Mid Region Research Articles

MINING OF BIOMECHANICAL AND GEOMETRY DATA OF INTERVERTEBRAL DISC FINITE ELEMENT SIMULATIONS

This study investigates the relationships between Intervertebral Disc (IVD) morphology and biomechanics using patient-specific (PS) finite element (FE) models and poromechanical simulations.169 3D lumbar IVD shapes from the European project MySpine (FP7-269909), spanning healthy to Pfirrmann grade 4 degeneration, were obtained from MRIs. A Bayesian Coherent Point Drift algorithm aligned meshes to a previously validated structural FE mesh of the IVD. After mesh quality analyses and Hausdorff distance measurements, mechanical simulations were performed: 8 and 16 hours of sleep and daytime, respectively, applying 0.11 and 0.54 MPa of pressure on the upper cartilage endplate (CEP). Simulation results were extracted from the anterior (ATZ) and posterior regions (PTZ) and the center of the nucleus pulposus (CNP). Data mining was performed using Linear Regression, Support Vector Machine, and eXtreme Gradient Boosting techniques. Mechanical variables of interest in DD, such as pore fluid velocity (FLVEL), water content, and swelling pressure, were examined. The morphological variables of the simulated discs were used as input features.Local morphological variables significantly impacted the local mechanical response. The local disc heights, respectively in the mid (mh), anterior (ah), and posterior (ph) regions, were key factors in general. Additionally, fluid transport, reflected by FLVEL, was greatly influenced (r2 0.69) by the shape of the upper and lower cartilage endplates (CEPs).This study suggests that disc morphology affects Mechanical variables of interest in DD. Attention should be paid to the antero-posterior distribution and local effects of disc heights. Surprisingly, the CEP morphology remotely affected the fluid transport in NP volumes around mid-height, and mechanobiological implications shall be explored. In conclusion, patient-specific IVD modeling has strong potential to unravel important correlations between IVD phenotypes and local tissue regulation.Acknowledgments: European Commission: Disc4All-MSCA-2020-ITN-ETN GA: 955735; O-Health-ERC-CoG-2021-101044828

Intraoperative cortical stimulation mapping with laryngeal electromyography for the localization of human laryngeal motor cortex.

The objectives of this study were to describe the authors' clinical methodology and outcomes for mapping the laryngeal motor cortex (LMC) and define localization of the LMC in a cohort of neurosurgical patients undergoing intraoperative brain mapping. Because of mapping variability across patients, the authors aimed to define the probabilistic distribution of cortical sites that evoke laryngeal movement, as well as adjacent cortical somatotopic representations for the face (mouth), tongue, and hand. Thirty-six patients underwent left (n = 18) or right (n = 18) craniotomy with asleep motor mapping. For each patient, electromyography (EMG) electrodes were placed in the face, tongue, and hand; a nerve integrity monitor (NIM) endotracheal tube with surface electrodes detected EMG activity from the bilateral vocal folds. After dense cortical stimulation was delivered throughout the sensorimotor cortex, motor responses were then mapped onto a three-dimensional reconstruction of the patient's cortical surfaces for location characterization of the evoked responses. Finally, stimulation sites were transformed into a two-dimensional coordinate system for probabilistic mapping of the stimulation site relative to the central sulcus and sylvian fissure. The authors found that the LMC was predominantly localized to a mid precentral gyrus region, dorsal to face representation and surrounding a transverse sulcus ventral to the hand knob. In 14 of 36 patients, the authors identified additional laryngeal responses located ventral to all orofacial representations, providing evidence for dual LMC representations. The authors determined the probabilistic distribution of the LMC. Cortical stimulation mapping with an NIM endotracheal tube is an easy and effective method for mapping the LMC and is simply integrated into the current neuromonitoring methods for brain mapping.

Influence of combined and solo application of organic manure, mulching and chemical fertilizer on growth and yield of barley crop under mid hill region of Himachal Pradesh

Influence of combined and solo application of organic manure, mulching and chemical fertilizer on growth and yield of barley crop under mid hill region of Himachal Pradesh

Magnetic Sectional Denture for Microstomia Patient with Oral Submucous Fibrosis

This article presents a case report of a patient with oral sub mucous fibrosis and subsequent microstomia , that resulted in restricted mouth opening. A magnetic sectional denture was planned for the maxillary arch to overcome the problem and a conventional denture was planned for the mandibular arch. Primary impressions were made, followed by sectional maxillary special trays for border molding. The record bases for the maxillary arch was fabricated in heat cure by incorporating magnets of 3mm diameter on the anterior alveolar ridge and middle part of mid palatal raphe region, and 5 mm magnet towards the posterior most part of mid palatal raphe region. The jaw relation was carried out, followed by teeth setting and wax try in. Finally the maxillary denture was processed in two sections and denture insertion was done. Satisfactory retention was achieved and phonetics was restored.

Performance Evaluation of Khari and Boer Crossbred Goats in Mid Hills Under Optimum Management Regime.

Goats are recognized as a vital and versatile livestock commodity with significant importance in rural farmers’ communities of developing countries, including Nepal. Growth, reproductive and litter performances are considered as the major economic traits of goats. This study was designed to compare the growth, reproduction and litter traits of goat kids and does at mid hill region for different non-genetic factors such as genetic groups (Khari, Boer 75% and 50%), parity (early, mid and late), season of conception and kidding (summer, autumn, winter, spring), sex (male and female) and type of birth (single, twins and triplet) under optimum management regime. Data for the four-year study period (2017 to 2021) on production performance were entered into MS-Excel sheet from the data record book of the National Goat Research Program, Bandipur and analyzed by using Mixed Model Least-square and Maximum Likelihood Computer Program PC-2 statistical package. The means were compared using Duncans' Multiple Range Test (DMRT). Results revealed that the effect of genetic group, parity, type of birth and sex were significant (p<0.05) with respect to growth at different stages along with genetic group and parity that were significant with major non-genetic factors affecting reproduction and litter traits. Better reproduction parameters were recorded for the Khari goat breed than Boer crossbred. Similarly, litter traits at both birth and weaning were found better in later parities with better performance in Khari. Males were born heavier and consistent throughout the study period up to eighteen months. Hence, based on the findings of this study, it can be concluded that Khari goat breed has high potential for its reproduction and litter traits with a massive scope of improvement through selection within the population. Likewise, it is also important to consider the growth of inferior Khari goats can also be genetically improved through upgrading up to 75% blood level using an appropriate breed, such as Boer.

Increasing wave power due to global climate change and intensification of Antarctic Oscillation

In this study, our objective is to evaluate the long-term variability of global wave power and its underlying mechanisms, utilizing the longest wave reanalysis available (ERA5, 1940–2022). We introduce a novel validation of the global wave power of the ERA5 wave reanalysis against measurements from multi-platform satellite altimeters from 1985 to 2022. This validation shows good agreement over the period. Our analysis shows a consistent increase in global wave power throughout the study period. This rise in global wave power predominantly stems from the influences of global climate change and the intensification of Antarctic Oscillation (AAO) events. As low-pressure systems move southward in the Southern Hemisphere over this period, they generate an increase in wave power 2.6 times larger than the global average increase. This energetic wave power propagates towards the mid and low-latitude regions of the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic Oceans. This conclusion is verified by an examination of wind wave and swell contributions to wave power. Specifically, the wind wave component (swell) is more (less) important in the Southern Ocean than in the low and mid-latitude regions.

Deep learning approach using SPECT-to-PET translation for attenuation correction in CT-less myocardial perfusion SPECT imaging

ObjectiveDeep learning approaches have attracted attention for improving the scoring accuracy in computed tomography-less single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). In this study, we proposed a novel deep learning approach referring to positron emission tomography (PET). The aims of this study were to analyze the agreement of representative voxel values and perfusion scores of SPECT-to-PET translation model-generated SPECT (SPECTSPT) against PET in 17 segments according to the American Heart Association (AHA).MethodsThis retrospective study evaluated the patient-to-patient stress, resting SPECT, and PET datasets of 71 patients. The SPECTSPT generation model was trained (stress: 979 image pairs, rest: 987 image pairs) and validated (stress: 421 image pairs, rest: 425 image pairs) using 31 cases of SPECT and PET image pairs using an image-to-image translation network. Forty of 71 cases of left ventricular base-to-apex short-axis images were translated to SPECTSPT in the stress and resting state (stress: 1830 images, rest: 1856 images). Representative voxel values of SPECT and SPECTSPT in the 17 AHA segments against PET were compared. The stress, resting, and difference scores of 40 cases of SPECT and SPECTSPT were also compared in each of the 17 segments.ResultsFor AHA 17-segment-wise analysis, stressed SPECT but not SPECTSPT voxel values showed significant error from PET at basal anterior regions (segments #1, #6), and at mid inferoseptal regions (segments #8, #9, and #10). SPECT, but not SPECTSPT, voxel values at resting state showed significant error at basal anterior regions (segments #1, #2, and #6), and at mid inferior regions (segments #8, #9, and #11). Significant SPECT overscoring was observed against PET in basal-to-apical inferior regions (segments #4, #10, and #15) during stress. No significant overscoring was observed in SPECTSPT at stress, and only moderate over and underscoring in the basal inferior region (segment #4) was found in the resting and difference states.ConclusionsOur PET-supervised deep learning model is a new approach to correct well-known inferior wall attenuation in SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging. As standalone SPECT systems are used worldwide, the SPECTSPT generation model may be applied as a low-cost and practical clinical tool that provides powerful auxiliary information for the diagnosis of myocardial blood flow.

All talk…only a little action: a reflection on embedding equity into integrated care models in Ontario, Canada

Background: Ontario Health Teams (OHTs) are a recently introduced model of delivery intended to integrate services to deliver connected care to defined populations in Ontario, Canada. The Quadruple Aim advocates for improving patient experience, reducing cost, advancing population health, and improving the provider experience; it is meant to be a guide for OHTs for performance outcomes and as a framework for evaluation and reporting. The Quintuple Aim, incorporating an added focus on health equity, has recently been introduced to OHTs, where equity is also built into continuous quality improvement requirements. As embedded OHT research fellows, we recognize our key role in supporting equity in healthcare delivery and programs. However, we also observe the challenges to generating actionable initiatives to integrate equity into OHTs.
 Objective: The objective of this presentation is to describe equity initiatives being incorporated in four OHTs in Ontario, Canada and to identify the barriers and facilitators at the micro, meso and macro levels. This presentation is aimed at those involved in integrated care research, policy, practice, and education.
 Methods: We will use a multiple case study design to describe the contexts of four integrated care models representing large, mid, and small urban regions of the province. This work is guided by the Rainbow Model for Integrated Care, which conceptualizes different domains of integrated care. We will include multiple data sources from each OHT, including key documents, formal and informal community partnerships, the level and nature of engagement with equity-deserving groups in governance processes, the extent to which equity is emphasized in strategic plans and other documents, and the resources available, we share insights gleaned on barriers and facilitators to applying an equity lens. 
 Key Results: We identify challenges related to data availability for health equity decision making and health systems planning. Specifically, difficulties exist in accessing meaningful and linked data to understand OHT attributed populations; these difficulties are compounded when seeking data specific to equity deserving groups and when attempting to link equity relevant indicators to health system indicators. Furthermore, meaningful engagement with equity deserving groups in order to build relationships requires time and resources that are difficult to source; such engagement is particularly challenging in an environment of limited financial resources, where frequent reporting and pressure to quickly deliver outcomes is emphasized. OHTs are collaborative governance models composed of representation from member organizations, patients, and academics; this collaborative approach to governance can be a facilitator to embedding equity deserving groups into the structure of OHTs.
 Next Steps: Ontario Health Teams require support in creating comprehensive equity approaches that are specific to the needs of their communities and teams; further work is needed to better understand the needs of OHTs in this regard.

Characterization of Tricuspid Valve Anatomy and Coaptation Gap in Subjects Receiving Tricuspid Transcatheter Edge-To-Edge Repair: Observations From the bRIGHT TriClip Study

Transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) for the treatment of tricuspid regurgitation (TR) has experienced fast adoption following commercial approval. Defining the appropriate target population for TEER therapy is important to guide patient selection. The aim of this study was to characterize tricuspid valve anatomy and coaptation gap in subjects receiving TEER for the treatment of TR in a contemporary postmarket setting. The bRIGHT study is a prospective, multicenter, single-arm, postmarket study evaluating the safety and effectiveness of the TriClip device. Procedural outcomes included implant success, acute procedural success, TR severity, major adverse events, single-leaflet device attachment, and embolization through 30 postprocedure days. Tricuspid valve characteristics, including morphology, annulus size, and leaflet mobility, were assessed via two-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography from the screening visit by an independent echo core lab to characterize subject variability. Coaptation gap measurements were taken in both the transgastric short-axis (TG SAX) and RV inflow/outflow views. The independent echo core lab performed a detailed assessment of the tricuspid valve on 135 consecutive subjects with available TG SAX views from 24 sites. Tricuspid valve morphologies included 2 to 5 leaflets, with a non-trileaflet valve in 28% of subjects and ≥4 leaflets in 21% of subjects. The etiology of TR was functional in 91% (96/105), mixed in 7% (7/105), and lead induced in 2% (2/105) of subjects. Leaflet mobility was mildly restricted in 69% (78/113) and moderately restricted in 7% (8/113) of subjects. Annulus diameter averaged 4.7±0.7cm with a range of 2.5 to 6.2cm. From the TG SAX view, the coaptation gap measured 8.1±3.1 and 5.2±2.3mm in the central and mid regions of the anterior-septal coaptation line and 6.6±3.2 and 3.8±2.1mm in the central and mid regions of the septal-posterior coaptation line, respectively. From the right ventricular inflow/outflow view, the coaptation gap measured 4.7±2.4, 5.2±2.4, and 4.6±3.0mm in the anterior, mid, and posterior regions of the tricuspid valve, respectively. Thirty-day TR reduction (by number of grades) was similar among subjects with coaptation gaps of <7mm, 7 to 10mm, and >10mm. A broad range of anatomies was observed in this postmarket population. Characterization of the tricuspid valve and coaptation gap will help to better understand and better define the target patient population for tricuspid TEER therapy.

Regional left ventricular longitudinal strain and heart failure in a low-risk community

Abstract Background Global longitudinal strain is a well-established prognosticator of heart failure (HF) in the general population. The prognostic values of regional left ventricular (LV) longitudinal strain of the basal, mid and apical regions remain unexplored in the general population. Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between regional LV strain and incident HF in the general population. Methods This prospective cohort study included randomly selected citizens from a major metropolitan area. All participants were examined with echocardiography. The outcome was incident HF. Participants were excluded if regional LV strain was not assessable in all 3 LV regions or if they had atrial fibrillation or HF at baseline. A multivariable Cox regression model adjusted for sex, age, smoking status, heart rate, systolic blood pressure, history of ischemic heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, LV mass index, LV ejection fraction and E/e’ was used. Results A total of 3,952 individuals were included. Mean age was 56±18 years and 43% were male. Mean basal, mid, and apical LV strain was 16.4±2.6%, 19.5±2.6 and 22.8±3.6% respectively. Median follow-up was 5.4 years (IQR: 4.4; 6.3) and 99 developed HF. In multivariable Cox regressions models, only decreasing LV basal strain was associated with future HF (HR = 1.18, 95%CI (1.06; 1.32), P = 0.003, per 1% decrease) (Figure 1). Additionally, LV basal strain provided incremental prognostic information regarding future HF to the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities HF risk score (continuous net reclassification index = 0.468, 95% CI (0.155; 0.687)). Conclusion In individuals from the general population, basal LV strain entailed incremental prognostic information regarding the risk of incident HF.Basal strain and incident HF

Abstract 13832: XplainScar: Explainable Artificial Intelligence to Identify and Localize Left Ventricular Scar in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) Using 12-lead Electrocardiogram

Background/Rationale: Myocardial scar, identified by late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) on MRI, is associated with sudden death in HCM. Unlike ECG, MRI is expensive and adversely affected by artifacts from implanted devices. However, little is known about ECG features of LV-scar in HCM. Objective: Develop an ECG-based explainable machine learning method to identify and localize LV-scar in HCM. Method: We retrospectively studied 500 HCM patients (JH HCM Registry) for model development, and 248 patients (UCSF HCM Registry) for validation. All patients underwent MRI and ECHO within 1 year of ECG. LV-LGE (scar) was assessed using QMass. After excluding RV-insertion-point-LGE, the LV was divided into basal, mid, and apical regions for scar detection. Resting 12-lead ECGs were segmented, features were extracted and adjusted for LV-mass, age, sex. We utilized unsupervised and self-supervised ECG representation learning, where patients are partitioned into groups of several sub-clusters, each sharing similar ECG patterns, but with high separation between scar and no-scar classes. In each group, a self-supervised neural net and a fully connected neural net successfully predicted LV-scar (see Figure) and revealed ECG features of scar. Results: Our method identifies LV-scar in the JH-dataset with high precision (90%), sensitivity (95%), specificity (80%), F1-score (90%), and generalizes well to UCSF-data (precision:88%, sensitivity:90%, specificity:78%, F1-score:89%). The top ECG features for basal-scar are Q-amplitude, Q-slope, non-terminal QRS duration in aVR, and area under QRS and T wave energy in V1-V2. T-wave inversion in V4-V6, area under QRS in V3, TP slope in V3-V4 predicted apical scar. Features selected for mid scar prediction combine features for basal and apical scar. Conclusion: This is the first ECG-based ML model to identify/localize LV-scar in HCM. Our model demonstrates good performance and reveals ECG features of scar in HCM.

Characterizing the weather band variability of the Texas shelf current

Considering the benefits of understanding the circulation patterns of the shelf, it is not surprising that there are numerous studies of the Texas Shelf circulation patterns. Given that previous studies were focused on the low-frequency variability of the circulation which is upcoast (northeast flow) in the summer and downcoast (southwest flow) especially on the inner shelf in the non-summer seasons, this study investigates the weather band (2–15 days) variability of the Texas Shelf near-surface circulation pattern. Current meter data at 1.5 m below the sea surface from the inner, mid, and outer shelves were analyzed. This study demonstrated that there are high-frequency current reversals within the weather band in each season. From the estimated persistence of the currents during reversals, the inner and mid shelf currents are predominantly downcoast in the non-summer seasons and upcoast in the summer season whereas the outer shelf currents are mostly upcoast all year round. The Wavelets analysis of the currents revealed that most of the variabilities on the inner and mid shelf regions were within the 4-12-day band whereas on the outer shelf the dominant variability was within the 3–8-day band. From the cross-spectra analysis of both the currents and wind data, it was determined that the influence of the wind was more dominant on the inner and mid shelf regions at the 8–15-day band than on the outer shelf where the contribution of the wind is prevalent at the 2–4-day band.

Optimal Age at First Calving in Pasture-Based Dairy Systems

The age at first calving (AFC) is one of the most used indicators to evaluate the efficiency of rearing systems in dairy herds. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the association between AFC and different parameters of productive and reproductive efficiency in dairy cows of Holstein and Jersey breeds and their crosses, reared under pasture-based conditions. A retrospective longitudinal study was carried out with information on the performance of 77,311 cows with birth and culling dates between 1990 and 2016 from 654 specialized dairy herds located in mid and high-altitude regions of Costa Rica. Cows were classified into five classes according to their age in months at first calving (≤24, 25–27, 28–30, 31–33, ≥34). A generalized linear mixed model was used to assess the effect of AFC and breed factors on milk production (first lactation, lifetime total, and per day of life), open period (first calving and lifetime total), and herd life. The mean AFC was 29.5, 29.1, and 28.0 months for Holstein, Holstein × Jersey, and Jersey, respectively. The AFC was significantly associated (p &lt; 0.01) with all the variables evaluated. Cows with AFC ≤ 24 presented a higher (p &lt; 0.01) milk production (total lifetime and per day of life), as well as a longer herd life, compared to cows in classes of AFC &gt; 28 m. The reduction in AFC contributes to a significant increase in the production and reproduction efficiency of pasture-based dairy herds. This effect was consistent across the three breed groups.

Numerical investigation of swash–swash interaction effects on beachface evolution using Nonlinear Shallow Water Equations

This paper presents a numerical investigation of multiple identical swash events to study the swash–swash interaction processes and their impacts on beachface evolution. The numerical model, based on the Nonlinear Shallow Water Equations, is first calibrated/validated against two different single-event-based data-sets. Multiple swash events are generated by identical solitary waves separated by different time intervals, to achieve weak and strong wave-backwash interactions. After a small number of weak interaction events the main feature is erosion from lower and mid swash region and deposition seaward of the swash in a bed-step, created by a backwash bore, primarily due to bed-load. As the number of waves increases, the strength of this backwash bore reduces because of the reduced beach slope caused by the growing bed-step. This eventually leads to a net quasi-equilibrium between bed- and suspended-load per period in most of the swash and surf zones. For strong interaction, initial bed evolution per event is much slower, due to interactions, and is bed load dominated. A quasi-equilibrium is also established as the influence of suspended load grows. Overall bed change per period within the domain eventually converges in both cases. Final bed profiles (i.e. after the same elapsed time, but different numbers of waves) are fairly similar, both with an offshore swash bar. Both profiles continue to evolve on the offshore side of this bar. However, this evolution is driven by suspended load for the weak interactions and bed load for strong interactions. The implication is that similar swash morphological features can emerge from different swash processes, and also be maintained distinctly.

Investigating the effect of cochleotopic region on temporal processing using binaural fusion

Processing of temporal information in a signal may vary across apical, mid and basal regions of the cochlea—there is evidence for this in both cochlear-implant and typical-hearing listeners. This effect may also be task dependent and has not been studied with respect to binaural fusion. Fusion depends on tracking the temporal fluctuations across ears which can be manipulated by varying the interaural correlation (IC) of a signal. To investigate the effect of place of stimulation on fusion, 9 bilateral cochlear implant users were presented with 1000 Hz pulse trains with varying envelope IC. An apical, mid, and basal electrode were separately selected as reference, each of which was then paired with five electrodes in the contralateral ear, spread across the array. Listeners indicated the spatial diffuseness and the number of auditory “images” of the perceived sound by manipulating a visual representation of their perception superimposed on a picture of a head. Preliminary results indicate that, for optimally paired electrodes, fusion increases similarly for the three regions of the cochlea with increasing IC, and when IC is 1, the degree of fusion is comparable across regions. Processing of temporal information for binaural fusion is not significantly different across cochleotopic regions.

Interpreting the ‘rural mural’ phenomenon: Creative place-making in rural towns in South and Mid Canterbury, Aotearoa New Zealand

Consistent with discussions about public art and creative place-making in processes of rural settlement regeneration, this paper reports an enquiry into the recent appearance of large outdoor murals in several rural towns in the South and Mid Canterbury regions of Te Waipounamu the South Island of Aotearoa New Zealand. The enquiry is part of a larger study of rural settlement regeneration in which a variety of social, cultural, environmental, and economic revitalisation initiatives designed by local people are being interpreted. With that focus, our purpose in this paper is to describe and interpret the form and content of the murals under study and the ways they are used to distinguish places and their residents. Reflecting on the existing literature, which emphasises public art as a marker of place identity that is influenced by processes of commodification, we interpret the rural mural phenomenon as a key interlinked cultural and economic element in rural regeneration. Adding a policy dimension, we also examine the possibility of linking murals into wider networks of public art across Te Waipounamu the South Island.

Mate calling alters expression of neuropeptide, cocaine- and amphetamine- regulated transcript (CART) in the brain of male frog Microhyla nilphamariensis

Croaking is a unique component of reproductive behaviour in amphibians which plays a key role in intraspecies communication and mate evaluation. While gonadal hormones are known to induce croaking, central regulation of sound production is less studied. Croaking is a dramatic, transient activity that sets apart an animal from non-croaking individuals. Herein, we aim at examining the profile of the neuropeptide cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART) in actively croaking and non-croaking frog Microhyla nilphamariensis. In anurans, this peptide is widely expressed in the areas inclusive of acoustical nuclei as well as areas relevant to reproduction. CART immunoreactivity was far more in the preoptic area (POA), anteroventral tegmentum (AV), ventral hypothalamus (vHy), pineal (P) and pituitary gland of croaking frog compared to non-croaking animals. On similar lines, tissue fragments collected from the mid region of the brain inclusive of POA, vHy, AV, pineal and pituitary gland of croaking frog showed upregulation of CART mRNA. However, CART immunoreactivity in the neuronal perikarya of raphe (Ra) was completely abolished during croaking activity. The data suggest that CART signaling in the brain may be an important player in mediating croaking behaviour in the frog.

First report of Colletotrichum grevilleae causing fruit anthracnose of pomegranate in Taiwan.

Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.), native to northern India, is a popular fruit crop. In Taiwan, pomegranate is mainly cultivated in the mid and southern regions including Waipu, Taichung and Neipu, Pingtung. However, diseases affecting production and quality of pomegranate are largely understudied in Taiwan where gray mold and Cercospora leaf spot of pomegranate were ever reported (Hsieh, 1978; Hsieh and Wu, 1989). Pomegranate fruit (cv. Tunisia) showing anthracnose symptoms were found in a commercial pomegranate farm of 0.4 ha in Waipu (N24.33111, E120.68978) in August 2020. Around 40% fruit were infected and displayed symptoms of brown sunken lesions with indistinct edges typically occurred at the fruit ripening stage (supplementary Fig. S1). To isolate the pathogen, diseased exocarps were surface sterilized with 1% NaOCl followed by 70% ethanol. Surface-sterilized tissues were placed on potato dextrose agar (PDA) and incubated at 25°C. A fungus was consistently isolated from diseased fruit, and five isolates (PGCo1, WP1, WP2, WP3, and WP4) were obtained. When cultured on PDA 25℃ under near UV light (360 nm) with a 12-h:12-h light/dark cycle for 10 days, the isolates initially produced white hyphae and subsequently formed dark gray to olivaceous black colonies with white edge, and no conidiomata was observed (supplementary Fig. S1). Conidia were usually aseptate, hyaline, cylindrical to ellipsoid and obtuse at either one or both ends (supplementary Fig. S1), and measured 16.0 ± 1.6 (11.4-18.9) × 5.6 ± 0.5 (4.5-6.9) μm (n = 100). The isolates were further identified by sequence comparison and phylogenetic analysis of concatenated partial sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) of the rDNA, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), beta-tubulin (TUB2), chitin synthase 1 (CHS-1), actin (ACT) and calmodulin (CAL) genes (Weir et al., 2012). The sequences were deposited in the GenBank under accession numbers ON849040-ON849044 and ON862106-ON862130. BLASTn searches showed the ITS sequences of the pomegranate isolates were 100% identical to that of C. grevilleae CBS 132879T (NR_163525). The ACT, GAPDH and TUB2 sequences of the isolates were 100%, 100% and 99.57%, respectively, identical to those of C. grevilleae CBS 132879T (KC296941, KC297010 and KC297102). The CHS-1 sequences were 99.67-100% identical to that of C. grevilleae CBS 132879T (KC296987). The CAL sequences showed 91.50% and 100% identity with those of C. grevilleae CBS 132879T (KC296963) and C. grossum CAUG7T (KP890147), respectively, both members of the C. gloeosporioides species complex. Multilocus sequence analysis of the combined data was conducted using MEGA X software (Kumar et al., 2018). The five isolates were clustered with C. grevilleae CBS 132879T, indicating that the pomegranate isolates are C. grevilleae (Supplementary Fig. S2). For pathogenicity test, 6 symptomless ripe pomegranate fruit (cv. Tunisia) were surface sterilized, wounded by stabbing a sterile needle, and inoculated with a conidial suspension (10 μl each, 1×106 conidia/ml) of PGCo1. Sterile water was used as control. The inoculated fruit were kept in a moist plastic chamber (>95% relative humidity, 25 ± 2°C) in darkness. The experiment was performed twice. Seven days post inoculation, the artificially inoculated fruit showed anthracnose symptoms of sunken brown lesions indistinguishable from the natural infection. The control remained symptomless. The same fungus was repeatedly isolated from the symptomatic fruit, fulfilling Koch's postulates. Prior to this study, only the ex-type strain of C. grevilleae was collected from root and collar rot of Grevillea sp. (Liu et al., 2013). This is the first report of C. grevilleae causing anthracnose on pomegranate in Taiwan. Since no fungicide has been approved for pomegranate cultivation in Taiwan, future study is necessary to develop a management strategy against this disease.

Power Usage Effectiveness in Stratosphere Based Computing Platforms: Re-evaluation and Need to Re-establish Performance Benefits via an Intelligent Light Server Selection Architecture

The need to reduce data center operational costs has necessitated siting cloud computing platforms in cold locations such as the stratosphere. The stratosphere has also been found to play an important role in understanding life origins as it hosts life forms. The use of stratosphere based computing platforms however requires the hosting of multiple server payloads (requiring high energy consumption) at a higher altitude. In addition, smaller server payloads lead to smaller sized stratospheric computing platforms (SCPs) which limit interaction with stratospheric organisms. However, these challenges are not considered when designing SCPs. Hence, there is a risk of wrongly evaluating the power usage effectiveness (PUE) associated with SCPs. In addition, there is a risk of installing and deploying large sized SCPs thereby leading to contamination and limiting research potential on studying life forms. The research being presented proposes an intelligent architecture enabling the identification, selection and use of only light weight servers aboard SCPs. The incorporation of the intelligent architecture is observed to enhance the PUE by 43.9%. In addition, the use of the intelligent architecture is noted to enhance the overall PUE by 59.6% for hosting altitudes spanning the low to mid stratosphere regions. In addition, the reduction in server weight by an amount exceeding 92% is noted by simulations to enable the realization of a PUE that is close to the ideal value of unity.

Northern Pacific extratropical cyclone variability and its linkage with Arctic sea ice changes

Extratropical cyclones are critical weather systems affecting climate change in mid and high-latitude regions. Researching the characteristics, patterns, and movements of extratropical cyclones is helpful for improved prediction and understanding of global climate change. Currently, there are still great difficulties in predicting extratropical cyclones. Also, few prior studies have investigated the potential impact of Arctic sea ice on extratropical cyclone activity (ECA). This study utilizes updated ERA5 data and an improved ECA identification method to reveal ECA in the Pacific. The results demonstrate that the Pacific ECA primarily occurs during the cold season (November to March), and the North Pacific region has the maximum ECA. More remarkably, a strong linkage exists between the preceding summer-fall anomalous changes in the Arctic sea ice and the cold season Pacific ECA. We discover that Arctic sea ice could modify the local pressure field, changing the southern boundary of the Pacific sector polar vortex in winter, which in turn influences the intensity of the westerly jet stream and eventually impacts the Pacific ECA during the cold season. Our exploration will provide references for further study and prediction of ECA in the Pacific Ocean.