bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Bacterial, but not fungal, communities show spatial heterogeneity in European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) deadwood
Authors: Bosch Jason , Némethová Ema , Tláskal Vojtěch , Brabcová Vendula , Baldrian Petr 
Published: March 2023

AbstractDeadwood decomposition and other environmental processes mediated by microbial communities are generally studied with composite sampling strategies, where deadwood is collected from multiple locations in a large volume, that produce an average microbial community. In this study, we used amplicon sequencing to compare fungal and bacterial communities sampled with either traditional, composite samples, or small, 1 cm3 cylinders from a discrete location within decomposing European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) tree trunks. We found that bacterial richness and evenness is lower in small samples when compared to composite samples. There was no significant difference in fungal alpha diversity between different sampling scales, suggesting that visually defined fungal domains are not restricted to a single species. Additionally, we found that composite sampling may obscure variation in community composition and this affects the understanding of microbial associations that are detected. For future experiments in environmental microbiology, we recommend that scale is explicitly considered as a factor and properly selected to correspond with the questions asked. Studies of microbial functions or associations may require samples to be collected at a finer scale than is currently practised.
Role of (p)ppGpp in antibiotic resistance, tolerance, persistence and survival in Firmicutes
Authors: Salzer Andrea , Wolz Christiane 
Published: March 2023

AbstractThe stringent response and its signalling nucleotides, pppGpp and ppGpp, have been the subject of intense research since the discovery of (p)ppGpp in 1969. Recent studies have revealed that the downstream events that follow (p)ppGpp accumulation vary among species. Consequently, the stringent response as initially characterized in Escherichia coli largely differs from the response in Firmicutes (Bacillota), wherein synthesis and degradation of the messengers (p)ppGpp are orchestrated by the bifunctional Rel enzyme with synthetase and hydrolase activity and the two synthetases SasA/RelP and SasB/RelQ. Here we will summarize recent studies supporting the role of (p)ppGpp in the development of antibiotic resistance and tolerance as well as survival under adverse environmental conditions in Firmicutes. We will also discuss the impact of elevated (p)ppGpp levels on the development of persister cells and the establishment of persistent infections. (p)ppGpp levels are usually tightly controlled to allow optimal growth under non-stressed conditions. Upon the onset of certain ‘stringent conditions’ the sudden increase in (p)ppGpp levels limits growth while exerting protective effects. In Firmicutes, the (p)ppGpp-mediated restriction of GTP accumulation is one major mechanism of protection and survival under stresses such as antibiotic exposure.
Galleria mellonella–intracellular bacteria pathogen infection models: the ins and outs
Authors: Asai Masanori , Li Yanwen , Newton Sandra M , Robertson Brian D , Langford Paul R 
Published: March 2023

AbstractGalleria mellonella (greater wax moth) larvae are used widely as surrogate infectious disease models, due to ease of use and the presence of an innate immune system functionally similar to that of vertebrates. Here, we review G. mellonella–human intracellular bacteria pathogen infection models from the genera Burkholderia, Coxiella, Francisella, Listeria, and Mycobacterium. For all genera, G. mellonella use has increased understanding of host–bacterial interactive biology, particularly through studies comparing the virulence of closely related species and/or wild-type versus mutant pairs. In many cases, virulence in G. mellonella mirrors that found in mammalian infection models, although it is unclear whether the pathogenic mechanisms are the same. The use of G. mellonella larvae has speeded up in vivo efficacy and toxicity testing of novel antimicrobials to treat infections caused by intracellular bacteria: an area that will expand since the FDA no longer requires animal testing for licensure. Further use of G. mellonella–intracellular bacteria infection models will be driven by advances in G. mellonella genetics, imaging, metabolomics, proteomics, and transcriptomic methodologies, alongside the development and accessibility of reagents to quantify immune markers, all of which will be underpinned by a fully annotated genome.
Mapping faults in the laboratory with seismic scattering 2: the modelling perspective
Authors: King Thomas , De Siena Luca , Zhang Yi , Nakata Nori , Benson Philip , Vinciguerra Sergio 
Published: March 2023

SUMMARYPeak delays of acoustic emission (AE) data from rock deformation laboratory experiments are sensitive to both sample heterogeneities and deformation-induced impedance contrasts inside the sample. However, the relative importance of stochastic heterogeneity and discontinuities is uncertain, as is the relationship between peak delays and applied stress and strain. In the companion paper, we presented and analysed peak delay data from AE recorded in a sandstone sample that was triaxially deformed to failure. Here, we simulate P–SV waveforms of dominant frequency 200 kHz in a 2-D isotropic, layered medium using realistic parameters derived from the laboratory experiments previously analysed. Our aim is to provide a physical interpretation of the laboratory findings and constrain the role of a proxy of the evolving fault zone on peak delays. We consider a 2-D fault zone embedded in a host material that simulates the fracture plane as a more compliant layer and allows us to numerically investigate variations in peak delay. Measurements of background parameters, including isotropic velocity and fault thickness were optimized using laboratory data via an evolutionary algorithm. Our simulations clarify that near-source peak delay observations are sensitive to the heterogeneity within zones of intense strain even when far-field approximations are not valid. This sensitivity manifests through the arrival of trapped waves within the layer that is coupled with multiple reflections from the sample boundaries. Substantial uncertainties remain on the possibility of inverting sample parameters with 2-D simulations and such complex physics. Our combined experimental and modelling study suggests that peak delays and coda parameters are sensitive to the heterogeneity caused by faulting and strain variations at different stages of fault-inducing slow deformation.
Assessment of a near-polar pair mission for detecting the Earth's temporal gravity field
Authors: Zhou Hao , Wang Penghui , Pail Roland , Guo Xiang , Wu Yunlong , Luo Zhicai 
Published: March 2023

SUMMARYTo ensure the global observability of next generation gravimetric mission (NGGM), different agencies have to repeatedly launch satellites to about 89.0° orbit inclination. However, due to the poor isotropy of observation system, only minor improvement in terms of temporal gravity field estimation can be obtained via these repeatedly launched polar pair missions. To ensure the global observability as well as the isotropy of observation system, a near-polar pair mission rather than a polar mission is likely an optimal selection, especially considering that the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) Follow-On mission has been already in operation. In this study, for the upcoming NGGMs (for instance, the Chinese NGGM), we design a closed-loop simulation to assess the performance of a near-polar mission at a near-circular orbit with about 500 km altitude for detecting the Earth's temporal gravity field, and the main conclusions are summarized as follows. (1) Based on the statistic results, 85.0° is selected as the optimal orbit inclination for the near-polar mission, which provides 37 per cent noise reduction in terms of cumulative geoid height error in spectral domain, but also 31 per cent noise reduction in terms of mean oceanic root-mean-square (RMS) error in spatial domain when compared to the 89.0° polar mission (89-PM). (2) To figure out the reason of these noise reductions, we also compare the contribution of single error components [including instrument error, atmospheric and oceanic (AO) aliasing error, ocean tide error]. It indicates that the outperformance of the 85.0° near-polar mission (85-NPM) is mainly derived from the relatively smaller non-tidal atmospheric and oceanic mass variation error. (3) Although there are inevitable 5.0° polar gaps in the 85-NPM, the analysis result (including the comparison via in-orbit observations and simulated retrieved solutions) still demonstrates a comparable performance of the 85-NPM in tracking mass variations over the Antarctic, and even an outperformance with 12 per cent noise reduction over the Greenland when compared to the 89-PM. The result confirms the feasibility of implementing a near-polar mission as a stand-alone mission or a complementary observation system for the repeatedly launched polar missions, which offers an alternative option of launching the Chinese NGGM satellites to an 85.0° inclination orbit instead of 89.0°.
Insights into the conditions of application of noise-based spectral ratios in a highly industrialized area: a case study in the French Rhone Valley
Authors: Gisselbrecht Loïc , Froment Bérénice , Boué Pierre , Gélis Céline 
Published: March 2023

SUMMARY
The local ground motion amplification related to the geology at a specific site (i.e. the so-called site effects) may be classically quantified through the SSR (standard spectral ratio) technique applied on earthquake recordings. However, such a quantification might be challenging to carry out in low-to-moderate seismicity regions. Methods based on background ambient noise, such as noise-based standard spectral ratio (SSRn), might be of great interest in these areas. But noise-derived amplification is particularly sensitive to local anthropogenic sources, which may introduce biases in the evaluation of site effects by dominating the geological effects, especially for frequencies higher than 1 Hz. A hybrid approach (SSRh), developed to reduce biases in noise-based spectral ratios by combining classical earthquake-based spectral ratio (SSR) and SSRn, was recently introduced and relies on a site reference. We here investigate the applicability of SSRn and SSRh in a heavily industrialized environment in the Tricastin Valley (south-east France), where critical facilities are located. We continuously recorded ambient noise from 2020 February to March on a 400-sensor seismic array covering an area of about 10 km by 10 km. We demonstrate that SSRn and SSRh computed below 1 Hz are able to reproduce amplification factors provided by SSR. By contrast, at frequencies higher than 1 Hz, SSRn strongly deviates from SSR. SSRh shows closer results to SSR but presents a dependence to the choice of the local site reference, thereby questioning the possibility to use SSRh blindly to estimate the local amplification in our context. These discrepancies reflect the impact of local anthropogenic sources. We therefore introduced a two-step workflow to mitigate the influence of local sources. The first step is to define a characteristic time window to optimally isolate significant transient signals. The second step consists in selecting the time segments that do not contain these transients with a clustering-based approach. By applying this workflow, we were able to remove some strong anthropogenic transient signals likely to be generated by local sources at some sites and therefore to locally improve the amplification assessment through noise-based spectral ratios. However, stationary sources, whose impact cannot be removed through our procedure, remain a major issue. This study provides some insights into the application of SSRn and SSRh in noisy industrialized areas, especially regarding the impact of local noise sources. It illustrates the difficulty of having a procedure for mitigating the impact of these sources that is efficient everywhere inside such a complex anthropized environment, where different types of sources (including stationary sources) cohabit.
Simulating H/V spectral ratios (HVSR) of ambient vibrations: a comparison among numerical models
Authors: Albarello D , Herak M , Lunedei E , Paolucci E , Tanzini A 
Published: March 2023

SUMMARYThe use of H/V spectral ratios (HVSR) of ambient vibrations to constrain the local seismo-stratigraphical configuration relies on numerical forward models able to connect observations with subsoil seismic properties. Several models were proposed to this purpose in the last decades, which are based on different assumptions about the nature of the ambient vibration wavefield. Performances of nine numerical tools implementing these models have been checked by considering 1600 realistic 1-D subsoil configurations mostly relative to A, B and C Eurocode8 soil classes. Resultant HVSR curves predicted by the models are quite similar both in their general shape and in predicting the resonant soil frequencies, possibly because all of them share the same basic representation of the subsoil as a 1-D stack of flat uniform viscoelastic layers. The common sensitivity to transmission/reflection matrices resulting from that representation explains the well-known correspondence of HVSR maxima to 1-D resonance frequency estimates, regardless of the physical assumptions (about source distribution, radiation pattern, dominating seismic phases, etc.) behind the computational model adopted for simulating HVSR curves. On the other hand, the computational models here considered provide quite different amplitudes for HVSR values corresponding to the resonance frequencies. However, since experimental HVSR amplitudes at the same site are affected by an inherent variability (e.g. due to the possible lack of ergodicity of the ambient vibration stochastic wavefield, non-ideal experimental settings, etc.) and uncertainty about the local seismo-stratigraphical profile (attenuation, 2-D/3-D effects, etc.) observations cannot be used for general scoring of the considered computational models on empirical basis. In this situation, the ‘optimal’ numerical tool to be considered for the forward HVSR modelling must be defined case by case.
A critical issue on microbiological cut-off value of ampicillin resistance inLactiplantibacillus plantarum
Authors: Wu Manyu , Tarrah Armin , Ghion Gloria , Pakroo Shadi , Giacomini Alessio , Corich Viviana 
Published: March 2023

AbstractAimComprehensive evaluation of antibiotic susceptibility patterns in Lactiplantibacillus plantarum strains isolated from grape marc, based on genomic and phenotypic assessment.Methods and resultsWe assessed the antibiotic resistance-susceptibility patterns of 20 L. plantarum strains for 16 antibiotics. Genomes of relevant strains were sequenced for in silico assessment and comparative genomic analysis. Results showed high MIC values for spectinomycin, vancomycin, and carbenicillin, indicating natural resistance to these antibiotics. Besides, these strains revealed MIC values for ampicillin higher than previously established by the EFSA, indicating the possible presence of acquired resistance genes in the genomes. However, genomic analysis by complete genome sequencing did not reveal presence of ampicillin resistance genes.ConclusionComparative genomic analysis between our strains and other L. plantarum genomes present in the literature showed several substantial genomic differences, and suggested the need to adjust the cut-off value for ampicillin in L. plantarum. However, further sequence analysis will reveal how these strains have acquired antibiotic resistance.
Evaluation of steam heat as a decontamination approach for SARS-CoV-2 when applied to common transit-related materials
Authors: Richter William R , Sunderman Michelle M , Schaeufele David J , Willenberg Zachary , Ratliff Katherine , Calfee M Worth , Oudejans Lukas 
Published: March 2023

AbstractAimsThe purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of steam heat for inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 when applied to materials common in mass transit installations.Methods and resultsSARS CoV-2 (USA-WA1/2020) was resuspended in either cell culture media or synthetic saliva, inoculated (∼1 × 106 TCID50) onto porous and nonporous materials and subjected to steam inactivation efficacy tests as either wet or dried droplets. The inoculated test materials were exposed to steam heat ranging from 70°C to 90°C. The amount of infectious SARS-CoV-2 remaining after various exposure durations ranging from 1 to 60 s was assessed. Higher steam heat application resulted in higher inactivation rates at short contact times. Steam applied at 1-inch distance (∼90°C at the surface) resulted in complete inactivation for dry inoculum within 2 s of exposure (excluding two outliers of 19 test samples at the 5-s duration) and within 2–30 s of exposure for wet droplets. Increasing the distance to 2 inches (∼70°C) also increased the exposure time required to achieve complete inactivation to 15 or 30 s for materials inoculated with saliva or cell culture media, respectively.ConclusionsSteam heat can provide high levels of decontamination (&gt;3 log reduction) for transit-related materials contaminated with SARS-CoV-2 using a commercially available steam generator with a manageable exposure time of 2–5 s.
I Really Know You: How Influencers Can Increase Audience Engagement by Referencing Their Close Social Ties
Authors: Chung Jaeyeon (Jae) , Ding Yu , Kalra Ajay 
Published: March 2023

Abstract
Despite firms’ continued interest in using influencers to reach their target consumers, academic and practical insights are limited on what levers an influencer can use to enhance audience engagement using their posts. We demonstrate that posting stories with or about people whom they share close ties with—such as family, friends, and romantic partners—can be one effective lever. Content that incorporates close social ties can be effective for several reasons: it may increase perceptions of authenticity, enhance perceived similarity, increase the perception that the influencer possesses more warmth, and could satisfy viewers’ interpersonal curiosity. We analyze texts and photographs of 55,631 posts of 763 influencers on Instagram, and after controlling for several variables, we find robust support that consumers “like” posts that reference close social ties. Furthermore, this effect enhances when first-person pronouns are used to describe special moments with these close ties. We supplement the Instagram data with an experimental approach and confirm the relationship between close ties and consumer engagement. Managerially, this is a useful insight as we also show that sponsored posts tend to be perceived negatively compared to non-sponsored posts; yet, embedding social ties on the sponsored posts can mitigate consumers’ negative responses.
A rare case of rhabdomyosarcoma identified in a VRAM flap after lower extremity reconstruction
Authors: Fisher Marlie H , Woods Jack F C , Bartlett Edmund K , Nelson Jonas A 
Published: March 2023

AbstractSpindle cell sclerosing rhabdomyosarcoma (sc-RMS) is an extremely rare soft tissue tumor. We report an unusual case of sc-RMS in a 36-year-old patient whose tumor arose in a rectus abdominis muscle free flap that had been used for lower extremity reconstruction 18 years previously. After surgical excision of the tumor and immediate reconstruction, the patient has remained in remission and has full function of his lower extremity six months after diagnosis and treatment.
Successful treatment of a patient with a ‘flow-through’ type II endoleak associated with an aberrant renal artery after endovascular aneurysm repair
Authors: Sano Masaya , Hashimoto Takuya , Saito Mio , Kimura Masaru , Miyazaki Masaya , Deguchi Juno 
Published: March 2023

AbstractIdentification and control of responsible feeding arteries are crucial in treating type II endoleaks after endovascular aortic repair (EVAR). A 78-year-old female patient required management of a type II endoleak 8 years after EVAR. A persistent endoleak from the inferior mesenteric artery (IMA) enlarged the size of an aneurysm sac. Sac angiography from the IMA revealed a flow-through endoleak from the IMA to an aberrant renal artery (ARA). After coil embolization of the ARA through the sac together with the IMA, the sac shrank. Control of flow-through vessels may be essential for managing post-EVAR enlargement due to type II endoleaks.
Efficacy of detergent-based cleaning and wiping against SARS-CoV-2 on high-touch surfaces
Authors: Nelson S W , Hardison R L , Limmer R , Marx J , Taylor B M , James R R , Stewart M J , Lee S D , Calfee M W , Ryan S P , Howard M W 
Published: March 2023

AbstractEfficacy of cleaning methods against SARS-CoV-2 suspended in either 5% soil load (SARS-soil) or simulated saliva (SARS-SS) was evaluated immediately (hydrated virus, T0) or 2 hours post-contamination (dried virus, T2). Hard water dampened wiping (DW) of surfaces, resulted in 1.77–3.91 log reduction (T0) or 0.93–2.41 log reduction (T2). Incorporating surface pre-wetting by spraying with a detergent solution (D + DW) or hard water (W + DW) just prior to dampened wiping did not unilaterally increase efficacy against infectious SARS-CoV-2, however, the effect was nuanced with respect to surface, viral matrix, and time. Cleaning efficacy on porous surfaces (seat fabric, SF) was low. W + DW on stainless steel (SS) was as effective as D + DW for all conditions except SARS-soil at T2 on SS. DW was the only method that consistently resulted in &gt; 3-log reduction of hydrated (T0) SARS-CoV-2 on SS and ABS plastic. These results suggest that wiping with a hard water dampened wipe can reduce infectious virus on hard non-porous surfaces. Pre-wetting surfaces with surfactants did not significantly increase efficacy for the conditions tested. Surface material, presence or absence of pre-wetting, and time post-contamination affect efficacy of cleaning methods.