bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spectrophotometric variegation of the layering in comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko as seen by OSIRIS
Authors: Tognon G. , Ferrari S. , Penasa L. , La Forgia F. , Massironi M. , Naletto G. , Lazzarin M. , Cambianica P. , Lucchetti A. , Pajola M. , Ferri F. , Güttler C. , Davidsson B. , Deshapriya P. , Fornasier S. , Mottola S. , Tóth I. , Sierks H. , Lamy P. L. , Rodrigo R. , Koschny D. , Barbieri C. , Barucci M. A. , Bertaux J.-L. , Bertini I. , Bodewits D. , Cremonese G. , Da Deppo V. , Debei S. , De Cecco M. , Deller J. , Franceschi M. , Frattin E. , Fulle M. , Gutiérrez P. J. , Ip W.-H. , Keller H. U. , Lara L. M. , López-Moreno J. J. , Marzari F. , Petropoulou V. , Shi X. , Tubiana C.
Published: April 2019

Context.Between August 2014 and September 2016, the ESA space mission Rosetta escorted comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (67P) during its perihelion passage. The onboard OSIRIS Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) acquired high-resolution multispectral images of the cometary surface. These datasets allowed a characterization of the spectrophotometric variegation of the layering of the large lobe, correlated with the layer structural elevation.

Aims.We perform a spectrophotometric characterization of the outcropping stratification of the small lobe of 67P as a function of its structural elevation, and consequently, a spectrophotometric comparison of the layered outcrops of the two lobes.

Methods.We selected two sequences of post-perihelion OSIRIS NAC images (~2.4 au outbound tothe Sun), from which we built up two multispectral images, framing an extended geological section of the onion-like stratification of the small lobe. Then we classified the consolidated areas of the outcropping and the relative coarse deposits that were identified in the multispectral data with a two-class maximum likelihood method. For this, we defined the classes as a function of the structural elevation of the surface.

Results.As a result, we identified a brightness variegation of the surface reflectance that is correlated with the structural elevation. The outer class, which is located at higher elevations, appears darker than the inner class. This fits previously obtained results for the large lobe. The reflectance values of the nucleus of 67P tend to decrease with increasing structural elevation.

Conclusions.The observed spectrophotometric variegation can be due to a different texture as well as to a different content of volatiles and refractories. We suggest that the outer outcrops appear darker because they have been exposed longer, and the inner outcrops appear brighter because the surface has been more effectively rejuvenated. We interpret this variegation as the result of an evolutionary process.
Model development to enhance the solvent extraction of rice bran oil
Authors: Mas’ud Fajriyati , Fajar  , Bangngalino Herman , Indriati Sri , Todingbua Abigael , Suhardi  , Sayuti Muhammad
Published: April 2019

Rice bran oil (RBO) extraction with ethanol using maceration method accompanied by stirring has been optimized using response surface methodology (RSM) based on central composite design (CCD). Experiments were conducted to investigate the influence of extraction time, ethanol concentration, and ethanol volume on the oil yield, γ-oryzanol, and vitamin E of RBO as the response. The experiment consisted of twenty units including six replicates of the center points. The data were analyzed using Design-Expert 10 software to develop and evaluate models and to plot the response curve as 3D surfaces. The result showed that the maximum of the oil yield, γ-oryzanol, and vitamin E of RBO was achieved under the optimum conditions of x1 = 5.30 h, x2 = 89.21% and x3 = 686.66 mL (50 g rice bran), respectively. Maximum of the response under these conditions was 14.47%, 783.65 mg.L−1, and 127.01 mg.L−1, respectively. This study has resulted in the development of a model for RBO extraction using ethanol as solvent, it is feasible to be applied to the RBO industry with an efficient process, as well as an implementation of the “green” solvent concept.
Der öffentliche Gesundheitsdienst: Mitten in der Gesellschaft
Authors: Teichert Ute , Müller Karin , Schäfer Michael , Herr Caroline
Published: April 2019

„Der Öffentliche Gesundheitsdienst: Mitten in der Gesellschaft“, so lautet das Motto des 69. Wissenschaftlichen Kongresses der Bundesverbände der Ärztinnen und Ärzte sowie Zahnärzte des Öffentlichen Gesundheitsdienstes in Zusammenarbeit mit der Gesellschaft für Hygiene, Umweltmedizin und Präventivmedizin, der vom 4.–6. April 2019 in Kassel stattfindet.
Experiment investigation of the effects of hydrogen content on the combustion instability of methane/hydrogen lean premixed swirl flames under different acoustic frequency ranges
Authors: Wang Mingxiao , Zhong Yingjie , Deng Kai
Published: April 2019

Experimental study on combustion instability of lean premixed swirl flame was conducted for methane-hydrogen mixtures, and the influence mechanism of hydrogen content (0%, 10%, 20%, and 40%) on the combustion instability under different acoustic frequencies (110–240 Hz) was investigated. A forced acoustic field created by a loud speaker was to simulate the complex and variable acoustic environment of unstable combustion. The flame transfer function was used to characterize the combustion instability. The morphologies of the flame, the evolution of vortex in the flame flow field, intensity of OH* chemiluminescence of flame front structure, and the degree of local thermo-acoustic oscillation of flame were also investigated to facilitate this study. The results show that the increase in hydrogen content weakens the combustion instability of lean premixed swirl flame in the acoustic frequency ranges of 170–240 Hz, while the combustion instability is enhanced for the acoustic frequency ranges of 110–160 Hz. The main reason for this phenomenon is the increase in the hydrogen content changes development of the vortex in the flame flow field, the evolution of the flame surface and the intensity of OH* chemiluminescence of flame front structure. This study provides an important reference for mastering the mechanism of the combustion instability of mixed gas flames and for developing technologies to inhibit combustion instability.
Evaluating the potential financial contributions of carbon farming to grazing enterprises in Western NSW
Authors: Cockfield Geoff , Shrestha Uttam , Waters Cathy
Published: April 2019

This article reports on modelling of the farm-level financial implications of changing land use from rangelands grazing to ‘carbon farming’ (vegetation-based carbon sequestration) in north-western New South Wales, Australia. Four model farm businesses were created by combining information from existing carbon projects funded under the Australian Government’s Emissions Reduction Fund (ERF), data from surveys of farm businesses in the study regions and biomass estimations from the pasture growth model, GRASP. Scenarios for each of the businesses were: baseline (current grazing system); clearing vegetation to increase carrying capacity; establishing a carbon project; and establishing a carbon project and reinvesting some of the additional income in exclusion fencing to increase carrying capacity on non-project areas. The carbon project scenarios were based on either of two approved carbon sequestration methodologies within the ERF: avoided deforestation; and human-induced regeneration. In comparing the financial outcomes of these scenarios across the modelled businesses, we found potential advantages for landholders in having projects where livestock carrying capacity was at medium to low levels for the study region and where woody vegetation biomass potential was medium to high for the region. The case for sequestration projects on land with higher carrying capacity and therefore higher opportunity cost was much less compelling. In most cases, reinvestment in exclusion fencing resulted in similar financial returns to just having a carbon project but farm business income increased in later years.
Complete biosynthetic pathways of ascofuranone and ascochlorin in
Acremonium egyptiacum
Authors: Araki Yasuko , Awakawa Takayoshi , Matsuzaki Motomichi , Cho Rihe , Matsuda Yudai , Hoshino Shotaro , Shinohara Yasutomo , Yamamoto Masaichi , Kido Yasutoshi , Inaoka Daniel Ken , Nagamune Kisaburo , Ito Kotaro , Abe Ikuro , Kita Kiyoshi
Published: April 2019

Ascofuranone (AF) and ascochlorin (AC) are meroterpenoids produced by various filamentous fungi, including
Acremonium egyptiacum
(synonym:
Acremonium sclerotigenum
), and exhibit diverse physiological activities. In particular, AF is a promising drug candidate against African trypanosomiasis and a potential anticancer lead compound. These compounds are supposedly biosynthesized through farnesylation of orsellinic acid, but the details have not been established. In this study, we present all of the reactions and responsible genes for AF and AC biosyntheses in
A. egyptiacum
, identified by heterologous expression, in vitro reconstruction, and gene deletion experiments with the aid of a genome-wide differential expression analysis. Both pathways share the common precursor, ilicicolin A epoxide, which is processed by the membrane-bound terpene cyclase (TPC) AscF in AC biosynthesis. AF biosynthesis branches from the precursor by hydroxylation at C-16 by the P450 monooxygenase AscH, followed by cyclization by a membrane-bound TPC AscI. All genes required for AC biosynthesis (
ascABCDEFG
) and a transcriptional factor (
ascR
) form a functional gene cluster, whereas those involved in the late steps of AF biosynthesis (
ascHIJ
) are present in another distantly located cluster. AF is therefore a rare example of fungal secondary metabolites requiring multilocus biosynthetic clusters, which are likely to be controlled by the single regulator, AscR. Finally, we achieved the selective production of AF in
A. egyptiacum
by genetically blocking the AC biosynthetic pathway; further manipulation of the strain will lead to the cost-effective mass production required for the clinical use of AF.
News through a social media filter
Authors: Welbers Kasper , Opgenhaffen Michaël
Published: April 2019

Social media have become important news sources, prompting news organizations to create social media accounts to publish news. This requires a medium-based translation, in which social media editors must remediate news – selecting and possibly re-interpreting content – to accommodate a different audience and format. In this study we investigate this remediation for the issue of immigration, comparing the news coverage of immigration on the website and Facebook page of various newspapers using a novel method, which combines qualitative interpretation with computational text analysis. As a result, we can study the news coverage of immigration of five newspapers over two years, and substantiate our observations with quantitative, empirical results. Our findings show that while the overall portrayal of immigration is largely similar, there are some differences that could prove to be important and require further elaboration.
Lexical aspects of comprehensibility and nativeness from the perspective of native-speaking English raters
Authors: Appel Randy , Trofimovich Pavel , Saito Kazuya , Isaacs Talia , Webb Stuart
Published: April 2019

This study analyzed the contribution of lexical factors to native-speaking raters’ assessments of comprehensibility and nativeness in second language (L2) speech. Using transcribed samples to reduce non-lexical sources of bias, 10 naïve L1 English raters evaluated speech samples from 97 L2 English learners across two tasks (picture description and TOEFL integrated). Subsequently, the 194 transcripts were analyzed through statistical software (e.g., Coh-metrix, VocabProfile) for 29 variables spanning various lexical dimensions. For the picture description task, separation in lexical correlates of the two constructs was found, with distinct lexical measures tied to comprehensibility and nativeness. In the TOEFL integrated task, comprehensibility and nativeness were largely indistinguishable, with identical sets of lexical variables, covering dimensions of diversity and range. Findings are discussed in relation to the acquisition, assessment, and teaching of lexical properties in L2 speech.
Parsing, pragmatics, and representation
Authors: de Villiers Jill G. , Kotfila Jessica , Klein Madeline
Published: April 2019

How do young children comprehend wh-questions from two-clause sentences? Is it via parsing heuristics like first resort, or different grammars, or the question-under-discussion? Fifty preschool children and twenty-three adults gave answers to nine adjunct wh-questions from sentences with false complements. The effects of verb and wh-question were tested on the type of answer children give: short distance, long distance, and reality answers, which link the wh only to the embedded verb. Neither children nor adults preferred to fill the first gap, but adults and children differed in the likelihood of a reality answer. This answer type was linked to children’s language skill assessed by another index. The disparities in various theoretical positions and research findings are then discussed. Differences in the form of the sentences used across the laboratories point to a new explanation for the disparity between the different results.
Differentiating universal quantification from completive aspect in child Cantonese
Authors: Lei Margaret Ka-yan , Lee Thomas Hun-Tak
Published: April 2019

The present study examines Cantonese-speaking preschool children’s sensitivity to the distinction between universal quantification (marked by the quantifier verb suffix saai3 ‘all’) and completive aspect (marked by the aspectual verb jyun4 ‘finish’). Using the Truth Value Judgment task and the Picture Selection task, we tested 97 children and 105 adults in a between-subject design on either jyun4-sentences or the corresponding saai3-sentences, paired with a completion (“post-state”) reading and a non-completion (“in-state”) reading. Our findings demonstrate that children systematically distinguish universal quantification from completive aspect, though an incorrect aspectual reading is sometimes assigned to the quantifier affix.
Red train, big train, broken train
Authors: Weicker Merle , Schulz Petra
Published: April 2019

This paper investigates the role of formal semantic properties in the acquisition of adjectives. Based on these semantic properties we propose an implicational Semantic Feature Hierarchy, which postulates that the order of emergence is determined by the adjectives’ semantic complexity. To test this hierarchy a high density corpus of spontaneous speech (age 2;00–2;11 years) was analyzed regarding the adjectives’ entailment and gradability properties. The data are in line with our hypothesis that the emergence of adjective classes is based on formal semantic criteria. Moreover, our data analyses show that semantic complexity is not mirrored in type frequency. Regarding the syntactic distribution of adjectives in child language we found that as soon as adjectives and nouns are combined, attributive structures are preferred over predicative structures.
Argument omission in SignL2 acquisition by deaf learners
Authors: Koulidobrova Elena V.
Published: April 2019

We examine subject omission in American Sign Language (ASL) as a second sign language (SignL2) by deaf and hard-of-hearing users of Emirati Sign Language (EmiratiSL) with variable ages of exposure to SignL1. Results indicate that during a narrative, similarly to unimodal speech bilinguals, SignL2 learners of low ASL proficiency oversupply overt subject arguments – both NPs and pronouns (IX). In this, SignL2 learners behave differently from other ASL bilinguals described in the literature. We interpret the findings as offering support to the line of research arguing that certain atypicalities in multilingual production are best explained as resulting from the interaction between linguistic and general cognitive control mechanisms – i.e. that bilinguals oversupply arguments due to processing reasons. This phenomenon is modality independent.
The Bottleneck Hypothesis updated
Authors: Slabakova Roumyana
Published: April 2019

The Bottleneck Hypothesis identifies parts of the grammar that are easier or more difficult to acquire in a second language. It argues that the functional morphology is the bottleneck in L2 acquisition because it bundles a variety of semantic, syntactic and phonological features that affect the meaning and acceptability of the whole sentence. In this chapter, the BH is updated after a decade since its proposal. Current views of Universal Grammar and parametric variation are outlined. Implications of those current views for adult L2A are spelled out. New evidence for the BH is reviewed from the L2A of semantics, morphophonology and syntax. Additional factors that complicate acquisition of the functional morphology are discussed and a pyramid of L2A difficulty is proposed.
From caused-motion to spatial configuration
Authors: Liu Meichun , Chang Juiching
Published: April 2019

This study re-examines Mandarin Placement verbs from a lexical-constructional perspective and redefines the class with semantic-to-syntactic properties pertaining to lexicalization patterns in Mandarin. It aims to show that Placement verbs lexicalize a cognitively salient causal chain that extends from an agentive motion to locational change and to resultant spatial configuration. The event chain serves as the conceptual basis for linking motion-triggered events and states that are syntactically distinct in profiling the three contingent stages: caused to move → caused to be → spatially grounded. Although English Placement verbs (put, hang, etc.) are typically taken to be exemplars of the caused-motion construction, this study shows that Placement verbs may be distinguished syntactically and semantically from pure Caused-Motion verbs and posture-based Spatial Configuration verbs. While the three classes of verbs may be viewed as demonstrating respectively the individuated stages of the proposed event chain, Placement verbs are the only class that encompasses all three event types in their meanings and are associated with a wide range of semantically compatible constructions. The three stages are discussed with graphical representations and collocational distinctions. Further sub-classifications of the Mandarin Placement verbs are provided with different semantic profiles for each subclass. Crucial to the analysis is the fact that location-profiled uses of Placement verbs outnumber path-profiled uses in Mandarin, indicating a categorical shift from motional to locational predication. By teasing out the language-specific and class-specific lexicalization patterns that are collo-constructionally definable, the study demonstrates the usefulness of a lexical-constructional approach in fine-tuning verbal semantic distinctions for cross-linguistic and cross-categorial comparisons.
Causality, comitativity, contrastivity, and selfhood
Authors: Tsai Wei-Tien Dylan
Published: April 2019

When people talk about reflexives, they often think of two arguments in an anaphoric or coargumental relationship. This paper sets out to show that reflexive adverbials also participate in such kind of relationship, but with a far greater range of interpretative possibilities closely associated with their syntactic distributions. The syntax-semantics correspondence strictly observes an inner-outer dichotomy of adverbials observed across languages, i.e., inner Self expresses comitativity, whereas outer Self express causality. Our finding thus lends a substantial support to the cartographic approach advocated by Rizzi (1997) and Cinque (1999). It is also argued that this behavior can be accommodated by a general theory of reflexivity along the line of Reinhart & Reuland (1993), given that a contrastive focus is introduced in accordance with the phase edges (Chomsky 2000, 2001). The “selfhood” can then be understood in a new light, not only in terms of the general theory of syntax-semantics mapping, but also in terms of the “topography” of adverbials, which is by and large determined by their morphological makeups in particular languages.
System repairing strategy at interface
Authors: Pan Victor Junnan
Published: April 2019

Wh-words in Chinese are ambiguous in specific contexts. In actual conversational situations, when speakers put different combinations of stress with intonation on sentences, the relevant wh-words are no longer ambiguous. The encoded prosodic forms can be analyzed as phonological features in the feature bundles associated with a given lexical item in the Lexical Array. Since these prosodic features have semantic effects on the output of the computational system at the Conceptual-Intentional interface, they satisfy Legibility conditions and therefore, they do not violate the Inclusiveness condition. Prosodic marking is only activated as a last resort in cases where semantic ambiguity arises, which can be viewed as a system repairing strategy at interfaces in the sense of Reinhart (2006).
The acquisition of nominal structure, word order and referentiality in Chinese
Authors: Lee Thomas Hun-Tak , Wu Zhuang
Published: April 2019

The mapping between nominal structure, word order and referentiality in Mandarin Chinese is examined from an acquisition perspective. Two aspects of the syntax-semantics interface are investigated based on early naturalistic data and experiments with preschool children: the Subject Specificity Constraint, which prohibits non-specific individual-denoting numeral phrases in subject position, and the referential difference between two types of noun phrases containing a modifier: inner modifier nominals (IMN) and outer modifier nominals (OWN) . Our findings reveal adult-like distribution of nominal types and an early sensitivity to the Subject Specificity Constraint. Given the poverty of the stimulus, the semantic difference between the two types of modified nominals, reflected in interactions with stress and focus, appears to be a late acquired interface property in child grammar.
Usage based language change and exemplar representations in Beijing Mandarin Chinese
Authors: Tao Liang
Published: April 2019

This study offers support to usage-based studies to promote the importance of everyday language use in language development and grammaticalization. Specifically, the study presents a new construction in Beijing Mandarin Chinese that currently co-occurs with its original form, both in spoken language and written texts. The change is another instance of phono-syntactic conspiracy (Tao 2002, 2006, 2009). It starts from phonological reduction and ends in a syntactic change of a highly frequently used rhetorical question 不是…吗: ‘Isn’t it the case that….’ However, the process differs from previous findings (Bybee 2010) in that the grammaticalization process involves usage frequency as well as cognitive, cultural and social factors. The findings further support the view that language and grammar are fostered and conditioned through human communication.
Some interactional functions of Yinwei-clauses in Mandarin Chinese conversation
Authors: Li Xiaoting , Luo Jie
Published: April 2019

Yinwei ‘because’ is a causal conjunction or preposition indicating a causal relation between two clauses, NPs and other discourse units in Mandarin Chinese. Building on the previous research, this study examines how yinwei is used by conversational participants to organize talk and accomplish interactional tasks in Mandarin conversation. Adopting the methodologies of conversation analysis and interactional linguistics, this study examines 11 hours of everyday Mandarin conversational data, and explores the interactional functions of yinwei-clauses. An examination of the data shows that yinwei-clauses have a variety of interactional functions in everyday Mandarin conversation. Two particular interactional functions of yinwei-clauses are accounts for a speaker’s prior action such as disagreement and strong assertion, and parentheticals providing background information related to the ongoing talk.
Genericity and sentences with an AP state complement in Mandarin Chinese
Authors: Ren Fei
Published: April 2019

This study investigates the semantic and pragmatic constraints on the generic/episodic interpretation of Chinese sentences containing a state complement (SC) realized by an adjectival phrase (AP). It argues that the generic interpretation of such sentences is a result of the interaction of the semantics of the verb or verb phrase before 得 de (V/VP-得), the AP complement after 得 de, and pragmatic knowledge. A sentence with an AP state complement will be interpreted as generic when the V/VP-得 in the sentence expresses repeatable or sum events, and when it is determined, given one’s pragmatic knowledge and the semantics of the AP complement, that the property or state expressed by the AP can apply to a relevant event or individual in all events expressed by V/VP-得 in general.
The classification of Chinese time expressions from Systemic Functional Linguistics Perspectives
Authors: Tsung Linda , Zhang Lubei
Published: April 2019

Time expressions are one of the fundamental concepts of human cognition and communication and thus have been the major concern in many linguistics, applied and developmental psycholinguistic studies (e.g. Klein & Li 2009; Li & Bowerman 1998; Shirai, Slobin, & Weist 1998). A study of time expressions in Modern Chinese (Mandarin) was conducted to explore the common patterns, system networks and realizations from a Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) perspective. The results indicated that (1) time expressions can be classified as extent or location; definite or indefinite, (2) within extent a distinction can be made between duration and frequency; within location there are subcategories of Absolute and Relative; of Rest and Motion (3) the forms used to realize these time elements of time are nominal groups, adverbs and pre-verbal phrases, though not all subcategories of temporal elements are realized by all these forms.
Being a Kam in China
Authors: Wang Wei , Jiang Lisong , He Meishu
Published: April 2019

In light of the growing interest in investigating the ethnic minority Kam people in China, this paper offers a sociolinguistic analysis to explore how Kam people’s identity is represented and negotiated in spoken narratives with outside researchers. Drawing on sociolinguistic approaches to identity analysis (Bucholtz and Hall 2005; De Fina et al. 2006; Blommaert 2005) and membership categorisation analysis (Sacks 1972a & b, 1992; Baker 2004; Fitzgerald and Housley 2015), this paper explores the relationships between Kam people’s sense of membership in their ethnic community and social practices that define this sense of membership. It focuses on the self-representation of a former Kam village head in a remote village in Southern China, Guizhou Province, and explores his way of conceptualizing being a Kam with a view to examining the relationship between his representation of the ethnic identity and the sociocultural impacts on this identity construction process.
Specialised corpora for Chinese language education in Singapore
Authors: Goh Hock Huan , Lin Jinzhan , Zhao Chunsheng
Published: April 2019

Corpus linguistics is crucial to language education, but many corpora do not pay enough attention to curriculum and pedagogical needs. To address this issue and in view of Singapore’s unique language environment, the Singapore Centre for Chinese Language built two specialised corpora for Chinese language education in Singapore, which comprise a Written Corpus and a Spoken Corpus. The Written Corpus provides information on Chinese characters, vocabulary words and sentence structures used in written materials daily; while the Spoken Corpus provides guidelines for attainable spoken proficiency of primary school students at different academic levels. With these corpora, curriculum developers can design syllabi with greater precision on the language content and address the learning gap for Chinese language proficiency. As for teachers, an online resource platform developed based on the Written Corpus provides them with authentic materials and practical applications (such as the text grading module) as reliable tools and resources for lesson preparation and learning assessment.
Interpreters caught up in an ideological tug-of-war?
Authors: Gu Chonglong
Published: April 2019

The interpreter-mediated Premier-Meets-the-Press Conferences are an institutional(ized) discursive event in China,
permitting the Chinese premier to answer a range of potentially challenging and face-threatening questions from journalists.
Arguably, this dynamic and interactive setting can be profitably conceptualized using Bakhtin’s notion of dialogized
heteroglossia. As additional subjective actors in the triadic communication process, the government-affiliated interpreters are
caught up in an ideological tug-of-war between the government and (foreign) journalists. That is, there is often a centripetal
force pulling toward Beijing’s official positions and stances (the central, unitary and authoritative) and simultaneously a
centrifugal force exerted by (foreign) journalists who pose sensitive and adversarial questions (toward the heteroglossic and
peripheral away from the center). Manual CDA on 20 years’ corpus data illustrates the interpreters’ tendency to align with the
government’s official positions, soften the journalists’ questions and (re)construct a more desirable image for Beijing.
Performance of cochlear implant patients while using bimodal stimulation and FM system
Authors: Maksoud Nassar Adel Abdel , Hamdy Elkabarity Rasha , Taha Abdel Rahman Tayseer , Abdullah Mohammed Rasha
Published: April 2019

Objectives:

To study the effectiveness of bimodal stimulation coupled to FM system on the speech discrimination in noise, temporal discrimination and temporal resolution in patients with unilateral cochlear implant.

Method:

A total number of 28 subjects were examined in this study, they were divided into group I (19 subjects) with pre-lingual hearing loss and group II (9 subjects) with post-lingual hearing loss. Both groups had a residual hearing in the non-implanted ear that permits benefit from amplification. Full history taking, Questionnaire, Aided warble tone response, Arabic monosyllabic word test in quiet and in presence of background noise, Pitch discrimination test, Pitch pattern sequence test and Auditory fusion test-subtest 3.

Results:

There is significant statistical difference in CI patients' performance in most of tests while using bimodal stimulation with FM system coupled to CI than with bimodal stimulation alone or CI alone condition.

Conclusions:

It is recommended to use hearing aid in non-implanted ear in order to improve speech discrimination in noise, temporal discrimination and temporal resolution abilities.
Fresnel’s equations in statics and quasistatics
Authors: Skaar Johannes
Published: April 2019

Fresnel’s equations describe the reflection and transmission of electromagnetic waves at an interface between two media. It turns out that these equations can be used in quasistatics and even statics, for example to straightforwardly calculate magnetic forces between a permanent magnet and a bulk medium. This leads to a generalization of the classical image method.
Outcomes From a Sequential Multiple Assignment Randomized Trial of Weight Loss Strategies for African American Adolescents With Obesity
Authors: Naar Sylvie , Ellis Deborah , Idalski Carcone April , Jacques-Tiura Angela J , Cunningham Phillippe , Templin Thomas , Hartlieb Kathryn Brogan , Jen K-L Cathy
Published: April 2019

Background

Minority adolescents are at highest risk for obesity and extreme obesity; yet, there are few clinical trials targeting African American adolescents with obesity.

Purpose

The purpose of the study was to develop an adaptive family-based behavioral obesity treatment for African American adolescents using a sequential multiple assignment randomized trial (SMART) design.

Methods

Fit Families was a SMART where 181 African American adolescents (67% female) aged 12–17 were first randomized to office-based versus home-based behavioral skills treatment delivered from a Motivational Interviewing foundation. After 3 months, nonresponders to first phase treatment were rerandomized to continued home-based behavioral skills treatment or contingency management with voucher-based reinforcement for adolescent weight loss and for caregiver adherence to the program. All interventions were delivered by community health workers. The primary outcome was treatment retention and percent overweight.

Results

All adolescents reduced percent overweight by −3.20%; there were no significant differences in percent overweight based on treatment sequence. Adolescents receiving home-based delivery in Phase 1 and contingency management in Phase 2 completed significantly more sessions than those receiving office-based treatment and continued skills without CM (M = 8.03, SD = 3.24 and M = 6.62, SD = 2.95, respectively). The effect of contingency management was strongest among older and those with lower baseline confidence. Younger adolescents experienced greater weight reductions when receiving continued skills (−4.90% compared with −.02%).

Conclusions

Behavioral skills training can be successfully delivered to African American adolescents with obesity and their caregivers by community health workers when using a home-based service model with incentives. More potent interventions are needed to increase reductions in percent overweight and may need to be developmentally tailored for younger and older adolescents.
Detection of fecal bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes in drinking water collected from three First Nations communities in Manitoba, Canada
Authors: Mi Ruidong , Patidar Rakesh , Farenhorst Annemieke , Cai Zhangbin , Sepehri Shadi , Khafipour Ehsan , Kumar Ayush
Published: April 2019

This study analyzed the microbiological quality of drinking and source water from three First Nations communities in Manitoba, Canada that vary with respect to the source, storage and distribution of drinking water. Community A relies on an aquifer and Community B on a lake as source water to their water treatment plants. Community C does not have a water treatment plant and uses well water. Quantification of free residual chlorine and fecal bacterial (E. coli and coliforms), as well as detection of antibiotic resistance genes (sul, ampC, tet(A), mecA, vanA, blaSHV, blaTEM, blaCTX-M, blaOXA-1, blaCYM-2, blaKPC, blaOXA-48, blaNDM, blaVIM, blaGES and blaIMP) was carried out. While water treatment plants were found to be working properly, as post-treatment water did not contain E. coli or coliforms, once water entered the distribution system, a decline in the chlorine concentration with a concomitant increase in bacterial counts was observed. In particular, water samples from cisterns not only contained high number of E. coli and coliforms, but were also found to contain antibiotic resistance genes. This work shows that proper maintenance of the distribution and storage systems in First Nations communities is essential in order to provide access to clean and safe drinking water.
The rpf/DSF signalling system of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia positively regulates biofilm formation, production of virulence-associated factors and β-lactamase induction
Authors: Alcaraz Eliana , García Carlos , Friedman Laura , de Rossi Beatriz Passerini
Published: April 2019

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is a multidrug-resistant opportunistic pathogen. S. maltophilia quorum-sensing system is mediated by the diffusible signal factor (DSF), which synthesis depends on rpfF. It has been reported that rpfF disruption in S. maltophilia K279a leads to a loss of DSF synthesis, reduced levels of extracellular protease, swarming motility and virulence in the Galleria mellonella model. The aim of this work was to attain a deeper knowledge of the role of the rpf/DSF signalling system in S. maltophilia biofilm formation, phenotypic traits associated with biofilm development and virulence and antimicrobial susceptibility. To this end, comparative studies were conducted on S. maltophilia K279a and K279arpfF. The results presented here put in evidence the positive role of DSF in bacterial growth, biofilm formation, swimming and twitching motilities, DNAse, lipases and siderophores production as well as resistance to oxidative stress. Interestingly, DSF seems to be essential for the development of the spatially organised structure seen in mature biofilms. Therefore, DSF from S. maltophlia K279a positively regulates biofilm formation and virulence. Furthermore, DSF is necessary for the induction of L1 and L2 β-lactamase production in K279a. This is the first evidence of the role of the rpf/DSF signalling system in S. maltophilia β-lactam resistance.
Aspergillus niger citrate exporter revealed by comparison of two alternative citrate producing conditions
Authors: Odoni Dorett I , Vazquez-Vilar Marta , van Gaal Merlijn P , Schonewille Tom , Martins dos Santos Vitor A P , Tamayo-Ramos Juan Antonio , Suarez-Diez Maria , Schaap Peter J
Published: April 2019

Currently, there is no consensus regarding the mechanism underlying Aspergillus niger citrate biosynthesis and secretion. We hypothesise that depending on the experimental setup, extracellular citrate accumulation can have fundamentally different underlying transcriptomic landscapes. We show that varying the amount and type of supplement of an arginine auxotrophic A. niger strain results in transcriptional down-regulation of citrate metabolising enzymes in the condition in which more citrate is accumulated extracellularly. This contrasts with the transcriptional adaptations when increased citrate production is triggered by iron limitation. By combining gene expression data obtained from these two very distinct experimental setups with hidden Markov models and transporter homology approaches, we were able to compile a shortlist of the most likely citrate transporter candidates. Two candidates (An17g01710 and An09g06720m.01) were heterologously expressed in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and one of the resultant mutants showed the ability to secrete citrate. Our findings provide steps in untangling the complex interplay of different mechanisms underlying A. niger citrate accumulation, and we demonstrate how a comparative transcriptomics approach complemented with further bioinformatics analyses can be used to pinpoint a fungal citrate exporter.
Foreword and Introduction to This Issue on Contemporary Safety Topics in Animal Research
Authors: Bradfield John , Meyer Esmeralda , Norton John N
Published: April 2019

Institutions with animal care and use programs are obligated to provide for the health and well-being of the animals, but are equally obligated to provide for safety of individuals associated with the program. The topics in this issue of the ILAR Journal, in association with those within the complimentary issue of the Journal of Applied Biosafety, provide a variety of contemporary occupational health and safety considerations in today’s animal research programs. Each article addresses key or emerging occupational health and safety topics in institutional animal care and use programs, where the status of the topic, contemporary challenges, and future directions are provided.
Envisioning health equity for American Indian/Alaska Natives: a unique HIT opportunity
Authors: Cullen Theresa , Flowers Jan , Sequist Thomas D , Hays Howard , Biondich Paul , Laing Maia Z
Published: April 2019

The Indian Health Service provides care to remote and under-resourced communities in the United States. American Indian/Alaska Native patients have some of the highest morbidity and mortality among any ethnic group in the United States. Starting in the 1980s, the IHS implemented the Resource and Patient Management System health information technology (HIT) platform to improve efficiency and quality to address these disparities. The IHS is currently assessing the Resource and Patient Management System to ensure that changing health information needs are met. HIT assessments have traditionally focused on cost, reimbursement opportunities, infrastructure, required or desired functionality, and the ability to meet provider needs. Little information exists on frameworks that assess HIT legacy systems to determine solutions for an integrated rural healthcare system whose end goal is health equity. This search for a next-generation HIT solution for a historically underserved population presents a unique opportunity to envision and redefine HIT that supports health equity as its core mission.
Spatial Patterns and Sequential Sampling Plans for Estimating Densities of Stink Bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) in Soybean in the North Central Region of the United States
Authors: Pezzini Daniela T , DiFonzo Christina D , Finke Deborah L , Hunt Thomas E , Knodel Janet J , Krupke Christian H , McCornack Brian , Michel Andrew P , Moon Roger D , Philips Christopher R , Varenhorst Adam J , Wright Robert J , Koch Robert L
Published: April 2019

Stink bugs are an emerging threat to soybean (Fabales: Fabaceae) in the North Central Region of the United States. Consequently, region-specific scouting recommendations for stink bugs are needed. The aim of this study was to characterize the spatial pattern and to develop sampling plans to estimate stink bug population density in soybean fields. In 2016 and 2017, 125 fields distributed across nine states were sampled using sweep nets. Regression analyses were used to determine the effects of stink bug species [Chinavia hilaris (Say) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) and Euschistus spp. (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae)], life stages (nymphs and adults), and field locations (edge and interior) on spatial pattern as represented by variance–mean relationships. Results showed that stink bugs were aggregated. Sequential sampling plans were developed for each combination of species, life stage, and location and for all the data combined. Results for required sample size showed that an average of 40–42 sample units (sets of 25 sweeps) would be necessary to achieve a precision of 0.25 for stink bug densities commonly encountered across the region. However, based on the observed geographic gradient of stink bug densities, more practical sample sizes (5–10 sample units) may be sufficient in states in the southeastern part of the region, whereas impractical sample sizes (>100 sample units) may be required in the northwestern part of the region. Our findings provide research-based sampling recommendations for estimating densities of these emerging pests in soybean.
Superficial Ballistic Trauma and Subjective Pain Experienced during Force-on-Force Training and the Observed Recovery Pattern
Authors: Biggs Adam , Doubrava Matthew
Published: April 2019

Introduction

Military training involves preparing individuals for combat, yet applying the stressors of combat while maintaining a safe training environment is exceedingly difficult. One method to induce significant anxiety while still maintaining reasonable safety has been to utilize simulated ammunition. These rounds enable force-on-force training with reasonable stress and firing accuracy while also readily allowing participants to realize they have been shot. As such, these rounds have significant value when performing force-on-force training. However, although in widespread use, there has not been a documented medical effort assessing the subjective pain experienced by individuals after being struck by one of these rounds, nor a visual record tracking recovery. The current investigation presents pilot data collected from an existing training course to provide an assessment of superficial ballistic trauma inflicted by simulated ammunition.

Materials and Methods

Participants completed one-on-one duels as part of their intended course curriculum. These individuals used 9 mm pistols firing marking cartridges while wearing only prescribed protection equipment, leaving the chest, arms, and hands minimally covered by typical clothing. Participants engaged in the duels as overseen by the instructors and without guidance or interference by the experiment team. After an individual completed these drills, researchers then asked questions about subjective pain experience while also documenting the recovery via photographs.

Results

Results indicated that simulated ammunition only inflicted a mild amount of subjective pain, which reduced to zero even upon palpation after only a few days. Subjective pain for the chest was rated slightly higher than any other region. The visual record documented that most contusions were reduced to minor bruising, largely dissipating as quickly as the pain.

Conclusions

Participants were able to safely conduct force-on-force training with simulated ammunition by following the manufacturer recommended safety standards. Participants did rate a statistically significant level of subjective pain, although this mild pain serves as a necessary factor to create the stressful environment of simulating combat conditions. It is possible that the subjective pain was rated higher for the chest due to the increased number of total rounds striking the chest, or the more direct impact of the rounds upon this tissue. The differences in subjective pain and recovery between impact regions of the body are likely due to the specific force-on-force drill conducted as a part of this training. Additional research will be necessary to support or dispute this latter speculation.
Defining Normal Balance for Army Aviators
Authors: Karch Stephanie J , Lawson Benton D , Milam Lana S
Published: April 2019

Introduction

One challenge clinicians face is determining when a military Service Member (SM) can return to duty after an injury that affects the postural control. The gold standard to measure postural control is the Sensory Organization Test (SOT). This test measures the amount of sway present in an individual’s static stance that may be used to examine range of function and monitor recovery from injury. Normative values currently available were developed using a sample of clinically normal adults from the general population (i.e., civilian non-aviator). Previous research suggests that these values should not be used as a comparative cohort for high-performing populations in the military. However, normative values, specific to military SMs, do not exist. The aim of this study was to develop a normative clinical database for functional balance (i.e., the SOT) for military-trained aviators, an occupational specialty that may consist of high performers.

Materials and Methods

Forty-three U.S. Army trained aviators, between 23 and 40 years old with medical clearance for flight operations from the Fort Rucker, Alabama area community consented and participated in this study. The SOT was delivered using the NeuroCom SMART EquiTest Clinical Research System with the Data Acquisition Toolkit (version 9.3).

Results

A statistically significant (p < 0.01) difference between the study cohort of Army-trained aviators and the publically available general civilian normative values was found for the more challenging conditions, in which the force plate was not fixed (i.e., conditions four through six). The study cohort of Army-trained aviators were found to have a higher equilibrium score in each of these three conditions. Similarly, a significant difference (p < 0.01) between the two cohorts was found on the visual and vestibular sensory analysis ratios, and the visual preference scores (i.e., greater reliance upon visual information in the maintenance of balance). The study cohort were found to have a higher ratios (i.e., greater dependence upon these sensory cues) in each of these conditions.

Conclusion

Army-trained aviators are high-functioning performers whose SOT scores differ from that of the general civilian population, particularly for the more challenging test conditions. New normative values were developed from this study population. Use of the developed normative values could be used as a comparative cohort in screening aviators who are recovering from injuries that affect postural stability.