7,099 research outputs found
Optimising hearing aid fittings for speech in noise with a differentiable hearing loss model
Current hearing aids normally provide amplification based on a general prescriptive fitting, and the benefits provided by the hearing aids vary among different listening environments despite the inclusion of noise suppression feature. Motivated by this fact, this paper proposes a data-driven machine learning technique to develop hearing aid fittings that are customised to speech in different noisy environments. A differentiable hearing loss model is proposed and used to optimise fittings with back-propagation. The customisation is reflected on the data of speech in different noise with also the consideration of noise suppression. The objective evaluation shows the advantages of optimised custom fittings over general prescriptive fittings
In vivo comparison of arterial lumen dimensions assessed by co-registered three-dimensional (3D) quantitative coronary angiography, intravascular ultrasound and optical coherence tomography
This study sought to compare lumen dimensions as assessed by 3D quantitative coronary angiography (QCA) and by intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) or optical coherence tomography (OCT), and to assess the association of the discrepancy with vessel curvature. Coronary lumen dimensions often show discrepancies when assessed by X-ray angiography and by IVUS or OCT. One source of error concerns a possible mismatch in the selection of corresponding regions for the comparison. Therefore, we developed a novel, real-time co-registration approach to guarantee the point-to-point correspondence between the X-ray, IVUS and OCT images. A total of 74 patients with indication for cardiac catheterization were retrospectively included. Lumen morphometry was performed by 3D QCA and IVUS or OCT. For quantitative analysis, a novel, dedicated approach for co-registration and lumen detection was employed allowing for assessment of lumen size at multiple positions along the vessel. Vessel curvature was automatically calculated from the 3D arterial vessel centerline. Comparison of 3D QCA and IVUS was performed in 519 distinct positions in 40 vessels. Correlations were r = 0.761, r = 0.790, and r = 0.799 for short diameter (SD), long diameter (LD), and area, respectively. Lumen sizes were larger by IVUS (P < 0.001): SD, 2.51 ± 0.58 mm versus 2.34 ± 0.56 mm; LD, 3.02 ± 0.62 mm versus 2.63 ± 0.58 mm; Area, 6.29 ± 2.77 mm2versus 5.08 ± 2.34 mm2. Comparison of 3D QCA and OCT was performed in 541 distinct positions in 40 vessels. Correlations were r = 0.880, r = 0.881, and r = 0.897 for SD, LD, and area, respectively. Lumen sizes were larger by OCT (P < 0.001): SD, 2.70 ± 0.65 mm versus 2.57 ± 0.61 mm; LD, 3.11 ± 0.72 mm versus 2.80 ± 0.62 mm; Area 7.01 ± 3.28 mm2versus 5.93 ± 2.66 mm2. The vessel-based discrepancy between 3D QCA and IVUS or OCT long diameters increased with increasing vessel curvature. In conclusion, our comparison of co-registered 3D QCA and invasive imaging data suggests a bias towards larger lume
Adaptive response and enlargement of dynamic range
Many membrane channels and receptors exhibit adaptive, or desensitized,
response to a strong sustained input stimulus, often supported by protein
activity-dependent inactivation. Adaptive response is thought to be related to
various cellular functions such as homeostasis and enlargement of dynamic range
by background compensation. Here we study the quantitative relation between
adaptive response and background compensation within a modeling framework. We
show that any particular type of adaptive response is neither sufficient nor
necessary for adaptive enlargement of dynamic range. In particular a precise
adaptive response, where system activity is maintained at a constant level at
steady state, does not ensure a large dynamic range neither in input signal nor
in system output. A general mechanism for input dynamic range enlargement can
come about from the activity-dependent modulation of protein responsiveness by
multiple biochemical modification, regardless of the type of adaptive response
it induces. Therefore hierarchical biochemical processes such as methylation
and phosphorylation are natural candidates to induce this property in signaling
systems.Comment: Corrected typos, minor text revision
IL-4 Deficiency Is Associated with Mechanical Hypersensitivity in Mice
Interleukin-4 (IL-4) is an anti-inflammatory and analgesic cytokine that induces opioid receptor transcription. We investigated IL-4 knockout (ko) mice to characterize their pain behavior before and after chronic constriction injury (CCI) of the sciatic nerve as a model for neuropathic pain. We investigated opioid responsivity and measured cytokine and opioid receptor gene expression in the peripheral and central nervous system (PNS, CNS) of IL-4 ko mice in comparison with wildtype (wt) mice. Naïve IL-4 ko mice displayed tactile allodynia (wt: 0.45 g; ko: 0.18 g; p<0.001), while responses to heat and cold stimuli and to muscle pressure were not different. No compensatory changes in the gene expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF), IL-1β, IL-10, and IL-13 were found in the PNS and CNS of naïve IL-4 ko mice. However, IL-1β gene expression was stronger in the sciatic nerve of IL-4 ko mice (p<0.001) 28 days after CCI and only IL-4 ko mice had elevated IL-10 gene expression (p = 0.014). Remarkably, CCI induced TNF (p<0.01), IL-1β (p<0.05), IL-10 (p<0.05), and IL-13 (p<0.001) gene expression exclusively in the ipsilateral spinal cord of IL-4 ko mice. The compensatory overexpression of the anti-inflammatory and analgesic cytokines IL-10 and IL-13 in the spinal cord of IL-4 ko mice may explain the lack of genotype differences for pain behavior after CCI. Additionally, CCI induced gene expression of μ, κ, and δ opioid receptors in the contralateral cortex and thalamus of IL-4 ko mice, paralleled by fast onset of morphine analgesia, but not in wt mice. We conclude that a lack of IL-4 leads to mechanical sensitivity; the compensatory hyperexpression of analgesic cytokines and opioid receptors after CCI, in turn, protects IL-4 ko mice from enhanced pain behavior after nerve lesion
High-resolution measurement of the time-modulated orbital electron capture and of the decay of hydrogen-like Pm ions
The periodic time modulations, found recently in the two-body orbital
electron-capture (EC) decay of both, hydrogen-like Pr and
Pm ions, with periods near to 7s and amplitudes of about 20%,
were re-investigated for the case of Pm by using a 245 MHz
resonator cavity with a much improved sensitivity and time resolution. We
observed that the exponential EC decay is modulated with a period s, in accordance with a modulation period s as obtained
from simultaneous observations with a capacitive pick-up, employed also in the
previous experiments. The modulation amplitudes amount to and
for the 245 MHz resonator and the capacitive pick-up,
respectively. These new results corroborate for both detectors {\it exactly}
our previous findings of modulation periods near to 7s, though with {\it
distinctly smaller} amplitudes. Also the three-body decays have been
analyzed. For a supposed modulation period near to 7s we found an amplitude , compatible with and in agreement with the preliminary
result of our previous experiment. These observations could
point at weak interaction as origin of the observed 7s-modulation of the EC
decay. Furthermore, the data suggest that interference terms occur in the
two-body EC decay, although the neutrinos are not directly observed.Comment: In memoriam of Prof. Paul Kienle, 9 pages, 1 table, 5 figures Phys.
Lett. B (2013) onlin
Nuclear Physics Experiments with Ion Storage Rings
In the last two decades a number of nuclear structure and astrophysics
experiments were performed at heavy-ion storage rings employing unique
experimental conditions offered by such machines. Furthermore, building on the
experience gained at the two facilities presently in operation, several new
storage ring projects were launched worldwide. This contribution is intended to
provide a brief review of the fast growing field of nuclear structure and
astrophysics research at storage rings.Comment: XVIth International Conference on Electro-Magnetic Isotope Separators
and Techniques Related to their Applications, December 2--7, 2012 at Matsue,
Japa
Identifying house price diffusion patterns among Australian state capital cities
Prior research supports the proposition that house price diffusion shows a ripple effect along the spatial dimension. That is, house price changes in one region would reflect in subsequent house price changes in other regions, showing certain linkages among regions. Using the vector autoregression model and the impulse response function, this study investigates house price diffusion among Australia\u27s state capital cities, examining the response of one market to the innovation of other markets and determining the lagged terms for the maximum absolute value of the other markets\u27 responses. The results show that the most important subnational markets in Australia do not point to Sydney, rather towards Canberra and Hobart, while the Darwin market plays a role of buffer. The safest markets are Sydney and Melbourne. This study helps to predict house price movement trends in eight capital cities.<br /
Chemotactic response and adaptation dynamics in Escherichia coli
Adaptation of the chemotaxis sensory pathway of the bacterium Escherichia
coli is integral for detecting chemicals over a wide range of background
concentrations, ultimately allowing cells to swim towards sources of attractant
and away from repellents. Its biochemical mechanism based on methylation and
demethylation of chemoreceptors has long been known. Despite the importance of
adaptation for cell memory and behavior, the dynamics of adaptation are
difficult to reconcile with current models of precise adaptation. Here, we
follow time courses of signaling in response to concentration step changes of
attractant using in vivo fluorescence resonance energy transfer measurements.
Specifically, we use a condensed representation of adaptation time courses for
efficient evaluation of different adaptation models. To quantitatively explain
the data, we finally develop a dynamic model for signaling and adaptation based
on the attractant flow in the experiment, signaling by cooperative receptor
complexes, and multiple layers of feedback regulation for adaptation. We
experimentally confirm the predicted effects of changing the enzyme-expression
level and bypassing the negative feedback for demethylation. Our data analysis
suggests significant imprecision in adaptation for large additions.
Furthermore, our model predicts highly regulated, ultrafast adaptation in
response to removal of attractant, which may be useful for fast reorientation
of the cell and noise reduction in adaptation.Comment: accepted for publication in PLoS Computational Biology; manuscript
(19 pages, 5 figures) and supplementary information; added additional
clarification on alternative adaptation models in supplementary informatio
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