Effects of white noise on event-related potentials in somatosensory Go/No-go paradigms.

PubMed

Ohbayashi, Wakana; Kakigi, Ryusuke; Nakata, Hiroki

2017-09-06

Exposure to auditory white noise has been shown to facilitate human cognitive function. This phenomenon is termed stochastic resonance, and a moderate amount of auditory noise has been suggested to benefit individuals in hypodopaminergic states. The present study investigated the effects of white noise on the N140 and P300 components of event-related potentials in somatosensory Go/No-go paradigms. A Go or No-go stimulus was presented to the second or fifth digit of the left hand, respectively, at the same probability. Participants performed somatosensory Go/No-go paradigms while hearing three different white noise levels (45, 55, and 65 dB conditions). The peak amplitudes of Go-P300 and No-go-P300 in ERP waveforms were significantly larger under 55 dB than 45 and 65 dB conditions. White noise did not affect the peak latency of N140 or P300, or the peak amplitude of N140. Behavioral data for the reaction time, SD of reaction time, and error rates showed the absence of an effect by white noise. This is the first event-related potential study to show that exposure to auditory white noise at 55 dB enhanced the amplitude of P300 during Go/No-go paradigms, reflecting changes in the neural activation of response execution and inhibition processing.

Probabilistic solutions of nonlinear oscillators excited by combined colored and white noise excitations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siu-Siu, Guo; Qingxuan, Shi

2017-03-01

In this paper, single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) systems combined to Gaussian white noise and Gaussian/non-Gaussian colored noise excitations are investigated. By expressing colored noise excitation as a second-order filtered white noise process and introducing colored noise as an additional state variable, the equation of motion for SDOF system under colored noise is then transferred artificially to multi-degree-of-freedom (MDOF) system under white noise excitations with four-coupled first-order differential equations. As a consequence, corresponding Fokker-Planck-Kolmogorov (FPK) equation governing the joint probabilistic density function (PDF) of state variables increases to 4-dimension (4-D). Solution procedure and computer programme become much more sophisticated. The exponential-polynomial closure (EPC) method, widely applied for cases of SDOF systems under white noise excitations, is developed and improved for cases of systems under colored noise excitations and for solving the complex 4-D FPK equation. On the other hand, Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) method is performed to test the approximate EPC solutions. Two examples associated with Gaussian and non-Gaussian colored noise excitations are considered. Corresponding band-limited power spectral densities (PSDs) for colored noise excitations are separately given. Numerical studies show that the developed EPC method provides relatively accurate estimates of the stationary probabilistic solutions, especially the ones in the tail regions of the PDFs. Moreover, statistical parameter of mean-up crossing rate (MCR) is taken into account, which is important for reliability and failure analysis. Hopefully, our present work could provide insights into the investigation of structures under random loadings.

On low-frequency errors of uniformly modulated filtered white-noise models for ground motions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Safak, Erdal; Boore, David M.

1988-01-01

Low-frequency errors of a commonly used non-stationary stochastic model (uniformly modulated filtered white-noise model) for earthquake ground motions are investigated. It is shown both analytically and by numerical simulation that uniformly modulated filter white-noise-type models systematically overestimate the spectral response for periods longer than the effective duration of the earthquake, because of the built-in low-frequency errors in the model. The errors, which are significant for low-magnitude short-duration earthquakes, can be eliminated by using the filtered shot-noise-type models (i. e. white noise, modulated by the envelope first, and then filtered).

Escape driven by alpha-stable white noises.

PubMed

Dybiec, B; Gudowska-Nowak, E; Hänggi, P

2007-02-01

We explore the archetype problem of an escape dynamics occurring in a symmetric double well potential when the Brownian particle is driven by white Lévy noise in a dynamical regime where inertial effects can safely be neglected. The behavior of escaping trajectories from one well to another is investigated by pointing to the special character that underpins the noise-induced discontinuity which is caused by the generalized Brownian paths that jump beyond the barrier location without actually hitting it. This fact implies that the boundary conditions for the mean first passage time (MFPT) are no longer determined by the well-known local boundary conditions that characterize the case with normal diffusion. By numerically implementing properly the set up boundary conditions, we investigate the survival probability and the average escape time as a function of the corresponding Lévy white noise parameters. Depending on the value of the skewness beta of the Lévy noise, the escape can either become enhanced or suppressed: a negative asymmetry parameter beta typically yields a decrease for the escape rate while the rate itself depicts a non-monotonic behavior as a function of the stability index alpha that characterizes the jump length distribution of Lévy noise, exhibiting a marked discontinuity at alpha=1. We find that the typical factor of 2 that characterizes for normal diffusion the ratio between the MFPT for well-bottom-to-well-bottom and well-bottom-to-barrier-top no longer holds true. For sufficiently high barriers the survival probabilities assume an exponential behavior versus time. Distinct non-exponential deviations occur, however, for low barrier heights.

A New Framework of Removing Salt and Pepper Impulse Noise for the Noisy Image Including Many Noise-Free White and Black Pixels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Song; Wang, Caizhu; Li, Yeqiu; Wang, Ling; Sakata, Shiro; Sekiya, Hiroo; Kuroiwa, Shingo

In this paper, we propose a new framework of removing salt and pepper impulse noise. In our proposed framework, the most important point is that the number of noise-free white and black pixels in a noisy image can be determined by using the noise rates estimated by Fuzzy Impulse Noise Detection and Reduction Method (FINDRM) and Efficient Detail-Preserving Approach (EDPA). For the noisy image includes many noise-free white and black pixels, the detected noisy pixel from the FINDRM is re-checked by using the alpha-trimmed mean. Finally, the impulse noise filtering phase of the FINDRM is used to restore the image. Simulation results show that for the noisy image including many noise-free white and black pixels, the proposed framework can decrease the False Hit Rate (FHR) efficiently compared with the FINDRM. Therefore, the proposed framework can be used more widely than the FINDRM.

Stochastic resonance and MFPT in an asymmetric bistable system driven by correlated multiplicative colored noise and additive white noise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Pei-Ming; Li, Qun; Han, Dong-Ying

2017-06-01

This paper investigates a new asymmetric bistable model driven by correlated multiplicative colored noise and additive white noise. The mean first-passage time (MFPT) and the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) as the indexes of evaluating the model are researched. Based on the two-state theory and the adiabatic approximation theory, the expressions of MFPT and SNR have been obtained for the asymmetric bistable system driven by a periodic signal, correlated multiplicative colored noise and additive noise. Simulation results show that it is easier to generate stochastic resonance (SR) to adjust the intensity of correlation strength λ. Meanwhile, the decrease of asymmetric coefficient r2 and the increase of noise intensity are beneficial to realize the transition between the two steady states in the system. At the same time, the twice SR phenomena can be observed by adjusting additive white noise and correlation strength. The influence of asymmetry of potential function on the MFPTs in two different directions is different.

Hidden symmetries and equilibrium properties of multiplicative white-noise stochastic processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

González Arenas, Zochil; Barci, Daniel G.

2012-12-01

Multiplicative white-noise stochastic processes continue to attract attention in a wide area of scientific research. The variety of prescriptions available for defining them makes the development of general tools for their characterization difficult. In this work, we study equilibrium properties of Markovian multiplicative white-noise processes. For this, we define the time reversal transformation for such processes, taking into account that the asymptotic stationary probability distribution depends on the prescription. Representing the stochastic process in a functional Grassmann formalism, we avoid the necessity of fixing a particular prescription. In this framework, we analyze equilibrium properties and study hidden symmetries of the process. We show that, using a careful definition of the equilibrium distribution and taking into account the appropriate time reversal transformation, usual equilibrium properties are satisfied for any prescription. Finally, we present a detailed deduction of a covariant supersymmetric formulation of a multiplicative Markovian white-noise process and study some of the constraints that it imposes on correlation functions using Ward-Takahashi identities.

Visual signal detection in structured backgrounds. II. Effects of contrast gain control, background variations, and white noise

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eckstein, M. P.; Ahumada, A. J. Jr; Watson, A. B.

1997-01-01

Studies of visual detection of a signal superimposed on one of two identical backgrounds show performance degradation when the background has high contrast and is similar in spatial frequency and/or orientation to the signal. To account for this finding, models include a contrast gain control mechanism that pools activity across spatial frequency, orientation and space to inhibit (divisively) the response of the receptor sensitive to the signal. In tasks in which the observer has to detect a known signal added to one of M different backgrounds grounds due to added visual noise, the main sources of degradation are the stochastic noise in the image and the suboptimal visual processing. We investigate how these two sources of degradation (contrast gain control and variations in the background) interact in a task in which the signal is embedded in one of M locations in a complex spatially varying background (structured background). We use backgrounds extracted from patient digital medical images. To isolate effects of the fixed deterministic background (the contrast gain control) from the effects of the background variations, we conduct detection experiments with three different background conditions: (1) uniform background, (2) a repeated sample of structured background, and (3) different samples of structured background. Results show that human visual detection degrades from the uniform background condition to the repeated background condition and degrades even further in the different backgrounds condition. These results suggest that both the contrast gain control mechanism and the background random variations degrade human performance in detection of a signal in a complex, spatially varying background. A filter model and added white noise are used to generate estimates of sampling efficiencies, an equivalent internal noise, an equivalent contrast-gain-control-induced noise, and an equivalent noise due to the variations in the structured background.

AUDITORY NUCLEI: DISTINCTIVE RESPONSE PATTERNS TO WHITE NOISE AND TONES IN UNANESTHETIZED CATS.

PubMed

GALIN, D

1964-10-09

Electrical responses to "white" noise and tonal stimuli were recorded from unanesthetized cats with permanently implanted bipolar electrodes. The cochlear nucleus, inferior colliculus, and medial geniculate each showed distinctive patterns of evoked activity. White noise and tones produced qualitatively different types of response. A decrease in activity characterized the response of the inferior colliculus to tonal stimuli.

Noise-Coupled Image Rejection Architecture of Complex Bandpass ΔΣAD Modulator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

San, Hao; Kobayashi, Haruo

This paper proposes a new realization technique of image rejection function by noise-coupling architecture, which is used for a complex bandpass ΔΣAD modulator. The complex bandpass ΔΣAD modulator processes just input I and Q signals, not image signals, and the AD conversion can be realized with low power dissipation. It realizes an asymmetric noise-shaped spectra, which is desirable for such low-IF receiver applications. However, the performance of the complex bandpass ΔΣAD modulator suffers from the mismatch between internal analog I and Q paths. I/Q path mismatch causes an image signal, and the quantization noise of the mirror image band aliases into the desired signal band, which degrades the SQNDR (Signal to Quantization Noise and Distortion Ratio) of the modulator. In our proposed modulator architecture, an extra notch for image rejection is realized by noise-coupled topology. We just add some passive capacitors and switches to the modulator; the additional integrator circuit composed of an operational amplifier in the conventional image rejection realization is not necessary. Therefore, the performance of the complex modulator can be effectively raised without additional power dissipation. We have performed simulation with MATLAB to confirm the validity of the proposed architecture. The simulation results show that the proposed architecture can achieve the realization of image-rejection effectively, and improve the SQNDR of the complex bandpass ΔΣAD modulator.

Suppression of Growth by Multiplicative White Noise in a Parametric Resonant System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ishihara, Masamichi

2015-02-01

The growth of the amplitude in a Mathieu-like equation with multiplicative white noise is studied. To obtain an approximate analytical expression for the exponent at the extremum on parametric resonance regions, a time-interval width is introduced. To determine the exponents numerically, the stochastic differential equations are solved by a symplectic numerical method. The Mathieu-like equation contains a parameter α determined by the intensity of noise and the strength of the coupling between the variable and noise; without loss of generality, only non-negative α can be considered. The exponent is shown to decrease with α, reach a minimum and increase after that. The minimum exponent is obtained analytically and numerically. As a function of α, the minimum at α≠0, occurs on the parametric resonance regions of α=0. This minimum indicates suppression of growth by multiplicative white noise.

Chaotic dynamics of flexible beams driven by external white noise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Awrejcewicz, J.; Krysko, A. V.; Papkova, I. V.; Zakharov, V. M.; Erofeev, N. P.; Krylova, E. Yu.; Mrozowski, J.; Krysko, V. A.

2016-10-01

Mathematical models of continuous structural members (beams, plates and shells) subjected to an external additive white noise are studied. The structural members are considered as systems with infinite number of degrees of freedom. We show that in mechanical structural systems external noise can not only lead to quantitative changes in the system dynamics (that is obvious), but also cause the qualitative, and sometimes surprising changes in the vibration regimes. Furthermore, we show that scenarios of the transition from regular to chaotic regimes quantified by Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) can lead to erroneous conclusions, and a support of the wavelet analysis is needed. We have detected and illustrated the modifications of classical three scenarios of transition from regular vibrations to deterministic chaos. The carried out numerical experiment shows that the white noise lowers the threshold for transition into spatio-temporal chaotic dynamics. A transition into chaos via the proposed modified scenarios developed in this work is sensitive to small noise and significantly reduces occurrence of periodic vibrations. Increase of noise intensity yields decrease of the duration of the laminar signal range, i.e., time between two successive turbulent bursts decreases. Scenario of transition into chaos of the studied mechanical structures essentially depends on the control parameters, and it can be different in different zones of the constructed charts (control parameter planes). Furthermore, we found an interesting phenomenon, when increase of the noise intensity yields surprisingly the vibrational characteristics with a lack of noisy effect (chaos is destroyed by noise and windows of periodicity appear).

Effects of White Noise on Off-Task Behavior and Academic Responding for Children with ADHD

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cook, Andrew; Bradley-Johnson, Sharon; Johnson, C. Merle

2014-01-01

We evaluated the effects of white noise played through headphones on off-task behavior, percentage of items completed, and percentage of items completed correctly for 3 students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Headphones plus white noise were associated with decreases in off-task behavior relative to baseline and…

White noise speech illusion and psychosis expression: An experimental investigation of psychosis liability

PubMed Central

Guloksuz, Sinan; Menne-Lothmann, Claudia; Decoster, Jeroen; van Winkel, Ruud; Collip, Dina; Delespaul, Philippe; De Hert, Marc; Derom, Catherine; Thiery, Evert; Jacobs, Nele; Wichers, Marieke; Simons, Claudia J. P.; Rutten, Bart P. F.; van Os, Jim

2017-01-01

Background An association between white noise speech illusion and psychotic symptoms has been reported in patients and their relatives. This supports the theory that bottom-up and top-down perceptual processes are involved in the mechanisms underlying perceptual abnormalities. However, findings in nonclinical populations have been conflicting. Objectives The aim of this study was to examine the association between white noise speech illusion and subclinical expression of psychotic symptoms in a nonclinical sample. Findings were compared to previous results to investigate potential methodology dependent differences. Methods In a general population adolescent and young adult twin sample (n = 704), the association between white noise speech illusion and subclinical psychotic experiences, using the Structured Interview for Schizotypy—Revised (SIS-R) and the Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences (CAPE), was analyzed using multilevel logistic regression analyses. Results Perception of any white noise speech illusion was not associated with either positive or negative schizotypy in the general population twin sample, using the method by Galdos et al. (2011) (positive: ORadjusted: 0.82, 95% CI: 0.6–1.12, p = 0.217; negative: ORadjusted: 0.75, 95% CI: 0.56–1.02, p = 0.065) and the method by Catalan et al. (2014) (positive: ORadjusted: 1.11, 95% CI: 0.79–1.57, p = 0.557). No association was found between CAPE scores and speech illusion (ORadjusted: 1.25, 95% CI: 0.88–1.79, p = 0.220). For the Catalan et al. (2014) but not the Galdos et al. (2011) method, a negative association was apparent between positive schizotypy and speech illusion with positive or negative affective valence (ORadjusted: 0.44, 95% CI: 0.24–0.81, p = 0.008). Conclusion Contrary to findings in clinical populations, white noise speech illusion may not be associated with psychosis proneness in nonclinical populations. PMID:28832672

White noise speech illusion and psychosis expression: An experimental investigation of psychosis liability.

PubMed

Pries, Lotta-Katrin; Guloksuz, Sinan; Menne-Lothmann, Claudia; Decoster, Jeroen; van Winkel, Ruud; Collip, Dina; Delespaul, Philippe; De Hert, Marc; Derom, Catherine; Thiery, Evert; Jacobs, Nele; Wichers, Marieke; Simons, Claudia J P; Rutten, Bart P F; van Os, Jim

2017-01-01

An association between white noise speech illusion and psychotic symptoms has been reported in patients and their relatives. This supports the theory that bottom-up and top-down perceptual processes are involved in the mechanisms underlying perceptual abnormalities. However, findings in nonclinical populations have been conflicting. The aim of this study was to examine the association between white noise speech illusion and subclinical expression of psychotic symptoms in a nonclinical sample. Findings were compared to previous results to investigate potential methodology dependent differences. In a general population adolescent and young adult twin sample (n = 704), the association between white noise speech illusion and subclinical psychotic experiences, using the Structured Interview for Schizotypy-Revised (SIS-R) and the Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences (CAPE), was analyzed using multilevel logistic regression analyses. Perception of any white noise speech illusion was not associated with either positive or negative schizotypy in the general population twin sample, using the method by Galdos et al. (2011) (positive: ORadjusted: 0.82, 95% CI: 0.6-1.12, p = 0.217; negative: ORadjusted: 0.75, 95% CI: 0.56-1.02, p = 0.065) and the method by Catalan et al. (2014) (positive: ORadjusted: 1.11, 95% CI: 0.79-1.57, p = 0.557). No association was found between CAPE scores and speech illusion (ORadjusted: 1.25, 95% CI: 0.88-1.79, p = 0.220). For the Catalan et al. (2014) but not the Galdos et al. (2011) method, a negative association was apparent between positive schizotypy and speech illusion with positive or negative affective valence (ORadjusted: 0.44, 95% CI: 0.24-0.81, p = 0.008). Contrary to findings in clinical populations, white noise speech illusion may not be associated with psychosis proneness in nonclinical populations.

Dynamics of a prey-predator system under Poisson white noise excitation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pan, Shan-Shan; Zhu, Wei-Qiu

2014-10-01

The classical Lotka-Volterra (LV) model is a well-known mathematical model for prey-predator ecosystems. In the present paper, the pulse-type version of stochastic LV model, in which the effect of a random natural environment has been modeled as Poisson white noise, is investigated by using the stochastic averaging method. The averaged generalized Itô stochastic differential equation and Fokker-Planck-Kolmogorov (FPK) equation are derived for prey-predator ecosystem driven by Poisson white noise. Approximate stationary solution for the averaged generalized FPK equation is obtained by using the perturbation method. The effect of prey self-competition parameter ɛ2 s on ecosystem behavior is evaluated. The analytical result is confirmed by corresponding Monte Carlo (MC) simulation.

Stochastic resonance in a piecewise nonlinear model driven by multiplicative non-Gaussian noise and additive white noise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Yongfeng; Shen, Yajun; Tan, Jianguo

2016-09-01

The phenomenon of stochastic resonance (SR) in a piecewise nonlinear model driven by a periodic signal and correlated noises for the cases of a multiplicative non-Gaussian noise and an additive Gaussian white noise is investigated. Applying the path integral approach, the unified colored noise approximation and the two-state model theory, the analytical expression of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is derived. It is found that conventional stochastic resonance exists in this system. From numerical computations we obtain that: (i) As a function of the non-Gaussian noise intensity, the SNR is increased when the non-Gaussian noise deviation parameter q is increased. (ii) As a function of the Gaussian noise intensity, the SNR is decreased when q is increased. This demonstrates that the effect of the non-Gaussian noise on SNR is different from that of the Gaussian noise in this system. Moreover, we further discuss the effect of the correlation time of the non-Gaussian noise, cross-correlation strength, the amplitude and frequency of the periodic signal on SR.

Signal-to-noise limitations in white light holography.

PubMed

Ribak, E; Roddier, C; Roddier, F; Breckinridge, J B

1988-03-15

A simple derivation is given for the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in images reconstructed from incoherent holograms. Dependence is shown to be on the hologram SNR, object complexity, and the number of pixels in the detector. Reconstruction of involved objects becomes possible with high dynamic range detectors such as charge coupled devices. We have produced such white light holograms by means of a rotational shear interferometer combined with a chromatic corrector. A digital inverse transform recreated the object.

Response analysis of a class of quasi-linear systems with fractional derivative excited by Poisson white noise

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

Yang, Yongge; Xu, Wei, E-mail: weixu@nwpu.edu.cn; Yang, Guidong

The Poisson white noise, as a typical non-Gaussian excitation, has attracted much attention recently. However, little work was referred to the study of stochastic systems with fractional derivative under Poisson white noise excitation. This paper investigates the stationary response of a class of quasi-linear systems with fractional derivative excited by Poisson white noise. The equivalent stochastic system of the original stochastic system is obtained. Then, approximate stationary solutions are obtained with the help of the perturbation method. Finally, two typical examples are discussed in detail to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. The analysis also shows that the fractionalmore » order and the fractional coefficient significantly affect the responses of the stochastic systems with fractional derivative.« less

Numeric Solutions of Dirac-Gursey Spinor Field Equation Under External Gaussian White Noise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aydogmus, Fatma

2016-06-01

In this paper, we consider the Dirac-Gursey spinor field equation that has particle-like solutions derived classical field equations so-called instantons, formed by using Heisenberg ansatz, under the effect of an additional Gaussian white noise term. Our purpose is to understand how the behavior of spinor-type excited instantons in four dimensions can be affected by noise. Thus, we simulate the phase portraits and Poincaré sections of the obtained system numerically both with and without noise. Recurrence plots are also given for more detailed information regarding the system.

Effects of repeated exposure to white noise on central cholinergic activity in the rat.

PubMed

Lai, H

1988-03-01

Acute (45 min) exposure to noise has been shown to decrease sodium-dependent high-affinity choline uptake activity in the frontal cortex and hippocampus of the rat. In the present experiment, the effects of repeated noise exposure on choline uptake in these two brain regions were studied. Rats were exposed to 100-dB white noise in ten 45-min sessions. Tolerance developed to the effects of noise on choline uptake. In addition, the effects were found to be classically conditionable to cues in the exposure environment. These data may have important implications in understanding the health hazard of noise exposure in both the public and occupational environments.

Digital image improvement by adding noise: an example by a professional photographer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurihara, Takehito; Manabe, Yoshitsugu; Aoki, Naokazu; Kobayashi, Hiroyuki

2008-01-01

To overcome shortcomings of digital image, or to reproduce grain of traditional silver halide photographs, some photographers add noise (grain) to digital image. In an effort to find a factor of preferable noise, we analyzed how a professional photographer introduces noise into B&W digital images and found two noticeable characteristics: 1) there is more noise in mid-tones, gradually decreasing in highlights and shadows toward the ends of tonal range, and 2) histograms in highlights are skewed toward shadows and vice versa, while almost symmetrical in mid-tones. Next, we examined whether the professional's noise could be reproduced. The symmetrical histograms were approximated by Gaussian distribution and skewed ones by chi-square distribution. The images on which the noise was reproduced were judged by the professional himself to be satisfactory enough. As the professional said he added the noise so that "it looked like the grain of B&W gelatin silver photographs," we compared the two kinds of noise and found they have in common: 1) more noise in mid-tones but almost none in brightest highlights and deepest shadows, and 2) asymmetrical histograms in highlights and shadows. We think these common characteristics might be one condition for "good" noise.

White-Light Optical Information Processing and Holography.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-05-03

artifact noise . I. wever, the deblurring spatial filter that we used were a narrow spectral band centered at 5154A green light. To compensate for the scaling...Processing, White-Light 11olographyv, Image Profcessing, Optical Signal Process inI, Image Subtraction, Image Deblurring . 70. A S’ R ACT (Continua on crow ad...optical processing technique, we had shown that the incoherent source techniques provides better image quality, and very low coherent artifact noise

Investigations of internal noise levels for different target sizes, contrasts, and noise structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Minah; Choi, Shinkook; Baek, Jongduk

2014-03-01

To describe internal noise levels for different target sizes, contrasts, and noise structures, Gaussian targets with four different sizes (i.e., standard deviation of 2,4,6 and 8) and three different noise structures(i.e., white, low-pass, and highpass) were generated. The generated noise images were scaled to have standard deviation of 0.15. For each noise type, target contrasts were adjusted to have the same detectability based on NPW, and the detectability of CHO was calculated accordingly. For human observer study, 3 trained observers performed 2AFC detection tasks, and correction rate, Pc, was calculated for each task. By adding proper internal noise level to numerical observer (i.e., NPW and CHO), detectability of human observer was matched with that of numerical observers. Even though target contrasts were adjusted to have the same detectability of NPW observer, detectability of human observer decreases as the target size increases. The internal noise level varies for different target sizes, contrasts, and noise structures, demonstrating different internal noise levels should be considered in numerical observer to predict the detection performance of human observer.

The Parkes front-end controller and noise-adding radiometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brunzie, T. J.

1990-01-01

A new front-end controller (FEC) was installed on the 64-m antenna in Parkes, Australia, to support the 1989 Voyager 2 Neptune encounter. The FEC was added to automate operation of the front-end microwave hardware as part of the Deep Space Network's Parkes-Canberra Telemetry Array. Much of the front-end hardware was refurbished and reimplemented from a front-end system installed in 1985 by the European Space Agency for the Uranus encounter; however, the FEC and its associated noise-adding radiometer (NAR) were new Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) designs. Project requirements and other factors led to the development of capabilities not found in standard Deep Space Network (DSN) controllers and radiometers. The Parkes FEC/NAR performed satisfactorily throughout the Neptune encounter and was removed in October 1989.

The design and research of anti-color-noise chaos M-ary communication system

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

Fu, Yongqing, E-mail: fuyongqing@hrbeu.edu.cn; Li, Xingyuan; Li, Yanan

Previously a novel chaos M-ary digital communication method based on spatiotemporal chaos Hamilton oscillator has been proposed. Without chaos synchronization circumstance, it has performance improvement in bandwidth efficiency, transmission efficiency and anti-white-noise performance compared with traditional communication method. In this paper, the channel noise influence on chaotic modulation signals and the construction problem of anti-color-noise chaotic M-ary communication system are studied. The formula of zone partition demodulator’s boundary in additive white Gaussian noise is derived, besides, the problem about how to determine the boundary of zone partition demodulator in additive color noise is deeply studied; Then an approach on constructingmore » anti-color-noise chaos M-ary communication system is proposed, in which a pre-distortion filter is added after the chaos baseband modulator in the transmitter and whitening filter is added before zone partition demodulator in the receiver. Finally, the chaos M-ary communication system based on Hamilton oscillator is constructed and simulated in different channel noise. The result shows that the proposed method in this paper can improve the anti-color-noise performance of the whole communication system compared with the former system, and it has better anti-fading and resisting disturbance performance than Quadrature Phase Shift Keying system.« less

Active noise control in a duct to cancel broadband noise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Kuan-Chun; Chang, Cheng-Yuan; Kuo, Sen M.

2017-09-01

The paper presents cancelling duct noises by using the active noise control (ANC) techniques. We use the single channel feed forward algorithm with feedback neutralization to realize ANC. Several kinds of ducts noises including tonal noises, sweep tonal signals, and white noise had investigated. Experimental results show that the proposed ANC system can cancel these noises in a PVC duct very well. The noise reduction of white noise can be up to 20 dB.

Adding temporally localized noise can enhance the contribution of target knowledge on contrast detection.

PubMed

Silvestre, Daphné; Cavanagh, Patrick; Arleo, Angelo; Allard, Rémy

2017-02-01

External noise paradigms are widely used to characterize sensitivity by comparing the effect of a variable on contrast threshold when it is limited by internal versus external noise. A basic assumption of external noise paradigms is that the processing properties are the same in low and high noise. However, recent studies (e.g., Allard & Cavanagh, 2011; Allard & Faubert, 2014b) suggest that this assumption could be violated when using spatiotemporally localized noise (i.e., appearing simultaneously and at the same location as the target) but not when using spatiotemporally extended noise (i.e., continuously displayed, full-screen, dynamic noise). These previous findings may have been specific to the crowding and 0D noise paradigms that were used, so the purpose of the current study is to test if this violation of noise-invariant processing also occurs in a standard contrast detection task in white noise. The rationale of the current study is that local external noise triggers the use of recognition rather than detection and that a recognition process should be more affected by uncertainty about the shape of the target than one involving detection. To investigate the contribution of target knowledge on contrast detection, the effect of orientation uncertainty was evaluated for a contrast detection task in the absence of noise and in the presence of spatiotemporally localized or extended noise. A larger orientation uncertainty effect was observed with temporally localized noise than with temporally extended noise or with no external noise, indicating a change in the nature of the processing for temporally localized noise. We conclude that the use of temporally localized noise in external noise paradigms risks triggering a shift in process, invalidating the noise-invariant processing required for the paradigm. If, instead, temporally extended external noise is used to match the properties of internal noise, no such processing change occurs.

Ocular-following responses to white noise stimuli in humans reveal a novel nonlinearity that results from temporal sampling

PubMed Central

Sheliga, Boris M.; Quaia, Christian; FitzGibbon, Edmond J.; Cumming, Bruce G.

2016-01-01

White noise stimuli are frequently used to study the visual processing of broadband images in the laboratory. A common goal is to describe how responses are derived from Fourier components in the image. We investigated this issue by recording the ocular-following responses (OFRs) to white noise stimuli in human subjects. For a given speed we compared OFRs to unfiltered white noise with those to noise filtered with band-pass filters and notch filters. Removing components with low spatial frequency (SF) reduced OFR magnitudes, and the SF associated with the greatest reduction matched the SF that produced the maximal response when presented alone. This reduction declined rapidly with SF, compatible with a winner-take-all operation. Removing higher SF components increased OFR magnitudes. For higher speeds this effect became larger and propagated toward lower SFs. All of these effects were quantitatively well described by a model that combined two factors: (a) an excitatory drive that reflected the OFRs to individual Fourier components and (b) a suppression by higher SF channels where the temporal sampling of the display led to flicker. This nonlinear interaction has an important practical implication: Even with high refresh rates (150 Hz), the temporal sampling introduced by visual displays has a significant impact on visual processing. For instance, we show that this distorts speed tuning curves, shifting the peak to lower speeds. Careful attention to spectral content, in the light of this nonlinearity, is necessary to minimize the resulting artifact when using white noise patterns undergoing apparent motion. PMID:26762277

Delay-induced stochastic bifurcations in a bistable system under white noise

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

Sun, Zhongkui, E-mail: sunzk@nwpu.edu.cn; Fu, Jin; Xu, Wei

2015-08-15

In this paper, the effects of noise and time delay on stochastic bifurcations are investigated theoretically and numerically in a time-delayed Duffing-Van der Pol oscillator subjected to white noise. Due to the time delay, the random response is not Markovian. Thereby, approximate methods have been adopted to obtain the Fokker-Planck-Kolmogorov equation and the stationary probability density function for amplitude of the response. Based on the knowledge that stochastic bifurcation is characterized by the qualitative properties of the steady-state probability distribution, it is found that time delay and feedback intensity as well as noise intensity will induce the appearance of stochasticmore » P-bifurcation. Besides, results demonstrated that the effects of the strength of the delayed displacement feedback on stochastic bifurcation are accompanied by the sensitive dependence on time delay. Furthermore, the results from numerical simulations best confirm the effectiveness of the theoretical analyses.« less

Effects of anthropogenic noise on endocrine and reproductive function in White's treefrog, Litoria caerulea

PubMed Central

Kaiser, Kristine; Devito, Julia; Jones, Caitlin G.; Marentes, Adam; Perez, Rachel; Umeh, Lisa; Weickum, Regina M.; McGovern, Kathryn E.; Wilson, Emma H.; Saltzman, Wendy

2015-01-01

Urbanization is a major driver of ecological change and comes with a suite of habitat modifications, including alterations to the local temperature, precipitation, light and noise regimes. Although many recent studies have investigated the behavioural and ecological ramifications of urbanization, physiological work in this area has lagged. We tested the hypothesis that anthropogenic noise is a stressor for amphibians and that chronic exposure to such noise leads to reproductive suppression. In the laboratory, we exposed male White's treefrogs, Litoria caerulea, to conspecific chorus noise either alone or coupled with pre-recorded traffic noise nightly for 1 week. Frogs presented with anthropogenic noise had significantly higher circulating concentrations of corticosterone and significantly decreased sperm count and sperm viability than did control frogs. These results suggest that in addition to having behavioural and ecological effects, anthropogenic change might alter physiology and Darwinian fitness. Future work should integrate disparate fields such as behaviour, ecology and physiology to elucidate fully organisms’ responses to habitat change. PMID:27293682

High level white noise generator

DOEpatents

Borkowski, Casimer J.; Blalock, Theron V.

1979-01-01

A wide band, stable, random noise source with a high and well-defined output power spectral density is provided which may be used for accurate calibration of Johnson Noise Power Thermometers (JNPT) and other applications requiring a stable, wide band, well-defined noise power spectral density. The noise source is based on the fact that the open-circuit thermal noise voltage of a feedback resistor, connecting the output to the input of a special inverting amplifier, is available at the amplifier output from an equivalent low output impedance caused by the feedback mechanism. The noise power spectral density level at the noise source output is equivalent to the density of the open-circuit thermal noise or a 100 ohm resistor at a temperature of approximately 64,000 Kelvins. The noise source has an output power spectral density that is flat to within 0.1% (0.0043 db) in the frequency range of from 1 KHz to 100 KHz which brackets typical passbands of the signal-processing channels of JNPT's. Two embodiments, one of higher accuracy that is suitable for use as a standards instrument and another that is particularly adapted for ambient temperature operation, are illustrated in this application.

Effects of experimentally elevated traffic noise on nestling white-crowned sparrow stress physiology, immune function and life history.

PubMed

Crino, Ondi L; Johnson, Erin E; Blickley, Jessica L; Patricelli, Gail L; Breuner, Creagh W

2013-06-01

Roads have been associated with behavioral and physiological changes in wildlife. In birds, roads decrease reproductive success and biodiversity and increase physiological stress. Although the consequences of roads on individuals and communities have been well described, the mechanisms through which roads affect birds remain largely unexplored. Here, we examine one mechanism through which roads could affect birds: traffic noise. We exposed nestling mountain white-crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys oriantha) to experimentally elevated traffic noise for 5 days during the nestling period. Following exposure to traffic noise we measured nestling stress physiology, immune function, body size, condition and survival. Based on prior studies, we expected the traffic noise treatment to result in elevated stress hormones (glucocorticoids), and declines in immune function, body size, condition and survival. Surprisingly, nestlings exposed to traffic noise had lower glucocorticoid levels and improved condition relative to control nests. These results indicate that traffic noise does affect physiology and development in white-crowned sparrows, but not at all as predicted. Therefore, when evaluating the mechanisms through which roads affect avian populations, other factors (e.g. edge effects, pollution and mechanical vibration) may be more important than traffic noise in explaining elevated nestling stress responses in this species.

Improvement in perception of image sharpness through the addition of noise and its relationship with memory texture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wan, Xiazi; Kobayashi, Hiroyuki; Aoki, Naokazu

2015-03-01

In a preceding study, we investigated the effects of image noise on the perception of image sharpness using white noise, and one- and two-dimensional single-frequency sinusoidal patterns as stimuli. This study extends our preceding study by evaluating natural color images, rather than black-and-white patterns. The results showed that the effect of noise in improving image sharpness perception is more evident in blurred images than in sharp images. This is consistent with the results of the preceding study. In another preceding study, we proposed "memory texture" to explain the preferred granularity of images, as a concept similar to "memory color" for preferred color reproduction. We observed individual differences in type of memory texture for each object, that is, white or 1/f noise. This study discusses the relationship between improvement of sharpness perception by adding noise, and the memory texture, following its individual differences. We found that memory texture is one of the elements that affect sharpness perception.

A Temporal White Noise Analysis for Extracting the Impulse Response Function of the Human Electroretinogram

PubMed Central

Zele, Andrew J.; Kambhampati, Pradeep K.; Aher, Avinash; McKeefry, Declan; Parry, Neil; Maguire, John; Murray, Ian

2017-01-01

Purpose We introduce a method for determining the impulse response function (IRF) of the ERG derived from responses to temporal white noise (TWN) stimuli. Methods This white noise ERG (wnERG) was recorded in participants with normal trichromatic vision to full-field (Ganzfeld) and 39.3° diameter focal stimuli at mesopic and photopic mean luminances and at different TWN contrasts. The IRF was obtained by cross-correlating the TWN stimulus with the wnERG. Results We show that wnERG recordings are highly repeatable, with good signal-to-noise ratio, and do not lead to blink artifacts. The wnERG resembles a flash ERG waveform with an initial negativity (N1) followed by a positivity (P1), with amplitudes that are linearly related to stimulus contrast. These N1 and N1-P1 components showed commonalties in implicit times with the a- and b-waves of flash ERGs. There was a clear transition from rod- to cone-driven wnERGs at ∼1 photopic cd.m−2. We infer that oscillatory potentials found with the flash ERG, but not the wnERG, may reflect retinal nonlinearities due to the compression of energy into a short time period during a stimulus flash. Conclusion The wnERG provides a new approach to study the physiology of the retina using a stimulation method with adaptation and contrast conditions similar to natural scenes to allow for independent variation of stimulus strength and mean luminance, which is not possible with the conventional flash ERG. Translational Relevance The white noise ERG methodology will be of benefit for clinical studies and animal models in the evaluation of hypotheses related to cellular redundancy to understand the effects of disease on specific visual pathways. PMID:29109907

The amount of decrease of the background white noise intensity as a cue for differentiation training.

PubMed

Zieliński, K

1981-01-01

The course of differentiation learning, using the conditioned emotional response (CER) method, was investigated in two groups of 16 rats. The discriminative stimuli consisted of decreases in the 80 dB background white noise to either 70 dB or 60 dB. Differentiation learning was more efficient with the larger decrease of background noise intensity as the CS(+) and the smaller decrease as the CS(-) than vice versa.

Teledyne H1RG, H2RG, and H4RG Noise Generator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rauscher, Bernard J.

2015-01-01

This paper describes the near-infrared detector system noise generator (NG) that we wrote for the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Near Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec). NG simulates many important noise components including; (1) white "read noise", (2) residual bias drifts, (3) pink 1/f noise, (4) alternating column noise, and (5) picture frame noise. By adjusting the input parameters, NG can simulate noise for Teledyne's H1RG, H2RG, and H4RG detectors with and without Teledyne's SIDECAR ASIC IR array controller. NG can be used as a starting point for simulating astronomical scenes by adding dark current, scattered light, and astronomical sources into the results from NG. NG is written in Python-3.4.

A simple white noise analysis of neuronal light responses.

PubMed

Chichilnisky, E J

2001-05-01

A white noise technique is presented for estimating the response properties of spiking visual system neurons. The technique is simple, robust, efficient and well suited to simultaneous recordings from multiple neurons. It provides a complete and easily interpretable model of light responses even for neurons that display a common form of response nonlinearity that precludes classical linear systems analysis. A theoretical justification of the technique is presented that relies only on elementary linear algebra and statistics. Implementation is described with examples. The technique and the underlying model of neural responses are validated using recordings from retinal ganglion cells, and in principle are applicable to other neurons. Advantages and disadvantages of the technique relative to classical approaches are discussed.

Adding Spatially Correlated Noise to a Median Ionosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holmes, J. M.; Egert, A. R.; Dao, E. V.; Colman, J. J.; Parris, R. T.

2017-12-01

We describe a process for adding spatially correlated noise to a background ionospheric model, in this case the International Reference Ionosphere (IRI). Monthly median models do a good job describing bulk features of the ionosphere in a median sense. It is well known that the ionosphere almost never actually looks like its median. For the purposes of constructing an Operational System Simulation Experiment, it may be desirable to construct an ionosphere more similar to a particular instant, hour, or day than to the monthly median. We will examine selected data from the Global Ionosphere Radio Observatory (GIRO) database and estimate the amount of variance captured by the IRI model. We will then examine spatial and temporal correlations within the residuals. This analysis will be used to construct a temporal-spatial gridded ionosphere that represents a particular instantiation of those statistics.

Heating and thermal squeezing in parametrically driven oscillators with added noise.

PubMed

Batista, Adriano A

2012-11-01

In this paper we report a theoretical model based on Green's functions, Floquet theory, and averaging techniques up to second order that describes the dynamics of parametrically driven oscillators with added thermal noise. Quantitative estimates for heating and quadrature thermal noise squeezing near and below the transition line of the first parametric instability zone of the oscillator are given. Furthermore, we give an intuitive explanation as to why heating and thermal squeezing occur. For small amplitudes of the parametric pump the Floquet multipliers are complex conjugate of each other with a constant magnitude. As the pump amplitude is increased past a threshold value in the stable zone near the first parametric instability, the two Floquet multipliers become real and have different magnitudes. This creates two different effective dissipation rates (one smaller and the other larger than the real dissipation rate) along the stable manifolds of the first-return Poincaré map. We also show that the statistical average of the input power due to thermal noise is constant and independent of the pump amplitude and frequency. The combination of these effects causes most of heating and thermal squeezing. Very good agreement between analytical and numerical estimates of the thermal fluctuations is achieved.

Fractional Ornstein-Uhlenbeck noise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fa, Kwok Sau

2018-06-01

Fractional Ornstein-Uhlenbeck noise is considered and investigated. The fractional Ornstein-Uhlenbeck noise may be linked with a supercapacitor driven by the white noise, and its correlation function for the stationary state shows monotonic and oscillatory decays. In the case of the oscillatory behavior the correlation function presents behaviors similar to those of the harmonic noise (harmonic oscillator driven by the white noise). For application, the Langevin equation with the harmonic potential driven by the fractional Ornstein-Uhlenbeck noise is considered; the first two moments and mean energy are investigated.

Polarizabilities of Impurity Doped Quantum Dots Under Pulsed Field: Role of Multiplicative White Noise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saha, Surajit; Ghosh, Manas

2016-02-01

We perform a rigorous analysis of the profiles of a few diagonal and off-diagonal components of linear ( α xx , α yy , α xy , and α yx ), first nonlinear ( β xxx , β yyy , β xyy , and β yxx ), and second nonlinear ( γ xxxx , γ yyyy , γ xxyy , and γ yyxx ) polarizabilities of quantum dots exposed to an external pulsed field. Simultaneous presence of multiplicative white noise has also been taken into account. The quantum dot contains a dopant represented by a Gaussian potential. The number of pulse and the dopant location have been found to fabricate the said profiles through their interplay. Moreover, a variation in the noise strength also contributes evidently in designing the profiles of above polarizability components. In general, the off-diagonal components have been found to be somewhat more responsive to a variation of noise strength. However, we have found some exception to the above fact for the off-diagonal β yxx component. The study projects some pathways of achieving stable, enhanced, and often maximized output of linear and nonlinear polarizabilities of doped quantum dots driven by multiplicative noise.

Tuning diagonal components of static linear and first nonlinear polarizabilities of doped quantum dots by Gaussian white noise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ganguly, Jayanta; Ghosh, Manas

2015-07-01

We investigate the modulation of diagonal components of static linear (αxx, αyy) and first nonlinear (βxxx, βyyy) polarizabilities of quantum dots by Gaussian white noise. Quantum dot is doped with impurity represented by a Gaussian potential and repulsive in nature. The study reveals the importance of mode of application of noise (additive/multiplicative) on the polarizability components. The doped system is further exposed to a static external electric field of given intensity. As important observation we have found that the strength of additive noise becomes unable to influence the polarizability components. However, the multiplicative noise influences them conspicuously and gives rise to additional interesting features. Multiplicative noise even enhances the magnitude of the polarizability components immensely. The present investigation deems importance in view of the fact that noise seriously affects the optical properties of doped quantum dot devices.

Non-symmetric forms of non-linear vibrations of flexible cylindrical panels and plates under longitudinal load and additive white noise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krysko, V. A.; Awrejcewicz, J.; Krylova, E. Yu; Papkova, I. V.; Krysko, A. V.

2018-06-01

Parametric non-linear vibrations of flexible cylindrical panels subjected to additive white noise are studied. The governing Marguerre equations are investigated using the finite difference method (FDM) of the second-order accuracy and the Runge-Kutta method. The considered mechanical structural member is treated as a system of many/infinite number of degrees of freedom (DoF). The dependence of chaotic vibrations on the number of DoFs is investigated. Reliability of results is guaranteed by comparing the results obtained using two qualitatively different methods to reduce the problem of PDEs (partial differential equations) to ODEs (ordinary differential equations), i.e. the Faedo-Galerkin method in higher approximations and the 4th and 6th order FDM. The Cauchy problem obtained by the FDM is eventually solved using the 4th-order Runge-Kutta methods. The numerical experiment yielded, for a certain set of parameters, the non-symmetric vibration modes/forms with and without white noise. In particular, it has been illustrated and discussed that action of white noise on chaotic vibrations implies quasi-periodicity, whereas the previously non-symmetric vibration modes are closer to symmetric ones.

The Combined Effect of Periodic Signals and Noise on the Dilution of Precision of GNSS Station Velocity Uncertainties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klos, Anna; Olivares, German; Teferle, Felix Norman; Bogusz, Janusz

2016-04-01

important. In other words, for time series long enough, the assumed periodic signals do not affect the velocity uncertainties as much as the assumed noise model. We calculated the GDP to be the ratio between two errors of velocity: without and with inclusion of seasonal terms of periods equal to one year and its overtones till 3rd. To all these cases power-law processes of white, flicker and random-walk noise were added separately. Few oscillations in GDP can be noticed for integer years, which arise from periodic terms added. Their amplitudes in GDP increase along with the increasing spectral index. Strong peaks of oscillations in GDP are indicated for short time scales, especially for random-walk processes. This means that badly monumented stations are affected the most. Local minima and maxima in GDP are also enlarged as the noise approaches random walk. We noticed that the semi-annual signal increased the local GDP minimum for white noise. This suggests that adding power-law noise to a deterministic model with annual term or adding a semi-annual term to white noise causes an increased velocity uncertainty even at the points, where determined velocity is not biased.

Activation rates for nonlinear stochastic flows driven by non-Gaussian noise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van den Broeck, C.; Hänggi, P.

1984-11-01

Activation rates are calculated for stochastic bistable flows driven by asymmetric dichotomic Markov noise (a two-state Markov process). This noise contains as limits both a particular type of non-Gaussian white shot noise and white Gaussian noise. Apart from investigating the role of colored noise on the escape rates, one can thus also study the influence of the non-Gaussian nature of the noise on these rates. The rate for white shot noise differs in leading order (Arrhenius factor) from the corresponding rate for white Gaussian noise of equal strength. In evaluating the rates we demonstrate the advantage of using transport theory over a mean first-passage time approach for cases with generally non-white and non-Gaussian noise sources. For white shot noise with exponentially distributed weights we succeed in evaluating the mean first-passage time of the corresponding integro-differential master-equation dynamics. The rate is shown to coincide in the weak noise limit with the inverse mean first-passage time.

Evaluating the B-cell density with various activation functions using White Noise Path Integral Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aban, C. J. G.; Bacolod, R. O.; Confesor, M. N. P.

2015-06-01

A The White Noise Path Integral Approach is used in evaluating the B-cell density or the number of B-cell per unit volume for a basic type of immune system response based on the modeling done by Perelson and Wiegel. From the scaling principles of Perelson [1], the B- cell density is obtained where antigens and antibodies mutates and activation function f(|S-SA|) is defined describing the interaction between a specific antigen and a B-cell. If the activation function f(|S-SA|) is held constant, the major form of the B-cell density evaluated using white noise analysis is similar to the form of the B-cell density obtained by Perelson and Wiegel using a differential approach.A piecewise linear functionis also used to describe the activation f(|S-SA|). If f(|S-SA|) is zero, the density decreases exponentially. If f(|S-SA|) = S-SA-SB, the B- cell density increases exponentially until it reaches a certain maximum value. For f(|S-SA|) = 2SA-SB-S, the behavior of B-cell density is oscillating and remains to be in small values.

Transcranial Random Noise Stimulation of Visual Cortex: Stochastic Resonance Enhances Central Mechanisms of Perception.

PubMed

van der Groen, Onno; Wenderoth, Nicole

2016-05-11

Random noise enhances the detectability of weak signals in nonlinear systems, a phenomenon known as stochastic resonance (SR). Though counterintuitive at first, SR has been demonstrated in a variety of naturally occurring processes, including human perception, where it has been shown that adding noise directly to weak visual, tactile, or auditory stimuli enhances detection performance. These results indicate that random noise can push subthreshold receptor potentials across the transfer threshold, causing action potentials in an otherwise silent afference. Despite the wealth of evidence demonstrating SR for noise added to a stimulus, relatively few studies have explored whether or not noise added directly to cortical networks enhances sensory detection. Here we administered transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS; 100-640 Hz zero-mean Gaussian white noise) to the occipital region of human participants. For increasing tRNS intensities (ranging from 0 to 1.5 mA), the detection accuracy of a visual stimuli changed according to an inverted-U-shaped function, typical of the SR phenomenon. When the optimal level of noise was added to visual cortex, detection performance improved significantly relative to a zero noise condition (9.7 ± 4.6%) and to a similar extent as optimal noise added to the visual stimuli (11.2 ± 4.7%). Our results demonstrate that adding noise to cortical networks can improve human behavior and that tRNS is an appropriate tool to exploit this mechanism. Our findings suggest that neural processing at the network level exhibits nonlinear system properties that are sensitive to the stochastic resonance phenomenon and highlight the usefulness of tRNS as a tool to modulate human behavior. Since tRNS can be applied to all cortical areas, exploiting the SR phenomenon is not restricted to the perceptual domain, but can be used for other functions that depend on nonlinear neural dynamics (e.g., decision making, task switching, response inhibition, and

Phase noise in RF and microwave amplifiers.

PubMed

Boudot, Rodolphe; Rubiola, Enrico

2012-12-01

Understanding amplifier phase noise is a critical issue in many fields of engineering and physics, such as oscillators, frequency synthesis, telecommunication, radar, and spectroscopy; in the emerging domain of microwave photonics; and in exotic fields, such as radio astronomy, particle accelerators, etc. Focusing on the two main types of base noise in amplifiers, white and flicker, the power spectral density of the random phase φ(t) is Sφ(f) = b(0) + b(-1)/f. White phase noise results from adding white noise to the RF spectrum in the carrier region. For a given RF noise level, b(0) is proportional to the reciprocal of the carrier power P(0). By contrast, flicker results from a near-dc 1/f noise-present in all electronic devices-which modulates the carrier through some parametric effect in the semiconductor. Thus, b(-1) is a parameter of the amplifier, constant in a wide range of P(0). The consequences are the following: Connecting m equal amplifiers in parallel, b(-1) is 1/m times that of one device. Cascading m equal amplifiers, b(-1) is m times that of one amplifier. Recirculating the signal in an amplifier so that the gain increases by a power of m (a factor of m in decibels) as a result of positive feedback (regeneration), we find that b(-1) is m(2) times that of the amplifier alone. The feedforward amplifier exhibits extremely low b(-1) because the carrier is ideally nulled at the input of its internal error amplifier. Starting with an extensive review of the literature, this article introduces a system-oriented model which describes the phase flickering. Several amplifier architectures (cascaded, parallel, etc.) are analyzed systematically, deriving the phase noise from the general model. There follow numerous measurements of amplifiers using different technologies, including some old samples, and in a wide frequency range (HF to microwaves), which validate the theory. In turn, theory and results provide design guidelines and give suggestions for CAD and

Broadband 2D electronic spectrometer using white light and pulse shaping: noise and signal evaluation at 1 and 100 kHz.

PubMed

Kearns, Nicholas M; Mehlenbacher, Randy D; Jones, Andrew C; Zanni, Martin T

2017-04-03

We have developed a broad bandwidth two-dimensional electronic spectrometer that operates shot-to-shot at repetition rates up to 100 kHz using an acousto-optic pulse shaper. It is called a two-dimensional white-light (2D-WL) spectrometer because the input is white-light supercontinuum. Methods for 100 kHz data collection are studied to understand how laser noise is incorporated into 2D spectra during measurement. At 100 kHz, shot-to-shot scanning of the delays and phases of the pulses in the pulse sequence produces a 2D spectrum 13-times faster and with the same signal-to-noise as using mechanical stages and a chopper. Comparing 100 to 1 kHz repetition rates, data acquisition time is decreased by a factor of 200, which is beyond the improvement expected by the repetition rates alone due to reduction in 1/f noise. These improvements arise because shot-to-shot readout and modulation of the pulse train at 100 kHz enables the electronic coherences to be measured faster than the decay in correlation between laser intensities. Using white light supercontinuum for the pump and probe pulses produces high signal-to-noise spectra on samples with optical densities <0.1 within a few minutes of averaging and an instrument response time of <46 fs thereby demonstrating that that simple broadband continuum sources, although weak, are sufficient to create high quality 2D spectra with >200 nm bandwidth.

Effects of active noise reduction on noise levels at the tympanic membrane.

PubMed

Wagstaff, A S; Woxen, O J; Andersen, H T

1998-06-01

Active noise reduction (ANR) is an electronic system that works by continuous sampling of noise inside the earshell of the headset with a small microphone. This signal is inverted in phase through the headset speaker, thus reducing noise levels by destructive interference of the acoustic field. The system provides good low-frequency noise attenuation, but aircrew differ in their subjective opinion of ANR. The present study is an attempt to provide an objective assessment of the effect of ANR on noise levels at the tympanic membrane. There were 7 subjects with normal ears who were placed in an environment of recorded noise from a BO-105 helicopter. A microphone probe was inserted to within 5 mm of the tympanic membrane of each subject's right ear. Noise levels in the ear were measured without a headset and with two different ANR headsets. Measurements were performed with and without the ANR system on, and with and without white noise through the headset communication system. The white noise was used to simulate aircraft communication noise. The two headsets tested had differing levels of passive and active attenuation. The ANR system produced a substantial low-frequency attenuation. However, noise levels in the mid frequencies increased somewhat when the ANR system was switched on. This effect was augmented when white noise in the communications system was introduced, particularly for one of the two headsets. Low-frequency noise attenuation of ANR systems is substantial, but an increased mid- and high-frequency noise level caused by the ANR may affect both communication and overall noise levels. Our data provide advice on what factors should be taken into account when ANR is evaluated for use in an aviation operational environment.

How much image noise can be added in cardiac x-ray imaging without loss in perceived image quality?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gislason-Lee, Amber J.; Kumcu, Asli; Kengyelics, Stephen M.; Rhodes, Laura A.; Davies, Andrew G.

2015-03-01

Dynamic X-ray imaging systems are used for interventional cardiac procedures to treat coronary heart disease. X-ray settings are controlled automatically by specially-designed X-ray dose control mechanisms whose role is to ensure an adequate level of image quality is maintained with an acceptable radiation dose to the patient. Current commonplace dose control designs quantify image quality by performing a simple technical measurement directly from the image. However, the utility of cardiac X-ray images is in their interpretation by a cardiologist during an interventional procedure, rather than in a technical measurement. With the long term goal of devising a clinically-relevant image quality metric for an intelligent dose control system, we aim to investigate the relationship of image noise with clinical professionals' perception of dynamic image sequences. Computer-generated noise was added, in incremental amounts, to angiograms of five different patients selected to represent the range of adult cardiac patient sizes. A two alternative forced choice staircase experiment was used to determine the amount of noise which can be added to a patient image sequences without changing image quality as perceived by clinical professionals. Twenty-five viewing sessions (five for each patient) were completed by thirteen observers. Results demonstrated scope to increase the noise of cardiac X-ray images by up to 21% +/- 8% before it is noticeable by clinical professionals. This indicates a potential for 21% radiation dose reduction since X-ray image noise and radiation dose are directly related; this would be beneficial to both patients and personnel.

Dynamics of the contralateral white noise-induced enhancement in the guinea pig's middle latency response.

PubMed

Goksoy, Cuneyt; Demirtas, Serdar; Ungan, Pekcan

2004-08-13

The peak-to-peak amplitude of temporal middle latency response (MLR) of the guinea pig, evoked by a click in the contralateral ear, according to the recording side, is increased with the presence of continuous white noise (CWN) in the ipsilateral ear and this specialty is defined as the white noise enhancement (WNE). This phenomenon is evaluated as an interesting electrophysiological finding from the viewpoint of binaural interaction and in this study, its dynamic specifications were investigated. After the beginning of ipsilateral CWN, significant WNE was observed at 275th ms and it reached to a maximum, with an increase more than 40%, at 350th ms. After a habituation occurred, WNE reached to 20% on the 4th second by gradually decreasing and came to a steady state. In the time window between 2 and 5 ms after CWN started, a surprising amplitude decrease is observed. Therefore, CWN causes an effect, like a click, in the short-term and this on-response type effect originates from low level binaural centers, which decreases the MLR amplitude. However, the same CWN increases the MLR amplitude (WNE) by the effects over the high level binaural centers in the succeeding period, by its continuous characteristic.

Functors of White Noise Associated to Characters of the Infinite Symmetric Group

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bożejko, Marek; Guţă, Mădălin

The characters of the infinite symmetric group are extended to multiplicative positive definite functions on pair partitions by using an explicit representation due to Veršik and Kerov. The von Neumann algebra generated by the fields with f in an infinite dimensional real Hilbert space is infinite and the vacuum vector is not separating. For a family depending on an integer N< - 1 an ``exclusion principle'' is found allowing at most ``identical particles'' on the same state: The algebras are type factors. Functors of white noise are constructed and proved to be non-equivalent for different values of N.

Effects of linear trends on estimation of noise in GNSS position time-series

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

Dmitrieva, K.; Segall, P.; Bradley, A. M.

A thorough understanding of time-dependent noise in Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) position time-series is necessary for computing uncertainties in any signals found in the data. However, estimation of time-correlated noise is a challenging task and is complicated by the difficulty in separating noise from signal, the features of greatest interest in the time-series. In this study, we investigate how linear trends affect the estimation of noise in daily GNSS position time-series. We use synthetic time-series to study the relationship between linear trends and estimates of time-correlated noise for the six most commonly cited noise models. We find that themore » effects of added linear trends, or conversely de-trending, vary depending on the noise model. The commonly adopted model of random walk (RW), flicker noise (FN) and white noise (WN) is the most severely affected by de-trending, with estimates of low-amplitude RW most severely biased. FN plus WN is least affected by adding or removing trends. Non-integer power-law noise estimates are also less affected by de-trending, but are very sensitive to the addition of trend when the spectral index is less than one. We derive an analytical relationship between linear trends and the estimated RW variance for the special case of pure RW noise. Finally, overall, we find that to ascertain the correct noise model for GNSS position time-series and to estimate the correct noise parameters, it is important to have independent constraints on the actual trends in the data.« less

Effects of linear trends on estimation of noise in GNSS position time-series

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dmitrieva, K.; Segall, P.; Bradley, A. M.

2017-01-01

A thorough understanding of time-dependent noise in Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) position time-series is necessary for computing uncertainties in any signals found in the data. However, estimation of time-correlated noise is a challenging task and is complicated by the difficulty in separating noise from signal, the features of greatest interest in the time-series. In this paper, we investigate how linear trends affect the estimation of noise in daily GNSS position time-series. We use synthetic time-series to study the relationship between linear trends and estimates of time-correlated noise for the six most commonly cited noise models. We find that the effects of added linear trends, or conversely de-trending, vary depending on the noise model. The commonly adopted model of random walk (RW), flicker noise (FN) and white noise (WN) is the most severely affected by de-trending, with estimates of low-amplitude RW most severely biased. FN plus WN is least affected by adding or removing trends. Non-integer power-law noise estimates are also less affected by de-trending, but are very sensitive to the addition of trend when the spectral index is less than one. We derive an analytical relationship between linear trends and the estimated RW variance for the special case of pure RW noise. Overall, we find that to ascertain the correct noise model for GNSS position time-series and to estimate the correct noise parameters, it is important to have independent constraints on the actual trends in the data.

Effects of linear trends on estimation of noise in GNSS position time-series

DOE PAGES

Dmitrieva, K.; Segall, P.; Bradley, A. M.

2016-10-20

A thorough understanding of time-dependent noise in Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) position time-series is necessary for computing uncertainties in any signals found in the data. However, estimation of time-correlated noise is a challenging task and is complicated by the difficulty in separating noise from signal, the features of greatest interest in the time-series. In this study, we investigate how linear trends affect the estimation of noise in daily GNSS position time-series. We use synthetic time-series to study the relationship between linear trends and estimates of time-correlated noise for the six most commonly cited noise models. We find that themore » effects of added linear trends, or conversely de-trending, vary depending on the noise model. The commonly adopted model of random walk (RW), flicker noise (FN) and white noise (WN) is the most severely affected by de-trending, with estimates of low-amplitude RW most severely biased. FN plus WN is least affected by adding or removing trends. Non-integer power-law noise estimates are also less affected by de-trending, but are very sensitive to the addition of trend when the spectral index is less than one. We derive an analytical relationship between linear trends and the estimated RW variance for the special case of pure RW noise. Finally, overall, we find that to ascertain the correct noise model for GNSS position time-series and to estimate the correct noise parameters, it is important to have independent constraints on the actual trends in the data.« less

Stochastic symplectic and multi-symplectic methods for nonlinear Schrödinger equation with white noise dispersion

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

Cui, Jianbo, E-mail: jianbocui@lsec.cc.ac.cn; Hong, Jialin, E-mail: hjl@lsec.cc.ac.cn; Liu, Zhihui, E-mail: liuzhihui@lsec.cc.ac.cn

We indicate that the nonlinear Schrödinger equation with white noise dispersion possesses stochastic symplectic and multi-symplectic structures. Based on these structures, we propose the stochastic symplectic and multi-symplectic methods, which preserve the continuous and discrete charge conservation laws, respectively. Moreover, we show that the proposed methods are convergent with temporal order one in probability. Numerical experiments are presented to verify our theoretical results.

Perception of force and stiffness in the presence of low-frequency haptic noise

PubMed Central

Gurari, Netta; Okamura, Allison M.; Kuchenbecker, Katherine J.

2017-01-01

Objective This work lays the foundation for future research on quantitative modeling of human stiffness perception. Our goal was to develop a method by which a human’s ability to perceive suprathreshold haptic force stimuli and haptic stiffness stimuli can be affected by adding haptic noise. Methods Five human participants performed a same-different task with a one-degree-of-freedom force-feedback device. Participants used the right index finger to actively interact with variations of force (∼5 and ∼8 N) and stiffness (∼290 N/m) stimuli that included one of four scaled amounts of haptically rendered noise (None, Low, Medium, High). The haptic noise was zero-mean Gaussian white noise that was low-pass filtered with a 2 Hz cut-off frequency; the resulting low-frequency signal was added to the force rendered while the participant interacted with the force and stiffness stimuli. Results We found that the precision with which participants could identify the magnitude of both the force and stiffness stimuli was affected by the magnitude of the low-frequency haptically rendered noise added to the haptic stimulus, as well as the magnitude of the haptic stimulus itself. The Weber fraction strongly correlated with the standard deviation of the low-frequency haptic noise with a Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient of ρ > 0.83. The mean standard deviation of the low-frequency haptic noise in the haptic stimuli ranged from 0.184 N to 1.111 N across the four haptically rendered noise levels, and the corresponding mean Weber fractions spanned between 0.042 and 0.101. Conclusions The human ability to perceive both suprathreshold haptic force and stiffness stimuli degrades in the presence of added low-frequency haptic noise. Future work can use the reported methods to investigate how force perception and stiffness perception may relate, with possible applications in haptic watermarking and in the assessment of the functionality of peripheral pathways in

Intrinsic autocorrelation time of picoseconds for thermal noise in water.

PubMed

Zhu, Zhi; Sheng, Nan; Wan, Rongzheng; Fang, Haiping

2014-10-02

Whether thermal noise is colored or white is of fundamental importance. In conventional theory, thermal noise is usually treated as white noise so that there are no directional transportations in the asymmetrical systems without external inputs, since only the colored fluctuations with appropriate autocorrelation time length can lead to directional transportations in the asymmetrical systems. Here, on the basis of molecular dynamics simulations, we show that the autocorrelation time length of thermal noise in water is ~10 ps at room temperature, which indicates that thermal noise is not white in the molecular scale while thermal noise can be reasonably assumed as white in macro- and meso-scale systems. The autocorrelation time length of thermal noise is intrinsic, since the value is almost unchanged for different temperature coupling methods. Interestingly, the autocorrelation time of thermal noise is correlated with the lifetime of hydrogen bonds, suggesting that the finite autocorrelation time length of thermal noise mainly comes from the finite lifetime of the interactions between neighboring water molecules.

Colored spectrum characteristics of thermal noise on the molecular scale.

PubMed

Zhu, Zhi; Sheng, Nan; Fang, Haiping; Wan, Rongzheng

2016-11-02

Thermal noise is of fundamental importance to many processes. Traditionally, thermal noise has been treated as white noise on the macroscopic scale. Using molecular dynamics simulations and power spectrum analysis, we show that the thermal noise of solute molecules in water is non-white on the molecular scale, which is in contrast to the conventional theory. In the frequency domain from 2 × 10 11 Hz to 10 13 Hz, the power spectrum of thermal noise for polar solute molecules resembles the spectrum of 1/f noise. The power spectrum of thermal noise for non-polar solute molecules deviates only slightly from the spectrum of white noise. The key to this phenomenon is the existence of hydrogen bonds between polar solute molecules and solvent water molecules. Furthermore, for polar solute molecules, the degree of power spectrum deviation from that of white noise is associated with the average lifetime of the hydrogen bonds between the solute and the solvent molecules.

Robustness analysis of superpixel algorithms to image blur, additive Gaussian noise, and impulse noise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brekhna, Brekhna; Mahmood, Arif; Zhou, Yuanfeng; Zhang, Caiming

2017-11-01

Superpixels have gradually become popular in computer vision and image processing applications. However, no comprehensive study has been performed to evaluate the robustness of superpixel algorithms in regard to common forms of noise in natural images. We evaluated the robustness of 11 recently proposed algorithms to different types of noise. The images were corrupted with various degrees of Gaussian blur, additive white Gaussian noise, and impulse noise that either made the object boundaries weak or added extra information to it. We performed a robustness analysis of simple linear iterative clustering (SLIC), Voronoi Cells (VCells), flooding-based superpixel generation (FCCS), bilateral geodesic distance (Bilateral-G), superpixel via geodesic distance (SSS-G), manifold SLIC (M-SLIC), Turbopixels, superpixels extracted via energy-driven sampling (SEEDS), lazy random walk (LRW), real-time superpixel segmentation by DBSCAN clustering, and video supervoxels using partially absorbing random walks (PARW) algorithms. The evaluation process was carried out both qualitatively and quantitatively. For quantitative performance comparison, we used achievable segmentation accuracy (ASA), compactness, under-segmentation error (USE), and boundary recall (BR) on the Berkeley image database. The results demonstrated that all algorithms suffered performance degradation due to noise. For Gaussian blur, Bilateral-G exhibited optimal results for ASA and USE measures, SLIC yielded optimal compactness, whereas FCCS and DBSCAN remained optimal for BR. For the case of additive Gaussian and impulse noises, FCCS exhibited optimal results for ASA, USE, and BR, whereas Bilateral-G remained a close competitor in ASA and USE for Gaussian noise only. Additionally, Turbopixel demonstrated optimal performance for compactness for both types of noise. Thus, no single algorithm was able to yield optimal results for all three types of noise across all performance measures. Conclusively, to solve real

Retarding friction versus white noise in the description of heavy ion fusion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chushnyakova, Maria; Gontchar, Igor

2014-03-01

We performed modeling of the collision of two spherical nuclei resulting in capture. For this aim the stochastic differential equations are used with the white or colored noise and with the instant or retarding friction, respectively. The dissipative forces are proportional to the squared derivative of the strong nucleus-nucleus interaction potential (SnnP). The SnnP is calculated in the framework of the double folding approach with the density-dependent M3Y NN-forces. Calculations performed for 28Si+144Sm reaction show that accounting for the fluctuations typically reduces the capture cross sections by not more than 10%. In contradistinction, the influence of the memory effects is found resulting in about 20% enhancement of the cross section.

Phase noise in oscillators as differential-algebraic systems with colored noise sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Demir, Alper

2004-05-01

Oscillators are key components of many kinds of systems, particularly electronic and opto-electronic systems. Undesired perturbations, i.e. noise, in practical systems adversely affect the spectral and timing properties of the signals generated by oscillators resulting in phase noise and timing jitter, which are key performance limiting factors, being major contributors to bit-error-rate (BER) of RF and possibly optical communication systems, and creating synchronization problems in clocked and sampled-data electronic systems. In this paper, we review our work on the theory and numerical methods for nonlinear perturbation and noise analysis of oscillators described by a system of differential-algebraic equations (DAEs) with white and colored noise sources. The bulk of the work reviewed in this paper first appeared in [1], then in [2] and [3]. Prior to the work mentioned above, we developed a theory and numerical methods for nonlinear perturbation and noise analysis of oscillators described by a system of ordinary differential equations (ODEs) with white noise sources only [4, 5]. In this paper, we also discuss some open problems and issues in the modeling and analysis of phase noise both in free running oscillators and in phase/injection-locked ones.

Vibration Noise Modeling for Measurement While Drilling System Based on FOGs

PubMed Central

Zhang, Chunxi; Wang, Lu; Gao, Shuang; Lin, Tie; Li, Xianmu

2017-01-01

Aiming to improve survey accuracy of Measurement While Drilling (MWD) based on Fiber Optic Gyroscopes (FOGs) in the long period, the external aiding sources are fused into the inertial navigation by the Kalman filter (KF) method. The KF method needs to model the inertial sensors’ noise as the system noise model. The system noise is modeled as white Gaussian noise conventionally. However, because of the vibration while drilling, the noise in gyros isn’t white Gaussian noise any more. Moreover, an incorrect noise model will degrade the accuracy of KF. This paper developed a new approach for noise modeling on the basis of dynamic Allan variance (DAVAR). In contrast to conventional white noise models, the new noise model contains both the white noise and the color noise. With this new noise model, the KF for the MWD was designed. Finally, two vibration experiments have been performed. Experimental results showed that the proposed vibration noise modeling approach significantly improved the estimated accuracies of the inertial sensor drifts. Compared the navigation results based on different noise model, with the DAVAR noise model, the position error and the toolface angle error are reduced more than 90%. The velocity error is reduced more than 65%. The azimuth error is reduced more than 50%. PMID:29039815

Vibration Noise Modeling for Measurement While Drilling System Based on FOGs.

PubMed

Zhang, Chunxi; Wang, Lu; Gao, Shuang; Lin, Tie; Li, Xianmu

2017-10-17

Aiming to improve survey accuracy of Measurement While Drilling (MWD) based on Fiber Optic Gyroscopes (FOGs) in the long period, the external aiding sources are fused into the inertial navigation by the Kalman filter (KF) method. The KF method needs to model the inertial sensors' noise as the system noise model. The system noise is modeled as white Gaussian noise conventionally. However, because of the vibration while drilling, the noise in gyros isn't white Gaussian noise any more. Moreover, an incorrect noise model will degrade the accuracy of KF. This paper developed a new approach for noise modeling on the basis of dynamic Allan variance (DAVAR). In contrast to conventional white noise models, the new noise model contains both the white noise and the color noise. With this new noise model, the KF for the MWD was designed. Finally, two vibration experiments have been performed. Experimental results showed that the proposed vibration noise modeling approach significantly improved the estimated accuracies of the inertial sensor drifts. Compared the navigation results based on different noise model, with the DAVAR noise model, the position error and the toolface angle error are reduced more than 90%. The velocity error is reduced more than 65%. The azimuth error is reduced more than 50%.

Effect of noise and filtering on largest Lyapunov exponent of time series associated with human walking.

PubMed

Mehdizadeh, Sina; Sanjari, Mohammad Ali

2017-11-07

This study aimed to determine the effect of added noise, filtering and time series length on the largest Lyapunov exponent (LyE) value calculated for time series obtained from a passive dynamic walker. The simplest passive dynamic walker model comprising of two massless legs connected by a frictionless hinge joint at the hip was adopted to generate walking time series. The generated time series was used to construct a state space with the embedding dimension of 3 and time delay of 100 samples. The LyE was calculated as the exponential rate of divergence of neighboring trajectories of the state space using Rosenstein's algorithm. To determine the effect of noise on LyE values, seven levels of Gaussian white noise (SNR=55-25dB with 5dB steps) were added to the time series. In addition, the filtering was performed using a range of cutoff frequencies from 3Hz to 19Hz with 2Hz steps. The LyE was calculated for both noise-free and noisy time series with different lengths of 6, 50, 100 and 150 strides. Results demonstrated a high percent error in the presence of noise for LyE. Therefore, these observations suggest that Rosenstein's algorithm might not perform well in the presence of added experimental noise. Furthermore, findings indicated that at least 50 walking strides are required to calculate LyE to account for the effect of noise. Finally, observations support that a conservative filtering of the time series with a high cutoff frequency might be more appropriate prior to calculating LyE. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Effects of White Noise on Agitated Behaviors, Mental Status, and Activities of Daily Living in Older Adults With Dementia.

PubMed

Lin, Li-Wei; Weng, Shu-Chuan; Wu, Hua-Shan; Tsai, Lu-Jen; Lin, Ya-Ling; Yeh, Shu-Hui

2018-02-01

The aging of society is a global trend, and care of older adults with dementia is an urgent challenge. As dementia progresses, patients exhibit negative emotions, memory disorders, sleep disorders, and agitated behavior. Agitated behavior is one of the most difficult problems for family caregivers and healthcare providers to handle when caring for older adults with dementia. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of white noise in improving agitated behavior, mental status, and activities of daily living in older adults with dementia. An experimental research design was used to study elderly participants two times (pretest and posttest). Six dementia care centers in central and southern Taiwan were targeted to recruit participants. There were 63 participants: 28 were in the experimental group, and 35 were in the comparison group. Experimental group participants received 20 minutes of white noise consisting of ocean, rain, wind, and running water sounds between 4 and 5 P.M. daily over a period of 4 weeks. The comparison group received routine care. Questionnaires were completed, and observations of agitated behaviors were collected before and after the intervention. Agitated behavior in the experimental group improved significantly between pretest and posttest. Furthermore, posttest scores on the Mini-Mental Status Examination and Barthel Index were slightly better for this group than at pretest. However, the experimental group registered no significant difference in mental status or activities of daily living at posttest. For the comparison group, agitated behavior was unchanged between pretest and posttest. The results of this study support white noise as a simple, convenient, and noninvasive intervention that improves agitated behavior in older adults with dementia. These results may provide a reference for related healthcare providers, educators, and administrators who care for older adults with dementia.

Analysis of piezoelectric energy harvester under modulated and filtered white Gaussian noise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quaranta, Giuseppe; Trentadue, Francesco; Maruccio, Claudio; Marano, Giuseppe C.

2018-05-01

This paper proposes a comprehensive method for the electromechanical probabilistic analysis of piezoelectric energy harvesters subjected to modulated and filtered white Gaussian noise (WGN) at the base. Specifically, the dynamic excitation is simulated by means of an amplitude-modulated WGN, which is filtered through the Clough-Penzien filter. The considered piezoelectric harvester is a cantilever bimorph modeled as Euler-Bernoulli beam with a concentrated mass at the free-end, and its global behavior is approximated by the fundamental vibration mode (which is tuned with the dominant frequency of the dynamic input). A resistive electrical load is considered in the circuit. Once the Lyapunov equation of the coupled electromechanical problem has been formulated, an original and efficient semi-analytical procedure is proposed to estimate mean and standard deviation of the electrical energy extracted from the piezoelectric layers.

Selective attention and the auditory vertex potential. 2: Effects of signal intensity and masking noise

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schwent, V. L.; Hillyard, S. A.; Galambos, R.

1975-01-01

A randomized sequence of tone bursts was delivered to subjects at short inter-stimulus intervals with the tones originating from one of three spatially and frequency specific channels. The subject's task was to count the tones in one of the three channels at a time, ignoring the other two, and press a button after each tenth tone. In different conditions, tones were given at high and low intensities and with or without a background white noise to mask the tones. The N sub 1 component of the auditory vertex potential was found to be larger in response to attended channel tones in relation to unattended tones. This selective enhancement of N sub 1 was minimal for loud tones presented without noise and increased markedly for the lower tone intensity and in noise added conditions.

PIXE analysis of Chinese ancient greenish white porcelain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Lin; Ding, Xun-liang; Feng, Song-lin; Cheng, Huang-sheng; Zhang, Wen-Jiang; Fan, Chang-Sheng

2006-03-01

This paper reports the results about the PIXE analysis of major, minor and trace elements of Chinese ancient greenish white porcelain and blue-and-white porcelain produced in Hutian Kiln (Jingdezhen district, Jiangxi province) during 10th-14th centuries. The porcelain body and greenish white glaze from northern Song (AD 960), southern Song (AD 1037-1276), early Yuan (AD 1279-1320), later Yuan (AD 1320-1368) were investigated together with white-and-blue glaze from Ming dynasty (AD 1368-1644). The obtained data were further analyzed by factor analysis.

Cueing properties of the decrease of white noise intensity for avoidance conditioning in cats.

PubMed

Zieliński, K

1979-01-01

In the main experiment two groups of 6 cats each were trained in active bar-pressing avoidance to a CS consisting of either a 10 dB or 20 dB decrease of the background white noise of 70 dB intensity. The two groups did not differ in rapidity of learning, however cats trained to the greater change .in background noise performed avoidance responses with shorter latencies than did cats trained to smaller change. Within-groups comparisons of cumulative distributions of response latencies for consecutive Vincentized fifths of avoidance acquisition showed the greatest changes in the region of latencies longer than the median latency of instrumental responses. On the other hand, the effects of CS intensity found in between-groups comparisons were located in the region of latencies shorter than the median latency of either group. Comparisons with data obtained in a complementary experiment employing additional 17 cats showed that subjects trained to stimuli less intense than the background noise level were marked by an exceptionally low level of avoidance responding with latencies shorter than 1.1 s, which was lower than expected from the probability of intertrial responses for this period of time. Due to this property of stimuli less intense than the background, the distributions of response latencies were moved to the right, in effect, prefrontal lesions influenced a greater part of latency distributions than in cats trained to stimuli more intense than the background.

High frequency direct drive generation using white noise sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frazier, S.; Sebacher, K.; Lawry, D.; Prather, W.; Hoffer, G.

1994-12-01

Damped sinusoid direct drive injection on interconnecting cable bundles between subsystems has long been used as a technique for determining susceptibility to electromagnetic transients in military weapon systems. Questions arise, however, about the adequacy of this method of individually injected, single sinusoids in assuring subsystem strength against broad band threats. This issue has recently been raised in the latest revision of MIL-STD-461 that requires subsystems exhibit no malfunctions when subjected to a repetitive square wave pulse with fast rise and fall time (CS115). An extension to this approach would be to test subsystems using arbitrary waveforms. In recent years arbitrary waveform generators (AWG's) have been used to duplicate, with a high degree of fidelity, the waveforms measured on cable bundles in a system illuminated by fields in a system-level EMP simulator. However, the operating speeds of present AWG's do not allow the extension of this approach to meet new threats such as MIL-STD-2169A. A novel alternative approach for generation of the required signals, being developed in a cooperative effort between the Naval Air Warfare Center and Phillips Laboratory, is the use of white noise signals conditioned in such a manner to produce the desired direct drive waveforms.

Mode-hopping mechanism generating colored noise in a magnetic tunnel junction based spin torque oscillator

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

Sharma, Raghav; Dürrenfeld, P.; Iacocca, E.

The frequency noise spectrum of a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) based spin torque oscillator (STO) is examined where multiple modes and mode-hopping events are observed. The frequency noise spectrum is found to consist of both white noise and 1/f frequency noise. Here, we find a systematic and similar dependence of both white noise and 1/f frequency noise on bias current and the relative angle between the reference and free layers, which changes the effective damping and hence the mode-hopping behavior in this system. The frequency at which the 1/f frequency noise changes to white noise increases as the free layermore » is aligned away from the anti-parallel orientation w.r.t the reference layer. Lastly, these results indicate that the origin of 1/f frequency noise is related to mode-hopping which produces both white noise as well as 1/f frequency noise similar to the case of ring lasers.« less

Mode-hopping mechanism generating colored noise in a magnetic tunnel junction based spin torque oscillator

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

Sharma, Raghav; Dürrenfeld, P.; Iacocca, E.

The frequency noise spectrum of a magnetic tunnel junction based spin torque oscillator is examined where multiple modes and mode-hopping events are observed. The frequency noise spectrum is found to consist of both white noise and 1/f frequency noise. We find a systematic and similar dependence of both white noise and 1/f frequency noise on bias current and the relative angle between the reference and free layers, which changes the effective damping and hence the mode-hopping behavior in this system. The frequency at which the 1/f frequency noise changes to white noise increases as the free layer is aligned awaymore » from the anti-parallel orientation w.r.t the reference layer. These results indicate that the origin of 1/f frequency noise is related to mode-hopping, which produces both white noise as well as 1/f frequency noise similar to the case of ring lasers.« less

Mode-hopping mechanism generating colored noise in a magnetic tunnel junction based spin torque oscillator

DOE PAGES

Sharma, Raghav; Dürrenfeld, P.; Iacocca, E.; ...

2014-09-29

The frequency noise spectrum of a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) based spin torque oscillator (STO) is examined where multiple modes and mode-hopping events are observed. The frequency noise spectrum is found to consist of both white noise and 1/f frequency noise. Here, we find a systematic and similar dependence of both white noise and 1/f frequency noise on bias current and the relative angle between the reference and free layers, which changes the effective damping and hence the mode-hopping behavior in this system. The frequency at which the 1/f frequency noise changes to white noise increases as the free layermore » is aligned away from the anti-parallel orientation w.r.t the reference layer. Lastly, these results indicate that the origin of 1/f frequency noise is related to mode-hopping which produces both white noise as well as 1/f frequency noise similar to the case of ring lasers.« less

Theory and Measurement of Signal-to-Noise Ratio in Continuous-Wave Noise Radar.

PubMed

Stec, Bronisław; Susek, Waldemar

2018-05-06

Determination of the signal power-to-noise power ratio on the input and output of reception systems is essential to the estimation of their quality and signal reception capability. This issue is especially important in the case when both signal and noise have the same characteristic as Gaussian white noise. This article considers the problem of how a signal-to-noise ratio is changed as a result of signal processing in the correlation receiver of a noise radar in order to determine the ability to detect weak features in the presence of strong clutter-type interference. These studies concern both theoretical analysis and practical measurements of a noise radar with a digital correlation receiver for 9.2 GHz bandwidth. Firstly, signals participating individually in the correlation process are defined and the terms signal and interference are ascribed to them. Further studies show that it is possible to distinguish a signal and a noise on the input and output of a correlation receiver, respectively, when all the considered noises are in the form of white noise. Considering the above, a measurement system is designed in which it is possible to represent the actual conditions of noise radar operation and power measurement of a useful noise signal and interference noise signals—in particular the power of an internal leakage signal between a transmitter and a receiver of the noise radar. The proposed measurement stands and the obtained results show that it is possible to optimize with the use of the equipment and not with the complex processing of a noise signal. The radar parameters depend on its prospective application, such as short- and medium-range radar, ground-penetrating radar, and through-the-wall detection radar.

Assessment of noise in non-tectonic displacement derived from GRACE time-variable gravity filed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Weiwei; Shen, Yunzhong

2017-04-01

Many studies have been focusing on estimating the noises in GNSS monitoring time series. While the noises of GNSS time series after the correction with non-tectonic displacement should be re-estimated. Knowing the noises in the non-tectonic can help to better identify the sources of re-estimated noises. However, there is a lack of knowledge of noises in the non-tectonic displacement. The objective of this work is to assess the noise in the non-tectonic displacement. GRACE time-variable gravity is used to reflect the global mass variation. The GRACE stokes coefficients of the gravity field are used to calculate the non-tectonic surface displacement at any point on the surface. The Atmosphere and Ocean AOD1B de-aliasing model to the GRACE solutions is added because the complete mass variation is requested. The monthly GRACE solutions from CSR, JPL, GFZ and Tongji span from January 2003 to September 2015 are compared. The degree-1 coefficients derived by Swenson et al (2008) are added and also the C20 terms are replaced with those obtained from Satellite Laser Ranging. The P4M6 decorrelation and Fan filter with a radius of 300 km are adopted to reduce the stripe errors. Optimal noise models for the 1054 stations in ITRF2014 are presented. It is found that white noise only take up a small proportion: less than 18% in horizontal and less than 13% in vertical. The dominant models in up and north components are ARMA and flicker, while in east the power law noise shows significance. The local distribution comparison of the optimal noise models among different products is quite similar, which shows that there is little dependence on the different strategies adopted. In addition, the reasons that caused to different distributions of the optimal noise models are also investigated. Meanwhile different filtering methods such as Gaussian filters, Han filters are applied to see whether the noise is related with filters. Keyword: optimal noise model; non-tectonic displacement

Noise analysis of GPS time series in Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, You-Chia; Chang, Wu-Lung

2017-04-01

Global positioning system (GPS) usually used for researches of plate tectonics and crustal deformation. In most studies, GPS time series considered only time-independent noises (white noise), but time-dependent noises (flicker noise, random walk noise) which were found by nearly twenty years are also important to the precision of data. The rate uncertainties of stations will be underestimated if the GPS time series are assumed only time-independent noise. Therefore studying the noise properties of GPS time series is necessary in order to realize the precision and reliability of velocity estimates. The lengths of our GPS time series are from over 500 stations around Taiwan with time spans longer than 2.5 years up to 20 years. The GPS stations include different monument types such as deep drill braced, roof, metal tripod, and concrete pier, and the most common type in Taiwan is the metal tripod. We investigated the noise properties of continuous GPS time series by using the spectral index and amplitude of the power law noise. During the process we first remove the data outliers, and then estimate linear trend, size of offsets, and seasonal signals, and finally the amplitudes of the power-law and white noise are estimated simultaneously. Our preliminary results show that the noise amplitudes of the north component are smaller than that of the other two components, and the largest amplitudes are in the vertical. We also find that the amplitudes of white noise and power-law noises are positively correlated in three components. Comparisons of noise amplitudes of different monument types in Taiwan reveal that the deep drill braced monuments have smaller data uncertainties and therefore are more stable than other monuments.

An all digital phase locked loop for synchronization of a sinusoidal signal embedded in white Gaussian noise

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reddy, C. P.; Gupta, S. C.

1973-01-01

An all digital phase locked loop which tracks the phase of the incoming sinusoidal signal once per carrier cycle is proposed. The different elements and their functions and the phase lock operation are explained in detail. The nonlinear difference equations which govern the operation of the digital loop when the incoming signal is embedded in white Gaussian noise are derived, and a suitable model is specified. The performance of the digital loop is considered for the synchronization of a sinusoidal signal. For this, the noise term is suitably modelled which allows specification of the output probabilities for the two level quantizer in the loop at any given phase error. The loop filter considered increases the probability of proper phase correction. The phase error states in modulo two-pi forms a finite state Markov chain which enables the calculation of steady state probabilities, RMS phase error, transient response and mean time for cycle skipping.

Influence of boat noises on escape behaviour of white-spotted eagle ray Aetobatus ocellatus at Moorea Island (French Polynesia).

PubMed

Berthe, Cecile; Lecchini, David

2016-02-01

The present study tested different sounds that could disturb eagle rays (Aetobatus ocellatus) during their foraging activities at Moorea, French Polynesia. Results showed that artificial white sound and single-frequency tones (40 Hz, 600 Hz or 1 kHz) did not have an effect on rays (at least 90% of rays continued to forage over sand), while playbacks of boat motor sound significantly disturbed rays during foraging activity (60% exhibited an escape behaviour). Overall, our study highlighted the negative effect of boat noises on the foraging activity of eagle rays. These noises produced by boat traffic could, however, have some positive effects for marine aquaculture if they could be used as a deterrent to repel the eagle rays, main predators of the pearl oysters. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier SAS.

Respiratory activity variations induced in groups of LD 12:12 synchronized Sprague-Dawley rats by a 100 dB white noise emitted at 12-h intervals.

PubMed

Stupfel, M; Molin, D; Thierry, H; Busnel, M C

1980-01-01

A white noise is emitted during 2 h, either in the middle of the scotoperiod (activity period) or of the photoperiod (rest period), on grouped specific pathogen free (SPF) male Sprague-Dawley rats, LD 12:12 synchronized by light (L = 6 h = 150 lux). Continuous measurements of VCO2, taken as an index of respiratory activity shows: 1. a short increase both after the beginning and the end of the stimulus, with slight time length differences between young and older rats; 2. a slight (2-3%) continued increase during the photoperiod and a high decrease (13%) during the scotoperiod. These VCO2 variations obtained during and after the white noise emission correspond to measurements of activity displacement and observations of behavior performed on a small sample of rats.

Demonstration of Johnson noise thermometry with all-superconducting quantum voltage noise source

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

Yamada, Takahiro, E-mail: yamada-takahiro@aist.go.jp; Urano, Chiharu; Maezawa, Masaaki

We present a Johnson noise thermometry (JNT) system based on an integrated quantum voltage noise source (IQVNS) that has been fully implemented using superconducting circuit technology. To enable precise measurement of Boltzmann's constant, an IQVNS chip was designed to produce intrinsically calculable pseudo-white noise to calibrate the JNT system. On-chip real-time generation of pseudo-random codes via simple circuits produced pseudo-voltage noise with a harmonic tone interval of less than 1 Hz, which was one order of magnitude finer than the harmonic tone interval of conventional quantum voltage noise sources. We estimated a value for Boltzmann's constant experimentally by performing JNT measurementsmore » at the temperature of the triple point of water using the IQVNS chip.« less

Contribution of tonal components to the overall loudness, annoyance and noisiness of noise: Relation between single tones and noise spectral shape

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hellman, R. P.

1985-01-01

A large scale laboratory investigation of loudness, annoyance, and noisiness produced by single-tone-noise complexes was undertaken to establish a broader data base for quanitification and prediction of perceived annoyance of sounds containing tonal components. Loudness, annoyance, and noisiness were distinguished as separate, distinct, attributes of sound. Three different spectral patterns of broadband noise with and without added tones were studied: broadband-flat, low-pass, and high-pass. Judgments were obtained by absolute magnitude estimation supplement by loudness matching. The data were examined and evaluated to determine the potential effects of (1) the overall sound pressure level (SPL) of the noise-tone complex, (2) tone SPL, (3) noise SPL, (4) tone-to-noise ratio, (5) the frequency of the added tone, (6) noise spectral shape, and (7) subjective attribute judged on absolute magnitude of annoyance. Results showed that, in contrast to noisiness, loudness and annoyance growth behavior depends on the relationship between the frequency of the added tone and the spectral shape of the noise. The close correspondence between the frequency of the added tone and the spectral shape of the noise. The close correspondence between loundness and annoyance suggests that, to better understand perceived annoyance of sound mixtures, it is necessary to relate the results to basic auditory mechanisms governing loudness and masking.

Noise and coupling induced synchronization in a network of chaotic neurons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ciszak, Marzena; Euzzor, Stefano; Geltrude, Andrea; Tito Arecchi, F.; Meucci, Riccardo

2013-04-01

The synchronization in four forced FitzHugh-Nagumo (FHN) systems is studied, both experimentally and by numerical simulations of a model. We show that synchronization may be achieved either by coupling of systems through bidirectional diffusive interactions, by introducing a common noise to all systems or by combining both ingredients, noise and coupling together. Here we consider white and colored noises, showing that the colored noise is more efficient in synchronizing the systems respect to white noise. Moreover, a small addition of common noise allows the synchronization to occur at smaller values of the coupling strength. When the diffusive coupling in the absence of noise is considered, the system undergoes the transition to subthreshold oscillations, giving a spike suppression regime. We show that noise destroys the appearance of this dynamical regime induced by coupling.

Environmental Pollution: Noise Pollution - Sonic Boom

DTIC Science & Technology

1977-06-01

UNCLASSIFIED AD-A041 400 DDC/BIB-77/06 ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION NOISE POLLUTION SONIC BOOM A DDC BIBLIOGRAPHY DDC-TAS Cameron Station Alexandria, Va...rn7Sttio 658S-A041 400 4 TITLE xand r.VuhtlVlia) 2 TA i b- 1iblog ra ph y ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION : --. Apr-l IM59-Jul, 7NOISE POLLUTION -SONIC BOOM. 1,976...BIBLIOGRAPHY SEARCH CONTROL NO. /2OM09 AD- 769 970 20/1 1/3 DEFENSE UOCUMENTATION CENTER ALEXANDRIA VA ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION : NOISE POLLUTION

Effects of correlated noise on the full-spectrum combining and complex-symbol combining arraying techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vazirani, P.

1995-01-01

The process of combining telemetry signals received at multiple antennas, commonly referred to as arraying, can be used to improve communication link performance in the Deep Space Network (DSN). By coherently adding telemetry from multiple receiving sites, arraying produces an enhancement in signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) over that achievable with any single antenna in the array. A number of different techniques for arraying have been proposed and their performances analyzed in past literature. These analyses have compared different arraying schemes under the assumption that the signals contain additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) and that the noise observed at distinct antennas is independent. In situations where an unwanted background body is visible to multiple antennas in the array, however, the assumption of independent noises is no longer applicable. A planet with significant radiation emissions in the frequency band of interest can be one such source of correlated noise. For example, during much of Galileo's tour of Jupiter, the planet will contribute significantly to the total system noise at various ground stations. This article analyzes the effects of correlated noise on two arraying schemes currently being considered for DSN applications: full-spectrum combining (FSC) and complex-symbol combining (CSC). A framework is presented for characterizing the correlated noise based on physical parameters, and the impact of the noise correlation on the array performance is assessed for each scheme.

Study on homogenization of synthetic GNSS-retrieved IWV time series and its impact on trend estimates with autoregressive noise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klos, Anna; Pottiaux, Eric; Van Malderen, Roeland; Bock, Olivier; Bogusz, Janusz

2017-04-01

A synthetic benchmark dataset of Integrated Water Vapour (IWV) was created within the activity of "Data homogenisation" of sub-working group WG3 of COST ES1206 Action. The benchmark dataset was created basing on the analysis of IWV differences retrieved by Global Positioning System (GPS) International GNSS Service (IGS) stations using European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecats (ECMWF) reanalysis data (ERA-Interim). Having analysed a set of 120 series of IWV differences (ERAI-GPS) derived for IGS stations, we delivered parameters of a number of gaps and breaks for every certain station. Moreover, we estimated values of trends, significant seasonalities and character of residuals when deterministic model was removed. We tested five different noise models and found that a combination of white and autoregressive processes of first order describes the stochastic part with a good accuracy. Basing on this analysis, we performed Monte Carlo simulations of 25 years long data with two different types of noise: white as well as combination of white and autoregressive processes. We also added few strictly defined offsets, creating three variants of synthetic dataset: easy, less-complicated and fully-complicated. The 'Easy' dataset included seasonal signals (annual, semi-annual, 3 and 4 months if present for a particular station), offsets and white noise. The 'Less-complicated' dataset included above-mentioned, as well as the combination of white and first order autoregressive processes (AR(1)+WH). The 'Fully-complicated' dataset included, beyond above, a trend and gaps. In this research, we show the impact of manual homogenisation on the estimates of trend and its error. We also cross-compare the results for three above-mentioned datasets, as the synthetized noise type might have a significant influence on manual homogenisation. Therefore, it might mostly affect the values of trend and their uncertainties when inappropriately handled. In a future, the synthetic dataset

Effects of underwater noise on auditory sensitivity of a cyprinid fish.

PubMed

Scholik, A R; Yan, H Y

2001-02-01

The ability of a fish to interpret acoustic information in its environment is crucial for its survival. Thus, it is important to understand how underwater noise affects fish hearing. In this study, the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) was used to examine: (1) the immediate effects of white noise exposure (0.3-4.0 kHz, 142 dB re: 1 microPa) on auditory thresholds and (2) recovery after exposure. Audiograms were measured using the auditory brainstem response protocol and compared to baseline audiograms of fathead minnows not exposed to noise. Immediately after exposure to 24 h of white noise, five out of the eight frequencies tested showed a significantly higher threshold compared to the baseline fish. Recovery was found to depend on both duration of noise exposure and auditory frequency. These results support the hypothesis that the auditory threshold of the fathead minnow can be altered by white noise, especially in its most sensitive hearing range (0.8-2.0 kHz), and provide evidence that these effects can be long term (>14 days).

Colored noise effects on batch attitude accuracy estimates

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bilanow, Stephen

1991-01-01

The effects of colored noise on the accuracy of batch least squares parameter estimates with applications to attitude determination cases are investigated. The standard approaches used for estimating the accuracy of a computed attitude commonly assume uncorrelated (white) measurement noise, while in actual flight experience measurement noise often contains significant time correlations and thus is colored. For example, horizon scanner measurements from low Earth orbit were observed to show correlations over many minutes in response to large scale atmospheric phenomena. A general approach to the analysis of the effects of colored noise is investigated, and interpretation of the resulting equations provides insight into the effects of any particular noise color and the worst case noise coloring for any particular parameter estimate. It is shown that for certain cases, the effects of relatively short term correlations can be accommodated by a simple correction factor. The errors in the predicted accuracy assuming white noise and the reduced accuracy due to the suboptimal nature of estimators that do not take into account the noise color characteristics are discussed. The appearance of a variety of sample noise color characteristics are demonstrated through simulation, and their effects are discussed for sample estimation cases. Based on the analysis, options for dealing with the effects of colored noise are discussed.

The Effects of Different Types of Environmental Noise on Academic Performance and Perceived Task Difficulty in Adolescents With ADHD.

PubMed

Batho, Lauren P; Martinussen, Rhonda; Wiener, Judith

2015-07-28

To examine the effects of environmental noises (speech and white noise) relative to a no noise control condition on the performance and difficulty ratings of youth with ADHD (N = 52) on academic tasks. Reading performance was measured by an oral retell (reading accuracy) and the time spent reading. Writing performance was measured through the proportion of correct writing sequences (writing accuracy) and the total words written on an essay. Participants in the white noise condition took less time to read the passage and wrote more words on the essay compared with participants in the other conditions, though white noise did not improve academic accuracy. The participants in the babble condition rated the tasks as most difficult. Although white noise appears to improve reading time and writing fluency, the findings suggest that white noise does not improve performance accuracy. Educational implications are discussed. © 2015 SAGE Publications.

Beam combining and SBS suppression in white noise and pseudo-random modulated amplifiers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anderson, Brian; Flores, Angel; Holten, Roger; Ehrenreich, Thomas; Dajani, Iyad

2015-03-01

White noise phase modulation (WNS) and pseudo-random binary sequence phase modulation (PRBS) are effective techniques for mitigation of nonlinear effects such as stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS); thereby paving the way for higher power narrow linewidth fiber amplifiers. However, detailed studies comparing both coherent beam combination and the SBS suppression of these phase modulation schemes have not been reported. In this study an active fiber cutback experiment is performed comparing the enhancement factor of a PRBS and WNS broadened seed as a function of linewidth and fiber length. Furthermore, two WNS and PRBS modulated fiber lasers are coherently combined to measure and compare the fringe visibility and coherence length as a function of optical path length difference. Notably, the discrete frequency comb of PRBS modulation provides a beam combining re-coherence effect where the lasers periodically come back into phase. Significantly, this may reduce path length matching complexity in coherently combined fiber laser systems.

Langevin dynamics for vector variables driven by multiplicative white noise: A functional formalism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moreno, Miguel Vera; Arenas, Zochil González; Barci, Daniel G.

2015-04-01

We discuss general multidimensional stochastic processes driven by a system of Langevin equations with multiplicative white noise. In particular, we address the problem of how time reversal diffusion processes are affected by the variety of conventions available to deal with stochastic integrals. We present a functional formalism to build up the generating functional of correlation functions without any type of discretization of the Langevin equations at any intermediate step. The generating functional is characterized by a functional integration over two sets of commuting variables, as well as Grassmann variables. In this representation, time reversal transformation became a linear transformation in the extended variables, simplifying in this way the complexity introduced by the mixture of prescriptions and the associated calculus rules. The stochastic calculus is codified in our formalism in the structure of the Grassmann algebra. We study some examples such as higher order derivative Langevin equations and the functional representation of the micromagnetic stochastic Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation.

Approximations to camera sensor noise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jin, Xiaodan; Hirakawa, Keigo

2013-02-01

Noise is present in all image sensor data. Poisson distribution is said to model the stochastic nature of the photon arrival process, while it is common to approximate readout/thermal noise by additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN). Other sources of signal-dependent noise such as Fano and quantization also contribute to the overall noise profile. Question remains, however, about how best to model the combined sensor noise. Though additive Gaussian noise with signal-dependent noise variance (SD-AWGN) and Poisson corruption are two widely used models to approximate the actual sensor noise distribution, the justification given to these types of models are based on limited evidence. The goal of this paper is to provide a more comprehensive characterization of random noise. We concluded by presenting concrete evidence that Poisson model is a better approximation to real camera model than SD-AWGN. We suggest further modification to Poisson that may improve the noise model.

White Matter Hyperintensities and Changes in White Matter Integrity in Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease

PubMed Central

Wang, Liya; Goldstein, Felicia C.; Levey, Allan I.; Lah, James J.; Meltzer, Carolyn C.; Holder, Chad A.; Mao, Hui

2012-01-01

Purpose White matter hyperintensities (WMHs) are a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This study investigated the relationship between WMHs and white matter changes in AD using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and the sensitivity of each DTI index in distinguishing AD with WMHs. Subjects and Methods Forty-four subjects with WMHs were included. Subjects were classified into three groups based on the Scheltens rating scale: 15 AD patients with mild WMHs, 12 AD patients with severe WMHs, and 17 controls with mild WMHs. Fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), radial diffusivity (DR) and axial diffusivity (DA) were analyzed using the region of interest and Tract-Based Spatial Statistics methods. Sensitivity and specificity of DTI indices in distinguishing AD groups from the controls were evaluated. Results AD patients with mild WMHs exhibited differences from control subjects in most DTI indices in the medial temporal and frontal areas; however, differences in DTI indices from AD patients with mild WMHs and AD patients with severe WMHs were found in the parietal and occipital areas. FA and DR were more sensitive measurements than MD and DA in differentiating AD patients from controls, while MD was a more sensitive measurement in distinguishing AD patients with severe WMHs from those with mild WMHs. Conclusions WMHs may contribute to the white matter changes in AD brains, specifically in temporal and frontal areas. Changes in parietal and occipital lobes may be related to the severity of WMHs. DR may serve as an imaging marker of myelin deficits associated with AD. PMID:21152911

Turbulent mixing noise from supersonic jets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tam, Christopher K. W.; Chen, Ping

1994-01-01

There is now a substantial body of theoretical and experimental evidence that the dominant part of the turbulent noise of supersonic jets is generated directly by the large turbulence structures/instability waves of the jet flow. Earlier, Tam and Burton provided a description of the physical mechanism by which supersonically traveling instability waves can generate sound efficiently. They used the method of matched asymptotic expansions to construct an instability wave solution which is valid in the far field. The present work is an extension of the theory of Tam and Burton. It is argued that the instability wave spectrum of the jet may be regarded as generated by stochastic white noise excitation at the nozzle lip region. The reason why the excitation has white noise characteristics is that near the nozzle lip region the flow in the jet mixing layer has no intrinsic length and time scales. The present stochastic wave model theory of supersonic jet noise contains a single unknown multiplicative constant. Comparisons between the calculated noise directivities at selected Strouhal numbers and experimental measurements of a Mach 2 jet at different jet temperatures have been carried out. Favorable agreements are found.

Noise adaptation in integrate-and fire neurons.

PubMed

Rudd, M E; Brown, L G

1997-07-01

The statistical spiking response of an ensemble of identically prepared stochastic integrate-and-fire neurons to a rectangular input current plus gaussian white noise is analyzed. It is shown that, on average, integrate-and-fire neurons adapt to the root-mean-square noise level of their input. This phenomenon is referred to as noise adaptation. Noise adaptation is characterized by a decrease in the average neural firing rate and an accompanying decrease in the average value of the generator potential, both of which can be attributed to noise-induced resets of the generator potential mediated by the integrate-and-fire mechanism. A quantitative theory of noise adaptation in stochastic integrate-and-fire neurons is developed. It is shown that integrate-and-fire neurons, on average, produce transient spiking activity whenever there is an increase in the level of their input noise. This transient noise response is either reduced or eliminated over time, depending on the parameters of the model neuron. Analytical methods are used to prove that nonleaky integrate-and-fire neurons totally adapt to any constant input noise level, in the sense that their asymptotic spiking rates are independent of the magnitude of their input noise. For leaky integrate-and-fire neurons, the long-run noise adaptation is not total, but the response to noise is partially eliminated. Expressions for the probability density function of the generator potential and the first two moments of the potential distribution are derived for the particular case of a nonleaky neuron driven by gaussian white noise of mean zero and constant variance. The functional significance of noise adaptation for the performance of networks comprising integrate-and-fire neurons is discussed.

Noise Scaling and Community Noise Metrics for the Hybrid Wing Body Aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burley, Casey L.; Brooks, Thomas F.; Hutcheson, Florence V.; Doty, Michael J.; Lopes, Leonard V.; Nickol, Craig L.; Vicroy, Dan D.; Pope, D. Stuart

2014-01-01

An aircraft system noise assessment was performed for the hybrid wing body aircraft concept, known as the N2A-EXTE. This assessment is a result of an effort by NASA to explore a realistic HWB design that has the potential to substantially reduce noise and fuel burn. Under contract to NASA, Boeing designed the aircraft using practical aircraft design princip0les with incorporation of noise technologies projected to be available in the 2020 timeframe. NASA tested 5.8% scale-mode of the design in the NASA Langley 14- by 22-Foot Subsonic Tunnel to provide source noise directivity and installation effects for aircraft engine and airframe configurations. Analysis permitted direct scaling of the model-scale jet, airframe, and engine shielding effect measurements to full-scale. Use of these in combination with ANOPP predictions enabled computations of the cumulative (CUM) noise margins relative to FAA Stage 4 limits. The CUM margins were computed for a baseline N2A-EXTE configuration and for configurations with added noise reduction strategies. The strategies include reduced approach speed, over-the-rotor line and soft-vane fan technologies, vertical tail placement and orientation, and modified landing gear designs with fairings. Combining the inherent HWB engine shielding by the airframe with added noise technologies, the cumulative noise was assessed at 38.7 dB below FAA Stage 4 certification level, just 3.3 dB short of the NASA N+2 goal of 42 dB. This new result shows that the NASA N+2 goal is approachable and that significant reduction in overall aircraft noise is possible through configurations with noise reduction technologies and operational changes.

Analysis of first and second order binary quantized digital phase-locked loops for ideal and white Gaussian noise inputs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blasche, P. R.

1980-01-01

Specific configurations of first and second order all digital phase locked loops are analyzed for both ideal and additive white gaussian noise inputs. In addition, a design for a hardware digital phase locked loop capable of either first or second order operation is presented along with appropriate experimental data obtained from testing of the hardware loop. All parameters chosen for the analysis and the design of the digital phase locked loop are consistent with an application to an Omega navigation receiver although neither the analysis nor the design are limited to this application.

Perspectives on jet noise

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ribner, H. S.

1981-01-01

Jet noise is a byproduct of turbulence. Until recently turbulence was assumed to be known statistically, and jet noise was computed therefrom. As a result of new findings though on the behavior of vortices and instability waves, a more integrated view of the problem has been accepted lately. After presenting a simple view of jet noise, the paper attempts to resolve the apparent differences between Lighthill's and Lilley's interpretations of mean-flow shear, and examines a number of ad hoc approaches to jet noise suppression.

Piribedil affects dopamine turnover in cochleas stimulated by white noise.

PubMed

Gil-Loyzaga, P; Vicente-Torres, M A; Fernández-Mateos, P; Arce, A; Esquifino, A

1994-09-01

The presence of dopamine (DA) within the cochlea has been previously reported, indicating that its turnover increases under noise stimulation. In the present report, piribedil, a dopaminergic D2 agonist, was used in order to provide evidence of the activity of D2 receptors in the turnover of DA under noise stimulation. Long-Evans rats were intraperitoneally injected with distilled water or with a solution of piribedil one hour previously to either noise or silence exposure. Noise stimulation was performed in an anechoic chamber at 70, 90 or 110 dB SPL for one hour. The animals were then sacrificed and the cochlear contents of DA and its metabolites dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) and homovanillic acid (HVA) were quantified by HPLC with electrochemical detection. The administration of piribedil to animals kept in silence did not modify the cochlear DA, DOPAC and HVA content. Noise stimulation resulted in a decrease of the cochlear DA content and an increase of the cochlear DOPAC and HVA contents in vehicle treated animals. The administration of piribedil resulted in a blockade of this noise induced cochlear DA turnover. These results suggest that piribedil stimulates cochlear D2 receptors controlling the cochlear DA release. Piribedil action on D2 receptors could explain the improvement observed in some cochleo-vestibular diseases signs after piribedil treatment.

Hybrid colored noise process with space-dependent switching rates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bressloff, Paul C.; Lawley, Sean D.

2017-07-01

A fundamental issue in the theory of continuous stochastic process is the interpretation of multiplicative white noise, which is often referred to as the Itô-Stratonovich dilemma. From a physical perspective, this reflects the need to introduce additional constraints in order to specify the nature of the noise, whereas from a mathematical perspective it reflects an ambiguity in the formulation of stochastic differential equations (SDEs). Recently, we have identified a mechanism for obtaining an Itô SDE based on a form of temporal disorder. Motivated by switching processes in molecular biology, we considered a Brownian particle that randomly switches between two distinct conformational states with different diffusivities. In each state, the particle undergoes normal diffusion (additive noise) so there is no ambiguity in the interpretation of the noise. However, if the switching rates depend on position, then in the fast switching limit one obtains Brownian motion with a space-dependent diffusivity of the Itô form. In this paper, we extend our theory to include colored additive noise. We show that the nature of the effective multiplicative noise process obtained by taking both the white-noise limit (κ →0 ) and fast switching limit (ɛ →0 ) depends on the order the two limits are taken. If the white-noise limit is taken first, then we obtain Itô, and if the fast switching limit is taken first, then we obtain Stratonovich. Moreover, the form of the effective diffusion coefficient differs in the two cases. The latter result holds even in the case of space-independent transition rates, where one obtains additive noise processes with different diffusion coefficients. Finally, we show that yet another form of multiplicative noise is obtained in the simultaneous limit ɛ ,κ →0 with ɛ /κ2 fixed.

Noise-enhanced convolutional neural networks.

PubMed

Audhkhasi, Kartik; Osoba, Osonde; Kosko, Bart

2016-06-01

Injecting carefully chosen noise can speed convergence in the backpropagation training of a convolutional neural network (CNN). The Noisy CNN algorithm speeds training on average because the backpropagation algorithm is a special case of the generalized expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm and because such carefully chosen noise always speeds up the EM algorithm on average. The CNN framework gives a practical way to learn and recognize images because backpropagation scales with training data. It has only linear time complexity in the number of training samples. The Noisy CNN algorithm finds a special separating hyperplane in the network's noise space. The hyperplane arises from the likelihood-based positivity condition that noise-boosts the EM algorithm. The hyperplane cuts through a uniform-noise hypercube or Gaussian ball in the noise space depending on the type of noise used. Noise chosen from above the hyperplane speeds training on average. Noise chosen from below slows it on average. The algorithm can inject noise anywhere in the multilayered network. Adding noise to the output neurons reduced the average per-iteration training-set cross entropy by 39% on a standard MNIST image test set of handwritten digits. It also reduced the average per-iteration training-set classification error by 47%. Adding noise to the hidden layers can also reduce these performance measures. The noise benefit is most pronounced for smaller data sets because the largest EM hill-climbing gains tend to occur in the first few iterations. This noise effect can assist random sampling from large data sets because it allows a smaller random sample to give the same or better performance than a noiseless sample gives. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

White noise and synchronization shaping the age structure of the human population

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cebrat, Stanislaw; Biecek, Przemyslaw; Bonkowska, Katarzyna; Kula, Mateusz

2007-06-01

We have modified the standard diploid Penna model of ageing in such a way that instead of threshold of defective loci resulting in genetic death of individuals, the fluctuation of environment and "personal" fluctuations of individuals were introduced. The sum of the both fluctuations describes the health status of the individual. While environmental fluctuations are the same for all individuals in the population, the personal component of fluctuations is composed of fluctuations corresponding to each physiological function (gene, genetic locus). It is rather accepted hypothesis that physiological parameters of any organism fluctuate highly nonlinearly. Transition to the synchronized behaviors could be a very strong diagnostic signal of the life threatening disorder. Thus, in our model, mutations of genes change the chaotic fluctuations representing the function of a wild gene to the synchronized signals generated by mutated genes. Genes are switched on chronologically, like in the standard Penna model. Accumulation of defective genes predicted by Medawar's theory of ageing leads to the replacement of uncorrelated white noise corresponding to the healthy organism by the correlated signals of defective functions. As a result we have got the age distribution of population corresponding to the human demographic data.

Optical Johnson noise thermometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shepard, R. L.; Blalock, T. V.; Maxey, L. C.; Roberts, M. J.; Simpson, M. L.

1989-01-01

A concept is being explored that an optical analog of the electrical Johnson noise may be used to measure temperature independently of emissivity. The concept is that a laser beam may be modulated on reflection from a hot surface by interaction of the laser photons with the thermally agitated conduction electrons or the lattice phonons, thereby adding noise to the reflected laser beam. If the reflectance noise can be detected and quantified in a background of other noise in the optical and signal processing systems, the reflectance noise may provide a noncontact measurement of the absolute surface temperature and may be independent of the surface's emissivity.

Stochastic responses of Van der Pol vibro-impact system with fractional derivative damping excited by Gaussian white noise.

PubMed

Xiao, Yanwen; Xu, Wei; Wang, Liang

2016-03-01

This paper focuses on the study of the stochastic Van der Pol vibro-impact system with fractional derivative damping under Gaussian white noise excitation. The equations of the original system are simplified by non-smooth transformation. For the simplified equation, the stochastic averaging approach is applied to solve it. Then, the fractional derivative damping term is facilitated by a numerical scheme, therewith the fourth-order Runge-Kutta method is used to obtain the numerical results. And the numerical simulation results fit the analytical solutions. Therefore, the proposed analytical means to study this system are proved to be feasible. In this context, the effects on the response stationary probability density functions (PDFs) caused by noise excitation, restitution condition, and fractional derivative damping are considered, in addition the stochastic P-bifurcation is also explored in this paper through varying the value of the coefficient of fractional derivative damping and the restitution coefficient. These system parameters not only influence the response PDFs of this system but also can cause the stochastic P-bifurcation.

Stochastic responses of Van der Pol vibro-impact system with fractional derivative damping excited by Gaussian white noise

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

Xiao, Yanwen; Xu, Wei, E-mail: weixu@nwpu.edu.cn; Wang, Liang

2016-03-15

This paper focuses on the study of the stochastic Van der Pol vibro-impact system with fractional derivative damping under Gaussian white noise excitation. The equations of the original system are simplified by non-smooth transformation. For the simplified equation, the stochastic averaging approach is applied to solve it. Then, the fractional derivative damping term is facilitated by a numerical scheme, therewith the fourth-order Runge-Kutta method is used to obtain the numerical results. And the numerical simulation results fit the analytical solutions. Therefore, the proposed analytical means to study this system are proved to be feasible. In this context, the effects onmore » the response stationary probability density functions (PDFs) caused by noise excitation, restitution condition, and fractional derivative damping are considered, in addition the stochastic P-bifurcation is also explored in this paper through varying the value of the coefficient of fractional derivative damping and the restitution coefficient. These system parameters not only influence the response PDFs of this system but also can cause the stochastic P-bifurcation.« less

''1/f noise'' in music: Music from 1/f noise

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

Voss, R.F.; Clarke, J.

1978-01-01

The spectral density of fluctuations in the audio power of many musical selections and of English speech varies approximately as 1/f (f is the frequency) down to a frequency of 5 x 10/sup -4/ Hz. This result implies that the audio-power fluctuations are correlated over all times in the same manner as ''1/f noise'' in electronic components. The frequency fluctuations of music also have a 1/f spectral density at frequencies down to the inverse of the length of the piece of music. The frequency fluctuations of English speech have a quite different behavior, with a single characteristic time of aboutmore » 0.1 s, the average length of a syllable. The observations on music suggest that 1/f noise is a good choice for stochastic composition. Compositions in which the frequency and duration of each note were determined by 1/f noise sources sounded pleasing. Those generated by white-noise sources sounded too random, while those generated by 1/f/sup 2/ noise sounded too correlated.« less

Hearing in Cichlid Fishes under Noise Conditions

PubMed Central

Ladich, Friedrich; Schulz-Mirbach, Tanja

2013-01-01

Background Hearing thresholds of fishes are typically acquired under laboratory conditions. This does not reflect the situation in natural habitats, where ambient noise may mask their hearing sensitivities. In the current study we investigate hearing in terms of sound pressure (SPL) and particle acceleration levels (PAL) of two cichlid species within the naturally occurring range of noise levels. This enabled us to determine whether species with and without hearing specializations are differently affected by noise. Methodology/Principal Findings We investigated auditory sensitivities in the orange chromide Etroplus maculatus, which possesses anterior swim bladder extensions, and the slender lionhead cichlid Steatocranus tinanti, in which the swim bladder is much smaller and lacks extensions. E. maculatus was tested between 0.2 and 3kHz and S. tinanti between 0.1 and 0.5 kHz using the auditory evoked potential (AEP) recording technique. In both species, SPL and PAL audiograms were determined in the presence of quiet laboratory conditions (baseline) and continuous white noise of 110 and 130 dB RMS. Baseline thresholds showed greatest hearing sensitivity around 0.5 kHz (SPL) and 0.2 kHz (PAL) in E. maculatus and 0.2 kHz in S. tinanti. White noise of 110 dB elevated the thresholds by 0–11 dB (SPL) and 7–11 dB (PAL) in E. maculatus and by 1–2 dB (SPL) and by 1–4 dB (PAL) in S. tinanti. White noise of 130 dB elevated hearing thresholds by 13–29 dB (SPL) and 26–32 dB (PAL) in E. maculatus and 6–16 dB (SPL) and 6–19 dB (PAL) in S. tinanti. Conclusions Our data showed for the first time for SPL and PAL thresholds that the specialized species was masked by different noise regimes at almost all frequencies, whereas the non-specialized species was much less affected. This indicates that noise can limit sound detection and acoustic orientation differently within a single fish family. PMID:23469032

Analysis of sharpness increase by image noise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurihara, Takehito; Aoki, Naokazu; Kobayashi, Hiroyuki

2009-02-01

Motivated by the reported increase in sharpness by image noise, we investigated how noise affects sharpness perception. We first used natural images of tree bark with different amounts of noise to see whether noise enhances sharpness. Although the result showed sharpness decreased as noise amount increased, some observers seemed to perceive more sharpness with increasing noise, while the others did not. We next used 1D and 2D uni-frequency patterns as stimuli in an attempt to reduce such variability in the judgment. The result showed, for higher frequency stimuli, sharpness decreased as the noise amount increased, while sharpness of the lower frequency stimuli increased at a certain noise level. From this result, we thought image noise might reduce sharpness at edges, but be able to improve sharpness of lower frequency component or texture in image. To prove this prediction, we experimented again with the natural image used in the first experiment. Stimuli were made by applying noise separately to edge or to texture part of the image. The result showed noise, when added to edge region, only decreased sharpness, whereas when added to texture, could improve sharpness. We think it is the interaction between noise and texture that sharpens image.

Cabin Noise Control for Twin Engine General Aviation Aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vaicaitis, R.; Slazak, M.

1982-01-01

An analytical model based on modal analysis was developed to predict the noise transmission into a twin-engine light aircraft. The model was applied to optimize the interior noise to an A-weighted level of 85 dBA. To achieve the required noise attenuation, add-on treatments in the form of honeycomb panels, damping tapes, acoustic blankets, septum barriers and limp trim panels were added to the existing structure. The added weight of the noise control treatment is about 1.1 percent of the total gross take-off weight of the aircraft.

Statistics of a neuron model driven by asymmetric colored noise.

PubMed

Müller-Hansen, Finn; Droste, Felix; Lindner, Benjamin

2015-02-01

Irregular firing of neurons can be modeled as a stochastic process. Here we study the perfect integrate-and-fire neuron driven by dichotomous noise, a Markovian process that jumps between two states (i.e., possesses a non-Gaussian statistics) and exhibits nonvanishing temporal correlations (i.e., represents a colored noise). Specifically, we consider asymmetric dichotomous noise with two different transition rates. Using a first-passage-time formulation, we derive exact expressions for the probability density and the serial correlation coefficient of the interspike interval (time interval between two subsequent neural action potentials) and the power spectrum of the spike train. Furthermore, we extend the model by including additional Gaussian white noise, and we give approximations for the interspike interval (ISI) statistics in this case. Numerical simulations are used to validate the exact analytical results for pure dichotomous noise, and to test the approximations of the ISI statistics when Gaussian white noise is included. The results may help to understand how correlations and asymmetry of noise and signals in nerve cells shape neuronal firing statistics.

The What and Where of Adding Channel Noise to the Hodgkin-Huxley Equations

PubMed Central

Goldwyn, Joshua H.; Shea-Brown, Eric

2011-01-01

Conductance-based equations for electrically active cells form one of the most widely studied mathematical frameworks in computational biology. This framework, as expressed through a set of differential equations by Hodgkin and Huxley, synthesizes the impact of ionic currents on a cell's voltage—and the highly nonlinear impact of that voltage back on the currents themselves—into the rapid push and pull of the action potential. Later studies confirmed that these cellular dynamics are orchestrated by individual ion channels, whose conformational changes regulate the conductance of each ionic current. Thus, kinetic equations familiar from physical chemistry are the natural setting for describing conductances; for small-to-moderate numbers of channels, these will predict fluctuations in conductances and stochasticity in the resulting action potentials. At first glance, the kinetic equations provide a far more complex (and higher-dimensional) description than the original Hodgkin-Huxley equations or their counterparts. This has prompted more than a decade of efforts to capture channel fluctuations with noise terms added to the equations of Hodgkin-Huxley type. Many of these approaches, while intuitively appealing, produce quantitative errors when compared to kinetic equations; others, as only very recently demonstrated, are both accurate and relatively simple. We review what works, what doesn't, and why, seeking to build a bridge to well-established results for the deterministic equations of Hodgkin-Huxley type as well as to more modern models of ion channel dynamics. As such, we hope that this review will speed emerging studies of how channel noise modulates electrophysiological dynamics and function. We supply user-friendly MATLAB simulation code of these stochastic versions of the Hodgkin-Huxley equations on the ModelDB website (accession number 138950) and http://www.amath.washington.edu/~etsb/tutorials.html. PMID:22125479

Effect of CorrelatedRotational Noise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hancock, Benjamin; Wagner, Caleb; Baskaran, Aparna

The traditional model of a self-propelled particle (SPP) is one where the body axis along which the particle travels reorients itself through rotational diffusion. If the reorientation process was driven by colored noise, instead of the standard Gaussian white noise, the resulting statistical mechanics cannot be accessed through conventional methods. In this talk we present results comparing three methods of deriving the statistical mechanics of a SPP with a reorientation process driven by colored noise. We illustrate the differences/similarities in the resulting statistical mechanics by their ability to accurately capture the particles response to external aligning fields.

The behavior of quantization spectra as a function of signal-to-noise ratio

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Flanagan, M. J.

1991-01-01

An expression for the spectrum of quantization error in a discrete-time system whose input is a sinusoid plus white Gaussian noise is derived. This quantization spectrum consists of two components: a white-noise floor and spurious harmonics. The dithering effect of the input Gaussian noise in both components of the spectrum is considered. Quantitative results in a discrete Fourier transform (DFT) example show the behavior of spurious harmonics as a function of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). These results have strong implications for digital reception and signal analysis systems. At low SNRs, spurious harmonics decay exponentially on a log-log scale, and the resulting spectrum is white. As the SNR increases, the spurious harmonics figure prominently in the output spectrum. A useful expression is given that roughly bounds the magnitude of a spurious harmonic as a function of the SNR.

Uniform apparent contrast noise: A picture of the noise of the visual contrast detection system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ahumada, A. J., Jr.; Watson, A. B.

1984-01-01

A picture which is a sample of random contrast noise is generated. The noise amplitude spectrum in each region of the picture is inversely proportional to spatial frequency contrast sensitivity for that region, assuming the observer fixates the center of the picture and is the appropriate distance from it. In this case, the picture appears to have approximately the same contrast everywhere. To the extent that contrast detection thresholds are determined by visual system noise, this picture can be regarded as a picture of the noise of that system. There is evidence that, at different eccentricities, contrast sensitivity functions differ only by a magnification factor. The picture was generated by filtering a sample of white noise with a filter whose frequency response is inversely proportional to foveal contrast sensitivity. It was then stretched by a space-varying magnification function. The picture summmarizes a noise linear model of detection and discrimination of contrast signals by referring the model noise to the input picture domain.

Investigation of Noises in GPS Time Series: Case Study on Epn Weekly Solutions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klos, Anna; Bogusz, Janusz; Figurski, Mariusz; Kosek, Wieslaw; Gruszczynski, Maciej

2014-05-01

The noises in GPS time series are stated to be described the best by the combination of white (Gaussian) and power-law processes. They are mainly the effect of mismodelled satellite orbits, Earth orientation parameters, atmospheric effects, antennae phase centre effects, or of monument instability. Due to the fact, that velocities of permanent stations define the kinematic reference frame, they have to fulfil the requirement of being stable at 0.1 mm/yr. The previously performed researches showed, that the wrong assumption of noise model leads to the underestimation of velocities and their uncertainties from 2 up to even 11, especially in the Up direction. This presentation focuses on more than 200 EPN (EUREF Permanent Network) stations from the area of Europe with various monument types (concrete pillars, buildings, metal masts, with or without domes, placed on the ground or on the rock) and coordinates of weekly changes (GPS weeks 0834-1459). The topocentric components (North, East, Up) in ITRF2005 which come from the EPN Re-Processing made by the Military University of Technology Local Analysis Centre (MUT LAC) were processed with Maximum Likelihood Estimation (MLE) using CATS software. We have assumed the existence of few combinations of noise models (these are: white, flicker and random walk noise with integer spectral indices and power-law noise models with fractional spectral indices) and investigated which of them EPN weekly time series are likely to follow. The results show, that noises in GPS time series are described the best by the combination of white and flicker noise model. It is strictly related to the so-called common mode error (CME) that is spatially correlated error being one of the dominant error source in GPS solutions. We have assumed CME as spatially uniform, what was a good approximation for stations located hundreds of kilometres one to another. Its removal with spatial filtering reduces the amplitudes of white and flicker noise by a

Effects of cross-correlated noises on the relaxation time of the bistable system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xie, Chong-Wei; Mei, Dong-Cheng

2003-11-01

The stationary correlation function and the associated relaxation time for a general system driven by cross-correlated white noises are derived, by virtue of a Stratonovich-like ansatz. The effects of correlated noises on the relaxation time of a bistable kinetic model coupled to an additive and a multiplicative white noises are studied. It is proved that for small fluctuations the relaxation time Tc as a function of lambda (the correlated intensity between noises) exhibits very different behaviours for alphaD (alpha and D, respectively, stand for the intensities of additive and multiplicative noises). When alpha>D, Tc increases with increasing lambda. But when alphanoises and sharply decreases with lambda for the case of strong correlated noises and thus Tc-lambda curve behaves with one extremum.

Subchronic mild noise stress increases HRP permeability in rat small intestine in vitro.

PubMed

Bijlsma, P B; van Raaij, M T; Dobbe, C J; Timmerman, A; Kiliaan, A J; Taminiau, J A; Groot, J A

2001-05-01

Recently we reported an increased trans- and paracellular protein permeability in rat small intestine after acute cold restraint stress. In the present study, we applied randomized 95- or 105-dB white noise pulses during 45 min/h, 12 h/day, duration 8 days, as a milder, but more chronic stressor to male rats. At 8 days before the noise experiments, 50% of the animals were cannulated in the vena cava for blood sampling during the experimental period. The other 50% of the animals were sacrificed at Day 9, segments of ileum were mounted in Ussing chambers and perfused at 37 degrees C. Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was added mucosally, serosal appearance was detected enzymatically and tissues were fixed for electron microscopy. In the animals exposed to 95-dB noise, plasma corticosterone levels were enhanced twofold compared to controls, and ileal HRP flux was enhanced twofold. Electron micrographs of tissue from stressed or control animals showed no detectable paracellular staining of HRP. Quantification of HRP-containing endosomes in enterocytes revealed a twofold increase in endosome number in the animals exposed to 95-db noise indicating that the increased HRP permeability was primarily due to increased endocytosis. In contrast to the animals exposed to 95-dB noise, rats exposed to 105-dB noise showed no increase in corticosterone levels and ileal HRP fluxes were not significantly different from controls. We conclude that mild subchronic noise stress may cause a decrease in intestinal barrier function by increased transcytosis of luminal antigens.

Using noise to shape motor learning

PubMed Central

Kording, Konrad P.; Mussa-Ivaldi, Ferdinando A.

2016-01-01

Each of our movements is selected from any number of alternative movements. Some studies have shown evidence that the central nervous system (CNS) chooses to make the specific movements that are least affected by motor noise. Previous results showing that the CNS has a natural tendency to minimize the effects of noise make the direct prediction that if the relationship between movements and noise were to change, the specific movements people learn to make would also change in a predictable manner. Indeed, this has been shown for well-practiced movements such as reaching. Here, we artificially manipulated the relationship between movements and visuomotor noise by adding noise to a motor task in a novel redundant geometry such that there arose a single control policy that minimized the noise. This allowed us to see whether, for a novel motor task, people could learn the specific control policy that minimized noise or would need to employ other compensation strategies to overcome the added noise. As predicted, subjects were able to learn movements that were biased toward the specific ones that minimized the noise, suggesting not only that the CNS can learn to minimize the effects of noise in a novel motor task but also that artificial visuomotor noise can be a useful tool for teaching people to make specific movements. Using noise as a teaching signal promises to be useful for rehabilitative therapies and movement training with human-machine interfaces. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Many theories argue that we choose to make the specific movements that minimize motor noise. Here, by changing the relationship between movements and noise, we show that people actively learn to make movements that minimize noise. This not only provides direct evidence for the theories of noise minimization but presents a way to use noise to teach specific movements to improve rehabilitative therapies and human-machine interface control. PMID:27881721

Above the Noise: The Search for Periodicities in the Inner Heliosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Threlfall, James; De Moortel, Ineke; Conlon, Thomas

2017-11-01

Remote sensing of coronal and heliospheric periodicities can provide vital insight into the local conditions and dynamics of the solar atmosphere. We seek to trace long (one hour or longer) periodic oscillatory signatures (previously identified above the limb in the corona by, e.g., Telloni et al. in Astrophys. J. 767, 138, 2013) from their origin at the solar surface out into the heliosphere. To do this, we combined on-disk measurements taken by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) onboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) and concurrent extreme ultra-violet (EUV) and coronagraph data from one of the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) spacecraft to study the evolution of two active regions in the vicinity of an equatorial coronal hole over several days in early 2011. Fourier and wavelet analysis of signals were performed. Applying white-noise-based confidence levels to the power spectra associated with detrended intensity time series yields detections of oscillatory signatures with periods from 6 - 13 hours in both AIA and STEREO data. As was found by Telloni et al. (2013), these signatures are aligned with local magnetic structures. However, typical spectral power densities all vary substantially as a function of period, indicating spectra dominated by red (rather than white) noise. Contrary to the white-noise-based results, applying global confidence levels based on a generic background-noise model (allowing a combination of white noise, red noise, and transients following Auchère et al. in Astrophys. J. 825, 110, 2016) without detrending the time series uncovers only sporadic, spatially uncorrelated evidence of periodic signatures in either instrument. Automating this method to individual pixels in the STEREO/COR coronagraph field of view is non-trivial. Efforts to identify and implement a more robust automatic background noise model fitting procedure are needed.

Sources, control, and effects of noise from aircraft propellers and rotors. [noise prediction (aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mixson, J. S.; Greene, G. C.; Dempsey, T. K.

1981-01-01

Source noise predictions are compared with measurements for conventional low-speed propellers, for new high speed propellers (propfans), and for a helicopter. Results from a light aircraft demonstration program are described, indicating that about 5-dB reduction of flyover noise can be obtained without significant performance penalty. Sidewall design studies are described for interior noise control in light general aviation aircraft and in large transports using propfan propulsion. The weight of the added acoustic treatment is estimated and tradeoffs between weight and noise reduction are discussed. A laboratory study of passenger response to combined broadband and tonal propeller like noise is described. Subject discomfort ratings of combined tone broadband noises are compared with ratings of broadband (boundary layer) noise alone, and the relative importance of the propeller tones is examined.

White noise of Nb-based microwave superconducting quantum interference device multiplexers with NbN coplanar resonators for readout of transition edge sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohjiro, Satoshi; Hirayama, Fuminori; Yamamori, Hirotake; Nagasawa, Shuichi; Fukuda, Daiji; Hidaka, Mutsuo

2014-06-01

White noise of dissipationless microwave radio frequency superconducting quantum interference device (RF-SQUID) multiplexers has been experimentally studied to evaluate their readout performance for transition edge sensor (TES) photon counters ranging from near infrared to gamma ray. The characterization has been carried out at 4 K, first to avoid the low-frequency fluctuations present at around 0.1 K, and second, for a feasibility study of readout operation at 4 K for extended applications. To increase the resonant Q at 4 K and maintain low noise SQUID operation, multiplexer chips consisting of niobium nitride (NbN)-based coplanar-waveguide resonators and niobium (Nb)-based RF-SQUIDs have been developed. This hybrid multiplexer exhibited 1 × 104 ≤ Q ≤ 2 × 104 and the square root of spectral density of current noise referred to the SQUID input √SI = 31 pA/√Hz. The former and the latter are factor-of-five and seven improvements from our previous results on Nb-based resonators, respectively. Two-directional readout on the complex plane of the transmission component of scattering matrix S21 enables us to distinguish the flux noise from noise originating from other sources, such as the cryogenic high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) amplifier. Systematic noise measurements with various microwave readout powers PMR make it possible to distinguish the contribution of noise sources within the system as follows: (1) The achieved √SI is dominated by the Nyquist noise from a resistor at 4 K in parallel to the SQUID input coil which is present to prevent microwave leakage to the TES. (2) The next dominant source is either the HEMT-amplifier noise (for small values of PMR) or the quantization noise due to the resolution of 300-K electronics (for large values of PMR). By a decrease of these noise levels to a degree that is achievable by current technology, we predict that the microwave RF-SQUID multiplexer can exhibit √SI ≤ 5 pA/√Hz, i.e., close to √SI of

Active noise control technique for diesel train locomotor exhaust noise abatement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cotana, Franco; Rossi, Federico

2002-11-01

An original prototype for train locomotor exhaust gas pipe noise reduction (electronic muffler) is proposed: the system is based on an active noise control technique. An acoustical measurement campaign has shown that locomotor exhaust noise is characterized by very low frequency components (less than 80 Hz) and very high acoustic power (up to 110 dB). A peculiar electronic muffler characterized by high acoustical efficiency at very low frequencies has been designed and realized at Perugia University Acoustic Laboratory; it has been installed on an Italian D.245 train locomotor, equipped with a 500-kW diesel engine. The electronic muffler has been added to the traditional passive muffler. Very low transmission losses are introduced by the electronic muffler because of its particular shape; thus, engine efficiency does not further decrease. Canceling noise is generated by means of DSP-based numerical algorithm. Disturbing noise and canceling noise destructively interfere at the exhaust duct outlet section; outgoing noise is thus reduced. The control system reduces exhaust noise both in the steady and unsteady engine regime. Measurement results have shown that electronic muffler introduces up to 15 dB noise abatement in the low-frequency components.

Noise in any frequency range can enhance information transmission in a sensory neuron

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Levin, Jacob E.

1997-05-01

The effect of noise on the neural encoding of broadband signals was investigated in the cricket cercal system, a mechanosensory system sensitive to small near-field air particle disturbances. Known air current stimuli were presented to the cricket through audio speakers in a controlled environment in a variety of background noise conditions. Spike trains from the second layer of neuronal processing, the primary sensory interneurons, were recorded with intracellular Electrodes and the performance of these neurons characterized with the tools of information theory. SNR, mutual information rates, and other measures of encoding accuracy were calculated for single frequency, narrowband, and broadband signals over the entire amplitude sensitivity range of the cells, in the presence of uncorrelated noise background also spanning the cells' frequency and amplitude sensitivity range. Significant enhancements of transmitted information through the addition of external noise were observed regardless of the frequency range of either the signal or noise waveforms, provided both were within the operating range of the cell. Considerable improvements in signal encoding were observed for almost an entire order of magnitude of near-threshold signal amplitudes. This included sinusoidal signals embedded in broadband white noise, broadband signals in broadband noise, and even broadband signals presented with narrowband noise in a completely non-overlapping frequency range. The noise related increases in mutual information rate for broadband signals were as high as 150%, and up to 600% increases in SNR were observed for sinusoidal signals. Additionally, it was shown that the amount of information about the signal carried, on average, by each spike was INCREASED for small signals when presented with noise—implying that added input noise can, in certain situations, actually improve the accuracy of the encoding process itself.

Gaussian closure technique applied to the hysteretic Bouc model with non-zero mean white noise excitation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Waubke, Holger; Kasess, Christian H.

2016-11-01

Devices that emit structure-borne sound are commonly decoupled by elastic components to shield the environment from acoustical noise and vibrations. The elastic elements often have a hysteretic behavior that is typically neglected. In order to take hysteretic behavior into account, Bouc developed a differential equation for such materials, especially joints made of rubber or equipped with dampers. In this work, the Bouc model is solved by means of the Gaussian closure technique based on the Kolmogorov equation. Kolmogorov developed a method to derive probability density functions for arbitrary explicit first-order vector differential equations under white noise excitation using a partial differential equation of a multivariate conditional probability distribution. Up to now no analytical solution of the Kolmogorov equation in conjunction with the Bouc model exists. Therefore a wide range of approximate solutions, especially the statistical linearization, were developed. Using the Gaussian closure technique that is an approximation to the Kolmogorov equation assuming a multivariate Gaussian distribution an analytic solution is derived in this paper for the Bouc model. For the stationary case the two methods yield equivalent results, however, in contrast to statistical linearization the presented solution allows to calculate the transient behavior explicitly. Further, stationary case leads to an implicit set of equations that can be solved iteratively with a small number of iterations and without instabilities for specific parameter sets.

Noise-enhanced CVQKD with untrusted source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xiaoqun; Huang, Chunhui

2017-06-01

The performance of one-way and two-way continuous variable quantum key distribution (CVQKD) protocols can be increased by adding some noise on the reconciliation side. In this paper, we propose to add noise at the reconciliation end to improve the performance of CVQKD with untrusted source. We derive the key rate of this case and analyze the impact of the additive noise. The simulation results show that the optimal additive noise can improve the performance of the system in terms of maximum transmission distance and tolerable excess noise.

Brain-stem evoked potentials and noise effects in seagulls.

PubMed

Counter, S A

1985-01-01

Brain-stem auditory evoked potentials (BAEP) recorded from the seagull were large-amplitude, short-latency, vertex-positive deflections which originate in the eighth nerve and several brain-stem nuclei. BAEP waveforms were similar in latency and configurations to that reported for certain other lower vertebrates and some mammals. BAEP recorded at several pure tone frequencies throughout the seagull's auditory spectrum showed an area of heightened auditory sensitivity between 1 and 3 kHz. This range was also found to be the primary bandwidth of the vocalization output of young seagulls. Masking by white noise and pure tones had remarkable effects on several parameters of the BAEP. In general, the tone- and click-induced BAEP were either reduced or obliterated by both pure tone and white noise maskers of specific signal to noise ratios and high intensity levels. The masking effects observed in this study may be related to the manner in which seagulls respond to intense environmental noise. One possible conclusion is that intense environmental noise, such as aircraft engine noise, may severely alter the seagull's localization apparatus and induce sonogenic stress, both of which could cause collisions with low-flying aircraft.

Noise in CdZnTe detectors

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

Luke, P. N.; Amman, M.; Lee J. S.

2000-10-10

Noise in CdZnTe devices with different electrode configurations was investigated. Measurements on devices with guard-ring electrode structures showed that surface leakage current does not produce any significant noise. The parallel white noise component of the devices appeared to be generated by the bulk current alone, even though the surface current was substantially higher. This implies that reducing the surface leakage current of a CdZnTe detector may not necessarily result in a significant improvement in noise performance. The noise generated by the bulk current is also observed to be below full shot noise. This partial suppression of shot noise may bemore » the result of Coulomb interaction between carriers or carrier trapping. Devices with coplanar strip electrodes were observed to produce a 1/f noise term at the preamplifier output. Higher levels of this 1/f noise were observed with decreasing gap widths between electrodes. The level of this 1/f noise appeared to be independent of bias voltage and leakage current but was substantially reduced after certain surface treatments.« less

Cigarette advertising in Black, Latino, and White magazines, 1998-2002: an exploratory investigation.

PubMed

Landrine, Hope; Klonoff, Elizabeth A; Fernandez, Senaida; Hickman, Norval; Kashima, Kennon; Parekh, Bina; Thomas, KaMala; Brouillard, Catherine R; Zolezzi, Michelle; Jensen, Jennifer A; Weslowski, Zorahna

2005-01-01

To examine the number, type (menthol vs non-menthol), brand (Black, White, Women's, Other), and size of cigarette ads in Black, Latino, and White magazines. Analysis of digital photographs of 274 cigarette ads appearing in Ebony (Black), People (White), and People in Spanish (Latino) for the 4.5-year period of January 1998 to August 2002. Black magazines were 9.8 times and Latino magazines 2.6 times more likely than White magazines to contain ads for menthol cigarettes. Black and Latino magazines also contained significantly more ads for brands (Virginia Slims) that target women. The tobacco industry continues to target Blacks with menthol cigarette ads, appears now to be targeting Latinos similarly, and targets Black and Latino women with additional, tailored cigarette ads.

Detection in fixed and random noise in foveal and parafoveal vision explained by template learning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beard, B. L.; Ahumada, A. J. Jr; Watson, A. B. (Principal Investigator)

1999-01-01

Foveal and parafoveal contrast detection thresholds for Gabor and checkerboard targets were measured in white noise by means of a two-interval forced-choice paradigm. Two white-noise conditions were used: fixed and twin. In the fixed noise condition a single noise sample was presented in both intervals of all the trials. In the twin noise condition the same noise sample was used in the two intervals of a trial, but a new sample was generated for each trial. Fixed noise conditions usually resulted in lower thresholds than twin noise. Template learning models are presented that attribute this advantage of fixed over twin noise either to fixed memory templates' reducing uncertainty by incorporation of the noise or to the introduction, by the learning process itself, of more variability in the twin noise condition. Quantitative predictions of the template learning process show that it contributes to the accelerating nonlinear increase in performance with signal amplitude at low signal-to-noise ratios.

Detection of whale calls in noise: performance comparison between a beluga whale, human listeners, and a neural network.

PubMed

Erbe, C

2000-07-01

This article examines the masking by anthropogenic noise of beluga whale calls. Results from human masking experiments and a software backpropagation neural network are compared to the performance of a trained beluga whale. The goal was to find an accurate, reliable, and fast model to replace lengthy and expensive animal experiments. A beluga call was masked by three types of noise, an icebreaker's bubbler system and propeller noise, and ambient arctic ice-cracking noise. Both the human experiment and the neural network successfully modeled the beluga data in the sense that they classified the noises in the same order from strongest to weakest masking as the whale and with similar call-detection thresholds. The neural network slightly outperformed the humans. Both models were then used to predict the masking of a fourth type of noise, Gaussian white noise. Their prediction ability was judged by returning to the aquarium to measure masked-hearing thresholds of a beluga in white noise. Both models and the whale identified bubbler noise as the strongest masker, followed by ramming, then white noise. Natural ice-cracking noise masked the least. However, the humans and the neural network slightly overpredicted the amount of masking for white noise. This is neglecting individual variation in belugas, because only one animal could be trained. Comparing the human model to the neural network model, the latter has the advantage of objectivity, reproducibility of results, and efficiency, particularly if the interference of a large number of signals and noise is to be examined.

Impact of Image Noise on Gamma Index Calculation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, M.; Mo, X.; Parnell, D.; Olivera, G.; Galmarini, D.; Lu, W.

2014-03-01

Purpose: The Gamma Index defines an asymmetric metric between the evaluated image and the reference image. It provides a quantitative comparison that can be used to indicate sample-wised pass/fail on the agreement of the two images. The Gamma passing/failing rate has become an important clinical evaluation tool. However, the presence of noise in the evaluated and/or reference images may change the Gamma Index, hence the passing/failing rate, and further, clinical decisions. In this work, we systematically studied the impact of the image noise on the Gamma Index calculation. Methods: We used both analytic formulation and numerical calculations in our study. The numerical calculations included simulations and clinical images. Three different noise scenarios were studied in simulations: noise in reference images only, in evaluated images only, and in both. Both white and spatially correlated noises of various magnitudes were simulated. For clinical images of various noise levels, the Gamma Index of measurement against calculation, calculation against measurement, and measurement against measurement, were evaluated. Results: Numerical calculations for both the simulation and clinical data agreed with the analytic formulations, and the clinical data agreed with the simulations. For the Gamma Index of measurement against calculation, its distribution has an increased mean and an increased standard deviation as the noise increases. On the contrary, for the Gamma index of calculation against measurement, its distribution has a decreased mean and stabilized standard deviation as the noise increases. White noise has greater impact on the Gamma Index than spatially correlated noise. Conclusions: The noise has significant impact on the Gamma Index calculation and the impact is asymmetric. The Gamma Index should be reported along with the noise levels in both reference and evaluated images. Reporting of the Gamma Index with switched roles of the images as reference and

Complete ensemble local mean decomposition with adaptive noise and its application to fault diagnosis for rolling bearings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Lei; Liu, Zhiwen; Miao, Qiang; Zhang, Xin

2018-06-01

Mode mixing resulting from intermittent signals is an annoying problem associated with the local mean decomposition (LMD) method. Based on noise-assisted approach, ensemble local mean decomposition (ELMD) method alleviates the mode mixing issue of LMD to some degree. However, the product functions (PFs) produced by ELMD often contain considerable residual noise, and thus a relatively large number of ensemble trials are required to eliminate the residual noise. Furthermore, since different realizations of Gaussian white noise are added to the original signal, different trials may generate different number of PFs, making it difficult to take ensemble mean. In this paper, a novel method is proposed called complete ensemble local mean decomposition with adaptive noise (CELMDAN) to solve these two problems. The method adds a particular and adaptive noise at every decomposition stage for each trial. Moreover, a unique residue is obtained after separating each PF, and the obtained residue is used as input for the next stage. Two simulated signals are analyzed to illustrate the advantages of CELMDAN in comparison to ELMD and CEEMDAN. To further demonstrate the efficiency of CELMDAN, the method is applied to diagnose faults for rolling bearings in an experimental case and an engineering case. The diagnosis results indicate that CELMDAN can extract more fault characteristic information with less interference than ELMD.

Using noise to shape motor learning.

PubMed

Thorp, Elias B; Kording, Konrad P; Mussa-Ivaldi, Ferdinando A

2017-02-01

Each of our movements is selected from any number of alternative movements. Some studies have shown evidence that the central nervous system (CNS) chooses to make the specific movements that are least affected by motor noise. Previous results showing that the CNS has a natural tendency to minimize the effects of noise make the direct prediction that if the relationship between movements and noise were to change, the specific movements people learn to make would also change in a predictable manner. Indeed, this has been shown for well-practiced movements such as reaching. Here, we artificially manipulated the relationship between movements and visuomotor noise by adding noise to a motor task in a novel redundant geometry such that there arose a single control policy that minimized the noise. This allowed us to see whether, for a novel motor task, people could learn the specific control policy that minimized noise or would need to employ other compensation strategies to overcome the added noise. As predicted, subjects were able to learn movements that were biased toward the specific ones that minimized the noise, suggesting not only that the CNS can learn to minimize the effects of noise in a novel motor task but also that artificial visuomotor noise can be a useful tool for teaching people to make specific movements. Using noise as a teaching signal promises to be useful for rehabilitative therapies and movement training with human-machine interfaces. Many theories argue that we choose to make the specific movements that minimize motor noise. Here, by changing the relationship between movements and noise, we show that people actively learn to make movements that minimize noise. This not only provides direct evidence for the theories of noise minimization but presents a way to use noise to teach specific movements to improve rehabilitative therapies and human-machine interface control. Copyright © 2017 the American Physiological Society.

Noise removal using factor analysis of dynamic structures: application to cardiac gated studies.

PubMed

Bruyant, P P; Sau, J; Mallet, J J

1999-10-01

Factor analysis of dynamic structures (FADS) facilitates the extraction of relevant data, usually with physiologic meaning, from a dynamic set of images. The result of this process is a set of factor images and curves plus some residual activity. The set of factor images and curves can be used to retrieve the original data with reduced noise using an inverse factor analysis process (iFADS). This improvement in image quality is expected because the inverse process does not use the residual activity, assumed to be made of noise. The goal of this work is to quantitate and assess the efficiency of this method on gated cardiac images. A computer simulation of a planar cardiac gated study was performed. The simulated images were added with noise and processed by the FADS-iFADS program. The signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) were compared between original and processed data. Planar gated cardiac studies from 10 patients were tested. The data processed by FADS-iFADS were subtracted to the original data. The result of the substraction was studied to evaluate its noisy nature. The SNR is about five times greater after the FADS-iFADS process. The difference between original and processed data is noise only, i.e., processed data equals original data minus some white noise. The FADS-iFADS process is successful in the removal of an important part of the noise and therefore is a tool to improve the image quality of cardiac images. This tool does not decrease the spatial resolution (compared with smoothing filters) and does not lose details (compared with frequential filters). Once the number of factors is chosen, this method is not operator dependent.

White noise of Nb-based microwave superconducting quantum interference device multiplexers with NbN coplanar resonators for readout of transition edge sensors

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

Kohjiro, Satoshi; Hirayama, Fuminori; Yamamori, Hirotake

2014-06-14

White noise of dissipationless microwave radio frequency superconducting quantum interference device (RF-SQUID) multiplexers has been experimentally studied to evaluate their readout performance for transition edge sensor (TES) photon counters ranging from near infrared to gamma ray. The characterization has been carried out at 4 K, first to avoid the low-frequency fluctuations present at around 0.1 K, and second, for a feasibility study of readout operation at 4 K for extended applications. To increase the resonant Q at 4 K and maintain low noise SQUID operation, multiplexer chips consisting of niobium nitride (NbN)-based coplanar-waveguide resonators and niobium (Nb)-based RF-SQUIDs have been developed. This hybrid multiplexermore » exhibited 1 × 10{sup 4} ≤ Q ≤ 2 × 10{sup 4} and the square root of spectral density of current noise referred to the SQUID input √S{sub I} = 31 pA/√Hz. The former and the latter are factor-of-five and seven improvements from our previous results on Nb-based resonators, respectively. Two-directional readout on the complex plane of the transmission component of scattering matrix S{sub 21} enables us to distinguish the flux noise from noise originating from other sources, such as the cryogenic high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) amplifier. Systematic noise measurements with various microwave readout powers P{sub MR} make it possible to distinguish the contribution of noise sources within the system as follows: (1) The achieved √S{sub I} is dominated by the Nyquist noise from a resistor at 4 K in parallel to the SQUID input coil which is present to prevent microwave leakage to the TES. (2) The next dominant source is either the HEMT-amplifier noise (for small values of P{sub MR}) or the quantization noise due to the resolution of 300-K electronics (for large values of P{sub MR}). By a decrease of these noise levels to a degree that is achievable by current technology, we predict that the

Adaptive EMG noise reduction in ECG signals using noise level approximation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marouf, Mohamed; Saranovac, Lazar

2017-12-01

In this paper the usage of noise level approximation for adaptive Electromyogram (EMG) noise reduction in the Electrocardiogram (ECG) signals is introduced. To achieve the adequate adaptiveness, a translation-invariant noise level approximation is employed. The approximation is done in the form of a guiding signal extracted as an estimation of the signal quality vs. EMG noise. The noise reduction framework is based on a bank of low pass filters. So, the adaptive noise reduction is achieved by selecting the appropriate filter with respect to the guiding signal aiming to obtain the best trade-off between the signal distortion caused by filtering and the signal readability. For the evaluation purposes; both real EMG and artificial noises are used. The tested ECG signals are from the MIT-BIH Arrhythmia Database Directory, while both real and artificial records of EMG noise are added and used in the evaluation process. Firstly, comparison with state of the art methods is conducted to verify the performance of the proposed approach in terms of noise cancellation while preserving the QRS complex waves. Additionally, the signal to noise ratio improvement after the adaptive noise reduction is computed and presented for the proposed method. Finally, the impact of adaptive noise reduction method on QRS complexes detection was studied. The tested signals are delineated using a state of the art method, and the QRS detection improvement for different SNR is presented.

Study of cabin noise control for twin engine general aviation aircraft

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vaicaitis, R.; Slazak, M.

1982-02-01

An analytical model based on modal analysis was developed to predict the noise transmission into a twin-engine light aircraft. The model was applied to optimize the interior noise to an A-weighted level of 85 dBA. To achieve the required noise attenuation, add-on treatments in the form of honeycomb panels, damping tapes, acoustic blankets, septum barriers and limp trim panels were added to the existing structure. The added weight of the noise control treatment is about 1.1 percent of the total gross take-off weight of the aircraft.

Measurement of shot noise in magnetic tunnel junction and its utilization for accurate system calibration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tamaru, S.; Kubota, H.; Yakushiji, K.; Fukushima, A.; Yuasa, S.

2017-11-01

This work presents a technique to calibrate the spin torque oscillator (STO) measurement system by utilizing the whiteness of shot noise. The raw shot noise spectrum in a magnetic tunnel junction based STO in the microwave frequency range is obtained by first subtracting the baseline noise, and then excluding the field dependent mag-noise components reflecting the thermally excited spin wave resonances. As the shot noise is guaranteed to be completely white, the total gain of the signal path should be proportional to the shot noise spectrum obtained by the above procedure, which allows for an accurate gain calibration of the system and a quantitative determination of each noise power. The power spectral density of the shot noise as a function of bias voltage obtained by this technique was compared with a theoretical calculation, which showed excellent agreement when the Fano factor was assumed to be 0.99.

Experimental realization of noise-induced adiabaticity in nuclear magnetic resonance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Bi-Xue; Xin, Tao; Kong, Xiang-Yu; Wei, Shi-Jie; Ruan, Dong; Long, Gui-Lu

2018-04-01

The adiabatic evolution is the dynamics of an instantaneous eigenstate of a slowly varing Hamiltonian. Recently, an interesting phenomenon shows up that white noises can enhance and even induce adiabaticity, which is in contrast to previous perception that environmental noises always modify and even ruin a designed adiabatic passage. We experimentally realized a noise-induced adiabaticity in a nuclear magnetic resonance system. Adiabatic Hadamard gate and entangled state are demonstrated. The effect of noise on adiabaticity is experimentally exhibited and compared with the noise-free process. We utilized a noise-injected method, which can be applied to other quantum systems.

Longitudinal changes in microstructural white matter metrics in Alzheimer's disease.

PubMed

Mayo, Chantel D; Mazerolle, Erin L; Ritchie, Lesley; Fisk, John D; Gawryluk, Jodie R

2017-01-01

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder. Current avenues of AD research focus on pre-symptomatic biomarkers that will assist with early diagnosis of AD. The majority of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) based biomarker research to date has focused on neuronal loss in grey matter and there is a paucity of research on white matter. Longitudinal DTI data from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative 2 database were used to examine 1) the within-group microstructural white matter changes in individuals with AD and healthy controls at baseline and year one; and 2) the between-group microstructural differences in individuals with AD and healthy controls at both time points. 1) Within-group: longitudinal Tract-Based Spatial Statistics revealed that individuals with AD and healthy controls both had widespread reduced fractional anisotropy (FA) and increased mean diffusivity (MD) with changes in the hippocampal cingulum exclusive to the AD group. 2) Between-group: relative to healthy controls, individuals with AD had lower FA and higher MD in the hippocampal cingulum, as well as the corpus callosum, internal and external capsule; corona radiata; posterior thalamic radiation; superior and inferior longitudinal fasciculus; fronto-occipital fasciculus; cingulate gyri; fornix; uncinate fasciculus; and tapetum. The current results indicate that sensitivity to white matter microstructure is a promising avenue for AD biomarker research. Additional longitudinal studies on both white and grey matter are warranted to further evaluate potential clinical utility.

Noise of space-charge-limited current in solids is thermal.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Golder, J.; Nicolet, M.-A.; Shumka, A.

1973-01-01

The white noise level of space-charge-limited current (SCLC) of holes in a silicon device measured at five temperatures ranging from 113 to 300 K is shown to be proportional to the absolute temperature. This proves experimentally the thermal origin of noise for SCLC in solids.

Independent component analysis of DTI data reveals white matter covariances in Alzheimer's disease

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ouyang, Xin; Sun, Xiaoyu; Guo, Ting; Sun, Qiaoyue; Chen, Kewei; Yao, Li; Wu, Xia; Guo, Xiaojuan

2014-03-01

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease with the clinical symptom of the continuous deterioration of cognitive and memory functions. Multiple diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) indices such as fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) can successfully explain the white matter damages in AD patients. However, most studies focused on the univariate measures (voxel-based analysis) to examine the differences between AD patients and normal controls (NCs). In this investigation, we applied a multivariate independent component analysis (ICA) to investigate the white matter covariances based on FA measurement from DTI data in 35 AD patients and 45 NCs from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) database. We found that six independent components (ICs) showed significant FA reductions in white matter covariances in AD compared with NC, including the genu and splenium of corpus callosum (IC-1 and IC-2), middle temporal gyral of temporal lobe (IC-3), sub-gyral of frontal lobe (IC-4 and IC-5) and sub-gyral of parietal lobe (IC-6). Our findings revealed covariant white matter loss in AD patients and suggest that the unsupervised data-driven ICA method is effective to explore the changes of FA in AD. This study assists us in understanding the mechanism of white matter covariant reductions in the development of AD.

Does the noise matter? Effects of different kinematogram types on smooth pursuit eye movements and perception

PubMed Central

Schütz, Alexander C.; Braun, Doris I.; Movshon, J. Anthony; Gegenfurtner, Karl R.

2011-01-01

We investigated how the human visual system and the pursuit system react to visual motion noise. We presented three different types of random-dot kinematograms at five different coherence levels. For transparent motion, the signal and noise labels on each dot were preserved throughout each trial, and noise dots moved with the same speed as the signal dots but in fixed random directions. For white noise motion, every 20 ms the signal and noise labels were randomly assigned to each dot and noise dots appeared at random positions. For Brownian motion, signal and noise labels were also randomly assigned, but the noise dots moved at the signal speed in a direction that varied randomly from moment to moment. Neither pursuit latency nor early eye acceleration differed among the different types of kinematograms. Late acceleration, pursuit gain, and perceived speed all depended on kinematogram type, with good agreement between pursuit gain and perceived speed. For transparent motion, pursuit gain and perceived speed were independent of coherence level. For white and Brownian motions, pursuit gain and perceived speed increased with coherence but were higher for white than for Brownian motion. This suggests that under our conditions, the pursuit system integrates across all directions of motion but not across all speeds. PMID:21149307

Experimental noise-resistant Bell-inequality violations for polarization-entangled photons

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

Bovino, Fabio A.; Castagnoli, Giuseppe; Cabello, Adan

2006-06-15

We experimentally demonstrate that violations of Bell's inequalities for two-photon polarization-entangled states with colored noise are extremely robust, whereas this is not the case for states with white noise. Controlling the amount of noise by using the timing compensation scheme introduced by Kim et al. [Phys. Rev. A 67, 010301(R) (2003)], we have observed violations even for states with very high noise, in excellent agrement with the predictions of Cabello et al. [Phys. Rev. A 72, 052112 (2005)].

A white noise approach to the Feynman integrand for electrons in random media

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

Grothaus, M., E-mail: grothaus@mathematik.uni-kl.de; Riemann, F., E-mail: riemann@mathematik.uni-kl.de; Suryawan, H. P., E-mail: suryawan@mathematik.uni-kl.de

2014-01-15

Using the Feynman path integral representation of quantum mechanics it is possible to derive a model of an electron in a random system containing dense and weakly coupled scatterers [see F. Edwards and Y. B. Gulyaev, “The density of states of a highly impure semiconductor,” Proc. Phys. Soc. 83, 495–496 (1964)]. The main goal of this paper is to give a mathematically rigorous realization of the corresponding Feynman integrand in dimension one based on the theory of white noise analysis. We refine and apply a Wick formula for the product of a square-integrable function with Donsker's delta functions and usemore » a method of complex scaling. As an essential part of the proof we also establish the existence of the exponential of the self-intersection local times of a one-dimensional Brownian bridge. As a result we obtain a neat formula for the propagator with identical start and end point. Thus, we obtain a well-defined mathematical object which is used to calculate the density of states [see, e.g., F. Edwards and Y. B. Gulyaev, “The density of states of a highly impure semiconductor,” Proc. Phys. Soc. 83, 495–496 (1964)].« less

Effective connectivity between superior temporal gyrus and Heschl's gyrus during white noise listening: linear versus non-linear models.

PubMed

Hamid, Ka; Yusoff, An; Rahman, Mza; Mohamad, M; Hamid, Aia

2012-04-01

This fMRI study is about modelling the effective connectivity between Heschl's gyrus (HG) and the superior temporal gyrus (STG) in human primary auditory cortices. MATERIALS #ENTITYSTARTX00026; Ten healthy male participants were required to listen to white noise stimuli during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans. Statistical parametric mapping (SPM) was used to generate individual and group brain activation maps. For input region determination, two intrinsic connectivity models comprising bilateral HG and STG were constructed using dynamic causal modelling (DCM). The models were estimated and inferred using DCM while Bayesian Model Selection (BMS) for group studies was used for model comparison and selection. Based on the winning model, six linear and six non-linear causal models were derived and were again estimated, inferred, and compared to obtain a model that best represents the effective connectivity between HG and the STG, balancing accuracy and complexity. Group results indicated significant asymmetrical activation (p(uncorr) < 0.001) in bilateral HG and STG. Model comparison results showed strong evidence of STG as the input centre. The winning model is preferred by 6 out of 10 participants. The results were supported by BMS results for group studies with the expected posterior probability, r = 0.7830 and exceedance probability, ϕ = 0.9823. One-sample t-tests performed on connection values obtained from the winning model indicated that the valid connections for the winning model are the unidirectional parallel connections from STG to bilateral HG (p < 0.05). Subsequent model comparison between linear and non-linear models using BMS prefers non-linear connection (r = 0.9160, ϕ = 1.000) from which the connectivity between STG and the ipsi- and contralateral HG is gated by the activity in STG itself. We are able to demonstrate that the effective connectivity between HG and STG while listening to white noise for the respective participants can

Effects of Noise on English Listening Comprehension among Chinese College Students with Different Learning Styles.

PubMed

Yang, Xiaohu; Jiang, Meng; Zhao, Yong

2017-01-01

This study was intended to determine whether the effects of noise on English listening comprehension would vary among Chinese college students with different learning styles. A total of 89 participants with different learning styles measured using Kolb's (1985) Learning Style Inventory finished English listening comprehension tests in quiet and in white noise, Chinese two-talker babble, and English two-talker babble respectively. The results showed that the participants in general had significantly poorer performance in the two babble conditions than in quiet and white noise. However, the participants with assimilative and divergent learning styles performed relatively better in Chinese babble, and exhibited stable performance across the three noisy conditions, while the participants with convergent and accommodative learning styles had more impaired performance in both Chinese babble and English babble than in white noise. Moreover, of Kolb's four learning modes, reflective observation had a facilitative effect on listening performance in Chinese babble and English babble. These findings suggest that differences in learning style might lead to differential performance in foreign language listening comprehension in noise.

Effects of Noise on English Listening Comprehension among Chinese College Students with Different Learning Styles

PubMed Central

Yang, Xiaohu; Jiang, Meng; Zhao, Yong

2017-01-01

This study was intended to determine whether the effects of noise on English listening comprehension would vary among Chinese college students with different learning styles. A total of 89 participants with different learning styles measured using Kolb’s (1985) Learning Style Inventory finished English listening comprehension tests in quiet and in white noise, Chinese two-talker babble, and English two-talker babble respectively. The results showed that the participants in general had significantly poorer performance in the two babble conditions than in quiet and white noise. However, the participants with assimilative and divergent learning styles performed relatively better in Chinese babble, and exhibited stable performance across the three noisy conditions, while the participants with convergent and accommodative learning styles had more impaired performance in both Chinese babble and English babble than in white noise. Moreover, of Kolb’s four learning modes, reflective observation had a facilitative effect on listening performance in Chinese babble and English babble. These findings suggest that differences in learning style might lead to differential performance in foreign language listening comprehension in noise. PMID:29085317

Maximum likelihood estimation of signal-to-noise ratio and combiner weight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kalson, S.; Dolinar, S. J.

1986-01-01

An algorithm for estimating signal to noise ratio and combiner weight parameters for a discrete time series is presented. The algorithm is based upon the joint maximum likelihood estimate of the signal and noise power. The discrete-time series are the sufficient statistics obtained after matched filtering of a biphase modulated signal in additive white Gaussian noise, before maximum likelihood decoding is performed.

Cortical gray and subcortical white matter associations in Parkinson's disease.

PubMed

Sterling, Nicholas W; Du, Guangwei; Lewis, Mechelle M; Swavely, Steven; Kong, Lan; Styner, Martin; Huang, Xuemei

2017-01-01

Cortical atrophy has been documented in both Parkinson's disease (PD) and healthy aging, but its relationship to changes in subcortical white matter is unknown. This was investigated by obtaining T1- and diffusion-weighted images from 76 PD and 70 controls at baseline and 18 and 36 months, from which cortical volumes and underlying subcortical white matter axial diffusivity (AD), radial diffusivity (RD), and fractional anisotropy (FA) were determined. Twelve of 69 cortical subregions had significant group differences, and for these, underlying subcortical white matter was explored. At baseline, higher cortical volumes were significantly correlated with lower underlying subcortical white matter AD, RD, and higher FA (ps ≤ 0.017) in PD. Longitudinally, higher rates of cortical atrophy in PD were associated with increased rates of change in AD RD, and FA values (ps ≤ 0.0013) in 2 subregions explored. The significant gray-white matter associations were not found in controls. Thus, unlike healthy aging, cortical atrophy and subcortical white matter changes may not be independent events in PD. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Optimization of structures undergoing harmonic or stochastic excitation. Ph.D. Thesis; [atmospheric turbulence and white noise

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, E. H.

1975-01-01

The optimal design was investigated of simple structures subjected to dynamic loads, with constraints on the structures' responses. Optimal designs were examined for one dimensional structures excited by harmonically oscillating loads, similar structures excited by white noise, and a wing in the presence of continuous atmospheric turbulence. The first has constraints on the maximum allowable stress while the last two place bounds on the probability of failure of the structure. Approximations were made to replace the time parameter with a frequency parameter. For the first problem, this involved the steady state response, and in the remaining cases, power spectral techniques were employed to find the root mean square values of the responses. Optimal solutions were found by using computer algorithms which combined finite elements methods with optimization techniques based on mathematical programming. It was found that the inertial loads for these dynamic problems result in optimal structures that are radically different from those obtained for structures loaded statically by forces of comparable magnitude.

White matter changes in Alzheimer's disease: a focus on myelin and oligodendrocytes.

PubMed

Nasrabady, Sara E; Rizvi, Batool; Goldman, James E; Brickman, Adam M

2018-03-02

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is conceptualized as a progressive consequence of two hallmark pathological changes in grey matter: extracellular amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. However, over the past several years, neuroimaging studies have implicated micro- and macrostructural abnormalities in white matter in the risk and progression of AD, suggesting that in addition to the neuronal pathology characteristic of the disease, white matter degeneration and demyelination may be also important pathophysiological features. Here we review the evidence for white matter abnormalities in AD with a focus on myelin and oligodendrocytes, the only source of myelination in the central nervous system, and discuss the relationship between white matter changes and the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease. We review several mechanisms such as ischemia, oxidative stress, excitotoxicity, iron overload, Aβ toxicity and tauopathy, which could affect oligodendrocytes. We conclude that white matter abnormalities, and in particular myelin and oligodendrocytes, could be mechanistically important in AD pathology and could be potential treatment targets.

[The discrimination of mono-syllable words in noise in listeners with normal hearing].

PubMed

Yoshida, M; Sagara, T; Nagano, M; Korenaga, K; Makishima, K

1992-02-01

The discrimination of mono-syllable words (67S word-list) pronounced by a male and a female speaker was investigated in noise in 39 normal hearing subjects. The subjects listened to the test words at a constant level of 62 dB together with white or weighted noise in four S/N conditions. By processing the data with logit transformation, S/N-discrimination curves were presumed for each combination of a speech material and a noise. Regardless of the type of noise, the discrimination scores for the female voice started to decrease gradually at a S/N ratio of +10 dB, and reached 10 to 20% at-10 dB. For the male voice in white noise, the discrimination curve was similar to those for the female voice. On the contrary, the discrimination score for the male voice in weighted noise declined rapidly from a S/N ratio of +5 dB, and went below 10% at -5 dB. The discrimination curves seem to be shaped by the interrelations between the spectrum of the speech material and that of the noise.

An Application of Reassigned Time-Frequency Representations for Seismic Noise/Signal Decomposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mousavi, S. M.; Langston, C. A.

2016-12-01

Seismic data recorded by surface arrays are often strongly contaminated by unwanted noise. This background noise makes the detection of small magnitude events difficult. An automatic method for seismic noise/signal decomposition is presented based upon an enhanced time-frequency representation. Synchrosqueezing is a time-frequency reassignment method aimed at sharpening a time-frequency picture. Noise can be distinguished from the signal and suppressed more easily in this reassigned domain. The threshold level is estimated using a general cross validation approach that does not rely on any prior knowledge about the noise level. Efficiency of thresholding has been improved by adding a pre-processing step based on higher order statistics and a post-processing step based on adaptive hard-thresholding. In doing so, both accuracy and speed of the denoising have been improved compared to our previous algorithms (Mousavi and Langston, 2016a, 2016b; Mousavi et al., 2016). The proposed algorithm can either kill the noise (either white or colored) and keep the signal or kill the signal and keep the noise. Hence, It can be used in either normal denoising applications or in ambient noise studies. Application of the proposed method on synthetic and real seismic data shows the effectiveness of the method for denoising/designaling of local microseismic, and ocean bottom seismic data. References: Mousavi, S.M., C. A. Langston., and S. P. Horton (2016), Automatic Microseismic Denoising and Onset Detection Using the Synchrosqueezed-Continuous Wavelet Transform. Geophysics. 81, V341-V355, doi: 10.1190/GEO2015-0598.1. Mousavi, S.M., and C. A. Langston (2016a), Hybrid Seismic Denoising Using Higher-Order Statistics and Improved Wavelet Block Thresholding. Bull. Seismol. Soc. Am., 106, doi: 10.1785/0120150345. Mousavi, S.M., and C.A. Langston (2016b), Adaptive noise estimation and suppression for improving microseismic event detection, Journal of Applied Geophysics., doi: http

Synaptic shot noise and conductance fluctuations affect the membrane voltage with equal significance.

PubMed

Richardson, Magnus J E; Gerstner, Wulfram

2005-04-01

The subthreshold membrane voltage of a neuron in active cortical tissue is a fluctuating quantity with a distribution that reflects the firing statistics of the presynaptic population. It was recently found that conductance-based synaptic drive can lead to distributions with a significant skew. Here it is demonstrated that the underlying shot noise caused by Poissonian spike arrival also skews the membrane distribution, but in the opposite sense. Using a perturbative method, we analyze the effects of shot noise on the distribution of synaptic conductances and calculate the consequent voltage distribution. To first order in the perturbation theory, the voltage distribution is a gaussian modulated by a prefactor that captures the skew. The gaussian component is identical to distributions derived using current-based models with an effective membrane time constant. The well-known effective-time-constant approximation can therefore be identified as the leading-order solution to the full conductance-based model. The higher-order modulatory prefactor containing the skew comprises terms due to both shot noise and conductance fluctuations. The diffusion approximation misses these shot-noise effects implying that analytical approaches such as the Fokker-Planck equation or simulation with filtered white noise cannot be used to improve on the gaussian approximation. It is further demonstrated that quantities used for fitting theory to experiment, such as the voltage mean and variance, are robust against these non-Gaussian effects. The effective-time-constant approximation is therefore relevant to experiment and provides a simple analytic base on which other pertinent biological details may be added.

Physical study of minced fish muscle with a white-grape by-product added as an ingredient.

PubMed

Sánchez-Alonso, I; Solas, M T; Borderías, A J

2007-03-01

Functional properties of a white grape dietary fiber concentrate (WGDF) obtained from wine industry residues were determined with a view to their use as potential functional ingredient in seafood products. The main features of interest of WGDF are that it is a natural product containing high concentrations of dietary fiber (DF) with a high-soluble DF (sDF)/insoluble DF (iDF) ratio and associated bioactive compounds; as such it is considered potentially suitable for use as dietary fiber in the enrichment of foods. WGDF was therefore added to minced fish muscle (MFM) of horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus) to take advantage of its technological properties, and also to enrich a food product that is a functional product in itself but does not contain dietary fiber. WGDF was added (2% and 4%) to MFM, which was stored for 6 mo at -20 degrees C, and a further lot was vacuum packed. Physical and mechanical properties, sensory and color analyses, microscopy, and electrophoretic profiles were all done in samples every month. The results indicate that WGDF had good functional properties, high water and oil retention capacity, and considerable swelling properties, which would make it useful as a natural ingredient in foods. The addition of WGDF to MFM augmented aggregation of myofibrillar proteins in the course of frozen storage, although electrophoretic profiles were very similar in samples with and without WGDF. The addition of WGDF to MFM made samples softer and less springy and cohesive. SEM showed good dispersion of WGDF in MFM but the matrix was more discontinuous than in the control. Water retention was significantly enhanced when WGDF was added, and the cooking yield improved. In sensory evaluation, samples containing 2% of WGDF scored highest in overall acceptance as compared with the control. Vacuum packing did not significantly affect the properties considered during frozen storage.

A research program to reduce interior noise in general aviation airplanes. Influence of depressurization and damping material on the noise reduction characteristics of flat and curved stiffened panels

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Navaneethan, R.; Streeter, B.; Koontz, S.; Roskam, J.

1981-01-01

Some 20 x 20 aluminum panels were studied in a frequency range from 20 Hz to 5000 Hz. The noise sources used were a swept sine wave generator and a random noise generator. The effect of noise source was found to be negligible. Increasing the pressure differential across the panel gave better noise reduction below the fundamental resonance frequency due to an increase in stiffness. The largest increase occurred in the first 1 psi pressure differential. The curved, stiffened panel exhibited similar behavior, but with a lower increase of low frequency noise reduction. Depressurization on these panels resulted in decreased noise reduction at higher frequencies. The effect of damping tapes on the overall noise reduction values of the test specimens was small away from the resonance frequency. In the mass-law region, a slight and proportional improvement in noise reduction was observed by adding damping material. Adding sound absorbtion material to a panel with damping material beneficially increased noise reduction at high frequencies.

Noise-induced phase space transport in two-dimensional Hamiltonian systems.

PubMed

Pogorelov, I V; Kandrup, H E

1999-08-01

First passage time experiments were used to explore the effects of low amplitude noise as a source of accelerated phase space diffusion in two-dimensional Hamiltonian systems, and these effects were then compared with the effects of periodic driving. The objective was to quantify and understand the manner in which "sticky" chaotic orbits that, in the absence of perturbations, are confined near regular islands for very long times, can become "unstuck" much more quickly when subjected to even very weak perturbations. For both noise and periodic driving, the typical escape time scales logarithmically with the amplitude of the perturbation. For white noise, the details seem unimportant: Additive and multiplicative noise typically have very similar effects, and the presence or absence of a friction related to the noise by a fluctuation-dissipation theorem is also largely irrelevant. Allowing for colored noise can significantly decrease the efficacy of the perturbation, but only when the autocorrelation time, which vanishes for white noise, becomes so large that there is little power at frequencies comparable to the natural frequencies of the unperturbed orbit. Similarly, periodic driving is relatively inefficient when the driving frequency is not comparable to these natural frequencies. This suggests that noise-induced extrinsic diffusion, like modulational diffusion associated with periodic driving, is a resonance phenomenon. The logarithmic dependence of the escape time on amplitude reflects the fact that the time required for perturbed and unperturbed orbits to diverge a given distance scales logarithmically in the amplitude of the perturbation.

Image discrimination models predict detection in fixed but not random noise

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ahumada, A. J. Jr; Beard, B. L.; Watson, A. B. (Principal Investigator)

1997-01-01

By means of a two-interval forced-choice procedure, contrast detection thresholds for an aircraft positioned on a simulated airport runway scene were measured with fixed and random white-noise masks. The term fixed noise refers to a constant, or unchanging, noise pattern for each stimulus presentation. The random noise was either the same or different in the two intervals. Contrary to simple image discrimination model predictions, the same random noise condition produced greater masking than the fixed noise. This suggests that observers seem unable to hold a new noisy image for comparison. Also, performance appeared limited by internal process variability rather than by external noise variability, since similar masking was obtained for both random noise types.

Testing Models for Perceptual Discrimination Using Repeatable Noise

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ahumada, Albert J., Jr.; Null, Cynthia H. (Technical Monitor)

1998-01-01

Adding noise to stimuli to be discriminated allows estimation of observer classification functions based on the correlation between observer responses and relevant features of the noisy stimuli. Examples will be presented of stimulus features that are found in auditory tone detection and visual Vernier acuity. Using the standard signal detection model (Thurstone scaling), we derive formulas to estimate the proportion of the observer's decision variable variance that is controlled by the added noise. One is based on the probability of agreement of the observer with him/herself on trials with the same noise sample. Another is based on the relative performance of the observer and the model. When these do not agree, the model can be rejected. A second derivation gives the probability of agreement of observer and model when the observer follows the model except for internal noise. Agreement significantly less than this amount allows rejection of the model.

On the predictability of extreme events in records with linear and nonlinear long-range memory: Efficiency and noise robustness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bogachev, Mikhail I.; Bunde, Armin

2011-06-01

We study the predictability of extreme events in records with linear and nonlinear long-range memory in the presence of additive white noise using two different approaches: (i) the precursory pattern recognition technique (PRT) that exploits solely the information about short-term precursors, and (ii) the return interval approach (RIA) that exploits long-range memory incorporated in the elapsed time after the last extreme event. We find that the PRT always performs better when only linear memory is present. In the presence of nonlinear memory, both methods demonstrate comparable efficiency in the absence of white noise. When additional white noise is present in the record (which is the case in most observational records), the efficiency of the PRT decreases monotonously with increasing noise level. In contrast, the RIA shows an abrupt transition between a phase of low level noise where the prediction is as good as in the absence of noise, and a phase of high level noise where the prediction becomes poor. In the phase of low and intermediate noise the RIA predicts considerably better than the PRT, which explains our recent findings in physiological and financial records.

On optimal control of linear systems in the presence of multiplicative noise

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Joshi, S. M.

1976-01-01

This correspondence considers the problem of optimal regulator design for discrete time linear systems subjected to white state-dependent and control-dependent noise in addition to additive white noise in the input and the observations. A pseudo-deterministic problem is first defined in which multiplicative and additive input disturbances are present, but noise-free measurements of the complete state vector are available. This problem is solved via discrete dynamic programming. Next is formulated the problem in which the number of measurements is less than that of the state variables and the measurements are contaminated with state-dependent noise. The inseparability of control and estimation is brought into focus, and an 'enforced separation' solution is obtained via heuristic reasoning in which the control gains are shown to be the same as those in the pseudo-deterministic problem. An optimal linear state estimator is given in order to implement the controller.

Mixed pathology is more likely in black than white decedents with Alzheimer dementia

PubMed Central

Leurgans, Sue; Aggarwal, Neelum T.; Shah, Raj C.; Arvanitakis, Zoe; James, Bryan D.; Buchman, Aron S.; Bennett, David A.; Schneider, Julie A.

2015-01-01

Objective: To compare the burden of neuropathology in black and white participants with clinical Alzheimer disease (AD). Methods: Participants included 122 persons enrolled in the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Clinical Core, a prospective cohort study of AD. Forty-one black decedents were matched two-to-one to 81 white decedents according to age at death, sex, years of education, and cognition proximate to death. We examined common brain pathologies related to dementia (AD, Lewy body, and macroscopic and microinfarct pathology) and arteriolar sclerosis and atherosclerosis. We calculated the frequency of each dementia pathology both alone and in combination (mixed pathologies). Racial differences in the odds of a single pathology vs mixed pathologies, and in the odds of vessel disease and its severity, were examined using logistic regression analyses. Results: AD pathology was confirmed in >93% of both black and white decedents with AD dementia. However, black decedents were less likely to have Alzheimer pathology as a single dementia pathology than white decedents (19.5% vs 42.0%), and were more likely to have AD mixed with an additional pathology (70.7% vs 50.6%), particularly Alzheimer pathology and Lewy bodies, and Alzheimer pathology, Lewy bodies, and infarcts. Black decedents also had more severe arteriolar sclerosis and atherosclerosis. Conclusion: Black decedents with AD dementia are more likely to have mixed brain pathologies compared with age-, sex-, education-, and cognition-matched white decedents with AD dementia. PMID:26180136

Measurement-noise maximum as a signature of a phase transition.

PubMed

Chen, Zhi; Yu, Clare C

2007-02-02

We propose that a maximum in measurement noise can be used as a signature of a phase transition. As an example, we study the energy and magnetization noise spectra associated with first- and second-order phase transitions by using Monte Carlo simulations of the Ising model and 5-state Potts model in two dimensions. For a finite size system, the total noise power and the low frequency white noise S(f0 and the total noise power vanishes. f(-1)(knee) is approximately the equilibration time.

Metallic-thin-film instability with spatially correlated thermal noise.

PubMed

Diez, Javier A; González, Alejandro G; Fernández, Roberto

2016-01-01

We study the effects of stochastic thermal fluctuations on the instability of the free surface of a flat liquid metallic film on a solid substrate. These fluctuations are represented by a stochastic noise term added to the deterministic equation for the film thickness within the long-wave approximation. Unlike the case of polymeric films, we find that this noise, while remaining white in time, must be colored in space, at least in some regimes. The corresponding noise term is characterized by a nonzero correlation length, ℓ_{c}, which, combined with the size of the system, leads to a dimensionless parameter β that accounts for the relative importance of the spatial correlation (β∼ℓ_{c}^{-1}). We perform the linear stability analysis (LSA) of the film both with and without the noise term and find that for ℓ_{c} larger than some critical value (depending on the system size), the wavelength of the peak of the spectrum is larger than that corresponding to the deterministic case, while for smaller ℓ_{c} this peak corresponds to smaller wavelength than the latter. Interestingly, whatever the value of ℓ_{c}, the peak always approaches the deterministic one for larger times. We compare LSA results with the numerical simulations of the complete nonlinear problem and find a good agreement in the power spectra for early times at different values of β. For late times, we find that the stochastic LSA predicts well the position of the dominant wavelength, showing that nonlinear interactions do not modify the trends of the early linear stages. Finally, we fit the theoretical spectra to experimental data from a nanometric laser-melted copper film and find that at later times, the adjustment requires smaller values of β (larger space correlations).

Metallic-thin-film instability with spatially correlated thermal noise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diez, Javier A.; González, Alejandro G.; Fernández, Roberto

2016-01-01

We study the effects of stochastic thermal fluctuations on the instability of the free surface of a flat liquid metallic film on a solid substrate. These fluctuations are represented by a stochastic noise term added to the deterministic equation for the film thickness within the long-wave approximation. Unlike the case of polymeric films, we find that this noise, while remaining white in time, must be colored in space, at least in some regimes. The corresponding noise term is characterized by a nonzero correlation length, ℓc, which, combined with the size of the system, leads to a dimensionless parameter β that accounts for the relative importance of the spatial correlation (β ˜ℓc-1 ). We perform the linear stability analysis (LSA) of the film both with and without the noise term and find that for ℓc larger than some critical value (depending on the system size), the wavelength of the peak of the spectrum is larger than that corresponding to the deterministic case, while for smaller ℓc this peak corresponds to smaller wavelength than the latter. Interestingly, whatever the value of ℓc, the peak always approaches the deterministic one for larger times. We compare LSA results with the numerical simulations of the complete nonlinear problem and find a good agreement in the power spectra for early times at different values of β . For late times, we find that the stochastic LSA predicts well the position of the dominant wavelength, showing that nonlinear interactions do not modify the trends of the early linear stages. Finally, we fit the theoretical spectra to experimental data from a nanometric laser-melted copper film and find that at later times, the adjustment requires smaller values of β (larger space correlations).

LCD displays performance comparison by MTF measurement using the white noise stimulus method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mitjà, Carles; Escofet, Jaume

2011-01-01

The amount of images produced to be viewed as soft copies on output displays are significantly increasing. This growing occurs at the expense of the images targeted to hard copy versions on paper or any other physical support. Even in the case of high quality hard copy production, people working in professional imaging uses different displays in selecting, editing, processing and showing images, from laptop screen to specialized high end displays. Then, the quality performance of these devices is crucial in the chain of decisions to be taken in image production. Metrics of this quality performance can help in the equipment acquisition. Different metrics and methods have been described to determine the quality performance of CRT and LCD computer displays in clinical area. One of most important metrics in this field is the device spatial frequency response obtained measuring the modulation transfer function (MTF). This work presents a comparison between the MTF of three different LCD displays, Apple MacBook Pro 15", Apple LED Cinema Display 24" and Apple iPhone4, measured by the white noise stimulus method, over vertical and horizontal directions. Additionally, different displays show particular pixels structure pattern. In order to identify this pixel structure, a set of high magnification images is taken from each display to be related with the respective vertical and horizontal MTF.

Evaluation of the risk of noise-induced hearing loss among unscreened male industrial workers.

PubMed

Prince, Mary M; Gilbert, Stephen J; Smith, Randall J; Stayner, Leslie T

2003-02-01

Variability in background risk and distribution of various risk factors for hearing loss may explain some of the diversity in excess risk of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). This paper examines the impact of various risk factors on excess risk estimates of NIHL using data from the 1968-1972 NIOSH Occupational Noise and Hearing Survey (ONHS). Previous analyses of a subset of these data focused on 1172 highly "screened" workers. In the current analysis, an additional 894 white males (609 noise-exposed and 285 controls), who were excluded for various reasons (i.e., nonoccupational noise exposure, otologic or medical conditions affecting hearing, prior occupational noise exposure) have been added 2066) to assess excess risk of noise-induced material impairment in an unscreened population. Data are analyzed by age, duration of exposure, and sound level (8-h TWA) for four different definitions of noise-induced hearing impairment, defined as the binaural pure-tone average (PTA) hearing threshold level greater than 25 dB for the following frequencies: (a) 1-4 kHz (PTA1234), (b) 1-3 kHz (PTA123), (c) 0.5, 1, and 2 kHz (PTA512), and (d) 3, 4, and 6 kHz (PTA346). Results indicate that populations with higher background risks of hearing loss may show lower excess risks attributable to noise relative to highly screened populations. Estimates of lifetime excess risk of hearing impairment were found to be significantly different between screened and unscreened population for noise levels greater than 90 dBA. Predicted age-related risk of material hearing impairment in the ONHS unscreened population was similar to that predicted from Annex B and C of ANSI S3.44 for ages less than 60 years. Results underscore the importance of understanding differential risk patterns for hearing loss and the use of appropriate reference (control) populations when evaluating risk of noise-induced hearing impairment among contemporary industrial populations.

Effects of quantum noise in 4D-CT on deformable image registration and derived ventilation data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Latifi, Kujtim; Huang, Tzung-Chi; Feygelman, Vladimir; Budzevich, Mikalai M.; Moros, Eduardo G.; Dilling, Thomas J.; Stevens, Craig W.; van Elmpt, Wouter; Dekker, Andre; Zhang, Geoffrey G.

2013-11-01

Quantum noise is common in CT images and is a persistent problem in accurate ventilation imaging using 4D-CT and deformable image registration (DIR). This study focuses on the effects of noise in 4D-CT on DIR and thereby derived ventilation data. A total of six sets of 4D-CT data with landmarks delineated in different phases, called point-validated pixel-based breathing thorax models (POPI), were used in this study. The DIR algorithms, including diffeomorphic morphons (DM), diffeomorphic demons (DD), optical flow and B-spline, were used to register the inspiration phase to the expiration phase. The DIR deformation matrices (DIRDM) were used to map the landmarks. Target registration errors (TRE) were calculated as the distance errors between the delineated and the mapped landmarks. Noise of Gaussian distribution with different standard deviations (SD), from 0 to 200 Hounsfield Units (HU) in amplitude, was added to the POPI models to simulate different levels of quantum noise. Ventilation data were calculated using the ΔV algorithm which calculates the volume change geometrically based on the DIRDM. The ventilation images with different added noise levels were compared using Dice similarity coefficient (DSC). The root mean square (RMS) values of the landmark TRE over the six POPI models for the four DIR algorithms were stable when the noise level was low (SD <150 HU) and increased with added noise when the level is higher. The most accurate DIR was DD with a mean RMS of 1.5 ± 0.5 mm with no added noise and 1.8 ± 0.5 mm with noise (SD = 200 HU). The DSC values between the ventilation images with and without added noise decreased with the noise level, even when the noise level was relatively low. The DIR algorithm most robust with respect to noise was DM, with mean DSC = 0.89 ± 0.01 and 0.66 ± 0.02 for the top 50% ventilation volumes, as compared between 0 added noise and SD = 30 and 200 HU, respectively. Although the landmark TRE were stable with low noise, the

Incorporating signal-dependent noise for hyperspectral target detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morman, Christopher J.; Meola, Joseph

2015-05-01

The majority of hyperspectral target detection algorithms are developed from statistical data models employing stationary background statistics or white Gaussian noise models. Stationary background models are inaccurate as a result of two separate physical processes. First, varying background classes often exist in the imagery that possess different clutter statistics. Many algorithms can account for this variability through the use of subspaces or clustering techniques. The second physical process, which is often ignored, is a signal-dependent sensor noise term. For photon counting sensors that are often used in hyperspectral imaging systems, sensor noise increases as the measured signal level increases as a result of Poisson random processes. This work investigates the impact of this sensor noise on target detection performance. A linear noise model is developed describing sensor noise variance as a linear function of signal level. The linear noise model is then incorporated for detection of targets using data collected at Wright Patterson Air Force Base.

Stochastic memory: getting memory out of noise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stotland, Alexander; di Ventra, Massimiliano

2011-03-01

Memory circuit elements, namely memristors, memcapacitors and meminductors, can store information without the need of a power source. These systems are generally defined in terms of deterministic equations of motion for the state variables that are responsible for memory. However, in real systems noise sources can never be eliminated completely. One would then expect noise to be detrimental for memory. Here, we show that under specific conditions on the noise intensity memory can actually be enhanced. We illustrate this phenomenon using a physical model of a memristor in which the addition of white noise into the state variable equation improves the memory and helps the operation of the system. We discuss under which conditions this effect can be realized experimentally, discuss its implications on existing memory systems discussed in the literature, and also analyze the effects of colored noise. Work supported in part by NSF.

Effects of contralateral white noise stimulation on distortion product otoacoustic emissions in myasthenic patients.

PubMed

Di Girolamo, S; d'Ecclesia, A; Quaranta, N; Garozzo, A; Evoli, A; Paludetti, G

2001-12-01

Myasthenia gravis (MG) induces a reduction of transient evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAEs) and distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) that reverses partially after administration of an acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitor. In normal subjects a contralateral acoustic stimulation (CAS) produces an amplitude reduction of TEOAEs and DPOAEs. This effect, called contralateral suppression (CS), is mediated by the efferent auditory system. Twenty subjects affected by MG underwent DPOAE recording with and without contralateral white noise in a drug-free baseline period ('basal') and 1 h ('post') after administration of a reversible AChE inhibitor. In 'basal' condition CAS did not induce significant DPOAE amplitude changes but a paradoxical slight increase was observed. After drug administration, CAS produced a significant decrease of DPOAE amplitudes for middle frequencies (f(2) between 1306 and 2600 Hz). In normal controls CAS caused a significant decrease (P<0.001) for all frequencies. The amount of CS in controls and in the MG 'post' condition was not significantly different. The increased acetylcholine (ACh) availability following drug consumption seems to partially restore outer hair cell function and enhances their electromotility; a further influx of ACh due to CAS yields to restoration of the CS. These findings also suggest that DPOAEs may be useful in the diagnosis of MG and for monitoring the effectiveness of treatment.

Prediction of added noise due to the effect of unsteady flow on pusher propellers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Takallu, M. A.; Block, P. J. W.

1987-01-01

An analytical/computational study has been conducted to predict the effect of an upstream wing or pylon on the noise of an operating propeller. The wing trailing edge was placed at variable distances (0.1 and 0.3 chord) upstream of a scaled model propeller (SR-2). The wake was modeled using a similarity formulation. The instantaneous pressure distribution on the propeller blades during the passage through the wake was formulated in terms of a time-dependent variation of each blade section's angle of attack and in terms of the shed vortices from the blade trailing edge. It was found that the final expressions for the unsteady loads considerably altered the radiated noise pattern. Predicted noise for various observer positions, rotational speeds and propeller/pylon distances were computed and are presented in terms of the pressure time history. It has been shown that the positioning of a pylon upstream of a propeller indeed increases the noise. Some comparisons with experimental results are also given.

Contralateral Noise Stimulation Delays P300 Latency in School-Aged Children.

PubMed

Ubiali, Thalita; Sanfins, Milaine Dominici; Borges, Leticia Reis; Colella-Santos, Maria Francisca

2016-01-01

The auditory cortex modulates auditory afferents through the olivocochlear system, which innervates the outer hair cells and the afferent neurons under the inner hair cells in the cochlea. Most of the studies that investigated the efferent activity in humans focused on evaluating the suppression of the otoacoustic emissions by stimulating the contralateral ear with noise, which assesses the activation of the medial olivocochlear bundle. The neurophysiology and the mechanisms involving efferent activity on higher regions of the auditory pathway, however, are still unknown. Also, the lack of studies investigating the effects of noise on human auditory cortex, especially in peadiatric population, points to the need for recording the late auditory potentials in noise conditions. Assessing the auditory efferents in schoolaged children is highly important due to some of its attributed functions such as selective attention and signal detection in noise, which are important abilities related to the development of language and academic skills. For this reason, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of noise on P300 responses of children with normal hearing. P300 was recorded in 27 children aged from 8 to 14 years with normal hearing in two conditions: with and whitout contralateral white noise stimulation. P300 latencies were significantly longer at the presence of contralateral noise. No significant changes were observed for the amplitude values. Contralateral white noise stimulation delayed P300 latency in a group of school-aged children with normal hearing. These results suggest a possible influence of the medial olivocochlear activation on P300 responses under noise condition.

TU-F-CAMPUS-J-05: Effect of Uncorrelated Noise Texture On Computed Tomography Quantitative Image Features

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

Oliver, J; Budzevich, M; Moros, E

Purpose: To investigate the relationship between quantitative image features (i.e. radiomics) and statistical fluctuations (i.e. electronic noise) in clinical Computed Tomography (CT) using the standardized American College of Radiology (ACR) CT accreditation phantom and patient images. Methods: Three levels of uncorrelated Gaussian noise were added to CT images of phantom and patients (20) acquired in static mode and respiratory tracking mode. We calculated the noise-power spectrum (NPS) of the original CT images of the phantom, and of the phantom images with added Gaussian noise with means of 50, 80, and 120 HU. Concurrently, on patient images (original and noise-added images),more » image features were calculated: 14 shape, 19 intensity (1st order statistics from intensity volume histograms), 18 GLCM features (2nd order statistics from grey level co-occurrence matrices) and 11 RLM features (2nd order statistics from run-length matrices). These features provide the underlying structural information of the images. GLCM (size 128x128) was calculated with a step size of 1 voxel in 13 directions and averaged. RLM feature calculation was performed in 13 directions with grey levels binning into 128 levels. Results: Adding the electronic noise to the images modified the quality of the NPS, shifting the noise from mostly correlated to mostly uncorrelated voxels. The dramatic increase in noise texture did not affect image structure/contours significantly for patient images. However, it did affect the image features and textures significantly as demonstrated by GLCM differences. Conclusion: Image features are sensitive to acquisition factors (simulated by adding uncorrelated Gaussian noise). We speculate that image features will be more difficult to detect in the presence of electronic noise (an uncorrelated noise contributor) or, for that matter, any other highly correlated image noise. This work focuses on the effect of electronic, uncorrelated, noise and future work

Signal-to-noise limitations in white light holography

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ribak, Erez; Breckinridge, James B.; Roddier, Claude; Roddier, Francois

1988-01-01

A simple derivation is given for the SNR in images reconstructed from incoherent holograms. Dependence is shown to be on the hologram SNR, object complexity, and the number of pixels in the detector. Reconstruction of involved objects becomes possible with high-dynamic-range detectors such as CCDs. White-light holograms have been produced by means of a rotational shear interferometer combined with a chromatic corrector. A digital inverse transform recreated the object.

A Noise Removal Method for Uniform Circular Arrays in Complex Underwater Noise Environments with Low SNR

PubMed Central

Xia, Huijun; Yang, Kunde; Ma, Yuanliang; Wang, Yong; Liu, Yaxiong

2017-01-01

Generally, many beamforming methods are derived under the assumption of white noise. In practice, the actual underwater ambient noise is complex. As a result, the noise removal capacity of the beamforming method may be deteriorated considerably. Furthermore, in underwater environment with extremely low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), the performances of the beamforming method may be deteriorated. To tackle these problems, a noise removal method for uniform circular array (UCA) is proposed to remove the received noise and improve the SNR in complex noise environments with low SNR. First, the symmetrical noise sources are defined and the spatial correlation of the symmetrical noise sources is calculated. Then, based on the preceding results, the noise covariance matrix is decomposed into symmetrical and asymmetrical components. Analysis indicates that the symmetrical component only affect the real part of the noise covariance matrix. Consequently, the delay-and-sum (DAS) beamforming is performed by using the imaginary part of the covariance matrix to remove the symmetrical component. However, the noise removal method causes two problems. First, the proposed method produces a false target. Second, the proposed method would seriously suppress the signal when it is located in some directions. To solve the first problem, two methods to reconstruct the signal covariance matrix are presented: based on the estimation of signal variance and based on the constrained optimization algorithm. To solve the second problem, we can design the array configuration and select the suitable working frequency. Theoretical analysis and experimental results are included to demonstrate that the proposed methods are particularly effective in complex noise environments with low SNR. The proposed method can be extended to any array. PMID:28598386

Mapping white-matter functional organization at rest and during naturalistic visual perception.

PubMed

Marussich, Lauren; Lu, Kun-Han; Wen, Haiguang; Liu, Zhongming

2017-02-01

Despite the wide applications of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to mapping brain activation and connectivity in cortical gray matter, it has rarely been utilized to study white-matter functions. In this study, we investigated the spatiotemporal characteristics of fMRI data within the white matter acquired from humans both in the resting state and while watching a naturalistic movie. By using independent component analysis and hierarchical clustering, resting-state fMRI data in the white matter were de-noised and decomposed into spatially independent components, which were further assembled into hierarchically organized axonal fiber bundles. Interestingly, such components were partly reorganized during natural vision. Relative to resting state, the visual task specifically induced a stronger degree of temporal coherence within the optic radiations, as well as significant correlations between the optic radiations and multiple cortical visual networks. Therefore, fMRI contains rich functional information about the activity and connectivity within white matter at rest and during tasks, challenging the conventional practice of taking white-matter signals as noise or artifacts. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A de-noising algorithm based on wavelet threshold-exponential adaptive window width-fitting for ground electrical source airborne transient electromagnetic signal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ji, Yanju; Li, Dongsheng; Yu, Mingmei; Wang, Yuan; Wu, Qiong; Lin, Jun

2016-05-01

The ground electrical source airborne transient electromagnetic system (GREATEM) on an unmanned aircraft enjoys considerable prospecting depth, lateral resolution and detection efficiency, etc. In recent years it has become an important technical means of rapid resources exploration. However, GREATEM data are extremely vulnerable to stationary white noise and non-stationary electromagnetic noise (sferics noise, aircraft engine noise and other human electromagnetic noises). These noises will cause degradation of the imaging quality for data interpretation. Based on the characteristics of the GREATEM data and major noises, we propose a de-noising algorithm utilizing wavelet threshold method and exponential adaptive window width-fitting. Firstly, the white noise is filtered in the measured data using the wavelet threshold method. Then, the data are segmented using data window whose step length is even logarithmic intervals. The data polluted by electromagnetic noise are identified within each window based on the discriminating principle of energy detection, and the attenuation characteristics of the data slope are extracted. Eventually, an exponential fitting algorithm is adopted to fit the attenuation curve of each window, and the data polluted by non-stationary electromagnetic noise are replaced with their fitting results. Thus the non-stationary electromagnetic noise can be effectively removed. The proposed algorithm is verified by the synthetic and real GREATEM signals. The results show that in GREATEM signal, stationary white noise and non-stationary electromagnetic noise can be effectively filtered using the wavelet threshold-exponential adaptive window width-fitting algorithm, which enhances the imaging quality.

Measuring Value Added in Higher Education: A Proposed Methodology for Developing a Performance Indicator Based on the Economic Value Added to Graduates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rodgers, Timothy

2007-01-01

The 2003 UK higher education White Paper suggested that the sector needed to re-examine the potential of the value added concept. This paper describes a possible methodology for developing a performance indicator based on the economic value added to graduates. The paper examines how an entry-quality-adjusted measure of a graduate's…

Reconstructing networks from dynamics with correlated noise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tam, H. C.; Ching, Emily S. C.; Lai, Pik-Yin

2018-07-01

Reconstructing the structure of complex networks from measurements of the nodes is a challenge in many branches of science. External influences are always present and act as a noise to the networks of interest. In this paper, we present a method for reconstructing networks from measured dynamics of the nodes subjected to correlated noise that cannot be approximated by a white noise. This method can reconstruct the links of both bidirectional and directed networks, the correlation time and strength of the noise, and also the relative coupling strength of the links when the coupling functions have certain properties. Our method is built upon theoretical relations between network structure and measurable quantities from the dynamics that we have derived for systems that have fixed point dynamics in the noise-free limit. Using these theoretical results, we can further explain the shortcomings of two common practices of inferring links for bidirectional networks using the Pearson correlation coefficient and the partial correlation coefficient.

Quality issues in blue noise halftoning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Qing; Parker, Kevin J.

1998-01-01

The blue noise mask (BNM) is a halftone screen that produces unstructured visually pleasing dot patterns. The BNM combines the blue-noise characteristics of error diffusion and the simplicity of ordered dither. A BNM is constructed by designing a set of interdependent binary patterns for individual gray levels. In this paper, we investigate the quality issues in blue-noise binary pattern design and mask generation as well as in application to color reproduction. Using a global filtering technique and a local 'force' process for rearranging black and white pixels, we are able to generate a series of binary patterns, all representing a certain gray level, ranging from white-noise pattern to highly structured pattern. The quality of these individual patterns are studied in terms of low-frequency structure and graininess. Typically, the low-frequency structure (LF) is identified with a measurement of the energy around dc in the spatial frequency domain, while the graininess is quantified by a measurement of the average minimum distance (AMD) between minority dots as well as the kurtosis of the local kurtosis distribution (KLK) for minority pixels of the binary pattern. A set of partial BNMs are generated by using the different patterns as unique starting 'seeds.' In this way, we are able to study the quality of binary patterns over a range of gray levels. We observe that the optimality of a binary pattern for mask generation is related to its own quality mertirc values as well as the transition smoothness of those quality metric values over neighboring levels. Several schemes have been developed to apply blue-noise halftoning to color reproduction. Different schemes generate halftone patterns with different textures. In a previous paper, a human visual system (HVS) model was used to study the color halftone quality in terms of luminance and chrominance error in CIELAB color space. In this paper, a new series of psycho-visual experiments address the 'preferred' color

Left hemisphere fractional anisotropy increase in noise-induced tinnitus: a diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) study of white matter tracts in the brain.

PubMed

Benson, Randall R; Gattu, Ramtilak; Cacace, Anthony T

2014-03-01

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is a contemporary neuroimaging modality used to study connectivity patterns and microstructure of white matter tracts in the brain. The use of DTI in the study of tinnitus is a relatively unexplored methodology with no studies focusing specifically on tinnitus induced by noise exposure. In this investigation, participants were two groups of adults matched for etiology, age, and degree of peripheral hearing loss, but differed by the presence or absence (+/-) of tinnitus. It is assumed that matching individuals on the basis of peripheral hearing loss, allows for differentiating changes in white matter microstructure due to hearing loss from changes due to the effects of chronic tinnitus. Alterations in white matter tracts, using the fractional anisotropy (FA) metric, which measures directional diffusion of water, were quantified using tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) with additional details provided by in vivo probabilistic tractography. Our results indicate that 10 voxel clusters differentiated the two groups, including 9 with higher FA in the group with tinnitus. A decrease in FA was found for a single cluster in the group with tinnitus. However, seven of the 9 clusters with higher FA were in left hemisphere thalamic, frontal, and parietal white matter. These foci were localized to the anterior thalamic radiations and the inferior and superior longitudinal fasciculi. The two right-sided clusters with increased FA were located in the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus and superior longitudinal fasciculus. The only decrease in FA for the tinnitus-positive group was found in the superior longitudinal fasciculus of the left parietal lobe. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An adaptive segment method for smoothing lidar signal based on noise estimation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yuzhao; Luo, Pingping

2014-10-01

An adaptive segmentation smoothing method (ASSM) is introduced in the paper to smooth the signal and suppress the noise. In the ASSM, the noise is defined as the 3σ of the background signal. An integer number N is defined for finding the changing positions in the signal curve. If the difference of adjacent two points is greater than 3Nσ, the position is recorded as an end point of the smoothing segment. All the end points detected as above are recorded and the curves between them will be smoothed separately. In the traditional method, the end points of the smoothing windows in the signals are fixed. The ASSM creates changing end points in different signals and the smoothing windows could be set adaptively. The windows are always set as the half of the segmentations and then the average smoothing method will be applied in the segmentations. The Iterative process is required for reducing the end-point aberration effect in the average smoothing method and two or three times are enough. In ASSM, the signals are smoothed in the spacial area nor frequent area, that means the frequent disturbance will be avoided. A lidar echo was simulated in the experimental work. The echo was supposed to be created by a space-born lidar (e.g. CALIOP). And white Gaussian noise was added to the echo to act as the random noise resulted from environment and the detector. The novel method, ASSM, was applied to the noisy echo to filter the noise. In the test, N was set to 3 and the Iteration time is two. The results show that, the signal could be smoothed adaptively by the ASSM, but the N and the Iteration time might be optimized when the ASSM is applied in a different lidar.

Destruction of white matter integrity in patients with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer disease.

PubMed

Sun, Xiaoyan; Salat, David; Upchurch, Kristen; Deason, Rebecca; Kowall, Neil; Budson, Andrew

2014-10-01

Accumulating evidence shows that gradual loss of white matter integrity plays an important role in the development of Alzheimer disease (AD). The aim of this research was to study the microstructural integrity of white matter in AD in vivo. Global fractional anisotropy, global axial diffusivity (AxD), and global radial diffusivity (RD) were analyzed in subjects with normal controls (NC), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and AD using Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative data (total N = 210). We further compared specific white matter tracts among the 3 groups. Compared with the NC group, the MCI group had significantly increased global AxD and global RD. Compared with the NC and MCI groups, the AD group had significantly decreased global fractional anisotropy, increased global AxD, and increased global RD. With regard to specific white matter tracts, in the MCI group, we found increased AxD and increased RD in the external capsule, part of the lateral cholinergic pathway, in addition to the tracts connecting the limbic regions, predominantly in the left hemisphere. In the AD group, white matter abnormalities were widespread, including in the external capsule (cholinergic pathway) and limbic region tracts as well as tracts connecting anterior to posterior regions bilaterally. The radiographic manifestation of damaged white matter microstructural integrity in the cholinergic pathway in MCI patients may provide a rational basis for the use of cholinesterase inhibitor drugs in the MCI stage of AD.

Increased White Matter Inflammation in Aging- and Alzheimer's Disease Brain.

PubMed

Raj, Divya; Yin, Zhuoran; Breur, Marjolein; Doorduin, Janine; Holtman, Inge R; Olah, Marta; Mantingh-Otter, Ietje J; Van Dam, Debby; De Deyn, Peter P; den Dunnen, Wilfred; Eggen, Bart J L; Amor, Sandra; Boddeke, Erik

2017-01-01

Chronic neuroinflammation, which is primarily mediated by microglia, plays an essential role in aging and neurodegeneration. It is still unclear whether this microglia-induced neuroinflammation occurs globally or is confined to distinct brain regions. In this study, we investigated microglia activity in various brain regions upon healthy aging and Alzheimer's disease (AD)-related pathology in both human and mouse samples. In purified microglia isolated from aging mouse brains, we found a profound gene expression pattern related to pro-inflammatory processes, phagocytosis, and lipid homeostasis. Particularly in white matter microglia of 24-month-old mice, abundant expression of phagocytic markers including Mac-2, Axl, CD16/32, Dectin1, CD11c, and CD36 was detected. Interestingly, in white matter of human brain tissue the first signs of inflammatory activity were already detected during middle age. Thus quantification of microglial proteins, such as CD68 (commonly associated with phagocytosis) and HLA-DR (associated with antigen presentation), in postmortem human white matter brain tissue showed an age-dependent increase in immunoreactivity already in middle-aged people (53.2 ± 2.0 years). This early inflammation was also detectable by non-invasive positron emission tomography imaging using [ 11 C]-(R)-PK11195, a ligand that binds to activated microglia. Increased microglia activity was also prominently present in the white matter of human postmortem early-onset AD (EOAD) brain tissue. Interestingly, microglia activity in the white matter of late-onset AD (LOAD) CNS was similar to that of the aged clinically silent AD cases. These data indicate that microglia-induced neuroinflammation is predominant in the white matter of aging mice and humans as well as in EOAD brains. This white matter inflammation may contribute to the progression of neurodegeneration, and have prognostic value for detecting the onset and progression of aging and neurodegeneration.

77 FR 65840 - Chrysanthemum White Rust Regulatory Status and Restrictions

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-31

... Inspection Service 7 CFR Part 319 [Docket No. APHIS-2012-0001] RIN 0579-AD67 Chrysanthemum White Rust... should amend our process for responding to domestic chrysanthemum white rust (CWR) outbreaks and the... whether and how we should amend our process for responding to domestic chrysanthemum white rust (CWR...

Measuring noise in microwave metamaterials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wiltshire, M. C. K.; Syms, R. R. A.

2018-05-01

Electromagnetic metamaterials are artificially constructed media composed of arrays of electrical circuits that can exhibit electric and magnetic characteristics unlike those of any conventional materials. However, the materials are lossy and hence noisy, so that the signal-to-noise ratio in practical situations is greatly reduced. In particular, operating in the double negative region, where both the permittivity and the permeability are negative so that the refractive index is real but negative, incurs significant loss and noise penalties. In this work, we report noise measurements on a double negative metamaterial at microwave frequencies and compare them with the results of a simple model based on a transmission line loaded with lossy elements that mimic the split ring resonators and fine wires of the metamaterial. A noise source is associated with the resistive part of each element, and these are added incoherently to predict the total noise spectrum of the metamaterial. The theoretical results are in good agreement with the measurements. In particular, we find that the measured noise spectrum has contributions from both electric and magnetic noise, but is dominated by the magnetic noise. This limits possible applications, even with optimised materials, to functions that cannot be realised by conventional means.

The DEPFET Sensor-Amplifier Structure: A Method to Beat 1/f Noise and Reach Sub-Electron Noise in Pixel Detectors

PubMed Central

Lutz, Gerhard; Porro, Matteo; Aschauer, Stefan; Wölfel, Stefan; Strüder, Lothar

2016-01-01

Depleted field effect transistors (DEPFET) are used to achieve very low noise signal charge readout with sub-electron measurement precision. This is accomplished by repeatedly reading an identical charge, thereby suppressing not only the white serial noise but also the usually constant 1/f noise. The repetitive non-destructive readout (RNDR) DEPFET is an ideal central element for an active pixel sensor (APS) pixel. The theory has been derived thoroughly and results have been verified on RNDR-DEPFET prototypes. A charge measurement precision of 0.18 electrons has been achieved. The device is well-suited for spectroscopic X-ray imaging and for optical photon counting in pixel sensors, even at high photon numbers in the same cell. PMID:27136549

Noise Hampers Children’s Expressive Word Learning

PubMed Central

Riley, Kristine Grohne; McGregor, Karla K.

2013-01-01

Purpose To determine the effects of noise and speech style on word learning in typically developing school-age children. Method Thirty-one participants ages 9;0 (years; months) to 10;11 attempted to learn 2 sets of 8 novel words and their referents. They heard all of the words 13 times each within meaningful narrative discourse. Signal-to-noise ratio (noise vs. quiet) and speech style (plain vs. clear) were manipulated such that half of the children heard the new words in broadband white noise and half heard them in quiet; within those conditions, each child heard one set of words produced in a plain speech style and another set in a clear speech style. Results Children who were trained in quiet learned to produce the word forms more accurately than those who were trained in noise. Clear speech resulted in more accurate word form productions than plain speech, whether the children had learned in noise or quiet. Learning from clear speech in noise and plain speech in quiet produced comparable results. Conclusion Noise limits expressive vocabulary growth in children, reducing the quality of word form representation in the lexicon. Clear speech input can aid expressive vocabulary growth in children, even in noisy environments. PMID:22411494

Detecting blast-induced infrasound in wind noise.

PubMed

Howard, Wheeler B; Dillion, Kevin L; Shields, F Douglas

2010-03-01

Current efforts seek to monitor and investigate such naturally occurring events as volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, bolides entering the atmosphere, earthquakes, and tsunamis by the infrasound they generate. Often, detection of the infrasound signal is limited by the masking effect of wind noise. This paper describes the use of a distributed array to detect infrasound signals from four atmospheric detonations at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, USA in 2006. Three of the blasts occurred during times of low wind noise and were easily observed with array processing techniques. One blast was obscured by high wind conditions. The results of signal processing are presented that allowed localization of the blast-induced signals in the presence of wind noise in the array response.

Proposed mechanism for learning and memory erasure in a white-noise-driven sleeping cortex.

PubMed

Steyn-Ross, Moira L; Steyn-Ross, D A; Sleigh, J W; Wilson, M T; Wilcocks, Lara C

2005-12-01

Understanding the structure and purpose of sleep remains one of the grand challenges of neurobiology. Here we use a mean-field linearized theory of the sleeping cortex to derive statistics for synaptic learning and memory erasure. The growth in correlated low-frequency high-amplitude voltage fluctuations during slow-wave sleep (SWS) is characterized by a probability density function that becomes broader and shallower as the transition into rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep is approached. At transition, the Shannon information entropy of the fluctuations is maximized. If we assume Hebbian-learning rules apply to the cortex, then its correlated response to white-noise stimulation during SWS provides a natural mechanism for a synaptic weight change that will tend to shut down reverberant neural activity. In contrast, during REM sleep the weights will evolve in a direction that encourages excitatory activity. These entropy and weight-change predictions lead us to identify the final portion of deep SWS that occurs immediately prior to transition into REM sleep as a time of enhanced erasure of labile memory. We draw a link between the sleeping cortex and Landauer's dissipation theorem for irreversible computing [R. Landauer, IBM J. Res. Devel. 5, 183 (1961)], arguing that because information erasure is an irreversible computation, there is an inherent entropy cost as the cortex transits from SWS into REM sleep.

Proposed mechanism for learning and memory erasure in a white-noise-driven sleeping cortex

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steyn-Ross, Moira L.; Steyn-Ross, D. A.; Sleigh, J. W.; Wilson, M. T.; Wilcocks, Lara C.

2005-12-01

Understanding the structure and purpose of sleep remains one of the grand challenges of neurobiology. Here we use a mean-field linearized theory of the sleeping cortex to derive statistics for synaptic learning and memory erasure. The growth in correlated low-frequency high-amplitude voltage fluctuations during slow-wave sleep (SWS) is characterized by a probability density function that becomes broader and shallower as the transition into rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep is approached. At transition, the Shannon information entropy of the fluctuations is maximized. If we assume Hebbian-learning rules apply to the cortex, then its correlated response to white-noise stimulation during SWS provides a natural mechanism for a synaptic weight change that will tend to shut down reverberant neural activity. In contrast, during REM sleep the weights will evolve in a direction that encourages excitatory activity. These entropy and weight-change predictions lead us to identify the final portion of deep SWS that occurs immediately prior to transition into REM sleep as a time of enhanced erasure of labile memory. We draw a link between the sleeping cortex and Landauer’s dissipation theorem for irreversible computing [R. Landauer, IBM J. Res. Devel. 5, 183 (1961)], arguing that because information erasure is an irreversible computation, there is an inherent entropy cost as the cortex transits from SWS into REM sleep.

Noise, impulse noise, and other physical factors: combined effects on hearing.

PubMed

Pekkarinen, J

1995-01-01

In most of the epidemiologic studies conducted during the last 20 years, impulse noise caused increased risk of hearing loss in comparison to continuous noise with the same acoustical energy. The interaction between noise exposure (broadband at 100 dB(A)) and hand-arm vibration (125 Hz at 2 ms-2 acceleration level) has been proven for people having vibration-induced white finger symptoms. This interaction is evidenced as a permanent hearing loss. However, why the interaction is seen only in people with VWF is not known. The mechanisms may be related to individual susceptibility, and hypotheses are given on the role of the autonomous nervous system regulating the peripheral vascular reaction. Whole-body vibration (2-10 Hz, at 10 ms-2 level) seems to increase the TTS when noise (broadband at 90 dB(A)) is present. This effect is more pronounced at higher temperatures. The hypothermia protects hearing against the effects of noise in animal studies. The interaction between noise and temperature decrease seems obvious in animal studies. Exercise has both increased and decreased the TTS during noise exposure. The effects have been successfully explained as the depression of the stapedius reflex. Thus, less protection against noise is provided for the inner ear in exercise conditions. The increase of the blood temperature also has been suggested to increase noise-induced TTS during exercise. Electromagnetic fields have been found to cause acoustical interactions in the inner ear. Animal studies and human studies have given contradictory results on the effects of magnetic coil devices on hearing. The MR imaging devices produce noise levels of 82-93 dB, which is not sufficient to produce the risk of permanent hearing loss when short exposure durations are taken into consideration. More systematic research is needed with accurately defined electromagnetic characteristics to reveal the potential interactions. The interactions seem to exist, but relatively high levels and

Moment stability for a predator-prey model with parametric dichotomous noises

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jin, Yan-Fei

2015-06-01

In this paper, we investigate the solution moment stability for a Harrison-type predator-prey model with parametric dichotomous noises. Using the Shapiro-Loginov formula, the equations for the first-order and second-order moments are obtained and the corresponding stable conditions are given. It is found that the solution moment stability depends on the noise intensity and correlation time of noise. The first-order and second-order moments become unstable with the decrease of correlation time. That is, the dichotomous noise can improve the solution moment stability with respect to Gaussian white noise. Finally, some numerical results are presented to verify the theoretical analyses. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 11272051).

White vegetables: glycemia and satiety.

PubMed

Anderson, G Harvey; Soeandy, Chesarahmia Dojo; Smith, Christopher E

2013-05-01

The objective of this review is to discuss the effect of white vegetable consumption on glycemia, satiety, and food intake. White vegetables is a term used to refer to vegetables that are white or near white in color and include potatoes, cauliflowers, turnips, onions, parsnips, white corn, kohlrabi, and mushrooms (technically fungi but generally considered a vegetable). They vary greatly in their contribution to the energy and nutrient content of the diet and glycemia and satiety. As with other foods, the glycemic effect of many white vegetables has been measured. The results illustrate that interpretation of the semiquantitative comparative ratings of white vegetables as derived by the glycemic index must be context dependent. As illustrated by using the potato as an example, the glycemic index of white vegetables can be misleading if not interpreted in the context of the overall contribution that the white vegetable makes to the carbohydrate and nutrient composition of the diet and their functionality in satiety and metabolic control within usual meals. It is concluded that application of the glycemic index in isolation to judge the role of white vegetables in the diet and, specifically in the case of potato as consumed in ad libitum meals, has led to premature and possibly counterproductive dietary guidance.

The Effect of Age and Type of Noise on Speech Perception under Conditions of Changing Context and Noise Levels.

PubMed

Taitelbaum-Swead, Riki; Fostick, Leah

2016-01-01

Everyday life includes fluctuating noise levels, resulting in continuously changing speech intelligibility. The study aims were: (1) to quantify the amount of decrease in age-related speech perception, as a result of increasing noise level, and (2) to test the effect of age on context usage at the word level (smaller amount of contextual cues). A total of 24 young adults (age 20-30 years) and 20 older adults (age 60-75 years) were tested. Meaningful and nonsense one-syllable consonant-vowel-consonant words were presented with the background noise types of speech noise (SpN), babble noise (BN), and white noise (WN), with a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of 0 and -5 dB. Older adults had lower accuracy in SNR = 0, with WN being the most difficult condition for all participants. Measuring the change in speech perception when SNR decreased showed a reduction of 18.6-61.5% in intelligibility, with age effect only for BN. Both young and older adults used less phonemic context with WN, as compared to other conditions. Older adults are more affected by an increasing noise level of fluctuating informational noise as compared to steady-state noise. They also use less contextual cues when perceiving monosyllabic words. Further studies should take into consideration that when presenting the stimulus differently (change in noise level, less contextual cues), other perceptual and cognitive processes are involved. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Implementation of noise budgets for civil airports

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

Bishop, D.E.

1982-01-01

An increasing number of airports are faced with the need for establishing a lid on the noise from aircraft operations and for developing programs for reducing airport noise on a year-to-year basis. As an example, the California Airport Noise Standard acts to impose such programs on a number of airports in California. Any airport faced with the need to establish a quantitative reduction of noise obviously wants to achieve this reduction with the least impact on numbers of operations and reduction in air transportation services to the community. A reduction in noise and an increase in operations usually can bemore » achieved only by encouraging use of the quietest aircraft available and, further adding incentives for operating procedures that minimize noise. One approach in administering airport noise reduction is to adopt an airport noise budget. As used in this paper, the noise budget concept implies that quantitative limits on the noise environment and on the noise contributions by major airport users will be established. Having methods for enforcing compliance with the airport budget for those airport users that exceed their budget will be established. Thus, the noise budget provides airport management, and major airport users, with quantitative measures for defining noise goals, and actual progress in achieving such goals.« less

Noise-induced hearing loss and combined noise and vibration exposure.

PubMed

Turcot, A; Girard, S A; Courteau, M; Baril, J; Larocque, R

2015-04-01

While there is a wide body of literature addressing noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) and hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) independently, relatively few studies have considered the combined effects of noise and vibration. These studies have suggested an increased risk of NIHL in workers with vibration white finger (VWF), though the relationship remains poorly understood. To determine whether hearing impairment is worse in noise-exposed workers with VWF than in workers with similar noise exposures but without VWF. The Quebec National Institute of Public Health audiometric database was used in conjunction with work-related accident and occupational diseases data from the Quebec workers' compensation board to analyse differences in audiometry results between vibration-exposed workers in the mining and forestry industries and the overall source population, and between mining and forestry workers with documented VWF and those without VWF. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 7029 standards were used to calculate hearing loss not attributable to age. 15751 vibration-exposed workers were identified in an overall source population of 59339. Workers with VWF (n = 96) had significantly worse hearing at every frequency studied (500, 1000, 2000 4000 Hz) compared with other mining and forestry workers without VWF. This study confirms previous findings of greater hearing loss at higher frequencies in workers with VWF, but also found a significant difference in hearing loss at low frequencies. It therefore supports the association between combined noise and hand-arm vibration (HAV) exposure and NIHL. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Occupational Medicine. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Effects of ocular aberrations on contrast detection in noise.

PubMed

Liang, Bo; Liu, Rong; Dai, Yun; Zhou, Jiawei; Zhou, Yifeng; Zhang, Yudong

2012-08-06

We use adaptive optics (AO) techniques to manipulate the ocular aberrations and elucidate the effects of these ocular aberrations on contrast detection in a noisy background. The detectability of sine wave gratings at frequencies of 4, 8, and 16 circles per degree (cpd) was measured in a standard two-interval force-choice staircase procedure against backgrounds of various levels of white noise. The observer's ocular aberrations were either corrected with AO or left uncorrected. In low levels of external noise, contrast detection thresholds are always lowered by AO correction, whereas in high levels of external noise, they are generally elevated by AO correction. Higher levels of external noise are required to make this threshold elevation observable when signal spatial frequencies increase from 4 to 16 cpd. The linear-amplifier-model fit shows that mostly sampling efficiency and equivalent noise both decrease with AO correction. Our findings indicate that ocular aberrations could be beneficial for contrast detection in high-level noises. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Binaural speech discrimination under noise in hearing-impaired listeners

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kumar, K. V.; Rao, A. B.

1988-01-01

This paper presents the results of an assessment of speech discrimination by hearing-impaired listeners (sensori-neural, conductive, and mixed groups) under binaural free-field listening in the presence of background noise. Subjects with pure-tone thresholds greater than 20 dB in 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 kHz were presented with a version of the W-22 list of phonetically balanced words under three conditions: (1) 'quiet', with the chamber noise below 28 dB and speech at 60 dB; (2) at a constant S/N ratio of +10 dB, and with a background white noise at 70 dB; and (3) same as condition (2), but with the background noise at 80 dB. The mean speech discrimination scores decreased significantly with noise in all groups. However, the decrease in binaural speech discrimination scores with an increase in hearing impairment was less for material presented under the noise conditions than for the material presented in quiet.

Increased White Matter Inflammation in Aging- and Alzheimer’s Disease Brain

PubMed Central

Raj, Divya; Yin, Zhuoran; Breur, Marjolein; Doorduin, Janine; Holtman, Inge R.; Olah, Marta; Mantingh-Otter, Ietje J.; Van Dam, Debby; De Deyn, Peter P.; den Dunnen, Wilfred; Eggen, Bart J. L.; Amor, Sandra; Boddeke, Erik

2017-01-01

Chronic neuroinflammation, which is primarily mediated by microglia, plays an essential role in aging and neurodegeneration. It is still unclear whether this microglia-induced neuroinflammation occurs globally or is confined to distinct brain regions. In this study, we investigated microglia activity in various brain regions upon healthy aging and Alzheimer’s disease (AD)-related pathology in both human and mouse samples. In purified microglia isolated from aging mouse brains, we found a profound gene expression pattern related to pro-inflammatory processes, phagocytosis, and lipid homeostasis. Particularly in white matter microglia of 24-month-old mice, abundant expression of phagocytic markers including Mac-2, Axl, CD16/32, Dectin1, CD11c, and CD36 was detected. Interestingly, in white matter of human brain tissue the first signs of inflammatory activity were already detected during middle age. Thus quantification of microglial proteins, such as CD68 (commonly associated with phagocytosis) and HLA-DR (associated with antigen presentation), in postmortem human white matter brain tissue showed an age-dependent increase in immunoreactivity already in middle-aged people (53.2 ± 2.0 years). This early inflammation was also detectable by non-invasive positron emission tomography imaging using [11C]-(R)-PK11195, a ligand that binds to activated microglia. Increased microglia activity was also prominently present in the white matter of human postmortem early-onset AD (EOAD) brain tissue. Interestingly, microglia activity in the white matter of late-onset AD (LOAD) CNS was similar to that of the aged clinically silent AD cases. These data indicate that microglia-induced neuroinflammation is predominant in the white matter of aging mice and humans as well as in EOAD brains. This white matter inflammation may contribute to the progression of neurodegeneration, and have prognostic value for detecting the onset and progression of aging and neurodegeneration. PMID:28713239

Hearing and Underwater Noise Exposure

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-08-27

Ordnance Laboratory, White Oak, Silver Springs, Md. Corso, J. F. (1963) Bone-conduction thresholds for sonic and ultrasonic frequencies. J. Acoust...Soc. Am. 35, 1738-1743. Corso, J. F., & Levine, M. (1965a) Sonic and Ultrasonic equal loudness contours. J. Exp. Psychol. 70, 412-416. Corso, J...KEY WORDS (Continue on reverse aide II neceaaary and identity by block number) Hearing, Deafness, Sonar, Noise, Sound, Ultrasound, Infra -sound

Role of the nature of noise in the thermal conductance of mechanical systems.

PubMed

Morgado, Welles A M; Duarte Queirós, Sílvio M

2012-10-01

Focusing on a paradigmatic small system consisting of two coupled damped oscillators, we survey the role of the Lévy-Itô nature of the noise in the thermal conductance. For white noises, we prove that the Lévy-Itô composition (Lebesgue measure) of the noise is irrelevant for the thermal conductance of a nonequilibrium linearly coupled chain, which signals the independence of mechanical and thermodynamical properties. In contrast, for the nonlinearly coupled case, the two types of properties mix and the explicit definition of the noise plays a central role.

Does red noise increase or decrease extinction risk? Single extreme events versus series of unfavorable conditions.

PubMed

Schwager, Monika; Johst, Karin; Jeltsch, Florian

2006-06-01

Recent theoretical studies have shown contrasting effects of temporal correlation of environmental fluctuations (red noise) on the risk of population extinction. It is still debated whether and under which conditions red noise increases or decreases extinction risk compared with uncorrelated (white) noise. Here, we explain the opposing effects by introducing two features of red noise time series. On the one hand, positive autocorrelation increases the probability of series of poor environmental conditions, implying increasing extinction risk. On the other hand, for a given time period, the probability of at least one extremely bad year ("catastrophe") is reduced compared with white noise, implying decreasing extinction risk. Which of these two features determines extinction risk depends on the strength of environmental fluctuations and the sensitivity of population dynamics to these fluctuations. If extreme (catastrophic) events can occur (strong noise) or sensitivity is high (overcompensatory density dependence), then temporal correlation decreases extinction risk; otherwise, it increases it. Thus, our results provide a simple explanation for the contrasting previous findings and are a crucial step toward a general understanding of the effect of noise color on extinction risk.

White noise analysis of Phycomyces light growth response system. I. Normal intensity range.

PubMed Central

Lipson, E D

1975-01-01

The Wiener-Lee-Schetzen method for the identification of a nonlinear system through white gaussian noise stimulation was applied to the transient light growth response of the sporangiophore of Phycomyces. In order to cover a moderate dynamic range of light intensity I, the imput variable was defined to be log I. The experiments were performed in the normal range of light intensity, centered about I0 = 10(-6) W/cm2. The kernels of the Wierner functionals were computed up to second order. Within the range of a few decades the system is reasonably linear with log I. The main nonlinear feature of the second-order kernel corresponds to the property of rectification. Power spectral analysis reveals that the slow dynamics of the system are of at least fifth order. The system can be represented approximately by a linear transfer function, including a first-order high-pass (adaptation) filter with a 4 min time constant and an underdamped fourth-order low-pass filter. Accordingly a linear electronic circuit was constructed to simulate the small scale response characteristics. In terms of the adaptation model of Delbrück and Reichardt (1956, in Cellular Mechanisms in Differentiation and Growth, Princeton University Press), kernels were deduced for the dynamic dependence of the growth velocity (output) on the "subjective intensity", a presumed internal variable. Finally the linear electronic simulator above was generalized to accommodate the large scale nonlinearity of the adaptation model and to serve as a tool for deeper test of the model. PMID:1203444

Performance of correlation receivers in the presence of impulse noise.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moore, J. D.; Houts, R. C.

1972-01-01

An impulse noise model, which assumes that each noise burst contains a randomly weighted version of a basic waveform, is used to derive the performance equations for a correlation receiver. The expected number of bit errors per noise burst is expressed as a function of the average signal energy, signal-set correlation coefficient, bit time, noise-weighting-factor variance and probability density function, and a time range function which depends on the crosscorrelation of the signal-set basis functions and the noise waveform. Unlike the performance results for additive white Gaussian noise, it is shown that the error performance for impulse noise is affected by the choice of signal-set basis function, and that Orthogonal signaling is not equivalent to On-Off signaling with the same average energy. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the correlation-receiver error performance can be improved by inserting a properly specified nonlinear device prior to the receiver input.

Optimal application of Morrison's iterative noise removal for deconvolution. Appendices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ioup, George E.; Ioup, Juliette W.

1987-01-01

Morrison's iterative method of noise removal, or Morrison's smoothing, is applied in a simulation to noise-added data sets of various noise levels to determine its optimum use. Morrison's smoothing is applied for noise removal alone, and for noise removal prior to deconvolution. For the latter, an accurate method is analyzed to provide confidence in the optimization. The method consists of convolving the data with an inverse filter calculated by taking the inverse discrete Fourier transform of the reciprocal of the transform of the response of the system. Various length filters are calculated for the narrow and wide Gaussian response functions used. Deconvolution of non-noisy data is performed, and the error in each deconvolution calculated. Plots are produced of error versus filter length; and from these plots the most accurate length filters determined. The statistical methodologies employed in the optimizations of Morrison's method are similar. A typical peak-type input is selected and convolved with the two response functions to produce the data sets to be analyzed. Both constant and ordinate-dependent Gaussian distributed noise is added to the data, where the noise levels of the data are characterized by their signal-to-noise ratios. The error measures employed in the optimizations are the L1 and L2 norms. Results of the optimizations for both Gaussians, both noise types, and both norms include figures of optimum iteration number and error improvement versus signal-to-noise ratio, and tables of results. The statistical variation of all quantities considered is also given.

The evaluation of marine traffic noise and its effect on the Chinese White Dolphins in Sha Chau and Lung Kwu Chau Marine Park, Hong Kong

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chan, T.

2016-12-01

The Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) handles a large amount of air traffic, at 68.5 million passengers per year (approx. 40.1 million flights per year). Given that flight demand is forecast to reach 97 million passengers per year (approx 60.2 million flights per year) by 2030, the HKIA must optimise runway capacity in order to meet growing demand. Hence, the Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) has put forward a proposal to expand the airport into a three-runway system by building a third runway. However, this presents many environmental constraints. These include major impacts on marine ecology; especially the Chinese White Dolphins (Sousa chinensis) that live around the Sha Chau and Lung Kwu Chau Marine Park north to the airport. Due to that the third runway will reclaim approximately 650 hectares of the se so re-routing of speed boats and ferries has been planned. This includes one route that passes through the marine nursery inside the park. This indirectly causes noise pollution that will affect marine life. Since dolphins rely on echolocation (often discerned by a "click" sound) to communicate and navigate, increasing marine traffic (re-routing) causes obscuring noises and acoustic communication interfering with echolocation, as well as collisions which lead to physical injuries. Underwater construction works involving techniques such as percussive piling may interfere with the dolphins' echolocation capability. The data has been collected using a hydrophone by observing the noise frequency changes within the marine park. The noises come from a number of sources, including fishing boats, and speed boats, krill and around 20 estuarine fish species. The evaluation of four years (2013-2016) has shown that noise pollution is increasing (as indicated by the increase of frequencies around 100 125 kHz) and that it has caused disruption in regular dolphin movement (irregular clicking sequence) .

Microstructural white matter alterations in preclinical Alzheimer’s disease detected using free water elimination diffusion tensor imaging

PubMed Central

Ly, Martina; Carlsson, Cynthia M.; Okonkwo, Ozioma C.; Zetterberg, Henrik; Blennow, Kaj; Sager, Mark A.; Asthana, Sanjay; Johnson, Sterling C.; Alexander, Andrew L.; Bendlin, Barbara B.

2017-01-01

Brain changes associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) begin decades before disease diagnosis. While β-amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles are defining features of AD, neuronal loss and synaptic pathology are closely related to the cognitive dysfunction. Brain imaging methods that are tuned to assess degeneration of myelinated nerve fibers in the brain (collectively called white matter) include diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and related techniques, and are expected to shed light on disease-related loss of structural connectivity. Participants (N = 70, ages 47–76 years) from the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer’s Prevention study underwent DTI and hybrid diffusion imaging to determine a free-water elimination (FWE-DTI) model. The study assessed the extent to which preclinical AD pathology affects brain white matter. Preclinical AD pathology was determined using cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers. The sample was enriched for AD risk (APOE ε4 and parental history of AD). AD pathology assessed by CSF analyses was significantly associated with altered microstructure on both DTI and FWE-DTI. Affected regions included frontal, parietal, and especially temporal white matter. The f-value derived from the FWE-DTI model appeared to be the most sensitive to the relationship between the CSF AD biomarkers and microstructural alterations in white matter. These findings suggest that white matter degeneration is an early pathological feature of AD that may have utility both for early disease detection and as outcome measures for clinical trials. More complex models of microstructural diffusion properties including FWE-DTI may provide increased sensitivity to early brain changes associated with AD over standard DTI. PMID:28291839

Impact of environmental colored noise in single-species population dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spanio, Tommaso; Hidalgo, Jorge; Muñoz, Miguel A.

2017-10-01

Variability on external conditions has important consequences for the dynamics and the organization of biological systems. In many cases, the characteristic timescale of environmental changes as well as their correlations play a fundamental role in the way living systems adapt and respond to it. A proper mathematical approach to understand population dynamics, thus, requires approaches more refined than, e.g., simple white-noise approximations. To shed further light onto this problem, in this paper we propose a unifying framework based on different analytical and numerical tools available to deal with "colored" environmental noise. In particular, we employ a "unified colored noise approximation" to map the original problem into an effective one with white noise, and then we apply a standard path integral approach to gain analytical understanding. For the sake of specificity, we present our approach using as a guideline a variation of the contact process—which can also be seen as a birth-death process of the Malthus-Verhulst class—where the propagation or birth rate varies stochastically in time. Our approach allows us to tackle in a systematic manner some of the relevant questions concerning population dynamics under environmental variability, such as determining the stationary population density, establishing the conditions under which a population may become extinct, and estimating extinction times. We focus on the emerging phase diagram and its possible phase transitions, underlying how these are affected by the presence of environmental noise time-correlations.

The subjective importance of noise spectral content

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baxter, Donald; Phillips, Jonathan; Denman, Hugh

2014-01-01

This paper presents secondary Standard Quality Scale (SQS2) rankings in overall quality JNDs for a subjective analysis of the 3 axes of noise, amplitude, spectral content, and noise type, based on the ISO 20462 softcopy ruler protocol. For the initial pilot study, a Python noise simulation model was created to generate the matrix of noise masks for the softcopy ruler base images with different levels of noise, different low pass filter noise bandwidths and different band pass filter center frequencies, and 3 different types of noise: luma only, chroma only, and luma and chroma combined. Based on the lessons learned, the full subjective experiment, involving 27 observers from Google, NVIDIA and STMicroelectronics was modified to incorporate a wider set of base image scenes, and the removal of band pass filtered noise masks to ease observer fatigue. Good correlation was observed with the Aptina subjective noise study. The absence of tone mapping in the noise simulation model visibly reduced the contrast at high levels of noise, due to the clipping of the high levels of noise near black and white. Under the 34-inch viewing distance, no significant difference was found between the luma only noise masks and the combined luma and chroma noise masks. This was not the intuitive expectation. Two of the base images with large uniform areas, `restaurant' and `no parking', were found to be consistently more sensitive to noise than the texture rich scenes. Two key conclusions are (1) there are fundamentally different sensitivities to noise on a flat patch versus noise in real images and (2) magnification of an image accentuates visual noise in a way that is non-representative of typical noise reduction algorithms generating the same output frequency. Analysis of our experimental noise masks applied to a synthetic Macbeth ColorChecker Chart confirmed the color-dependent nature of the visibility of luma and chroma noise.

Comparing Auditory Noise Treatment with Stimulant Medication on Cognitive Task Performance in Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Results from a Pilot Study.

PubMed

Söderlund, Göran B W; Björk, Christer; Gustafsson, Peik

2016-01-01

Recent research has shown that acoustic white noise (80 dB) can improve task performance in people with attention deficits and/or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). This is attributed to the phenomenon of stochastic resonance in which a certain amount of noise can improve performance in a brain that is not working at its optimum. We compare here the effect of noise exposure with the effect of stimulant medication on cognitive task performance in ADHD. The aim of the present study was to compare the effects of auditory noise exposure with stimulant medication for ADHD children on a cognitive test battery. A group of typically developed children (TDC) took the same tests as a comparison. Twenty children with ADHD of combined or inattentive subtypes and twenty TDC matched for age and gender performed three different tests (word recall, spanboard and n-back task) during exposure to white noise (80 dB) and in a silent condition. The ADHD children were tested with and without central stimulant medication. In the spanboard- and the word recall tasks, but not in the 2-back task, white noise exposure led to significant improvements for both non-medicated and medicated ADHD children. No significant effects of medication were found on any of the three tasks. This pilot study shows that exposure to white noise resulted in a task improvement that was larger than the one with stimulant medication thus opening up the possibility of using auditory noise as an alternative, non-pharmacological treatment of cognitive ADHD symptoms.

Investigation of Allan variance for determining noise spectral forms with application to microwave radiometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stanley, William D.

1994-01-01

An investigation of the Allan variance method as a possible means for characterizing fluctuations in radiometric noise diodes has been performed. The goal is to separate fluctuation components into white noise, flicker noise, and random-walk noise. The primary means is by discrete-time processing, and the study focused primarily on the digital processes involved. Noise satisfying the requirements was generated by direct convolution, fast Fourier transformation (FFT) processing in the time domain, and FFT processing in the frequency domain. Some of the numerous results obtained are presented along with the programs used in the study.

Updating working memory in aircraft noise and speech noise causes different fMRI activations.

PubMed

Saetrevik, Bjørn; Sörqvist, Patrik

2015-02-01

The present study used fMRI/BOLD neuroimaging to investigate how visual-verbal working memory is updated when exposed to three different background-noise conditions: speech noise, aircraft noise and silence. The number-updating task that was used can distinguish between "substitution processes," which involve adding new items to the working memory representation and suppressing old items, and "exclusion processes," which involve rejecting new items and maintaining an intact memory set. The current findings supported the findings of a previous study by showing that substitution activated the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, the posterior medial frontal cortex and the parietal lobes, whereas exclusion activated the anterior medial frontal cortex. Moreover, the prefrontal cortex was activated more by substitution processes when exposed to background speech than when exposed to aircraft noise. These results indicate that (a) the prefrontal cortex plays a special role when task-irrelevant materials should be denied access to working memory and (b) that, when compensating for different types of noise, either different cognitive mechanisms are involved or those cognitive mechanisms that are involved are involved to different degrees. © 2014 The Authors. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology published by Scandinavian Psychological Associations and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Updating working memory in aircraft noise and speech noise causes different fMRI activations

PubMed Central

Sætrevik, Bjørn; Sörqvist, Patrik

2015-01-01

The present study used fMRI/BOLD neuroimaging to investigate how visual-verbal working memory is updated when exposed to three different background-noise conditions: speech noise, aircraft noise and silence. The number-updating task that was used can distinguish between “substitution processes,” which involve adding new items to the working memory representation and suppressing old items, and “exclusion processes,” which involve rejecting new items and maintaining an intact memory set. The current findings supported the findings of a previous study by showing that substitution activated the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, the posterior medial frontal cortex and the parietal lobes, whereas exclusion activated the anterior medial frontal cortex. Moreover, the prefrontal cortex was activated more by substitution processes when exposed to background speech than when exposed to aircraft noise. These results indicate that (a) the prefrontal cortex plays a special role when task-irrelevant materials should be denied access to working memory and (b) that, when compensating for different types of noise, either different cognitive mechanisms are involved or those cognitive mechanisms that are involved are involved to different degrees. PMID:25352319

Radiation dose reduction using 100-kVp and a sinogram-affirmed iterative reconstruction algorithm in adolescent head CT: Impact on grey-white matter contrast and image noise.

PubMed

Nagayama, Yasunori; Nakaura, Takeshi; Tsuji, Akinori; Urata, Joji; Furusawa, Mitsuhiro; Yuki, Hideaki; Hirarta, Kenichiro; Kidoh, Masafumi; Oda, Seitaro; Utsunomiya, Daisuke; Yamashita, Yasuyuki

2017-07-01

To retrospectively evaluate the image quality and radiation dose of 100-kVp scans with sinogram-affirmed iterative reconstruction (IR) for unenhanced head CT in adolescents. Sixty-nine patients aged 12-17 years underwent head CT under 120- (n = 34) or 100-kVp (n = 35) protocols. The 120-kVp images were reconstructed with filtered back-projection (FBP), 100-kVp images with FBP (100-kVp-F) and sinogram-affirmed IR (100-kVp-S). We compared the effective dose (ED), grey-white matter (GM-WM) contrast, image noise, and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) between protocols in supratentorial (ST) and posterior fossa (PS). We also assessed GM-WM contrast, image noise, sharpness, artifacts, and overall image quality on a four-point scale. ED was 46% lower with 100- than 120-kVp (p < 0.001). GM-WM contrast was higher, and image noise was lower, on 100-kVp-S than 120-kVp at ST (p < 0.001). CNR of 100-kVp-S was higher than of 120-kVp (p < 0.001). GM-WM contrast of 100-kVp-S was subjectively rated as better than of 120-kVp (p < 0.001). There were no significant differences in the other criteria between 100-kVp-S and 120-kVp (p = 0.072-0.966). The 100-kVp with sinogram-affirmed IR facilitated dramatic radiation reduction and better GM-WM contrast without increasing image noise in adolescent head CT. • 100-kVp head CT provides 46% radiation dose reduction compared with 120-kVp. • 100-kVp scanning improves subjective and objective GM-WM contrast. • Sinogram-affirmed IR decreases head CT image noise, especially in supratentorial region. • 100-kVp protocol with sinogram-affirmed IR is suited for adolescent head CT.

Binaural speech discrimination under noise in hearing-impaired listeners.

PubMed

Kumar, K V; Rao, A B

1988-10-01

This study was undertaken to assess speech discrimination under binaural listening with background noise in hearing-impaired subjects. Subjects (58 sensori-neural, 23 conductive, and 19 mixed) were administered an indigenous version of W-22 PB words under: Condition I--Quiet--chamber noise below 28 dB with speech at 60 dB; and at a constant signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio of +10 dB with background white noise at 70 dB in Condition II and 80 dB in Condition III. The scores were a) 81 +/- 16%, b) 77 +/- 9%, and c) 79 +/- 13%. Mean scores decreased significantly (p less than 0.001) with noise in all groups while the score was more (p less than 0.001) at the higher noise level only in the sensori-neural group. The decrease in scores with advancing hearing impairment was less in noise than in quiet, probably due to binaural and satisfactory S/N ratio. The scores did not fall below 70% unless the handicap was marked. The need for suitable standards of binaural speech discrimination under noise in aircrew assessment is emphasized.

Turbid white urine

PubMed Central

Vera, Manel; Molano, Alejandra; Rodríguez, Patricia

2010-01-01

Turbid white urine ‘albinuria’ is defined as a urine discoloration described as milky or cloudy. One of the most frequent causes of turbid white urine is chyluria complicating filariasis (Table 1). The extant causes of albinuria are non parasitic and rare. Amongst their aetiologies stand excessive mineral sediment excretion such as calciuria and phosphaturia, massive pyuria and fungal infections, and rarely congenital malformations of the lymphatic vessels. Malingering is also possible, in patients adding milk to their urine. We observed a case of albinuria in which the diagnostic work up led to diagnosing an exceptional cause of chyluria in a patient living in a region of Colombia where filariasis is not endemic. PMID:25949403

Airport noise impact reduction through operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Deloach, R.

1981-01-01

The effects of various aeronautical, operational, and land-use noise impact reduction alternatives are assessed for a major midwestern airport. Specifically, the relative effectiveness of adding sound absorbing material to aircraft engines, imposing curfews, and treating houses with acoustic insulation are examined.

White Vegetables: Glycemia and Satiety12

PubMed Central

Anderson, G. Harvey; Soeandy, Chesarahmia Dojo; Smith, Christopher E.

2013-01-01

The objective of this review is to discuss the effect of white vegetable consumption on glycemia, satiety, and food intake. White vegetables is a term used to refer to vegetables that are white or near white in color and include potatoes, cauliflowers, turnips, onions, parsnips, white corn, kohlrabi, and mushrooms (technically fungi but generally considered a vegetable). They vary greatly in their contribution to the energy and nutrient content of the diet and glycemia and satiety. As with other foods, the glycemic effect of many white vegetables has been measured. The results illustrate that interpretation of the semiquantitative comparative ratings of white vegetables as derived by the glycemic index must be context dependent. As illustrated by using the potato as an example, the glycemic index of white vegetables can be misleading if not interpreted in the context of the overall contribution that the white vegetable makes to the carbohydrate and nutrient composition of the diet and their functionality in satiety and metabolic control within usual meals. It is concluded that application of the glycemic index in isolation to judge the role of white vegetables in the diet and, specifically in the case of potato as consumed in ad libitum meals, has led to premature and possibly counterproductive dietary guidance. PMID:23674805

White Matter Glia Pathology in Autism

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-09-01

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21078227 5 . Sundaram SK, Kumar A, Makki MI, Behen ME, Chugani HT , Chugani DC. Diffusion tensor imaging of frontal lobe in autism ...AD_________________ Award Number: W81XWH-12-1-0302 TITLE: White matter glia pathology in autism PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR...COVERED 01 September 2012 – 31 August 2013 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE White matter glia pathology in autism 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER W81XWH-12-1-0302 5b

Duct Liner Optimization for Turbomachinery Noise Sources

DTIC Science & Technology

1975-11-01

AD-A279 441lIIIflhIh* NASA TECHNICAL NASA TMA X-72789 MEMORANDUM oo £ 00 r-:. DUCT LINER OPTIMIZATION FOR TURBOMACHINERY w NOISE SOURCES By Harold C...Recipient’s r.atalog No. NASA TM X-72789! 4 Title diid Subtitle 5. Rewrt Date Duct Liner Optimization for Turbomachinery Noise Sources November 1975...profiles is combined wit., a numerical minimization algorithm to predict optimal liner configurations having one, two, and three sections. Source models

Several specific and nonspecific responses of the human and animal body to ship noise

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Markaryan, S. S.; Volkov, S. S.; Sysoyev, A. B.

1983-01-01

The effect of noise on cargo boats on a long voyage differs considerably from the effect of noise in factories and in service industries. The peculiarities of the effect of round-the-clock noises at sea at 55 to 85 decibels, typical for cargo boats, were studied in white rats in the laboratory and aboard ship (each of the experiments lasted three months) and in young naval cadets and experienced seamen on voyages lasting one, two, and three months. The findings helped to derive health standards for maximum admissible noise level at sea.

Stark shift of impurity doped quantum dots: Role of noise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arif, Sk. Md.; Bera, Aindrila; Ghosh, Anuja; Ghosh, Manas

2018-02-01

Present study makes a punctilious investigation of the profiles of Stark shift (SS) of doped GaAs quantum dot (QD) under the supervision of Gaussian white noise. A few physical parameters have been varied and the consequent variations in the SS profiles have been monitored. The said physical parameters comprise of magnetic field, confinement potential, dopant location, dopant potential, noise strength, aluminium concentration (only for AlxGa1-x As alloy QD), position-dependent effective mass (PDEM), position-dependent dielectric screening function (PDDSF), anisotropy, hydrostatic pressure (HP) and temperature. The SS profiles unfurl interesting features that heavily depend upon the particular physical quantity concerned, presence/absence of noise and the manner (additive/multiplicative) noise enters the system. The study highlights feasible means of maximizing SS of doped QD in presence of noise by suitable adjustment of several control parameters. The study deems importance in view of technological applications of QD devices where noise plays some prominent role.

Response of Electrical Activity in an Improved Neuron Model under Electromagnetic Radiation and Noise

PubMed Central

Zhan, Feibiao; Liu, Shenquan

2017-01-01

Electrical activities are ubiquitous neuronal bioelectric phenomena, which have many different modes to encode the expression of biological information, and constitute the whole process of signal propagation between neurons. Therefore, we focus on the electrical activities of neurons, which is also causing widespread concern among neuroscientists. In this paper, we mainly investigate the electrical activities of the Morris-Lecar (M-L) model with electromagnetic radiation or Gaussian white noise, which can restore the authenticity of neurons in realistic neural network. First, we explore dynamical response of the whole system with electromagnetic induction (EMI) and Gaussian white noise. We find that there are slight differences in the discharge behaviors via comparing the response of original system with that of improved system, and electromagnetic induction can transform bursting or spiking state to quiescent state and vice versa. Furthermore, we research bursting transition mode and the corresponding periodic solution mechanism for the isolated neuron model with electromagnetic induction by using one-parameter and bi-parameters bifurcation analysis. Finally, we analyze the effects of Gaussian white noise on the original system and coupled system, which is conducive to understand the actual discharge properties of realistic neurons. PMID:29209192

Response of Electrical Activity in an Improved Neuron Model under Electromagnetic Radiation and Noise.

PubMed

Zhan, Feibiao; Liu, Shenquan

2017-01-01

Electrical activities are ubiquitous neuronal bioelectric phenomena, which have many different modes to encode the expression of biological information, and constitute the whole process of signal propagation between neurons. Therefore, we focus on the electrical activities of neurons, which is also causing widespread concern among neuroscientists. In this paper, we mainly investigate the electrical activities of the Morris-Lecar (M-L) model with electromagnetic radiation or Gaussian white noise, which can restore the authenticity of neurons in realistic neural network. First, we explore dynamical response of the whole system with electromagnetic induction (EMI) and Gaussian white noise. We find that there are slight differences in the discharge behaviors via comparing the response of original system with that of improved system, and electromagnetic induction can transform bursting or spiking state to quiescent state and vice versa. Furthermore, we research bursting transition mode and the corresponding periodic solution mechanism for the isolated neuron model with electromagnetic induction by using one-parameter and bi-parameters bifurcation analysis. Finally, we analyze the effects of Gaussian white noise on the original system and coupled system, which is conducive to understand the actual discharge properties of realistic neurons.

Robust shot-noise measurement for continuous-variable quantum key distribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kunz-Jacques, Sébastien; Jouguet, Paul

2015-02-01

We study a practical method to measure the shot noise in real time in continuous-variable quantum key distribution systems. The amount of secret key that can be extracted from the raw statistics depends strongly on this quantity since it affects in particular the computation of the excess noise (i.e., noise in excess of the shot noise) added by an eavesdropper on the quantum channel. Some powerful quantum hacking attacks relying on faking the estimated value of the shot noise to hide an intercept and resend strategy were proposed. Here, we provide experimental evidence that our method can defeat the saturation attack and the wavelength attack.

Stochastic memory: Memory enhancement due to noise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stotland, Alexander; di Ventra, Massimiliano

2012-01-01

There are certain classes of resistors, capacitors, and inductors that, when subject to a periodic input of appropriate frequency, develop hysteresis loops in their characteristic response. Here we show that the hysteresis of such memory elements can also be induced by white noise of appropriate intensity even at very low frequencies of the external driving field. We illustrate this phenomenon using a physical model of memory resistor realized by TiO2 thin films sandwiched between metallic electrodes and discuss under which conditions this effect can be observed experimentally. We also discuss its implications on existing memory systems described in the literature and the role of colored noise.

21 CFR 160.145 - Dried egg whites.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... fermentation procedures—(i) Yeast procedure. Food-grade baker's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) is added to the liquid egg whites and controlled fermentation is maintained. The quantity of yeast used and the...

21 CFR 160.145 - Dried egg whites.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... fermentation procedures—(i) Yeast procedure. Food-grade baker's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) is added to the liquid egg whites and controlled fermentation is maintained. The quantity of yeast used and the...

21 CFR 160.145 - Dried egg whites.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... fermentation procedures—(i) Yeast procedure. Food-grade baker's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) is added to the liquid egg whites and controlled fermentation is maintained. The quantity of yeast used and the...

21 CFR 160.145 - Dried egg whites.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... fermentation procedures—(i) Yeast procedure. Food-grade baker's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) is added to the liquid egg whites and controlled fermentation is maintained. The quantity of yeast used and the...

Statistical characterization of portal images and noise from portal imaging systems.

PubMed

González-López, Antonio; Morales-Sánchez, Juan; Verdú-Monedero, Rafael; Larrey-Ruiz, Jorge

2013-06-01

In this paper, we consider the statistical characteristics of the so-called portal images, which are acquired prior to the radiotherapy treatment, as well as the noise that present the portal imaging systems, in order to analyze whether the well-known noise and image features in other image modalities, such as natural image, can be found in the portal imaging modality. The study is carried out in the spatial image domain, in the Fourier domain, and finally in the wavelet domain. The probability density of the noise in the spatial image domain, the power spectral densities of the image and noise, and the marginal, joint, and conditional statistical distributions of the wavelet coefficients are estimated. Moreover, the statistical dependencies between noise and signal are investigated. The obtained results are compared with practical and useful references, like the characteristics of the natural image and the white noise. Finally, we discuss the implication of the results obtained in several noise reduction methods that operate in the wavelet domain.

Extra-auditory responses to long-term intermittent noise stimulation in humans.

PubMed

Fruhstorfer, B; Hensel, H

1980-12-01

Respiration, heart rate, cutaneous blood flow, and electroencephalogram (EEG) reactions to long-term intermittent noise exposure were recorded from 13 volunteers (20-29 yr) with normal hearing and vegetative reactivity. They received daily within 1 h 12 noise stimuli (16 s 100 dB (A) white noise) for 10 or 21 days, respectively. Most subjects reported partial subjective adaptation to the noise. Heart rate adapted within a session but did not change considerably during successive days. Vascular responses did not change during one session but diminished mainly during the first 10 days. Noise responses in the EEG remained constant, but a decrease in vigilance occurred during the whole experimental series. Respiration responses were unpredictable and showed no trend within the sessions. It was concluded that certain physiological responses adapt to loud noise but that the time course of adaptation is different. Therefore a general statement about physiological noise adaptation is not possible.

Real time aircraft fly-over noise discrimination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Genescà, M.; Romeu, J.; Pàmies, T.; Sánchez, A.

2009-06-01

A method for measuring aircraft noise time history with automatic elimination of simultaneous urban noise is presented in this paper. A 3 m-long 12-microphone sparse array has been proven to give good performance in a wide range of urban placements. Nowadays, urban placements have to be avoided because their background noise has a great influence on the measurements made by sound level meters or single microphones. Because of the small device size and low number of microphones (that make it so easy to set up), the resolution of the device is not high enough to provide a clean aircraft noise time history by only applying frequency domain beamforming to the spatial cross-correlations of the microphones' signals. Therefore, a new step to the processing algorithm has been added to eliminate this handicap.

Wavelet threshold method of resolving noise interference in periodic short-impulse signals chaotic detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deng, Ke; Zhang, Lu; Luo, Mao-Kang

2010-03-01

The chaotic oscillator has already been considered as a powerful method to detect weak signals, even weak signals accompanied with noises. However, many examples, analyses and simulations indicate that chaotic oscillator detection system cannot guarantee the immunity to noises (even white noise). In fact the randomness of noises has a serious or even a destructive effect on the detection results in many cases. To solve this problem, we present a new detecting method based on wavelet threshold processing that can detect the chaotic weak signal accompanied with noise. All theoretical analyses and simulation experiments indicate that the new method reduces the noise interferences to detection significantly, thereby making the corresponding chaotic oscillator that detects the weak signals accompanied with noises more stable and reliable.

White-crowned sparrow males show immediate flexibility in song amplitude but not in song minimum frequency in response to changes in noise levels in the field.

PubMed

Derryberry, Elizabeth P; Gentry, Katherine; Derryberry, Graham E; Phillips, Jennifer N; Danner, Raymond M; Danner, Julie E; Luther, David A

2017-07-01

The soundscape acts as a selective agent on organisms that use acoustic signals to communicate. A number of studies document variation in structure, amplitude, or timing of signal production in correspondence with environmental noise levels thus supporting the hypothesis that organisms are changing their signaling behaviors to avoid masking. The time scale at which organisms respond is of particular interest. Signal structure may evolve across generations through processes such as cultural or genetic transmission. Individuals may also change their behavior during development (ontogenetic change) or in real time (i.e., immediate flexibility). These are not mutually exclusive mechanisms, and all must be investigated to understand how organisms respond to selection pressures from the soundscape. Previous work on white-crowned sparrows ( Zonotrichia leucophrys ) found that males holding territories in louder areas tend to sing higher frequency songs and that both noise levels and song frequency have increased over time (30 years) in urban areas. These previous findings suggest that songs are changing across generations; however, it is not known if this species also exhibits immediate flexibility. Here, we conducted an exploratory, observational study to ask whether males change the minimum frequency of their song in response to immediate changes in noise levels. We also ask whether males sing louder, as increased minimum frequency may be physiologically linked to producing sound at higher amplitudes, in response to immediate changes in environmental noise. We found that territorial males adjust song amplitude but not minimum frequency in response to changes in environmental noise levels. Our results suggest that males do not show immediate flexibility in song minimum frequency, although experimental manipulations are needed to test this hypothesis further. Our work highlights the need to investigate multiple mechanisms of adaptive response to soundscapes.

Effect of c-myc on the ultrastructural structure of cochleae in guinea pigs with noise induced hearing loss

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

Han, Yu; Zhong, Cuiping; Hong, Liu

2009-12-18

Noise over-stimulation may induce hair cells loss and hearing deficit. The c-myc oncogene is a major regulator for cell proliferation, growth, and apoptosis. However, the role of this gene in the mammalian cochlea is still unclear. The study was designed to firstly investigate its function under noise condition, from the aspect of cochlear ultrastructural changes. We had established the adenoviral vector of c-myc gene and delivered the adenovirus suspension into the scala tympani of guinea pigs 4 days before noise exposure. The empty adenoviral vectors were injected as control. Then, all subjects were exposed to 4-kHz octave-band noise at 110more » dB SPL for 8 h/day, 3 days consecutively. Auditory thresholds were assessed by auditory brainstem response, prior to and 7 days following noise exposure. On the seventh days after noise exposure, the cochlear sensory epithelia surface was observed microscopically and the cochleae were taken to study the ultrastructural changes. The results indicated that auditory threshold shift after noise exposure was higher in the ears treated with Ad.EGFP than that treated with Ad.c-myc-EGFP. Stereocilia loss and the disarrangement of outer hair cells were observed, with greater changes found in the Ad.EGFP group. Also, the ultrastructure changes were severe in the Ad.EGFP group, but not obvious in the Ad.c-myc-EGFP group. Therefore, c-myc gene might play an unexpected role in hearing functional and morphological protection from acoustic trauma.« less

Distinct white matter injury associated with medial temporal lobe atrophy in Alzheimer's versus semantic dementia.

PubMed

Bejanin, Alexandre; Desgranges, Béatrice; La Joie, Renaud; Landeau, Brigitte; Perrotin, Audrey; Mézenge, Florence; Belliard, Serge; de La Sayette, Vincent; Eustache, Francis; Chételat, Gaël

2017-04-01

This study aims at further understanding the distinct vulnerability of brain networks in Alzheimer's disease (AD) versus semantic dementia (SD) investigating the white matter injury associated with medial temporal lobe (MTL) atrophy in both conditions. Twenty-six AD patients, twenty-one SD patients, and thirty-nine controls underwent a high-resolution T1-MRI scan allowing to obtain maps of grey matter volume and white matter density. A statistical conjunction approach was used to identify MTL regions showing grey matter atrophy in both patient groups. The relationship between this common grey matter atrophy and white matter density maps was then assessed within each patient group. Patterns of grey matter atrophy were distinct in AD and SD but included a common region in the MTL, encompassing the hippocampus and amygdala. This common atrophy was associated with alterations in different white matter areas in AD versus SD, mainly including the cingulum and corpus callosum in AD, while restricted to the temporal lobe - essentially the uncinate and inferior longitudinal fasciculi - in SD. Complementary analyses revealed that these relationships remained significant when controlling for global atrophy or disease severity. Overall, this study provides the first evidence that atrophy of the same MTL region is related to damage in distinct white matter fibers in AD and SD. These different patterns emphasize the vulnerability of distinct brain networks related to the MTL in these two disorders, which might underlie the discrepancy in their symptoms. These results further suggest differences between AD and SD in the neuropathological processes occurring in the MTL. Hum Brain Mapp 38:1791-1800, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Noise behavior of microwave amplifiers operating under nonlinear conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Escotte, L.; Gonneau, E.; Chambon, C.; Graffeuil, J.

2005-12-01

B The noise behavior of microwave amplifiers operating under a large-signal condition has been studied in this paper. A Gaussian noise is added to a microwave signal and they are applied at the input of several amplifying devices. Experimental data show a decrease of the output noise spectral density when the power of the microwave signal at the input of the devices increases due to the compression of the amplifiers. A distortion component due to the interaction of the signal and its harmonics with the noise is also demonstrated from a simplified theoretical model. The statistical properties of the signal and the noise have also been investigated in order to verify the Gaussianity of the noise at the output of the nonlinear circuits. We have also observed that the majority of the measured devices show some variations of their additive noise versus the input power level.

Noise level reduction inside helicopter cabins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laudien, Eckehard; Niesl, George

1990-09-01

A number of measures to reduce the noise level in helicopter cabins are discussed. Laboratory test results of various panellings are presented as well as the insulation capacities of different panel mounts. Experiments in acoustic facilities (anechoic chamber and reverberation room) with the original cabin door and its frame led to an optimization of the transmission losses of door components such as window, sealing, and frame. The reduction of the cabin noise level by adding absorption is illustrated in the case of a honeycomb bulkhead with Helmholtz resonators. These sound absorption elements were designed to damp discrete gearbox frequencies. Resonators were also used for noise attenuation of an oil cooler fan. Cabin noise comfort can be improved by eliminating discrete frequencies. This was achieved in an experimental set up where properly tuned resonators were placed as close as possible to the passenger's ear in the headrest of the seat. In order to reduce structureborne transmission system noise, ground and flight test data of gearbox strut impedance were used for the design of specially tuned vibration absorbers.

Analysis of Digital Communication Signals and Extraction of Parameters.

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-12-01

Fast Fourier Transform (FFT). The correlation methods utilize modified time-frequency distributions , where one of these is based on the Wigner - Ville ... Distribution ( WVD ). Gaussian white noise is added to the signal to simulate various signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs).

High-speed noise-free optical quantum memory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaczmarek, K. T.; Ledingham, P. M.; Brecht, B.; Thomas, S. E.; Thekkadath, G. S.; Lazo-Arjona, O.; Munns, J. H. D.; Poem, E.; Feizpour, A.; Saunders, D. J.; Nunn, J.; Walmsley, I. A.

2018-04-01

Optical quantum memories are devices that store and recall quantum light and are vital to the realization of future photonic quantum networks. To date, much effort has been put into improving storage times and efficiencies of such devices to enable long-distance communications. However, less attention has been devoted to building quantum memories which add zero noise to the output. Even small additional noise can render the memory classical by destroying the fragile quantum signatures of the stored light. Therefore, noise performance is a critical parameter for all quantum memories. Here we introduce an intrinsically noise-free quantum memory protocol based on two-photon off-resonant cascaded absorption (ORCA). We demonstrate successful storage of GHz-bandwidth heralded single photons in a warm atomic vapor with no added noise, confirmed by the unaltered photon-number statistics upon recall. Our ORCA memory meets the stringent noise requirements for quantum memories while combining high-speed and room-temperature operation with technical simplicity, and therefore is immediately applicable to low-latency quantum networks.

DTI-measured white matter abnormalities in adolescents with Conduct Disorder

PubMed Central

Haney-Caron, Emily; Caprihan, Arvind; Stevens, Michael C.

2013-01-01

Emerging research suggests that antisocial behavior in youth is linked to abnormal brain white matter microstructure, but the extent of such anatomical connectivity abnormalities remain largely untested because previous Conduct Disorder (CD) studies typically have selectively focused on specific frontotemporal tracts. This study aimed to replicate and extend previous frontotemporal diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) findings to determine whether noncomorbid CD adolescents have white matter microstructural abnormalities in major white matter tracts across the whole brain. Seventeen CD-diagnosed adolescents recruited from the community were compared to a group of 24 non-CD youth which did not differ in average age (12–18) or gender proportion. Tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) fractional anisotropy (FA), axial diffusivity (AD), and radial diffusivity (RD) measurements were compared between groups using FSL nonparametric two-sample t test, clusterwise whole-brain corrected, p<.05. CD FA and AD deficits were widespread, but unrelated to gender, verbal ability, or CD age of onset. CD adolescents had significantly lower FA and AD values in frontal lobe and temporal lobe regions, including frontal lobe anterior/superior corona radiata, and inferior longitudinal and fronto-occpital fasciculi passing through the temporal lobe. The magnitude of several CD FA deficits was associated with number of CD symptoms. Because AD, but not RD, differed between study groups, abnormalities of axonal microstructure in CD rather than myelination are suggested. This study provides evidence that adolescent antisocial disorder is linked to abnormal white matter microstructure in more than just the uncinate fasciulcus as identified in previous DTI studies, or frontotemporal brain structures as suggested by functional neuroimaging studies. Instead, neurobiological risk specific to antisociality in adolescence is linked to microstructural abnormality in numerous long-range white matter

Noise Monitoring Titan III D Launch Vandenberg AFB, Calif

DTIC Science & Technology

1975-01-01

ent weather conditions. d. Estimated Environmental Impact : (1) The impact of any single noise event is difficult to determine when one is concerned...from average atmospheric conditions should be considered when extrapolating these data. 2. No significant environmental impact is expected to result...AD-A012 748 NOISE MONITORING TITAN III D LAUNCH VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, CALIFORNIA Ronald D. Burnett Environmental Health Laboratory McClellan Air

Towards thermal noise free optomechanics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Page, Michael A.; Zhao, Chunnong; Blair, David G.; Ju, Li; Ma, Yiqiu; Pan, Huang-Wei; Chao, Shiuh; Mitrofanov, Valery P.; Sadeghian, Hamed

2016-11-01

Thermal noise generally greatly exceeds quantum noise in optomechanical devices unless the mechanical frequency is very high or the thermodynamic temperature is very low. This paper addresses the design concept for a novel optomechanical device capable of ultrahigh quality factors in the audio frequency band with negligible thermal noise. The proposed system consists of a minimally supported millimeter scale pendulum mounted in a double end-mirror sloshing cavity that is topologically equivalent to a membrane-in-the-middle cavity. The radiation pressure inside the high-finesse cavity allows for high optical stiffness, cancellation of terms which lead to unwanted negative damping and suppression of quantum radiation pressure noise. We solve the optical spring dynamics of the system using the Hamiltonian, find the noise spectral density and show that stable optical trapping is possible. We also assess various loss mechanisms, one of the most important being the acceleration loss due to the optical spring. We show that practical devices, starting from a centre-of-mass pendulum frequency of 0.1 Hz, could achieve a maximum quality factor of (1014) with optical spring stiffened frequency 1-10 kHz. Small resonators of mass 1 ≤ft(μ \\right) g or less could achieve a Q-factor of (1011) at a frequency of 100 kHz. Applications for such devices include white light cavities for improvement of gravitational wave detectors, or sensors able to operate near the quantum limit.

Non-equilibrium voltage noise generated by ion transport through pores.

PubMed

Frehland, E; Solleder, P

1985-01-01

In this paper, we describe a systematic approach to the theoretical analysis of non-equilibrium voltage noise that arises from ions moving through pores in membranes. We assume that an ion must cross one or two barriers in the pore in order to move from one side of the membrane to the other. In our analysis, we consider the following factors: a) surface charge as a variable in the kinetic equations, b) linearization of the kinetic equations, c) master equation approach to fluctuations. To analyze the voltage noise arising from ion movement through a two barrier (i.e., one binding site) pore, we included the effects of ions in the channel's interior on the voltage noise. The current clamp is considered as a white noise generating additional noise in the system. In contrast to what is found for current noise, at low frequencies the voltage noise intensity is reduced by increasing voltage across the membrane. With this approach, we demonstrate explicitly for the examples treated that, apart from additional noise generated by the current clamp, the non-equilibrium voltage fluctuations can be related to the current fluctuations by the complex admittance.

Coloured Filters Improve Exclusion of Perceptual Noise in Visually Symptomatic Dyslexics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Northway, Nadia; Manahilov, Velitchko; Simpson, William

2010-01-01

Previous studies of visually symptomatic dyslexics have found that their contrast thresholds for pattern discrimination are the same as non-dyslexics. However, when noise is added to the stimuli, contrast thresholds rise markedly in dyslexics compared with non-dyslexics. This result could be due to impaired noise exclusion in dyslexics. Some…

Chronic Noise Exposure Acts Cumulatively to Exacerbate Alzheimer’s Disease-Like Amyloid-β Pathology and Neuroinflammation in the Rat Hippocampus

PubMed Central

Cui, Bo; Li, Kang; Gai, Zhihui; She, Xiaojun; Zhang, Na; Xu, Chuanxiang; Chen, Xuewei; An, Gaihong; Ma, Qiang; Wang, Rui

2015-01-01

A putative etiological association exists between noise exposure and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Amyloid-β (Aβ) pathology is thought to be one of the primary initiating factors in AD. It has been further suggested that subsequent dysregulation of Aβ may play a mechanistic role in the AD-like pathophysiology associated with noise exposure. Here, we used ELISA, immunoblotting, cytokine arrays, and RT-PCR, to examine both hippocampal Aβ pathology and neuroinflammation in rats at different time points after noise exposure. We found that chronic noise exposure significantly accelerated the progressive overproduction of Aβ, which persisted for 7 to 14 days after the cessation of exposure. This effect was accompanied by up-regulated expression of amyloid precursor protein (APP) and its cleavage enzymes, β- and γ-secretases. Cytokine analysis revealed that chronic noise exposure increased levels of tumor necrosis factor-α and the receptor for advanced glycation end products, while decreasing the expression of activin A and platelet-derived growth factor- AA. Furthermore, we found persistent elevations of glial fibrillary acidic protein and ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1 expression that closely corresponded to the noise-induced increases in Aβ and neuroinflammation. These studies suggest that lifelong environmental noise exposure may have cumulative effects on the onset and development of AD. PMID:26251361

Shape anomaly detection under strong measurement noise: An analytical approach to adaptive thresholding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krasichkov, Alexander S.; Grigoriev, Eugene B.; Bogachev, Mikhail I.; Nifontov, Eugene M.

2015-10-01

We suggest an analytical approach to the adaptive thresholding in a shape anomaly detection problem. We find an analytical expression for the distribution of the cosine similarity score between a reference shape and an observational shape hindered by strong measurement noise that depends solely on the noise level and is independent of the particular shape analyzed. The analytical treatment is also confirmed by computer simulations and shows nearly perfect agreement. Using this analytical solution, we suggest an improved shape anomaly detection approach based on adaptive thresholding. We validate the noise robustness of our approach using typical shapes of normal and pathological electrocardiogram cycles hindered by additive white noise. We show explicitly that under high noise levels our approach considerably outperforms the conventional tactic that does not take into account variations in the noise level.

Growth of bermudagrass with white clover or nitrogen fertilizer

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

White clover (Trifolium repens) var ‘Durana’ was oversown into established bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) in 2009. Soil analysis indicated potassium (K) was low and potash at 112 and 336 kg/ha was added as main plots. Nitrogen as ammonium nitrate or an ammonium sulfate/urea blend was added as 0, 34...

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

White matter hyperintensities and imaging patterns of brain ageing in the general population

PubMed Central

Erus, Guray; Toledo, Jon B.; Zhang, Tianhao; Bryan, Nick; Launer, Lenore J.; Rosseel, Yves; Janowitz, Deborah; Doshi, Jimit; Van der Auwera, Sandra; von Sarnowski, Bettina; Hegenscheid, Katrin; Hosten, Norbert; Homuth, Georg; Völzke, Henry; Schminke, Ulf; Hoffmann, Wolfgang; Grabe, Hans J.; Davatzikos, Christos

2016-01-01

Abstract White matter hyperintensities are associated with increased risk of dementia and cognitive decline. The current study investigates the relationship between white matter hyperintensities burden and patterns of brain atrophy associated with brain ageing and Alzheimer’s disease in a large populatison-based sample ( n = 2367) encompassing a wide age range (20–90 years), from the Study of Health in Pomerania. We quantified white matter hyperintensities using automated segmentation and summarized atrophy patterns using machine learning methods resulting in two indices: the SPARE-BA index (capturing age-related brain atrophy), and the SPARE-AD index (previously developed to capture patterns of atrophy found in patients with Alzheimer’s disease). A characteristic pattern of age-related accumulation of white matter hyperintensities in both periventricular and deep white matter areas was found. Individuals with high white matter hyperintensities burden showed significantly ( P < 0.0001) lower SPARE-BA and higher SPARE-AD values compared to those with low white matter hyperintensities burden, indicating that the former had more patterns of atrophy in brain regions typically affected by ageing and Alzheimer’s disease dementia. To investigate a possibly causal role of white matter hyperintensities, structural equation modelling was used to quantify the effect of Framingham cardiovascular disease risk score and white matter hyperintensities burden on SPARE-BA, revealing a statistically significant ( P < 0.0001) causal relationship between them. Structural equation modelling showed that the age effect on SPARE-BA was mediated by white matter hyperintensities and cardiovascular risk score each explaining 10.4% and 21.6% of the variance, respectively. The direct age effect explained 70.2% of the SPARE-BA variance. Only white matter hyperintensities significantly mediated the age effect on SPARE-AD explaining 32.8% of the variance. The direct age effect explained 66

Mapping the MRI voxel volume in which thermal noise matches physiological noise--implications for fMRI.

PubMed

Bodurka, J; Ye, F; Petridou, N; Murphy, K; Bandettini, P A

2007-01-15

This work addresses the choice of the imaging voxel volume in blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Noise of physiological origin that is present in the voxel time course is a prohibitive factor in the detection of small activation-induced BOLD signal changes. If the physiological noise contribution dominates over the temporal fluctuation contribution in the imaging voxel, further increases in the voxel signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) will have diminished corresponding increases in temporal signal-to-noise (TSNR), resulting in reduced corresponding increases in the ability to detect activation induced signal changes. On the other hand, if the thermal and system noise dominate (suggesting a relatively low SNR) further decreases in SNR can prohibit detection of activation-induced signal changes. Here we have proposed and called the "suggested" voxel volume for fMRI the volume where thermal plus system-related and physiological noise variances are equal. Based on this condition we have created maps of fMRI suggested voxel volume from our experimental data at 3T, since this value will spatially vary depending on the contribution of physiologic noise in each voxel. Based on our fast EPI segmentation technique we have found that for gray matter (GM), white matter (WM), and cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) brain compartments the mean suggested cubical voxel volume is: (1.8 mm)3, (2.1 mm)3 and (1.4 mm)3, respectively. Serendipitously, (1.8 mm)3 cubical voxel volume for GM approximately matches the cortical thickness, thus optimizing BOLD contrast by minimizing partial volume averaging. The introduced suggested fMRI voxel volume can be a useful parameter for choice of imaging volume for functional studies.

Evaluation of the annoyance due to helicopter rotor noise

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sternfeld, H., Jr.; Doyle, L. B.

1978-01-01

A program was conducted in which 25 test subjects adjusted the levels of various helicopter rotor spectra until the combination of the harmonic noise and a broadband background noise was judged equally annoying as a higher level of the same broadband noise spectrum. The subjective measure of added harmonic noise was equated to the difference in the two levels of broadband noise. The test participants also made subjective evaluations of the rotor noise signatures which they created. The test stimuli consisted of three degrees of rotor impulsiveness, each presented at four blade passage rates. Each of these 12 harmonic sounds was combined with three broadband spectra and was adjusted to match the annoyance of three different sound pressure levels of broadband noise. Analysis of variance indicated that the important variables were level and impulsiveness. Regression analyses indicated that inclusion of crest factor improved correlation between the subjective measures and various objective or physical measures.

77 FR 46339 - Chrysanthemum White Rust Regulatory Status and Restrictions

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-03

... Inspection Service 7 CFR Part 319 [Docket No. APHIS-2012-0001] RIN 0579-AD67 Chrysanthemum White Rust... whether and how we should amend our process for responding to domestic chrysanthemum white rust (CWR... INFORMATION: Background Puccinia horiana P. Henn. is a filamentous rust fungus and obligate parasite that is...

Stochastic differential calculus for Gaussian and non-Gaussian noises: A critical review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Falsone, G.

2018-03-01

In this paper a review of the literature works devoted to the study of stochastic differential equations (SDEs) subjected to Gaussian and non-Gaussian white noises and to fractional Brownian noises is given. In these cases, particular attention must be paid in treating the SDEs because the classical rules of the differential calculus, as the Newton-Leibnitz one, cannot be applied or are applicable with many difficulties. Here all the principal approaches solving the SDEs are reported for any kind of noise, highlighting the negative and positive properties of each one and making the comparisons, where it is possible.

Transport driven by biharmonic forces: impact of correlated thermal noise.

PubMed

Machura, L; Łuczka, J

2010-09-01

We study an inertial brownian particle moving in a symmetric periodic substrate, driven by a zero-mean biharmonic force and correlated thermal noise. The brownian motion is described in terms of a generalized Langevin equation with an exponentially correlated gaussian noise term, obeying the fluctuation-dissipation theorem. We analyze impact of nonzero correlation time of thermal noise on transport properties of the brownian particle. We identify regimes where the increase of the correlation time intensifies long-time transport of the brownian particle. The opposite effect is also found: longer correlation time reduces the stationary velocity of the particle. The correlation time induced multiple current reversal is detected. We reveal that thermal noise of nonzero correlation time can radically enhance long-time velocity of the brownian particle in regimes where in the white noise limit the velocity is extremely small. All transport properties can be tested in the setup consisting of a resistively and capacitively shunted Josephson junction device.

Flux-coherent series SQUID array magnetometers operating above 77 K with superior white flux noise than single-SQUIDs at 4.2 K

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chesca, Boris; John, Daniel; Mellor, Christopher J.

2015-10-01

A very promising direction to improve the sensitivity of magnetometers based on superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) is to build a series-array of N non-interacting SQUIDs operating flux-coherently, because in this case their voltage modulation depth, ΔV, linearly scales with N whereas the white flux noise SΦ1/2 decreases as 1/N1/2. Here, we report the realization of both these improvements in an advanced layout of very large SQUID arrays made of YBa2Cu3O7. Specially designed with large area narrow flux focusers for increased field sensitivity and improved flux-coherency, our arrays have extremely low values for SΦ1/2 between (0.25 and 0.44) μΦ0/Hz1/2 for temperatures in the range (77-83) K. In this respect, they outperform niobium/aluminium trilayer technology-based single-SQUIDs operating at 4.2 K. Moreover, with values for ΔV and transimpedance in the range of (10-17) mV and (0.3-2.5) kΩ, respectively, a direct connection to a low-noise room temperature amplifier is allowed, while matching for such readout is simplified and the available bandwidth is greatly increased. These landmark performances suggest such series SQUID arrays are ideal candidates to replace single-SQUIDs operating at 4.2 K in many applications.

Non-stationary noise estimation using dictionary learning and Gaussian mixture models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hughes, James M.; Rockmore, Daniel N.; Wang, Yang

2014-02-01

Stationarity of the noise distribution is a common assumption in image processing. This assumption greatly simplifies denoising estimators and other model parameters and consequently assuming stationarity is often a matter of convenience rather than an accurate model of noise characteristics. The problematic nature of this assumption is exacerbated in real-world contexts, where noise is often highly non-stationary and can possess time- and space-varying characteristics. Regardless of model complexity, estimating the parameters of noise dis- tributions in digital images is a difficult task, and estimates are often based on heuristic assumptions. Recently, sparse Bayesian dictionary learning methods were shown to produce accurate estimates of the level of additive white Gaussian noise in images with minimal assumptions. We show that a similar model is capable of accu- rately modeling certain kinds of non-stationary noise processes, allowing for space-varying noise in images to be estimated, detected, and removed. We apply this modeling concept to several types of non-stationary noise and demonstrate the model's effectiveness on real-world problems, including denoising and segmentation of images according to noise characteristics, which has applications in image forensics.

Co-adding techniques for image-based wavefront sensing for segmented-mirror telescopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, J. S.; Aronstein, David L.; Dean, Bruce H.; Acton, D. S.

2007-09-01

Image-based wavefront sensing algorithms are being used to characterize the optical performance for a variety of current and planned astronomical telescopes. Phase retrieval recovers the optical wavefront that correlates to a series of diversity-defocused point-spread functions (PSFs), where multiple frames can be acquired at each defocus setting. Multiple frames of data can be co-added in different ways; two extremes are in "image-plane space," to average the frames for each defocused PSF and use phase retrieval once on the averaged images, or in "pupil-plane space," to use phase retrieval on each PSF frame individually and average the resulting wavefronts. The choice of co-add methodology is particularly noteworthy for segmented-mirror telescopes that are subject to noise that causes uncorrelated motions between groups of segments. Using models and data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Testbed Telescope (TBT), we show how different sources of noise (uncorrelated segment jitter, turbulence, and common-mode noise) and different parts of the optical wavefront, segment and global aberrations, contribute to choosing the co-add method. Of particular interest, segment piston is more accurately recovered in "image-plane space" co-adding, while segment tip/tilt is recovered in "pupil-plane space" co-adding.

Fast shuttling of a particle under weak spring-constant noise of the moving trap

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Xiao-Jing; Ruschhaupt, A.; Muga, J. G.

2018-05-01

We investigate the excitation of a quantum particle shuttled in a harmonic trap with weak spring-constant colored noise. The Ornstein-Uhlenbeck model for the noise correlation function describes a wide range of possible noises, in particular for short correlation times the white-noise limit examined by Lu et al. [Phys. Rev. A 89, 063414 (2014)], 10.1103/PhysRevA.89.063414 and, by averaging over correlation times, "1 /f flicker noise." We find expressions for the excitation energy in terms of static (independent of trap motion) and dynamical sensitivities, with opposite behavior with respect to shuttling time, and demonstrate that the excitation can be reduced by proper process timing and design of the trap trajectory.

Projection scheme for a reflected stochastic heat equation with additive noise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Higa, Arturo Kohatsu; Pettersson, Roger

2005-02-01

We consider a projection scheme as a numerical solution of a reflected stochastic heat equation driven by a space-time white noise. Convergence is obtained via a discrete contraction principle and known convergence results for numerical solutions of parabolic variational inequalities.

Noise generator for tinnitus treatment based on look-up tables

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uriz, Alejandro J.; Agüero, Pablo; Tulli, Juan C.; Castiñeira Moreira, Jorge; González, Esteban; Hidalgo, Roberto; Casadei, Manuel

2016-04-01

Treatment of tinnitus by means of masking sounds allows to obtain a significant improve of the quality of life of the individual that suffer that condition. In view of that, it is possible to develop noise synthesizers based on random number generators in digital signal processors (DSP), which are used in almost any digital hearing aid devices. DSP architecture have limitations to implement a pseudo random number generator, due to it, the noise statistics can be not as good as expectations. In this paper, a technique to generate additive white gaussian noise (AWGN) or other types of filtered noise using coefficients stored in program memory of the DSP is proposed. Also, an implementation of the technique is carried out on a dsPIC from Microchip®. Objective experiments and experimental measurements are performed to analyze the proposed technique.

Race/ethnicity differences in the prevalence of noise-induced hearing loss in a group of metal fabricating workers.

PubMed

Ishii, E K; Talbott, E O

1998-08-01

The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health rates noise-induced hearing loss as one of the top 10 work-related problems, involving at least 11 million workers. This retrospective study examines the differences between pure-tone hearing loss and race/ethnicity in 216 white and 70 non-white male metal fabricating workers. Significant variables upon univariate analysis found to be associated with race/ethnicity were mean years of employment and proportion of time worked without hearing protection. Among whites, the permanent threshold average for 1, 2, 3 and 5 kHz was 25.99 dB, compared with 17.71 dB in non-whites (P < 0.01). Backwards stepwise regression indicated that race/ethnicity, after being adjusted for years of employment, was the major-effect variable. The results of this study suggest that occupational noise exposure alone does not alone account for the racial hearing differences.

Blind channel estimation and deconvolution in colored noise using higher-order cumulants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tugnait, Jitendra K.; Gummadavelli, Uma

1994-10-01

Existing approaches to blind channel estimation and deconvolution (equalization) focus exclusively on channel or inverse-channel impulse response estimation. It is well-known that the quality of the deconvolved output depends crucially upon the noise statistics also. Typically it is assumed that the noise is white and the signal-to-noise ratio is known. In this paper we remove these restrictions. Both the channel impulse response and the noise model are estimated from the higher-order (fourth, e.g.) cumulant function and the (second-order) correlation function of the received data via a least-squares cumulant/correlation matching criterion. It is assumed that the noise higher-order cumulant function vanishes (e.g., Gaussian noise, as is the case for digital communications). Consistency of the proposed approach is established under certain mild sufficient conditions. The approach is illustrated via simulation examples involving blind equalization of digital communications signals.

Earth Observing-1 Advanced Land Imager: Dark Current and Noise Characterization and Anomalous Detectors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mendenhall, J. A.

2001-01-01

The dark current and noise characteristics of the Earth Observing-1 Advanced Land Imager measured during ground calibration at MIT Lincoln Laboratory are presented. Data were collected for the nominal focal plane operating temperature of 220 K as well as supplemental operating temperatures (215 and 225 K). Dark current baseline values are provided, and noise characterization includes the evaluation of white, coherent, low frequency, and high frequency components. Finally, anomalous detectors, characterized by unusual dark current, noise, gain, or cross-talk properties are investigated.

Signal processing and electronic noise in LZ

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khaitan, D.

2016-03-01

The electronics of the LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) experiment, the 10-tonne dark matter detector to be installed at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF), consists of low-noise dual-gain amplifiers and a 100-MHz, 14-bit data acquisition system for the TPC PMTs. Pre-prototypes of the analog amplifiers and the 32-channel digitizers were tested extensively with simulated pulses that are similar to the prompt scintillation light and the electroluminescence signals expected in LZ. These studies are used to characterize the noise and to measure the linearity of the system. By increasing the amplitude of the test signals, the effect of saturating the amplifier and the digitizers was studied. The RMS ADC noise of the digitizer channels was measured to be 1.19± 0.01 ADCC. When a high-energy channel of the amplifier is connected to the digitizer, the measured noise remained virtually unchanged, while the noise added by a low-energy channel was estimated to be 0.38 ± 0.02 ADCC (46 ± 2 μV). A test facility is under construction to study saturation, mitigate noise and measure the performance of the LZ electronics and data acquisition chain.

How Angular Velocity Features and Different Gyroscope Noise Types Interact and Determine Orientation Estimation Accuracy.

PubMed

Pasciuto, Ilaria; Ligorio, Gabriele; Bergamini, Elena; Vannozzi, Giuseppe; Sabatini, Angelo Maria; Cappozzo, Aurelio

2015-09-18

In human movement analysis, 3D body segment orientation can be obtained through the numerical integration of gyroscope signals. These signals, however, are affected by errors that, for the case of micro-electro-mechanical systems, are mainly due to: constant bias, scale factor, white noise, and bias instability. The aim of this study is to assess how the orientation estimation accuracy is affected by each of these disturbances, and whether it is influenced by the angular velocity magnitude and 3D distribution across the gyroscope axes. Reference angular velocity signals, either constant or representative of human walking, were corrupted with each of the four noise types within a simulation framework. The magnitude of the angular velocity affected the error in the orientation estimation due to each noise type, except for the white noise. Additionally, the error caused by the constant bias was also influenced by the angular velocity 3D distribution. As the orientation error depends not only on the noise itself but also on the signal it is applied to, different sensor placements could enhance or mitigate the error due to each disturbance, and special attention must be paid in providing and interpreting measures of accuracy for orientation estimation algorithms.

How Angular Velocity Features and Different Gyroscope Noise Types Interact and Determine Orientation Estimation Accuracy

PubMed Central

Pasciuto, Ilaria; Ligorio, Gabriele; Bergamini, Elena; Vannozzi, Giuseppe; Sabatini, Angelo Maria; Cappozzo, Aurelio

2015-01-01

In human movement analysis, 3D body segment orientation can be obtained through the numerical integration of gyroscope signals. These signals, however, are affected by errors that, for the case of micro-electro-mechanical systems, are mainly due to: constant bias, scale factor, white noise, and bias instability. The aim of this study is to assess how the orientation estimation accuracy is affected by each of these disturbances, and whether it is influenced by the angular velocity magnitude and 3D distribution across the gyroscope axes. Reference angular velocity signals, either constant or representative of human walking, were corrupted with each of the four noise types within a simulation framework. The magnitude of the angular velocity affected the error in the orientation estimation due to each noise type, except for the white noise. Additionally, the error caused by the constant bias was also influenced by the angular velocity 3D distribution. As the orientation error depends not only on the noise itself but also on the signal it is applied to, different sensor placements could enhance or mitigate the error due to each disturbance, and special attention must be paid in providing and interpreting measures of accuracy for orientation estimation algorithms. PMID:26393606

Bootstrapping white matter segmentation, Eve++

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plassard, Andrew; Hinton, Kendra E.; Venkatraman, Vijay; Gonzalez, Christopher; Resnick, Susan M.; Landman, Bennett A.

2015-03-01

Multi-atlas labeling has come in wide spread use for whole brain labeling on magnetic resonance imaging. Recent challenges have shown that leading techniques are near (or at) human expert reproducibility for cortical gray matter labels. However, these approaches tend to treat white matter as essentially homogeneous (as white matter exhibits isointense signal on structural MRI). The state-of-the-art for white matter atlas is the single-subject Johns Hopkins Eve atlas. Numerous approaches have attempted to use tractography and/or orientation information to identify homologous white matter structures across subjects. Despite success with large tracts, these approaches have been plagued by difficulties in with subtle differences in course, low signal to noise, and complex structural relationships for smaller tracts. Here, we investigate use of atlas-based labeling to propagate the Eve atlas to unlabeled datasets. We evaluate single atlas labeling and multi-atlas labeling using synthetic atlases derived from the single manually labeled atlas. On 5 representative tracts for 10 subjects, we demonstrate that (1) single atlas labeling generally provides segmentations within 2mm mean surface distance, (2) morphologically constraining DTI labels within structural MRI white matter reduces variability, and (3) multi-atlas labeling did not improve accuracy. These efforts present a preliminary indication that single atlas labels with correction is reasonable, but caution should be applied. To purse multi-atlas labeling and more fully characterize overall performance, more labeled datasets would be necessary.

Correlating Cognitive Decline with White Matter Lesion and Brain Atrophy MRI Measurements in Alzheimer’s Disease

PubMed Central

Bilello, Michel; Doshi, Jimit; Nabavizadeh, S. Ali; Toledo, Jon B.; Erus, Guray; Xie, Sharon X.; Trojanowski, John Q.; Han, Xiaoyan; Davatzikos, Christos

2015-01-01

Background Vascular risk factors are increasingly recognized as risks factors for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and early conversion from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to dementia. While neuroimaging research in AD has focused on brain atrophy, metabolic function or amyloid deposition, little attention has been paid to the effect of cerebrovascular disease to cognitive decline. Objective To investigate the correlation of brain atrophy and white matter lesions with cognitive decline in AD, MCI, and control subjects. Methods Patients with AD and MCI, and healthy subjects were included in this study. Subjects had a baseline MRI scan, and baseline and follow-up neuropsychological battery (CERAD). Regional volumes were measured, and white matter lesion segmentation was performed. Correlations between rate of CERAD score decline and white matter lesion load and brain structure volume were evaluated. In addition, voxel-based correlations between baseline CERAD scores and atrophy and white matter lesion measures were computed. Results CERAD rate of decline was most significantly associated with lesion loads located in the fornices. Several temporal lobe ROI volumes were significantly associated with CERAD decline. Voxel-based analysis demonstrated strong correlation between baseline CERAD scores and atrophy measures in the anterior temporal lobes. Correlation of baseline CERAD scores with white matter lesion volumes achieved significance in multilobar subcortical white matter. Conclusion Both baseline and declines in CERAD scores correlate with white matter lesion load and gray matter atrophy. Results of this study highlight the dominant effect of volume loss, and underscore the importance of small vessel disease as a contributor to cognitive decline in the elderly. PMID:26402108

White matter hyperintensities and imaging patterns of brain ageing in the general population.

PubMed

Habes, Mohamad; Erus, Guray; Toledo, Jon B; Zhang, Tianhao; Bryan, Nick; Launer, Lenore J; Rosseel, Yves; Janowitz, Deborah; Doshi, Jimit; Van der Auwera, Sandra; von Sarnowski, Bettina; Hegenscheid, Katrin; Hosten, Norbert; Homuth, Georg; Völzke, Henry; Schminke, Ulf; Hoffmann, Wolfgang; Grabe, Hans J; Davatzikos, Christos

2016-04-01

White matter hyperintensities are associated with increased risk of dementia and cognitive decline. The current study investigates the relationship between white matter hyperintensities burden and patterns of brain atrophy associated with brain ageing and Alzheimer's disease in a large populatison-based sample (n = 2367) encompassing a wide age range (20-90 years), from the Study of Health in Pomerania. We quantified white matter hyperintensities using automated segmentation and summarized atrophy patterns using machine learning methods resulting in two indices: the SPARE-BA index (capturing age-related brain atrophy), and the SPARE-AD index (previously developed to capture patterns of atrophy found in patients with Alzheimer's disease). A characteristic pattern of age-related accumulation of white matter hyperintensities in both periventricular and deep white matter areas was found. Individuals with high white matter hyperintensities burden showed significantly (P < 0.0001) lower SPARE-BA and higher SPARE-AD values compared to those with low white matter hyperintensities burden, indicating that the former had more patterns of atrophy in brain regions typically affected by ageing and Alzheimer's disease dementia. To investigate a possibly causal role of white matter hyperintensities, structural equation modelling was used to quantify the effect of Framingham cardiovascular disease risk score and white matter hyperintensities burden on SPARE-BA, revealing a statistically significant (P < 0.0001) causal relationship between them. Structural equation modelling showed that the age effect on SPARE-BA was mediated by white matter hyperintensities and cardiovascular risk score each explaining 10.4% and 21.6% of the variance, respectively. The direct age effect explained 70.2% of the SPARE-BA variance. Only white matter hyperintensities significantly mediated the age effect on SPARE-AD explaining 32.8% of the variance. The direct age effect explained 66.0% of the SPARE-AD

Acoustic effects of oil-production activities on bowhead and white whales visible during spring migration near Pt. Barrow, Alaska-1990 phase: sound propagation and whale responses to playbacks of continuous drilling noise from an ice platform, as studied in pack ice conditions. Final report

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

Richardson, W.J.; Greene, C.R.; Koski, W.R.

1991-10-01

The report concerns the effects of underwater noise from simulated oil production operations on the movements and behavior of bowhead and white whales migrating around northern Alaska in spring. An underwater sound projector suspended from pack ice was used to introduce recorded drilling noise and other test sounds into leads through the pack ice. These sounds were received and measured at various distances to determine the rate of sound attenuation with distance and frequency. The movements and behavior of bowhead and white whales approaching the operating projector were studied by aircraft- and ice-based observers. Some individuals of both species weremore » observed to approach well within the ensonified area. However, behavioral changes and avoidance reactions were evident when the received sound level became sufficiently high. Reactions to aircraft are also discussed.« less

Introducing the White Noise task in childhood: associations between speech illusions and psychosis vulnerability.

PubMed

Rimvall, M K; Clemmensen, L; Munkholm, A; Rask, C U; Larsen, J T; Skovgaard, A M; Simons, C J P; van Os, J; Jeppesen, P

2016-10-01

Auditory verbal hallucinations (AVH) are common during development and may arise due to dysregulation in top-down processing of sensory input. This study was designed to examine the frequency and correlates of speech illusions measured using the White Noise (WN) task in children from the general population. Associations between speech illusions and putative risk factors for psychotic disorder and negative affect were examined. A total of 1486 children aged 11-12 years of the Copenhagen Child Cohort 2000 were examined with the WN task. Psychotic experiences and negative affect were determined using the Kiddie-SADS-PL. Register data described family history of mental disorders. Exaggerated Theory of Mind functioning (hyper-ToM) was measured by the ToM Storybook Frederik. A total of 145 (10%) children experienced speech illusions (hearing speech in the absence of speech stimuli), of which 102 (70%) experienced illusions perceived by the child as positive or negative (affectively salient). Experiencing hallucinations during the last month was associated with affectively salient speech illusions in the WN task [general cognitive ability: adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 2.01, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.03-3.93]. Negative affect, both last month and lifetime, was also associated with affectively salient speech illusions (aOR 2.01, 95% CI 1.05-3.83 and aOR 1.79, 95% CI 1.11-2.89, respectively). Speech illusions were not associated with delusions, hyper-ToM or family history of mental disorders. Speech illusions were elicited in typically developing children in a WN-test paradigm, and point to an affective pathway to AVH mediated by dysregulation in top-down processing of sensory input.

Comparison between hybrid feedforward-feedback, feedforward, and feedback structures for active noise control of fMRI noise.

PubMed

Reddy, Rajiv M; Panahi, Issa M S

2008-01-01

The performance of FIR feedforward, IIR feedforward, FIR feedback, hybrid FIR feedforward--FIR feedback, and hybrid IIR feedforward - FIR feedback structures for active noise control (ANC) are compared for an fMRI noise application. The filtered-input normalized least squares (FxNLMS) algorithm is used to update the coefficients of the adaptive filters in all these structures. Realistic primary and secondary paths of an fMRI bore are used by estimating them on a half cylindrical acrylic bore of 0.76 m (D)x1.52 m (L). Detailed results of the performance of the ANC system are presented in the paper for each of these structures. We find that the IIR feedforward structure produces most of the performance improvement in the hybrid IIR feedforward - FIR feedback structure and adding the feedback structure becomes almost redundant in the case of fMRI noise.

Relaxation dynamics in the presence of pulse multiplicative noise sources with different correlation properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kargovsky, A. V.; Chichigina, O. A.; Anashkina, E. I.; Valenti, D.; Spagnolo, B.

2015-10-01

The relaxation dynamics of a system described by a Langevin equation with pulse multiplicative noise sources with different correlation properties is considered. The solution of the corresponding Fokker-Planck equation is derived for Gaussian white noise. Moreover, two pulse processes with regulated periodicity are considered as a noise source: the dead-time-distorted Poisson process and the process with fixed time intervals, which is characterized by an infinite correlation time. We find that the steady state of the system is dependent on the correlation properties of the pulse noise. An increase of the noise correlation causes the decrease of the mean value of the solution at the steady state. The analytical results are in good agreement with the numerical ones.

Relaxation dynamics in the presence of pulse multiplicative noise sources with different correlation properties.

PubMed

Kargovsky, A V; Chichigina, O A; Anashkina, E I; Valenti, D; Spagnolo, B

2015-10-01

The relaxation dynamics of a system described by a Langevin equation with pulse multiplicative noise sources with different correlation properties is considered. The solution of the corresponding Fokker-Planck equation is derived for Gaussian white noise. Moreover, two pulse processes with regulated periodicity are considered as a noise source: the dead-time-distorted Poisson process and the process with fixed time intervals, which is characterized by an infinite correlation time. We find that the steady state of the system is dependent on the correlation properties of the pulse noise. An increase of the noise correlation causes the decrease of the mean value of the solution at the steady state. The analytical results are in good agreement with the numerical ones.

Decoherence of entangled states by colored noise: application to precision measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andre, Axel; Sorensen, Anders; Lukin, Mikhail; van der Wal, Caspar

2003-05-01

Controlled manipulation of quantum systems can lead to a number of exciting new applications in quantum information science, from quantum computation to applications in precision measurements. In many such applications, decoherence is a key factor to take into account and ultimately determines the feasibility or usefulness of the proposal. The decoherence of quantum mechanical degrees of freedom is usually modeled through their interaction with a bath consisting of a large number of harmonic oscillators. The separation of energy scales between the energy of the oscillators and the interaction energy leads to separation of time scales so that the decoherence process can be modeled effectively by a markovian process (infinitely short reservoir correlation time). Low-lying state are long-lived and are therefore ideally suited for storage of quantum information and long-lived quantum memory. Due to their long lifetime, these states are sensitive to the low frequency noise of the environment. In particular 1/f noise is dominating at low frequencies and this changes the form of the decoherence. In this case, non-exponential decay is to be expected so that the importance of decoherence depends on the time-scale. We consider the accuracy of frequency measurements using the Ramsey technique when the ensemble of atoms is subject to colored noise during the measurement. It has been shown that the use of entangled states of atomic ensembles (so-called spin squeezed states) may lead to an improvement in the accuracy of frequency measurements when the system is noiseless [1]. To assess the usefulness in a real setup decoherence has to be taken into account. It has been shown that for white noise spectra the net improvement is very small [2], this conclusion is however changed significantly when the system is influenced by colored noise. We study phase noise of the reference oscillator in frequency measurements and show that for non-white noise spectra (e.g. when the noise power

Noise Source Identification in a Reverberant Field Using Spherical Beamforming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, Young-Chul; Park, Jin-Ho; Yoon, Doo-Byung; Kwon, Hyu-Sang

Identification of noise sources, their locations and strengths, has been taken great attention. The method that can identify noise sources normally assumes that noise sources are located at a free field. However, the sound in a reverberant field consists of that coming directly from the source plus sound reflected or scattered by the walls or objects in the field. In contrast to the exterior sound field, reflections are added to sound field. Therefore, the source location estimated by the conventional methods may give unacceptable error. In this paper, we explain the effects of reverberant field on interior source identification process and propose the method that can identify noise sources in the reverberant field.

Elimination of white Gaussian noise in arterial phase CT images to bring adrenal tumours into the forefront.

PubMed

Koyuncu, Hasan; Ceylan, Rahime

2018-04-01

Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced Computed Tomography (DCE-CT) is applied to observe adrenal tumours in detail by utilising from the contrast matter, which generally brings the tumour into the forefront. However, DCE-CT images are generally influenced by noises that occur as the result of the trade-off between radiation doses vs. noise. Herein, this situation constitutes a challenge in the achievement of accurate tumour segmentation. In CT images, most of the noises are similar to Gaussian Noise. In this study, arterial phase CT images containing adrenal tumours are utilised, and elimination of Gaussian Noise is realised by fourteen different techniques reported in literature for the achievement of the best denoising process. In this study, the Block Matching and 3D Filtering (BM3D) algorithm typically achieve reliable Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratios (PSNR) and resolves challenges of similar techniques when addressing different levels of noise. Furthermore, BM3D obtains the best mean PSNR values among the first five techniques. BM3D outperforms to other techniques by obtaining better Total Statistical Success (TSS), CPU time and computation cost. Consequently, it prepares clearer arterial phase CT images for the next step (segmentation of adrenal tumours). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Stress response in rat brain after different durations of noise exposure.

PubMed

Samson, James; Sheeladevi, Rathinasamy; Ravindran, Rajan; Senthilvelan, Manohar

2007-01-01

The alteration in the levels of plasma corticosterone, brain norepinephrine (NE), and expression of brain heat shock proteins (Hsp70) after different durations of noise exposure (acute, 1 day; sub-acute, 15 days; chronic, 30 days) has been studied to analyze their role in combating time-dependent stress effects of noise. Broadband white noise (100dB) exposure to male Wistar albino rats significantly increased the levels of plasma corticosterone and NE in all three durations of noise exposure. The sustained increase observed in their levels in the chronic group suggests that animals are not getting adapted to noise even after 30 days of exposure. The important role of Hsp70 in combating noise induced stress is evident from the significant increase in its expression after chronic exposure, while there was a reciprocal decrease in the NE and corticosterone when compared with their levels after acute and sub-acute noise exposure. This clearly indicates that the time-dependent stress response to noise exposure is a complex mechanism involving highly interconnected systems such as hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, heat shock proteins and may have serious implications in vital organs, particularly in the brain when there is a prolonged noise exposure.

The influence of white and blue silica gels as adsorbents in adsorptive-distillation of ethanol-water mixture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Megawati, Jannah, Reni Ainun; Rahayuningtiyas, Indi

2017-01-01

This research studied the difference of white and blue silica gels when used as an adsorbent for ethanol purification that is processed via Adsorptive-Distillation (AD) at 1 atm pressure. The effect of process duration to purification process is also recorded and studied to evaluate the performance of designed AD equipment. The experiment was conducted using boiling flask covered with a heating mantle and the temperature was maintained at 78°C. The vapour flowed into the adsorbent column and was condensed using water as a cooling medium. The initial ethanol concentration was 90.8% v/v and volume was 300 mL. Experiment shows that designed AD equipment could be used to purify ethanol. The average vapour velocity was about 39.29 and 45.91 m/s for white and blue silica gels, respectively, which is considered very high. Therefore the saturated adsorption could not be obtained. Highest ethanol concentration achieved using white silica gel is about 96.671% v/v after 50 minutes. Thus AD with white silica gel showed good performance and passed azeotropic point. But AD with blue silica gel showed a different result, the adsorption of blue silica gel failed to break the azeotropic point. The outlet average water concentration for white and blue silica gels is 3.54 and 3.42 mole/L. Based on the weight ratio of adsorbed water per adsorbent, at 55th minutes of time; this ratio of blue silica gel is about 0.053 gwater/gads. The time required by the blue silica to achieve 0.5 wwater-adsorbed/wwater-initial is 45 minutes, and the average outlet water concentration is 3.42 mole/L. Meanwhile, the time required by a white silica to complete 0.5 wwater-adsorbed/wwater-initial is 35 minutes, and the average outlet water level is 3.54 mole/L. Based on the results, the blue silica as an adsorbent for AD of ethanol-water mixture is better than white silica gel.

White matter microstructure damage in tremor-dominant Parkinson's disease patients.

PubMed

Luo, ChunYan; Song, Wei; Chen, Qin; Yang, Jing; Gong, QiYong; Shang, Hui-Fang

2017-07-01

Resting tremor is one of the cardinal motor features of Parkinson's disease (PD). Several lines of evidence suggest resting tremor may have different underlying pathophysiological processes from those of bradykinesia and rigidity. The current study aims to identify white matter microstructural abnormalities associated with resting tremor in PD. We recruited 60 patients with PD (30 with tremor-dominant PD and 30 with nontremor-dominant PD) and 26 normal controls. All participants underwent clinical assessment and diffusion tensor MRI. We used tract-based spatial statistics to investigate white matter integrity across the entire white matter tract skeleton. Compared with both healthy controls and the nontremor-dominant PD patients, the tremor-dominant PD patients were characterized by increased mean diffusivity (MD) and axial diffusivity (AD) along multiple white matter tracts, mainly involving the cerebello-thalamo-cortical (CTC) pathway. The mean AD value in clusters with significant difference was correlated with resting tremor score in the tremor-dominant PD patients. There was no significant difference between the nontremor-dominant PD patients and controls. Our results support the notion that resting tremor in PD is a distinct condition in which significant microstructural white matter changes exist and provide evidence for the involvement of the CTC in tremor genesis of PD.

Analysis of Noise Mechanisms in Cell-Size Control.

PubMed

Modi, Saurabh; Vargas-Garcia, Cesar Augusto; Ghusinga, Khem Raj; Singh, Abhyudai

2017-06-06

At the single-cell level, noise arises from multiple sources, such as inherent stochasticity of biomolecular processes, random partitioning of resources at division, and fluctuations in cellular growth rates. How these diverse noise mechanisms combine to drive variations in cell size within an isoclonal population is not well understood. Here, we investigate the contributions of different noise sources in well-known paradigms of cell-size control, such as adder (division occurs after adding a fixed size from birth), sizer (division occurs after reaching a size threshold), and timer (division occurs after a fixed time from birth). Analysis reveals that variation in cell size is most sensitive to errors in partitioning of volume among daughter cells, and not surprisingly, this process is well regulated among microbes. Moreover, depending on the dominant noise mechanism, different size-control strategies (or a combination of them) provide efficient buffering of size variations. We further explore mixer models of size control, where a timer phase precedes/follows an adder, as has been proposed in Caulobacter crescentus. Although mixing a timer and an adder can sometimes attenuate size variations, it invariably leads to higher-order moments growing unboundedly over time. This results in a power-law distribution for the cell size, with an exponent that depends inversely on the noise in the timer phase. Consistent with theory, we find evidence of power-law statistics in the tail of C. crescentus cell-size distribution, although there is a discrepancy between the observed power-law exponent and that predicted from the noise parameters. The discrepancy, however, is removed after data reveal that the size added by individual newborns in the adder phase itself exhibits power-law statistics. Taken together, this study provides key insights into the role of noise mechanisms in size homeostasis, and suggests an inextricable link between timer-based models of size control and

Noise of Embedded High Aspect Ratio Nozzles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bridges, James E.

2011-01-01

A family of high aspect ratio nozzles were designed to provide a parametric database of canonical embedded propulsion concepts. Nozzle throat geometries with aspect ratios of 2:1, 4:1, and 8:1 were chosen, all with convergent nozzle areas. The transition from the typical round duct to the rectangular nozzle was designed very carefully to produce a flow at the nozzle exit that was uniform and free from swirl. Once the basic rectangular nozzles were designed, external features common to embedded propulsion systems were added: extended lower lip (a.k.a. bevel, aft deck), differing sidewalls, and chevrons. For the latter detailed Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were made to predict the thrust performance and to optimize parameters such as bevel length, and chevron penetration and azimuthal curvature. Seventeen of these nozzles were fabricated at a scale providing a 2.13 inch diameter equivalent area throat." ! The seventeen nozzles were tested for far-field noise and a few data were presented here on the effect of aspect ratio, bevel length, and chevron count and penetration. The sound field of the 2:1 aspect ratio rectangular jet was very nearly axisymmetric, but the 4:1 and 8:1 were not, the noise on their minor axes being louder than the major axes. Adding bevel length increased the noise of these nozzles, especially on their minor axes, both toward the long and short sides of the beveled nozzle. Chevrons were only added to the 2:1 rectangular jet. Adding 4 chevrons per wide side produced some decrease at aft angles, but increased the high frequency noise at right angles to the jet flow. This trend increased with increasing chevron penetration. Doubling the number of chevrons while maintaining their penetration decreased these effects. Empirical models of the parametric effect of these nozzles were constructed and quantify the trends stated above." Because it is the objective of the Supersonics Project that

Cigarette advertising in magazines for Latinas, White women, and men, 1998--2002: a preliminary investigation.

PubMed

Fernandez, Senaida; Hickman, Norval; Klonoff, Elizabeth A; Landrine, Hope; Kashima, Kennon; Parekh, Bina; Brouillard, Catherine R; Zolezzi, Michelle; Jensen, Jennifer A; Weslowski, Zorahna

2005-04-01

Cigarette ads in popular magazines play a role in smoking and in brand preferences among women and men, but few studies have analyzed ads directed at women vs men, and no study has examined ads directed at women of different ethnic groups. Hence, we examined cigarette ads in popular magazines for White women, Latinas, and men 1998 through 2002 for the first time. Significant differences in the number of cigarette ads by magazine audience were found, along with significant differences in the type and brands of cigarettes advertised to each group. These preliminary findings suggest that the tobacco industry may target women in a manner that differs from its targeting of men, and may target Latinas in a manner that it does not target White women. Results are discussed in terms of the need for further research on tobacco ads directed at women.

White matter tractography using diffusion tensor deflection.

PubMed

Lazar, Mariana; Weinstein, David M; Tsuruda, Jay S; Hasan, Khader M; Arfanakis, Konstantinos; Meyerand, M Elizabeth; Badie, Benham; Rowley, Howard A; Haughton, Victor; Field, Aaron; Alexander, Andrew L

2003-04-01

Diffusion tensor MRI provides unique directional diffusion information that can be used to estimate the patterns of white matter connectivity in the human brain. In this study, the behavior of an algorithm for white matter tractography is examined. The algorithm, called TEND, uses the entire diffusion tensor to deflect the estimated fiber trajectory. Simulations and imaging experiments on in vivo human brains were performed to investigate the behavior of the tractography algorithm. The simulations show that the deflection term is less sensitive than the major eigenvector to image noise. In the human brain imaging experiments, estimated tracts were generated in corpus callosum, corticospinal tract, internal capsule, corona radiata, superior longitudinal fasciculus, inferior longitudinal fasciculus, fronto-occipital fasciculus, and uncinate fasciculus. This approach is promising for mapping the organizational patterns of white matter in the human brain as well as mapping the relationship between major fiber trajectories and the location and extent of brain lesions. Copyright 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Anomalous barrier escape: The roles of noise distribution and correlation.

PubMed

Hu, Meng; Zhang, Jia-Ming; Bao, Jing-Dong

2017-05-28

We study numerically and analytically the barrier escape dynamics of a particle driven by an underlying correlated Lévy noise for a smooth metastable potential. A "quasi-monochrome-color" Lévy noise, i.e., the first-order derivative variable of a linear second-order differential equation subjected to a symmetric α-stable white Lévy noise, also called the harmonic velocity Lévy noise, is proposed. Note that the time-integral of the noise Green function of this kind is equal to zero. This leads to the existence of underlying negative time correlation and implies that a step in one direction is likely followed by a step in the other direction. By using the noise of this kind as a driving source, we discuss the competition between long flights and underlying negative correlations in the metastable dynamics. The quite rich behaviors in the parameter space including an optimum α for the stationary escape rate have been found. Remarkably, slow diffusion does not decrease the stationary rate while a negative correlation increases net escape. An approximate expression for the Lévy-Kramers rate is obtained to support the numerically observed dependencies.

Anomalous barrier escape: The roles of noise distribution and correlation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Meng; Zhang, Jia-Ming; Bao, Jing-Dong

2017-05-01

We study numerically and analytically the barrier escape dynamics of a particle driven by an underlying correlated Lévy noise for a smooth metastable potential. A "quasi-monochrome-color" Lévy noise, i.e., the first-order derivative variable of a linear second-order differential equation subjected to a symmetric α-stable white Lévy noise, also called the harmonic velocity Lévy noise, is proposed. Note that the time-integral of the noise Green function of this kind is equal to zero. This leads to the existence of underlying negative time correlation and implies that a step in one direction is likely followed by a step in the other direction. By using the noise of this kind as a driving source, we discuss the competition between long flights and underlying negative correlations in the metastable dynamics. The quite rich behaviors in the parameter space including an optimum α for the stationary escape rate have been found. Remarkably, slow diffusion does not decrease the stationary rate while a negative correlation increases net escape. An approximate expression for the Lévy-Kramers rate is obtained to support the numerically observed dependencies.

Low-noise magnetoencephalography system cooled by a continuously operating reliquefier

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Y. H.; Kwon, H.; Yu, K. K.; Kim, J. M.; Lee, S. K.; Kim, M.-Y.; Kim, K.

2017-08-01

We fabricated a low-noise magnetoencephalography (MEG) system based on a continuously operating reliquefier for cooling of low-temperature superconducting quantum interference device gradiometers. In order to reduce the vibration transmission, the gradiometers are mounted in the vacuum space of the helmet dewar with direct thermal contact with the liquid helium helmet. The reliquefier uses a 1.4 W pulse tube cryocooler with a remote motor, and a horizontal transfer tube with a downslope angle of 1°. The white noise of the system is 3.5 fTrms/√Hz (at 100 Hz). The vibration-induced peak at 1.4 Hz is 18 fTrms/√Hz averaged over the whole helmet array of 150 channels, which is the lowest among the reported values using reliquefier cooling and comparable to the noise peak cooled by conventional direct liquid helium cooling with axial gradiometers of the same baseline. The spontaneous brain activity signal showed nearly identical signal quality with the reliquefier turned on and off, and the reliquefier-based MEG system noise is well below the brain noise level.

Correlating Cognitive Decline with White Matter Lesion and Brain Atrophy Magnetic Resonance Imaging Measurements in Alzheimer's Disease.

PubMed

Bilello, Michel; Doshi, Jimit; Nabavizadeh, S Ali; Toledo, Jon B; Erus, Guray; Xie, Sharon X; Trojanowski, John Q; Han, Xiaoyan; Davatzikos, Christos

2015-01-01

Vascular risk factors are increasingly recognized as risks factors for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and early conversion from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to dementia. While neuroimaging research in AD has focused on brain atrophy, metabolic function, or amyloid deposition, little attention has been paid to the effect of cerebrovascular disease to cognitive decline. To investigate the correlation of brain atrophy and white matter lesions with cognitive decline in AD, MCI, and control subjects. Patients with AD and MCI, and healthy subjects were included in this study. Subjects had a baseline MRI scan, and baseline and follow-up neuropsychological battery (CERAD). Regional volumes were measured, and white matter lesion segmentation was performed. Correlations between rate of CERAD score decline and white matter lesion load and brain structure volume were evaluated. In addition, voxel-based correlations between baseline CERAD scores and atrophy and white matter lesion measures were computed. CERAD rate of decline was most significantly associated with lesion loads located in the fornices. Several temporal lobe ROI volumes were significantly associated with CERAD decline. Voxel-based analysis demonstrated strong correlation between baseline CERAD scores and atrophy measures in the anterior temporal lobes. Correlation of baseline CERAD scores with white matter lesion volumes achieved significance in multilobar subcortical white matter. Both baseline and declines in CERAD scores correlate with white matter lesion load and gray matter atrophy. Results of this study highlight the dominant effect of volume loss, and underscore the importance of small vessel disease as a contributor to cognitive decline in the elderly.

Sources, control, and effects of noise from aircraft propellers and rotors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mixson, J. S.; Greene, G. C.; Dempsey, T. K.

1981-01-01

Recent NASA and NASA sponsored research on the prediction and control of propeller and rotor source noise, on the analysis and design of fuselage sidewall noise control treatments, and on the measurement and quantification of the response of passengers to aircraft noise is described. Source noise predictions are compared with measurements for conventional low speed propellers, for new high speed propellers (propfans), and for a helicopter. Results from a light aircraft demonstration program are considered which indicates that about 5 dB reduction of flyover noise can be obtained without significant performance penalty. Sidewall design studies are examined for interior noise control in light general aviation aircraft and in large transports using propfan propulsion. The weight of the added acoustic treatment is estimated and tradeoffs between weight and noise reduction are discussed. A laboratory study of passenger response to combined broadband and tonal propeller-like noise is described. Subject discomfort ratings of combined tone broadband noises are compared with ratings of broadband (boundary layer) noise alone and the relative importance of the propeller tones is examined.

Evidence for a differential interference of noise in sub-lexical and lexical reading routes in healthy participants and dyslexics.

PubMed

Pina Rodrigues, Ana; Rebola, José; Jorge, Helena; Ribeiro, Maria José; Pereira, Marcelino; Castelo-Branco, Miguel; van Asselen, Marieke

The ineffective exclusion of surrounding noise has been proposed to underlie the reading deficits in developmental dyslexia. However, previous studies supporting this hypothesis focused on low-level visual tasks, providing only an indirect link of noise interference on reading processes. In this study, we investigated the effect of noise on regular, irregular, and pseudoword reading in 23 dyslexic children and 26 age- and IQ-matched controls, by applying the white noise displays typically used to validate this theory to a lexical decision task. Reading performance and eye movements were measured. Results showed that white noise did not consistently affect dyslexic readers more than typical readers. Noise affected more dyslexic than typical readers in terms of reading accuracy, but it affected more typical than dyslexic readers in terms of response time and eye movements (number of fixations and regressions). Furthermore, in typical readers, noise affected more the speed of reading of pseudowords than real words. These results suggest a particular impact of noise on the sub-lexical reading route where attention has to be deployed to individual letters. The use of a lexical route would reduce the effect of noise. A differential impact of noise between words and pseudowords may therefore not be evident in dyslexic children if they are not yet proficient in using the lexical route. These findings indicate that the type of reading stimuli and consequent reading strategies play an important role in determining the effects of noise interference in reading processing and should be taken into account by further studies.

Fuzzy Logic-Based Filter for Removing Additive and Impulsive Noise from Color Images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Yuhong; Li, Hongyang; Jiang, Huageng

2017-12-01

This paper presents an efficient filter method based on fuzzy logics for adaptively removing additive and impulsive noise from color images. The proposed filter comprises two parts including noise detection and noise removal filtering. In the detection part, the fuzzy peer group concept is applied to determine what type of noise is added to each pixel of the corrupted image. In the filter part, the impulse noise is deducted by the vector median filter in the CIELAB color space and an optimal fuzzy filter is introduced to reduce the Gaussian noise, while they can work together to remove the mixed Gaussian-impulse noise from color images. Experimental results on several color images proves the efficacy of the proposed fuzzy filter.

Sound localization in noise in hearing-impaired listeners.

PubMed

Lorenzi, C; Gatehouse, S; Lever, C

1999-06-01

The present study assesses the ability of four listeners with high-frequency, bilateral symmetrical sensorineural hearing loss to localize and detect a broadband click train in the frontal-horizontal plane, in quiet and in the presence of a white noise. The speaker array and stimuli are identical to those described by Lorenzi et al. (in press). The results show that: (1) localization performance is only slightly poorer in hearing-impaired listeners than in normal-hearing listeners when noise is at 0 deg azimuth, (2) localization performance begins to decrease at higher signal-to-noise ratios for hearing-impaired listeners than for normal-hearing listeners when noise is at +/- 90 deg azimuth, and (3) the performance of hearing-impaired listeners is less consistent when noise is at +/- 90 deg azimuth than at 0 deg azimuth. The effects of a high-frequency hearing loss were also studied by measuring the ability of normal-hearing listeners to localize the low-pass filtered version of the clicks. The data reproduce the effects of noise on three out of the four hearing-impaired listeners when noise is at 0 deg azimuth. They reproduce the effects of noise on only two out of the four hearing-impaired listeners when noise is at +/- 90 deg azimuth. The additional effects of a low-frequency hearing loss were investigated by attenuating the low-pass filtered clicks and the noise by 20 dB. The results show that attenuation does not strongly affect localization accuracy for normal-hearing listeners. Measurements of the clicks' detectability indicate that the hearing-impaired listeners who show the poorest localization accuracy also show the poorest ability to detect the clicks. The inaudibility of high frequencies, "distortions," and reduced detectability of the signal are assumed to have caused the poorer-than-normal localization accuracy for hearing-impaired listeners.

Direct simulation Monte Carlo method for gas flows in micro-channels with bends with added curvature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tisovský, Tomáš; Vít, Tomáš

Gas flows in micro-channels are simulated using an open source Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) code dsmcFOAM for general application to rarefied gas flow written within the framework of the open source C++ toolbox called OpenFOAM. Aim of this paper is to investigate the flow in micro-channel with bend with added curvature. Results are compared with flows in channel without added curvature and equivalent straight channel. Effects of micro-channel bend was already thoroughly investigated by White et al. Geometry proposed by White is also used here for refference.

Interior noise control prediction study for high-speed propeller-driven aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rennison, D. C.; Wilby, J. F.; Marsh, A. H.; Wilby, E. G.

1979-01-01

An analytical model was developed to predict the noise levels inside propeller-driven aircraft during cruise at M = 0.8. The model was applied to three study aircraft with fuselages of different size (wide body, narrow body and small diameter) in order to determine the noise reductions required to achieve the goal of an A-weighted sound level which does not exceed 80 dB. The model was then used to determine noise control methods which could achieve the required noise reductions. Two classes of noise control treatments were investigated: add-on treatments which can be added to existing structures, and advanced concepts which would require changes to the fuselage primary structure. Only one treatment, a double wall with limp panel, provided the required noise reductions. Weight penalties associated with the treatment were estimated for the three study aircraft.

Regime shifts driven by dynamic correlations in gene expression noise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharma, Yogita; Dutta, Partha Sharathi

2017-08-01

Gene expression is a noisy process that leads to regime shifts between alternative steady states among individual living cells, inducing phenotypic variability. The effects of white noise on the regime shift in bistable systems have been well characterized, however little is known about such effects of colored noise (noise with nonzero correlation time). Here, we show that noise correlation time, by considering a genetic circuit of autoactivation, can have a significant effect on the regime shift between distinct phenotypic states in gene expression. We demonstrate this theoretically, using stochastic potential, stationary probability density function, and first-passage time based on the Fokker-Planck description, where the Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process is used to model colored noise. We find that an increase in noise correlation time in the degradation rate can induce a regime shift from a low to a high protein concentration state and enhance the bistable regime, while an increase in noise correlation time in the basal rate retains the bimodal distribution. We then show how cross-correlated colored noises in basal and degradation rates can induce regime shifts from a low to a high protein concentration state, but reduce the bistable regime. We also validate these results through direct numerical simulations of the stochastic differential equation. In gene expression understanding the causes of regime shift to a harmful phenotype could improve early therapeutic intervention in complex human diseases.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme insertion/deletion polymorphism is associated with cerebral white matter changes in Alzheimer's disease.

PubMed

Chou, Ping-Song; Wu, Shyh-Jong; Kao, Yi-Hui; Chou, Mei-Chuan; Tai, Shu-Yu; Yang, Yuan-Han

2017-06-01

The presence of cerebral white matter changes (WMC) has been reported as an important predictor of the rapidity of cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease (AD). The association between the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism and WMC in AD is yet to be elucidated. The present study aimed to examine the association between the ACE I/D polymorphism and WMC among AD patients in Taiwan. A total of 403 patients clinically diagnosed with AD were recruited in a cross-sectional study carried out in an area hospital in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The ACE I/D polymorphism was genotyped, and cerebral white matter rating was carried out using the visual rating scale for age-related white matter changes. The I allele was associated with a significantly lower total age-related white matter changes scale score compared with the D allele (4.83 vs 5.93, P = 0.013). The total age-related white matter changes scale score was significantly lower for the I/I genotype than for the I/D (4.37 vs 5.87, P = 0.009) and I/D + D/D genotypes (4.37 vs 5.91, P = 0.006), with no differences observed between the I/I + I/D and the D/D genotypes (5.08 vs 6.09, P = 0.373), after adjustment for age and hypertension. A stratified analysis by sex demonstrated that the I/I genotype was associated with significant lower WMC than other genotypes in women, but not in men. The present study supports the hypothesis that the ACE I/D polymorphism is associated with the severity of WMC in patients with AD. Patients with AD who are homozygous for the I allele might be less likely to develop WMC, especially women. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; 17: 945-950. © 2016 Japan Geriatrics Society.

Development of a Low-Noise High Common-Mode-Rejection Instrumentation Amplifier. M.S. Thesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rush, Kenneth; Blalock, T. V.; Kennedy, E. J.

1975-01-01

Several previously used instrumentation amplifier circuits were examined to find limitations and possibilities for improvement. One general configuration is analyzed in detail, and methods for improvement are enumerated. An improved amplifier circuit is described and analyzed with respect to common mode rejection and noise. Experimental data are presented showing good agreement between calculated and measured common mode rejection ratio and equivalent noise resistance. The amplifier is shown to be capable of common mode rejection in excess of 140 db for a trimmed circuit at frequencies below 100 Hz and equivalent white noise below 3.0 nv/square root of Hz above 1000 Hz.

Method and apparatus for reducing microwave oscillator output noise

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dick, G. John (Inventor); Saunders, Jonathan E. (Inventor)

1991-01-01

Microwave oscilltors incorporate r.f. feedback with carrier suppression to reduce phase noise. In a direct feedback oscillator arrngement a circulator is interposed between the r.f. amplifier and the high-Q resonator. The amplifier output is applied to the slightly over-coupled input port of the resonator so that the resultant net return signal is the vectorial difference between the signals emitted and reflected from the resonator. The gain of the r.f. amplifier is chosen to regenerate the forward signal from the net return signal. In a STALO-type arrangement, the resonator is critically coupled and an r.f. amplifier added to the path of the net return signal. The sensitivity of the STALO-type feedback loop is thereby enhanced while added amplifier noise is minimized by the superposition of the signals emitted by and reflected from the resonator.

Preceding weak noise sharpens the frequency tuning and elevates the response threshold of the mouse inferior collicular neurons through GABAergic inhibition.

PubMed

Wang, Xin; Jen, Philip H-S; Wu, Fei-Jian; Chen, Qi-Cai

2007-09-05

In acoustic communication, animals must extract biologically relevant signals that are embedded in noisy environment. The present study examines how weak noise may affect the auditory sensitivity of neurons in the central nucleus of the mouse inferior colliculus (IC) which receives convergent excitatory and inhibitory inputs from both lower and higher auditory centers. Specifically, we studied the frequency sensitivity and minimum threshold of IC neurons using a pure tone probe and a weak white noise masker under forward masking paradigm. For most IC neurons, probe-elicited response was decreased by a weak white noise that was presented at a specific gap (i.e. time window). When presented within this time window, weak noise masking sharpened the frequency tuning curve and increased the minimum threshold of IC neurons. The degree of weak noise masking of these two measurements increased with noise duration. Sharpening of the frequency tuning curve and increasing of the minimum threshold of IC neurons during weak noise masking were mostly mediated through GABAergic inhibition. In addition, sharpening of frequency tuning curve by the weak noise masker was more effective at the high than at low frequency limb. These data indicate that in the real world the ambient noise may improve frequency sensitivity of IC neurons through GABAergic inhibition while inevitably decrease the frequency response range and sensitivity of IC neurons.

Impact of environmental noise on growth and neuropsychological development of newborn rats.

PubMed

Zheng, Yanyan; Meng, Meng; Zhao, Congmin; Liao, Wei; Zhang, Yuping; Wang, Liyan; Wen, Enyi

2014-05-01

We aimed to investigate the effects of environmental noise exposure on the growth and neuropsychological development in neonatal rats. Twenty-four postnatal 7-day-old Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned into control, high-noise and reduced noise groups. The rats in the high-noise group were exposed to 90 dB white noise, and those in the control group were grown under standard condition, while those in the reduced noise group were exposed to standard condition with sound-absorbing cotton. Ten, 15, and 20 days post noise exposure, both the body weight and length of the rats in high-noise group were lower than those in the control and reduced noise groups, respectively. The secretion of growth hormone was significantly decreased in the rats exposed to high noise environment, compared to those exposed to standard condition and reduced noise. More interestingly, the swimming distance was apparently increased and the swimming speed was significantly decreased in high-noise group compared with those in control and reduced noise groups. Importantly, the mRNA and protein levels of SYP in the rats hippocampus were significantly decreased in high-noise group compare with those in control and reduced noise groups. Similarly, the positive expression of SYP in the CA1 region of hippocampus was also significantly decreased in the high noise group rats. In conclusion, our results demonstrated that high noise exposure could decrease the production of growth hormone and SYP in neonatal rats, which may retard the growth of weight and length and the capability of learning and memory. Copyright © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Connecting Variability and Metals in White Dwarfs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kilic, Mukremin

2016-10-01

The Kepler and K2 missions have revealed that about half of the observed white dwarfs with sufficient signal-to-noise ratio light curves have low-level photometric variations at hour to day timescales. Potential explanations for the observed variability include the relativistic beaming effect, ellipsodial variations, eclipses, and reflection off of giant planets in close orbits. However, these are all rare events. Roughly 10% of white dwarfs are magnetic, and magnetic fields can explain part of this puzzle. However, the high incidence (50%) of variability is currently unexplained. HST COS spectroscopy of nearby white dwarfs show that about half of them have metals on their surface. Hence, we propose that the observed variability is due to the rotation of the star coupled with an inhomogeneous surface distribution of accreted metals. We have recently discovered an ideal system to test this hypothesis. J1529 is an apparently non-magnetic white dwarf that shows 5.9% photometric dips in the optical every 38 min. We propose to obtain COS TIME-TAG spectroscopy of J1529 over 4 orbits to search for surface abundance differences throughout the orbit and look for the flux redistribution effect in the optical. These observations will confirm or rule out the idea that inhomogeneous metal accretion on white dwarfs can explain the high incidence of variability. We predict that the LSST will identify 100,000 variable white dwarfs. Hence, understanding the source of variability in white dwarfs has implications for the current and future transient surveys.

Integrate-and-fire neurons driven by asymmetric dichotomous noise.

PubMed

Droste, Felix; Lindner, Benjamin

2014-12-01

We consider a general integrate-and-fire (IF) neuron driven by asymmetric dichotomous noise. In contrast to the Gaussian white noise usually used in the so-called diffusion approximation, this noise is colored, i.e., it exhibits temporal correlations. We give an analytical expression for the stationary voltage distribution of a neuron receiving such noise and derive recursive relations for the moments of the first passage time density, which allow us to calculate the firing rate and the coefficient of variation of interspike intervals. We study how correlations in the input affect the rate and regularity of firing under variation of the model's parameters for leaky and quadratic IF neurons. Further, we consider the limit of small correlation times and find lowest order corrections to the first passage time moments to be proportional to the square root of the correlation time. We show analytically that to this lowest order, correlations always lead to a decrease in firing rate for a leaky IF neuron. All theoretical expressions are compared to simulations of leaky and quadratic IF neurons.

Observer efficiency in free-localization tasks with correlated noise.

PubMed

Abbey, Craig K; Eckstein, Miguel P

2014-01-01

The efficiency of visual tasks involving localization has traditionally been evaluated using forced choice experiments that capitalize on independence across locations to simplify the performance of the ideal observer. However, developments in ideal observer analysis have shown how an ideal observer can be defined for free-localization tasks, where a target can appear anywhere in a defined search region and subjects respond by localizing the target. Since these tasks are representative of many real-world search tasks, it is of interest to evaluate the efficiency of observer performance in them. The central question of this work is whether humans are able to effectively use the information in a free-localization task relative to a similar task where target location is fixed. We use a yes-no detection task at a cued location as the reference for this comparison. Each of the tasks is evaluated using a Gaussian target profile embedded in four different Gaussian noise backgrounds having power-law noise power spectra with exponents ranging from 0 to 3. The free localization task had a square 6.7° search region. We report on two follow-up studies investigating efficiency in a detect-and-localize task, and the effect of processing the white-noise backgrounds. In the fixed-location detection task, we find average observer efficiency ranges from 35 to 59% for the different noise backgrounds. Observer efficiency improves dramatically in the tasks involving localization, ranging from 63 to 82% in the forced localization tasks and from 78 to 92% in the detect-and- localize tasks. Performance in white noise, the lowest efficiency condition, was improved by filtering to give them a power-law exponent of 2. Classification images, used to examine spatial frequency weights for the tasks, show better tuning to ideal weights in the free-localization tasks. The high absolute levels of efficiency suggest that observers are well-adapted to free-localization tasks.

Observer efficiency in free-localization tasks with correlated noise

PubMed Central

Abbey, Craig K.; Eckstein, Miguel P.

2014-01-01

The efficiency of visual tasks involving localization has traditionally been evaluated using forced choice experiments that capitalize on independence across locations to simplify the performance of the ideal observer. However, developments in ideal observer analysis have shown how an ideal observer can be defined for free-localization tasks, where a target can appear anywhere in a defined search region and subjects respond by localizing the target. Since these tasks are representative of many real-world search tasks, it is of interest to evaluate the efficiency of observer performance in them. The central question of this work is whether humans are able to effectively use the information in a free-localization task relative to a similar task where target location is fixed. We use a yes-no detection task at a cued location as the reference for this comparison. Each of the tasks is evaluated using a Gaussian target profile embedded in four different Gaussian noise backgrounds having power-law noise power spectra with exponents ranging from 0 to 3. The free localization task had a square 6.7° search region. We report on two follow-up studies investigating efficiency in a detect-and-localize task, and the effect of processing the white-noise backgrounds. In the fixed-location detection task, we find average observer efficiency ranges from 35 to 59% for the different noise backgrounds. Observer efficiency improves dramatically in the tasks involving localization, ranging from 63 to 82% in the forced localization tasks and from 78 to 92% in the detect-and- localize tasks. Performance in white noise, the lowest efficiency condition, was improved by filtering to give them a power-law exponent of 2. Classification images, used to examine spatial frequency weights for the tasks, show better tuning to ideal weights in the free-localization tasks. The high absolute levels of efficiency suggest that observers are well-adapted to free-localization tasks. PMID:24817854

The Impact of Subsonic Twin Jets on Airport Noise

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bozak, Richard, F.

2012-01-01

Subsonic and supersonic aircraft concepts proposed through NASA s Fundamental Aeronautics Program have multiple engines mounted near one another. Engine configurations with multiple jets introduce an asymmetry to the azimuthal directivity of the jet noise. Current system noise predictions add the jet noise from each jet incoherently, therefore, twin jets are estimated by adding 3 EPNdB to the far-field noise radiated from a single jet. Twin jet effects have the ability to increase or decrease the radiated noise to different azimuthal observation locations. Experiments have shown that twin jet effects are reduced with forward flight and increasing spacings. The current experiment investigates the impact of spacing, and flight effects on airport noise for twin jets. Estimating the jet noise radiated from twin jets as that of a single jet plus 3 EPNdB may be sufficient for horizontal twin jets with an s/d of 4.4 and 5.5, where s is the center-to-center spacing and d is the jet diameter. However, up to a 3 EPNdB error could be present for jet spacings with an s/d of 2.6 and 3.2.

Demosaicking of noisy Bayer-sampled color images with least-squares luma-chroma demultiplexing and noise level estimation.

PubMed

Jeon, Gwanggil; Dubois, Eric

2013-01-01

This paper adapts the least-squares luma-chroma demultiplexing (LSLCD) demosaicking method to noisy Bayer color filter array (CFA) images. A model is presented for the noise in white-balanced gamma-corrected CFA images. A method to estimate the noise level in each of the red, green, and blue color channels is then developed. Based on the estimated noise parameters, one of a finite set of configurations adapted to a particular level of noise is selected to demosaic the noisy data. The noise-adaptive demosaicking scheme is called LSLCD with noise estimation (LSLCD-NE). Experimental results demonstrate state-of-the-art performance over a wide range of noise levels, with low computational complexity. Many results with several algorithms, noise levels, and images are presented on our companion web site along with software to allow reproduction of our results.

Optical Correlation of Images With Signal-Dependent Noise Using Constrained-Modulation Filter Devices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Downie, John D.

1995-01-01

Images with signal-dependent noise present challenges beyond those of images with additive white or colored signal-independent noise in terms of designing the optimal 4-f correlation filter that maximizes correlation-peak signal-to-noise ratio, or combinations of correlation-peak metrics. Determining the proper design becomes more difficult when the filter is to be implemented on a constrained-modulation spatial light modulator device. The design issues involved for updatable optical filters for images with signal-dependent film-grain noise and speckle noise are examined. It is shown that although design of the optimal linear filter in the Fourier domain is impossible for images with signal-dependent noise, proper nonlinear preprocessing of the images allows the application of previously developed design rules for optimal filters to be implemented on constrained-modulation devices. Thus the nonlinear preprocessing becomes necessary for correlation in optical systems with current spatial light modulator technology. These results are illustrated with computer simulations of images with signal-dependent noise correlated with binary-phase-only filters and ternary-phase-amplitude filters.

Effects on noise properties of GPS time series caused by higher-order ionospheric corrections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Weiping; Deng, Liansheng; Li, Zhao; Zhou, Xiaohui; Liu, Hongfei

2014-04-01

Higher-order ionospheric (HOI) effects are one of the principal technique-specific error sources in precise global positioning system (GPS) analysis. These effects also influence the non-linear characteristics of GPS coordinate time series. In this paper, we investigate these effects on coordinate time series in terms of seasonal variations and noise amplitudes. Both power spectral techniques and maximum likelihood estimators (MLE) are used to evaluate these effects quantitatively and qualitatively. Our results show an overall improvement for the analysis of global sites if HOI effects are considered. We note that the noise spectral index that is used for the determination of the optimal noise models in our analysis ranged between -1 and 0 both with and without HOI corrections, implying that the coloured noise cannot be removed by these corrections. However, the corrections were found to have improved noise properties for global sites. After the corrections were applied, the noise amplitudes at most sites decreased, among which the white noise amplitudes decreased remarkably. The white noise amplitudes of up to 81.8% of the selected sites decreased in the up component, and the flicker noise of 67.5% of the sites decreased in the north component. Stacked periodogram results show that, no matter whether the HOI effects are considered or not, a common fundamental period of 1.04 cycles per year (cpy), together with the expected annual and semi-annual signals, can explain all peaks of the north and up components well. For the east component, however, reasonable results can be obtained only based on HOI corrections. HOI corrections are useful for better detecting the periodic signals in GPS coordinate time series. Moreover, the corrections contributed partly to the seasonal variations of the selected sites, especially for the up component. Statistically, HOI corrections reduced more than 50% and more than 65% of the annual and semi-annual amplitudes respectively at the

Age-Related Changes in 1/f Neural Electrophysiological Noise

PubMed Central

Kramer, Mark A.; Case, John; Lepage, Kyle Q.; Tempesta, Zechari R.; Knight, Robert T.; Gazzaley, Adam

2015-01-01

Aging is associated with performance decrements across multiple cognitive domains. The neural noise hypothesis, a dominant view of the basis of this decline, posits that aging is accompanied by an increase in spontaneous, noisy baseline neural activity. Here we analyze data from two different groups of human subjects: intracranial electrocorticography from 15 participants over a 38 year age range (15–53 years) and scalp EEG data from healthy younger (20–30 years) and older (60–70 years) adults to test the neural noise hypothesis from a 1/f noise perspective. Many natural phenomena, including electrophysiology, are characterized by 1/f noise. The defining characteristic of 1/f is that the power of the signal frequency content decreases rapidly as a function of the frequency (f) itself. The slope of this decay, the noise exponent (χ), is often <−1 for electrophysiological data and has been shown to approach white noise (defined as χ = 0) with increasing task difficulty. We observed, in both electrophysiological datasets, that aging is associated with a flatter (more noisy) 1/f power spectral density, even at rest, and that visual cortical 1/f noise statistically mediates age-related impairments in visual working memory. These results provide electrophysiological support for the neural noise hypothesis of aging. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Understanding the neurobiological origins of age-related cognitive decline is of critical scientific, medical, and public health importance, especially considering the rapid aging of the world's population. We find, in two separate human studies, that 1/f electrophysiological noise increases with aging. In addition, we observe that this age-related 1/f noise statistically mediates age-related working memory decline. These results significantly add to this understanding and contextualize a long-standing problem in cognition by encapsulating age-related cognitive decline within a neurocomputational model of 1/f noise

On Noise Assessment for Blended Wing Body Aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Guo, Yueping; Burley, Casey L; Thomas, Russell H.

2014-01-01

A system noise study is presented for the blended-wing-body (BWB) aircraft configured with advanced technologies that are projected to be available in the 2025 timeframe of the NASA N+2 definition. This system noise assessment shows that the noise levels of the baseline configuration, measured by the cumulative Effective Perceived Noise Level (EPNL), have a large margin of 34 dB to the aircraft noise regulation of Stage 4. This confirms the acoustic benefits of the BWB shielding of engine noise, as well as other projected noise reduction technologies, but the noise margins are less than previously published assessments and are short of meeting the NASA N+2 noise goal. In establishing the relevance of the acoustic assessment framework, the design of the BWB configuration, the technical approach of the noise analysis, the databases and prediction tools used in the assessment are first described and discussed. The predicted noise levels and the component decomposition are then analyzed to identify the ranking order of importance of various noise components, revealing the prominence of airframe noise, which holds up the levels at all three noise certification locations and renders engine noise reduction technologies less effective. When projected airframe component noise reduction is added to the HWB configuration, it is shown that the cumulative noise margin to Stage 4 can reach 41.6 dB, nearly at the NASA goal. These results are compared with a previous NASA assessment with a different study framework. The approaches that yield projections of such low noise levels are discussed including aggressive assumptions on future technologies, assumptions on flight profile management, engine installation, and component noise reduction technologies. It is shown that reliable predictions of component noise also play an important role in the system noise assessment. The comparisons and discussions illustrate the importance of practical feasibilities and constraints in aircraft

Altered temporal lobe white matter lipid ion profiles in an experimental model of sporadic Alzheimer's disease.

PubMed

Tong, Ming; Leão, Raiane; Vimbela, Gina V; Yalcin, Emine B; Kay, Jared; Krotow, Alexander; de la Monte, Suzanne M

2017-07-01

White matter is an early and important yet under-evaluated target of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Metabolic impairments due to insulin and insulin-like growth factor resistance contribute to white matter degeneration because corresponding signal transduction pathways maintain oligodendrocyte function and survival. This study utilized a model of sporadic AD in which adult Long Evans rats administered intracerebral streptozotocin (i.c. STZ) developed AD-type neurodegeneration. Temporal lobe white matter lipid ion profiles were characterized by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-imaging mass spectrometry (MALDI-IMS). Although the lipid ion species expressed in the i.c. STZ and control groups were virtually identical, i.c. STZ mainly altered the abundances of various lipid ions. Correspondingly, the i.c. STZ group was distinguished from control by principal component analysis and data bar plots. i.c. STZ mainly reduced expression of lipid ions with low m/z's (less than 810) as well as the upper range m/z lipids (m/z 964-986), and increased expression of lipid ions with m/z's between 888 and 937. Phospholipids were mainly included among the clusters inhibited by i.c. STZ, while both sulfatides and phospholipids were increased by i.c. STZ. However, Chi-Square analysis demonstrated significant i.c. STZ-induced trend reductions in phospholipids and increases in sulfatides (P<0.00001). The i.c. STZ model of sporadic AD is associated with broad and sustained abnormalities in temporal lobe white matter lipids. The findings suggest that the i.c. STZ model could be used for pre-clinical studies to assess therapeutic measures for their ability to restore white matter integrity in AD. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Noise exposure levels from model airplane engines.

PubMed

Pearlman, R C; Miller, M

1985-01-01

Previous research indicates that noise levels from unmuffled model airplane engines produce sufficient noise to cause TTS. The present study explored SPLs of smaller engines under 3.25 cc (.19 cu. in.) and the effectiveness of engine mufflers. Results showed that model airplanes can exceed a widely used damage risk criterion (DRC) but that engine mufflers can reduce levels below DRC. Handling model gasoline engines should be added to the list of recreational activities such as snow-mobile and motorcycle riding, shooting, etc. in which the participant's hearing may be in jeopardy. Suggestions are presented to the model engine enthusiast for avoiding damage to hearing.

Noise suppression in surface microseismic data by τ-p transform

USGS Publications Warehouse

Forghani-Arani, Farnoush; Batzle, Mike; Behura, Jyoti; Willis, Mark; Haines, Seth; Davidson, Michael

2013-01-01

Surface passive seismic methods are receiving increased attention for monitoring changes in reservoirs during the production of unconventional oil and gas. However, in passive seismic data the strong cultural and ambient noise (mainly surface-waves) decreases the effectiveness of these techniques. Hence, suppression of surface-waves is a critical step in surface microseismic monitoring. We apply a noise suppression technique, based on the τ — p transform, to a surface passive seismic dataset recorded over a Barnett Shale reservoir undergoing a hydraulic fracturing process. This technique not only improves the signal-to-noise ratios of added synthetic microseismic events, but it also preserves the event waveforms.

A Landing Gear Noise Reduction Study Based on Computational Simulations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Khorrami, Mehdi R.; Lockard, David P.

2006-01-01

Landing gear is one of the more prominent airframe noise sources. Techniques that diminish gear noise and suppress its radiation to the ground are highly desirable. Using a hybrid computational approach, this paper investigates the noise reduction potential of devices added to a simplified main landing gear model without small scale geometric details. The Ffowcs Williams and Hawkings equation is used to predict the noise at far-field observer locations from surface pressure data provided by unsteady CFD calculations. Because of the simplified nature of the model, most of the flow unsteadiness is restricted to low frequencies. The wheels, gear boxes, and oleo appear to be the primary sources of unsteadiness at these frequencies. The addition of fairings around the gear boxes and wheels, and the attachment of a splitter plate on the downstream side of the oleo significantly reduces the noise over a wide range of frequencies, but a dramatic increase in noise is observed at one frequency. The increased flow velocities, a consequence of the more streamlined bodies, appear to generate extra unsteadiness around other parts giving rise to the additional noise. Nonetheless, the calculations demonstrate the capability of the devices to improve overall landing gear noise.

Increasing signal-to-noise ratio of swept-source optical coherence tomography by oversampling in k-space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nagib, Karim; Mezgebo, Biniyam; Thakur, Rahul; Fernando, Namal; Kordi, Behzad; Sherif, Sherif

2018-03-01

Optical coherence tomography systems suffer from noise that could reduce ability to interpret reconstructed images correctly. We describe a method to increase the signal-to-noise ratio of swept-source optical coherence tomography (SSOCT) using oversampling in k-space. Due to this oversampling, information redundancy would be introduced in the measured interferogram that could be used to reduce white noise in the reconstructed A-scan. We applied our novel scaled nonuniform discrete Fourier transform to oversampled SS-OCT interferograms to reconstruct images of a salamander egg. The peak-signal-to-noise (PSNR) between the reconstructed images using interferograms sampled at 250MS/s andz50MS/s demonstrate that this oversampling increased the signal-to-noise ratio by 25.22 dB.

Flicker sensitivity as a function of target area with and without temporal noise.

PubMed

Rovamo, J; Donner, K; Näsänen, R; Raninen, A

2000-01-01

Flicker sensitivities (1-30 Hz) in foveal, photopic vision were measured as functions of stimulus area with and without strong external white temporal noise. Stimuli were circular, sinusoidally flickering sharp-edged spots of variable diameters (0.25-4 degrees ) but constant duration (2 s), surrounded by a uniform equiluminant field. The data was described with a model comprising (i) low-pass filtering in the retina (R), with a modulation transfer function (MTF) of a form derived from responses of cones; (ii) normalisation of the temporal luminance distribution by the average luminance; (iii) high-pass filtering by postreceptoral neural pathways (P), with an MTF proportional to temporal frequency; (iv) addition of internal white neural noise (N(i)); (v) integration over a spatial window; and (vi) detection by a suboptimal temporal matched filter of efficiency eta. In strong external noise, flicker sensitivity was independent of spot area. Without external noise, sensitivity increased with the square root of stimulus area (Piper's law) up to a critical area (A(c)), where it reaches a maximum level (S(max)). Both A(c) and eta were monotonic functions of temporal frequency (f), such that log A(c) increased and log eta decreased linearly with log f. Remarkably, the increase in spatial integration area and the decrease in efficiency were just balanced, so A(c)(f)eta(f) was invariant against f. Thus the bandpass characteristics of S(max)(f) directly reflected the composite effect of the distal filters R(f) and P(f). The temporal equivalent (N(it)) of internal neural noise (N(i)) decreased in inverse proportion to spot area up to A(c) and then stayed constant indicating that spatially homogeneous signals and noise are integrated over the same area.

Intensity and temporal noise characteristics in femtosecond optical parametric amplifiers.

PubMed

Chen, Wei; Fan, Jintao; Ge, Aichen; Song, Huanyu; Song, Youjian; Liu, Bowen; Chai, Lu; Wang, Chingyue; Hu, Minglie

2017-12-11

We characterize the relative intensity noise (RIN) and relative timing jitter (RTJ) between the signal and pump pulses of optical parametric amplifiers (OPAs) seeded by three different seed sources. Compared to a white-light continuum (WLC) seeded- and an optical parametric generator (OPG) seeded OPA, the narrowband CW seeded OPA exhibits the lowest root-mean-square (RMS) RIN and RTJ of 0.79% and 0.32 fs, respectively, integrated from 1 kHz to the Nyquist frequency of 1.25 MHz. An improved numerical model based on a forward Maxwell equation (FME) is built to investigate the transfers of the pump and seed's noise to the resulting OPAs' intensity and temporal fluctuation. Both the experimental and numerical study indicate that the low level of noise from the narrowband CW seeded OPA is attributed to the elimination of the RIN and RTJ coupled from the noise of seed source, being one of the important contributions to RIN and timing jitter in the other two OPAs. The approach to achieve lower level of noise from this CW seeded OPA by driving it close to saturation is also discussed with the same numerical model.

Indirect combustion noise of auxiliary power units

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tam, Christopher K. W.; Parrish, Sarah A.; Xu, Jun; Schuster, Bill

2013-08-01

Recent advances in noise suppression technology have significantly reduced jet and fan noise from commercial jet engines. This leads many investigators in the aeroacoustics community to suggest that core noise could well be the next aircraft noise barrier. Core noise consists of turbine noise and combustion noise. There is direct combustion noise generated by the combustion processes, and there is indirect combustion noise generated by the passage of combustion hot spots, or entropy waves, through constrictions in an engine. The present work focuses on indirect combustion noise. Indirect combustion noise has now been found in laboratory experiments. The primary objective of this work is to investigate whether indirect combustion noise is also generated in jet and other engines. In a jet engine, there are numerous noise sources. This makes the identification of indirect combustion noise a formidable task. Here, our effort concentrates exclusively on auxiliary power units (APUs). This choice is motivated by the fact that APUs are relatively simple engines with only a few noise sources. It is, therefore, expected that the chance of success is higher. Accordingly, a theoretical model study of the generation of indirect combustion noise in an Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) is carried out. The cross-sectional areas of an APU from the combustor to the turbine exit are scaled off to form an equivalent nozzle. A principal function of a turbine in an APU is to extract mechanical energy from the flow stream through the exertion of a resistive force. Therefore, the turbine is modeled by adding a negative body force to the momentum equation. This model is used to predict the ranges of frequencies over which there is a high probability for indirect combustion noise generation. Experimental spectra of internal pressure fluctuations and far-field noise of an RE220 APU are examined to identify anomalous peaks. These peaks are possible indirection combustion noise. In the case of the

Spectral composition of concurrent noise affects neuronal sensitivity to interaural time differences of tones in the dorsal nucleus of the lateral lemniscus.

PubMed

Siveke, Ida; Leibold, Christian; Grothe, Benedikt

2007-11-01

We are regularly exposed to several concurrent sounds, producing a mixture of binaural cues. The neuronal mechanisms underlying the localization of concurrent sounds are not well understood. The major binaural cues for localizing low-frequency sounds in the horizontal plane are interaural time differences (ITDs). Auditory brain stem neurons encode ITDs by firing maximally in response to "favorable" ITDs and weakly or not at all in response to "unfavorable" ITDs. We recorded from ITD-sensitive neurons in the dorsal nucleus of the lateral lemniscus (DNLL) while presenting pure tones at different ITDs embedded in noise. We found that increasing levels of concurrent white noise suppressed the maximal response rate to tones with favorable ITDs and slightly enhanced the response rate to tones with unfavorable ITDs. Nevertheless, most of the neurons maintained ITD sensitivity to tones even for noise intensities equal to that of the tone. Using concurrent noise with a spectral composition in which the neuron's excitatory frequencies are omitted reduced the maximal response similar to that obtained with concurrent white noise. This finding indicates that the decrease of the maximal rate is mediated by suppressive cross-frequency interactions, which we also observed during monaural stimulation with additional white noise. In contrast, the enhancement of the firing rate to tones at unfavorable ITD might be due to early binaural interactions (e.g., at the level of the superior olive). A simple simulation corroborates this interpretation. Taken together, these findings suggest that the spectral composition of a concurrent sound strongly influences the spatial processing of ITD-sensitive DNLL neurons.

An evaluation of marine traffic on the Chinese white dolphins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, C.

2016-12-01

The proposed third runway reclamation project of Hong Kong airport will soon impact the surrounding population of Chinese white dolphins. According to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), the size of the reclamation will be 650 hectares of land located to the north of the current airport platform. All of the necessary works will be conducted via the surrounding marine areas. During the construction period the dredging and reclamation activities will increase the risk of dolphins colliding with this extra marine traffic especially since this construction site is less than one kilometre away from the dolphin marine park of Sha Chau & Lung Kwu Chau. Furthermore, after the construction of the third runway, there will be a re-routing of Skypier Ferries and other high speed boats through this area. The dolphins will undoubtedly be disturbed. The increase in vessel traffic during the construction project will also generate sounds that may interfere with echolocation systems that dolphins rely on to navigate and fish. This further impact can be measured using underwater hydrophones that can record the boat noise as well as the dolphin clicks. The latter determines the presence or absence of dolphins. From this the impact of noise on dolphin populations can be determined by simply determining if the dolphins stay around during periods of high levels of underwater noise. The data presented is the result of several years of collection. A clear understanding of the conjunction of noises from the dolphins and marine traffic patterns for different times of the day will help determine the impact and offer the chance to change marine traffic patterns thus minimizing the adverse impact on the iconic Hong Kong white dolphins.

Network-based de-noising improves prediction from microarray data.

PubMed

Kato, Tsuyoshi; Murata, Yukio; Miura, Koh; Asai, Kiyoshi; Horton, Paul B; Koji, Tsuda; Fujibuchi, Wataru

2006-03-20

Prediction of human cell response to anti-cancer drugs (compounds) from microarray data is a challenging problem, due to the noise properties of microarrays as well as the high variance of living cell responses to drugs. Hence there is a strong need for more practical and robust methods than standard methods for real-value prediction. We devised an extended version of the off-subspace noise-reduction (de-noising) method to incorporate heterogeneous network data such as sequence similarity or protein-protein interactions into a single framework. Using that method, we first de-noise the gene expression data for training and test data and also the drug-response data for training data. Then we predict the unknown responses of each drug from the de-noised input data. For ascertaining whether de-noising improves prediction or not, we carry out 12-fold cross-validation for assessment of the prediction performance. We use the Pearson's correlation coefficient between the true and predicted response values as the prediction performance. De-noising improves the prediction performance for 65% of drugs. Furthermore, we found that this noise reduction method is robust and effective even when a large amount of artificial noise is added to the input data. We found that our extended off-subspace noise-reduction method combining heterogeneous biological data is successful and quite useful to improve prediction of human cell cancer drug responses from microarray data.

Wind fence enclosures for infrasonic wind noise reduction.

PubMed

Abbott, JohnPaul; Raspet, Richard; Webster, Jeremy

2015-03-01

A large porous wind fence enclosure has been built and tested to optimize wind noise reduction at infrasonic frequencies between 0.01 and 10 Hz to develop a technology that is simple and cost effective and improves upon the limitations of spatial filter arrays for detecting nuclear explosions, wind turbine infrasound, and other sources of infrasound. Wind noise is reduced by minimizing the sum of the wind noise generated by the turbulence and velocity gradients inside the fence and by the area-averaging the decorrelated pressure fluctuations generated at the surface of the fence. The effects of varying the enclosure porosity, top condition, bottom gap, height, and diameter and adding a secondary windscreen were investigated. The wind fence enclosure achieved best reductions when the surface porosity was between 40% and 55% and was supplemented by a secondary windscreen. The most effective wind fence enclosure tested in this study achieved wind noise reductions of 20-27 dB over the 2-4 Hz frequency band, a minimum of 5 dB noise reduction for frequencies from 0.1 to 20 Hz, constant 3-6 dB noise reduction for frequencies with turbulence wavelengths larger than the fence, and sufficient wind noise reduction at high wind speeds (3-6 m/s) to detect microbaroms.

Laser Frequency Noise in Coherent Optical Systems: Spectral Regimes and Impairments.

PubMed

Kakkar, Aditya; Rodrigo Navarro, Jaime; Schatz, Richard; Pang, Xiaodan; Ozolins, Oskars; Udalcovs, Aleksejs; Louchet, Hadrien; Popov, Sergei; Jacobsen, Gunnar

2017-04-12

Coherent communication networks are based on the ability to use multiple dimensions of the lightwave together with electrical domain compensation of transmission impairments. Electrical-domain dispersion compensation (EDC) provides many advantages such as network flexibility and enhanced fiber nonlinearity tolerance, but makes the system more susceptible to laser frequency noise (FN), e.g. to the local oscillator FN in systems with post-reception EDC. Although this problem has been extensively studied, statistically, for links assuming lasers with white-FN, many questions remain unanswered. Particularly, the influence of a realistic non-white FN-spectrum due to e.g., the presence of 1/f-flicker and carrier induced noise remains elusive and a statistical analysis becomes insufficient. Here we provide an experimentally validated theory for coherent optical links with lasers having general non-white FN-spectrum and EDC. The fundamental reason of the increased susceptibility is shown to be FN-induced symbol displacement that causes timing jitter and/or inter/intra symbol interference. We establish that different regimes of the laser FN-spectrum cause a different set of impairments. The influence of the impairments due to some regimes can be reduced by optimizing the corresponding mitigation algorithms, while other regimes cause irretrievable impairments. Theoretical boundaries of these regimes and corresponding criteria applicable to system/laser design are provided.

Tailoring noise frequency spectrum to improve NIR determinations.

PubMed

Xie, Shaofei; Xiang, Bingren; Yu, Liyan; Deng, Haishan

2009-12-15

Near infrared spectroscopy (NIR) contains excessive background noise and weak analytical signals caused by near infrared overtones and combinations. That makes it difficult to achieve quantitative determinations of low concentration samples by NIR. A simple chemometric approach has been established to modify the noise frequency spectrum to improve NIR determinations. The proposed method is to multiply one Savitzky-Golay filtered NIR spectrum with another reference spectrum added with thermal noises before the other Savitzky-Golay filter. Since Savitzky-Golay filter is a kind of low-pass filter and cannot eliminate low frequency components of NIR spectrum, using one step or two consecutive Savitzky-Golay filter procedures cannot improve the determination of NIR greatly. Meanwhile, significant improvement is achieved via the Savitzky-Golay filtered NIR spectrum processed with the multiplication alteration before the other Savitzky-Golay filter. The frequency range of the modified noise spectrum shifts toward higher frequency regime via multiplication operation. So the second Savitzky-Golay filter is able to provide better filtering efficiency to obtain satisfied result. The improvement of NIR determination with tailoring noise frequency spectrum technique was demonstrated by both simulated dataset and two measured NIR spectral datasets. It is expected that noise frequency spectrum technique will be adopted mostly in applications where quantitative determination of low concentration sample is crucial.

Adiabatic elimination for systems with inertia driven by compound Poisson colored noise.

PubMed

Li, Tiejun; Min, Bin; Wang, Zhiming

2014-02-01

We consider the dynamics of systems driven by compound Poisson colored noise in the presence of inertia. We study the limit when the frictional relaxation time and the noise autocorrelation time both tend to zero. We show that the Itô and Marcus stochastic calculuses naturally arise depending on these two time scales, and an extra intermediate type occurs when the two time scales are comparable. This leads to three different limiting regimes which are supported by numerical simulations. Furthermore, we establish that when the resulting compound Poisson process tends to the Wiener process in the frequent jump limit the Itô and Marcus calculuses, respectively, tend to the classical Itô and Stratonovich calculuses for Gaussian white noise, and the crossover type calculus tends to a crossover between the Itô and Stratonovich calculuses. Our results would be very helpful for understanding relevant experiments when jump type noise is involved.

Urban noise and the cultural evolution of bird songs.

PubMed

Luther, David; Baptista, Luis

2010-02-07

In urban environments, anthropogenic noise can interfere with animal communication. Here we study the influence of urban noise on the cultural evolution of bird songs. We studied three adjacent dialects of white-crowned sparrow songs over a 30-year time span. Urban noise, which is louder at low frequencies, increased during our study period and therefore should have created a selection pressure for songs with higher frequencies. We found that the minimum frequency of songs increased both within and between dialects during the 30-year time span. For example, the dialect with the highest minimum frequency is in the process of replacing another dialect that has lower frequency songs. Songs with the highest minimum frequency were favoured in this environment and should have the most effective transmission properties. We suggest that one mechanism that influences how dialects, and cultural traits in general, are selected and transmitted from one generation to the next is the dialect's ability to be effectively communicated in the local environment.

Evaluating signal and noise spectral density of a qPlus sensor with an active feedback control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Manhee; An, Sangmin; Jhe, Wonho

2018-05-01

Q-control technique enables to actively change the quality factor of the probe oscillation in dynamic atomic force microscopy. The Q-control is realized by adding a self-feedback loop into the original actuation-detection system, in which a damping force with controllable damping coefficient in magnitude and sign is applied to the oscillating probe. While the applied force alters the total damping interaction and thus the overall `signal' of the probe motion, the added feedback system changes the `noise' of the motion as well. Here, we systematically investigate the signal, the noise, and the signal-to-noise ratio of the qPlus sensor under the active Q-control. We quantify the noise of the qPlus motion by measuring the noise spectral density, which is reproduced by a harmonic oscillator model including the thermal and the measurement noises. We show that the noise signal increases with the quality factor controlled, scaling as the square root of the quality factor. Because the overall signal is linearly proportional to the quality factor, the signal-to-noise ratio scales as the square root of the quality factor. The Q-controlled qPlus with a highly enhanced Q, up to 10,000 in air, leads to the minimum detectable force gradient of 0.001 N/m, which would enhance the capability of the qPlus sensor for atomic force microscopy and spectroscopy.

Micromechanical Devices to Reduce 1/f Noise in Magnetic Field and Electric Charge Sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jaramillo, Gerardo

1/f noise is present in every aspect of nature. Sensors and read-out electronics have the ultimate detection limit set by the noise floor of the white noise. In order to increase signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of low frequency signals buried by high 1/f noise, the signal can be up-converted to a high frequency signal that lies in the lower white noise regime of the sensing device. Mechanical modulation can be employed to move low frequency electronic signals to higher frequency region through the use of microresonators. This thesis has two goals: (1) develop and fabricate a hybrid micromechanical-magnetoresistive magnetic field sensor; and (2) design an electrometer to measure currents collected from air streams containing ionized nano-particles. First, we designed magnetoresistive-microelectromechanical systems (MR-MEMS) hybrid devices based on the monolithic integration of magnetic thin films and silicon-on-insulator (SOI) MEMS fabrication techniques. We used MgO-based magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJ) placed on a bulk micromachined silicon MEMS device to form a hybrid sensing device. The MEMS device was used to mechanically modulate the magnetic field signal detected by the MTJ, thereby reducing the effects of 1/f noise on the MTJ's output. Two actuator designs were investigated: cantilever and electrostatic comb-drive. The second component of the thesis presents a MEMS-based electrometer for the detection of small currents from ionized particles in a particle detection system for air-quality monitoring. One method of particle detection ionizes particles and then feeds a stream of charged particles into a Faraday cup electrometer. We replaced the Faraday cup with a filtering porous mesh sensing-electrode coupled to a MEMS electrometer with a noise floor below 1 fA rms. Experiments were conducted with fA level currents produced by 10 nm diameter particles within an airflow of 1.0 L/min. The MEMS electrometer was compared and calibrated using commercial electrometers

The interplay of intrinsic and extrinsic bounded noises in biomolecular networks.

PubMed

Caravagna, Giulio; Mauri, Giancarlo; d'Onofrio, Alberto

2013-01-01

After being considered as a nuisance to be filtered out, it became recently clear that biochemical noise plays a complex role, often fully functional, for a biomolecular network. The influence of intrinsic and extrinsic noises on biomolecular networks has intensively been investigated in last ten years, though contributions on the co-presence of both are sparse. Extrinsic noise is usually modeled as an unbounded white or colored gaussian stochastic process, even though realistic stochastic perturbations are clearly bounded. In this paper we consider Gillespie-like stochastic models of nonlinear networks, i.e. the intrinsic noise, where the model jump rates are affected by colored bounded extrinsic noises synthesized by a suitable biochemical state-dependent Langevin system. These systems are described by a master equation, and a simulation algorithm to analyze them is derived. This new modeling paradigm should enlarge the class of systems amenable at modeling. We investigated the influence of both amplitude and autocorrelation time of a extrinsic Sine-Wiener noise on: (i) the Michaelis-Menten approximation of noisy enzymatic reactions, which we show to be applicable also in co-presence of both intrinsic and extrinsic noise, (ii) a model of enzymatic futile cycle and (iii) a genetic toggle switch. In (ii) and (iii) we show that the presence of a bounded extrinsic noise induces qualitative modifications in the probability densities of the involved chemicals, where new modes emerge, thus suggesting the possible functional role of bounded noises.

Signals embedded in the radial velocity noise. Periodic variations in the τ Ceti velocities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tuomi, M.; Jones, H. R. A.; Jenkins, J. S.; Tinney, C. G.; Butler, R. P.; Vogt, S. S.; Barnes, J. R.; Wittenmyer, R. A.; O'Toole, S.; Horner, J.; Bailey, J.; Carter, B. D.; Wright, D. J.; Salter, G. S.; Pinfield, D.

2013-03-01

Context. The abilities of radial velocity exoplanet surveys to detect the lowest-mass extra-solar planets are currently limited by a combination of instrument precision, lack of data, and "jitter". Jitter is a general term for any unknown features in the noise, and reflects a lack of detailed knowledge of stellar physics (asteroseismology, starspots, magnetic cycles, granulation, and other stellar surface phenomena), as well as the possible underestimation of instrument noise. Aims: We study an extensive set of radial velocities for the star HD 10700 (τ Ceti) to determine the properties of the jitter arising from stellar surface inhomogeneities, activity, and telescope-instrument systems, and perform a comprehensive search for planetary signals in the radial velocities. Methods: We performed Bayesian comparisons of statistical models describing the radial velocity data to quantify the number of significant signals and the magnitude and properties of the excess noise in the data. We reached our goal by adding artificial signals to the "flat" radial velocity data of HD 10700 and by seeing which one of our statistical noise models receives the greatest posterior probabilities while still being able to extract the artificial signals correctly from the data. We utilised various noise components to assess properties of the noise in the data and analyse the HARPS, AAPS, and HIRES data for HD 10700 to quantify these properties and search for previously unknown low-amplitude Keplerian signals. Results: According to our analyses, moving average components with an exponential decay with a timescale from a few hours to few days, and Gaussian white noise explains the jitter the best for all three data sets. Fitting the corresponding noise parameters results in significant improvements of the statistical models and enables the detection of very weak signals with amplitudes below 1 m s-1 level in our numerical experiments. We detect significant periodicities that have no

Noise-sustained synchronization between electrically coupled FitzHugh-Nagumo networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cascallares, Guadalupe; Sánchez, Alejandro D.; dell'Erba, Matías G.; Izús, Gonzalo G.

2015-09-01

We investigate the capability of electrical synapses to transmit the noise-sustained network activity from one network to another. The particular setup we consider is two identical rings with excitable FitzHugh-Nagumo cell dynamics and nearest-neighbor antiphase intra-ring coupling, electrically coupled between corresponding nodes. The whole system is submitted to independent local additive Gaussian white noises with common intensity η, but only one ring is externally forced by a global adiabatic subthreshold harmonic signal. We then seek conditions for a particular noise level to promote synchronized stable firing patterns. By running numerical integrations with increasing η, we observe the excitation activity to become spatiotemporally self-organized, until η is so strong that spoils sync between networks for a given value of the electric coupling strength. By means of a four-cell model and calculating the stationary probability distribution, we obtain a (signal-dependent) non-equilibrium potential landscape which explains qualitatively the observed regimes, and whose barrier heights give a good estimate of the optimal noise intensity for the sync between networks.

Characterization of chaotic attractors under noise: A recurrence network perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jacob, Rinku; Harikrishnan, K. P.; Misra, R.; Ambika, G.

2016-12-01

We undertake a detailed numerical investigation to understand how the addition of white and colored noise to a chaotic time series changes the topology and the structure of the underlying attractor reconstructed from the time series. We use the methods and measures of recurrence plot and recurrence network generated from the time series for this analysis. We explicitly show that the addition of noise obscures the property of recurrence of trajectory points in the phase space which is the hallmark of every dynamical system. However, the structure of the attractor is found to be robust even upto high noise levels of 50%. An advantage of recurrence network measures over the conventional nonlinear measures is that they can be applied on short and non stationary time series data. By using the results obtained from the above analysis, we go on to analyse the light curves from a dominant black hole system and show that the recurrence network measures are capable of identifying the nature of noise contamination in a time series.

Relationship between acceptance of background noise and hearing aid use

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nabelek, Anna K.; Burchfield, Samuel B.; Webster, Joanna D.

2003-04-01

Background noise produces complaints among hearing-aid users, however speech-perception-in-noise does not predict hearing-aid use. It is possible that hearing-aid users are complaining about the presence of background noise and not about speech perception. To test this possibility, acceptance of background noise is being investigated as a predictor of hearing-aid use. Acceptance of background noise is determined by having subjects select their most comfortable listening level (MCL) for a story. Next, speech-babble is added and the subjects select the maximum background noise level (BNL) which is acceptable while listening to and following the story. The difference between the MCL and the BNL is the acceptable noise level (ANL), all in dB. ANLs are being compared with hearing-aid use, subjective impressions of benefit (APHAB), speech perception in background noise (SPIN) scores, and audiometric data. Individuals who accept higher levels of background noise are more successful users than individuals who accept less background noise. Mean ANLs are 7.3 dB for full-time users (N=21), 12.6 dB for part-time users (N=44), and 13.8 dB for rejecters (N=17). ANLs are not related to APHAB, SPIN, or audiometric data. Results for about 120 subjects will be reported. [Work supported by NIDCD (NIH) RO1 DC 05018.

Capacity of PPM on Gaussian and Webb Channels

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Divsalar, D.; Dolinar, S.; Pollara, F.; Hamkins, J.

2000-01-01

This paper computes and compares the capacities of M-ary PPM on various idealized channels that approximate the optical communication channel: (1) the standard additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channel;(2) a more general AWGN channel (AWGN2) allowing different variances in signal and noise slots;(3) a Webb-distributed channel (Webb2);(4) a Webb+Gaussian channel, modeling Gaussian thermal noise added to Webb-distributed channel outputs.

Noise Annoyance Produced by Commercial Vehicles Transit on Rumble Strips

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zaiton, Haron; Khairulzan, Yahya; Nadirah, Darus; Nordiana, Mashros; Azril, Hezmi Muhammad; Samah Rosiah, Abu; Mutalif, Abdul Hameed Abdul; Asyraf, Norudin Wan Mohammad; Habab, Abd Halil Muhammad; Zanariah, Jahya; Hanifi, Othman Mohd

2018-03-01

This paper reports on research examining the extent of noise annoyance affecting residents within the vicinity of installation of two types of transverse rumble strips (TRS), namely Middle Overlapped (MO) and Multilayer Overlapping (MLO). In order to assess the noise annoyance in the area, measurements were taken at 7.5m from centre of road with TRS installation using single vehicle test to determine the extent of changes of sound level indices and sound spectrum. Two light and two medium weight commercial vehicles were used. Indicators LAeq, LAFmax, LAImax, LAIeq, and LASmax were used to determine impulsivity that led to noise annoyance. The results showed that, at 30 km/h, all commercial vehicles considered in this study that transited on MO produced impulsive noise, while only light commercial vehicles caused noise annoyance when they transited on MLO. The research also analysed the extent of low-frequency noise and found a significant low-frequency component, which indicated that noise annoyance might arise from the hitting of MO and MLO by the commercial vehicles. For night-time related annoyance, it was suggested that an additional weighting factor could be added to the average A-weighted value during night-time.

Objective assessment of subjective tinnitus through contralateral suppression of otoacoustic emissions by white noise; suggested cut-off points.

PubMed

Riga, M; Komis, A; Maragkoudakis, P; Korres, G; Danielides, V

2016-12-01

Normative otoacoustic emission (OAE) suppression values are currently lacking and the role of cochlear efferent innervation in tinnitus is controversial. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between tinnitus and medial olivocochlear bundle (MOCB) malfunction. Potential suppression amplitude cut-off criteria that could differentiate participants with tinnitus from those without were sought. Mean suppression amplitudes of transient evoked OAEs and distortion product OAEs by contralateral white noise (50 dBSL) were recorded. Six mean suppression amplitudes criteria were validated as possible cut-off points. The population consisted of normal hearing (n = 78) or presbycusic adults (n = 19) with tinnitus or without (n = 28 and 13, respectively) chronic tinnitus (in total, n = 138 78 females/60males, aged 49 ± 14 years). Participants with mean suppression values lower than 0.5-1 dBSPL seem to present a high probability to report tinnitus (specificity 88-97%). On the other hand, participants with mean suppression values larger than 2-2.5dBSPL seem to present a high probability of the absence of tinnitus (sensitivity 87-99%). Correlations were stronger among participants with bilateral presence or absence of tinnitus. This study seem to confirm an association between tinnitus and low suppression amplitudes (<1 dBSPL), which might evolve into an objective examination tool, supplementary to conventional audiological testing.

Non-Linear Dynamical Classification of Short Time Series of the Rössler System in High Noise Regimes

PubMed Central

Lainscsek, Claudia; Weyhenmeyer, Jonathan; Hernandez, Manuel E.; Poizner, Howard; Sejnowski, Terrence J.

2013-01-01

Time series analysis with delay differential equations (DDEs) reveals non-linear properties of the underlying dynamical system and can serve as a non-linear time-domain classification tool. Here global DDE models were used to analyze short segments of simulated time series from a known dynamical system, the Rössler system, in high noise regimes. In a companion paper, we apply the DDE model developed here to classify short segments of encephalographic (EEG) data recorded from patients with Parkinson’s disease and healthy subjects. Nine simulated subjects in each of two distinct classes were generated by varying the bifurcation parameter b and keeping the other two parameters (a and c) of the Rössler system fixed. All choices of b were in the chaotic parameter range. We diluted the simulated data using white noise ranging from 10 to −30 dB signal-to-noise ratios (SNR). Structure selection was supervised by selecting the number of terms, delays, and order of non-linearity of the model DDE model that best linearly separated the two classes of data. The distances d from the linear dividing hyperplane was then used to assess the classification performance by computing the area A′ under the ROC curve. The selected model was tested on untrained data using repeated random sub-sampling validation. DDEs were able to accurately distinguish the two dynamical conditions, and moreover, to quantify the changes in the dynamics. There was a significant correlation between the dynamical bifurcation parameter b of the simulated data and the classification parameter d from our analysis. This correlation still held for new simulated subjects with new dynamical parameters selected from each of the two dynamical regimes. Furthermore, the correlation was robust to added noise, being significant even when the noise was greater than the signal. We conclude that DDE models may be used as a generalizable and reliable classification tool for even small segments of noisy data. PMID

Relationship between symptom dimensions and white matter alterations in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

PubMed

Yagi, Michiyo; Hirano, Yoshiyuki; Nakazato, Michiko; Nemoto, Kiyotaka; Ishikawa, Kazuhiro; Sutoh, Chihiro; Miyata, Haruko; Matsumoto, Junko; Matsumoto, Koji; Masuda, Yoshitada; Obata, Takayuki; Iyo, Masaomi; Shimizu, Eiji; Nakagawa, Akiko

2017-06-01

To investigate the relationship between the severities of symptom dimensions in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and white matter alterations. We applied tract-based spatial statistics for diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) acquired by 3T magnetic resonance imaging. First, we compared fractional anisotropy (FA) between 20 OCD patients and 30 healthy controls (HC). Then, applying whole brain analysis, we searched the brain regions showing correlations between the severities of symptom dimensions assessed by Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised and FA in all participants. Finally, we calculated the correlations between the six symptom dimensions and multiple DTI measures [FA, axial diffusivity (AD), radial diffusivity (RD), mean diffusivity (MD)] in a region-of-interest (ROI) analysis and explored the differences between OCD patients and HC. There were no between-group differences in FA or brain region correlations between the severities of symptom dimensions and FA in any of the participants. ROI analysis revealed negative correlations between checking severity and left inferior frontal gyrus white matter and left middle temporal gyrus white matter and a positive correlation between ordering severity and right precuneus in FA in OCD compared with HC. We also found negative correlations between ordering severity and right precuneus in RD, between obsessing severities and right supramarginal gyrus in AD and MD, and between hoarding severity and right insular gyrus in AD. Our study supported the hypothesis that the severities of respective symptom dimensions are associated with different patterns of white matter alterations.

Effects of Noise-Induced Arousal on Chewing of Sweet Food and the Subjective Motivation to Eat.

PubMed

Macht, M

1998-01-01

The effects of noise-induced arousal on chewing, subjective motivation to eat, the pleasantness of sweet food, and food intake were investigated. Twenty-four healthy normal weight male subjects received cookies differing in sucrose content (2%, 11%, 18% or 27%) before, during, and after 10 min of intermittent white noise. Half of the subjects were exposed to high-level noise (95 dB(A)) to induce psychological arousal. The remaining other half were exposed to low-level noise (60 dB(A)) as a control condition. During noise exposure the high-level noise group exhibited a shorter chewing time and fewer overall chewing movements with cookies of a medium sucrose content (11% or 18%). After exposure, subjects who received the high-level noise reported a reduced desire to eat, and tended to consume less strawberry ice cream. No significant effect of noise and Noise × Sugar interaction could be detected from taste and pleasantness ratings. The findings point to a relation between arousal, hunger motivation and chewing behavior.

THE NANOGRAV NINE-YEAR DATA SET: EXCESS NOISE IN MILLISECOND PULSAR ARRIVAL TIMES

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

Lam, M. T.; Jones, M. L.; McLaughlin, M. A.

Gravitational wave (GW) astronomy using a pulsar timing array requires high-quality millisecond pulsars (MSPs), correctable interstellar propagation delays, and high-precision measurements of pulse times of arrival. Here we identify noise in timing residuals that exceeds that predicted for arrival time estimation for MSPs observed by the North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves. We characterize the excess noise using variance and structure function analyses. We find that 26 out of 37 pulsars show inconsistencies with a white-noise-only model based on the short timescale analysis of each pulsar, and we demonstrate that the excess noise has a red power spectrum formore » 15 pulsars. We also decompose the excess noise into chromatic (radio-frequency-dependent) and achromatic components. Associating the achromatic red-noise component with spin noise and including additional power-spectrum-based estimates from the literature, we estimate a scaling law in terms of spin parameters (frequency and frequency derivative) and data-span length and compare it to the scaling law of Shannon and Cordes. We briefly discuss our results in terms of detection of GWs at nanohertz frequencies.« less

Low frequency noise elimination technique for 24-bit Σ-Δ data acquisition systems.

PubMed

Qu, Shao-Bo; Robert, Olivier; Lognonné, Philippe; Zhou, Ze-Bing; Yang, Shan-Qing

2015-03-01

Low frequency 1/f noise is one of the key limiting factors of high precision measurement instruments. In this paper, digital correlated double sampling is implemented to reduce the offset and low frequency 1/f noise of a data acquisition system with 24-bit sigma delta (Σ-Δ) analog to digital converter (ADC). The input voltage is modulated by cross-coupled switches, which are synchronized to the sampling clock, and converted into digital signal by ADC. By using a proper switch frequency, the unwanted parasitic signal frequencies generated by the switches are avoided. The noise elimination processing is made through the principle of digital correlated double sampling, which is equivalent to a time shifted subtraction for the sampled voltage. The low frequency 1/f noise spectrum density of the data acquisition system is reduced to be flat down to the measurement frequency lower limit, which is about 0.0001 Hz in this paper. The noise spectrum density is eliminated by more than 60 dB at 0.0001 Hz, with a residual noise floor of (9 ± 2) nV/Hz(1/2) which is limited by the intrinsic white noise floor of the ADC above its corner frequency.

Urban sparrows respond to a sexually selected trait with increased aggression in noise.

PubMed

Phillips, Jennifer N; Derryberry, Elizabeth P

2018-05-14

Animals modify acoustic communication signals in response to noise pollution, but consequences of these modifications are unknown. Vocalizations that transmit best in noise may not be those that best signal male quality, leading to potential conflict between selection pressures. For example, slow paced, narrow bandwidth songs transmit better in noise but are less effective in mate choice and competition than fast paced, wide bandwidth songs. We test the hypothesis that noise affects response to song pace and bandwidth in the context of competition using white-crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys). We measure male response to song variation along a gradient of ambient noise levels in San Francisco, CA. We find that males discriminate between wide and narrow bandwidth songs but not between slow and fast paced songs. These findings are biologically relevant because songs in noisy areas tend to have narrow bandwidths. Therefore, this song phenotype potentially increases transmission distance in noise, but elicits weaker responses from competitors. Further, we find that males respond more strongly to stimuli in noisier conditions, supporting the 'urban anger' hypothesis. We suggest that noise affects male responsiveness to song, possibly leading to more territorial conflict in urban areas.

Dependence of image quality on image operator and noise for optical diffusion tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Jenghwa; Graber, Harry L.; Barbour, Randall L.

1998-04-01

By applying linear perturbation theory to the radiation transport equation, the inverse problem of optical diffusion tomography can be reduced to a set of linear equations, W(mu) equals R, where W is the weight function, (mu) are the cross- section perturbations to be imaged, and R is the detector readings perturbations. We have studied the dependence of image quality on added systematic error and/or random noise in W and R. Tomographic data were collected from cylindrical phantoms, with and without added inclusions, using Monte Carlo methods. Image reconstruction was accomplished using a constrained conjugate gradient descent method. Result show that accurate images containing few artifacts are obtained when W is derived from a reference states whose optical thickness matches that of the unknown teste medium. Comparable image quality was also obtained for unmatched W, but the location of the target becomes more inaccurate as the mismatch increases. Results of the noise study show that image quality is much more sensitive to noise in W than in R, and the impact of noise increase with the number of iterations. Images reconstructed after pure noise was substituted for R consistently contain large peaks clustered about the cylinder axis, which was an initially unexpected structure. In other words, random input produces a non- random output. This finding suggests that algorithms sensitive to the evolution of this feature could be developed to suppress noise effects.

Noise exposure and hearing loss among sand and gravel miners.

PubMed

Landen, Deborah; Wilkins, Steve; Stephenson, Mark; McWilliams, Linda

2004-08-01

The objectives of this study were to describe workplace noise exposures, risk factors for hearing loss, and hearing levels among sand and gravel miners, and to determine whether full shift noise exposures resulted in changes in hearing thresholds from baseline values. Sand and gravel miners (n = 317) were interviewed regarding medical history, leisure-time and occupational noise exposure, other occupational exposures, and use of hearing protection. Audiometric tests were performed both before the work shift (following a 12-hour noise-free interval) and immediately following the work shift. Full shift noise dosimetry was conducted. Miners' noise exposures exceeded the Recommended Exposure Limit (REL) of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) for 69% of workers, and exceeded the Mine Safety and Health Administration's action level for enrollment in a hearing conservation program for 41% of workers. Significantly higher noise exposures occurred among employees of small companies, among workers with a job classification of truck driver, among males, and among black workers. Hearing protection usage was low, with 48% of subjects reporting that they never used hearing protection. Hearing impairment, as defined by NIOSH, was present among 37% of 275 subjects with valid audiograms. Black male workers and white male workers had higher hearing thresholds than males from a comparison North Carolina population unexposed to industrial noise. Small but statistically significant changes in hearing thresholds occurred following full shift noise exposure among subjects who had good hearing sensitivity at baseline. In a logistic regression model, age and history of a past noisy job were significant predictors of hearing impairment. Overall, sand and gravel workers have excessive noise exposures and significant hearing loss, and demonstrate inadequate use of hearing protection. Well-designed hearing conservation programs, with reduction of noise exposure

Absolute judgment for one- and two-dimensional stimuli embedded in Gaussian noise

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kvalseth, T. O.

1977-01-01

This study examines the effect on human performance of adding Gaussian noise or disturbance to the stimuli in absolute judgment tasks involving both one- and two-dimensional stimuli. For each selected stimulus value (both an X-value and a Y-value were generated in the two-dimensional case), 10 values (or 10 pairs of values in the two-dimensional case) were generated from a zero-mean Gaussian variate, added to the selected stimulus value and then served as the coordinate values for the 10 points that were displayed sequentially on a CRT. The results show that human performance, in terms of the information transmitted and rms error as functions of stimulus uncertainty, was significantly reduced as the noise variance increased.

Insight on AV-45 binding in white and grey matter from histogram analysis: a study on early Alzheimer's disease patients and healthy subjects

PubMed Central

Nemmi, Federico; Saint-Aubert, Laure; Adel, Djilali; Salabert, Anne-Sophie; Pariente, Jérémie; Barbeau, Emmanuel; Payoux, Pierre; Péran, Patrice

2014-01-01

Purpose AV-45 amyloid biomarker is known to show uptake in white matter in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) but also in healthy population. This binding; thought to be of a non-specific lipophilic nature has not yet been investigated. The aim of this study was to determine the differential pattern of AV-45 binding in healthy and pathological populations in white matter. Methods We recruited 24 patients presenting with AD at early stage and 17 matched, healthy subjects. We used an optimized PET-MRI registration method and an approach based on intensity histogram using several indexes. We compared the results of the intensity histogram analyses with a more canonical approach based on target-to-cerebellum Standard Uptake Value (SUVr) in white and grey matters using MANOVA and discriminant analyses. A cluster analysis on white and grey matter histograms was also performed. Results White matter histogram analysis revealed significant differences between AD and healthy subjects, which were not revealed by SUVr analysis. However, white matter histograms was not decisive to discriminate groups, and indexes based on grey matter only showed better discriminative power than SUVr. The cluster analysis divided our sample in two clusters, showing different uptakes in grey but also in white matter. Conclusion These results demonstrate that AV-45 binding in white matter conveys subtle information not detectable using SUVr approach. Although it is not better than standard SUVr to discriminate AD patients from healthy subjects, this information could reveal white matter modifications. PMID:24573658

Exploration of dynamic dipole polarizability of impurity doped quantum dots in presence of noise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghosh, Anuja; Bera, Aindrila; Saha, Surajit; Arif, Sk. Md.; Ghosh, Manas

2018-02-01

Present study strives to perform a rigorous exploration of dynamic dipole polarizability (DDP) of GaAs quantum dot (QD) containing dopant with special reference to influence of Gaussian white noise. Several physical quantities have been varied over a range to observe the modulations of the DDP profiles. Aforesaid physical quantities include magnetic field, confinement potential, dopant location, dopant potential, noise strength, aluminium concentration (only for Alx Ga1 - x As alloy QD), position-dependent effective mass (PDEM), position-dependent dielectric screening function (PDDSF), anisotropy, hydrostatic pressure (HP) and temperature. The DDP profiles reveal noticeable characteristics governed by the particular physical quantity involved, presence/absence of noise, the manner (additive/multiplicative) noise is applied to the system and the incoming photon frequency. As a general observation we have found that additive noise causing greater deviation of the DDP profile from noise-free state than its multiplicative neighbor. The study highlights viable means of harnessing DDP of doped QD under the governance of noise by appropriate adjustment of several relevant factors. The study merits importance in the light of technological applications of QD-based devices where noise appears as an integral component.

Disrupted Structural Brain Network in AD and aMCI: A Finding of Long Fiber Degeneration.

PubMed

Fang, Rong; Yan, Xiao-Xiao; Wu, Zhi-Yuan; Sun, Yu; Yin, Qi-Hua; Wang, Ying; Tang, Hui-Dong; Sun, Jun-Feng; Miao, Fei; Chen, Sheng-Di

2015-01-01

Although recent evidence has emerged that Alzheimer's disease (AD) and amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) patients show both regional brain abnormalities and topological degeneration in brain networks, our understanding of the effects of white matter fiber aberrations on brain network topology in AD and aMCI is still rudimentary. In this study, we investigated the regional volumetric aberrations and the global topological abnormalities in AD and aMCI patients. The results showed a widely distributed atrophy in both gray and white matters in the AD and aMCI groups. In particular, AD patients had weaker connectivity with long fiber length than aMCI and normal control (NC) groups, as assessed by fractional anisotropy (FA). Furthermore, the brain networks of all three groups exhibited prominent economical small-world properties. Interestingly, the topological characteristics estimated from binary brain networks showed no significant group effect, indicating a tendency of preserving an optimal topological architecture in AD and aMCI during degeneration. However, significantly longer characteristic path length was observed in the FA weighted brain networks of AD and aMCI patients, suggesting dysfunctional global integration. Moreover, the abnormality of the characteristic path length was negatively correlated with the clinical ratings of cognitive impairment. Thus, the results therefore suggested that the topological alterations in weighted brain networks of AD are induced by the loss of connectivity with long fiber lengths. Our findings provide new insights into the alterations of the brain network in AD and may indicate the predictive value of the network metrics as biomarkers of disease development.

Noise performance of the multiwavelength sub/millimeter inductance camera (MUSIC) detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siegel, S. R.

2015-07-01

MUSIC is a multi-band imaging camera that employs 2304 Microwave Kinetic Inductance Detectors (MKIDs) in 576 spatial pixels to cover a 14 arc-minute field of view, with each pixel simultaneously sensitive to 4 bands centered at 0.87, 1.04, 1.33, and 1.98 mm. In April 2012 the MUSIC instrument was commissioned at the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory with a subset of the full focal plane. We examine the noise present in the detector timestreams during observations taken in the first year of operation. We find that fluctuations in atmospheric emission dominate at long timescales (< 0.5 Hz), and fluctuations in the amplitude and phase of the probe signal due to readout electronics contribute significant 1/f-type noise at shorter timescales. We describe a method to remove the amplitude, phase, and atmospheric noise using the fact that they are correlated among carrier tones. After removal, the complex signal is decomposed, or projected, into dissipation and frequency components. White noise from the cryogenic HEMT amplifier dominates in the dissipation component. An excess noise is observed in the frequency component that is likely due to fluctuations in two-level system (TLS) defects in the device substrate. We compare the amplitude of the TLS noise with previous measurements.

Embedded Acoustic Sensor Array for Engine Fan Noise Source Diagnostic Test: Feasibility of Noise Telemetry via Wireless Smart Sensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zaman, Afroz; Bauch, Matthew; Raible, Daniel

2011-01-01

Aircraft engines have evolved into a highly complex system to meet ever-increasing demands. The evolution of engine technologies has primarily been driven by fuel efficiency, reliability, as well as engine noise concerns. One of the sources of engine noise is pressure fluctuations that are induced on the stator vanes. These local pressure fluctuations, once produced, propagate and coalesce with the pressure waves originating elsewhere on the stator to form a spinning pressure pattern. Depending on the duct geometry, air flow, and frequency of fluctuations, these spinning pressure patterns are self-sustaining and result in noise which eventually radiate to the far-field from engine. To investigate the nature of vane pressure fluctuations and the resulting engine noise, unsteady pressure signatures from an array of embedded acoustic sensors are recorded as a part of vane noise source diagnostics. Output time signatures from these sensors are routed to a control and data processing station adding complexity to the system and cable loss to the measured signal. "Smart" wireless sensors have data processing capability at the sensor locations which further increases the potential of wireless sensors. Smart sensors can process measured data locally and transmit only the important information through wireless communication. The aim of this wireless noise telemetry task was to demonstrate a single acoustic sensor wireless link for unsteady pressure measurement, and thus, establish the feasibility of distributed smart sensors scheme for aircraft engine vane surface unsteady pressure data transmission and characterization.

Sex differences in adolescent white matter architecture.

PubMed

Bava, Sunita; Boucquey, Veronique; Goldenberg, Diane; Thayer, Rachel E; Ward, Megan; Jacobus, Joanna; Tapert, Susan F

2011-02-23

Sex-specific trajectories in white matter development during adolescence may help explain cognitive and behavioral divergences between males and females. Knowledge of sex differences in typically developing adolescents can provide a basis for interpreting sexual dimorphisms in abilities and actions. We examined 58 healthy adolescents (12-14years of age) with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Diffusion parameters fractional anisotropy (FA), and mean (MD), radial (RD), and axial diffusivities (AD) were subjected to whole-brain voxel-wise group comparisons using tract-based spatial statistics. Sex differences in white matter microstructure were examined in relation to pubertal development. Early adolescent females (n=29) evidenced higher FA in the right superior corona radiata, higher FA and AD in bilateral corticospinal tracts (≥164μl, p<.01), and lower MD in the right inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF) and left forceps major (≥164μl, p<.01) than age-matched males (n=29). Males did not show any areas of higher FA or lower MD than females, but had higher AD in the right superior longitudinal fasciculus, ILF, and forceps minor (≥ 164μl, p<.01). Pubertal stage did not account for sex disparities. In early adolescence, females' motor tracts may reflect widespread changes, while males may undergo relatively more microstructural change in projection and association fibers. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Thermal magnetic noise in a strip wound crystalline ferromagnetic core at 4.2 K

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Snigirev, O. V.; Maslennikov, Yu. V.; Vitale, S.; Cerdonio, M.; Prodi, G. A.

1996-01-01

A dc SQUID magnetometer-based system has been developed and used to measure, in the frequency range 50-2300 Hz, the complex magnetic permeability μr(ν) and the magnetization noise at 4.2 K in a strip wound toroid. This toroidal core has been made of the 3-μm-thick ribbon fabricated from a crystalline magnetically soft alloy, Ultraperm. Below 1 kHz a constant value of -arg[μr(ν)]≊2×10-3 and 1/ν shaped noise spectral density have been measured. For frequencies higher than 1 kHz a linear growth of the imaginary part μr and a white noise have been found. The noise due to the sample is found in quantitative agreement with the standard fluctuation-dissipation formula for the thermal noise, while a comparison of the permeability imaginary part magnitude with the theoretical value has indicated a partially shorted windings in the toroid, which have decreased the toroid roll-off frequency down to 1 MHz.

Comparative intelligibility investigation of single-channel noise-reduction algorithms for Chinese, Japanese, and English.

PubMed

Li, Junfeng; Yang, Lin; Zhang, Jianping; Yan, Yonghong; Hu, Yi; Akagi, Masato; Loizou, Philipos C

2011-05-01

A large number of single-channel noise-reduction algorithms have been proposed based largely on mathematical principles. Most of these algorithms, however, have been evaluated with English speech. Given the different perceptual cues used by native listeners of different languages including tonal languages, it is of interest to examine whether there are any language effects when the same noise-reduction algorithm is used to process noisy speech in different languages. A comparative evaluation and investigation is taken in this study of various single-channel noise-reduction algorithms applied to noisy speech taken from three languages: Chinese, Japanese, and English. Clean speech signals (Chinese words and Japanese words) were first corrupted by three types of noise at two signal-to-noise ratios and then processed by five single-channel noise-reduction algorithms. The processed signals were finally presented to normal-hearing listeners for recognition. Intelligibility evaluation showed that the majority of noise-reduction algorithms did not improve speech intelligibility. Consistent with a previous study with the English language, the Wiener filtering algorithm produced small, but statistically significant, improvements in intelligibility for car and white noise conditions. Significant differences between the performances of noise-reduction algorithms across the three languages were observed.

Background noise exerts diverse effects on the cortical encoding of foreground sounds.

PubMed

Malone, B J; Heiser, Marc A; Beitel, Ralph E; Schreiner, Christoph E

2017-08-01

In natural listening conditions, many sounds must be detected and identified in the context of competing sound sources, which function as background noise. Traditionally, noise is thought to degrade the cortical representation of sounds by suppressing responses and increasing response variability. However, recent studies of neural network models and brain slices have shown that background synaptic noise can improve the detection of signals. Because acoustic noise affects the synaptic background activity of cortical networks, it may improve the cortical responses to signals. We used spike train decoding techniques to determine the functional effects of a continuous white noise background on the responses of clusters of neurons in auditory cortex to foreground signals, specifically frequency-modulated sweeps (FMs) of different velocities, directions, and amplitudes. Whereas the addition of noise progressively suppressed the FM responses of some cortical sites in the core fields with decreasing signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs), the stimulus representation remained robust or was even significantly enhanced at specific SNRs in many others. Even though the background noise level was typically not explicitly encoded in cortical responses, significant information about noise context could be decoded from cortical responses on the basis of how the neural representation of the foreground sweeps was affected. These findings demonstrate significant diversity in signal in noise processing even within the core auditory fields that could support noise-robust hearing across a wide range of listening conditions. NEW & NOTEWORTHY The ability to detect and discriminate sounds in background noise is critical for our ability to communicate. The neural basis of robust perceptual performance in noise is not well understood. We identified neuronal populations in core auditory cortex of squirrel monkeys that differ in how they process foreground signals in background noise and that may

Structureborne noise measurements on a small twin-engine aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cole, J. E., III; Martini, K. F.

1988-01-01

Structureborne noise measurements performed on a twin-engine aircraft (Beechcraft Baron) are reported. There are two overall objectives of the test program. The first is to obtain data to support the development of analytical models of the wing and fuselage, while the second is to evaluate effects of structural parameters on cabin noise. Measurements performed include structural and acoustic responses to impact excitation, structural and acoustic loss factors, and modal parameters of the wing. Path alterations include added mass to simulate fuel, variations in torque of bolts joining wing and fuselage, and increased acoustic absorption. Conclusions drawn regarding these measurements are presented.

Structureborne noise measurements on a small twin-engine aircraft

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cole, J. E., III; Martini, K. F.

1988-06-01

Structureborne noise measurements performed on a twin-engine aircraft (Beechcraft Baron) are reported. There are two overall objectives of the test program. The first is to obtain data to support the development of analytical models of the wing and fuselage, while the second is to evaluate effects of structural parameters on cabin noise. Measurements performed include structural and acoustic responses to impact excitation, structural and acoustic loss factors, and modal parameters of the wing. Path alterations include added mass to simulate fuel, variations in torque of bolts joining wing and fuselage, and increased acoustic absorption. Conclusions drawn regarding these measurements are presented.

Alterations in white matter volume and its correlation with neuropsychological scales in patients with Alzheimer's disease: a DARTEL-based voxel-based morphometry study.

PubMed

Moon, Chung-Man; Shin, Il-Seon; Jeong, Gwang-Woo

2017-02-01

Background Non-invasive imaging markers can be used to diagnose Alzheimer's disease (AD) in its early stages, but an optimized quantification analysis to measure the brain integrity has been less studied. Purpose To evaluate white matter volume change and its correlation with neuropsychological scales in patients with AD using a diffeomorphic anatomical registration through exponentiated lie algebra (DARTEL)-based voxel-based morphometry (VBM). Material and Methods The 21 participants comprised 11 patients with AD and 10 age-matched healthy controls. High-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data were processed by VBM analysis based on DARTEL algorithm. Results The patients showed significant white matter volume reductions in the posterior limb of the internal capsule, cerebral peduncle of the midbrain, and parahippocampal gyrus compared to healthy controls. In correlation analysis, the parahippocampal volume was positively correlated with the Korean-mini mental state examination score in AD. Conclusion This study provides an evidence for localized white matter volume deficits in conjunction with cognitive dysfunction in AD. These findings would be helpful to understand the neuroanatomical mechanisms in AD and to robust the diagnostic accuracy for AD.

Non-linear dynamical classification of short time series of the rössler system in high noise regimes.

PubMed

Lainscsek, Claudia; Weyhenmeyer, Jonathan; Hernandez, Manuel E; Poizner, Howard; Sejnowski, Terrence J

2013-01-01

Time series analysis with delay differential equations (DDEs) reveals non-linear properties of the underlying dynamical system and can serve as a non-linear time-domain classification tool. Here global DDE models were used to analyze short segments of simulated time series from a known dynamical system, the Rössler system, in high noise regimes. In a companion paper, we apply the DDE model developed here to classify short segments of encephalographic (EEG) data recorded from patients with Parkinson's disease and healthy subjects. Nine simulated subjects in each of two distinct classes were generated by varying the bifurcation parameter b and keeping the other two parameters (a and c) of the Rössler system fixed. All choices of b were in the chaotic parameter range. We diluted the simulated data using white noise ranging from 10 to -30 dB signal-to-noise ratios (SNR). Structure selection was supervised by selecting the number of terms, delays, and order of non-linearity of the model DDE model that best linearly separated the two classes of data. The distances d from the linear dividing hyperplane was then used to assess the classification performance by computing the area A' under the ROC curve. The selected model was tested on untrained data using repeated random sub-sampling validation. DDEs were able to accurately distinguish the two dynamical conditions, and moreover, to quantify the changes in the dynamics. There was a significant correlation between the dynamical bifurcation parameter b of the simulated data and the classification parameter d from our analysis. This correlation still held for new simulated subjects with new dynamical parameters selected from each of the two dynamical regimes. Furthermore, the correlation was robust to added noise, being significant even when the noise was greater than the signal. We conclude that DDE models may be used as a generalizable and reliable classification tool for even small segments of noisy data.

White-light diffraction phase microscopy at doubled space-bandwidth product.

PubMed

Shan, Mingguang; Kandel, Mikhail E; Majeed, Hassaan; Nastasa, Viorel; Popescu, Gabriel

2016-12-12

White light diffraction microscopy (wDPM) is a quantitative phase imaging method that benefits from both temporal and spatial phase sensitivity, granted, respectively, by the common-path geometry and white light illumination. However, like all off-axis quantitative phase imaging methods, wDPM is characterized by a reduced space-bandwidth product compared to phase shifting approaches. This happens essentially because the ultimate resolution of the image is governed by the period of the interferogram and not just the diffraction limit. As a result, off-axis techniques generates single-shot, i.e., high time-bandwidth, phase measurements, at the expense of either spatial resolution or field of view. Here, we show that combining phase-shifting and off-axis, the original space-bandwidth is preserved. Specifically, we developed phase-shifting diffraction phase microscopy with white light, in which we measure and combine two phase shifted interferograms. Due to the white light illumination, the phase images are characterized by low spatial noise, i.e., <1nm pathlength. We illustrate the operation of the instrument with test samples, blood cells, and unlabeled prostate tissue biopsy.

Neuromotor Noise Is Malleable by Amplifying Perceived Errors

PubMed Central

Zhang, Zhaoran; Abe, Masaki O.; Sternad, Dagmar

2016-01-01

Variability in motor performance results from the interplay of error correction and neuromotor noise. This study examined whether visual amplification of error, previously shown to improve performance, affects not only error correction, but also neuromotor noise, typically regarded as inaccessible to intervention. Seven groups of healthy individuals, with six participants in each group, practiced a virtual throwing task for three days until reaching a performance plateau. Over three more days of practice, six of the groups received different magnitudes of visual error amplification; three of these groups also had noise added. An additional control group was not subjected to any manipulations for all six practice days. The results showed that the control group did not improve further after the first three practice days, but the error amplification groups continued to decrease their error under the manipulations. Analysis of the temporal structure of participants’ corrective actions based on stochastic learning models revealed that these performance gains were attained by reducing neuromotor noise and, to a considerably lesser degree, by increasing the size of corrective actions. Based on these results, error amplification presents a promising intervention to improve motor function by decreasing neuromotor noise after performance has reached an asymptote. These results are relevant for patients with neurological disorders and the elderly. More fundamentally, these results suggest that neuromotor noise may be accessible to practice interventions. PMID:27490197

Nonlocal variational model and filter algorithm to remove multiplicative noise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Dai-Qiang; Zhang, Hui; Cheng, Li-Zhi

2010-07-01

The nonlocal (NL) means filter proposed by Buades, Coll, and Morel (SIAM Multiscale Model. Simul. 4(2), 490-530, 2005), which makes full use of the redundancy information in images, has shown to be very efficient for image denoising with Gauss noise added. On the basis of the NL method and a striver to minimize the conditional mean-square error, we design a NL means filter to remove multiplicative noise, and combining the NL filter to regularity method, we propose a NL total variational (TV) model and present a fast iterated algorithm for it. Experiments demonstrate that our algorithm is better than TV method; it is superior in preserving small structures and textures and can obtain an improvement in peak signal-to-noise ratio.

An effective noise-suppression technique for surface microseismic data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Forghani-Arani, Farnoush; Willis, Mark; Haines, Seth S.; Batzle, Mike; Behura, Jyoti; Davidson, Michael

2013-01-01

The presence of strong surface-wave noise in surface microseismic data may decrease the utility of these data. We implement a technique, based on the distinct characteristics that microseismic signal and noise show in the τ‐p domain, to suppress surface-wave noise in microseismic data. Because most microseismic source mechanisms are deviatoric, preprocessing is necessary to correct for the nonuniform radiation pattern prior to transforming the data to the τ‐p domain. We employ a scanning approach, similar to semblance analysis, to test all possible double-couple orientations to determine an estimated orientation that best accounts for the polarity pattern of any microseismic events. We then correct the polarity of the data traces according to this pattern, prior to conducting signal-noise separation in the τ‐p domain. We apply our noise-suppression technique to two surface passive-seismic data sets from different acquisition surveys. The first data set includes a synthetic microseismic event added to field passive noise recorded by an areal receiver array distributed over a Barnett Formation reservoir undergoing hydraulic fracturing. The second data set is field microseismic data recorded by receivers arranged in a star-shaped array, over a Bakken Shale reservoir during a hydraulic-fracturing process. Our technique significantly improves the signal-to-noise ratios of the microseismic events and preserves the waveforms at the individual traces. We illustrate that the enhancement in signal-to-noise ratio also results in improved imaging of the microseismic hypocenter.

Influence of Mean-Density Gradient on Small-Scale Turbulence Noise

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Khavaran, Abbas

2000-01-01

A physics-based methodology is described to predict jet-mixing noise due to small-scale turbulence. Both self- and shear-noise source teens of Lilley's equation are modeled and the far-field aerodynamic noise is expressed as an integral over the jet volume of the source multiplied by an appropriate Green's function which accounts for source convection and mean-flow refraction. Our primary interest here is to include transverse gradients of the mean density in the source modeling. It is shown that, in addition to the usual quadrupole type sources which scale to the fourth-power of the acoustic wave number, additional dipole and monopole sources are present that scale to lower powers of wave number. Various two-point correlations are modeled and an approximate solution to noise spectra due to multipole sources of various orders is developed. Mean flow and turbulence information is provided through RANS-k(epsilon) solution. Numerical results are presented for a subsonic jet at a range of temperatures and Mach numbers. Predictions indicated a decrease in high frequency noise with added heat, while changes in the low frequency noise depend on jet velocity and observer angle.

The AD and ELENA orbit, trajectory and intensity measurement systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)