bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Microbiology can be comic
Authors: Scavone Paola , Carrasco Valentina , Umpiérrez Ana , Morel María , Arredondo Daniela , Amarelle Vanesa 
Published: August 2019

ABSTRACTFor microbiologists, the importance of microorganisms in our daily lives and their impact on our well-being is evident. However, microbiology literacy in our society is far from being enough for individuals to make informed choices and to demand actions based on that information. The vaccine hesitation movement and the alarming increase in antimicrobial resistance due to overuse and misuse of antibiotics are just two examples of how much work is needed to make our society literate in topics related to microbiology. Considering the challenges of communicating a discipline surrounded by misconceptions, which studies the role of living organisms that cannot be seen in plain sight, we need to explore different strategies to effectively contribute to microbiology literacy in our society. Here, we will comment on the use of comics for such a task.
Forever panting and forever growing: physiology of Saccharomyces cerevisiae at extremely low oxygen availability in the absence of ergosterol and unsaturated fatty acids
Authors: da Costa Bruno Labate Vale , Raghavendran Vijayendran , Franco Luís Fernando Mercier , Chaves Filho Adriano de Britto , Yoshinaga Marcos Yukio , Miyamoto Sayuri , Basso Thiago Olitta , Gombert Andreas Karoly 
Published: August 2019

ABSTRACT
We sought to investigate how far the growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae under full anaerobiosis is dependent on the widely used anaerobic growth factors (AGF) ergosterol and oleic acid. A continuous cultivation setup was employed and, even forcing ultrapure N2 gas through an O2 trap upstream of the bioreactor, neither cells from S. cerevisiae CEN.PK113–7D (a lab strain) nor from PE-2 (an industrial strain) washed out after an aerobic-to-anaerobic switch in the absence of AGF. S. cerevisiae PE-2 seemed to cope better than the laboratory strain with this extremely low O2 availability, since it presented higher biomass yield, lower specific rates of glucose consumption and CO2 formation, and higher survival at low pH. Lipid (fatty acid and sterol) composition dramatically altered when cells were grown anaerobically without AGF: saturated fatty acid, squalene and lanosterol contents increased, when compared to either cells grown aerobically or anaerobically with AGF. We concluded that these lipid alterations negatively affect cell viability during exposure to low pH or high ethanol titers.
Anaerobic growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae CEN.PK113-7D does not depend on synthesis or supplementation of unsaturated fatty acids
Authors: Dekker Wijb J C , Wiersma Sanne J , Bouwknegt Jonna , Mooiman Christiaan , Pronk Jack T 
Published: August 2019

ABSTRACT
In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, acyl-coenzyme A desaturation by Ole1 requires molecular oxygen. Tween 80, a poly-ethoxylated sorbitan-oleate ester, is therefore routinely included in anaerobic growth media as a source of unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs). During optimization of protocols for anaerobic bioreactor cultivation of this yeast, we consistently observed growth of the laboratory strain S. cerevisiae CEN.PK113-7D in media that contained the anaerobic growth factor ergosterol, but lacked UFAs. To minimize oxygen contamination, additional experiments were performed in an anaerobic chamber. After anaerobic precultivation without ergosterol and Tween 80, strain CEN.PK113-7D and a congenic ole1Δ strain both grew during three consecutive batch-cultivation cycles on medium that contained ergosterol, but not Tween 80. During these three cycles, no UFAs were detected in biomass of cultures grown without Tween 80, while contents of C10 to C14 saturated fatty acids were higher than in biomass from Tween 80-supplemented cultures. In contrast to its UFA-independent anaerobic growth, aerobic growth of the ole1Δ strain strictly depended on Tween 80 supplementation. This study shows that the requirement of anaerobic cultures of S. cerevisiae for UFA supplementation is not absolute and provides a basis for further research on the effects of lipid composition on yeast viability and robustness.
Comparing Web-Based and Classroom-Based Memory Training for Older Adults: The ACTIVE Memory Works™ Study
Authors: Rebok George W , Tzuang Marian , Parisi Jeanine M 
Published: August 2019

AbstractObjectivesTo compare the efficacy of a web-based versus a classroom-based memory training program in enhancing cognition and everyday functioning in older adults, and program satisfaction and acceptability.MethodParticipants (N = 208; mean age = 71.1) were randomly assigned to a web-based or classroom-based training, or to a wait-list control condition. Cognitive and everyday functioning measures were administered at baseline, immediate, and 6 months post-training; both training groups evaluated program satisfaction and acceptability at immediate post-training. Repeated-measures analyses of variance assessed training effects on cognitive and functioning outcomes; independent-samples t tests assessed group differences in program satisfaction and acceptability.ResultsCompared to controls, neither training group showed a significant improvement on measures of memory or everyday functioning as assessed by dependence or difficulty on instrumental activities of daily living over time. Training effects did not transfer to non-trained cognitive abilities. The web-based group was as satisfied with the training as the classroom-based group (p &gt; .05).DiscussionAlthough no significant training effects were found, we demonstrated that a web-based platform is an acceptable and feasible mode to provide memory training to healthy older adults. Further studies are needed to investigate the potential of web-based memory training programs for improving cognition and function in cognitively healthy older adults.
Estimating plume heights of explosive eruptions using high-frequency seismic amplitudes
Authors: Mori Azusa , Kumagai Hiroyuki 
Published: August 2019

SUMMARY
Seismic signals during explosive eruptions have been correlated to eruption size or eruption volume flux for individual eruptive episodes. However, the universality of these correlations has yet to be confirmed. We quantified the sources of high-frequency seismic signals associated with sub-Plinian and Vulcanian eruptions at Kirishima (Japan), Tungurahua (Ecuador) and other volcanoes in Japan using a simple approach based on highly scattered seismic waveform characteristics. We found that eruption plume heights scale to seismic source amplitudes and are described by two relations depending on the value of source amplitudes: power-law and exponential relations for plume height >6 km and <6 km, respectively. Though conceptually similar, our scaling relations differ from the previously proposed relation based on reduced displacement. By comparing seismic and geodetic data during sub-Plinian eruptions at Kirishima, we found that the source amplitude is proportional to eruption volume flux. Combining these relations, we show that our scaling relation for Plinian eruptions is consistent with predictions from plume dynamics models. We present a source model to explain the proportionality between the source amplitude and eruption volume flux assuming a vertical crack or a cylindrical conduit as the source. The source amplitude can be estimated in seconds without any complicated data processing, whereas eruption plumes take minutes to reach their maximum heights. Our results suggest that high-frequency seismic source amplitudes are useful for estimating plume heights in real time.
Crustal imaging of northern Harrat Rahat, Saudi Arabia, from ambient noise tomography
Authors: Civilini F , Mooney W D , Savage M K , Townend J , Zahran H 
Published: August 2019

SUMMARYHarrat Rahat is a volcanic field located in west-central Saudi Arabia and is the site of the most recent eruption in the country (1256 CE). An earthquake swarm at a nearby volcanic field in 2009 prompted the need for new hazard models for this region, which includes the holy city of Medina. Tomography studies can be used to infer material properties of the subsurface such as partial melt, and are instrumental for volcanic hazard assessment. Regional earthquakes have been used to determine mantle structure, but such crustal models are often hindered by an insufficient number of earthquakes in the plate interior. We use ambient seismic noise to compute Rayleigh and Love surface-wave dispersion maps between 5 and 12 s for northern Harrat Rahat. The surface-wave maps are inverted to produce shear-wave velocities using a neighbourhood algorithm and interpolated into a pseudo-3-D model. The distributions of surface-wave and shear-wave velocities are heterogenous, varying between ±3 and 8 per cent. However, low velocities are not restricted to the Harrat. We observed a difference between Rayleigh- and Love-wave velocities that extends north from the site of the 1256 CE eruption and coincides with a low gravity anomaly. We obtain a shear-wave velocity increase of 10–15 per cent between 15 and 25 km depth consistent with the Conrad discontinuity, the interface between andesitic upper crust and the mafic lower crust of the Arabian Shield. The average velocities of the upper and lower crust are estimated to be 3.64 and 3.95 km s–1 using Rayleigh waves and 3.53 and 4.16 km s–1 using Love waves, which are in good agreement with the results of other geophysical studies of this area. The magnitude of the low-velocity anomalies, their location away from the Harrat, and the lack of reversals in the shear-velocity inversions suggest that the presence of a crustal magma chamber is not likely. If a magma chamber exists, it is smaller than can be imaged with a secondary microseism source (approximately 15 km wavelength), deeper than 30 km, or shallower than 5 km with a small velocity contrast.
The Role of Policy and Party Information in Direct-Democratic Campaigns
Authors: Dermont Clau , Stadelmann-Steffen Isabelle 
Published: August 2019

Abstract
Existing research has repeatedly discussed how citizens make up their minds when voting on direct-democratic proposals. While previous studies have emphasized the role of policy information and party cues on opinion formation, we explore the mechanisms behind policy and party effects in greater detail. We conceptualize vote decisions as multidimensional choices, and use a three-wave conjoint analysis to observe if and how policy preferences change over the course of a campaign. We find that preferences toward a policy proposal remain consistent, but may change if an issue is intensively discussed during the campaign and does not already rally strong support or opposition. Moreover, the effect of party information is only tangible for voters with an explicit party affiliation.
Phase transitions of spectral initialization for high-dimensional non-convex estimation
Authors: Lu Yue M , Li Gen 
Published: August 2019

AbstractWe study a spectral initialization method that serves a key role in recent work on estimating signals in non-convex settings. Previous analysis of this method focuses on the phase retrieval problem and provides only performance bounds. In this paper, we consider arbitrary generalized linear sensing models and present a precise asymptotic characterization of the performance of the method in the high-dimensional limit. Our analysis also reveals a phase transition phenomenon that depends on the ratio between the number of samples and the signal dimension. When the ratio is below a minimum threshold, the estimates given by the spectral method are no better than random guesses drawn from a uniform distribution on the hypersphere, thus carrying no information; above a maximum threshold, the estimates become increasingly aligned with the target signal. The computational complexity of the method, as measured by the spectral gap, is also markedly different in the two phases. Worked examples and numerical results are provided to illustrate and verify the analytical predictions. In particular, simulations show that our asymptotic formulas provide accurate predictions for the actual performance of the spectral method even at moderate signal dimensions.
Quantized compressive sensing with RIP matrices: the benefit of dithering
Authors: Xu Chunlei , Jacques Laurent 
Published: August 2019

Abstract
Quantized compressive sensing deals with the problem of coding compressive measurements of low-complexity signals with quantized, finite precision representations, i.e., a mandatory process involved in any practical sensing model. While the resolution of this quantization impacts the quality of signal reconstruction, there exist incompatible combinations of quantization functions and sensing matrices that proscribe arbitrarily low reconstruction error when the number of measurements increases. This work shows that a large class of random matrix constructions known to respect the restricted isometry property (RIP) is ‘compatible’ with a simple scalar and uniform quantization if a uniform random vector, or a random dither, is added to the compressive signal measurements before quantization. In the context of estimating low-complexity signals (e.g., sparse or compressible signals, low-rank matrices) from their quantized observations, this compatibility is demonstrated by the existence of (at least) one signal reconstruction method, the projected back projection, whose reconstruction error decays when the number of measurements increases. Interestingly, given one RIP matrix and a single realization of the dither, a small reconstruction error can be proved to hold uniformly for all signals in the considered low-complexity set. We confirm these observations numerically in several scenarios involving sparse signals, low-rank matrices and compressible signals, with various RIP matrix constructions such as sub-Gaussian random matrices and random partial discrete cosine transform matrices.
Micronutrients, Immunological Parameters, and Dengue Virus Infection in Coastal Ecuador: A Nested Case-Control Study in an Infectious Disease Surveillance Program
Authors: Finkelstein Julia L , Colt Susannah , Layden Alexander J , Krisher Jesse T , Stewart-Ibarra Anna M , Polhemus Mark , Beltrán-Ayala Efraín , Tedesco Julia M , Cárdenas Washington B , Endy Timothy , Mehta Saurabh 
Published: August 2019

Abstract

Background
Micronutrients are known to modulate host immunity, and there is limited literature on this association in the context of dengue virus infection (DENV).

Methods
Using a nested case-control design in a surveillance program, we measured the following: anthropometry; nutritional biomarkers including serum ferritin, soluble transferrin receptor, retinol-binding protein (RBP), 25-hydroxy vitamin D, folate, and vitamin B12; and a panel of immune response markers. We then compared these measures across 4 illness categories: healthy control, nonfebrile DENV, other febrile illness (OFI), and apparent DENV using multivariate polytomous logistic regression models.

Results
Among 142 participants, serum ferritin (ng/mL) was associated with apparent DENV compared to healthy controls (odds ratio [OR], 2.66; confidence interval [CI], 1.53–4.62; P = .001), and RBP concentrations (µmol/L) were associated with apparent DENV (OR, 0.03; CI, 0.00–0.30; P = .003) and OFI (OR, 0.02; CI, 0.00–0.24; P = .003). In a subset of 71 participants, interleukin-15 levels (median fluorescent intensity) were positively associated with apparent DENV (OR, 1.09; CI, 1.03–1.14; P = .001) and negatively associated with nonfebrile DENV (OR, 0.89; CI, 0.80–0.99; P = .03) compared to healthy controls.

Conclusions
After adjusting for the acute-phase response, serum ferritin and RBP concentrations were associated with apparent DENV and may represent biomarkers of clinical importance in the context of dengue illness.
Examining the Effectiveness of Using Role-Play Simulations with Chinese Students in China
Authors: Toomey Michael , Zhou Xinhe , Yan Xin 
Published: August 2019

Abstract
A significant body of literature testifies to the effectiveness of role-play gaming and simulations as pedagogical methods in political science. Many of these studies involve students with a Western background. In contrast, little research exists on the teaching of political science in China and none on the effectiveness of simulations for teaching Chinese students. This study seeks to investigate the efficacy of role-play simulations as a method for teaching comparative politics to Chinese students. The study examined the levels of long-term knowledge retention, enthusiasm towards political science, and self-reported learning outcomes in two groups of students. A test group, students who had completed at least one political science course, participated in a politics-based role-playing simulation; the control group, students who had completed the same political science course, did not participate in a comparable game. The test group displayed significantly better self-reported learning outcomes and significantly better knowledge retention than the control group (albeit at the 90 percent level).
Challenges and lessons learned in promoting adoption of standardized local public health service delivery data through the application of the Public Health Activities and Services Tracking model
Authors: Bekemeier Betty , Park Seungeun , Whitman Greg 
Published: August 2019

AbstractPopulation-level prevention activities are often publicly invisible and excluded in planning and policymaking. This creates an incomplete picture of prevention service-related inputs, particularly at the local level. We describe the process and lessons learned by the Public Health Activities and Services Tracking team in promoting adoption of standardized service delivery measures developed to assess public health inputs and guide system transformations. The 3 factors depicted in our Public Health Activities and Services Tracking model—data need and use, data access, and standardized measures—must be realized to promote collection of standard public health system data. Bureaucratic, resource, system, and policy challenges hampered our efforts toward adoption of the standardized measures we promoted. Substantial investments of time, resources, and coordination appear necessary for systems to adopt changes needed for collecting comparable service delivery data. Lessons from our process of promoting adoption of standardized measures provide recommendations to support future efforts to measure public health system contributions to the public’s health.
Varying Negative Pressure Wound Therapy Acute Effects on Human Split-Thickness Autografts
Authors: Rapp Scott J , Dershem Victoria , Zhang Xiang , Schutte Stacey C , Chariker Mark E 
Published: August 2019

AbstractOver 6.5 million people in the United States suffer from traumatic, burn, acute, and chronic wounds yearly. When reconstruction is required, split and full-thickness autografts are a first line of treatment intervention. Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) is gaining traction as an adjunct modality to improve graft survival, yet the specifics on what settings to apply topically over the graft is unsubstantiated and associated with morbidities. This study was performed in an effort to understand initial changes in wound and graft healing with a long-term goal of surface pressure optimization. Excess skin from elective procedures from six human subjects was trimmed to 0.012 inch in order represent a split-thickness autografts. These grafts were treated continuously with either −75 mm Hg (n = 4), −125 mm Hg (n = 4), or no pressure (n = 4) for 3 hours. Six skin grafts were treated with no sponge or pressure control (n = 6). RNAseq was performed on all treatment groups and compared with no pressure control. Significant gene expression changes with a subset focusing on inflammatory, cellular/extracellular matrix proliferation and angiogenic mediators and having greater than 2-fold were confirmed with immunohistochemistry staining. There are 95 significant gene transcription differences among all treatment groups. NPWT leads to significantly increased gene expression of FGFR1, ET-1, and 22 Keratin proteins. Between −75 and −125 mm Hg groups, there are 19 significant gene changes. Proinflammatory genes S100A8 and Tenacin C (TNC) demonstrate an 8.8- and 9.1-fold change, respectively, and is upregulated in −125 mm Hg group and downregulated in −75 mm Hg group. Fibrinogen genes fibrinogen gamma chain and fibrinogen alpha chain had respective log2-fold changes of −7.9 and −7.4 change between treatment groups and were downregulated in −125 mm Hg group and upregulated in −75 mm Hg group. There are varying effects of surface pressures on human split-thickness autografts during the imbibition time period. NPWT may improve cellular migration, proliferation, and angiogenesis over controls. Human skin grafts respond differently to −125 and −75 mm Hg within 3 hours of NPWT treatment. The results suggest −75 mm Hg leads to less inflammation and increased fibrinogen production compared with the −125 mm Hg group, at least initially. Reducing “time to heal” with NPWT is critical to successful outcomes and quality of life within young patients who often experience pain/discomfort when treated at the current standard pump settings. The results from this study and continued investigation may quickly translate to the clinical setting by finding the ideal pressure setting utilized in an effort to reduce NPWT length of treatment, improve patient comfort, satisfaction, and psychosocial well-being.
The Effect of Pre-existing Seizure Disorders on Mortality and Hospital Length of Stay Following Burn Injury
Authors: Atwell Kenisha , Bartley Colleen , Cairns Bruce , Charles Anthony 
Published: August 2019

Abstract
Patients with a seizure disorder have a higher incidence of burn injury; however, there are limited studies that examine the association between pre-existing seizure disorders (PSD) and burn outcomes. This is a retrospective study of admitted burn patients. Variables analyzed include patient demographics, clinical characteristics, associated PSD, hospital length of stay (LOS), and mortality. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to analyze the impact of PSD on burn mortality and LOS. Seven thousand six hundred and forty patients met the inclusion criteria and 1.31% (n = 100) patients had a PSD. There was no difference in mortality rate between patients with or without PSD (odds ratio [OR] = 2.28, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.87 to 5.93). Multivariate logistic regression showed that patients with PSD had significantly increased odds of longer hospital LOS (OR = 2.85, 95% CI = 1.73 to 4.67). Seizure disorder management is mandatory in reducing burn injury and decreasing the costs associated with increased hospital LOS.
Switching Schemas: Do Effects of Mindless Interactions With Agents Carry Over to Humans and Vice Versa?
Authors: Velez John A , Loof Travis , Smith Casey A , Jordan Joshua M , Villarreal Jonathan A , Ewoldsen David R 
Published: August 2019

Abstract
The Revised Ethopoeia Concept proposes that agents should activate human schema in the form of social expectations and rules. However, studies have demonstrated inconsistent reactions to agents and avatars, potentially due to the activation of a nonhuman schema that constrains people’s ability to mentally connect with agents. We first examined whether the schema activated during agent or avatar game play were consistent with and influenced a subsequent interaction with a human. Results suggested that schemas activated across consecutive interactions with an agent and then a human were incongruent, while avatars successfully influenced subsequent interactions with humans (i.e., prosocial behaviors) by evoking congruent schemas. A second experiment corroborated this by demonstrating a match between schemas activated during game play with agents and subsequent interactions with another human-like but nonhuman entity (i.e., artificial intelligence). Additional results and implications related to switching schemas in consecutive interactions with agents and humans are discussed.