Pitch estimation by early-deafened subjects using a multiple-electrode cochlear implant

Numerical estimates of pitch for stimulation of electrodes along the 22-electrode array of the Cochlear Limited cochlear implant were obtained from 18 subjects who became deaf very early in life. Examined were the relationships between subject differences in pitch estimation, subject variables related to auditory deprivation and experience, and speech-perception scores for closed-set monosyllabic words and open-set Bamford-Kowal-Bench (BKB) sentences. Reliability in the estimation procedure was examined by comparing subject performance in pitch estimation with that for loudness estimation for current levels between hearing threshold and comfortable listening level. For 56% of subjects, a tonotopic order of pitch percepts for electrodes on the array was found. A deviant but reliable order of pitch percepts was found for 22% of subjects, and essentially no pitch order was found for the remaining 22% of subjects. Subject differences in pitch estimation were significantly related to the duration of auditory deprivation prior to implantation, with the poorest performance for subjects who had a longer duration of deafness and a later age at implantation. Subjects with no tonotopic order of pitch percepts had the lowest scores for the BKB sentence test, but there were no differences across subjects for monosyllabic words. Performance in pitch estimation for electrodes did not appear to be related to performance in the estimation procedure, as all subjects were successful in loudness estimation for current level.     

Some Observations about the MOLSCAT

For calculation of cross sections for collisional transitions between rotational levels in a molecule, a computer code, MOLSCAT is available. For the transitions between rotational levels in H₂CS due to collisions with He atom, we have calculated cross sections under the CS approximation, for example, for total energy 11 cm^-1. The calculations have been done for the single energy 11 cm^-1 and for ten combinations. We have found that the cross sections for the single energy 11 cm^-1, differ from those in the first seven combinations, but are in agreement with those in the last three combinations. The reason for the difference in the results appears that the MOLSCAT uses the intermediate data of calculations for one energy, in the calculations for other energies. The agreement with the last three combinations may be understood that when the energy of combination is in the decreasing trend, the cross sections for the first (common) energy are equal. It may be suggested to run the MOLSCAT for a single energy at a time.     

Some Observations about the MOLSCAT

For calculation of cross sections for collisional transitions between rotational levels in a molecule,a computer code,MOLSCAT is available.For the transitions between rotational levels in H_2 CS due to collisions with He atom,we have calculated cross sections under the CS approximation,for example,for total energy 11 cm~(-1).The calculations have been done for the single energy 11 cm"1 and for ten combinations.We have found that the cross sections for the single energy 11 cm~(-1),differ from those in the first seven combinations,but are in agreement with those in the last three combinations.The reason for the difference in the results appears that the MOLSCAT uses the intermediate data of calculations for one energy,in the calculations for other energies.The agreement with the last three combinations may be understood that when the energy of combination is in the decreasing trend,the cross sections for the first(common)energy are equal.It may be suggested to run the MOLSCAT for a single energy at a time.     

Exact solution of a coagulation equation with a product kernel in the multicomponent case

In this paper, we obtain the general solution for the continuous Smoluchowski equation in the multicomponent case with a product kernel as a series expansion. The solution of the problem involves the Laplace transform in several dimensions. We obtain a nonlinear partial differential equation (PDE) of the advective kind generalizing the one previously given by other authors for the mono-component case.As in its relative mono-component case, gelation is produced at some point, the conditions for its occurrence being the same as those for the mono-component case, though substituting a sum of derivatives by a derivative in the Laplace transform field. We demonstrate that for a multicomponent particle size distribution (PSD) of multiplicative form, it is sufficient for one of the marginal PSDs to generate instantaneous gelation for the occurrence of instantaneous gelation in the multicomponent PSD.The general solution is applied to several specific cases, a discrete case that recovers a previously known solution, and another two continuous cases which can be used to check numerical methods designed to directly solve the Smoluchowski equation in more general cases.We have compared the solutions for the multicomponent PSD for constant, additive and product kernels and we conjecture about the relation existing between the functional forms for the solutions both in the mono-component and the multicomponent case.Finally, we have analysed the shape of the solutions for multicomponent PSD for constant, additive and product kernels for very small masses of components, obtaining a qualitatively different behaviour for the product kernel. This has effects in the mixing state of the sol phase as time passes.     

蛛丝和蚕丝化学元素X射线荧光光谱分析及其应用

采用X射线荧光光谱(XRF)方法研究蛛丝和蚕丝的化学元素组成,探讨成丝机制中金属离子的作用及生物丝性能优良的元素基础。XRF分析蚕丝中C含量是47.10%、O为29.92%、N是16.52%;金属元素包括：Ca含量0.166 2%、Mg含量0.104 0%和K含量0.039 5%,而Na,Zn,Ni,Fe和Cr是微量元素。Ca和Mg元素含量高,在桑蚕吐丝机制中起着重要的作用。在蛛丝中,主要的非金属元素是：C含量44.09%、O含量26.64%和N含量22.34%。高含量的N元素可能是蛛丝优异的刚性和韧性性能的元素基础。在蛛丝中,Na含量0.268 0%、K含量0.081 4%和Mg含量0.011 6%,而Ca,Zn,Fe,Cu和Cr则是微量元素。蛛丝中Na和K元素含量高,在蜘蛛吐丝机制中可能起重要作用。运用数学统计方法研究生物丝元素组成与XRF元素分析结果吻合。     

Total cross sections for ve and ve interactions and search for neutrino oscillations and decay

About 200 and 60 candidates for electron neutrino and antineutrino interactions, respectively, have been analyzed in the heavy liquid bubble chamber Gargamelle exposed to the CERN PS neutrino beam. Evidence for scaling has been found for these interactions, with slopes of the cross sections in good agreement with those obtained for muon neutrino and antineutrino events in the same chamber. No evidence appears for oscillations of neutrinos or antineutrinos, which would induce in the present experiment an excess of electron or positron events. The corresponding limits are given as functions of the mixing parameter, for the finite mass Majorana neutrinos. The possibility of a multiplicative law for the lepton number has also been investigated. A search for isolated electron-positron pairs revealed no excess in the forward direction, in contradiction to the expectation for muonic neutrino and antineutrino decays. The corresponding limits on the c.m. half lifetimes are given.     

Barnett kinetic coefficients in dense charged and neutral media

An approach based on the nonlinear response theory is proposed for determining nonlinear transport properties of nonideal multielement charged and neutral media. A version of this theory developed for describing these properties involves the comparison of phenomenological conservation equations for dense media in the Barnett approximation and microscopic equations for operators of dynamic variables. The Mori algorithm used for formulating the microscopic equations makes it possible to obtain these equations for non-ideal media in the form of generalized nonlinear Langevin equations. As a result, macroscopic expressions are derived for nonlinear kinetic coefficients in the second order in thermal perturbations (of temperature, mass velocity, etc.). The expressions for nonlinear and linearized Barnett kinetic coefficients are compared.     

Diffusion of paramagnetically labeled proteins in cartilage: enhancement of the 1-D NMR imaging technique

Quantifying the diffusive transport of large molecules in avascular cartilage tissue is important both for planning potential pharamacological treatments and for gaining insight into the molecular-scale structure of cartilage. In this work, the diffusion coefficients of gadolinium-DTPA and Gd-labeled versions of four proteins-lysozyme, trypsinogen, ovalbumin, and bovine serum albumin (BSA) with molecular weights of 14,300, 24,000, 45,000, and 67,000, respectively-have been measured in healthy and degraded calf cartilage. The experimental technique relies on the effect of the paramagnetic on the relaxation properties of the surrounding water, combined with the time course of a 1-dimensional spatial profile of the water signal in the cartilage sample. The enhanced technique presented here does not require a prior measurement of the relaxivity of the paramagnetic compound in the sample of interest. The data are expressed as the ratio of the diffusion coefficient of a compound in cartilage to its diffusion coefficient in water. For healthy cartilage, this ratio was 0.34 +/- 0.07 for Gd-DTPA, the smallest compound, and fell to 0.3 +/- 0.1 for Gd-lysozyme, 0.08 +/- 0.04 for Gd-trypsinogen, and 0.07 +/- 0.04 for Gd-ovalbumin. Gd-BSA did not appear to enter healthy cartilage tissue beyond a surface layer. After the cartilage had been degraded by 24-h trypsinization, these ratios were 0.60 +/- 0.03 for Gd-DTPA, 0.40 +/- 0.08 for Gd-lysozyme, 0.42 +/- 0.09 for Gd-trypsinogen, 0.16 +/- 0.14 for Gd-ovalbumin, and 0.11 +/- 0.05 for Gd-BSA. Thus, degradation of the cartilage led to increases in the diffusion coefficient of up to fivefold for the Gd-labeled proteins. These basic transport parameters yield insights on the nature of pore sizes and chemical-matrix interactions in the cartilage tissue and may prove diagnostically useful for identifying the degree and nature of damage to cartilage.     

Benefit of modulated maskers for speech recognition by younger and older adults with normal hearing

To assess age-related differences in benefit from masker modulation, younger and older adults with normal hearing but not identical audiograms listened to nonsense syllables in each of two maskers: (1) a steady-state noise shaped to match the long-term spectrum of the speech, and (2) this same noise modulated by a 10-Hz square wave, resulting in an interrupted noise. An additional low-level broadband noise was always present which was shaped to produce equivalent masked thresholds for all subjects. This minimized differences in speech audibility due to differences in quiet thresholds among subjects. An additional goal was to determine if age-related differences in benefit from modulation could be explained by differences in thresholds measured in simultaneous and forward maskers. Accordingly, thresholds for 350-ms pure tones were measured in quiet and in each masker; thresholds for 20-ms signals in forward and simultaneous masking were also measured at selected signal frequencies. To determine if benefit from modulated maskers varied with masker spectrum and to provide a comparison with previous studies, a subgroup of younger subjects also listened in steady-state and interrupted noise that was not spectrally shaped. Articulation index (AI) values were computed and speech-recognition scores were predicted for steady-state and interrupted noise; predicted benefit from modulation was also determined. Masked thresholds of older subjects were slightly higher than those of younger subjects; larger age-related threshold differences were observed for short-duration than for long-duration signals. In steady-state noise, speech recognition for older subjects was poorer than for younger subjects, which was partially attributable to older subjects' slightly higher thresholds in these maskers. In interrupted noise, although predicted benefit was larger for older than younger subjects, scores improved more for younger than for older subjects, particularly at the higher noise level. This may be related to age-related increases in thresholds in steady-state noise and in forward masking, especially at higher frequencies. Benefit of interrupted maskers was larger for unshaped than for speech-shaped noise, consistent with AI predictions.     

Line Broadening and Enthalpy: Some Empirical Calibrations of Solid Solution Behaviour from IR Spectra

Following recent developments in the application of autocorrelation analysis of line broadening in powder absorption IR spectra, the possibility that elastic strain heterogeneities are responsible both for such broadening and for enthalpy variations in solid solutions has been explored systematically. Recent data for five silicate solid solutions, augite-jadeite, almandine-grossular, albite-anorthite, anthophyllite-grunerite and clinoenstatite-clinoferrosilite, are reviewed. Variations in the autocorrelation parameter for line broadening, j corr, scale linearly with calorimetric data for enthalpy variations, j H , associated with cation substitutions and ordering in these systems. It is proposed that, while there may not be a universal calibration of j H in terms of j corr for all structures, it should be possible to produce empirical calibrations for groups of solid solutions with the same basic structure. Variations in j corr at different phonon frequency ranges provide additional insights into the structural mechanisms by which ordering, mixing, displacive and reconstructive processes occur in silicate solid solutions.     

The ultimate speed implied by theories of Weber's type

As in the last few years there has been a renewed interest in the laws of Ampère for the force between current elements and of Weber for the force between charges, we analyze the limiting velocity which appears in Weber's law. Then we make the same analysis for Phipps' potential and for generalizations of it. Comparing the results with the relativistic calculation, we obtain that these theories can yieldc for the ultimate speed of the charges or for the ultimate relative speed between the charges but not for both simultaneously, as in the case in the special theory of relativity.     

基于Lorenz映射的混沌系统分支变换预报规律研究

尽管Lorenz系统具有混沌和非周期性质, 但其分支变换是可预报的.本文以强迫Lorenz系统为数学模型, 基于Lorenz映射, 研究了混沌系统分支变换的预报规律, 将原有关于分支开始变换条件和新分支持续时间的两条一般规律扩展到了3条, 并首次分析了系统当前状态达到变换条件所需时间的预报规律, 从而为预报混沌系统非周期演变提供了另一途径.结果表明: 映射尖点位置为分支变换的临界值, 当变量z超过相应临界值时, 系统在当前分支的运动即将结束, 下一循环将跳跃到另一分支运动; 系统在同一分支循环的次数随极值z_max单调减小, z_max 越小, 达到变换条件需循环的次数越多; 系统在新分支持续的时间是先前分支最大极值z_M 的单调增加函数, z_M越大, 持续时间增加的幅度也越大.此外, 外强迫影响着混沌系统分支变换的预报规律, 其不但使正负分支的变换条件出现差异, 且与新分支持续时间的增加速率和达到变换条件所需时间的递减速率密切相关. 关键词： Lorenz映射 分支变换 外强迫 预报规律     

Application of the Scherer-Blume theory to the intermediate ionization regime

Blume's formula for the time-differential attenuation coefficients for the hyperfine perturbation of ions recoiling in gas is rewritten in a form convenient for numerical solution when the number of precession frequencies is large. Asymptotic expressions for the behaviour of the solutions for very short, and very long correlation time are given. Approximate condition for the existence of a minimum in the pressure dependence of the time differential coefficients, as well as the position and depth of such a minimum, are also derived, and compared with the results of calculations for various physical systems.Supported in part by the Israel Commission for Basic Research.     

Pitch discrimination and phase sensitivity in young and elderly subjects and its relationship to frequency selectivity.

Frequency difference limens for pure tones (DLFs) and for complex tones (DLCs) were measured for four groups of subjects: young normal hearing, young hearing impaired, elderly with near-normal hearing, and elderly hearing impaired. The auditory filters of the subjects had been measured in earlier experiments using the notched-noise method, for center frequencies (fc) of 100, 200, 400, and 800 Hz. The DLFs for both impaired groups were higher than for the young normal group at all fc's (50-4000 Hz). The DLFs at a given fc were generally only weakly correlated with the sharpness of the auditory filter at that fc, and some subjects with broad filters had near-normal DLFs at low frequencies. Some subjects in the elderly normal group had very large DLFs at low frequencies in spite of near-normal auditory filters. These results suggest a partial dissociation of frequency selectivity and frequency discrimination of pure tones. The DLCs for the two impaired groups were higher than those for the young normal group at all fundamental frequencies (fo) tested (50, 100, 200, and 400 Hz); the DLCs for the elderly normal group were intermediate. At fo = 50 Hz, DLCs for a complex tone containing only low harmonics (1-5) were markedly higher than for complex tones containing higher harmonics, for all subject groups, suggesting that pitch was conveyed largely by the higher, unresolved harmonics. For the elderly impaired group, and some subjects in the elderly normal group, DLCs were larger for a complex tone with lower harmonics (1-12) than for tones without lower harmonics (4-12 and 6-12) for fo's up to 200 Hz. Some elderly normal subjects had markedly larger-than-normal DLCs in spite of near-normal auditory filters. The DLCs tended to be larger for complexes with components added in alternating sine/cosine phase than for complexes with components added in cosine phase. Phase effects were significant for all groups, but were small for the young normal group. The results are not consistent with place-based models of the pitch perception of complex tones; rather, they suggest that pitch is at least partly determined by temporal mechanisms.     

Rayleigh-taylor instability of viscoelastic fluids with suspended particles in porous medium in hydromagnetics

The instability of the plane interface between two viscoelastic (Oldroydian) superposed conducting fluids permeated with suspended particles in porous medium is studied when the whole system is immersed in a uniform magnetic field. The dispersion relation for the Oldroydian viscoelastic fluid is obtained which also yields dispersion relations for Maxwellian and Newtonian fluids in special cases, in the presence of suspended particles in porous medium in hydromagnelics. The system is found to be stable for potentially stable case. The presence of magnetic field stabilizes certain wave number band whereas the system was unstable for all wave numbers in the absence of magnetic field, for the potentially unstable configuration. The growth rates increase (for certain wave numbers) and decrease (for other wave numbers) with the increase in stress relaxation time, strain retardation time, suspended particles number density and medium permeability.     

Speckle reduction methods in laser-based picture projectors

Laser sources have been promised for many years to be better light sources as compared to traditional lamps or light-emitting diodes (LEDs) for projectors, which enable projectors having wide colour gamut for vivid image, super brightness and high contrast for the best picture quality, long lifetime for maintain free operation, mercury free, and low power consumption for green environment. A major technology obstacle in using lasers for projection has been the speckle noise caused by to the coherent nature of the lasers. For speckle reduction, current state of the art solutions apply moving parts with large physical space demand. Solutions beyond the state of the art need to be developed such as integrated optical components, hybrid MOEMS devices, and active phase modulators for compact speckle reduction. In this article, major methods reported in the literature for the speckle reduction in laser projectors are presented and explained. With the advancement in semiconductor lasers with largely reduced cost for the red, green and the blue primary colours, and the developed methods for their speckle reduction, it is hoped that the lasers will be widely utilized in different projector applications in the near future.     

An analytic study of the friedel criterion in disordered magnetic states in transition metals in the presence ofS-D hybridisation,using the cluster bethe lattice approach

In this paper we present a new theory for including both short range order and long range order simultaneously in the well known cluster Bethe lattice method for binary alloys. We have used this theory for obtaining the Friedel criterion for the appearance of magnetic moments in disordered states using the single band Hubbard model. This is followed by a study of this criterion in a two-bands-d hybridised Hubbard model, which is considered as a simulation of real transition metals. A new technique for solving this problem in the Bethe lattice network is presented, which yields an analytic solution for the critical correlation strength in the presence of hybridisation and short range order. It is found that in all cases hybridisation tends to diminish the tendency for magnetisation, which is in accord with physical expectations.     

Thermally stimulated currents for a mixed free-carrier recombination mechanism

Analytical expressions are obtained in this paper for thermally stimulated currents in the ordinary and photoelectret modes for a mixed mechanism of free-charge-carrier recombination and a strong duplicate attachment. It is shown that in this case the same trap parameters can be determined from experimental curves for thermally stimulated currents as for bi- and monomolecular recombination; however, the majority of computation methods should be modified. Modified formulas are proposed.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 7, pp. 92–97, July, 1976.The authors are grateful to A. R. Regel' for interest in the research and for useful consultation, and also to B. S. Medved' for aid in computing the curves on an electronic computer.     

Electrons in a strong magnetic field on a disk

The problem of interacting electrons moving under the influence of a strong magnetic field in two dimensions on a finite disk is reconsidered. First, the results of exact diagonalizations for up to N = 9 electrons for Coulomb as well as for a short-range interaction are used in the search for a peculiar ground state corresponding to filling factor 1/3. Not for the Coulomb, but only for the short-range interaction, can the 1/3-state be safely identified amongst the spectra of various filling factors close to 1/3. Second, the propositions of the concept of quasiparticles, as used in the hierarchical theory, are examined in view of the exact results for the disk geometry. Whereas the theory for the quasiholes is in complete accordance with the spectra, for the quasielectrons, finite size corrections make an analysis difficult. For the quasielectron energy, an extrapolation to N→ ∞ is given and compared with the corresponding extrapolations of three different proposals for trial wave functions. While the limiting value for the best trial wave function is very close to the limit of the exact results, the behavior of the finite size corrections of the exact energies and of the trial wave functions, respectively, is qualitatively rather different.     

势阱中粒子能级与波函数微扰计算的代数递推公式

利用超位力定理（HVT）和Hellmann-Feynman定理（HFT）,导出了由有精确解的势阱的能级值用微扰法直接计算一维势阱的各级近似能级的普遍代数公式,并导出由能级近似值计算定态波函数近似表达式的代数公式,给出了代数公式具体应用的几个典型一维势阱实例,此法可推广到二维势阱与三维势阱的情形。