Mean Spectral Slope Research Articles

Sources of Variation in the Spectral Slope of the Sleep EEG.

The 1/f spectral slope of the electroencephalogram (EEG) estimated in the γ frequency range has been proposed as an arousal marker that differentiates wake, nonrapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Here, we sought to replicate and extend these findings in a large sample, providing a comprehensive characterization of how slope changes with age, sex, and its test-retest reliability as well as potential confounds that could affect the slope estimation. We used 10,255 whole-night polysomnograms (PSGs) from the National Sleep Research Resource (NSRR). All preprocessing steps were performed using an open-source Luna package and the spectral slope was estimated by fitting log-log linear regression models on the absolute power from 30 to 45 Hz separately for wake, NREM, and REM stages. We confirmed that the mean spectral slope grows steeper going from wake to NREM to REM sleep. We found that the choice of mastoid referencing scheme modulated the extent to which electromyogenic, or electrocardiographic artifacts were likely to bias 30- to 45-Hz slope estimates, as well as other sources of technical, device-specific bias. Nonetheless, within individuals, slope estimates were relatively stable over time. Both cross-sectionally and longitudinal, slopes tended to become shallower with increasing age, particularly for REM sleep; males tended to show flatter slopes than females across all states. Our findings support that spectral slope can be a valuable arousal marker for both clinical and research endeavors but also underscore the importance of considering interindividual variation and multiple methodological aspects related to its estimation.

0194 Sources of variation in the spectral slope of the sleep EEG

Abstract Introduction The 1/f spectral slope of the electroencephalogram (EEG) estimated in the gamma frequency range has been shown to reflect neural excitation/inhibition ratio and synchronization level within local neural populations. It was proposed as an arousal marker that differentiates wake, non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. These stages exhibit progressively steeper 30-45 Hz slopes, interpreted in terms of increasing cortical inhibition. Here we sought to replicate these findings in a larger sample and provide a comprehensive characterization of how slope changes with age, sex, and its test-retest reliability as well as potential confounds that could affect the slope estimation. Methods After stringent exclusions and quality control, our final sample included 10,255 whole-night polysomnograms (PSGs) on 7,312 individuals 2,943 of whom had a second PSG, from the National Sleep Research Resource (NSRR). All preprocessing steps were performed using an open-source Luna package and the spectral slope was estimated by fitting log-log linear regression models on the absolute power from 30 to 45 Hz separately for wake, NREM and REM stages. We described sources of variation in the spectral slope (both within and between individuals) and its relationship to other sleep parameters including power and interhemispheric coherence. Results There was unambiguous statistical support for the hypothesis that, within individuals, the mean spectral slope grows steeper going from wake to NREM to REM sleep. We found that the choice of mastoid referencing scheme modulated the extent to which electromyogenic or electrocardiographic artifacts were likely to bias 30-45 Hz slope estimates, as well as other sources of technical, device-specific bias. Nonetheless, within individuals, slope estimates were relatively stable over time. Both cross-sectionally and longitudinal, slopes tended to become shallower with increasing age, particularly for REM sleep; males tended to show flatter slopes than females across all states. Although conceptually distinct, spectral slope did not predict sleep state substantially better than other summaries of the high-frequency EEG power spectrum (>20 Hz, in this context) including beta band power, however. In contrast to the common conception of the REM EEG as relatively wake-like (i.e. ‘paradoxical’ sleep), REM and wake were the most divergent states for multiple metrics, with NREM exhibiting intermediate profiles. Under a simplified modeling framework, changes in spectral slope could not, by themselves, fully account for the observed differences between states, if assuming a strict power-law model. Conclusion Although the spectral slope is appealing, theoretically inspired parameterization of the sleep EEG, we underscore some practical considerations that should be borne in mind when applying it in diverse datasets. Future work will be needed to fully characterize state-dependent changes in the aperiodic portions of the EEG power spectra, which appear to be consistent with, albeit not fully explained by, changes in the spectral slope. Support (If Any)

Understanding the radio relic emission in the galaxy cluster MACS J0717.5+3745: Spectral analysis

Radio relics are diffuse, extended synchrotron sources that originate from shock fronts generated during cluster mergers. The massive merging galaxy cluster MACS J0717.5+3745 hosts one of the more complex relics known to date. We present upgraded Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope band 3 (300−500 MHz) and band 4 (550−850 MHz) observations. These new observations, combined with published VLA and the new LOFAR HBA data, allow us to carry out a detailed, high spatial resolution spectral analysis of the relic over a broad range of frequencies. The integrated spectrum of the relic closely follows a power law between 144 MHz and 5.5 GHz with a mean spectral slope α = −1.16 ± 0.03. Despite the complex morphology of this relic, its subregions and the other isolated filaments also follow power-law behaviors, and show similar spectral slopes. Assuming diffusive shock acceleration, we estimated a dominant Mach number of ∼3.7 for the shocks that make up the relic. A comparison with recent numerical simulations suggests that in the case of radio relics, the slopes of the integrated radio spectra are determined by the Mach number of the accelerating shock, with α nearly constant, namely between −1.13 and −1.17, for Mach numbers 3.5 − 4.0. The spectral shapes inferred from spatially resolved regions show curvature, we speculate that the relic is inclined along the line of sight. The locus of points in the simulated color-color plots changes significantly with the relic viewing angle. We conclude that projection effects and inhomogeneities in the shock Mach number dominate the observed spectral properties of the relic in this complex system. Based on the new observations we raise the possibility that the relic and a narrow-angle-tailed radio galaxy are two different structures projected along the same line of sight.

Assessing the Utility of Language and Voice Biomarkers to Predict Cognitive Impairment in the Framingham Heart Study Cognitive Aging Cohort Data.

There is a need for fast, accessible, low-cost, and accurate diagnostic methods for early detection of cognitive decline. Dementia diagnoses are usually made years after symptom onset, missing a window of opportunity for early intervention. To evaluate the use of recorded voice features as proxies for cognitive function by using neuropsychological test measures and existing dementia diagnoses. This study analyzed 170 audio recordings, transcripts, and paired neuropsychological test results from 135 participants selected from the Framingham Heart Study (FHS), which includes 97 recordings of cognitively normal participants and 73 recordings of cognitively impaired participants. Acoustic and linguistic features of the voice samples were correlated with cognitive performance measures to verify their association. Language and voice features, when combined with demographic variables, performed with an AUC of 0.942 (95% CI 0.929-0.983) in predicting cognitive status. Features with good predictive power included the acoustic features mean spectral slope in the 500-1500 Hz band, variation in the F2 bandwidth, and variation in the Mel-Frequency Cepstral Coefficient (MFCC) 1; the demographic features employment, education, and age; and the text features of number of words, number of compound words, number of unique nouns, and number of proper names. Several linguistic and acoustic biomarkers show correlations and predictive power with regard to neuropsychological testing results and cognitive impairment diagnoses, including dementia. This initial study paves the way for a follow-up comprehensive study incorporating the entire FHS cohort.

Co-registered photoacoustic and ultrasound imaging of human colorectal cancer.

.Colorectal cancer is the second most common malignancy diagnosed globally. Critical gaps exist in diagnostic and surveillance imaging modalities for colorectal neoplasia. Although prior studies have demonstrated the capability of photoacoustic imaging techniques to differentiate normal from neoplastic tissue in the gastrointestinal tract, evaluation of deep tissue with a fast speed and a large field of view remains limited. To investigate the ability of photoacoustic technology to image deeper tissue, we conducted a pilot study using a real-time co-registered photoacoustic tomography (PAT) and ultrasound (US) system. A total of 23 ex vivo human colorectal tissue samples were imaged immediately after surgical resection. Co-registered photoacoustic images of malignancies showed significantly increased PAT signal compared to normal regions of the same sample. The quantitative relative total hemoglobin (rHbT) concentration computed from four optical wavelengths, the spectral features, such as the mean spectral slope, and 0.5-MHz intercept extracted from PAT and US spectral data, and image features, such as the first- and second-order statistics along with the standard deviation of the mean radon transform of PAT images, have shown statistical significance between untreated colorectal tumors and the normal tissue. Using either a logistic regression model or a support vector machine, the best set of parameters of rHbT and PAT intercept has achieved area-under-the-curve (AUC) values of 0.97 and 0.95 for both training and testing data sets, respectively, for prediction of histologically confirmed invasive carcinoma.

CDOM Absorption Properties of Natural Water Bodies along Extreme Environmental Gradients

We present absorption properties of colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) sampled in six different water bodies along extreme altitudinal, latitudinal, and trophic state gradients. Three sites are in Norway: the mesotrophic Lysefjord (LF), Samnangerfjord (SF), and Røst Coastal Water (RCW); two sites are in China: the oligotrophic Lake Namtso (LN) and the eutrophic Bohai Sea (BS); and one site is in Uganda: the eutrophic Lake Victoria (LV). The site locations ranged from equatorial to subarctic regions, and they included water types from oligotrophic to eutrophic and altitudes from 0 m to 4700 m. The mean CDOM absorption coefficients at 440 nm [ a CDOM ( 440 ) ] and 320 nm [ a CDOM ( 320 ) ] varied in the ranges 0.063–0.35 m − 1 and 0.34–2.28 m − 1 , respectively, with highest values in LV, Uganda and the lowest in the high-altitude LN, Tibet. The mean spectral slopes S 280 − 500 and S 350 − 500 were found to vary in the ranges of 0.017–0.032 nm − 1 and 0.013–0.015 nm − 1 , respectively. The highest mean value for S 280 − 500 as well as the lowest mean value for S 350 − 500 were found in LN. Scatter plots of S 280 − 500 versus a CDOM ( 440 ) and a CDOM ( 320 ) values ranges revealed a close connection between RCW, LF, and SF on one side, and BS and LV on the other side. CDOM seems to originate from terrestrial sources in LF, SF, BS, and LV, while RCW is characterized by autochthonous-oceanic CDOM, and LN by autochthonous CDOM. Photobleaching of CDOM is prominent in LN, demonstrated by absorption towards lower wavelengths in the UV spectrum. We conclude that high altitudes, implying high levels of UV radiation and oligotrophic water conditions are most important for making a significant change in CDOM absorption properties.

Renal cystic lesions characterization using spectral detector CT (SDCT): Added value of spectral results.

To evaluate the added value of spectral results derived from Spectral Detector CT (SDCT) to the characterization of renal cystic lesions (RCL). This retrospective study was approved by the local Institutional review board. 70 consecutive patients who underwent abdominopelvic SDCT and had at least one RCL were included. 84 RCL were categorized as simple, complex or neoplastic based on attenuation values on single-phase post-contrast images. Attenuation values were measured in each lesion on standard conventional CT images (stCI) and virtual monoenergetic images of 40keV and 100keV. A spectral curve slope was calculated and intra lesional iodine concentration (IC) was measured using iodine-density maps. Reference standard was established using histopathologic correlation, prior and follow-up imaging. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare between the groups. Mean attenuation values for benign simple and complex RCL differed significantly (42 ± 16 vs 8 ± 3 HU; p < 0.001). IC was almost identical in benign simple and complex RCL (0.23 ± 0.04 mg ml-1 vs 0.24 ± 0.04 mg ml-1), while IC in neoplastic RCL was significantly higher (2.10 ± 0.08 mg ml-1 ; p < 0.001). The mean spectral curve slope did not differ significantly between simple and complex RCL (0.30 ± 0.03 vs 0.33 ± 0.05) but was significantly higher in neoplastic RCL (2.60 ± 0.10; p < 0.001). Spectral results of SDCT are highly promising in distinguishing benign complex RCL from enhancing neoplastic RCL based on single-phase post-contrast imaging only. SDCT can assist in differentiating between benign complex and neoplastic renal cystic lesions.

Response of Chromophoric Dissolved Organic Matter Composition to Different Hydrological Scenarios in Large Eutrophic Lake Taihu

Chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) is a fraction of dissolved organic matter that can strongly absorb light in the ultraviolet and blue regions and plays an important role in the biogeochemical cycling of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus. Unraveling the sources, optical composition, and corresponding spatial variabilities of CDOM can improve our understanding of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycling in lakes and lake water quality management. CDOM spectral absorption and fluorescent excitation-emission matrices were measured to investigate the compositional dynamics of CDOM under different hydrological scenarios. Our results showed that the mean value of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration of (8.11±1.26) mg·L-1 in the rainy season was significantly higher than that in the dry season (3.53±1.19) mg·L-1 (t-test, P<0.01), whereas the mean spectral slope S275-295 of (20.89±1.90) μm-1 in the dry season was significantly greater than that in the rainy season (19.09±1.81) μm-1 (t-test, P<0.001). Three fluorescent components were identified using parallel factor analysis, and we further found that the dynamics of the three CDOM components were strongly influenced by hydrological conditions. Fluorescence intensity (Fmax) of the terrestrial humic-rich component C2 increased with increasing water levels and rainfall. Significant negative relationships were found between all three fluorescent components and dissolved oxygen (P<0.01), suggesting that all three components served as important substrates for microbial processing. Significant positive relationships were found between the terrestrial humic-rich C2 and tryptophan-like C1 and chlorophyll-a and chemical oxygen demand, indicating that anthropogenic inputs and algal degradation contributed significantly to the CDOM pool in Lake Taihu. We further found a significant positive relationship between DOC concentration and Fmax of terrestrial humic-rich C2 (r2=0.58, P<0.001), suggesting that DOC in Lake Taihu was primarily derived from allochthonous input.

The visible and near-infrared spectra of asteroids in cometary orbits

Context. Dynamical and albedo properties suggest that asteroids in cometary orbits (ACOs) are dormant or extinct comets. Their study provides new insights for understanding the end-states of comets and the size of the comet population. Aims. We intend to study the visible and near-infrared (NIR) spectral properties of different ACO populations and compare them to the independently determined properties of comets. Methods. We select our ACOs sample based on published dynamical criteria and present our own observational results obtained using the 10.4 m Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC), the 4.2 m William Herschel Telescope (WHT), the 3.56 m Telescopio Nazionale Galileo (TNG), and the 2.5 m Isaac Newton Telescope (INT), all located at the El Roque de los Muchachos Observatory (La Palma, Spain), and the 3.0 m NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF), located at the Mauna Kea Observatory, in Hawaii. We include in the analysis the spectra of ACOs obtained from the literature. We derive the spectral class and the visible and NIR spectral slopes. We also study the presence of hydrated minerals by studying the 0.7 μm band and the UV-drop below 0.5 μm associated with phyllosilicates. Results. We present new observations of 17 ACOs, 11 of them observed in the visible, 2 in the NIR and 4 in the visible and NIR. We also discuss the spectra of 12 ACOs obtained from the literature. All but two ACOs have a primitive-like class spectrum (X or D-type). Almost 100% of the ACOs in long-period cometary orbits (Damocloids) are D-types. Those in Jupiter family comet orbits (JFC-ACOs) are ∼60% D-types and ∼40% X-types. The mean spectral slope S′ of JFC-ACOs is 9.7 ± 4.6%/1000 Å and for the Damocloids this is 12.2 ± 2.0%/1000 Å. No evidence of hydration on the surface of ACOs is found from their visible spectra. The spectral slope and spectral class distribution of ACOs is similar to that of comets. Conclusions. The spectral taxonomical classification and the spectral slope distribution of ACOs, and the lack of spectral features indicative of the presence of hydrated minerals on their surface, strongly suggest that ACOs are likely dormant or extinct comets.

Fine‐scale variability of isopycnal salinity in the California Current System

AbstractThis paper examines the fine‐scale structure and seasonal fluctuations of the isopycnal salinity of the California Current System from 2007 to 2013 using temperature and salinity profiles obtained from a series of underwater glider surveys. The seasonal mean distributions of the spectral power of the isopycnal salinity gradient averaged over submesoscale (12–30 km) and mesoscale (30–60 km) ranges along three survey lines off Monterey Bay, Point Conception, and Dana Point were obtained from 298 transects. The mesoscale and submesoscale variance increased as coastal upwelling caused the isopycnal salinity gradient to steepen. Areas of elevated variance were clearly observed around the salinity front during the summer then spread offshore through the fall and winter. The high fine‐scale variances were observed typically above 25.8 kg m−3 and decreased with depth to a minimum at around 26.3 kg m−3. The mean spectral slope of the isopycnal salinity gradient with respect to wavenumber was 0.19 ± 0.27 over the horizontal scale of 12–60 km, and 31%–35% of the spectra had significantly positive slopes. In contrast, the spectral slope over 12–30 km was mostly flat, with mean values of −0.025 ± 0.32. An increase in submesoscale variability accompanying the steepening of the spectral slope was often observed in inshore areas; e.g., off Monterey Bay in winter, where a sharp front developed between the California Current and the California Under Current, and the lower layers of the Southern California Bight, where vigorous interaction between a synoptic current and bottom topography is to be expected.

Vertical wavenumber spectra of three-dimensional winds revealed by radiosonde observations at midlatitude

Abstract. By applying 12-year (1998–2009) radiosonde data over a midlatitude station, we studied the vertical wavenumber spectra of three-dimensional wind fluctuations. The horizontal wind spectra in the lower stratosphere coincide well with the well-known universal spectra, with mean spectral slopes of −2.91 ± 0.09 and −2.99 ± 0.09 for the zonal and meridional wind spectra, respectively, while the mean slopes in the troposphere are −2.64 ± 0.07 and −2.70 ± 0.06, respectively, which are systematically less negative than the canonical slope of −3. In both the troposphere and lower stratosphere, the spectral amplitudes (slopes) of the horizontal wind spectra are larger (less negative) in winter, and they are larger (less negative) in the troposphere than in the lower stratosphere. Moreover, we present the first statistical results of vertical wind fluctuation spectra, which revealed a very shallow spectral structure, with mean slopes of −0.58 ± 0.06 and −0.23 ± 0.05 in the troposphere and lower stratosphere, respectively. Such a shallow vertical wind fluctuation spectrum is considerably robust. Different from the horizontal wind spectrum, the slopes of the vertical wind spectra in both the troposphere and lower stratosphere are less negative in summer. The height variation of vertical wind spectrum amplitude is also different from that of the horizontal wind spectrum, with a larger amplitude in the lower stratosphere. These evident differences between the horizontal and vertical wind spectra strongly suggest they should obey different spectral laws. Quantitative comparisons with various theoretical models show that no existing spectral theories can comprehensively explain the observed three-dimensional wind spectra, indicating that the spectral features of atmospheric fluctuations are far from fully understood.

Vertical evolution of potential energy density and vertical wave number spectrum of Antarctic gravity waves from 35 to 105 km at McMurdo (77.8°S, 166.7°E)

AbstractWe report the first characterization of potential energy densities and vertical wave number spectra of Antarctic gravity waves (GWs) from 35 to 105 km, derived from Fe lidar temperature measurements at McMurdo (77.8°S, 166.7°E) in 2011–2013 winters. For GWs with periods of 2–10 h, the potential energy density per unit volume (Epv) decreases by 2 orders of magnitude from 35 to 105 km, while that per unit mass (Epm) increases from several to hundreds of J/kg. Epm increases with a mean scale height of ~10.4 km in the Rayleigh region (35–65 km) and of ~13.2 km in the Fe region (81–105 km), and of particular interest is the inferred severe dissipation in between (65–81 km). Overall, the vertical evolutions of Epv and Epm indicate considerable wave energy loss from the stratosphere to the lower thermosphere. The vertical wave number spectra exhibit power law forms for vertical wavelengths λz &lt; ~10 km. The mean spectral slope in the spectral range of 2–10 km is about −2.55 and −2.26 in the Rayleigh and Fe regions with standard deviations of 0.36 and 0.38, respectively. Large variations in the power spectral densities (PSDs) are seen for λz &gt; 10 km in 35–60 km. PSDs increase by 1 order of magnitude from the stratosphere to the lower thermosphere. Using higher temporal resolution data to include 0.5–2 h waves increase Epm by ~25–45% and increase PSDs of 2–5 km waves by a factor of 2 and of &gt;10 km waves by less than 50%.

Effects of spectral smearing on sentence recognition by adults and children

Children’s speech perception depends on dynamic formant patterns more than that of adults. Spectral smearing of formants, as found with the broadened auditory filters associated with hearing loss, should disproportionately affect children because of this greater dependence on formant patterns. Making formants more prominent, on the other hand, may result in improved recognition. Adults (40) and children age 5 and 7 (20 of each age) listened to 75 four-word syntactically correct, semantically anomalous sentences processed so that excursions around the mean spectral slope were sharpened by 50% (making individual formants more prominent), flattened by 50% (smearing individual formants), or left unchanged. These sentences were presented to children and to half of the adults in speech-shaped noise at 0 dB SNR. The rest of the adults listened to the sentences at -3 dB SNR. Results indicate that all listeners did more poorly with the smeared formants, with 5-year-olds showing the largest decrement in performance at 0 dB SNR. However, adults at -3 dB SNR showed an even greater decrement in performance. Making formants more prominent did not improve recognition, perhaps due to harmonic-formant mismatches. Thus, there is reason to explore processing strategies that might enhance formant prominence for listeners with hearing loss.

Absorption and fluorescence properties of chromophoric dissolved organic matter of the eastern Bering Sea in the summer with special reference to the influence of a cold pool

Abstract. The absorption and fluorescence properties of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) are reported for the inner shelf, slope waters and outer shelf regions of the eastern Bering Sea during the summer of 2008, when a warm, thermally stratified surface mixed layer lay over a cold pool (&lt; 2 °C) that occupied the entire middle shelf. CDOM absorption at 355 nm (ag355) and its spectral slope (S) in conjunction with excitation–emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence and parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) revealed large variability in the characteristics of CDOM in different regions of the Bering Sea. PARAFAC analysis aided in the identification of three humic-like (components one, two and five) and two protein-like (a tyrosine-like component three, and a tryptophan-like component four) components. In the extensive shelf region, average absorption coefficients at 355 nm (ag355, m−1) and DOC concentrations (μM) were highest in the inner shelf (0.342 ± 0.11 m−1, 92.67 ± 14.60 μM) and lower in the middle (0.226 ± 0.05 m−1, 78.38 ± 10.64 μM) and outer (0.185 ± 0.05 m−1, 79.24 ± 18.01 μM) shelves, respectively. DOC concentrations, however were not significantly different, suggesting CDOM sources and sinks to be uncoupled from DOC. Mean spectral slopes S were elevated in the middle shelf (24.38 ± 2.25 μm−1) especially in the surface waters (26.87 ± 2.39 μm−1) indicating high rates of photodegradation in the highly stratified surface mixed layer, which intensified northwards in the northern middle shelf likely contributing to greater light penetration and to phytoplankton blooms at deeper depths. The fluorescent humic-like components one, two, and five were most elevated in the inner shelf most likely from riverine inputs. Along the productive "green belt" in the outer shelf/slope region, absorption and fluorescence properties indicated the presence of fresh and degraded autochthonous DOM. Near the Unimak Pass region of the Aleutian Islands, low DOC and ag355 (mean 66.99 ± 7.94 μM; 0.182 ± 0.05 m−1) and a high S (mean 25.95 ± 1.58 μm−1) suggested substantial photobleaching of the Alaska Coastal Water, but high intensities of humic-like and protein-like fluorescence suggested sources of fluorescent DOM from coastal runoff and glacier meltwaters during the summer. The spectral slope S vs. ag355 relationship revealed terrestrial and oceanic end members along with intermediate water masses that were modeled using nonlinear regression equations that could allow water mass differentiation based on CDOM optical properties. Spectral slope S was negatively correlated (r2 = 0.79) with apparent oxygen utilization (AOU) for waters extending from the middle shelf into the deep Bering Sea indicating increasing microbial alteration of CDOM with depth. Although our data show that the CDOM photochemical environment of the Bering Sea is complex, our current information on its optical properties will aid in better understanding of the biogeochemical role of CDOM in carbon budgets in relation to the annual sea ice and phytoplankton dynamics, and to improved algorithms of ocean color remote sensing for this region.

The Distribution of Main Belt Asteroids with Featureless Spectra from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Photometry

AbstractIn this work, we propose to analyse the existence of possible correlations between the taxonomic classes of asteroids showing featureless spectra –i.e. a flat continuum with no absorption bands– and their orbital properties. We compute the mean spectral slope of 14 753 asteroids using the photometric data from the Sloan Digital Sky survey Moving Objects Catalog (SDSS-MOC4). Although the quality of these data is not comparable in resolution to the spectroscopic data, the amount of observations in the SDSS-MOC4 is more than 20 times larger that in the available spectral databases. This allows us to obtain a statistically significant result.

Effects of Training on Time-Varying Spectral Energy and Sound Pressure Level in Nine Male Classical Singers

The male classical singing voice is a musical instrument that is very important in western culture. It has many acoustic features which should change and improve over the period in which the singer trains. In this study we compare nine singers in different stages of training, from university level students through to international soloists. Typically, Energy Ratio (ER; a measure of mean spectral slope) and mean sound pressure level (SPL) may be calculated to summarize an entire singing sample. We investigate an alternative approach, by calculating the time-varying ER and SPL. The inspection of the distribution of these descriptors over an aria's time period yields a more detailed picture of the strategies for high-frequency energy production used by singers with different levels of training.

Vertical wavenumber spectra of atmospheric ozone measured from ozonesonde observations

Vertical profiles of ozone have been measured at balloon altitudes. Our purpose is to examine the character of vertical wavenumber spectra of ozone fluctuations, to assess the possible roles of gravity wave field in ozone fluctuations, and to determine dominant vertical wavelengths of ozone spectra. Vertical wavenumber spectra of 12 ozone fluctuations obtained during June–August 2003 are presented. Results indicate that mean spectral slopes in the wavenumber range from 4.69 × 10 −4 to 2.50 × 10 −3 cyc/m are about −2.91 in the troposphere and −2.87 in the lower stratosphere, which is close to the slope of −3 predicted by current gravity wave saturation models. The consistency of the observed spectral slopes with the value of −3 predicted by current gravity wave saturation models suggests that the observed ozone fluctuations are due primarily to atmospheric gravity waves. At m = 1/(1000 m) the mean spectral amplitude is over 30 times larger in the lower stratosphere than in the troposphere. Mean vertical wavenumber spectra in area-preserving form reveal dominant vertical wavelengths of ∼2.6 km in the troposphere and ∼2.7 km in the lower stratosphere, which is consistent with the values varying between 1.5 and 3.0 km estimated from the velocity field and temperature field at these heights.

A correlation between the spectral and timing properties of AGN

We present the results from a combined study of the average X-ray spectral and timing properties of 14 nearby AGN. For 11 of the sources in the sample, we used all the available data from the RXTE archive, which were taken until the end of 2006. There are 7795 RXTE observations in total for these AGN, obtained over a period of ~7-11 years. We extracted their 3-20 keV spectra and fitted them with a simple power-law model, modified by the presence of a Gaussian line (at 6.4 keV) and cold absorption, when necessary. We used these best-fit slopes to estimate the mean spectral slope for each object, while we used results from the literature to estimate the average spectral slope of the three objects without archival, monitorin RXTE data. Our results show that the AGN average spectral slopes are not correlated either with the black hole mass or the characteristic frequencies that were detected in the power spectra.They are positively correlated, though, with the characteristic frequency when normalised to the sources black hole mass. This is similar to the spectral-timing correlation that has been observed in Cyg X-1, but not the same.The AGN spectral-timing correlation can be explained if we assume that the accretion rate determines both the average spectral slope and the characteristic time scales in AGN. The spectrum should steepen and the characteristic frequency should increase, proportionally, with increasing accretion rate. We also provide a quantitative expression between spectral slope and accretion rate. Thermal Comptonisation models are broadly consistent with our result, but only if the ratio of the soft photons' luminosity to the power injected to the hot corona is proportionally related to the accretion rate.

Visible and near infrared spectroscopic investigation of E-type asteroids, including 2867 Steins, a target of the Rosetta mission☆

We present the results of a visible spectroscopic survey of igneous asteroids belonging to the small and intriguing E-class, including 2867 Steins, a target of the Rosetta mission. The survey was carried out at the 3.5 m Telescopio Nazionale Galileo (TNG), and at the 3.5 m New Technology Telescope (NTT) of the European Southern Observatory. We obtained new visible spectra for eighteen E-type asteroids, and near infrared spectra for eight of them. We confirm the presence of three different mineralogies in the small E-type populations. We classify each object in the E[I], E[II] or E[III] subgroups [Gaffey, M.J., Kelley, M.S., 2004. Lunar Planet. Sci. XXXV. Abstract 1812] on the basis of the spectral behavior and of the eventual presence of absorption features attributed to sulfides (such the 0.49 μm band, on E[II]), or to iron bearing silicates (0.9 μm band, on E[III]). We suggest that some asteroids (i.e. 64 Angelina, 317 Roxane, and 434 Hungaria), which show different spectral behavior comparing our data with those available in literature, have an inhomogeneous surface composition. 2867 Steins, a target of the Rosetta mission, shows a spectral behavior typical of the E[II] subgroup, as already suggested by Barucci et al. [Barucci, M.A., Fulchignoni, M., Fornasier, S., Dotto, E., Vernazza, P., Birlan, M., Binzel, R.P., Carvano, J., Merlin, F., Barbieri, C., Belskaya, I., 2005. Astron. Astrophys. 430, 313–317] and Fornasier et al. [Fornasier, S., Marzari, F., Dotto, E., Barucci, M.A., Migliorini, A., 2007. Astron. Astrophys. 474, 29–32]. Litva and 1990 TN1, initially classified as E-types, show a visible and near infrared behavior consistent with the olivine rich A-class asteroids, while 5806 Archieroy, also supposed to belong to the E-class, has a spectral behavior consistent with the S(V) classification following the Gaffey et al. [Gaffey, M.J., Burbine, T.H., Piatek, J.L., Reed, K.L., Chaky, D.A., Bell, J.F., Brown, R.H., 1993. Icarus 106, 573–602] classification scheme. To fully investigate the E-type population, we enlarged our sample including 6 E-type asteroids spectra available in literature, resulting in a total sample of 21 objects. The analysis of the spectral slope for the 3 different E-type subgroups versus the orbital elements show that E[III] members have the lowest mean spectral slope value inside the whole sample, and that they are located between 2.2–2.7 AU in low inclination orbits. E[II] members has the highest spectral slope inside the sample, half of them are located in the Hungaria region, 2 are NEA and 2 (64 Angelina and 2867 Steins), are in the main belt. A similar distribution is found for the 5 featureless E[I] members, located mainly in the Hungaria region (3 members), one in the middle main belt while one is a NEA (2004 VD17). Finally, for the five E-type asteroids observed both in the visible and near infrared range, plus 2867 Steins, we attempt to model their surface composition using linear geographical mixtures of no more than 3 components, selected from aubrite meteorites and correlated minerals. In particular we suggest that the aubrite Peña Blanca might have the E[III] Asteroid 317 Roxane as parent body, and that the aubrite ALH78113 might be related to the E[II] subgroup asteroids.

A study of absorption characteristics of chromophoric dissolved organic matter and particles in Lake Taihu, China

Absorptions by non-phytoplankton particles and phytoplankton, and chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) were measured at 50 sites in large, shallow, Lake Taihu in winter and summer 2006 to study their seasonal and spatial variations, and their relative contributions to total absorption. The CDOM absorption was significantly higher in winter than in summer, due to degradation and release of fixed carbon in phytoplankton and submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV). The hyperbolic model was used to model the spectral absorption of CDOM, and the mean spectral slope of 6.38 nm−1 was obtained. At most sites, the spectral absorption of non-phytoplankton particles was similar to that of the total particles, demonstrating that the absorption of the total particles is dominated by the absorption of non-phytoplankton particles. In summer, phytoplankton absorption increased markedly, due to frequent algal blooms especially in Meiliang Bay. In winter, the significant increase in non-phytoplankton particle absorption resulted from the increase of inorganic particulate matter caused by sediment resuspension. Strong linear relationships were found between ad(440) and total suspended matter (TSM), organic suspended matter (OSM), and inorganic suspended matter (ISM). Strong linear relationships were also found between aph(440), aph(675) and chlorophyll a (Chl-a) concentration. The total relative contributions of non-phytoplankton particles over the range of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) (400–700 nm) were 48.4 and 79.9% in summer and winter respectively. Non-phytoplankton particle absorption dominated the total absorption, especially in winter, in Lake Taihu, due to frequent sediment resuspension in the large shallow lake as a result of strong windy conditions. The results indicate that strong absorption by CDOM and non-phytoplankton particles at the blue wavelength has an impact on the spectral availability, and acts as a selection factor for the composition of the phytoplankton community, with cyanobacteria being the dominate species in Lake Taihu.