bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
FDTD simulation of induced potentials in bone by ultrasound irradiation
Authors: Suzuyama Hidehisa , Tsubata Taisei , Maehara Keigo , Hosokawa Atsushi , Tsuchiya Takao , Matsukawa Mami
Published: November 2022

Low Intensity Pulsed Ultrasound (LIPUS) can shorten the healing time of fractures by irradiating low-power ultrasound. However, the full mechanism of bone fracture healing is still unknown. One possible mechanism is the ultrasonically induced electrical potential due to the weak piezoelectricity of bone. There are several studies reporting the acceleration of fracture healing due to electrical stimulation. In this study, the piezoelectric finite-difference time-domain (PE-FDTD) method, which is an elastic FDTD method with piezoelectric constitutive equations in the stress-charge form, was used to consider the induced electrical potentials. Simulations were performed with a heterogeneous digital model of the human radius created from the 3 D CT data. Assuming a fracture at the distal part of the radius, ultrasound in the MHz range entered bone perpendicular to the bone axis. The guided longitudinal waves first propagated along the pseudo-piped shape bone, followed by the weak shear and surface waves. However, the intensity of the electric field in the bone increased owing to the shear wave. Shear wave seems a key factor to understand the ultrasonically induced electrical potentials in bone.
Education to practice, the stories of two early-career acousticians
Authors: L'Italien Zachery O. , Ashburn Henry
Published: November 2022

This presentation will highlight several key educational and extracurricular endeavors that have enriched the careers of two recent Michigan Technological University graduates. Examples include experiences at Michigan Technological University, such as diffuser modelling and construction projects with professionals in acoustics, broad course material, and excellent faculty mentorship. Additionally discussed topics include internship opportunities, professional development, and firsthand technical experience in performing arts and studio environments.
Vowel categorization accuracy and its relationship to phonemic awareness
Authors: Ball Charles C. , Watson Tamara , Tyler Michael D.
Published: November 2022

Cross-language speech perception studies regularly employ categorization tasks to determine listeners’ repertoire of phonological categories. In these tasks, participants select a phoneme from a list of letters or keywords to indicate which speech category they heard. However, recent studies have shown poor categorization accuracy when native (L1) English speakers are asked to categorize English vowels. Categorization tasks require phonemic awareness (PA), the explicit knowledge that words consist of segments, which is acquired alongside alphabetic literacy. Individual differences in PA may account for variability in L1 categorization accuracy. That is, participants with poor phonemic awareness may have difficulty explicitly identifying phonemes in a categorization task, particularly for English vowels, where grapheme-phoneme correspondences are relatively opaque. To test whether PA is related to categorization accuracy, 115 L1 English listeners completed an L1 vowel categorization task and three PA tasks: phoneme counting, deletion, and reversal. Strong correlations were observed between categorization accuracy and all three PA tasks, suggesting PA may account for a substantial proportion of individual variability in vowel categorization tasks. This finding questions the utility of the categorization task for determining listeners’ phonemic categories and has further implications for assessing second language speech categories.
Recent advances in phase-array based wideband multimodal dispersion curves extraction and plate-waveguide parameter inversion
Authors: Xu Kailiang , Ling Feiyao , Chen Honglei , Li Yifang , Tran Tho N. H. T. , Laugier Pascal , Minonzio Jean-Gabriel , Ta Dean
Published: November 2022

Multimodal ultrasonic guided waves with rich dispersion information have been widely applied for waveguide evaluation. However, there are still some challenges to extract multimode dispersion curves using the traditional pitch-catch method, including lack of spatial information and poor signal-to-noise ratio. Phase array has been recently developed for measuring ultrasonic guided waves, which brings many advantages for wideband multimodal dispersion curves extraction and parameter inversion. In the last years, basing on a multi-emitter and multi-receiver measurement, we proposed some array dispersive signal processing strategies for analyzing guided waves in long cortical bone, including the sparse singular vector decomposition (sparse-SVD) method for enhancing wavenumber estimation resolution and the low-amplitude mode extraction, Radon transform and dispersive Radon transform (DRT) with the capability to project temporal array dispersive signals on the space of parameters of interest for solving the inverse problem, and our recent work of deep neural networks for solving the intractable multiparameter inverse problem from the array signals to the waveguide elasticity. In the talk, we present (1) recent advances in array signal processing for extracting wideband multimodal dispersion curves; (2) some new perspectives to retrieve the waveguide parameters; (3) some pilot clinical results of long cortical bone evaluation using ultrasonic guided waves.
Inversion of ocean acoustic modal-dispersion and amplitude data for seabed geoacoustic models including attenuation
Authors: Jiang Yong-Min , Dosso Stan , Bonnel Julien
Published: November 2022

The long-range acoustic field due to an initial sound source in a shallow-water waveguide can be expressed as the sum of a number of dispersive, propagating modes. Modal-dispersion data (arrival time as a function of frequency), as extracted with warping time-frequency analysis, have been inverted to estimate seabed sediment sound-speed and density profiles. In this work, measurements of modal amplitudes as a function of frequency are combined with modal-dispersion data in a joint (simultaneous) inversion which also provides sensitivity to frequency-dependent sound attenuation coefficients in the sediment layers. Since the source signature (spectrum) is often unknown in practice, the relative amplitudes between modes can be considered as data, or the source spectrum can itself be included as additional unknowns in the inversion. Here, trans-dimensional Bayesian inversion is applied to modal-dispersion and amplitude data to estimate marginal probability profiles for sediment geoacoustic properties, including attenuation. The signal processing and inversion methods are demonstrated using modal-dispersion and amplitude data extracted from acoustic measurements made by a hydrophone-equipped underwater glider during the 2017 Seabed Characterization Experiment (Work supported by the Office of Naval Research).
Extensions to Lisa Zurk’s depth-based signal separation method
Authors: Turgut Altan , Wood Warren T.
Published: November 2022

Lisa Zurk and her colleagues introduced a depth-based signal separation method that uses interference between the direct and surface-reflected CW signals which are received on a bottom-moored vertical line array in deep water [Asilomar Conference on Signals, Systems and Computers, IEEE, 2130–2312, 2013, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 133(4), EL320-EL325, 2013]. In this work, her method was extended to broadband signals for instantaneous depth-based signal separation and range estimation. The broadband method was successfully tested by using a single phone or a pair of phones, deployed in the Northern Gulf of Mexico. A broadband (250–800 Hz) source was towed at 20 m, 50 m, and 100 m depths and received at four bottom-moored Environmental Acoustic Recording Systems (EARS). Source depth estimation and localization by trilateration was successfully demonstrated. Realizing the lack of comprehensive CW and broadband data sets, two experiments were planned for late 2022 and mid 2023 in collaboration with Lisa Zurk. These experiments will still be conducted to demonstrate her depth-based signal separation method experimentally. [Work supported by the ONR.]
Ambient acoustic enviroment—Diurnal soundscapes
Authors: Allen John S.
Published: November 2022

Soundscape ecology has emerged as an important technique for monitoring complex coastal environments. Spatial and temporal acoustic variability exists between different regions and habitats. The sound characteristics have been hypothesized to be related to the associated community’s diversity and health. The prominent sounds may originate from physical, biological, and anthropogenic sources. Biological sounds especially those at coral reefs locations may have seasonal, monthly and diurnal variations. Snapping shrimp noise can dominate the ambient noise background in these sub-tropical coastal regions. While seasonal variations of snapping shrimp sounds have been studied extensively, the diurnal variations across habitats are less understood. Ambient noise data from two sites on Oahu, Hawaii are investigated with respect to diurnal variations using both spectral and time series analysis. Motivations and inspirations from Dr. Lisa Zurk’s extensive work on passive acoustics are highlighted. In addition, Dr. Zurk made notable theoretical and numerical contributions to acoustic scattering research. Some recent studies on the scattering from gas bubbles in complex media are also outlined in tribute.
Aural heritage preservation and access: Methodological explorations from data collection to immersive multimodal virtual reality
Authors: Kim Sungyoung , Ko Doyuen , Kolar Miriam A. , Lu Xuan
Published: November 2022

From prehistorical archaeological sites to middle-American banks, classic Nashville recording studios, and present-day concert halls, spatial acoustics influence human experience, behavior, and interactions. We previously proposed a definition of aural heritage: “spatial acoustics as physically experienced by humans in cultural contexts,” and have tested equipment and methods to document aural heritage in diverse sites. In fieldwork and in the studio/lab, we have evaluated and extended standard room acoustics techniques to address ecological validity (realism) in aural heritage preservation including specific human-centered methods. For the translation of aural heritage data into auralizations, we have focused on multichannel audio with and without congruent visual immersion, anticipating multimodal virtual reality presentations of cultural heritage reconstructions. Here, we overview our multi-year project to develop, test, and share aural heritage preservation, translation, and access technologies via three detailed case study applications and associated outreach projects. We (1) summarize the translatable aural heritage data collection protocol for long-term preservation; (2) discuss preferred methods for processing aural heritage data into scalable auralizations for different audio platforms; and (3) preview extensibility pathways for other researchers to implement these methodologies that enable researchers and public audiences to explore and experience this aspect of intangible culture.
Neural and cognitive mechanisms for vocal communication
Authors: Castellucci Gregg A.
Published: November 2022

Vocal communication is a central feature of social behavior across numerous species. While the neural systems underlying vocalization in humans and animals is well described, less is known about how these circuits enable naturalistic vocal interactions. To investigate how the human brain gives rise to ethologically relevant vocal interactions—conversational turn-taking—a series of intracranial recording and perturbation experiments are performed to precisely assay neural activity while neurosurgical patients engage in both task-based and unconstrained turn-taking. In these social contexts, spatially and functionally distinct networks are uncovered, which are critical for a speaker’s ability to comprehend their partner’s turns, plan their own turns, and articulate the speech comprising those turns. To better understand the neural mechanisms underlying specific computations relevant to vocal communication, a theoretical framework is constructed, which consists of the cognitive modules required for generating communicative action during interaction (e.g., vocalization, co-speech gesture). This model is designed to account for the behavioral and neurobiological features of both naturalistic human language and animal communication; therefore, this species-general framework is intended to facilitate the identification of cognitive analogues between human and non-human interaction—which may rely on similar neural mechanisms. [Work supported by the NIH & Simons Collaboration on the Global Brain.]
Investigating the individual difference in distance calls of Bengalese finches using acoustic analysis
Authors: Chen Wei , Okanoya Kazuo
Published: November 2022

Most songbirds are monogamous and exhibit biparental care. They socially interact with other individuals, including those outside the family, through auditory modality. The capacity to explicitly identify conspecific individuals via acoustic cues enables fast turn-taking communication in a crowd, especially when visual signals are not available. Bengalese finches (Lonchura striata var. domestica) are domesticated strains of the white-rumped munia imported from China to Japan about 260 years ago. Previous studies have reported distance calls, which are emitted when a bird is visually separated from its conspecifics, are sexually dimorphic (both acoustically and perceptually) in Bengalese finches. However, the individuality in distance calls has not been thoroughly discussed yet. In this research, we recorded vocalizations from four pairs of Bengalese finches in kinship. To extract distance calls from those recordings, we use the Harmonics-to-Noise Ratio (HNR) to detect and remove noise, which mainly consists of aperiodic components. By analyzing acoustic features such as length, bandwidth, and peak frequency, we found that calls from the same individuals form clear clusters, and the difference between other individuals was more pronounced in contrast to kins. [Work supported by MEXT/JSPS grant #4903, 17H06380.]
Investigating the influence of smoothing approximations on analytical models of elastic waves in strongly scattering polycrystals
Authors: Roy Anubhav , Kube Christopher M.
Published: November 2022

Ultrasonic scattering-based measurements are commonly used as sensitive tools for non-destructive evaluation (NDE) of metals. Existing analytical models can predict ultrasonic wavespeed and attenuation for statistically homogeneous metals exhibiting spatially dependent elastic constants. These models rely on two-point statistics that correspond to first-order smoothing approximation (FOSA) of the mass operator series present in the governing Dyson equation. The FOSA-based prediction agrees well with finite element (FE) results for a wide range of polycrystalline metals at ultrasonic frequencies in the stochastic regime. However, discrepancies become more pronounced with increasing single-crystal elastic anisotropy even at low frequencies in the Rayleigh limit. For example, a difference of 70% is present for Lithium. In this presentation, the next order or third-order smoothing approximation (TOSA) is introduced, and Rayleigh-limit attenuations and wavespeeds are derived analytically. In this context, the TOSA accounts for four-point correlation functions and, thus, a higher degree of multiple scattering effects are included. This presentation will focus on key points and assumptions pertaining to the derivation for results including the TOSA. The TOSA-based model improves predictions of longitudinal attenuation by more than 11% and 4% for polycrystalline Lithium or Nickel, respectively. Future extensions to higher frequencies and multiphase polycrystals will be described.
Simulation study of the sensitivity of mechanical parameters on the reflected signal at the second interface of human cancellous bone—Application of Biot theory
Authors: Sadouki Mustapha
Published: November 2022

A simulation study of mechanical parameters sensitivity to reflected ultrasound waves at the second interface of a hypothetical human cancellous bone sample is proposed. The sample is considered as a biphasic porous medium saturated by a fluid. The visco-inertial exchanges between the structure and the saturating fluid are described by the Biot theory modified by the Johnson model. An analytical expression of the reflection coefficient at the second interface is obtained in the frequency domain. This expression depends on three physical parameters, which are the porosity, the tortuosity, and the viscous characteristic length, as well as on mechanical parameters, Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio of the solid and the skeletal frame of the medium. The reflected signal is calculated in the frequency domain by the product of the spectrum of the incident signal by the reflection coefficient. In the time domain, the reflected wave is obtained by taking the inverse Fourier transform of the reflected frequency signal. The effect of mechanical parameters on the reflected signal inside the medium is studied. The results obtained are discussed and compared to those given in the literature.
Coarticulation is reduced in clear speech produced with protective face masks
Authors: Guo Zhe-chen , Smiljanic Rajka
Published: November 2022

Talkers dynamically modify their coarticulatory patterns when producing listener-oriented hyperarticulated clear speeches. This study examined how the use of protective face masks interacts with the production of intelligibility-enhancing clear speech to impact coarticulation. A native and a non-native speaker of English read sentences in a clear and conversational speaking style with and without a surgical mask. Coarticulation between word-internal adjacent segments was analyzed with a whole-spectrum analysis including spectral distance and segment overlap duration. Both speakers coarticulated less in clear than in conversational speaking style as indicated by the larger spectral distance and shorter overlap duration between adjacent segments. Coarticulation was further reduced when clear speech was produced with a mask by the native speaker but not by the non-native speaker. The findings showed that producing hyperarticulated intelligibility-enhancing clear speech also involves reducing coarticulatory overlap across adjacent segments. Coarticulatory resistance was adaptively reinforced in the presence of the additional communicative barrier, face mask, particularly for the speaker with extensive experience with the target language. Such cumulative reduction of coarticulation may in part underlie the larger perception-in-noise benefit for clear speech produced with a mask for the native compared to the non-native talker.
Second language acoustic–prosodic entrainment in conversation and storytelling
Authors: Kuo Grace
Published: November 2022

Prosodic entrainment is the tendency for individuals to modify their acoustic-prosodic speech behaviors to converge with the behaviors of their interlocutors. Evidence of entrainment in the native language (L1) is robust, yet research regarding its development in the second language (L2) is sparse. To examine prosodic entrainment in spoken dialogues, we developed a natural speech corpus in which spontaneous conversations of 30 young adults were collected. Data from 15 dyadic groups of participants in the conversation and the story-telling sessions in both their native language (Mandarin Chinese) and L2 (English) were collected and analyzed. Prosodic entrainment has been examined with the low-level prosodic features, a bundle of the acoustic measure (i.e., f0, speaking rate), and voice measures (i.e., jitter and NHR). Individual difference measures (i.e., attention to details, communication skills) are also examined, and their correlations with the prosodic features are reported. The research is expected to contribute to the study of L2 prosody acquisition and human–machine interaction as well as future research in turn-taking, conversational analysis, and individual differences in L1 and L2 speech behaviors.
Growth of the hard palate between the ages of 6 and 10 years: A longitudinal study
Authors: Lulich Steven M.
Published: November 2022

Several studies have found that the shape of the palate can affect articulation of speech sounds, but not much information is available characterizing the three-dimensional shape of the palate. This is especially important in children, since their speech is maturing at the same time that the palate is still growing. This study examines the longitudinal growth of the palate from 8 children between the ages of 6 and 10 years, based on high-resolution three-dimensional digitized palate impressions. Measures of palate width, height, depth, and symmetry were derived from three anatomically defined points: the marginal gingiva between the front teeth, and between the second premolar and the first molar on both sides. While palate height was most difficult to measure accurately, it was also most highly correlated with age (R2 = .42, p<.001), while palate depth, width, and symmetry were poorly correlated with age (R2<.07, p>.17). Age and standing height were strongly correlated (R2 = .77, p<.001). At the individual level, palate height appeared to grow linearly with age, while the growth of palate width and depth was nonlinear and even non-monotonic, indicating a complex interaction between growth and the ongoing structural rearrangement of dentition in this age group. [Work supported, in part, by the NSF.]
Vocalic contrasts in Hnaring Lutuv
Authors: Bohnert Amanda , Ziegler Grayson , Berkson Kelly H.
Published: November 2022

Lutuv, sometimes called Lautu, is an under-documented Chin language from the Tibeto-Burman language family spoken in Chin State in western Burma by 15 000 to 18 000 people (Eberhard et al., 2022, citing 2005 data that do not account for current military violence and displacement). Lutuv is also spoken in diaspora communities worldwide, including by about 1000 people in the Chin refugee community of Indianapolis (community estimate). Ongoing fieldwork with the Hnaring variety has revealed that, compared to related languages, Lutuv has undergone radical syllable structure simplification and attendant vowel inventory expansion. In addition to the low vowel /a/ and mid vowels /e, ə, ɔ/, Lutuv contains six to ten high vowels. These tentatively include four diphthongal vowels (/ie, yə, uɔ, Ɯə/) as well as six monophthongs /i, y, ɨ, ʉ, Ɯ, u/. We explore the distribution of the vowels via a combination of acoustic and comparative data in an effort to better understand the articulatory and featural specifications thereof, with special attention paid to the high vowels. If all of these monophthongs truly are high, it would represent a startlingly large and typologically uncommon high vowel inventory.
A technique for measurement of ultrasonic waves propagating in time-varying media
Authors: Parker Samuel D. , Haberman Michael R. , Roettgen Daniel R.
Published: November 2022

Laser Doppler Vibrometry (LDV) is often used in nondestructive testing to make high-fidelity, non-contact structural dynamic measurements. However, synchronized measurement on slow, structural dynamics (SD) and fast, ultrasonic (US) time scales can yield additional useful information about the overall condition of elastic structures. This work presents a technique, Dynamic Asymmetric Transmission Measurement (DATM), that enables time-aligned measurements of large-scale structural dynamics via LDV and small-scale ultrasonic signals to provide information at a particular global dynamic state of an elastic structure. This approach is applicable to structural health monitoring and generalizable to the measurement of guided ultrasonic waves propagating in structural components subjected to time-varying stress states. We demonstrate the utility of DATM by detecting and characterizing time-varying stress conditions caused by local nonlinearity due to surface-breaking cracks resulting in time-varying asymmetric transmission of US signals in beam and plate structures. The test methodology to synchronize LDV and US data is presented together with example measurements. [Sandia National Laboratories is a multimission laboratory managed and operated by National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc., for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-NA0003525.]
Development of a large-aperture 160-element coherent hydrophone array system for instantaneous wide area ocean acoustic sensing
Authors: Radermacher Max , Seri Sai Geetha , Schinault Matthew E. , Mohebbi-Kalkhoran Hamed , Zhu Chenyang , Makris Nicholas C. , Makris Purnima R.
Published: November 2022

A large-aperture coherent hydrophone array and processing system has been developed in-house at Northeastern University (NU). The overall acoustic aperture length is 194 m with 160-elements nested into four sub-apertures each with 64 hydrophones and spacing corresponding to half-wavelength at design frequencies in Hertz of 250, 500, 1000, and 2000. Hydrophones with integrated broadband preamplifiers designed with a linear frequency response from 10 to 50 kHz sending differential pair amplified and filtered analog signals to 24-bit, 32-channel Analog to Digital Converters (ADC) with sampling rate programmable up to 100 kHz per channel. Array internals are designed using field replaceable pressure tolerant components including hydrophones, preamplifiers, power modules, telemetry units, and ADC verified by testing in an in-house assembled pressure chamber. Forward and aft modules are equipped with non-acoustic sensor elements to provide depth, heading, pitch, roll, and temperature measurements. The NU array was made without specialized facilities by utilizing modular interchangeable array interconnects allowing for conventional array populating and filling methods. The system implements real-time array data acquisition and processing including beamforming, beamformed spectrogram generation and signal detections. The NU array has been sea tested in 2021 in both shallow and deep water environments of the US Northeast coast.
Hologram formation by using vertical antenna in a shallow water waveguide
Authors: Pereselkov Sergey A. , Kuz'kin Venedikt , Kaznacheev Ilya , Tkachenko Sergey , Rybyanets Pavel
Published: November 2022

Holographic signal processing method by using a vertical linear antenna in shallow water is presented in the paper. Offered method of moving source sound field hologram formation by using vertical antenna is based on holographic signal processing of each element of vertical antenna. Sound field of source moving in shallow water waveguide creates a stable interference pattern (interferogram) in the frequency-time domain on each element of vertical antenna. The 2D-FT (2D Fourier transform) of the interferogram is antenna element hologram (AEH). AEH allows to coherently accumulate the sound intensity of the interferogram in a relatively small area as focal spots for each element of antenna. It is shown that the focal spots coordinates on AEH depends upon the source range, velocity, and motion direction. The focal spots coordinates on AEH are same for each element of antenna. The output antenna hologram is formed by superposition AEH. Relationship between focal spot coordinates on the antenna hologram and the source range, velocity, and motion direction are derived in the paper. The results of the numerical experiment of antenna hologram formation for low-frequency (100200 Hz) sound field of source moving in shallow water are presented. The results presented in the paper significantly expand the efficiency of interferometric signal processing in shallow water. [This study was supported by RFBR 19-29-06075, МК-6144.2021.4, and МК-4846.2022.4.]
In Vitro
and
In Vivo
Activity of Gepotidacin against Drug-Resistant Mycobacterial Infections
Authors: Ahmad Mohammad Naiyaz , Garg Tanu , Singh Shriya , Shukla Richa , Malik Pradip , Krishnamurthy Ramya V. , Kaur Parvinder , Chopra Sidharth , Dasgupta Arunava
Published: November 2022

Mycobacterial pathogens, including nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) and
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
, are pathogens of significant worldwide interest owing to their inherent drug resistance to a wide variety of FDA-approved drugs as well as causing a broad range of serious infections. Identifying new antibiotics active against mycobacterial pathogens is an urgent unmet need, especially those antibiotics that can bypass existing resistance mechanisms.
Genome Sequences of Hemolytic and Nonhemolytic Listeria innocua Strains from Human, Food, and Environmental Sources
Authors: McIntosh Tori , Kucerova Zuzana , Katz Lee S. , Lilley Cullen M. , Rowe Lori A. , Unoarumhi Yvette , Batra Dhwani , Burnett Elton , Smikle Monica , Lee Christine
Published: November 2022

This report describes genome sequences for nine
Listeria innocua
strains that varied in hemolytic phenotypes on sheep blood agar. All strains were sequenced using Pacific Biosciences (PacBio) single-molecule real-time (SMRT) chemistry; overall, the average read length of these sequences was 2,869,880 bp, with an average GC content of 37%.
Combination of Cefditoren and
N
-acetyl-
l
-Cysteine Shows a Synergistic Effect against Multidrug-Resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae Biofilms
Authors: Llamosí Mirella , Sempere Julio , Coronel Pilar , Gimeno Mercedes , Yuste Jose , Domenech Mirian
Published: November 2022

Streptococcus pneumoniae
is one of the deadliest bacterial pathogens, accounting for up to 2 million deaths annually prior to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Vaccines have decreased the burden of diseases produced by
S. pneumoniae
, but the rise of antibiotic-resistant strains and nonvaccine serotypes is worrisome.
Defective Interfering Particles with Broad-Acting Antiviral Activity for Dengue, Zika, Yellow Fever, Respiratory Syncytial and SARS-CoV-2 Virus Infection
Authors: Lin Min-Hsuan , Li Dongsheng , Tang Bing , Li Li , Suhrbier Andreas , Harrich David
Published: November 2022

DIPs are spontaneously derived virus mutants with deletions in genes that block viral replication. DIPs play important roles in modulation of viral disease, innate immune responses, virus persistence and virus evolution.
Pneumococcal lactational mastitis in a healthy woman
Authors: Ujita Ayaka , Ryu Hikohaku , Kobayashi Hiroyuki , Kato Mikiro
Published: November 2022

We report a case of lactational mastitis complicated byStreptococcus pneumoniaebacteraemia in a breast feeding, healthy woman in her 20s. Numerous investigations showed that mastitis was the probable source ofS. pneumoniaebacteraemia. WhileS. pneumoniaeis known to cause non-lactational mastitis in patients with underlying diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus, reports of lactating mastitis in healthy individuals are scarce, with only six cases reported in the scientific literature published in English since 1995. Similar to previous reports, our patient had a good clinical course with antimicrobial therapy, and the infection was presumably transmitted from the asymptomatic child to the mother. Although the exact mechanisms that establish transmission from a child remain unclear, both host and pathogen factors, such as stagnant milk or bacterial virulence factors, are thought to play a key role. Caution should be exercised because serotypes not currently covered by pneumococcal vaccines are emerging.
The ℛ-height of semigroups and their bi-ideals
Authors: Miller Craig
Published: November 2022

The [Formula: see text]-height of a semigroup [Formula: see text] is the height of the poset of [Formula: see text]-classes of [Formula: see text] Given a semigroup [Formula: see text] with finite [Formula: see text]-height, we establish bounds on the [Formula: see text]-height of bi-ideals, one-sided ideals and two-sided ideals; in particular, these substructures inherit the property of having finite [Formula: see text]-height. We then investigate whether these bounds can be attained.
ANALYSIS AND IMPLEMENTATION OF NUMERICAL SCHEME FOR THE VARIABLE-ORDER FRACTIONAL MODIFIED SUB-DIFFUSION EQUATION
Authors: ALI UMAIR , NAEEM MUHAMMAD , ABDULLAH FARAH AINI , WANG MIAO-KUN , SALAMA FOUAD MOHAMMAD
Published: November 2022

This paper addresses the numerical study of variable-order fractional differential equation based on finite-difference method. We utilize the implicit numerical scheme to find out the solution of two-dimensional variable-order fractional modified sub-diffusion equation. The discretized form of the variable-order Riemann–Liouville differential operator is used for the fractional variable-order differential operator. The theoretical analysis including for stability and convergence is made by the von Neumann method. The analysis confirmed that the proposed scheme is unconditionally stable and convergent. Numerical simulation results are given to validate the theoretical analysis as well as demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of the implicit scheme.
Thermal Investigation of Cylindrical Lithium-ion Batteries for Different Loading using Experimental and Numerical Techniques
Authors: Kumar Ravindra , Chavan Sandip
Published: November 2022

With growing concerns over climate change due to automotive emissions and fossil fuel depletion, electric vehicles (EVs) have gained more interest as a mode of transportation. Mostly, lithium-ion batteries are being used as an energy storage system in EVs. Temperature plays a major role in lithium-ion battery performance, degradation, and safety. Thermal investigation of cylindrical lithium-ion batteries of different chemistry and shape factors (18650 NMC and 21700 NCA) is conducted for different charging/discharging rates (0.5 C, 1 C, 1.5 C) and surrounding temperatures (26 °C and 45 °C) using numerical and experimental techniques. The numerical technique involves the determination of the surface temperature of the battery by solving the energy balance equation using a suitable numerical method. The numerical technique proposed in this study is validated using the experimental technique and can predict the temperature with at least 90% accuracy during the entire charging and discharging cycle from a lower to higher loading rate and different surrounding temperatures. The impact of different battery internal and external parameters on battery temperature is carried out using validated numerical technique. Thermal investigation conducted in this research can help in deciding the operating strategies of the battery management system and further in designing the proper thermal management system.
An Improved Weighting Coefficient Optimization-Particle Filtering Algorithm Based on Gaussian Degradation Model for Remaining Useful Life Prediction of Lithium-ion Batteries
Authors: Gao Haiying , Wang Shunli , Qiao Jialu , Yang Xiao , Fernandez Carlos
Published: November 2022

Establishing a capacity degradation model accurately and predicting the remaining useful life of lithium-ion batteries scientifically are of great significance for ensuring safety and reliability throughout the batteries’ whole life cycle. Aiming at the problems of “particle degradation” and “sample poverty” in traditional particle filtering, an improved weighting coefficient optimization - particle filtering algorithm based on a new Gaussian degradation model for the remaining useful life prediction is proposed in this research. The main idea of the algorithm is to weight the selected particles, sort them according to the particle weights, and then select the particles with relatively large weights to estimate the filtering density, thereby improving the filtering accuracy and enhancing the tracking ability. The experimental verification results under the National Aeronautics and Space Administration data show that the improved weighting coefficient optimization - particle filtering algorithm based on the Gaussian degradation model has significantly improved accuracy in predicting the remaining useful life of lithium-ion batteries. The RMSE of the B05 battery can be controlled within 1.40% and 1.17% at the prediction starting point of 40 cycles and 70 cycles respectively, and the RMSE of the B06 battery can be controlled within 2.45% and 1.93% at the prediction starting point of 40 cycles and 70 cycles respectively. It can be seen that the algorithm proposed in this study has strong traceability and convergence ability, which is important for the development of high-reliability battery management systems.
Synthesis of Garnet LLZO by Aliovalent Co-Doping, and Electrochemical Behavior of Composite Solid Electrolyte for All-Solid Lithium Batteries
Authors: Kim Min-Young , Kang Byeong-Su , Song Young-Woong , Park Sang-Jun , Lim Jinsub , Kim Hyungchan , Hong YoungSun , Kim Ho-Sung , Han Jong-Hun
Published: November 2022

Garnet-like Ga-M (M = Ta, Rb, Y) co-doped Li7La3Zr2O12 powders are prepared by the Taylor reaction, including Ga-LLZO, Ga-Ta LLZO, Ga-Rb LLZO, and Ga-Y LLZO. The lattice constant (12.97 Å) and large crystallite size (866 Å) of Ga-Rb LLZO powder enabled the highest ionic conductivity (2.03 × 10–3 S cm−1 at 25 °C) in the pellet form. Moreover, Ga-Rb LLZO powders are calcined in various temperature range and are utilized in composite solid electrolyte sheets consisting of Ga-Rb LLZO, polyethylene oxide, and salts. The ionic conductivity of the CSE sheets is increased in proportion to the calcination temperature in the range of 2.43 × 10−4 to 8.60 × 10−4 S cm−1 at 70 °C. The LLZO particle-size and crystallite-size requirements are differ for the cathode and CSE sheet. Three types of all-solid-state lithium batteries are designed, among which all-solid lithium batteries-3 employing Ga-Rb LLZO powder calcined at 900 °C and 1100 °C for the cathode and CSE sheet, respectively, exhibits an initial capacity of ∼139 mAh g−1 at 0.1C and 70 °C, with a capacity retention of ∼92% after 100 cycles. In particular, in terms of rate characteristics, 1C compared to 0.1C capacity shows excellent value, maintaining about 85%.
Combinatorial Screening of Bimetallic Electrocatalysts for Nitrogen Reduction to Ammonia Using a High-Throughput Gas Diffusion Electrode Cell Design
Authors: Kolen Martin , Antoniadis Grigorios , Schreuders Herman , Boshuizen Bart , van Noordenne Dylan D. , Ripepi Davide , Smith Wilson A. , Mulder Fokko M.
Published: November 2022

The electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) is a promising alternative to the current greenhouse gas emission intensive process to produce ammonia (NH3) from nitrogen (N2). However, finding an electrocatalyst that promotes NRR over the competing hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) has proven to be difficult. This difficulty could potentially be addressed by accelerating the electrocatalyst development for NRR by orders of magnitude using high-throughput (HTP) workflows. In this work, we developed a HTP gas diffusion electrode (GDE) cell to screen up to 16 electrocatalysts in parallel. The key innovation of the cell is the use of expanded Polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) gas diffusion layers (GDL) which simplifies the handling of catalyst arrays compared to carbon fabrics and enables sufficient N2 mass transport. We demonstrate the robustness of the HTP workflow by screening 528 bimetallic catalysts of composition AB (A,B = Ag, Al, Au, Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pd, Re, Ru, W) for NRR activity. None of the materials produced ammonia significantly over background level which emphasizes the difficulty of finding active electrocatalysts for NRR and narrows down the search space for future studies.
Pretreatment Pan-Immune-Inflammation Value Efficiently Predicts Survival Outcomes in Glioblastoma Multiforme Patients Receiving Radiotherapy and Temozolomide
Authors: Topkan Erkan , Kucuk Ahmet , Selek Ugur
Published: November 2022

Objectives. The purpose of this study was to determine the predictive significance of pretreatment pan-immune-inflammation value (PIV) in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) who received postsurgical radiation (RT) and concurrent plus adjuvant temozolomide (TMZ). Methods. The outcomes of 204 newly diagnosed GBM patients were analyzed retrospectively. Each eligible patient’s PIV was calculated using the findings of peripheral blood platelet (P), monocyte (M), neutrophil (N), and lymphocyte (L) counts obtained on the first day of therapy:

PIV
=
P
×
M
×
N
÷
L

. We used receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis to discover the ideal cutoff values for PIV concerning progression-free (PFS) and overall survival (OS) outcomes. The primary and secondary end-points were the OS and PFS divergences across the PIV groups. Results. In ROC curve analysis, the optimal PIV cutoff was 385, which substantially interacted with PFS and OS results and categorized patients into low PIV (L-PIV;

N
=
75

) and high PIV (H-PIV;

N
=
129

) groups. Comparative survival analyses showed that the patients in the H-PIV group had significantly shorter median PFS (6.0 vs. 16.6 months;

P
<
0.001

) and OS (11.1 vs. 22.9 months;

P
<
0.001

) durations than those in the L-PIV group. The results of multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated an independent and significant connection between an H-PIV measure and shorter PFS and OS outcomes. Conclusions. The novel PIV was able to independently stratify newly diagnosed GBM patients into two groups with fundamentally different PFS and OS outcomes following RT and concurrent plus adjuvant TMZ.
Novel Role of Mammalian Cell Senescence-Sustenance of Muscle Larvae of Trichinella spp
Authors: Dabrowska Magdalena , Kępczyńska Agnieszka , Goździk Katarzyna , Całka-Kresa Małgorzata , Skoneczny Marek , Zieliński Zbigniew , Doligalska Maria , Sikora Ewa
Published: November 2022

Muscle larva of the parasitic nematode Trichinella spp. lives in a portion of muscle fibre transformed to a nurse cell (NC). Based on our previous transcriptomic studies, NC growth arrest was inferred to be accompanied by cellular senescence. In the current study, NC was proven to display the following markers of senescence: high senescence-associated β-galactosidase activity, lipid deposition, DNA damage, and cell cycle inhibition. Moreover, the nuclear localization of Activator Protein 1 (c-Fos, c-Jun, and FosB), as well as the upregulation of numerous AP-1 target genes in the NC, remained in accord with AP-1 recently identified as a master transcription factor in senescence. An increase in reactive oxygen species generation and the upregulation of antioxidant defence enzymes, including glutathione peroxidases 1 and 3, catalase, superoxide dismutases 1 and 3, and heme oxygenase 1, indicated an ongoing oxidative stress to proceed in the NC. Interestingly, antioxidant defence enzymes localized not only to the NC but also to the larva. These results allowed us to hypothesize that oxidative stress accompanying muscle regeneration and larval antigenic properties lead to the transformation of a regenerating myofibre into a senescent cell. Cellular senescence apparently represents a state of metabolism that sustains the long-term existence of muscle larva and ultimately provides it with the antioxidant capacity needed during the next host colonization. Senotherapy, a therapeutic approach aimed at selective elimination of senescent cells, can thus be viewed as potentially effective in the treatment of trichinosis.
Mechanical Properties of Polyaniline/Polyvinyl Alcohol Composite Gels Utilized in Strain Sensor
Authors: Sun X. , Li W. J. , Li X. G. , Mi C. J. , Zhang C. F.
Published: November 2022

In order to determine the mechanical properties of polyaniline/polyvinyl alcohol composite gels used in strain sensors, both microstructure and macroscopic mechanics experiments are conducted on the specimen. Firstly, the preparation process for this material will be explained. Then, the microstructure of this material showing the wrinkles and small holes caused by water loss is discussed. Based on the static tension test, the final equivalent elastic coefficient and relaxation time are obtained. Then, the fatigue parameters like the asymptotic temperature increment, asymptotic dissipation, and energy tolerance to failure are determined by the thermal-graphic technique.
Targeting Tumor Angiogenesis with the Selective VEGFR-3 Inhibitor EVT801 in Combination with Cancer Immunotherapy
Authors: Paillasse Michael R. , Esquerré Michael , Bertrand Florie A. , Poussereau-Pomié Céline , Pichery Mélanie , Visentin Virgile , Gueguen-Dorbes Geneviève , Gaujarengues Florence , Barron Pauline , Badet Gaelle , Briaux Anne , Ancey Pierre-Benoit , Sibrac David , Erdociain Eric , Özcelik Dennis , Meneyrol Jérôme , Martin Valérie , Gomez-Brouchet Anne , Selves Janik , Rochaix Philippe , Battistella Maxime , Lebbé Céleste , Delord Jean-Pierre , Dol-Gleizes Frédérique , Bono Françoise , Blanc Isabelle , Alam Antoine , Hunneyball Ian , Whittaker Mark , Fons Pierre
Published: November 2022

The receptor tyrosine kinase VEGFR-3 plays a crucial role in cancer-induced angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis, promoting tumor development and metastasis. Here, we report the novel VEGFR-3 inhibitor EVT801 that presents a more selective and less toxic profile than two major inhibitors of VEGFRs (i.e., sorafenib and pazopanib). As monotherapy, EVT801 showed a potent antitumor effect in VEGFR-3–positive tumors, and in tumors with VEGFR-3–positive microenvironments. EVT801 suppressed VEGF-C–induced human endothelial cell proliferation in vitro and tumor (lymph)angiogenesis in different tumor mouse models. In addition to reduced tumor growth, EVT801 decreased tumor hypoxia, favored sustained tumor blood vessel homogenization (i.e., leaving fewer and overall larger vessels), and reduced important immunosuppressive cytokines (CCL4, CCL5) and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) in circulation. Furthermore, in carcinoma mouse models, the combination of EVT801 with immune checkpoint therapy (ICT) yielded superior outcomes to either single treatment. Moreover, tumor growth inhibition was inversely correlated with levels of CCL4, CCL5, and MDSCs after treatment with EVT801, either alone or combined with ICT. Taken together, EVT801 represents a promising anti(lymph)angiogenic drug for improving ICT response rates in patients with VEGFR-3 positive tumors.

Significance:

The VEGFR-3 inhibitor EVT801 demonstrates superior selectivity and toxicity profile than other VEGFR-3 tyrosine kinase inhibitors. EVT801 showed potent antitumor effects in VEGFR-3–positive tumors, and tumors with VEGFR-3–positive microenvironments through blood vessel homogenization, and reduction of tumor hypoxia and limited immunosuppression. EVT801 increases immune checkpoint inhibitors’ antitumor effects.