic environment can therefore play an important role in ecosystem dynamics and evolution. A growing number of studies are documenting acoustic habitats and their influences on animal development, behaviour, physiology and spatial ecology, which has led to increasing demand for passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) expertise in the life sciences. However, as yet, there has been no synthesis of data processing methods for acoustic habitat monitoring, which presents an unnecessary obstacle to would-be PAM analysts. 2. Here, we review the signal processing techniques needed to produce calibrated measurements of terrestrial and aquatic acoustic habitats. We include a supplemental tutorial and template computer codes in matlab and r, which give detailed guidance on how to produce calibrated spectrograms and statistical analyses of sound levels. Key metrics and terminology for the characterisation of biotic, abiotic and anthropogenic sound are covered, and their application to relevant monitoring scenarios is illustrated through example data sets. To inform study design and hardware selection, we also include an up-to-date overview of terrestrial and aquatic PAM instruments. 3. Monitoring of acoustic habitats at large spatiotemporal scales is becoming possible through recent advances in PAM technology. This will enhance our understanding of the role of sound in the spatial ecology of acoustically sensitive species and inform spatial planning to mitigate the rising influence of anthropogenic noise in these ecosystems. As we demonstrate in this work, progress in these areas will depend upon the application of consistent and appropriate PAM methodologies.

  10. Propagation of Electron Acoustic Soliton, Periodic and Shock Waves in Dissipative Plasma with a q-Nonextensive Electron Velocity Distribution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    El-Hanbaly, A. M.; El-Shewy, E. K.; Elgarayhi, A.; Kassem, A. I.

    2015-11-01

    The nonlinear properties of small amplitude electron-acoustic (EA) solitary and shock waves in a homogeneous system of unmagnetized collisionless plasma with nonextensive distribution for hot electrons have been investigated. A reductive perturbation method used to obtain the Kadomstev-Petviashvili-Burgers equation. Bifurcation analysis has been discussed for non-dissipative system in the absence of Burgers term and reveals different classes of the traveling wave solutions. The obtained solutions are related to periodic and soliton waves and their behavior are shown graphically. In the presence of the Burgers term, the EXP-function method is used to solve the Kadomstev-Petviashvili-Burgers equation and the obtained solution is related to shock wave. The obtained results may be helpful in better conception of waves propagation in various space plasma environments as well as in inertial confinement fusion laboratory plasmas.

  11. Interaction of surface plasmon polaritons and acoustic waves inside an acoustic cavity.

    PubMed

    Khokhlov, Nikolai; Knyazev, Grigoriy; Glavin, Boris; Shtykov, Yakov; Romanov, Oleg; Belotelov, Vladimir

    2017-09-15

    In this Letter, we introduce an approach for manipulation of active plasmon polaritons via acoustic waves at sub-terahertz frequency range. The acoustic structures considered are designed as phononic Fabry-Perot microresonators where mirrors are presented with an acoustic superlattice and the structure's surface, and a plasmonic grating is placed on top of the acoustic cavity so formed. It provides phonon localization in the vicinity of the plasmonic grating at frequencies within the phononic stop band enhancing phonon-light interaction. We consider phonon excitation by shining a femtosecond laser pulse on the plasmonic grating. Appropriate theoretical model was used to describe the acoustic process caused by the pump laser pulse in the GaAs/AlAs-based acoustic cavity with a gold grating on top. Strongest modulation is achieved upon excitation of propagating surface plasmon polaritons and hybridization of propagating and localized plasmons. The relative changes in the optical reflectivity of the structure are more than an order of magnitude higher than for the structure without the plasmonic film.

  12. Acoustic biosensors.

    PubMed

    Fogel, Ronen; Limson, Janice; Seshia, Ashwin A

    2016-06-30

    Resonant and acoustic wave devices have been researched for several decades for application in the gravimetric sensing of a variety of biological and chemical analytes. These devices operate by coupling the measurand (e.g. analyte adsorption) as a modulation in the physical properties of the acoustic wave (e.g. resonant frequency, acoustic velocity, dissipation) that can then be correlated with the amount of adsorbed analyte. These devices can also be miniaturized with advantages in terms of cost, size and scalability, as well as potential additional features including integration with microfluidics and electronics, scaled sensitivities associated with smaller dimensions and higher operational frequencies, the ability to multiplex detection across arrays of hundreds of devices embedded in a single chip, increased throughput and the ability to interrogate a wider range of modes including within the same device. Additionally, device fabrication is often compatible with semiconductor volume batch manufacturing techniques enabling cost scalability and a high degree of precision and reproducibility in the manufacturing process. Integration with microfluidics handling also enables suitable sample pre-processing/separation/purification/amplification steps that could improve selectivity and the overall signal-to-noise ratio. Three device types are reviewed here: (i) bulk acoustic wave sensors, (ii) surface acoustic wave sensors, and (iii) micro/nano-electromechanical system (MEMS/NEMS) sensors. © 2016 The Author(s). Published by Portland Press Limited on behalf of the Biochemical Society.

  13. High temperature acoustic and hybrid microwave/acoustic levitators for materials processing

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Barmatz, Martin

    1990-01-01

    The physical acoustics group at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory developed a single mode acoustic levitator technique for advanced containerless materials processing. The technique was successfully demonstrated in ground based studies to temperatures of about 1000 C in a uniform temperature furnace environment and to temperatures of about 1500 C using laser beams to locally heat the sample. Researchers are evaluating microwaves as a more efficient means than lasers for locally heating a positioned sample. Recent tests of a prototype single mode hybrid microwave/acoustic levitator successfully demonstrated the feasibility of using microwave power as a heating source. The potential advantages of combining acoustic positioning forces and microwave heating for containerless processing investigations are presented in outline form.

  14. Acoustic emission frequency discrimination

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sugg, Frank E. (Inventor); Graham, Lloyd J. (Inventor)

    1988-01-01

    In acoustic emission nondestructive testing, broadband frequency noise is distinguished from narrow banded acoustic emission signals, since the latter are valid events indicative of structural flaws in the material being examined. This is accomplished by separating out those signals which contain frequency components both within and beyond (either above or below) the range of valid acoustic emission events. Application to acoustic emission monitoring during nondestructive bond verification and proof loading of undensified tiles on the Space Shuttle Orbiter is considered.

  15. Research on Acoustical Scattering, Diffraction Catastrophes, Optics of Bubbles, Photoacoustics, and Acoustical Phase Conjugation.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1987-09-15

    optical levitation of bubbles; D. Acoustical and optical diffraction catastrophes (theory and optical simulation of transverse cusps, experiments with...35 C. Optical Levitation of Bubbles in Water by the Radiation Pressure of a Laser Beam: An Acoustically Quiet Levitator ...radiation pressure of a laser beam: an acoustically quiet levitator ," J. Acoust . Soc. Am. (submitted July 1987). C. Books (and sections thereof) Published

  16. Acoustics

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Goodman, Jerry R.; Grosveld, Ferdinand

    2007-01-01

    The acoustics environment in space operations is important to maintain at manageable levels so that the crewperson can remain safe, functional, effective, and reasonably comfortable. High acoustic levels can produce temporary or permanent hearing loss, or cause other physiological symptoms such as auditory pain, headaches, discomfort, strain in the vocal cords, or fatigue. Noise is defined as undesirable sound. Excessive noise may result in psychological effects such as irritability, inability to concentrate, decrease in productivity, annoyance, errors in judgment, and distraction. A noisy environment can also result in the inability to sleep, or sleep well. Elevated noise levels can affect the ability to communicate, understand what is being said, hear what is going on in the environment, degrade crew performance and operations, and create habitability concerns. Superfluous noise emissions can also create the inability to hear alarms or other important auditory cues such as an equipment malfunctioning. Recent space flight experience, evaluations of the requirements in crew habitable areas, and lessons learned (Goodman 2003; Allen and Goodman 2003; Pilkinton 2003; Grosveld et al. 2003) show the importance of maintaining an acceptable acoustics environment. This is best accomplished by having a high-quality set of limits/requirements early in the program, the "designing in" of acoustics in the development of hardware and systems, and by monitoring, testing and verifying the levels to ensure that they are acceptable.

  17. Methionine Sulfoxide Reductase A Knockout Mice Show Progressive Hearing Loss and Sensitivity to Acoustic Trauma.

    PubMed

    Alqudah, Safa; Chertoff, Mark; Durham, Dianne; Moskovitz, Jackob; Staecker, Hinrich; Peppi, Marcello

    2018-06-21

    Methionine sulfoxide reductases (MsrA and MsrB) protect the biological activity of proteins from oxidative modifications to methionine residues and are important for protecting against the pathological effects of neurodegenerative diseases. In the current study, we characterized the auditory phenotype of the MsrA knockout mouse. Young MsrA knockout mice showed small high-frequency threshold elevations for auditory brainstem response and distortion product otoacoustic emission compared to those of wild-type mice, which progressively worsened in older MsrA knockout mice. MsrA knockout mice showed an increased sensitivity to noise at young and older ages, suggesting that MsrA is part of a mechanism that protects the cochlea from acoustic damage. MsrA mRNA in the cochlea was increased following acoustic stimulation. Finally, expression of mRNA MsrB1 was compromised at 6 months old, but not in younger MsrA knockout mice (compared to controls). The identification of MsrA in the cochlea as a protective mediator from both early onset hearing loss and acoustic trauma expands our understanding of the pathways that may induce protection from acoustic trauma and foster further studies on how to prevent the damaging effect of noise exposure through Msr-based therapy. © 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  18. 36 CFR § 1010.7 - Actions that do not require an EA or EIS.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 3 2013-07-01 2012-07-01 true Actions that do not require an EA or EIS. § 1010.7 Section § 1010.7 Parks, Forests, and Public Property PRESIDIO TRUST... utility right-of-way; and (37) Experimental testing of no longer than 180 days of mass transit systems...

  19. Automatic and integrated micro-enzyme assay (AIμEA) platform for highly sensitive thrombin analysis via an engineered fluorescence protein-functionalized monolithic capillary column.

    PubMed

    Lin, Lihua; Liu, Shengquan; Nie, Zhou; Chen, Yingzhuang; Lei, Chunyang; Wang, Zhen; Yin, Chao; Hu, Huiping; Huang, Yan; Yao, Shouzhuo

    2015-04-21

    Nowadays, large-scale screening for enzyme discovery, engineering, and drug discovery processes require simple, fast, and sensitive enzyme activity assay platforms with high integration and potential for high-throughput detection. Herein, a novel automatic and integrated micro-enzyme assay (AIμEA) platform was proposed based on a unique microreaction system fabricated by a engineered green fluorescence protein (GFP)-functionalized monolithic capillary column, with thrombin as an example. The recombinant GFP probe was rationally engineered to possess a His-tag and a substrate sequence of thrombin, which enable it to be immobilized on the monolith via metal affinity binding, and to be released after thrombin digestion. Combined with capillary electrophoresis-laser-induced fluorescence (CE-LIF), all the procedures, including thrombin injection, online enzymatic digestion in the microreaction system, and label-free detection of the released GFP, were integrated in a single electrophoretic process. By taking advantage of the ultrahigh loading capacity of the AIμEA platform and the CE automatic programming setup, one microreaction column was sufficient for many times digestion without replacement. The novel microreaction system showed significantly enhanced catalytic efficiency, about 30 fold higher than that of the equivalent bulk reaction. Accordingly, the AIμEA platform was highly sensitive with a limit of detection down to 1 pM of thrombin. Moreover, the AIμEA platform was robust and reliable to detect thrombin in human serum samples and its inhibition by hirudin. Hence, this AIμEA platform exhibits great potential for high-throughput analysis in future biological application, disease diagnostics, and drug screening.

  20. Cave acoustics in prehistory: Exploring the association of Palaeolithic visual motifs and acoustic response.

    PubMed

    Fazenda, Bruno; Scarre, Chris; Till, Rupert; Pasalodos, Raquel Jiménez; Guerra, Manuel Rojo; Tejedor, Cristina; Peredo, Roberto Ontañón; Watson, Aaron; Wyatt, Simon; Benito, Carlos García; Drinkall, Helen; Foulds, Frederick

    2017-09-01

    During the 1980 s, acoustic studies of Upper Palaeolithic imagery in French caves-using the technology then available-suggested a relationship between acoustic response and the location of visual motifs. This paper presents an investigation, using modern acoustic measurement techniques, into such relationships within the caves of La Garma, Las Chimeneas, La Pasiega, El Castillo, and Tito Bustillo in Northern Spain. It addresses methodological issues concerning acoustic measurement at enclosed archaeological sites and outlines a general framework for extraction of acoustic features that may be used to support archaeological hypotheses. The analysis explores possible associations between the position of visual motifs (which may be up to 40 000 yrs old) and localized acoustic responses. Results suggest that motifs, in general, and lines and dots, in particular, are statistically more likely to be found in places where reverberation is moderate and where the low frequency acoustic response has evidence of resonant behavior. The work presented suggests that an association of the location of Palaeolithic motifs with acoustic features is a statistically weak but tenable hypothesis, and that an appreciation of sound could have influenced behavior among Palaeolithic societies of this region.