Nonlinear phenomena as observed in the ear canal and at the auditory nerve

We report here several measures of nonlinear effects in the mammalian ear made in the external auditory meatus and in single neurons of the auditory nerve. We have measured the 2f1-f2 and the f2-f1 distortion products and we have found that the neural distortion product threshold curve for 2f1-f2 mirrors the low-frequency side of the frequency threshold curve, when the neural distortion product threshold curve of 2f1-f2 is plotted versus log(f2/f1) its slope is about 50 dB/oct and its intercept is 10-20 dB above the frequency threshold at the characteristic frequency CF, substantial 2f1-f2 distortion was seen in all animals studied while the f2-f1 distortion product was only rarely found at substantial levels, and the distortion product pressure observed in the ear canal was at a level equal to that detected at threshold by the neural units under study. We have also made measurements of two-tone rate suppression thresholds using two new and consistent threshold paradigms. We find that for high and intermediate characteristic frequency neural units the suppression threshold is independent of frequency and at a level of about 70 dB SPL, the suppression above CF is much less than below CF, and the tip of the frequency tuning curve can be suppressed by up to 40 dB by a low-frequency suppressor.     

Humans detect gaps in broadband noise according to effective gap duration without additional cues from abrupt envelope changes

Previous studies of behavior and IC single units in the mouse support theoretical expectations that gaps with ramped trailing markers have reduced detectability compared to equivalent gaps with ramped leading markers. In experiment 1, detection probability and response speeds of humans listening for gaps in broadband noise were investigated by independently varying either leading marker fall-time (FT) or trailing marker rise-time (RT). Gaps with silent duration of 1, 4, or 12 ms were presented 2 s into a 3-s noise burst, with either abrupt marker onsets and offsets or linearly ramped RT/FT of 2, 4, or 8 ms durations. Addition of a nonzero RT or FT to the gap silent period increased detectability and also increased reaction speed on trials with "Yes" response, but there was no difference in detectability or response speeds between RT and FT conditions. Experiment 2 extended this finding to gaps having two, one, or no abrupt marker edges. These findings suggest that human listeners do not make use of abrupt onset or offset information to enhance gap detection, but seem to rely on the effective sound level reduction associated with the gap for detection.     

A directed topic model applied to call center improvement

We propose subject matter expert refined topic (SMERT) allocation, a generative probabilistic model applicable to clustering freestyle text. SMERT models are three‐level hierarchical Bayesian models in which each item is modeled as a finite mixture over a set of topics. In addition to discrete data inputs, we introduce binomial inputs. These ‘high‐level’ data inputs permit the ‘boosting’ or affirming of terms in the topic definitions and the ‘zapping’ of other terms. We also present a collapsed Gibbs sampler for efficient estimation. The methods are illustrated using real world data from a call center. Also, we compare SMERT with three alternative approaches and two criteria. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Expectations equilibria with dispersed forecasts

A dispersion condition for traders' forecasts in a general equilibrium model with uncertainty and asymmetric information yields improved results for some (microeconomic) situations in which rational expectations equilibria need not exist. The hypothesis of suitably dispersed forecasts implies that consumers' aggregate excess demand is a continuous function and therefore a fixed point theorem may be applied to obtain a price vector (for each state of the world) such that markets clear. Stronger assumptions give existence of approximately rational expectations equilibria and the convergence of forecast distributions to rational expectations.     

Can a Circulating Light Beam Produce a Time Machine

In a recent paper, Mallett found a solution of the Einstein equations in which closed timelike curves (CTC’s) are present in the empty space outside an infinitely long cylinder of light moving in circular paths around an axis. Here we show that, for physically realistic energy densities, the CTC’s occur at distances from the axis greater than the radius of the visible universe by an immense factor. We then show that Mallett’s solution has a curvature singularity on the axis, even in the case where the intensity of the light vanishes. Thus it is not the solution one would get by starting with Minkowski space and establishing a cylinder of light.     

On the convergence of Z-averaged perturbation theory

Very high order open-shell Z-averaged perturbation theory (ZAPT) energies, equilibrium bond lengths, and harmonic vibrational frequencies have been computed for a suite of small molecules using a determinantal algorithm. The convergence of ZAPTn energies is compared to alternative Moller-Plesset (MP) perturbation theories built on restricted open-shell Hartree-Fock (ROMP, RMP, OPT1, and OPT2) and unrestricted Hartree-Fock (UMP) reference wave functions for NH(2) at three N-H bond lengths and for CN. The ZAPTn energy series closely parallel those of RMPn and ROMPn theories for these systems. Further, we examine the convergence of ZAPTn energies, equilibrium bond lengths (r(e)), and harmonic vibrational frequencies (omega(e)) for X (2)Sigma(g)(+) CN, X (4)Sigma(g) (-) C(2)(+), and b (2)Delta(g) C(2)(+), tracking oscillations in the energy series for the challenging latter system to order 1000. Finally, we obtain r(e) and omega(e) values from explicit ZAPT2 and ZAPT4 computations with a triple-zeta plus double polarization basis set. The ensuing results are very close to those from second- and fourth-order RMP and ROMP for the NO and CN molecules but are significantly closer to experiment in the case of (3)Sigma(g)(-) O(2). The ZAPTn series exhibit all the fascinating diversity of behavior previously observed for closed-shell MPn theory. Particularly encouraging is the ability of Feenberg transformations to remove erratic, strongly oscillatory, and divergent behavior that may occur in ZAPTn series and provide systematic improvements toward the full configuration interaction limit. In light of the appealing mathematical properties of ZAPT and similarity of results to those from the oft-applied RMP theory, coupled with the reductions in computational cost inherent in the ZAPT method relative to theories requiring different orbitals for different spins, we recommend low-order ZAPT for general applications to open-shell systems, particularly in cases where spin contamination is of concern.     

Structure of a crystalline vapochromic platinum(II) salt

Square-planar cations of the orange form of [Pt(Me2bzimpy)Cl](PF6) x DMF [Me2bzimpy = 2,6-bis(N-methylbenzimidazol-2-yl)pyridine] stack along the b axis in a head-to-tail arrangement with short interplanar spacings (3.35 and 3.39 A). Long intermolecular Pt...Pt contacts [4.336(2) and 4.565(2) A] and comparatively short Me2bzimpy...Me2bzimpy distances are consistent with spectroscopic measurements for orange salts of Pt(Me2bzimpy)Cl+. The DMF solvent molecules line channels parallel to c, which may provide a conduit for vapor absorption. The crystals are vapochromic, changing from orange to violet upon exposure to acetonitrile vapor. The changes in spectroscopic properties accompanying vapor absorption are consistent with changes in intermolecular interactions between complexes.     

Real-time investigation of lung surfactant respreading with surface vibrational spectroscopy

The respreading of a lung surfactant monolayer at the air-water interface is investigated with broad bandwidth sum frequency generation (BBSFG) spectroscopy. The lung surfactant mixture contains chain perdeuterated dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC-d62), palmitoyloleoylphosphatidylglycerol (POPG), palmitic acid (PA), and KL4 (a 21-residue polypeptide analogue to the surfactant protein SP-B). DPPC-d62 serves as a probe molecule for the spectroscopic investigation. The BBSFG spectra of DPPC-d62 in the lung surfactant mixture are obtained in the C-D stretching region in real-time during film compression and expansion in a Langmuir trough. The BBSFG intensity of the CD3 stretch peak from DPPC-d62 terminal methyl groups is used as a measure of the interfacial density of DPPC-d62 after careful consideration of orientation effects. For the first time, the interfacial loss of DPPC in a complex lung surfactant mixture is quantified. Spectroscopic results reveal that there is an 18% DPPC-d62 interfacial loss during film respreading. However, the surface pressure-area isotherm measurements demonstrate that there is a rather large trough area reduction (37%) during film expansion. The relatively small interfacial loss of DPPC-d62 and the rather large trough area reduction indicate that the respreading of DPPC and non-DPPC components in the lung surfactant is not uniform and a surface refinement process exists during film compression and expansion. This refinement process results in a DPPC-enriched monolayer with a significant depletion of non-DPPC components after film respreading. Implication for replacement surfactant design from this work is discussed.     

Synthesis of enantioenriched γ-quaternary cycloheptenones using a combined allylic alkylation/Stork-Danheiser approach: preparation of mono-, bi-, and tricyclic systems

A general method for the synthesis of β-substituted and unsubstituted cycloheptenones bearing enantioenriched all-carbon γ-quaternary stereocenters is reported. Hydride or organometallic addition to a seven-membered ring vinylogous ester followed by finely tuned quenching parameters achieves elimination to the corresponding cycloheptenone. The resulting enones are elaborated to bi- and tricyclic compounds with potential for the preparation of non-natural analogs and whose structures are embedded in a number of cycloheptanoid natural products.