bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Durational and spectral factors in judgements of American Raising
Authors: Moreton Elliott , Lamontagne Jeff , Nesbitt Monica
Published: July 2024

Canadian Raising and its relatives in the USA can respond to underlying voicing of flapped /t/ (Raised “writer” vs. un-Raised “rider") from the earliest stages (Fruehwald 2016). How so, if Raising is phonologized from a phonetic precursor sensitive only to phonetic features? Proposal (Bermúdez-Otero 2019): Raising responds to duration, not voicing: diphthongs are shortened before underlyingly voiceless sounds by a pre-existing lexical phonological rule of Pre-Voiceless Clipping, after which postlexical Raising transparently affects the shortened diphthongs. Experiment: Participants (N = 141, US dialects) read wordlists with /ai/ and /ei/ in voiceless and voiced contexts, then sorted the words into groups judged to share a vowel (DiPaolo & Faber, 1990). Clipping and Raising were measured using duration, F1, and F2. Predictions: (1) across speakers, /ai/-Clipping and / ai/- Raising should be positively correlated. (2) /ai/-sorting should be better predicted by /ai/-Clipping than by /ai/-Raising, because lexical rules change phonemes, while postlexical ones are subphonemic. (3) /ei/-sorting should be positively correlated with /ai/-sorting, since Clipping affects all vocoids. Results: (1) /ai/-Clipping did *not* predict /ai/-Raising (r = −0.082); (2) / ai/-Clipping predicted word sorting marginally *worse* than /ai/-Raising (95% CI for rclipping-rraising = (−0.50, 0.03)). (3) /ei/ and /ai/ judgements *were* positively correlated (r = 0.37, 95% CI = (0.21, 0.51)).
Social network characteristics impact the recognition of degraded speech by adult cochlear implant users
Authors: Tamati Terrin N. , Clausing Emily M. , Sevich Victoria A.
Published: July 2024

Social networks influence the quantity and quality of linguistic input experienced in everyday listening environments. In normal-hearing listeners, the variable linguistic input provided by larger and more diverse social networks has been shown to support speech processing. However, for adult cochlear implant (CI) users, limitations in the perception of linguistic and talker details may limit input variability benefits. The current study examined the effects of social network size and diversity on the recognition of spectrotemporally degraded speech by adult CI users. Twenty-six postlingually deafened adult CI users completed a detailed questionnaire about their regular communication partners. Social network size was calculated as the number of regular communication partners, and social network diversity was calculated as the degree of age, education, and accent heterogeneity among communication partners. Social network metrics were compared to vowel, word, and sentence recognition accuracy scores, also controlling for basic auditory ability. Results showed that social network age diversity was moderately to strongly correlated with word and sentence recognition accuracy. Social network size and other diversity metrics were not related to word or sentence recognition accuracy. These findings suggest that more diverse input from different age groups facilitates spoken word recognition in adult CI users.
Optimization of ultrasound contrast agent and treatment duration for drug delivery to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus diabetic wound biofilms in mice
Authors: VanTreeck Kelly , Liu Jamie , Sidders Ashelyn , Lu Kuan-Yi , Velez Amanda , Durham Phillip , Bui Duyen , Angeles-Solano Michelle , Dayton Paul A. , Rowe Sarah , Papadopoulou Virginie
Published: July 2024

Chronic wounds are frequently infected with bacterial biofilms which pose a barrier to drug diffusion, drug uptake, and facilitate drug tolerance, thereby prolonging the healing process in chronic wounds and increasing the likelihood of relapse. A major contributor to relapse is persister cells, a subset resilient to high antibiotic doses. Previous work by our group showcased significantly improved gentamicin efficacy in a diabetic murine wound model using ultrasound, nanodroplets, and an anti-persister drug. Here, we aim to optimize nanodroplet formulation for persister cell targeting and treatment duration for clinical translation. In a methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) diabetic wound model in SKH-1 hairless mice (n = 5), wounds were treated twice daily with gentamicin, ultrasound, and nanodroplets containing oxygen or palmitoleic acid (PA). These components aim to increase oxygenation and enhance persister uptake, respectively. Additionally, treatments with gentamicin, PA nanodroplets, and ultrasound for 2, 5, and 10 minutes were investigated (n = 3). Preliminary findings indicate PA most effectively potentiates antibiotic activity, 10- minute treatments improve efficacy by 1-log compared to 5-minutes, and 2-minute treatments achieve comparable efficacy to 5-minutes. These initial findings suggest a promising strategy for enhancing antibiotic efficacy and targeting persister cells in biofilms, with consideration for resource-efficient treatment times for clinical application.
Assessment of cortical bone phantom properties using ultrasonic guided waves transduced with a multi-element transducer
Authors: Chaboty Aubin A. , Nguyen Vu-Hieu , Haiat Guillaume , Bélanger Pierre
Published: July 2024

The past decade has seen extensive exploration of alternative methods for the early diagnosis of osteoporosis through the assessment of the the bone quality. Previous research on axial transmission of ultrasonic guided waves demonstrated their sensitivity to the intrinsic properties of elongated cortical bones. This study highlights the capacity of low-frequency guided waves to ascertain bone properties through the inversion of dispersion curves. The proposed inversion scheme relies on dispersion curves simulated using the semi-analytical iso-geometric analysis (SAIGA) method. The model incorporates the excitability of ultrasonic guided wave modes to ensure that the inversion uses both the dispersive trajectories and amplitudes of the modes. Two models were examined: (1) a cortical bone phantom plate covered with a soft tissue mimicking material and (2) a quasi-cylinder cortical bone phantom surrounded by a soft tissue mimicking material. A proprietary axial transmission multielement ultrasonic transducer, designed for exciting guided waves under 500 kHz, was employed to capture experimental dispersion curves on phantoms through the 2D-FFT. The mechanical properties of the bone phantoms were inferred by minimizing disparities between experimental and simulated dispersion curves. Inverse properties exhibited an error of less than 4% compared to reference values. The axial transmission probe demonstrated its proficiency in accurately measuring modes propagating inside the cortical layer.
Speakers—As a sensor for detecting acoustic loads with Artificial Intelligent (AI)
Authors: Kim Noori , Kim Hui Jun , Yoo Tobias S. , Kim Sung-Hee
Published: July 2024

The potential of using speakers as a sensor to detect ear canal conditions was demonstrated previously. This research contains our ongoing and continuous effort to utilize a single speaker as a sensor by measuring electrical impedance varying acoustic loads. Electrical impedance data (magnitude and phase) from six different acoustic load conditions were collected as features for machine learning (ML) model training. To enhance the learning performance, the data were pre-processed and augmented with normalization and level-shifting techniques, respectively. The raw data were converted to images to optimize the learning performance to classify acoustic loads from the impedance measurement. Several forms of images were experimented such as magnitude only, overlapped magnitude and phase, and rectangular form. A total of 2100 data (350 each) were used with CNN-based State of the Art (SOTA) models such as AlexNet, ResNet, and DenseNet. Both binary and multiclass classifications were performed, showing 0.9716 average accuracy and 0.907 accuracy, respectively. This innovative single-speaker approach using impedance as ML features is poised to revolutionize traditional acoustic sensing research by harnessing the limitless power of AI.
Analysis of the linear regime of a power amplifier for underwater acoustics experiments
Authors: Bickmore Natalie , Neilsen Tracianne B. , Dobbs Corey E.
Published: July 2024

When transmitting sound in a laboratory water tank, a power amplifier is needed to boost the generated signal. If the amplitude of the generated signal is too high, the power amplifier introduces harmonics into the transmitted signal. Measurements were taken to determine the maximum input amplitude for which the TEGAM 2350 power amplifier, which provides x50 amplification, has a linear response. To evaluate when harmonics are generated, acoustical measurements were taken in our acrylic 1.22 m by 3.66 m tank filled with 0.5 m of water. Custom LabView software generated a chirp with a specified amplitude. This signal was sent through the power amplifier and an impedance matching transformer to a B&K 8103 transmitter. The sound was received on the B&K 8103 hydrophones. Both were attached to two different UR10e robots that could be positioned throughout the tank. The receiver hydrophone was moved to three different locations in the tank for a variety of chirp amplitudes to find the maximum amplitude without harmonic generation. Results of these measurements are shown for three frequency bands: 10–50 kHz, 50–100 kHz, and 100–150 kHz . [Undergraduate research supported by the College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Brigham Young University]
Robustness of vortex wave based communications to operational variables
Authors: Kelly Mark , Shi Chengzhi
Published: July 2024

Orbital angular momentum (OAM) based acoustic communications are a promising method of increasing bandwidth in underwater acoustic communications networks as their unique phase patterns form an orthogonal basis set on which communications protocols may be based. The underwater acoustic environment, however, is highly complex and dynamic. These complexities make developing systems capable of long-range communications challenging. Methods for using BELLHOP’s ray tracing software to simulate the time series of vortex-wave based communications signals are presented. Additionally, this study explores the robustness of the inner product deconvolution method of decoding OAM-based communications against various operating conditions, considering both environmental and platform variations. The effects on channel cross-talk are assessed against sound speed profile uncertainty, position errors, Doppler Effect, and turbulence in the water column. These analyses shed light on the operational implementation of OAM-based communications systems.
Hearing of warning sounds under the settings of railway running noise considering age-related hearing loss
Authors: Hoshino Kei , Suzuki Ayako , Oikawa Yasuhiro
Published: July 2024

Railroad drivers may become drowsy because of their irregular work schedules, such as late nights and early mornings. Therefore, in our research, we developed a system that detects driver drowsiness using images based on facial expressions and issues a warning sound to assist drivers during driving. However, it is necessary to function warning sounds even in loud running noise areas or various running noise qualities to make the system more practical. Moreover, it is necessary to consider the effect of a driver’s age-related hearing loss on the setting of the warning sound volume in noisy environments, even for those who meet the hearing criteria as drivers. This is because the number of elderly drivers in their 60 s will increase in the future. Therefore, we investigated the appropriate volume of the warning sound under various running noise types and levels. Then, we compared it between groups of people in their early 20 s and 60 s regarding their hearing ability and the way they hear warning sounds under running noise. The results provide new insight into the relation between hearing ability and the ability to hear warning sounds under driving noise.
Spatial release from masking with simulated hybrid cochlear implant speech
Authors: Borkowski Bailey , Barkhouse Morgan , Patro Chhayakanta , Srinivasan Nirmal Kumar
Published: July 2024

Spatial release from masking (SRM) is the improvement in speech intelligibility when the masking signals are spatially separated from the target signal. Cochlear implant (CI) users utilizing electric-only (E-Only) stimulation had poorer speech recognition than CI users utilizing electric-acoustic stimulation (EAS). Previous research investigating SRM on hybrid CI users big spatial separations (±90°) between the target and the maskers which were unrealistic in conversational settings. Here, we present SRM data using natural speech, simulated CI speech, and simulated EAS speech from young, normal hearing listeners for smaller, yet realistic, spatial separations between the target and the maskers. An eight-channel noise-excited vocoder was used to simulate cochlear implant processing and low-frequency filtering was used to simulate residual low-frequency hearing. Five spatial configurations were used: (colocated (target and the two maskers presented from 0° azimuth) and one of four spatially separated conditions (target at 0°, symmetrical maskers at ± 5°, ± 10°, ±15°, or ±30°). Initial analysis of the data revealed that the listeners had significantly poorer speech identification thresholds for the simulated CI speech when compared to EAS speech. The individual variability and the relationship between the speech identification thresholds in the three conditions will be discussed.
Spectral properties of Quebec French sibilants
Authors: Lipari Massimo , Sonderegger Morgan
Published: July 2024

Most acoustic work on sibilants has focused on English /s/ and /ʃ/, examining spectra of the middle portion of these consonants. Voiced sibilants, which are rarer cross-linguistically (Ohala, 1983), as well as sibilants in other languages, have received less attention; in particular, there has been no previous work on Quebec French. Previous cross-linguistic studies have suggested important differences in sibilant acoustics exist between languages (Gordon et al., 2002), including in the dynamics of spectral properties over the course of the segment (Reidy, 2016). This study adds to the literature on the typology of sibilant acoustics by examining the spectral dynamics of sibilants in Quebec French (/s, ʃ, z, ʒ/). ∼28 k word-initial, pre-vocalic tokens from more than 100 speakers are extracted from a large corpus of parliamentary speech (Milne, 2014). For each token, multitaper spectra (Reidy, 2013) over a 20 ms window are calculated at 17 equidistant points. A variety of acoustic measures, including segment duration and spectral moments, are reported. Preliminary results examining static measures reveal that the anterior sibilants have higher spectral speak (∼5700 Hz vs ∼4600 Hz for posterior ones), as expected; unlike in English, however, / s/ and /ʃ/ have similar average duration.
Examining the time-varying measures of F0 in sarcasm: Wigglines, spaciousness, and contour clustering
Authors: Tatar Csilla , Brennan Jonathan R. , Krivokapić Jelena , Keshet Ezra
Published: July 2024

The present project examines the phonetic correlates, specifically those related to F0, of sarcastic speech. In a production study, American English speakers (N = 12) produced identically worded utterance pairs presented in contexts conducive to sarcasm and sincerity. Measures of F0 variability are contrasted; these are wiggliness and spaciousness [Wehrle, Cangemi, Krüger, & Grice (2018) Proceedings of AISV], F0 range and F0 mean SD. Raw values were entered into by-speaker logistic regression models. Wiggliness and spaciousness together were found to be comparable to F0 mean SD and F0 range in distinguishing sarcasm and sincerity for eight of the speakers. Intonational characteristics were further examined via by-speaker F0 contour clustering [Kaland, 2021]. These by-speaker analyses showed that many speakers produce contours characteristic of sarcasm or sincerity, but that these contours differ by speaker. Further exploration of a subset of nine speakers’ data showed that wiggliness and spaciousness alone can capture some of the differences between sincere and sarcastic contour clusters for some speakers. Speaker strategies vary in terms of F0, and sarcastic speech is characterized by reduced wiggliness and spaciousness for some of the speakers.
Multichannel signal transmission and reception using compact multichannel underwater communication devices: A unified theory and experimental results from different underwater media
Authors: Abdi Ali , Zhang Erjian , Rashid Rami
Published: July 2024

Simultaneous transmission of multiple signals over the same bandwidth allows for optimal utilization of the limited bandwidth in underwater systems and networks. To avoid using multiple spatially separated single-channel projectors, one compact multichannel device can be used instead [E. Zhang, R. Rashid, A. Abdi, “Particle velocity underwater data communication: Physics, channels, system and experiments,” IEEE J. Oceanic Eng. (2023); E. Zhang, R. Rashid, A. Abdi, “Underwater communication experiments for transmitting multiple data streams using a vector acoustic MIMO system: OFDM and FSK modulations,” Proc. Oceans (2023)]. Simultaneous reception of multiple signals using one compact multichannel device is also feasible and improves the communication performance, without using several spatially separated single-channel hydrophones [R. Rashid, E. Zhang, A. Abdi, “On the performance of a new wireless communication compact multichannel underwater receiver using a sphere vector sensor,” IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology (2023); R. Rashid, E. Zhang, A. Abdi, “Underwater acoustic signal acquisition and sensing using a ring vector sensor communication receiver: Theory and experiments,” Sensors (2023)]. In this paper, we present various experimental results using a number of compact multichannel underwater devices in different setups, and demonstrate their usefulness for underwater communication. [Work supported in part by NSF, Grant IIP-1500123].
A study of model selection techniques for modeling synthetic aperture sonar backscatter statistics
Authors: Olson Derek R. , Geilhufe Marc
Published: July 2024

High resolution acoustic imaging of the seafloor, such as with synthetic aperture sonar, can reveal complex environments due to the ability to resolve scatterers of different types. The statistical distribution of the backscattered field is appropriately modeled using a mixture distribution, which consists of a sum of a K pdf for each scatterer type, weighted by the relative frequency with which they occur. In this type of modeling, the number of distributions must be selected before parameters can be fit, and as the number of components increases, so does the danger of overfitting the data. Several methods of model selection are explored here. Two methods, the Bayesian information criterion and the Akaike information criterion are based on point parameter estimates, and a penalty due to the number of model parameters. The other two, the deviance information criterion and the Watanabe-Akaike information criterion, are based on Monte-Carlo sampling of the model parameter space. These four model selection criteria are compared to each other, and to the authors manual selection of the number of components.
Simulation of high frame rate spread-spectrum color Doppler imaging of pulsatile flow
Authors: Esmailian Kian , Lacefield James
Published: July 2024

Spread-spectrum Doppler, a method introduced by our lab, preserves the maximum unaliased velocity of ultrafast Doppler while retaining some of the image quality benefits of compounding plane waves transmitted at different angles. The technique employs a sequence of pulses transmitted at M angles that are repeated L times in different random orders. Shuffling the slow-time samples so the angles repeat in the ascending order concentrates echoes from stationary off-focus targets in M harmonic frequency bins while spreading the in-focus signal across all frequencies. Off-focus echoes are suppressed, without compounding, by applying a notching comb filter, while the portion of the in-focus signal spread to the other (L − 1)M bins is retained for velocity estimation. Field II simulations were used to assess the method’s ability to track pulsatile velocity fluctuations in a straight vessel. The angle-corrected peak velocity was accurate to within ±10% of the true value when imaging at a Doppler frame rate of approximately 115 frames per cardiac cycle. Further improvement of the method will require a filter to attenuate off-focus echoes from non-stationary tissue.
The roles of pulse length and duty cycle in the fractionation of tendinopathic tendons
Authors: Wood Grace M. , Elliott Jacob C. , Simon Julianna C.
Published: July 2024

Collagenous tissues, like tendon, are resistant to fractionation by focused ultrasound (fUS). Prior work has shown thermal pretreatments increase susceptibility to fractionation by fUS, suggesting the potential for successful fractionation by tuning boiling histotripsy parameters. Here, we investigate the roles of pulse length (PL) and duty cycle (DC) on fUS treatments of tendinopathic tendons. Ex vivo bovine tendons were injected with collagenase to induce tendinopathy. The following day, tendons were treated for 15– 20 min with 1–3 MHz fUS (p;+ ≤ 127 MPa/p;− ≤ 35 MPa). Three PLs were chosen below, slightly above, and well above the calculated time-to-boil. The pulse repetition frequency varied between 0.2–1 Hz, allowing for evaluation of DCs between 0.1% and 0.8%. Preliminary results show focal fiber separation at the PL slightly above the calculated time-to-boil; areas of tissue disruption are smaller and less frequent for the other PLs and accompanied by thermal damage at the highest PL. As frequency increases, the tissue disruption becomes smaller and infrequent for the lowest and highest PLs. When the PL was held constant, minimal change in tissue fractionation was found when changing DC. Thus, for the tested combinations, PL is more influential than DC for tuning the fractionation of tendinopathic tendons. [Work supported by NIH RO1EB032860.]
Elastic bit and Berry phase: Investigating topological phenomena in a classical granular network
Authors: Hasan M. Arif , Mahmood Kazi Tahsin
Published: July 2024

This study investigates the Berry phase, a key concept in classical and quantum physics, and its manifestation in a classical system. We achieve controlled accumulation of the Berry phase by manipulating the elastic bit (a classical analogue to a quantum bit) in an externally driven, homogeneous, spherical, nonlinear granular network. This is achieved through the classical counterpart of quantum coherent superposition of states. The elastic bit's state vectors are navigated on the Bloch sphere using external drivers' amplitude, phase, and frequency, yielding specific Berry phases. These phases distinguish between trivial and nontrivial topologies of the elastic bit, with the zero Berry phase indicating pure states of the linearized granular system and the nontrivial π phase representing equal superposed states. Other superposed states acquire different Berry phases. Crucially, these phases correlate with the structure's eigenmode vibrations: trivial phases align with distinct, in-phase, or out-of-phase eigenmodes, while nontrivial phases correspond to coupled vibrations where energy is shared among granules, alternating between oscillation and rest. Additionally, we explore Berry's phase generalizations for non-cyclic evolutions. This research paves the way for advanced quantum-inspired sensing and computation applications by utilizing and controlling the Berry phase.
Direction of arrival estimation in reverberant environments using a single vibration sensor on an elastic panel
Authors: Rutowski Jenna , DiPassio Tre , Thompson Benjamin R. , Bocko Mark , Heilemann Michael C.
Published: July 2024

The vibrational response of an elastic panel to an incoming acoustic pressure wave is dependent on the coupling between the incident angle and the panel’s bending modes. By examining the relative modal excitations recorded by a single structural vibration sensor affixed to the panel, the direction of arrival (DOA) of the incident wave may be inferred. In reverberant environments, determination of the DOA of a sound source is complicated by acoustic reflections. Panel microphones may be particularly susceptible to this effect due to their large surface areas and finite modal decay times. A study on the impact of reverberation on DOA estimation using panel microphones was conducted. The panel’s response to wake word utterances was recorded in eight spaces, with reverberation times (RT60s) ranging from 0.27 to 3.00 s. These responses were used to train neural networks for DOA estimation. Results indicate an inverse relationship between RT60 and DOA estimation reliability. Within ±5°, DOA estimation reliability was measured at 95% in the least reverberant space and decreased to 78% in the most reverberant space. Results also suggest that DOA estimation using panel microphones can adapt to diverse acoustic environments by training the system with data from multiple spaces with different RT60s.
Experimental modal testing of growing thin ice
Authors: Hart Carl R. , Best Cody M. , Asenath-Smith Emily , Thompson Towell Kiera L. , Swearingen Michelle E. , Muhlestein Michael B.
Published: July 2024

Current practices for assessing the thickness of growing ice include drilling and coring. This is inherently risky and motivates the use of a stand-off method. Laser Doppler vibrometry is a potential technique, however, the interpretation of vibrometer signals must be informed by a physical understanding of ice subjected to mechanical vibrations. The vibrational response of growing, thin ice is largely unknown. For thick ice, adequate predictions for the vibrational response assumes ice behaves as an elastic plate. It is hypothesized that thin ice responds in a fashion somewhere between an elastic membrane and an elastic plate. A modal test of thin ice growing within an insulated plastic basin was conducted over the course of two tests. The resulting dataset spans a range of ice thicknesses from 8 to 45 mm. Examination of Bode and Nyquist plots showed that the two lowest observable ice resonances, as measured at the center of the ice sheet, exhibit a dependence on ice thickness distinctly different from a fixed elastic plate loaded by a half-space of water. Preliminary finite-element analysis calculations indicates that the basin wall compliance is a significant factor in modifying the ice resonance versus thickness relationship.
Investigation of machine-learning-based stimuli for the remediation of children’s speech errors
Authors: Cabbage Kathryn , Hitchcock Elaine R. , Swartz Michelle T. , Carrell Thomas
Published: July 2024

Children with speech sound disorders (SSDs) demonstrate difficulty producing phonemes correctly and may exhibit poor speech perception compared to their age-matched peers; however, group differences in speech perception skills remain largely unexplained. Developmental models of speech production posit that children’s ability to discriminate correct and incorrect productions in their own speech may be critical for developing accurate speech production. Historically, when children regularly mispronounce a phoneme, it has been essentially impossible to assess whether they perceive correct versus errors productions in their own speech, thus creating a clinical conundrum. How can we assess a child’s ability to perceive the accuracy of their own phoneme production when they cannot produce a correct production? Recent technological developments allow for acoustic alteration of children’s speech that digitally corrects speech sound errors while preserving natural characteristics of the child’s voice. This machine-learning-based stimuli may then be used as training and feedback tokens for remediation when treating children with speech sound disorders. Such acoustic alteration is possible within an accessible, user-friendly environment that is clinically feasible for speech-language pathologists with little acoustic training. Thus, the purpose of this study is to evaluate the acoustic and perceptual accuracy of acoustically-altered child-speech compared to natural speech tokens.
A module for automatic analysis of burst spectra for consonant place detection
Authors: Tubbs Ella , Choi Jeung-Yoon , Shattuck-Hufnagel Stefanie
Published: July 2024

Widespread methods for automatic speech processing have become increasingly powerful, but they do not aim to model aspects of human speech processing. Previous research has shown that individual acoustic cues are important in human speech perception. Developing a model that is capable of identifying individual acoustic cues in speech enhances our ability to extract meaningful information from a speech signal, irrespective of speaker variations or phonemic differences, in a way that provides a transparent and testable model of human speech processing. This research investigates a module for automatic analysis of the spectral burst cue in fricative and plosive speech sounds. The method determines the place of articulation of the spectral burst by utilizing spectral moment measurements near locations where a spectral burst is likely to occur as features in a Gaussian mixture model. This research lays the groundwork for a dynamic model that is developed to be consistent with the Bayesian belief updating framework, in alignment with prior work in human speech perception.
Waveguide invariant navigation of an AUV with a towed line array
Authors: Jang Junsu , MEYER FLORIAN
Published: July 2024

Passive acoustics navigation of an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) can reduce localization errors while being relatively low-cost. A promising approach for navigation in shallow water is to exploit the waveguide invariant, which makes it possible to estimate the range between an acoustic source with a known position and an acoustic receiver on the AUV. This range estimate can then be fused in a sequential Bayes framework to improve the navigation information of the AUV. While previously proposed methods consider a range-independent environment with a single acoustic source and a single receiver, we investigate a more realistic scenario with multiple sources in a potentially range-dependent environment. In particular, a shallow water environment with a constant slope and sound speed is considered. To resolve multiple sources, it is assumed that the AUV tows an acoustic line array. Simulated acoustic data provided by a normal mode program are used to study the feasibility of the AUV navigation in shallow water by exploiting the waveguide invariant in this setting.
Dynamics of cylindrical crevice microbubbles
Authors: Rokni Eric , Simon Julianna C.
Published: July 2024

Microbubbles are theorized to form in crevices on mineralizations causing twinkling, a rapid color shift observed when imaging hard mineralizations with Doppler ultrasound. While the classic Rayleigh–Plesset equation and subsequent modifications describe bubble dynamics in a free field, they do not account for crevice boundaries. In this study, cylindrical boundary conditions were incorporated into the derivation of the Rayleigh–Plesset equation and validated experimentally. Cylindrical crevices with diameters ranging from 0.08–1.2 μm and depths of 1 μm were etched into a silicon wafer. Bubbles that formed in these crevices were photographed at high-speed through an inverted microscope while being driven with ultrasound at 0.75, 2.5, and 5 MHz. Experimentally, for all tested crevice sizes, the bubbles did not visibly grow. In contrast, computational results using standard water surface tension (72.5 mN/m) predicted the bubbles should grow ∼6 mm. However, when applying a higher surface tension that was measured on the silicon-water interface (∼3000 mN/m), the bubbles were only predicted to grow ∼1 nm, supporting the experimental findings. These results offer insight into the mechanism causing twinkling and provides avenues for future investigation into the effect of crevice size and shape on twinkling. [Work supported by NSF CAREER 1943937 and GRFP DGE1255832.]
Quiet uncrewed surface vessels assess fish avoidance to motorized survey ships with varying noise levels in the Great Lakes
Authors: Evans Thomas M. , Rudstam Lars G. , Sethi Suresh A. , Yule Daniel L. , Warner David M. , Hanson S. D. , Turschak Benjamin , Dufour Mark R. , Farha Steven A. , Barnard Andrew , Senczyszyn Steven , Wells Susan E. , Koproski Scott R. , O'Brien Timothy P. , McDonnell Kevin N. , Blair Hannah , Watkins James M. , Dieter Patricia M. , Roberts James J. , Esselman Peter
Published: July 2024

Acoustic surveys are a foundational component of many fisheries monitoring programs because they allow assessment of spatially extensive stocks. They are widely used to evaluate prey fish throughout the Great Lakes by numerous coordinating vessels. Traditionally, these surveys have been conducted by crewed and motorized vessels, but fish avoidance of motorized platforms has been reported in multiple studies and may bias survey estimates. Quiet uncrewed platforms are becoming increasingly available and offer the opportunity to explore bias in traditional surveys. Several identical quiet uncrewed surface vehicles (USVs) operated by Saildrone were equipped with 120 kHz Simrad EK80 transducers and deployed in Lakes Erie, Huron, Michigan, and Superior in the summers of 2021, 2022, and 2023. The USVs were overtaken by numerous motorized vessels over 2 km transects using transducers with the same frequency. Fishes showed a limited response to approaching vessels, and acoustic measures were similar between the USVs and motorized vessels. Therefore, acoustic surveys in the Great Lakes appear unbiased and are widely comparable. Findings from this work will inform interpretation of acoustic data in the Great Lakes and provide the largest scale testing of fish avoidance during acoustic surveys to date.
Efficiency of a cluster of underwater low-frequency sources
Authors: Morozov Andrey K.
Published: July 2024

The efficiency of underwater low-frequency sound sources can be improved by using tunable high-quality resonators, increasing the emission aperture, or using source clusters. A very low frequency tunable resonator is hard to build. Large aperture sources are difficult to deploy. This study shows that the efficiency of a cluster of sources can be much higher than that of each source. Low frequency sources separated by distance operate independently, the sources add up the pressure, and the emitted pressure is proportional to the number of elements in the cluster. As a result, the radiated power of the cluster increases according to the quadratic law of the number of its elements, and the efficiency of the cluster increases in proportion to this number. To prove this, finite element modeling of an array of underwater sources was carried out. The simulation included the internal structure of each sound source with Helmholtz bubble resonators driven by standard audio 2 kW subwoofers. Indeed, the cluster efficiency increases when the distance between the sources exceeds several of their diameters. Simulations showed that a cluster of 32 broadband sources with a frequency of 10– 100 Hz could produce sound pressure levels equal to a standard air gun.
From hit to vial: Precision discovery and development of an imidazopyrimidine TLR7/8 agonist adjuvant formulation
Authors: Soni Dheeraj , Borriello Francesco , Scott David A. , Feru Frederic , DeLeon Maria , Brightman Spencer E. , Cheng Wing Ki , Melhem Gandolina , Smith Jennifer A. , Ramirez Juan C. , Barman Soumik , Cameron Michael , Kelly Aisling , Walker Kristina , Nanishi Etsuro , van Haren Simon Daniel , Phan Tony , Qi Yizhi , Kinsey Robert , Raczy Michal M. , Ozonoff Al , Pettengill Matthew A. , Hubbell Jeffery A. , Fox Christopher B. , Dowling David J. , Levy Ofer
Published: July 2024

Vaccination can help prevent infection and can also be used to treat cancer, allergy, and potentially even drug overdose. Adjuvants enhance vaccine responses, but currently, the path to their advancement and development is incremental. We used a phenotypic small-molecule screen using THP-1 cells to identify nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB)–activating molecules followed by counterscreening lead target libraries with a quantitative tumor necrosis factor immunoassay using primary human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Screening on primary cells identified an imidazopyrimidine, dubbed PVP-037. Moreover, while PVP-037 did not overtly activate THP-1 cells, it demonstrated broad innate immune activation, including NF-κB and cytokine induction from primary human leukocytes in vitro as well as enhancement of influenza and SARS-CoV-2 antigen-specific humoral responses in mice. Several de novo synthesis structural enhancements iteratively improved PVP-037’s in vitro efficacy, potency, species-specific activity, and in vivo adjuvanticity. Overall, we identified imidazopyrimidine Toll-like receptor-7/8 adjuvants that act in synergy with oil-in-water emulsion to enhance immune responses.
Tumor suppressor FRMD3 controls mammary epithelial cell fate determination via notch signaling pathway
Authors: Ma Ji , Gong Yuqing , Sun Xiaoran , Liu Cheng , Li Xueying , Sun Yi , Yang Decao , He Junming , Wang Mengyuan , Du Juan , Zhang Jing , Xu Weizhi , Wang Tianzhuo , Chi Xiaochun , Tang Yan , Song Jiagui , Wang Yunling , Ma Fei , Chen Ceshi , Zhang Hongquan , Zhan Jun
Published: July 2024

The luminal-to-basal transition in mammary epithelial cells (MECs) is accompanied by changes in epithelial cell lineage plasticity; however, the underlying mechanism remains elusive. Here, we report that deficiency of
Frmd3
inhibits mammary gland lineage development and induces stemness of MECs, subsequently leading to the occurrence of triple-negative breast cancer. Loss of
Frmd3
in
PyMT
mice results in a luminal-to-basal transition phenotype. Single-cell RNA sequencing of MECs indicated that knockout of
Frmd3
inhibits the Notch signaling pathway. Mechanistically, FERM domain-containing protein 3 (FRMD3) promotes the degradation of Disheveled-2 by disrupting its interaction with deubiquitinase USP9x. FRMD3 also interrupts the interaction of Disheveled-2 with CK1, FOXK1/2, and NICD and decreases Disheveled-2 phosphorylation and nuclear localization, thereby impairing Notch-dependent luminal epithelial lineage plasticity in MECs. A low level of FRMD3 predicts poor outcomes for breast cancer patients. Together, we demonstrated that FRMD3 is a tumor suppressor that functions as an endogenous activator of the Notch signaling pathway, facilitating the basal-to-luminal transformation in MECs.
Unveiling the dance of evolution: Pla-mediated cleavage of Ymt modulates the virulence dynamics of
Yersinia pestis
Authors: Wu Gengshan , Zhou Yazhou , Cao Shiyang , Wu Yarong , Wang Tong , Zhang Yu , Wang Xiaoyi , Song Yajun , Yang Ruifu , Du Zongmin
Published: July 2024

Yersinia pestis
has recently evolved into a highly lethal flea-borne pathogen through the pseudogenization of extensive genes and the acquisition of exogenous plasmids. Particularly noteworthy are the newly acquired pPCP1 and pMT1 plasmids, which encode the virulence determinants Pla and
Yersinia
murine toxin (Ymt), crucial for subcutaneous infection and survival within flea vector of
Y. pestis
, respectively. This study reveals that Pla can cleave Ymt at K299 both
in vivo
and
in vitro. Y. pestis
expressing Ymt
K299A
displays enhanced
in vitro
biofilm formation and increased blood survival, indicating significant roles of Pla-mediated Ymt cleavage in these phenotypes. Intriguingly, although both the ancestral form of Pla and the prevalent Pla-I259T variant in modern
Y. pestis
strains are capable of cleaving Ymt at K299, the cleavage efficiency of Pla-I259T is only half that of the ancestral variant. In subcutaneous infection, mice infected with Δ
ymt::ymt-
K299A show significantly prolonged survival compared to those infected with Δ
ymt::ymt
. Similarly, infection with Δ
pla::pla-
I259T also results in extended survival compared to Δ
pla::pla
infection. These data demonstrate that the I259T substitution of Pla mitigates the enhanced virulence of
Y. pestis
in mice caused by Pla-mediated Ymt cleavage, thereby prolonging the survival period of infected animals and potentially conferring advantages on the transmission of
Y. pestis
to the next host. These findings deepen our understanding of the intricate interplay between two newly acquired plasmids and shed light on the positive selection of the Pla-I259T mutation, providing new insights into the virulence dynamics and transmission mechanisms of
Y. pestis
.

IMPORTANCE

The emergence of
Y. pestis
as a highly lethal pathogen is driven by extensive gene pseudogenization and acquisition of exogenous plasmids pPCP1 and pMT1. However, the interplay between these two plasmids during evolution remains largely unexplored. Our study reveals intricate interactions between Ymt and Pla, two crucial virulence determinants encoded on these plasmids. Pla-mediated cleavage of Ymt significantly decreases
Y. pestis
survival in mouse blood and enhances its virulence in mice. The prevalent Pla-I259T variant in modern strains displays reduced Ymt cleavage, thereby extending the survival of infected animals and potentially increasing strain transmissibility. Our findings shed light on the nuanced evolution of
Y. pestis
, wherein reduced cleavage efficiency is a positive selection force, shaping the pathogen's natural trajectory.
Joint flexural-density modeling of the Taltal, Copiapó, and Iquique hotspot ridges and the surrounding oceanic plate, offshore Chile
Authors: Maksymowicz Andrei , Contreras-Reyes Eduardo , Lara Luis E.
Published: July 2024

Based on gravity and bathymetric data and using a novel two-dimensional joint flexural-density modeling approach, this work studies the physical properties of the oceanic Nazca plate around the Taltal, Copiapó, and Iquique hotspot ridges offshore northern Chile. The area is located westward of the Chilean Trench where the Taltal and Copiapó Ridges collide with the continental margin. The results show that the variability in density structure at different scales is a key factor in explaining the observed gravity signal, playing an important role in the lithospheric flexure and hence the elastic properties of the Nazca plate in this setting. The results can be interpreted as evidence of spatial and temporal heterogeneities in the plate-weakening process at the hotspots, magmatic underplating, and crustal and upper mantle fracturing and/or hydration. These processes might be relevant for the ascent of magma pathways of later (secondary) volcanism and influence the mechanical segmentation of the oceanic plate. The latter is critical in explaining the active seismogenic contact between the oceanic Nazca and overriding South America plates.
Erratum to: Regional Sources and CH4 Seasonal Cycle in Central Siberia and the Arctic: Observations and Numerical Calculations
Authors: Moiseenko K. B. , Shtabkin Yu. A. , Vasileva A. V. , Skorokhod A. I. , Fedorova E. I.
Published: July 2024

An Erratum to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1134/S1024856024330029
Schistosomiasis presenting as ruptured ectopic pregnancy
Authors: Tambawala Zenab Yusuf , Haneefa Haneena , Ahmed Abdul Hamid Badr , Iqbal Yusra
Published: July 2024

A woman from sub-Saharan Africa living in the Middle East, presented with acute abdominal pain and COVID-19 infection. She underwent a laparotomy and left salpingectomy for a left tubal ruptured ectopic pregnancy. The histopathology report revealed the presence of tubal schistosomiasis in addition to the ectopic sac. The report emphasises the importance of considering female genital schistosomiasis as a potential cause of ectopic pregnancy and the need for collaboration between obstetricians and infectious disease physicians in the definitive treatment of the disease to reduce reproductive morbidity. This case report highlights the possibility of female genital schistosomiasis as a cause of ectopic pregnancy in women from endemic regions.
Unusual presentation of Sjogren’s syndrome
Authors: Mukherjee Soham , Arjunan Durairaj , Bhadada Sanjay , Shaharyar Amal
Published: July 2024

Sjogren’s syndrome is a known cause of renal tubular acidosis (RTA). However, osteomalacia associated with Sjogren’s syndrome is rare and seldom reported in literature. We report a case of pseudofractures of both femora due to osteomalacia as a result of RTA secondary to Sjogren’s syndrome, which was initially misdiagnosed as a stress fracture. A man in his 30s presented with hip pain and was initially misdiagnosed to have stress fractures because of the ‘through and through’ extension of the ‘fracture’ lines at the neck of both femora. The patient had a normal serum biochemistry profile except for elevated alkaline phosphatase levels. On further evaluation, he was found to have distal RTA secondary to Sjogren’s syndrome. The patient responded to sodium bicarbonate therapy with clinical, biochemical and radiological improvement. A high index of suspicion for RTA should be kept in a patient with osteomalacia with a normal calcium profile and vitamin D level.
Malignancy and mass-forming phenotypes of IgG4-related disease: a challenging diagnosis
Authors: Morão Bárbara , Ramos Lídia Roque , Oliveira Maria Helena , Glória Luísa
Published: July 2024

Mass-forming phenotypes of IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) mimic malignancy and histological confirmation can be challenging. A woman in her 70s with HIV infection presented with painless obstructive jaundice and weight loss. Magnetic resonance imaging was suggestive of unresectable cholangiocarcinoma. Tumour markers and serum IgG4 were normal. Percutaneous liver biopsy was consistent with IgG4-RD inflammatory pseudotumour, with complete response to glucocorticoid therapy. Two years later, a new episode of obstructive jaundice occurred, with CT showing a solid lesion in the head of the pancreas with double duct sign and encasement of the portal vein. Re-induction therapy was tried without response. Fine-needle biopsy was consistent with pancreatic cancer. Supportive care was offered and the patient died 8 months later, with no signs of disease progression on subsequent imaging. We discuss the challenges of IgG4-RD diagnosis and treatment and the differential diagnosis between mass-forming phenotypes and malignancy, highlighting the difficulties in managing such patients.
Relapsing malignant phyllodes tumour presenting as isolated acrometastases
Authors: Reason Ellery H , Aiduk Michael D , Eward William C , Rosenberger Laura H
Published: July 2024

Malignant phyllodes tumours (PTs) are aggressive neoplasms with high rates of local recurrence and distant metastasis. With no known effective chemotherapy and no approved targeted therapy in the setting of metastatic disease, prognosis is limited with an often-relapsing course of disease. We report a case of a woman in her late 30s with a diagnosis of recurrent metastatic malignant PT who was found to have acrometastases of the malignant PT to the right distal index and small digits. We emphasise the potential for atypical patterns of metastases in patients with malignant PT and the need to recognise acrometastasis as an unusual but morbid manifestation of disease. Given the high growth rate of malignant PTs, the lack of systemic treatment options, and the ensuing distress for patients, prompt diagnosis and early intervention is crucial.