bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Interpreting acoustic measures of imitation in word shadowing
Authors: Clopper Cynthia G.
Published: January 2025

Word shadowing tasks, in which a participant repeats words aloud after a pre-recorded model talker in a laboratory setting, elicit imitation of the model talker’s speech by the shadowing participant, even in the absence of explicit instructions to imitate. However, the nature of this imitation varies substantially within and across shadowers, model talkers, and linguistic features. Recent research has considered this variation in imitation in word shadowing to address how acoustic measures of imitation in these tasks should be interpreted. The results demonstrate (1) imitation of phonetic and phonological structure in vowel shifts and intonation contours, in addition to direct imitation of acoustic formant frequencies and f0; (2) more imitation of non-stereotyped social variants than of stereotyped social variants; and (3) both convergence to overall production patterns and synchrony with token-by-token variability in the speech of the model talker. Together, these results suggest a strong speech perception-production link that operates in real time and is mediated by linguistic and social representations.
Moving source 2D-hologram in the presence of intensive internal waves in SWARM-95 experiment
Authors: Badiey Mohsen , Pereselkov Sergey A. , Kuz'kin Venedikt
Published: January 2025

This paper presents the holographic signal processing results from an acoustical oceanography experiment on the New Jersey continental shelf called SWARM-95. This experiment that was conducted in summer of 1995 aimed at propagation of broadband acoustic signals in the presence of intensive internal waves (IIW). Impulsive acoustic signals were from a moving source. The IIW caused modes coupling and significant 3D acoustic effects (Badiey M. et al., JASA, 117(2): 613–625). The current research is based on holographic signal processing (Pereselkov S., Kuz’kin V., JASA, 151(2): 666- 676) utilizing holographic signal processing. Here, the sound intensity distributions in frequency-time coordinates, called the source interferogram, is analyzed using a 2D Fourier transform (2D-FT). The result of the 2D-FT is called the Fourier-hologram (hologram). Two distinct sets of spectral spots were identified in the hologram of the moving source. The first set corresponds to the sound field in an unperturbed waveguide (without IIW). The second set relates to the hydrodynamic perturbation of the sound field caused by IIW. Such a hologram structure allows for the reconstruction of the parameters of the moving source. Results of this research can be used for detection and localization of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV). [This research was supported by a grant from the Russian Science Foundation (grant number 23-61-10024).]
Enunciation—An important factor in speech-to-text medical transcription systems
Authors: Kostek Bozena
Published: January 2025

This study aims to explore the extent to which enunciation plays a crucial role in a speech-to-text (STT) system, especially when dealing with medical terminology. To achieve this, an audio dataset was recorded containing Polish medical terms and spoken diagnoses pronounced by healthcare professionals, including general practitioners and specialists in various fields such as cardiology, pulmonology, and radiology. The next step involved comprehensive acoustical and lexical analyses of the audio recordings. Features such as harmonic-to-noise ratio, spectral tilt, zero-crossing rate, formant dispersion, jitter, and shimmer were considered. Moreover, a transformer-based ASR (Automatic Speech Recognition) model was engaged in speech-to-text transcription. Several speech quality evaluation measures were used, such as WER (Word Error Rate), MER (Match Error Rate), WIL (Word Information Loss), WIP (Word Information Preserved), CER (Character Error Rate), etc. By measuring the STT model’s quality, it was possible to analyze the correlation between acoustical features and the expression style, as well as the speaker's distinctive vocabulary choices when reading acronyms. [Work supported by the Polish National Center for Research and Development (NCBR) project: “ADMEDVOICE-Adaptive intelligent speech processing system of medical personnel with the structuring of test results and support of therapeutic process,” no. INFOSTRATEG4/0003/2022.]
Advancing emotion recognition of audio: Testing and verifying machine learning techniques for speech and music
Authors: Gomez-Fonseca Diana
Published: January 2025

The aim of this research is to investigate machine learning techniques for emotion recognition for audio such as human speech and music. Emotion recognition technology has a history in commercial applications to enhance personalized music recommendations, mood-based ambience detection and interpret human interactions or human-machine interaction such as job interviews, caller-agent calls, streaming videos, and music platforms such as Spotify. Moreover, enhancing these algorithms can significantly benefit individuals on the autism spectrum by promoting accurate and practical support. In this study, we employed a combination of techniques to build a machine learning approach for emotion recognition. By adjusting the audio features and given test and train data, we aimed to identify and enhance the relationships between audio perception and its features. This approach seeks to eventually improve the accuracy and applicability of emotion recognition systems, contributing to the ongoing development and promotion of this technology in various domains.
In-ear acoustic monitoring for swallow detection
Authors: Ben Cheikh Elyes , Hocine Imane , Braga Alessandro , Shamei Arian , Verduyckt Ingrid , Laporte Catherine , Bouserhal Rachel
Published: January 2025

Sialorrhea, or involuntary drooling, affects up to 25% of patients with neurodegenerative diseases, causing significant discomfort. Current treatments are mostly invasive. Non-invasive treatment may be possible by providing patients with reminders to swallow based on their swallowing frequency. A promising approach involves detecting swallowing using in-ear devices. To enable such treatment, we are collecting a database of 13 non-verbal human-produced events such as blinking, coughing, grinding teeth, etc. These events are captured by various sensors inside the ear, including microphones, air pressure microphones, PPG sensors, and IMUs, in different acoustic environments, both quiet and noisy. Additionally, we use ultrasound videos of the tongue as a ground truth for spontaneous swallowing. We will use this database to train machine learning algorithms for detecting and classifying swallowing and other non-verbal events. This work will enable the development of health monitoring in-ear devices for vulnerable individuals.
An optimal control point method for cross talk cancellation
Authors: Zhao Sipei , Huang Yang , Lu Jing
Published: January 2025

Spatial audio is critical for improving immersive experience in various virtual and augmented reality applications. Cross-talk cancellation (CTC) is required to deliver binaural audio through loudspeakers to people’s two ears discretely. Various CTC methods have been widely studied in literature, among which the optimal source distribution (OSD) is a popular one. By analyzing the singular values of the plat matrix, the OSD method chooses the loudspeaker positions that lead to an optimally conditioned system. Theoretically, an infinite number of continuously distributed sound sources are required in the OSD method, but in practical implementations, several pairs of discrete loudspeakers are used, with each pair controlling sound in a frequency band. Instead of changing the sound source positions in the OSD method, this paper proposes an alternative optimal control point distribution (OCPD) approach using a single pair of loudspeakers at fixed locations, where the control point can move freely. Theoretical analysis shows that although the control points are away from the evaluation points (two ears), the performance of the CTC system can be dramatically improved as long as the control points are properly chosen. Numerical simulations demonstrate that the proposed OCPD approach can achieve similar performance to the OSD method with only two loudspeakers.
Single-cell phenotyping of extracellular electron transfer via microdroplet encapsulation
Authors: Partipilo Gina , Bowman Emily K. , Palmer Emma J. , Gao Yang , Ridley Rodney S. , Alper Hal S. , Keitz Benjamin K.
Published: January 2025

Electroactive organisms contribute to metal cycling, pollutant removal, and other redox-driven environmental processes via extracellular electron transfer (EET). Unfortunately, developing genotype-phenotype relationships for electroactive organisms is challenging because EET is necessarily removed from the cell of origin. Microdroplet emulsions, which encapsulate individual cells in aqueous droplets, have been used to study a variety of extracellular phenotypes but have not been applied to investigate EET. Here, we describe the development of a microdroplet emulsion system to sort and enrich EET-capable organisms from complex populations. We validated our system using the model electrogen
Shewanella oneidensis
and described the tooling of a benchtop microfluidic system for oxygen-limited conditions. We demonstrated the enrichment of strains exhibiting electroactive phenotypes from mixed wild-type and EET-deficient populations. As a proof-of-concept application, we collected samples from iron sedimentation in Town Lake (Austin, TX) and subjected them to microdroplet enrichment. We measured an increase in electroactive organisms in the sorted population that was distinct compared to a population growing in bulk culture with Fe(III) as the sole electron acceptor. Finally, two bacterial species not previously shown to be EET-capable,
Cronobacter sakazakii
and
Vagococcus fessus
, were further cultured and characterized for electroactivity. Our results demonstrate the utility of microdroplet emulsions for isolating and identifying EET-capable bacteria.

IMPORTANCE

This work outlines a new high-throughput method for identifying electroactive bacteria from mixed populations. Electroactive bacteria play key roles in iron trafficking, soil remediation, and pollutant degradation. Many existing methods for identifying electroactive bacteria are coupled to microbial growth and fitness—as a result, the contributions from weak or poor-growing electrogens are often muted. However, extracellular electron transfer (EET) has historically been difficult to study in high-throughput in a mixed population since extracellular reduction is challenging to trace back to the parent cell and there are no suitable fluorescent readouts for EET. Our method circumvents these challenges by utilizing an aqueous microdroplet emulsion wherein a single cell is statistically isolated in a pico- to nano-liter-sized droplet. Then, via fluorescence obtained from copper reduction, the mixed population can be fluorescently sorted and gated by performance. Utilizing our technique, we characterize two previously unrecognized weak electrogens
Vagococcus fessus
and
Cronobacter sakazakii
.
Extracutaneous sporotrichosis
Authors: Ramírez-Soto Max Carlos
Published: January 2025

Sporotrichosis is a subacute-to-chronic infection endemic to tropical and subtropical regions. It usually involves subcutaneous tissue but can occasionally cause extracutaneous infections, especially in hyperendemic areas. Extracutaneous infections are classified based on the anatomic location of the lesion and the route of infection (primary or multifocal). The clinical forms are as follows: (i) pulmonary (primary or multifocal); (ii) osteoarticular (primary or multifocal); (iii) ocular (ocular adnexal lesions including eyelid lesions, conjunctivitis and dacryocystitis, and intraocular infections); (iv) central nervous system; and (v) mucosal (primary or disseminated). Multifocal clinical presentations are observed mainly in immunocompromised individuals. The diagnosis must be confirmed in the laboratory by mycological examination of the clinical samples. Itraconazole and amphotericin B are the most commonly used antifungal agents for treating pulmonary, osteoarticular, ocular, and mucosal forms. Treatment may include surgical excision of the initial lesions in pulmonary and osteoarticular forms. The treatment of neurological involvement is far from optimal and is associated with a high mortality rate despite long treatment periods.
Reverse transcriptase inhibitors diminish systemic proinflammatory responses to bacterial pathogens
Authors: Hullahalli Karthik , Dailey Katherine G. , Acbay Ryan , Suzuki Masataka , Balazs George I. , Waldor Matthew K.
Published: January 2025

Bacterial infections can induce exuberant immune responses that can damage host tissues. Previously, we demonstrated that systemic
Escherichia coli
infection in mice causes tissue damage in the liver. This liver necrosis is associated with the expression of endogenous retroviruses, chromosomally integrated retroviruses that encode a reverse transcriptase. Furthermore, nucleotide/nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) completely prevent tissue damage and subsequent bacterial growth within necrotic lesions. Since liver necrosis is linked to heightened systemic inflammatory responses, we hypothesized that NRTIs diminish inflammation caused by
E. coli
infection and may also have broad impacts on the systemic immune response to bacterial pathogens. Here, we tested this hypothesis by characterizing the effects of NRTIs on the innate immune response to bacteria. In the liver, NRTI administration following
E. coli
inoculation reduced the expression of a large repertoire of proinflammatory transcripts. NRTIs also had systemic anti-inflammatory effects, including reducing proinflammatory cytokine levels in serum in response to
E. coli
in different mouse strains. The anti-inflammatory effects of NRTIs were also apparent in response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and
Staphylococcus aureus
, suggesting that the molecular mechanisms underlying the immunomodulatory functions of NRTIs are likely conserved across distinct immune signaling pathways. Moreover, in a model of lethal LPS shock, NRTI administration prevented hypothermia and death. Together, our observations reveal that NRTIs can potently impede systemic inflammatory responses during Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial infections. Our findings lay the groundwork for further investigation of the therapeutic scope of NRTIs and the mechanisms underlying their anti-inflammatory effects across non-retroviral infectious diseases.

IMPORTANCE

Inflammatory responses are critical for host control of bacterial infection, but excessive inflammation can damage host tissues and lead to sepsis. Understanding how innate immune responses are controlled during infection is important for developing new approaches to dampen excessive inflammation. In previous work, we found that tissue damage caused by excessive inflammatory responses may be driven by endogenous reverse transcriptases. Here we demonstrate that treatment of mice with reverse transcriptase inhibitors leads to broad reductions in systemic proinflammatory responses during bacterial infections and can protect mice from acute death in a lethal model of sepsis. Our findings indicate that uncovering the mechanisms underlying the anti-inflammatory functions of reverse transcriptase inhibitors may lead to new therapeutics for bacterial infectious diseases.
Virulence factor discovery identifies associations between the Fic gene family and Fap2
+
fusobacteria in colorectal cancer microbiomes
Authors: Nakatsu Geicho , Ko Duhyun , Michaud Monia , Franzosa Eric A. , Morgan Xochitl C. , Huttenhower Curtis , Garrett Wendy S.
Published: January 2025

Fusobacterium
is a bacterium associated with colorectal cancer (CRC) tumorigenesis, progression, and metastasis. Fap2 is a fusobacteria-specific outer membrane galactose-binding lectin that mediates
Fusobacterium
adherence to and invasion of CRC tumors. Advances in omics analyses provide an opportunity to profile and identify microbial genomic features that correlate with the cancer-associated bacterial virulence factor Fap2. Here, we analyze genomes of
Fusobacterium
colon tumor isolates and find that a family of post-translational modification enzymes containing Fic domains is associated with Fap2 positivity in these strains. We demonstrate that Fic family genes expand with the presence of Fap2 in the fusobacterial pangenome. Through comparative genomic analysis, we find that Fap2
+
Fusobacteriota are highly enriched with Fic gene families compared to other cancer-associated and human gut microbiome bacterial taxa. Using a global data set of CRC shotgun metagenomes, we show that fusobacterial Fic and Fap2 genes frequently co-occur in the fecal microbiomes of individuals with late-stage CRC. We further characterize specific Fic gene families harbored by Fap2
+
Fusobacterium animalis
genomes and detect recombination events and elements of horizontal gene transfer via synteny analysis of Fic gene loci. Exposure of a
F. animalis
strain to a colon adenocarcinoma cell line increases gene expression of fusobacterial Fic and virulence-associated adhesins. Finally, we demonstrate that Fic proteins are synthesized by
F. animalis
as Fic peptides are detectable in
F. animalis
monoculture supernatants. Taken together, our study uncovers Fic genes as potential virulence factors in Fap2
+
fusobacterial genomes.

IMPORTANCE

Accumulating data support that bacterial members of the intra-tumoral microbiota critically influence colorectal cancer progression. Yet, relatively little is known about non-adhesin fusobacterial virulence factors that may influence carcinogenesis. Our genomic analysis and expression assays in fusobacteria identify Fic domain-containing genes, well-studied virulence factors in pathogenic bacteria, as potential fusobacterial virulence features. The Fic family proteins that we find are encoded by fusobacteria and expressed by
Fusobacterium animalis
merit future investigation to assess their roles in colorectal cancer development and progression.
Variable surface antigen expression, virulence, and persistent infection by
Plasmodium falciparum
malaria parasites
Authors: Hadjimichael Evi , Deitsch Kirk W.
Published: January 2025

The human malaria parasite
Plasmodium falciparum
is known for its ability to maintain lengthy infections that can extend for over a year. This property is derived from the parasite’s capacity to continuously alter the antigens expressed on the surface of the infected red blood cell, thereby avoiding antibody recognition and immune destruction. The primary target of the immune system is an antigen called PfEMP1 that serves as a cell surface receptor and enables infected cells to adhere to the vascular endothelium and thus avoid filtration by the spleen. The parasite’s genome encodes approximately 60 antigenically distinct forms of PfEMP1, each encoded by individual members of the multicopy
var
gene family. This provides the parasite with a repertoire of antigenic types that it systematically cycles through over the course of an infection, thereby maintaining an infection until the repertoire is exhausted. While this model of antigenic variation based on
var
gene switching explains the dynamics of acute infections in individuals with limited anti-malarial immunity, it fails to explain reports of chronic, asymptomatic infections that can last over a decade. Recent field studies have led to a re-evaluation of previous conclusions regarding the prevalence of chronic infections, and the application of new technologies has provided insights into the molecular mechanisms that enable chronic infections and how these processes evolved.
Near-complete genome sequence of a type-A deformed wing virus discovered from
Solenopsis invicta
in Mississippi, USA
Authors: Liu Xiaofen , Miles Godfrey , Zhu Yu-cheng , Grodowitz Michael , Amiri Esmaeil , Scheffler Brian , Chen Jian
Published: January 2025

Deformed wing virus (DWV) can cause a major disease in honeybees worldwide and has been detected in many other arthropods (S. J. Martin and L. E. Brettell, Annu Rev Virol 6:49–69, 2019,
https://www.annualreviews.org/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-virology-092818-015700
). The presence and replication of DWV in
Solenopsis invicta
(red fire ant) were confirmed (G. P. Miles, X. F. Liu, E. Amiri, M. J. Grodowitz, et al., Insects 14:788, 2023,
https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/14/10/788
). Here, we document the DWV-A near-complete genome sequence from
S. invicta
in Mississippi, USA.
Multi-omics investigation of
Porphyromonas gingivalis
exacerbating acute kidney injury through the gut-kidney axis
Authors: Dong Ling , Ji Zhaoxin , Sun Jing , Hu Jiangqi , Jiang Qingsong , Wei Wei
Published: January 2025

Periodontitis is closely related to renal health, but the specific influence of
Porphyromonas gingivalis
(
P. gingivalis
), a key pathogen in periodontitis, on the development of acute kidney injury (AKI) in mice has not been fully elucidated. In our study, AKI was induced in mice through ischemia-reperfusion injury while administering oral infection with
P. gingivalis
. Comprehensive analyses were conducted, including 16S rRNA sequencing, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) metabolomics, and transcriptome sequencing.
In vitro
, the identified metabolite was used to stimulate mouse neutrophils. Subsequently, these modified neutrophils were co-cultured with mouse renal tubular epithelial cells. The results showed that oral infection with
P. gingivalis
significantly exacerbated AKI in mice. 16S rRNA sequencing revealed notable shifts in gut microbiota composition. LC-MS metabolomics analysis identified significant metabolic alterations, particularly the upregulation of 3-indoleacrylic acid in the serum. Transcriptome sequencing showed an increased expression of neutrophilic granule protein (
Ngp
), which was closely associated with 3-indoleacrylic acid, and the presence of
Porphyromonas
. Cellular experiments demonstrated that 3-indoleacrylic acid could activate neutrophils, leading to an elevation in NGP protein levels, a response that was associated with renal epithelial cell injury. Oral infection with
P. gingivalis
exacerbated AKI through the gut-kidney axis, involving gut microbiota dysbiosis, metabolic disturbances, and increased renal expression of
Ngp
.

IMPORTANCE

This study provides novel insights into the relationship between periodontal health and renal function.
Porphyromonas gingivalis
oral infection disrupted the balance of gut microbiota and was an important modifier determining the severity of acute kidney injury. Under the “gut-kidney axis,”
P. gingivalis
might cause an increase in the level of the gut microbial metabolite 3-indoleacrylic acid, interfering with kidney immunity and disrupting the maintenance of kidney epithelium.
Trends in
Mycoplasma pneumoniae
infections in pediatric patient preceding, during, and following the COVID-19 pandemic: a comprehensive longitudinal analysis
Authors: Zhang Jianwei , Wu Ruoya , Mo Liyan , Ding Jinlong , Huang Ke
Published: January 2025

This study investigated the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and its associated restrictive measures on
Mycoplasma pneumoniae
infections in children with acute respiratory tract infection. The study aimed to elucidate the epidemiological characteristics of
M. pneumoniae
infections before and during the pandemic and following the easing of restrictive measures. Pharyngeal secretions were collected from 1,0174 pediatric patients with acute respiratory infection (ARI) who were admitted to Shaoxing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital (Shaoxing, China) between May 2018 and December 2023. The analysis concentrated on
M. pneumoniae
detection rates, epidemiological features, and clinical characteristics. Among 10,174 samples collected from 2018 to 2023, 1,060 strains of
M. pneumoniae
were detected, resulting in an overall positive rate of 10.42% (
n
= 1,060 out of 1,0176). Further breakdown revealed positive rates of 8.25% (
n
= 279 out of 3,381) in phase I (May 2018–December 2019), 2.40% (
n
= 87 out of 3,623) in phase II (January 2020–November 2022), and 21.89% (
n
= 694 out of 3,170) in phase III (December 2022–December 2023). In comparison to phase I, a noteworthy decline in the positive rate of
M. pneumoniae
was found during phase II, followed by a substantial increase during phase III (
P
< 0.05). Furthermore, the positive rate of
M. pneumoniae
exhibited a significantly greater surge during the summer-autumn period in contrast to the winter-spring (
P
< 0.05). Additionally, the risk of
M. pneumoniae
infection in children who aged 7 years surpassed that of the age group of 0–3 years. Throughout the phases preceding, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic, discernible fluctuations in both age distribution and seasonality of
M. pneumoniae
infections were identified among hospitalized children with ARI in the East China.

IMPORTANCE

The resemblance between the transmission pathways of
M. pneumoniae
and those of COVID-19 suggests that non-pharmaceutical interventions may have comparable effects on both. This study aimed to analyze the epidemiological characteristics of children with
M. pneumoniae
infections in Shaoxing, China, from 2018 to 2023. This study explored how the COVID-19 pandemic has influenced the prevalence of
M. pneumoniae
and provided guidance for disease treatment and infection prevention.
Impact of gut microbial diversity on egg production performance in chickens
Authors: Wu Liping , Zhang Tao , Luo Zhihua , Xiao Huiyuan , Wang Di , Wu Cailong , Fang Xinyan , Li Jiawei , Zhou Jing , Miao Junjie , Tan Hongli , Wang Yanan , Liu Qing , Huang Jianhua
Published: January 2025

Chickens are one of the most economically important poultry species, and their egg-laying performance is a crucial economic trait. The intestinal microbiome plays a significant role in the egg-laying performance. To clarify the diversity of chicken intestinal microbiota and its connection to egg-laying performance, this study utilized 16S rRNA sequencing technology to characterize the intestinal microbiomes of 101 chickens from 13 breeds with varying levels of egg production. The results reveal significant differences in gut microbiota structure among chicken groups with varying egg production levels. High egg-producing chickens showed significantly higher abundances of
Firmicutes
,
Proteobacteria
, and
Lactobacillus
, while low egg-producing chickens displayed greater microbial α-diversity and more complex community structures. These differences in gut microbiota influence key physiological functions, including nutrient absorption and hormone regulation through metabolic pathways, and directly affect egg production performance. The low and medium production groups partially overlapped on the principal coordinates analysis plot, whereas the high-production group was distinctly separate. This study provides a scientific basis and intestinal microbiome data for selecting probiotics related to high egg production in chickens.

IMPORTANCE

This study elucidates the critical role of gut microbiota in the egg-laying performance of chickens, a key economic indicator in the poultry industry. By employing 16S rRNA sequencing, we uncovered distinct microbial profiles associated with varying levels of egg production. High egg-producing chickens exhibit a higher abundance of specific bacterial taxa, such as
Firmicutes
and
Proteobacteria
, which are linked to enhanced nutrient absorption and metabolic efficiency. Conversely, lower and medium egg-producing chickens display greater microbial diversity, suggesting a more complex but less efficient gut ecosystem. Our findings provide valuable insights into the relationship between gut microbiota and egg production, offering a scientific foundation for the selection of probiotics that could potentially improve the egg-laying performance of chickens. This research not only advances our understanding of avian gut microbiology but also has practical implications for optimizing poultry farming practices and enhancing economic outcomes.
Characterization of Enterobacterales growing on selective CPE screening plates with a focus on non-carbapenemase-producing strains
Authors: Efrati Epchtien Reut , Temkin Elizabeth , Lurie-Weinberger Mor N. , Kastel Ophir , Keren-Paz Alona , Schwartz David , Carmeli Yehuda
Published: January 2025

Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) are divided into two distinct groups: carbapenemase-producing (CPE) and non-carbapenemase-producing (non-CPE). The population of non-CPE growing on CPE selective plates during routine screening is usually not reported and is not well defined. This study aimed to characterize non-CPE isolates growing on those plates. Isolates were collected from two medical institutions in Israel between May and November 2022. Species identification and antibiotic susceptibility testing were performed using VITEK systems. Further analyses focused on
Klebsiella pneumoniae
and
Escherichia coli
which were the most common isolates. Meropenem MIC was determined by E-test. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to analyze phenotypic similarity, and whole genome sequencing was conducted on a subset of non-CPE isolates. Of 260 isolates growing on selective CPE screening plates, 60.4% were non-CPE. The most common non-CP isolates were
K. pneumoniae
(65.6%) followed by
E. coli
(20.4%). Of the non-CP
K. pneumoniae
and
E. coli
isolates, 78.2% were susceptible to meropenem. All non-CP
K. pneumoniae
and
E. coli
isolates were multidrug-resistant (MDR) and belonged to multiple FTIR clusters. The 21 sequenced non-CPE isolates carried multiple mechanisms of resistance. Isolates had multiple beta-lactamases and all had penicillin-binding protein modifications and porin mutations; in meropenem-resistant
K. pneumoniae
isolates, both Ompk35 and Ompk36 were mutated. The majority of isolates growing on selective CPE screening plates are non-CPE but are MDR. Laboratory reporting of these MDR bacteria might be useful for guiding treatment and prophylaxis when indicated, as well as for infection control.

IMPORTANCE

Selective screening plates for carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) are used to detect CPE carriers for infection control purposes. We characterized non-CPE isolates that grew on selective CPE screening plates, which are intended to filter them out. We found that 60% of isolates that grew on these plates were not CPE. They included both meropenem-susceptible and meropenem-resistant isolates and were multidrug-resistant with multiple resistance mechanisms. These test results, which are usually not reported by laboratories, may be clinically valuable.
Primary myoepithelial carcinoma of the tibia: a close clinicoradiological mimicker of osteosarcoma
Authors: Kantiwal Prabodh , Nemani Sugandhi , Arora Apoorva , Elhence Poonam Abhay
Published: January 2025

Myoepithelial tumours are rare and distinct entities with uncertain histogenesis. They occur primarily in major salivary glands and soft tissue around the head and neck. Bony involvement predominantly occurs in facial bones. Their involvement in long bones is extremely rare. There is no sex predisposition with a wide age range, though they are less common in the elderly. Histologically, they show a wide morphological spectrum and cytological heterogeneity with myxoid stroma and chondroid differentiation, with cells ranging from spindled, epithelioid and plasmacytoid forms, causing significant diagnostic dilemmas. The coexpression of at least one epithelial marker and S-100 or GFAP protein is required for the diagnosis. Here we report a rare case of an early adolescent male with a myoepithelial carcinoma of the left proximal tibia, which is owing to an unusual location. This article has shared our experience, managing this rare medical identity with excellent outcomes.
Induced sterility illuminates the effects of reproduction on growth.
Authors: Farrell Collin James , Johnson Brett M , Hansen Adam G , Avila Brian W , Myrick Christopher A
Published: January 2025

The Reproductive Drain Hypothesis is a long-held and widespread idea that the energetic costs associated with reproduction drive growth deceleration in fish by appropriating energy previously allocated for somatic growth prior to maturity. This theoretical notion remains contentious and has been challenging to test given the difficulty of controlling reproduction in wild populations. In this study, we evaluated the Reproductive Drain Hypothesis by comparing the lifetime growth of sterile (i.e., triploid) walleye (Sander vitreus) with normal, fertile conspecifics co-occurring in the same ecosystem. We found the Lester biphasic growth model, a model developed specifically to incorporate the Reproductive Drain Hypothesis, failed to fit the growth patterns of sterile walleye (model weight = 0.081), and sterile walleyes were not larger than fertile ones. This evidence implies that reproduction may not limit energy available for somatic growth and presents an interesting challenge to this long-held concept. Alternatively, we hypothesize that individuals may increase food intake to meet the elevated energetic demands associated with reproduction, and that inheritance and metabolic theory may explain asymptotic growth in fish better than the Reproductive Drain Hypothesis.
Gamma attenuation and radiation shielding properties of lead silicate glasses containing antimony and alumina oxides
Authors: Alrowaili Z. A. , Alomayrah Norah , Saleh H. H. , Sriwunkum Chahkrit , Alalawi Amani , Al-Buriahi M. S.
Published: January 2025

Lead silicate glasses have been widely used in various applications, including radiation shielding, due to their high density and effective atomic number. However, the addition of certain oxides to the glass composition can significantly enhance their radiation shielding properties. In this study, we investigate the effect of incorporating antimony and alumina oxides on the photon attenuation and shielding properties of lead silicate glasses. It is found that the HVL values of the APSSS1 sample started from 0.00239 cm at photon energy of 0.015 MeV and increased with increasing energy to a maximum value of 4.223 cm at 6 MeV photon energy then decreased to 3.767 cm at energy of 15 MeV. Moreover, the shielding ability of the studied samples are compared with commercial glassy materials. The results of the study showed that the addition of antimony and alumina oxides significantly improved the radiation shielding properties of the lead silicate glasses.
Resonance+: Operationalizing Protective Action Decision Model for Finding Information Useful for Public Information Officers
Authors: Wang Di , Kogan Marina
Published: January 2025

Microblogging platforms have been increasingly used by the public in crisis situations, enabling more participatory crisis communication between the official response channels and the affected community. However, the sheer volume of crisis-related messages on social media can make it challenging for officials to find pertinent information and understand the public’s perception of evolving risks. To address this issue, crisis informatics researchers have proposed a variety of technological solutions, but there has been limited examination of the cognitive and perceptual processes and subsequent responses of the affected population. Yet, this information is critical for the crisis response officials to gauge public’s understanding of the event, their perception of event-related risk, and perception of incident response and recovery efforts, in turn enabling the officials to craft crisis communication messaging more effectively. Taking cues from the Protective Action Decision Model, we conceptualize a metric (resonance+) that prioritizes the cognitive and perceptual processes of the affected population, quantifying shifts in collective attention and information exposure for each tweet. Based on resonance+, we develop a principled, scalable pipeline that recommends content relating to people’s cognitive and perceptual processes. Our results suggest that resonance+ is generalizable across different types of natural hazards. We have also demonstrated its applicability for near-real-time scenarios. According to the feedback from the target users, the local public information officers in emergency management, the messages recommended by our pipeline are useful in their tasks of understanding public perception and finding hopeful narratives, potentially leading to more effective crisis communications.
Pessimistic Cardinality Estimation
Authors: Abo Khamis Mahmoud , Deeds Kyle , Olteanu Dan , Suciu Dan
Published: January 2025

Cardinality Estimation is to estimate the size of the output of a query without computing it, by using only statistics on the input relations. Existing estimators try to return an unbiased estimate of the cardinality: this is notoriously difficult. A new class of estimators have been proposed recently, called pessimistic estimators, which compute a guaranteed upper bound on the query output. Two recent advances have made pessimistic estimators practical. The first is the recent observation that degree sequences of the input relations can be used to compute query upper bounds. The second is a long line of theoretical results that have developed the use of information theoretic inequalities for query upper bounds. This paper is a short overview of pessimistic cardinality estimators, contrasting them with traditional estimators.
Multi-Analyst Differential Privacy with Fine-Grained Provenance for Databases
Authors: He Xi
Published: January 2025

Motivation.
Differential Privacy (DP) [8] has emerged as a promising standard for safeguarding the privacy of data contributors when their information is used in data-driven applications and research. Answering queries using DP has a bounded information disclosure of the data contributors to the data analyst. This information disclosure is quantified by a privacy parameter in DP, also known as the privacy budget. In practice, internal data analysts or applications with a higher privilege level for critical tasks like security alerts might be granted a bigger privacy budget and, hence, more extensive access to sensitive data, than an external application such as third-party advertisements.
Message from the ACM SIGMM Chair
Authors: Del Bimbo Alberto
Published: January 2025

The world is changing rapidly, and technology is driving these changes at an unprecedented pace. In this scenario, multimedia has become ubiquitous, providing new services to users, advanced modalities for information transmission, processing, and management, as well as innovative solutions for digital content understanding and production. The progress of Artificial Intelligence has fueled new opportunities and vitality in the field. New media formats, such as 3D, event data, and other sensory inputs, have become popular. Cutting-edge applications are constantly being developed and introduced.
JPEG Column: 101st JPEG Meeting
Authors: Pinheiro Antonio
Published: January 2025

JPEG Trust reaches Committee Draft stage at the 101st JPEG meeting.

The 101st JPEG meeting was held online, from the 30th of October to the 3rd of November 2023. At this meeting, JPEG Trust became a Committee Draft. In addition, JPEG analyzed the responses to its Calls for Proposals for JPEG DNA.
VQEG Column: VQEG Meeting December 2023
Authors: Gutiérrez Jesús , Brunnström Kjell
Published: January 2025

The last plenary meeting of the Video Quality Experts Group (VQEG) was held online by the University of Konstantz (Germany) in December 18th to 21st, 2023. It offered the possibility to more than 100 registered participants from 19 different countries worldwide to attend the numerous presentations and discussions about topics related to the ongoing projects within VQEG. All the related information, minutes, and files from the meeting are available online in the VQEG meeting website, and video recordings of the meeting are soon available at Youtube.
Enhancing Sulfinpyrazone determination via Electrochemistry: Development of a S-Doped CoFe2O4 Modified Sensor
Authors: Kurundawade Sandeep , Patil Yuvarajgouda N. , Megalamani Manjunath B. , Nandibewoor Sharanappa
Published: January 2025

An electrochemical sensor for the electrochemical determination of Sulfinpyrazone (SFP) was developed based on ferrite, a Sulphur-doped Cobalt Ferrite (S- CoFe2O4), functionalized glassy carbon electrode (GCE). SFP displayed remarkably increased electrochemical activity on the S-CoFe2O4 modified GCE as the modifier enhances the surface area and electrocatalytic activity. Characterization of the electrode modifier was carried out through XRD and SEM-EDS analyses. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and square wave voltammetry (SWV) were utilized to explore SFP analysis. The optimum immersion time for the study was found to be 20 seconds. An enhanced oxidation of SFP was noticed at a pH of 7.4 for the investigation between the potential range of 0 to 1.0 V. The process displayed irreversible and diffusion-controlled nature. Under ideal experimental conditions, the oxidation peak current of SFP showed a direct proportionality to its concentration within the range of 1.0 to 10 µM, with a detection limit of 2.45 nM. This sensor effectively determines the determination of SFP in pharmaceutical products, yielding satisfactory results in terms of recovery, stability, and sensitivity. This approach creates opportunity for exploration in the electrochemical investigation of SFP. These findings suggest that the constructed sensor could be useful in pharmacokinetic studies and quality control labs.
Electrochemical Impedance based Characterization of Membrane Separators
Authors: Gupta Ruchika , Sarkar A. , Suresh Akkihebbal K. , Suthar Bharatkumar
Published: January 2025

Separators used in classical alkaline electrolyzers have to prevent gas crossover while keeping the potential drop due to the separator to a minimum. Impedance measurements are an important way of characterizing resistivity of membrane separators. A variety of hardware has been used in the literature for such characterization. The objective of this study is to compare the relative merits and demerits of different kinds of cell hardware for such measurements. We propose the use of coin cells in membrane characterization. Here, we have compared a conventional conductivity cell with a coin cell and a T-cell, by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy studies on commercial Zirfon® membranes in 0.1 M NaOH electrolyte. In the latter two cases, several configurations of membrane-electrode assembly have been studied in order to establish the reproducibility and reliability of measurements. The coin cell and T–cell hardware are seen to improve the reproducibility and reliability significantly over the conductivity cell for electrochemical characterization of membranes. Pros and cons along with possible sources of error in measurement have been analyzed in each case. The impedance data for Zirfon® in both coin and T-cell setup was observed to be reproducible and internally consistent.
Comparative Single-Cell Transcriptomics of Human Neuroblastoma and Preclinical Models Reveals Conservation of an Adrenergic Cell State
Authors: Embaie Bethel Tesfai , Sarkar Hirak , Alchahin Adele Mirna. , Otte Jörg , Olsen Thale Kristin. , Tümmler Conny , Kameneva Polina , Artemov Artem V. , Akkuratova Natalia , Adameyko Igor , Stukenborg Jan-Bernd , Wickström Malin , Kogner Per , Johnsen John Inge , Mei Shenglin , Kharchenko Peter V. , Baryawno Ninib
Published: January 2025

Transgenic mice and organoid models, such as three-dimensional tumoroid cultures, have emerged as powerful tools for investigating cancer development and targeted therapies. Yet, the extent to which these preclinical models recapitulate the cellular identity of heterogeneous malignancies, like neuroblastoma (NB), remains to be validated. Here, we characterized the transcriptional landscape of TH-MYCN tumors by single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and developed ex vivo tumoroids. Integrated analysis with murine fetal adrenal samples confirmed that both TH-MYCN tumors and tumoroids closely mirror the cellular profiles of normal embryonic sympathoblasts and chromaffin cells. Comprehensive comparison between tumors from NB patients and TH-MYCN mice demonstrated similarities in adrenergic tumor cell composition. Ex vivo tumoroid cultures displayed histological resemblance and shared transcriptional profiles with the originating TH-MYCN tumors and human NB. Importantly, subpopulations within tumoroids exhibited gene expression associated with poor NB patient survival. Notably, recurrent observations of a low-proliferative chromaffin phenotype connected to the highly proliferative sympathetic phenotype suggested that pushing sympathoblasts into a chromaffin-like state may offer an interesting therapeutic strategy for NB. Together, this study not only deepens our understanding of a widely used transgenic mouse NB model but also introduces an ex vivo model that maintains critical adrenergic cell state identity, thereby enhancing its translational potential for NB research.
Evolutionary Pressures Shape Undifferentiated Pleomorphic Sarcoma Development and Radiotherapy Response
Authors: Blomain Erik , Soudi Shaghayegh , Wang Ziwei , Somani Anish , Subramanian Ajay , Nouth Serey C.L. , Oladipo Eniola , New Chistin , Kenney Deborah E. , Nemat-Gorgani Neda , Kindler Thomas , Avedian Raffi S. , Steffner Robert J. , Mohler David G. , Hiniker Susan M. , Chin Alexander L. , Kalbasi Anusha , Binkley Michael S. , Fried Marius , Gaida Matthias M. , van de Rijn Matt , Moding Everett J.
Published: January 2025

Radiotherapy is an integral component in the treatment of many types of cancer, with approximately half of cancer patients receiving radiotherapy. Systemic therapy applies pressure that can select for resistant tumor subpopulations, underscoring the importance of understanding how radiation impacts tumor evolution to improve treatment outcomes. We integrated temporal genomic profiling of 120 spatially distinct tumor regions from 20 patients with undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcomas (UPS), longitudinal circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) analysis, and evolutionary biology computational pipelines to study UPS evolution during tumorigenesis and in response to radiotherapy. Most unirradiated UPS displayed initial linear evolution followed by subsequent branching evolution with distinct mutational processes during early and late development. Metrics of genetic divergence between regions provided evidence of strong selection pressures during UPS development that further increased during radiotherapy. Subclone abundance changed following radiotherapy with subclone contraction tied to alterations in calcium signaling, and inhibiting calcium transporters radiosensitized sarcoma cells. Finally, ctDNA analysis accurately measured subclone abundance and enabled non-invasive monitoring of subclonal changes. These results demonstrate that radiation exerts selective pressures on UPS and suggest that targeting radioresistant subclonal populations could improve outcomes after radiotherapy.