bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Metagenomic sequencing for detection and identification of the boxwood blight pathogen Calonectria pseudonaviculata
Authors: Yang Shu , Johnson Marcela A. , Hansen Mary Ann , Bush Elizabeth , Li Song , Vinatzer Boris A. 
Published: January 2022

AbstractPathogen detection and identification are key elements in outbreak control of human, animal, and plant diseases. Since many fungal plant pathogens cause similar symptoms, are difficult to distinguish morphologically, and grow slowly in culture, culture-independent, sequence-based diagnostic methods are desirable. Whole genome metagenomic sequencing has emerged as a promising technique because it can potentially detect any pathogen without culturing and without the need for pathogen-specific probes. However, efficient DNA extraction protocols, computational tools, and sequence databases are required. Here we applied metagenomic sequencing with the Oxford Nanopore Technologies MinION to the detection of the fungus Calonectria pseudonaviculata, the causal agent of boxwood (Buxus spp.) blight disease. Two DNA extraction protocols, several DNA purification kits, and various computational tools were tested. All DNA extraction methods and purification kits provided sufficient quantity and quality of DNA. Several bioinformatics tools for taxonomic identification were found suitable to assign sequencing reads to the pathogen with an extremely low false positive rate. Over 9% of total reads were identified as C. pseudonaviculata in a severely diseased sample and identification at strain-level resolution was approached as the number of sequencing reads was increased. We discuss how metagenomic sequencing could be implemented in routine plant disease diagnostics.
The influence of myofascial release on pain and selected indicators of flat foot in adults: a controlled randomized trial
Authors: Bac Aneta , Kaczor Sabina , Pasiut Szymon , Ścisłowska-Czarnecka Anna , Jankowicz-Szymańska Agnieszka , Filar-Mierzwa Katarzyna 
Published: January 2022

AbstractFlat foot pain is a common complaint that requires therapeutic intervention. Currently, myofascial release techniques are often used in the therapy of musculoskeletal disorders. A group of 60 people suffering from flat feet with associated pain. Patients were assigned to four groups (15 people each): MF—myofascial release, E—the exercise program, MFE—myofascial release and the exercise program, C—no intervention. The rehabilitation program lasted 4 weeks. The NRS scale was used to examine pain intensity and FreeMed ground reaction force platform was used to examine selected static and dynamic foot indicators. Statistically significant pain reduction was obtained in all research. A static test of foot load distribution produced statistically significant changes only for selected indicators. In the dynamic test, statistically significant changes were observed for selected indicators, only in the groups subjected to therapeutic intervention. Most such changes were observed in the MF group. In the dynamic test which assessed the support phase of the foot, statistically significant changes were observed only for selected subphases. Most such changes were observed in the MFE group. Both exercise and exercise combined with myofascial release techniques, and especially myofascial release techniques alone, significantly reduce pain in a flat foot. This study shows a limited influence of both exercises and myofascial release techniques on selected static and dynamic indicators of a flat foot.
Evaluation of different OCT systems in quantitative imaging of human Schlemm's canal
Authors: Wu Xuan , Tan Bingyao , Gan Jinyuan , Lam Adeline R. , Chen Yibing , Liu Xinyu , Chua Jacqueline , Wong Damon W. K. , Ang Marcus , Schmetterer Leopold , Yao Xinwen 
Published: January 2022

AbstractWe examined the performance of human Schlemm’s canal (SC) imaging using different OCT devices: CIRRUS 5000 (840 nm, spectral-domain (SD)-OCT), PLEX Elite 9000 (1060 nm, swept-source (SS)-OCT) and CASIA SS-1000 (1310 nm, SS-OCT), and analyzed potential impact factors on visualization and the quantitative assessment of SC morphology in a pilot study. Ten healthy subjects were imaged using three OCT devices by a single experienced operator on the same day. Each eye underwent two cubic scans by each device, one on nasal and the other on temporal quadrant. The B-scan showing the largest SC was manually selected for processing. Four quantitative metrics, including one morphological metric as cross-sectional area (CSA), and three performance metrics as contrast, continuity, and coverage, were derived from the datasets. Repeated-measures ANOVA was used to investigate the difference between these parameters from the three devices (P < 0.05). We found the CSA measured from CIRRUS was significantly larger than PLEX, followed by CASIA. The contrast was highest in CIRRUS, followed by PLEX and CASIA. The coverage was also higher in CIRRUS as compared to PLEX and CASIA. No significant difference was seen in the continuity from the three devices. In summary, we showed the measurements from the three devices were not interchangeable.
Topography of the Dolomites modulates range dynamics of narrow endemic plants under climate change
Authors: Rota Francesco , Casazza Gabriele , Genova Giulio , Midolo Gabriele , Prosser Filippo , Bertolli Alessio , Wilhalm Thomas , Nascimbene Juri , Wellstein Camilla 
Published: January 2022

AbstractClimate change is expected to threaten endemic plants in the Alps. In this context, the factors that may modulate species responses are rarely investigated at a local scale. We analyzed eight alpine narrow endemics of the Dolomites (southeastern Alps) under different predicted climate change scenarios at fine spatial resolutions. We tested possible differences in elevation, topographic heterogeneity and velocity of climate change among areas of gained, lost, or stable climatic habitat. The negative impact of climate change ranged from moderate to severe, depending on scenario and species. Generally, range loss occurred at the lowest elevations, while gained and stable areas were located at highest elevations. For six of the species, climate change velocity had higher values in stable and gained areas than in lost ones. Our findings support the role of topographic heterogeneity in maintaining climatic microrefugia, however, the peculiar topography of the Dolomites, characterized by high altitude plateaus, resulted in high climate change velocity in areas of projected future climatic suitability. Our study supports the usefulness of multiple predictors of spatio-temporal range dynamics for regional climate-adapted management and eventual assisted colonization planning to not overlook or overestimate the potential impact of climate change locally.
Attention-guided deep learning for gestational age prediction using fetal brain MRI
Authors: Shen Liyue , Zheng Jimmy , Lee Edward H. , Shpanskaya Katie , McKenna Emily S. , Atluri Mahesh G. , Plasto Dinko , Mitchell Courtney , Lai Lillian M. , Guimaraes Carolina V. , Dahmoush Hisham , Chueh Jane , Halabi Safwan S. , Pauly John M. , Xing Lei , Lu Quin , Oztekin Ozgur , Kline-Fath Beth M. , Yeom Kristen W. 
Published: January 2022

AbstractMagnetic resonance imaging offers unrivaled visualization of the fetal brain, forming the basis for establishing age-specific morphologic milestones. However, gauging age-appropriate neural development remains a difficult task due to the constantly changing appearance of the fetal brain, variable image quality, and frequent motion artifacts. Here we present an end-to-end, attention-guided deep learning model that predicts gestational age with R2 score of 0.945, mean absolute error of 6.7 days, and concordance correlation coefficient of 0.970. The convolutional neural network was trained on a heterogeneous dataset of 741 developmentally normal fetal brain images ranging from 19 to 39 weeks in gestational age. We also demonstrate model performance and generalizability using independent datasets from four academic institutions across the U.S. and Turkey with R2 scores of 0.81–0.90 after minimal fine-tuning. The proposed regression algorithm provides an automated machine-enabled tool with the potential to better characterize in utero neurodevelopment and guide real-time gestational age estimation after the first trimester.
Experimental realization of visible gas sensing technology based on spatial heterodyne spectroscopy
Authors: Zhang Wen-li , Liu Zhao-yu , Liang Kun , Wang Yi , Chen Ke-fan , Sun Yao-wei , Wang Sheng 
Published: January 2022

AbstractBased on the characteristics of optical absorption gas sensing technology (OA-GST) and spatial heterodyne spectroscopy (SHS), a novel type of visual gas sensing technology (V-GST) can present the invisible gas information in the form of two-dimensional visual fingerprint, which has attracted people's attention. In this paper, we have realized the NO2 detection of V-GST in the laboratory environment for the first time. Experimental results show that: V-GST not only has different interferogram response to different spectra, but also has good response to different concentrations of NO2, which lays a foundation for the application of this technology in gas sensing. And the average classification recognition rate of the system for different band NO2 response data is over 80%, which verifies the effectiveness of the V-GST in gas detection.
Six-year trend analysis of malaria prevalence at University of Gondar Specialized Referral Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia, from 2014 to 2019
Authors: Mulugeta Amanuel , Assefa Atsede , Eshetie Atsede , Asmare Birhanie , Birhanie Meseret , Gelaw Yemataw 
Published: January 2022

AbstractGlobally, malaria is the major public health disease caused by plasmodium species and transmitted by the bite of the female anopheles mosquito. Assessment of the trend of malaria prevalence is important in the control and prevention of the disease. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the six year trend of malaria prevalence at the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, northwest Ethiopia, from 2014 to 2019. A retrospective laboratory registration logbook review study was conducted on the malaria blood film examination results at the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital. The data was collected by using a data extraction tool and entered into SPSS version 20 for analysis. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the socio-demographic characteristics of study participants and presented by graphs, tables and texts. The binary logistic regression was also used to test the association the trend of malaria prevalence and different factors like sex, age, year, and season. From a total of 17,500 malaria blood film examinations, 1341 (7.7%) were confirmed for malaria parasites. Of the confirmed malaria cases, 47.2%, 45.6% and 7.2% were P. vivax, P. falciparum and mixed infection, respectively. The proportion of P. vivax was the predominant species in the first three study years (2014–2016) and P. falciparum became the predominant species in the last three study years (2017–2019). The odds of malaria prevalence was lower by 68%, 60% and 69% in the year 2017, 2018 and 2019 compared to 2014, respectively. It was also 1.41 times higher in males than in females. Moreover, the odds of malaria prevalence were 1.60, 1.64, 2.45 and 1.82 times higher in the age group of < 5, 5–14, 15–24 and 25–54 years old compared to the older age groups (> 54 years old), respectively. Even there was a significant declining in prevalence trend; malaria is still a major public health problem. The study showed that there was high seasonal fluctuation from year to year. Moreover, males and the younger age groups were more affected than females and old age groups, respectively. Therefore, malaria prevention and control activities should be strengthened and require extra efforts by considering these variability.
The effect of charge-balanced transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation on rodent facial nerve regeneration
Authors: Cho Young Sang , Ryu Onjeon , Cho Kyeongwon , Kim Dohyoung , Lim Jihyun , Hong Sung Hwa , Cho Yang-Sun 
Published: January 2022

AbstractThis study aimed to investigate the effect of charge-balanced transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (cb-TENS) in accelerating recovery of the facial function and nerve regeneration after facial nerve (FN) section in a rat model. The main trunk of the left FN was divided and immediately sutured just distal to the stylomastoid foramen in 66 Sprague–Dawley rats. The control group had no electrical stimulus. The other two groups received cb-TENS at 20 Hz (20 Hz group) or 40 Hz (40 Hz group). Cb-TENS was administered daily for seven days and then twice a week for three weeks thereafter. To assess the recovery of facial function, whisker movement was monitored for four weeks. Histopathological evaluation of nerve regeneration was performed using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and confocal microscopy with immunofluorescence (IF) staining. In addition, the levels of various molecular biological markers that affect nerve regeneration were analyzed. Whisker movement in the cb-TENS groups showed faster and better recovery than the control group. The 40 Hz group showed significantly better movement at the first week after injury (p < 0.0125). In histopathological analyses using TEM, nerve axons and Schwann cells, which were destroyed immediately after the injury, recovered in all groups over time. However, the regeneration of the myelin sheath was remarkably rapid and thicker in the 20 Hz and 40 Hz groups than in the control group. Image analysis using IF staining showed that the expression levels of S100B and NF200 increased over time in all groups. Specifically, the expression of NF200 in the 20 Hz and 40 Hz groups increased markedly compared to the control group. The real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed on ten representative neurotrophic factors, and the levels of IL-1β and IL-6 were significantly higher in the 20 and 40 Hz groups than in the control group (p < 0.015). Cb-TENS facilitated and accelerated FN recovery in the rat model, as it significantly reduced the recovery time for the whisker movement. The histopathological study and analysis of neurotrophic factors supported the role of cb-TENS in the enhanced regeneration of the FN.
A parameter study of ultrasound assisted enzymatic esterification
Authors: Vartolomei Anamaria , Calinescu Ioan , Vinatoru Mircea , Gavrila Adina Ionuta 
Published: January 2022

AbstractThis work is focused on the study of the esterification parameters for the ultrasound assisted synthesis of isoamyl acetate catalyzed by lipase Lipozyme 435 in a continuous loop reactor. Investigating the influence of different parameters shows that a higher concentration of ester (462 mg/g mixture) can be obtained at a temperature of 50 °C, flow rate 0.16 mL/min. The best ultrasonication conditions are: sonication applied continuously for a short time (20 min), ultrasound power 32 mW and amplitude 20%. The enzyme can be successfully reused tree times without loss of enzyme activity. Reaction kinetics for isoamyl acetate ultrasound assisted production showed that satisfactory reaction concentration (close to the equilibrium concentrations) could be reached in short reaction times (2 h). Ultrasound assisted enzymatic esterification is consequently a cleaner and a faster process.
Unequal allocation between male versus female reproduction cannot explain extreme vegetative dimorphism in Aulax species (Cape Proteaceae)
Authors: Midgley Jeremy J. , Cramer Michael D. 
Published: January 2022

AbstractFemale plants not only flower but also produce resource-rich seeds, fruits, and cones. Thus, it is generally considered that female plants allocate more resources to sexual reproduction than male plants and that this allocation difference can explain vegetative dimorphism, such as greater leaf size in females. We found significant sexual vegetative differences in the dioecious and serotinous species, Aulax umbellata and A. cancellata. Plant height, annual branch length and canopy spread were greater in males whereas leaf size, branch thickness and branch number were greater in females. Sex ratios and basal stem area were, however, equal in the sexes. Equal sex ratios imply equal allocation to sexual reproduction and equal stem areas imply equal resource use and biomass, and thus allocation to vegetative growth. Given equal allocation to reproduction and resource use, we suggest that the vegetative dimorphism is driven by intra-male-competition to be more visually conspicuous to pollinators. This implies that plant architecture is both a vegetative and a reproductive trait.
The Effect of Microphone Frequency Response on Spectral and Cepstral Measures of Voice: An Examination of Low-Cost Electret Headset Microphones
Authors: Awan Shaheen N. , Shaikh Mohsin A. , Desjardins Maude , Feinstein Hagar , Abbott Katherine Verdolini 
Published: January 2022

Purpose:
The purpose of this study was to establish the frequency response of a selection of low-cost headset microphones that could be given to subjects for remote voice recordings and to examine the effect of microphone type and frequency response on key acoustic measures related to voice quality obtained from speech and vowel samples.

Method:

The frequency responses of three low-cost headset microphones were evaluated using pink noise generated via a head-and-torso model. Each of the headset microphones was then used to record a series of speech and vowel samples prerecorded from 24 speakers who represented a diversity of sex, age, fundamental frequency (
F
o
), and voice quality types. Recordings were later analyzed for the following measures: smoothed cepstral peak prominence (CPP; dB), low versus high spectral ratio (L/H ratio; dB), CPP
F
o
(Hz), and cepstral spectral index of dysphonia (CSID).

Results:

The frequency response of the microphones under test was observed to have nonsignificant effects on measures of the CPP and CPP
F
o
, significant effects on the CSID in speech contexts, and strong and significant effects on the measure of spectral tilt (L/H ratio). However, the correlations between the various headset microphones and a reference precision microphone were excellent (
r
s > .90).

Conclusions:
The headset microphones under test all showed the capability to track a wide range of diversity in the voice signal. Though the use of higher quality microphones that have demonstrated specifications is recommended for typical research and clinical purposes, low-cost electret microphones may be used to provide valid measures of voice, specifically when the same microphone and signal chain is used for the evaluation of pre- versus posttreatment change or intergroup comparisons.
A novel method for estimating utility harmonic impedance based probabilistic evaluation
Authors: Xiao Xianyong , Zhou Runze , Ma Xiaoyang , Xu Rui 
Published: January 2022

AbstractHere, a novel method for estimating utility harmonic impedance (UHI) based on probabilistic evaluation is proposed. By analysing harmonic data, it is determined that UHI tends to obey a particular distribution, that varies with the amplitude of the background harmonics. Therefore, calculating the probability distribution of the UHI is considered to estimate its value. The UHI can be estimated by calculating the conditional probability density function of the background harmonics and prior distribution of UHI. The estimation results are not affected by the correlation of harmonic impedances between the two sides of the point of common coupling. The validity and accuracy of the proposed method were further verified through simulations and the analysis of field testing data.
Observational evidence of evolving dark matter profiles atz ≤ 1
Authors: Sharma Gauri , Salucci Paolo , van de Ven Glenn 
Published: January 2022

Context.In the concordance cosmological scenario, the cold collisionless dark matter component dominates the mass budget of galaxies and interacts with baryons only via gravity. However, there is growing evidence that the former, instead, responds to the baryonic (feedback) processes by modifying its density distribution. These processes can be captured by comparing the inner dynamics of galaxies across cosmic time.Aims.We present a pilot study of dynamical mass modeling of high redshift galaxy rotation curves, which is capable of constraining the structure of dark matter halos across cosmic time.Methods.We investigate the dark matter halos of 256 star-forming disk-like galaxies atz ∼ 1 using the KMOS Redshift One Spectroscopic Survey. This sample covers the redshifts 0.6 ≤ z ≤ 1.04, effective radii 0.69 ≤ Re[kpc] ≤ 7.76, and total stellar masses 8.7 ≤ log(Mstar[M⊙]) ≤ 11.32. We present a mass modeling approach to study the rotation curves of these galaxies, which allow us to dynamically calculate the physical properties associated with the baryons and the dark matter halo. For the former we assume a Freeman disk, while for the latter we employ the NFW (cusp) and the Burkert (cored) halo profiles, separately. At the end, we compare the results of both cases with state-of-the-art galaxy simulations (EAGLE, TNG100, and TNG50).Results.We find that the “cored” dark matter halo emerged as the dominant quantity from a radius 1–3 times the effective radius. Its fraction to the total mass is in good agreement with the outcome of hydrodynamical galaxy simulations. Remarkably, we found that the dark matter core ofz ∼ 1 star-forming galaxies are smaller and denser than their local counterparts.Conclusions.Dark matter halos have gradually expanded over the past 6.5 Gyrs. That is, observations are capable of capturing the dark matter response to the baryonic processes, thus giving us the first piece of empirical evidence of “gravitational potential fluctuations” in the inner region of galaxies that can be verified with deep surveys and future missions.
A model for spin–orbit commensurability and synchronous starspot activity in stars with close-by planets
Authors: Lanza A. F. 
Published: January 2022

Context. The rotation period of some planet-hosting stars appears to be in close commensurability with the orbital period of their close-by planets. In some cases, starspots rotating with a commensurable period have been detected, while the star displays latitudinal differential rotation.
Aims. A model is proposed to interpret such a phenomenon based on the excitation of resonant oscillations in the interior magnetic field of the star by a component of the tidal potential with a very low frequency in the reference frame rotating with the star.
Methods. A magnetic flux tube located in the overshoot layer of the star is assumed in order to study the excitation of the resonant oscillations in the magnetostrophic regime. The model considers a planet on a circular oblique orbit, and the growth timescale of the oscillations is estimated. To keep the system in resonance with the exciting potential despite the variations in the magnetic field or tidal frequency, a self-regulating mechanism is proposed.
Results. The model is applied to ten systems and proves capable of accounting for the observed close commensurability in eight of them by assuming a magnetic field between 102 and 104 G. Systems with distant low-mass planets, such as AU Mic and HAT-P-11, cannot be interpreted by the proposed model.
Conclusions. Consequences for the spin–orbit evolution of the systems, including the dynamical tides and gyrochronology of planet-hosting stars, are discussed together with the effects on the chromospheric features produced by star–planet magnetic interactions.