bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Location of constriction in velar sounds in French
Authors: Islam Md Jahurul , Wong Victor , Choi Dayeon , Gick Bryan
Published: July 2024

This study examines the constriction location (CL) of the velar stop [k] in French. While previous studies have investigated how vocalic contexts influence the CL of velar stops [Liker & Gibbon (2008) Clin. Ling. & Phon. 22(2); Tabain (2000) JPhon 28(2)], few investigated high-level changes in CL. Building on our prior work [Islam & Gick (2023) JASA 154], which showed an unexpected palato-velar articulation of [k] followed by [a] compared with [w] followed by [a], we tested whether this [k]-palatalizing is universal or specific to [a]. Using a French MRI speech corpus [Isaieva et al., Scientific Data 8], we measured constriction in [k] before [i], [ɛ], [o], [u], and [a]. MRI video frames were manually traced to mark the upper surface of the tongue and the lower surface of the hard palate, resulting in two contours. Using Euclidean distance, the location of the constriction was identified as the narrowest point and distance, respectively, between the two contours. A Python script that measured Euclidean distance from traced MRI frames calculated these distances from the MRI frames. Results indicate a frontal shift in [k] across all contexts, indicating a general fronting articulation of [k] in French speech.
Dialect effects in hesitations in older children’s spontaneous speech
Authors: Jacewicz Ewa , Cronin Emma , Baumgartner Quinn , Fox Robert A.
Published: July 2024

Natural speech is interspersed with pauses, word repetitions, phrase repairs, and other disfluencies. These hesitations, reflecting speakers’ performance delays including word fillers, self-corrections, and filled or silent pauses are typical traits of spontaneous speech. Acoustic characteristics of hesitations have been studied primarily in adults, providing evidence that at least some hesitation types exhibit speaker-inherent strategies that are language specific. It is unknown whether older children, whose abilities to engage in conversation approach those of adults, utilize hesitations that reflect the adult model prevalent in a given speech community. Here, we examine spontaneous conversations of American English-speaking 8–12 years-old children growing up in the South (Western North Carolina) and in the Midwest (Central Ohio). We seek to determine whether hesitation types in their speech are shaped by features of their regional dialect. Acoustic analyzes include breathing pattern, phrase length, articulation rate, silent and filled pauses, filler vocalizations, and repair strategies. Preliminary findings indicate that dialect does have an effect on the nature and frequency of hesitations. The work is currently ongoing, and the results will be discussed.
Dynamic auditory-acoustic properties differentiate word-final fricatives in Gitksan
Authors: Chow Una Y. , Babel Molly
Published: July 2024

Gitksan is an endangered, understudied Tsimshian language spoken in northwestern British Columbia. This study aims to provide an acoustic-phonetic description of Gitksan fricatives. Isolated words containing word-final fricatives were recorded with three Gitksan first-language speakers (2 male, 1 female; age 65 + ). Postvocalic fricative tokens ([s] = 159, [ɬ] = 123, [ç] = 180, [Xw] = 150, [χ] = 267) were analyzed. Dynamic, spectral measurements of peak frequency in equivalent rectangular bandwidths (peakERB; Reidy, 2016) were estimated from 17 20-ms windows centered at equidistant points between the onset and offset of the fricative. The resulting trajectories (windows 3–15) show that the peakERB decreases as the place of articulation shifts further back in the vocal tract (alveolar [s]∼25–31, palatal [ç]∼20–23, uvular [χ]∼17–19; exception: labiovelar [Xw]∼15–16, likely lowered by labialization). Also, the lateral alveolar [ɬ] shows a lower peakERB (∼22–24) than the central alveolar [s]. A random forest model (Breiman, 2001) was trained on 586 tokens in predicting the fricatives with peakERB measures of the 17 windows. The trained model was tested on 293 tokens; it identified [s] most accurately and [ɬ] least accurately. Additionally, the model's relative-importance ranking of the 17 peakERB predictors suggests that the middle third of the peakERB trajectory is robust in differentiating word-final fricatives in Gitksan.
Phonetics relating stance-taking in tonal languages-examples from Mandarin Interjections
Authors: Siyu Wu
Published: July 2024

Previous studies on phonetics and stance-taking mainly focused on non-tonal languages. In this study, we found that tone variation could affect the perception of stance information. The study includes a production experiment and a perception experiment which is aimed to evaluate the stance polarity and stance strength. When the tone was nearer to its citation form as its duration got longer, the participants were more likely to identify the stance information as positive or negative. This gives us insight that there may be a express-inference process during the perception of stance-taking.
Register shifts in whistling: Investigating the influence on tongue shaping and gender-related variances
Authors: Lancaster Laryssa A. , Choi Dayeon , Cavaco Justine , Lisiecki Chelsea , Islam Jahurul , Gick Bryan
Published: July 2024

The study examines whistling register changes and the influence of tongue shape. In previous work, [Kaburagi et al., 2018] used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), finding the degree and type of restriction made by the tongue directly impacted whistle F0. [Belyk et.al., 2019] found similar results using real-time magnetic resonance imaging (rtMRI), however, did not specifically observe register shifts. This study aimed to validate whistle register shifts and identify their variations among individuals regarding tongue position and gender. We hypothesize that participants with broader whistling ranges will exhibit register shifts based on tongue shape. Measures based on ultrasound imaging of male and female participants recorded while completing whistling exercises will be included in the analysis. This methodology enables tongue movements to be visualized, offering a view of the interplay between whistling registers and tongue configurations. ImageJ analysis results of tongue positions from ultrasound imaging will be presented with relevance to whether individuals produce a shift in their vocal register while whistling, and whether these conclusions depend on gender, as in sung register. Implications will be discussed regarding potential similarities between register changes during whistling and tongue shapes associated with speech.
Auditory-inspired adaptive frequency tracking
Authors: Peddinti Vijay
Published: July 2024

One of the best frequency trackers to date is the human (mammalian) auditory system, which has evolved through millions of years of resolving classification problems. It is a versatile, elegant and powerful sound processing unit. It excels in detecting, estimating, and classifying multiple targets simultaneously even in noisy environments. Hence, mimicking even some features of the auditory system could be beneficial in developing superior frequency tracking and classification algorithms. An auditory inspired adaptive synchrony capture filterbank (SCFB) signal processing architecture for tracking signal frequency components was proposed in a related paper [JASA-2013]. The SCFB architecture consists of a fixed array of traditional, passive linear, gammatone filters in cascade with a bank of three adaptively tunable bandpass filters that form a frequency-discriminator-loop (FDL). The SCFB exhibits many desirable properties for processing speech, music, and other complex sounds. In recent work [Dec2021], the algorithm was modified using adaptive tuning parameters, and a generalized way to determine/suppress voiced and unvoiced (silent) regions. This modified algorithm estimates frequencies with higher accuracy even in the presence of closely spaced input tones. Preliminary analysis with synthetic, human speech and humpback/whale-call signals demonstrates that the revised algorithm performs well. This talk will focus on follow-on work.
Analysis of seamount propagation through the first convergence zone
Authors: Todd Johnathan J. , Hodgkiss William , Brown Daniel C. , Smith Chad M.
Published: July 2024

During the recent Office of Naval Research (ONR) New England Seamounts Acoustics (NESMA) Pilot experiment, continuous measurements were made of underwater acoustic propagation and scattering from close range through the first deep-water acoustic convergence zone (CZ) using a stationary mid-frequency source and the ONR Three Octave Research Array (THORA) at Penn State. The source was positioned at a shallow depth over the plateau of one of the Atlantis II seamounts; the THORA was towed from 1 km range to a maximum of 85 km from the source. High-level goals of this work are to: 1) assess the influence of seamount scattering on mid-frequency transmission loss (TL) within the shadow zone, and 2) characterize how seamount interaction and the CZ is influenced by the shallow sound speed profile (SSP) in this region. The data was beamformed and analyzed using narrowband and broadband techniques, while ray-based and parabolic equation (PE) based models were used to develop an understanding of the influence of the seamount bathymetry, roughness, and the SSP. This talk will discuss a frequency dependent decrease in TL (acoustic enhancement) within the shadow zone due to seamount interaction and the limited influence of the seamount within the first CZ.
Analysis of bubble curtain effectiveness in the coastal Virginia offshore wind turbine installation
Authors: Dies Gavin , Lin Ying-Tsong , Potty Gopu R. , Miller James H. , Case Jade , Amaral Jennifer L. , Khan Anwar A.
Published: July 2024

The Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) consists of two turbines roughly 40 km off the coast of Virginia Beach, Virginia. Water- and seabed-borne acoustic signals from impact pile driving at CVOW were recorded during the installation of these turbines in May 2020. In-water pressure signals were measured using two vertical line arrays (VLAs) at ranges of 3 km and 7.5 km. The water depth at the wind turbines and both VLAs was about 26 m. During installation, one of the piles utilized a double bubble curtain during construction while the other pile did not. Bubble curtains are used to reduce the acoustic impacts of pile driving by creating a barrier of bubbles around the source. We found that the bubble curtains were most effective at longer ranges and at frequencies above 200 Hz. Normal modes are an efficient representation of the acoustic field in this relatively range-independent shallow water environment. The amplitudes of acoustic modes at several frequencies were used to analyze the effectiveness of bubble curtains. Energy propagating in the seabed was also measured by an array of geophones and was found to be unattenuated by the bubble screens.
Absolute temperature estimation using thermal strain imaging
Authors: Gachouch Omar , Giammarinaro Bruno , Kangot Teymour , Monini Caterina , Souchon Rémi
Published: July 2024

The objective of this study is to present a new thermometry method, based on thermal strain imaging, to estimate the absolute temperature using ultrasound. Unlike the conventional method presented in previous studies, this method does not require knowledge of the initial temperature or of speed of sound. The method was tested in simulations and experimentally. Simulations were performed at different temperatures (from 20 to 90 °C), using k-wave. Then, experimental measurements were performed in Zerdine phantom samples at different temperature (from 23 to 88 °C). A linear array transducer, with a 12-angle plane wave imaging sequence, was used to acquire the thermal strain images and to derive the temperature at the focus. To control the temperature during the measurements, a thermocouple was used. Both simulations and experiments showed a good estimation of the temperatures. The new ultrasound-based method is a promising technique to estimate and monitor temperature during thermal ablation.
A pipeline to generate large-scale, realistic cardiac ultrasound recordings including clinically relevant artefacts
Authors: Burman Nitin , Heymans Sophie V. , Manetti Claudia , Lumens Joost , D'hooge Jan
Published: July 2024

Simulated ultrasound (US) data are widely used to develop and validate (machine learning-based) US data processing algorithms. In this regard, the quantity and quality of the simulated US data are crucial. Here, we have developed an US simulation pipeline to generate realistic cardiac US recordings on a large scale. In this pipeline, we used clinical cardiac US scans to sample the echogenicity of the US scattering sites. In parallel, a non-linear US simulator, k-wave, was employed to generate clinical artifacts due to the presence of ribs and lungs, including reverberation and shadowing. The position of the ventricle, the probe, and the simulated artifact data were then spatially registered in order to modify the originally sampled echogenicities. Motion of the myocardial scattering sites was kinematically governed by a stable mechanical heart model (CircAdapt). The resulting dynamic echogenicity map was fed into a fast convolution-based ultrasound simulator (COLE) to generate cardiac US recordings with clinical appearance including artefacts. The generated US data follow realistic speckle statistics and is a potential augmentation tool for machine learning based US data processing algorithms. [Work funded by European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 860745.]
Tendon as a model for testing the efficacy of histotripsy for chronic deep vein thrombosis
Authors: Zhao Kevin , Saucedo Erik , Bader Kenneth B.
Published: July 2024

Histotripsy is a focused ultrasound therapy under development for multiple diseases, including deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Benchtop studies to gauge the efficacy of histotripsy for chronic DVT present a challenge due to pathologic changes in composition that are difficult to replicate in vitro. Tendon is a readily available tissue with an extensive extracellular matrix similar to chronic DVT. This study aims to assess histotripsy-induced changes to tendon at driving parameters effective for acute thrombus ablation. Porcine patellar tendons were bisected into control (N = 19) and treatment (N = 21) segments. Histotripsy pulses were applied for 1 to 20 min at rates of 250 or 500 Hz. The pulse duration (6.7 μs) and peak negative pressure (35 MPa) were previously shown to be effective for acute thrombus ablation. Treated specimens exhibited gross swelling in targeted regions. Manual segmentation of ultrasound images was used to estimate the area of tissue affected by histotripsy, which was found to expand by up to 30% over the exposure durations for both pulsing rates. Histological analysis revealed loss of linear fiber organization and liquefaction within treated regions. Overall, these data indicate histotripsy effectively disrupts tendon integrity, making it a potential tool for the management of chronic DVT.
Mapping acoustic characteristics of emotional prosody in Mandarin disyllabic words: A machine-learning approach
Authors: Wang Xuyi , Ding Hongwei , Zhang Yang
Published: July 2024

This study conducted an acoustic-prosodic mapping analysis of emotional prosody in Mandarin Chinese. It utilized a validated audiometry corpus with 450 disyllabic words. The spoken words covered five basic emotions produced by a female speaker: angry, sad, happy, fearful, and neutral. A machine-learning approach was adopted to map key acoustic-prosodic features for Mandarin emotional vocalization. The results revealed distinctive acoustic profiles for each emotion, highlighting variations in fundamental frequency, intensity, speaking rate, and voice quality. Emotional utterances consistently exhibited higher mean F0 values than neutral expressions. Fear displayed the highest crest in F0. Angry and happy utterances showed greater vocal intensity and a faster speaking rate compared to fearful and sad expressions. While anger was associated with a creaky voice quality, sadness corresponded with a breathier voice quality. The current findings are limited with the use of the single-speaker corpus. Ongoing efforts aim to expand the corpus with more speakers to test the generalizability and scalability of the analysis approach for subsequent investigations.
Collecting non-native English speech through a web-and mobile-based application
Authors: Kostek Bozena
Published: July 2024

The motivation behind this study is to collect non-native English speech recordings seamlessly. Even though numerous corpora containing non-native English speakers exist, there are not so many resources of Polish speakers uttering sentences in English. That is why a web-based application is built to record L2 English speakers. The same application is also developed in the mobile form as it provides easy access to the software created and, at the same time, built-in microphones ensure sufficient quality of recordings. A set of sentences is prepared, including four main types, i.e., declarative, imperative, interrogative, and exclamatory. Recordings are saved in WAV audio format. Local data are first saved in the memory of the device on which the application is installed, and then, the user may listen to the recordings and then send them to the server using FTP (File Transfer Protocol). The user interface allows for English language level selection, by choosing one of the four possible options, i.e., basic, intermediate, advanced, and fluent. A group of volunteers provided speech samples, resulting in the collection of utterances from more than 600 speakers, available in the created corpus. Future development envisions adding additional modules that will allow for speech signal analyses.
Automatic detection and labeling of glides for the English and Spanish language
Authors: Morfin Edgar , Choi Jeung-Yoon , Shattuck-Hufnagel Stefanie
Published: July 2024

This study outlines the development of a module for automatic detection of glide landmarks. We define glide landmarks as acoustic events that are observed during a narrowing in the oral cavity that does not result in cessation of airflow or in the conditions for turbulence noise. Glide landmarks are commonly associated with standard productions of underlying glides, a set that includes semivowels, liquids, and sounds produced by narrowing at the glottis, such as glottal stops, or the aspirant /h/. We lay out a framework that can be used to determine the acoustic measurements that are useful for detecting glide landmarks, and a Gausian Mixture Model is trained and tested, for automatic detection. A first investigation is carried out for /r/ production in English and Spanish. A closer look reveals that acoustic cues that describe abrupt onsets and offsets is useful for describing the trilled /r/ in Spanish, resulting in the need for an additional set of glide landmark cues for glide closure and glide release.
Analysis of physiological measures around conversational state changes
Authors: Masters Benjamin , Aliakbary Hosseinabadi Susan , Wendt Dorothea , MacDonald Ewen
Published: July 2024

The goal of this work is to extend the use of physiological measures of listening effort to interactive conversation. The initial work here investigates variations in head movement, eye gaze, and pupil dilation around conversational state changes during task-based conversations. Here, conversational state changes are defined as the points in time at which speakers start and stop talking. Windows around each of these types of state changes are analyzed for systematic differences of these parameters, which could be indicative of changes in attention and/or differences in speech production versus perception. Additionally, we calculate state change response functions, derived from a multivariate regression that maps from the state changes to the measured parameters and extracted features. The predictive power of these functions is explored, alongside comparisons of various considerations in their derivations. Our findings, based on data collected from 12 sets of interactive conversations taking place in varying levels of noise and simulated hearing loss, offer insight into how physiological responses during complex interactions can be measured and interpreted to infer when and where effort is directed throughout conversation.
Comparing face-tracking action units with electromyography during speech
Authors: Nozadi Hastiossadat , Irwin Emma , Cheung Jamie , Liu Yadong , Gick Bryan
Published: July 2024

Video face-tracking software, such as OpenFace 2.0, can be used to make inferences about facial muscle activation [Baltrušaitis et al. IEEE 13, 59–66 (2018)]. However, the accuracy of these inferences based on the facial action units (FAUs) calculated by OpenFace 2.0 compared to corresponding muscle activity during speech is unclear. A previous study investigated muscle activation when both smile and speech occur simultaneously, focusing on the zygomaticus major (ZM) muscle [Liu et al. ISSP, 130–133 (2021)], but only presented data for a single speaker and did not compare FAU and EMG results. The present study compares OpenFace 2.0 action units with surface electromyography (EMG) data during speech in order to assess the validity of these inferences about facial muscle activation. We compare ZM activity and the lip corner puller FAU intensity results from a dataset collected for the previously mentioned [Liu et al. 2021] study. Data include four speakers producing read speech in smile conditions; 2 s will be extracted from EMG and FAU data before and after each utterance. Results will be reported on the relative accuracy of the FAU and EMG data. Implications will be discussed for speech communication research. [Work supported by NSERC.]
Principal dimensions of laryngeal vocal control in a computational model of voice production
Authors: Zhang Zhaoyan
Published: July 2024

Voice production is constrained by laryngeal physiology and physics. Such constraints may present themselves as principal dimensions that are shared among speakers in how they produce and perceive voice. In this study, we attempt to identify such principal dimensions in voice outcome measures and the underlying laryngeal control mechanisms in a three-dimensional computational model of voice production. A large-scale voice simulation was performed with parametric variations in vocal fold geometry, stiffness, glottal gap, and subglottal pressure. Principal component analysis was applied to data combining both the laryngeal control parameters and acoustic and aerodynamic voice outcome measures. The results showed two dominant dimensions of vocal control. The first dimension describes interaction between respiration and vocal fold adduction in a way that increases glottal flow amplitude and vocal intensity at the cost of decreasing high-frequency harmonic production. The second dimension mainly describes control of medial surface thickness and glottal closure, which allows simultaneous increase in vocal intensity and high-frequency harmonic production but also increases risk of vocal fold injury. A third dimension with a reduced weight describes control of the fundamental frequency. The importance of these principal control dimensions to vocal expression of emotion and vocal health is discussed.
Voice analysis for intoxication detection in laboratory versus law enforcement contexts
Authors: Shamei Arian , Liu Xinglei , Seiilova Rima , Gick Bryan
Published: July 2024

There is substantial interest in deploying voice biomarkers for the detection of alcohol intoxication, yet it remains unknown how other mental and physical states (e.g. emotion, stress) influence voice biomarkers in intoxicated speech. We compared measurements of voice quality (jitter, shimmer, noise-harmonics ratio) across two datasets of alcohol-intoxicated speech: (1) The alcohol language corpus, which contains laboratory elicited speech from 167 individuals in both sober and intoxicated conditions and (2) a custom dataset of police (control, n = 14) and suspect (intoxicated, n = 32) interactions during traffic stops where intoxication was verified via breath analysis. Measurements were extracted from all stressed vowel tokens and compared across conditions using two-sample t-tests within sex-specific groupings of each dataset. For both males and females, jitter was significantly lower during intoxication as measured from laboratory-elicited speech, but significantly higher for intoxicated individuals when measured from police–suspect interactions. These results suggest that voice biomarkers for alcohol-intoxication are easily confounded by other emotional and physical states (e.g., stress during police interaction), and thus, present a particular challenge for speaker-independent detection systems where baseline voice quality measurements across different emotional states are unknown. [Research funded by Tenvos Incorporated for the development of commercial speaker state-detection algorithms.]
Evaluating the directivity of compact underwater acoustic recording devices
Authors: Taylor Robert T. , Ballard Megan , Cushing Colby W. , Wilson Preston S. , Lee Kevin M. , McNeese Andrew R. , Acuna Luis , Bonnel Julien
Published: July 2024

Commercially available underwater acoustic recorders have become commonplace tools in ocean-acoustics research, due to their ease of deployment, compact size, and relatively low cost. The size of these systems typically results in a configuration with the hydrophone in close proximity to the electronics housing, flotation devices, and other equipment that can degrade the generally assumed omnidirectional response of the hydrophone. The mid-frequency acoustic regime (0.5–10 kHz) is particularly affected due to the similarity between the length-scales of these structures and the corresponding acoustic wavelengths. Calibration measurements made at an open-water test facility with a calibrated source/receiver pair characterized the frequency-dependent receiver directivity for three underwater recording devices with different housings and hydrophones: the PVC air-filled Loggerhead Snap, PVC oil-filled SoundTrap ST300, and titanium air-filled SoundTrap ST600. Furthermore, directivity measurements of a TOSSIT mooring [Zitterbart et al., HardwareX (2022)] were taken with the SoundTrap ST300 and SoundTrap ST600. Results suggest the frequency-dependent acoustic directivity of the recorders should not be neglected. In particular, the Loggerhead Snap had variations in receive level of over 20 dB as a function of receiver orientation angle and frequency, introducing a bias that obscures spectral levels of the in situ environment.
Optimizing hydrophone-preamplifier systems: Theoretical design, computational analysis, and experimental validation for towed array applications
Authors: Schinault Matthew E. , Radermacher Max , Segel Jesse , Ratilal Purnima
Published: July 2024

Hydrophone response parameters greatly influence the design of pre-amplifier and analog to digital conversion (ADC) components. Here, we show a comprehensive methodology for the modeling of hydrophone response, focusing on the theoretical, computational, and experimental approach for low and high frequency SONAR applications. Theoretical calculation of hydrophone response based on electromechanical properties is compared with Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and experimental measurement. An electrical equivalent hydrophone simulator Butterworth-Van Dyke (BVD) circuit is constructed based on admittance and susceptance measurements to represent the transducer's electrical behavior for testing pre-amplifier and ADC response without the presence of environmental or hydrophone noise. This model facilitates a systematic approach to towed array front-end design with hardware in the loop to update models to improve performance prediction. Measurements of the constructed transducer system validate the theoretical and computational models, providing insights into real-world performance.
Economical routes to size-specific assembly of self-closing structures
Authors: Videbæk Thomas E. , Hayakawa Daichi , Grason Gregory M. , Hagan Michael F. , Fraden Seth , Rogers W. Benjamin
Published: July 2024

Programmable self-assembly has seen an explosion in the diversity of synthetic crystalline materials, but developing strategies that target “self-limiting” assemblies has remained a challenge. Among these, self-closing structures, in which the local curvature defines the finite global size, are prone to polymorphism due to thermal bending fluctuations, a problem that worsens with increasing target size. Here, we show that assembly complexity can be used to eliminate this source of polymorphism in the assembly of tubules. Using many distinct components, we prune the local density of off-target geometries, increasing the selectivity of the tubule width and helicity to nearly 100%. We further show that by reducing the design constraints to target either the pitch or the width alone, fewer components are needed to reach complete selectivity. Combining experiments with theory, we reveal an economical limit, which determines the minimum number of components required to create arbitrary assembly sizes with full selectivity.
A nose for tau
Authors: Meftah Soraya , Durrant Claire S. , Spires-Jones Tara L.
Published: July 2024

Nasal delivery of an oligomeric tau antibody loaded into micelles reduces pathology and ameliorates cognition in a mouse model of tauopathy.
mSphere of Influence: Metabolic redundancies enhance pathogenesis
Authors: Lehman McKenzie K.
Published: July 2024

McKenzie Lehman works in the field of bacterial pathogenesis and metabolism. In this mSphere of Influence article, she reflects on how three papers entitled “Glycolytic dependency of high-level nitric oxide resistance and virulence in
Staphylococcus aureus”
by N. P. Vitko, N. A. Spahich, and A. R. Richardson (mBio 6:e00045-15, 2015,
https://doi.org/10.1128/mbio.00045-15
), “The
Staphylococcus aureus
cystine transporters TcyABC and TcyP facilitate nutrient sulfur acquisition during infection” by J. M. Lensmire, J. P. Dodson, B. Y. Hsueh, M. R. Wischer, et al. (Infect Immun 88:e00690-19, 2020,
https://doi.org/10.1128/iai.00690-19
), and “The second messenger c-di-AMP inhibits the osmolyte uptake system OpuC in
Staphylococcus aureus
” by C. F. Schuster, L. E. Bellows, T. Tosi, I. Campeotto, et al. (Sci Signal 16:ra81, 2016,
https://doi.org/10.1126/scisignal.aaf7279
) impacted her work on bacterial metabolism and pathogenesis.
Decreased susceptibility to viscosin in
Streptococcus pneumoniae
Authors: Winther Anja Ruud , Salehian Zhian , Bøe Cathrine Arnason , Nesdal Malene , Håvarstein Leiv Sigve , Kjos Morten , Straume Daniel
Published: July 2024

Growing numbers of infections caused by antibiotic-resistant
Streptococcus pneumoniae
strains are a major concern for healthcare systems that will require new antibiotics for treatment as well as preventative measures that reduce the number of infections. Lipopeptides are antimicrobial molecules, of which some are used as antibiotics, including the last resort antibiotics daptomycin and polymyxins. Here we have studied the antimicrobial effect of the cyclic lipopeptide viscosin on
S. pneumoniae
growth and morphology. Most lipopeptides function as surfactants that create pores in membrane layers, which is regarded as their main antimicrobial activity. We show that viscosin can inhibit growth of
S. pneumoniae
without disintegration of the cytoplasmic membrane. Instead, the cells developed abnormal shapes and misplaced new division sites. The cell wall of these bacteria appeared less dense in electron microscopy images, suggesting that viscosin interfered with normal cell wall synthesis. Corroborating this observation, a luciferase reporter assay was used to show that the two-component systems LiaFSR and CiaRH, which are known to be activated upon cell wall stress, were strongly induced by viscosin. Furthermore, a mutant displaying 1.8-fold decreased susceptibility to viscosin was generated by sequential exposure to increasing concentrations of the lipopeptide. The mutant suffered from significant fitness loss and had mutations in genes involved in fatty acid synthesis, teichoic acid synthesis, and cell wall synthesis as well as transcription and translation. How these mutations might be linked to decreased viscosin susceptibility is discussed.

IMPORTANCE

Streptococcus pneumoniae
is a leading cause of bacterial pneumonia, sepsis, and meningitis in children, and the incidence of infections caused by antibiotic-resistant strains is increasing. Development of new antibiotics is therefore necessary to treat these types of infections in the future. Here, we have studied the activity of the antimicrobial lipopeptide viscosin on
S. pneumoniae
and show that in addition to having the typical membrane destabilizing activity of lipopeptides, viscosin inhibits pneumococcal growth by obstructing normal cell wall synthesis. This suggests a more specific mode of action than just the surfactant activity. Furthermore, we show that
S. pneumoniae
does not easily acquire resistance to viscosin, which makes it a promising molecule to explore further, for example, by synthesizing less toxic derivates that can be tested for therapeutic potential.
Synchrony between Dipole and Quadrupole During Magnetic Field Reversals and Excursions
Authors: Reshetnyak M. Yu.
Published: July 2024

Abstract—In contrast to reversals, geomagnetic field excursions can occur at lower convection intensity in the Earth’s core. Since in such geodynamo regimes the magnetic field behavior is still quasi regular, a reduction in the dipole field during excursion may indicate a global failure in the dynamo process. As a consequence, it is possible that during the excursion, not only the dipole component, but also higher harmonics of the field decrease. This hypothesis is tested in a 3D (3D) dynamo model.
Development of the DONOR prediction model on the risk of hypertensive complications in oocyte donation pregnancy: study protocol for a multicentre cohort study in the Netherlands
Authors: Lafeber Géraldine C M , Van der Endt Vera H W , Louwers Yvonne , le Cessie Saskia , van der Hoorn Marie-Louise P , Lashley Eileen E L O
Published: July 2024

Introduction

Oocyte donation (OD) pregnancy is accompanied by a high incidence of hypertensive complications, with serious consequences for mother and child. Optimal care management, involving early recognition, optimisation of suitable treatment options and possibly eventually also prevention, is in high demand. Prediction of patient-specific risk factors for hypertensive complications in OD can provide the basis for this. The current project aims to establish the first prediction model on the risk of hypertensive complications in OD pregnancy.

Methods and analysis

The present study is conducted within the DONation of Oocytes in Reproduction project. For this multicentre cohort study, at least 541 OD pregnancies will be recruited. Baseline characteristics and obstetric data will be collected. Additionally, one sample of maternal peripheral blood and umbilical cord blood after delivery or a saliva sample from the child will be obtained, in order to determine the number of fetal–maternal human leucocyte antigen mismatches. Following data collection, a multivariate logistic regression model will be developed for the binary outcome hypertensive complication ‘yes’ and ‘no’. The Prediction model Risk Of Bias ASsessment Tool will be used as guide to minimise the risk of bias. The study will be reported in line with the ‘Transparent Reporting of a multivariable prediction model for Individual Prognosis Or Diagnosis’ guideline. Discrimination and calibration will be determined to assess model performance. Internal validation will be performed using the bootstrapping method. External validation will be performed with the ‘DONation of Oocytes in Reproduction individual participant data’ dataset.

Ethics and dissemination

This study is approved by the Medical Ethics Committee LDD (Leiden, Den Haag, Delft), with protocol number P16.048 and general assessment registration (ABR) number NL56308.058.16. Further results will be shared through peer-reviewed journals and international conferences.
Health professionals implicit bias of patients with low socioeconomic status (SES) and its effects on clinical decision-making: a scoping review
Authors: Job Claire , Adenipekun Bami , Cleves Anne , Gill Paul , Samuriwo Ray
Published: July 2024

Objectives

Research indicates that people with lower socioeconomic status (SES) receive inferior healthcare and experience poorer health outcomes compared with those with higher SES, in part due to health professional (HP) bias. We conducted a scoping review of the impact of HP bias about SES on clinical decision-making and its effect on the care of adults with lower SES.

Design

JBI scoping review methods were used to perform a systematic comprehensive search for literature. The scoping review protocol has been published inBMJ Open.

Data sources

Medline, Embase, ASSIA, Scopus and CINAHL were searched, from the first available start date of the individual database to March 2023. Two independent reviewers filtered and screened papers.

Eligibility criteria

Studies of all designs were included in this review to provide a comprehensive map of the existing evidence of the impact of HP bias of SES on clinical decision-making and its effect on the care for people with lower SES.

Data extraction and synthesis

Data were gathered using an adapted JBI data extraction tool for systematic scoping reviews.

Results

Sixty-seven papers were included from 1975 to 2023. 35 (73%) of the included primary research studies reported an association between HP SES bias and decision-making. Thirteen (27%) of the included primary research studies did not find an association between HP SES bias and decision-making. Stereotyping and bias can adversely affect decision-making when the HP is fatigued or has a high cognitive load. There is evidence of intersectionality which can have a powerful cumulative effect on HP assessment and subsequent decision-making. HP implicit bias may be mitigated through the assertiveness of the patient with low SES.

Conclusion

HP decision-making is at times influenced by non-medical factors for people of low SES, and assumptions are made based on implicit bias and stereotyping, which compound or exacerbate health inequalities. Research that focuses on decision-making when the HP has a high cognitive load, would help the health community to better understand this potential influence.
Efficacy of MRI-guided rTMS for post-traumatic stress disorder by modulating amygdala activity: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Zhang Yaochi , Peng Zhengwu , Tang Nailong , Zhang Yuyu , Liu Nian , Lv Runxin , Meng Yumeng , Cai Min , Wang Huaning
Published: July 2024

Introduction

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a prevalent and severe psychiatric disorder. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) targeting the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex provides limited relief for symptoms of PTSD. This study will be conducted to validate the efficacy of MRI-guided rTMS in targeting the sites most closely associated with the amygdala for patients with PTSD. We hypothesise that the intervention will improve clinical symptoms by decreasing amygdala activity in patients.

Methods and analysis

A randomised, double-blind, sham-controlled trial will be conducted. Forty-eight eligible patients with PTSD will be randomly assigned to receive either active or sham MRI-guided rTMS for 10 consecutive days after the initial MRI scans. MRI scans will be recollected at the end of the intervention. Clinical assessments will be performed at baseline, treatment day 5, treatment day 10, and 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 8 weeks after completion of the intervention to monitor changes in clinical symptoms. The primary assessment outcome is the change in PTSD symptoms between baseline and treatment day 10, as measured by the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5. Repeated measures analysis of variance will be performed using statistical software SPSS V.26.0. The significance level will be set at 0.05.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical approval has been obtained from the Ethics Committee of Xijing Hospital in Xi'an, China (KY20222176-X-1), and the trial has been registered on ClinicalTrials.gov. The findings of this trial will be disseminated at academic conferences or published in peer-reviewed scientific journals.

Trial registration number

NCT05544110.
Twenty-year trajectories of morbidity in individuals with and without osteoarthritis
Authors: Dell'Isola Andrea , Recenti Filippo , Englund Martin , Kiadaliri Ali
Published: July 2024

Objectives

To identify multimorbidity trajectories over 20 years among incident osteoarthritis (OA) individuals and OA-free matched references.

Methods

Cohort study using prospectively collected healthcare data from the Skåne region, Sweden (~1.4 million residents). We extracted diagnoses for OA and 67 common chronic conditions. We included individuals aged 40+ years on 31 December 2007, with incident OA between 2008 and 2009. We selected references without OA, matched on birth year, sex, and year of death or moving outside the region. We employed group-based trajectory modelling to capture morbidity count trajectories from 1998 to 2019. Individuals without any comorbidity were included as a reference group but were not included in the model.

Results

We identified 9846 OA cases (mean age: 65.9 (SD 11.7), female: 58%) and 9846 matched references. Among both cases and references, 1296 individuals did not develop chronic conditions (no-chronic-condition class). We identified four classes. At the study outset, all classes exhibited a low average number of chronic conditions (≤1). Class 1 had the slowest progression towards multimorbidity, which increased progressively in each class. Class 1 had the lowest count of chronic conditions at the end of the follow-up (mean: 2.9 (SD 1.7)), while class 4 had the highest (9.6 (2.6)). The presence of OA was associated with a 1.29 (1.12, 1.48) adjusted relative risk of belonging to class 1 up to 2.45 (2.12, 2.83) for class 4.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that individuals with OA face an almost threefold higher risk of developing severe multimorbidity.
Effect of 3-year amendment measures on coastal saline–alkali soil conditions during the growing season
Authors: Jia Zhaohui , Zhu Lingjun , Shi Yuxuan , Liu Jing , Zeng Jingyi , Ma Shilin , Li Chong , Wu Yingkang , Leng Huimei , Liu Xin , Zhang Jinchi
Published: July 2024

Seawater intrusion and fluctuations in the water table in coastal areas lead to seasonal variations in soil salinity and pH, which greatly limit the development of coastal protection forests. In a 3-year field study, the impact of five soil amendment measures were evaluated on soil conditions in coastal areas. Amendments included biochar, biochar with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), straw with AMF, straw alone, and AMF alone, compared to a control (CK) with no additive. Results indicated that combinations of straw, biochar, and AMF reduced soil pH across various layers and seasons, with electrical conductivity mainly decreasing in spring. During the summer, at the 0–20 cm soil depth, microbial biomass carbon notably increased due to these mixtures. Additionally, AMF alone and biochar with AMF significantly improved enzyme activities in the 0–40 cm layer in spring, while in fall, AMF alone notably increased nutrient availability in the same layer. Linear regression analysis revealed a negative correlation between electrical conductivity, microbial biomass carbon, enzyme activity, and nutrient availability with pH. The biochar–AMF mixture emerged as the most effective soil amendment, suggesting that using it in conjunction with seasonal management could optimize soil health and promote silviculture in coastal regions.
Contrary to phylogenetic predictions, crown coloration of the Eared Dove is not regulated by sex hormones
Authors: López Leila M. , Quaglia Agustín I. , Benitez-Vieyra Santiago M. , Cantarelli Verónica I. , Ponzio Marina F. , Valdez Diego J.
Published: July 2024

The mechanisms regulating plumage coloration appear to be phylogenetically conserved in avian species: the plesiomorphic character state is estrogen-dependent regulation, while testosterone, luteinizing hormone, and non-hormonal control are derived states. Limited data exist on the underlying regulatory processes of sexual dichromatism in the Eared Dove ( Zenaida auriculata (Des Murs, 1847)). Since the Columbiformes order is close to basal branches, we hypothesized that estrogen and testosterone play a central role in the regulation of crown plumage coloration in the Eared Dove. To test this, we subjected adult males to a forced molt accompanied by an exogenous increase of estradiol and testosterone to determine whether the presence of these hormones during molting modified the spectrophotometric characteristics of the plumage. No significant differences were found between treatments and controls in the colorimetric variables hue, ultraviolet saturation, and brightness. Similarly, the avian visual model showed no perceptible changes in chromatic and achromatic signals in the individual male adults. We also analyzed the effects of estrogen and testosterone on the growth speed of the new feathers. The hormone-treated groups increased in the speed of molting compared to the control group. These results suggest that the Eared Dove is an exception to basal branch models: rather than regulating coloration, sex hormones speed up the growth of the new feathers.
Three-dimensional path planning and collision-free flight control for drone-assisted autonomous pollination systems
Authors: Rice Chapel R. , Gan Hao , Wang Zhenbo
Published: July 2024

In this paper, the authors’ previous work regarding a conceptual drone-assisted autonomous pollination system (APS) is extended with regards to path planning and flight control. The APS Path Planning module is extended to optimize the path for missions requiring three-dimensional (3D) path planning, such as the pollination of almond trees. A new method of simplifying the 3D path planning problem by selecting cells or groups of flowers to visit is shown in this paper. This method is numerically demonstrated based on a simulated almond tree. The Flight Control module is extended to incorporate drag into a novel convex-optimization-based flight controller and a new method of collision avoidance called control sequence stitching (CSS). A linear drag model is integrated into the flight control formulation, which is validated through a simulated test flight. The concept of CSS is developed and explained as a method to generate seamless flight trajectories, while still reaping the benefits of convex optimization. This method can be used to generate collision-free trajectories and control commands rapidly for potential real-world APS missions.
Random uptake of nanoparticles by cells and negative binomial distributions of pits
Authors: Sholokhov Vladimir , Alexandrov Dmitri V. , Makoveeva Eugenya V. , Nikishina Margarita A. , Shur Vladimir Y. , Shishkina Ekaterina V. , Sutunkova Marina P. , Minigalieva Ilzira A. , Ryabova Yulia V. , Privalova Larisa I. , Fedotov Sergei
Published: July 2024

This paper focuses on a key experimental observation concerning the random internalization of nanoparticles by cells: the occurrence of over-dispersion in nanoparticle uptake which can be characterized by a negative binomial distribution. We compare the well-known distribution with the empirical distribution of pits on the surface of an alveolar macrophage. We find that a negative binomial distribution provides the accurate curve-fit model for the observed pit distribution.