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The 3D Tune-In Toolkit (3DTI Toolkit) is an open-source standard C++ library which includes a binaural spatialiser. This paper presents the technical details of this renderer, outlining its architecture and describing the processes implemented in each of its components. In order to put this description into context, the basic concepts behind binaural spatialisation are reviewed through a chronology of research milestones in the field in the last 40 years. The 3DTI Toolkit renders the anechoic signal path by convolving sound sources with Head Related Impulse Responses (HRIRs), obtained by interpolating those extracted from a set that can be loaded from any file in a standard audio format. Interaural time differences are managed separately, in order to be able to customise the rendering according the head size of the listener, and to reduce comb-filtering when interpolating between different HRIRs. In addition, geometrical and frequency-dependent corrections for simulating near-field sources are included. Reverberation is computed separately using a virtual loudspeakers Ambisonic approach and convolution with Binaural Room Impulse Responses (BRIRs). In all these processes, special care has been put in avoiding audible artefacts produced by changes in gains and audio filters due to the movements of sources and of the listener. The 3DTI Toolkit performance, as well as some other relevant metrics such as non-linear distortion, are assessed and presented, followed by a comparison between the features offered by the 3DTI Toolkit and those found in other currently available open- and closed-source binaural renderers.

Most eukaryotic cells contain varying amounts of cytosolic lipidic inclusions termed lipid bodies (LBs) or lipid droplets (LDs). In mammalian cells, such as macrophages, these lipid-rich organelles are formed in response to host-pathogen interaction during infectious diseases and are sites for biosynthesis of arachidonic acid (AA)-derived inflammatory mediators (eicosanoids). Less clear are the functions of LBs in pathogenic lower eukaryotes. In this study, we demonstrated that LBs, visualized by light microscopy with different probes and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), are produced in trypomastigote forms of the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, the causal agent of Chagas' disease, after both host interaction and exogenous AA stimulation. Quantitative TEM revealed that LBs from amastigotes, the intracellular forms of the parasite, growing in vivo have increased size and electron-density compared to LBs from amastigotes living in vitro. AA-stimulated trypomastigotes released high amounts of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and showed PGE2 synthase expression. Raman spectroscopy demonstrated increased unsaturated lipid content and AA incorporation in stimulated parasites. Moreover, both Raman and MALDI mass spectroscopy revealed increased AA content in LBs purified from AA-stimulated parasites compared to LBs from unstimulated group. By using a specific technique for eicosanoid detection, we immunolocalized PGE2 within LBs from AA-stimulated trypomastigotes. Altogether, our findings demonstrate that LBs from the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi are not just lipid storage inclusions but dynamic organelles, able to respond to host interaction and inflammatory events and involved in the AA metabolism. Acting as sources of PGE2, a potent immunomodulatory lipid mediator that inhibits many aspects of innate and adaptive immunity, newly-formed parasite LBs may be implicated with the pathogen survival in its host.

We detected Mayaro virus (MAYV) in 3.4% (28/822) of febrile patients tested during 2018-2021 from Roraima State, Brazil. We also isolated MAYV strains and confirmed that these cases were caused by genotype D. Improved surveillance is needed to better determine the burden of MAYV in the Amazon Region.

Pathogens induce several changes in the host cell signaling and trafficking mechanisms in order to evade and manipulate the immune response. One prominent pathogen-mediated change is the formation of lipid-rich organelles, termed lipid bodies (LBs) or lipid droplets, in the host cell cytoplasm. Protozoan parasites, which contribute expressively to the burden of infectious diseases worldwide, are able to induce LB genesis in non-immune and immune cells, mainly macrophages, key players in the initial resistance to the infection. Under host-parasite interaction, LBs not only accumulate in the host cytoplasm but also relocate around and move into parasitophorous vacuoles. There is increasing evidence that protozoan parasites may target host-derived LBs either for gaining nutrients or for escaping the host immune response. Newly formed, parasite-induced LBs may serve as lipid sources for parasite growth and also produce inflammatory mediators that potentially act in the host immune response deactivation. In this mini review, we summarize current knowledge on the formation and role of host LBs as sites exploited by intracellular protozoan parasites as a strategy to maintain their own survival.

Virtual trackball techniques have become a standard in 3D applications, particularly for interfaces with limited degrees of freedom such as touchscreens or mice. The fact that we are used to them does not mean that they cannot be improved upon. Recent research has highlighted the significance of considering users’ mental models of a preferred rotation axis, as it can improve performance, perceived usability and perceived workload. Building upon these findings, this paper introduces the spheroidal trackball framework—a novel method for orbiting the virtual camera around elongated objects. The paper presents the mathematical formulation and the evaluation of the technique. The formulation offers enough information to implement the approach. The evaluation shows the advantages of this approach over the fixed spherical trackball for this class of objects, in terms of task performance, usability and perceived workload. This research constitutes an advancement in the refinement of 3D user interaction techniques, opening new avenues of innovation in this still evolving field.

Three algorithms for estimating the boundary layer heights are assessed: an aerosol gradient method, a cluster analysis method, and a Haar wavelet method. Over 40 daytime clear-sky radiosonde profiles are used to compare aerosol backscatter boundary layer heights retrieved by a Vaisala CL31 ceilometer. Overall good agreement between radiosonde- and aerosol-derived boundary layer heights was found for all methods. The cluster method was found to be particularly sensitive to noise in ceilometer signals and lofted aerosol layers (48.8 % of comparisons), while the gradient method showed limitations in low-aerosol-backscatter conditions. The Haar wavelet method was demonstrated to be the most robust, only showing limitations in 22.5 % of all observations. Occasional differences between thermodynamically and aerosol-derived boundary layer heights were observed.

Advanced three-dimensional extended reality (XR) technologies are highly suitable for cultural heritage research and education. XR tools enable the creation of realistic virtual or augmented reality applications for curating and disseminating information about cultural artifacts and sites. Developing XR applications for cultural heritage requires interdisciplinary collaboration involving strong teamwork and soft skills to manage user requirements, system specifications, and design cycles. Given the diverse end-users, achieving high precision, accuracy, and efficiency in information management and user experience is crucial. Human–computer interaction (HCI) design and evaluation methods are essential for ensuring usability and return on investment. This article presents ten case studies of cultural heritage software projects, illustrating the interdisciplinary work between computer science and HCI design. Students from institutions such as the State University of New York (USA), Glasgow School of Art (UK), University of Granada (Spain), University of Málaga (Spain), Duy Tan University (Vietnam), Imperial College London (UK), Research University Institute of Communication & Computer Systems (Greece), Technical University of Košice (Slovakia), and Indiana University (USA) contributed to creating, assessing, and improving the usability of these diverse cultural heritage applications. The results include a structured typology of CH XR application scenarios, detailed insights into design and evaluation practices across ten international use cases, and a development framework that supports interdisciplinary collaboration and stakeholder integration in phygital cultural heritage projects.

Ozone plays a key role in both atmospheric chemistry and UV absorption in planetary atmospheres. On Mars, upper-tropospheric ozone has been widely characterized by space-based instruments. However, surface ozone remains poorly characterized, hindered by the limited sensitivity of orbiters to the lowest scale height of the atmosphere and challenges in delivering payloads to the surface of Mars, which have prevented, to date, the measurement of ozone from the surface of Mars. Systematic measurements from the Martian surface could advance our knowledge of the atmospheric chemistry and habitability potential of this planet. NASA’s Mars 2020 mission includes the first ozone detector deployed on the Martian surface, which is based on discrete photometric observations in the ultraviolet band, a simple technology that could obtain the first insights into total ozone abundance in preparation for more sophisticated measurement techniques. This paper describes the Mars 2020 ozone detector and its retrieval algorithm, including its performance under different sources of uncertainty and the potential application of the retrieval algorithm on other missions, such as NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory. Pre-landing simulations using the UVISMART radiative transfer model suggest that the retrieval is robust and that it can deal with common issues affecting surface operations in Martian missions, although the expected low ozone abundance and instrument uncertainties could challenge its characterization in tropical latitudes of the planet. Other space missions will potentially include sensors of similar technology.

Stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) is a highly contagious disease, causing mass coral mortalities in the Atlantic/Caribbean since 2014. In Puerto Rico, SCTLD was first reported in 2019 off the east coast, spreading to the north-central region by early February 2021. Benthic surveys were conducted at Cueva del Indio (CI) and Peñón de Mera (PM) off Arecibo to (1) quantify coral species-specific SCTLD prevalence using four 10 × 1-m 2 belt transects and (2) acquire time-series photo and video surveys to illustrate the impact of SCTLD, to evaluate coral species-specific susceptibilities, and estimate the timing of onset in Arecibo. A total of 650 corals in six species ( Pseudodiploria strigosa , P. clivosa , Montastraea cavernosa , Siderastrea siderea , Orbicella annularis , Porites astreoides ) were recorded inside the belt transects at both sites. SCTLD prevalence varied between 54% ( P. strigosa ) and 35.5% ( M. cavernosa ) at CI, and between 87.5% ( S. siderea ) and 25% ( O. faveolata ) at PM. Photo/video surveys revealed that SCTLD caused partial mortality in 11 species and full mortality in P. strigosa , P. clivosa , S. siderea , M. cavernosa , and Dendrogyra cylindrus . The results are discussed in view of prior research and contribute to understanding the spread and impact of SCTLD around Puerto Rico, which can be applied to predict its spread to other regions in the Caribbean.

By studying the evolution of the color index (CI) during twilight at high latitudes, polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) can be detected and characterized. In this work, this method has been applied to the measurements obtained by a visible ground-based spectrometer and PSCs have been studied over the Belgrano II Antarctic station for years 2018 and 2019. The methodology applied has been validated by full spherical radiative transfer simulations, which confirm that PSCs can be detected and their altitude estimated with this instrumentation. Moreover, our investigation shows that this method is useful even in presence of optically thin tropospheric clouds or aerosols. PSCs observed in this work have been classified by altitude. Our results are in good agreement with the stratospheric temperature evolution obtained by the global meteorological model ECMWF (European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts) and with satellite PSCs observations from CALIPSO (Cloud-Aerosol-Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations). To investigate the presence and long-term evolution of PSCs, the methodology used in this work could also be applied to foreseen and/or historical observations obtained with ground-based spectrometers such e. g. those dedicated to Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (DOAS) for trace gas observation in Arctic and Antarctic sites.