bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
TasA Fibre Interactions Are Necessary for Bacillus subtilis Biofilm Structure
Authors: Bamford Natalie C. , Morris Ryan J. , Prescott Alan , Murphy Paul , Erskine Elliot , MacPhee Cait E. , Stanley‐Wall Nicola R. 
Published: September 2024

ABSTRACTThe extracellular matrix of biofilms provides crucial structural support to the community and protection from environmental perturbations. TasA, a key Bacillus subtilis biofilm matrix protein, forms both amyloid and non‐amyloid fibrils. Non‐amyloid TasA fibrils are formed via a strand‐exchange mechanism, whereas the amyloid‐like form involves non‐specific self‐assembly. We performed mutagenesis of the N‐terminus to assess the role of non‐amyloid fibrils in biofilm development. We find that the N‐terminal tail is essential for the formation of structured biofilms, providing evidence that the strand‐exchange fibrils are the active form in the biofilm matrix. Furthermore, we demonstrate that fibre formation alone is not sufficient to give structure to the biofilm. We build an interactome of TasA with other extracellular protein components, and identify important interaction sites. Our results provide insight into how protein–matrix interactions modulate biofilm development.
First report of toxigenic Amphidoma languida (Amphidomataceae, Dinophyceae) from the Pacific, with reference to intracellular ultrastructure and azaspiracid compounds
Authors: Kuwata Koyo , Hernández‐Becerril David U. , Ozawa Mayu , Uchida Hajime , Lum Wai Mun , Takahashi Kazuya , Benico Garry , Suzuki Toshiyuki , Iwataki Mitsunori 
Published: September 2024

SUMMARYMorphology, phylogeny and azaspiracid (AZA) production of a strain of Amphidoma languida isolated from the subtropical Mexican Pacific were examined. Scanning electron microscopy showed the thecal plate arrangement of Am. languida from Mexico as Po, cp, X, 6′, 6′′, 6C, 5S, 6′′′, 2′′′′, with the prominent apical pore complex, the ventral pore on the anterior of the 1′ plate near the suture to the 6′ plate, and the antapical pore on the 2′′′′ plate, which are congruent with those of Am. languida reported from the Atlantic. The ventral depression was occasionally observed on the anterior end of Sa plate. Cells had a dinokaryotic nucleus positioned in the posterior part of the cell and parietal yellowish chloroplasts with a spherical pyrenoid in the episome. Transmission electron microscopy showed crystalline vesicles and tubular cytoplasmic invaginations in the pyrenoid, which resembled those reported from the most related non‐toxigenic species Amphidoma fulgens. The intracellular components, different from Am. fulgens, were oil droplets and lipid‐associated membranous structures. AZA‐2 was detected from the strain by liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry with a cell quota of 30.9 fg cell−1. Three other AZA‐related compounds were also detected. This is the first report of AZA‐producing Am. languida in the Pacific Ocean.
Predictors of preparedness for well‐dying among middle‐aged and older adults
Authors: Kim Sun‐Ae , An Jae‐Sun , Suh Kyung‐Hyun 
Published: September 2024

AbstractBackgroundThis study investigated psychosocial factors related to preparedness for well‐dying among middle‐aged and older adults and verified a model that can predict it along with psychosocial factors and demographic profiles to provide useful information for intervention.MethodsThe participants were 340 middle‐aged and older Korean adults aged 40–79 years. The predictive models were verified using stepwise regression and decision tree analyses.ResultsThe results revealed that personality, meaning of life, hardiness, intrinsic religiosity, death anxiety, family support, subjective well‐being, and expectations for future life were significantly correlated with preparedness for well‐dying among middle‐aged and older adults. A stepwise regression analysis revealed that meaning of life accounted for the greatest variance in preparedness for well‐dying. A decision tree model predicting preparedness for well‐dying included search for meaning, the presence of a spouse, family support, having a job, tenacity, conscientiousness, and positive emotions.ConclusionThese findings suggest that search for meaning and tenacity in middle‐aged and older adults as well as the presence of a spouse or occupation and family support may play important roles in preparing for well‐dying.
A discrete mean value of the Riemann zeta function
Authors: Benli Kübra , Elma Ertan , Ng Nathan 
Published: September 2024

AbstractIn this work, we estimate the sum
over the nontrivial zeros of the Riemann zeta function where is a complex number with and and are Dirichlet polynomials. Moreover, we estimate the discrete mean value above for higher derivatives where is replaced by for all . The formulae we obtain generalize a number of previous results in the literature. As an application, assuming the Riemann hypothesis, we obtain the lower bound
which was previously known under the generalized Riemann hypothesis, only in the case .
Strategies used to deliver bad news to the family of unexpected and sudden death victims: a scoping review protocol
Authors: Malta Hélène Ferreira , Baptista Rui Carlos Negrão , Pereira Maria Aurora Gonçalves , Parente Paulo Gonçalves , Pinho da Silva Mónica Alexandra , Santos Eduardo 
Published: September 2024

Objective:
This scoping review aims to map the strategies used during the communication of bad news to families of unexpected and sudden death victims from the perspective of those receiving the news.

Introduction:
The strategies used in communicating a person’s death to their family, especially in unexpected and sudden situations, can have a profound impact on the grief management process. This communication is often carried out by a health professional (doctor, nurse, or paramedic), but may also be carried out by a police officer, depending on the context in which the situation has occurred (in or out of hospital).

Inclusion criteria:
This scoping review will include studies on families of victims of unexpected and sudden death. All studies focusing on the strategies used to communicate bad news of unexpected and sudden death face to face, implemented by any professional in an intra-hospital or extra-hospital context, from the perspective of those who received the news, will be considered.

Methods:
The JBI methodology for scoping reviews will be followed. An initial search will be conducted, followed by a second search for published and unpublished studies in major health-related electronic databases. Studies published in English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese will be included, with no geographical, cultural, or time limits. Data selection, extraction, and synthesis will be performed independently by 2 reviewers and will include details of populations, study methods, and strategies used. A narrative synthesis will accompany the results and describe how they relate to the objectives of the review.

Review registration:
Open Science Framework https://osf.io/4rhw3
Numerical simulations of polymer devolatilization in a steam contactor: Correlating particle distribution with volatile content removal
Authors: Raj Bebhash , Chandy Abhilash 
Published: September 2024

Abstract
The focus of the current study is on a polymer devolatilization process in a device called a contactor, that involves the use of superheated steam to eliminate volatile cyclohexane, through evaporation, from the polymer mixture, also known as cement. The primary objective is to analyze the cement particle distribution and how it relates to the cyclohexane content at the exit or the devolatilization efficiency. The study develops a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model that solves for the turbulent steam flow as a continuous phase and the the flow of cement droplets as a discrete phase. Following validation of the CFD model by comparing cement particle size distribution at the exit of the contactor to experimental data, a detailed examination of the same is conducted through a series of 69 CFD different calculations to understand its influence on the evaporation of the volatile in the polymer mixture. Two metrics are developed here: a cluster distribution index (CDI) based on the actual particle pairwise distances and a new mass-CDI based on the the radial distribution of masses. It is demonstrated that by relating the CDI and mass-CDI to the reduction in the cyclohexane content in the contactor, these metrics can be utilized to achieve the desirable input conditions in this polymer processing operation. Through a detailed examination of the particle dynamics in a steam contactor under various conditions, this study assists the polymer manufacturing industry in optimizing the devolatilization process for better steam savings and improved product quality.
Temperature Analysis of Waveform Water Channel for High-Power Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor
Authors: Mao Jianfeng , Zhang Minglong , Jia Rongsheng , Huang Chao , Chen Binbin , Wang Yuchen , Chen Hongjin 
Published: September 2024

Abstract
High-power permanent magnet synchronous motors (HPMSM) face extremely harsh cooling conditions due to their high power and complex structure. An efficient cooling system is pivotal to ensuring the safety and operational reliability of HPMSM. To improve the uneven axial temperature distribution in HPMSM and enhance the cooling effect, this paper presents an optimization of the water channels within the motor's cooling system. Initially, targeting the maximum temperature of the motor, the number and width of the traditional water channel (TWC) ribs are parameterized, and the optimal parameters are determined. Subsequently, based on the optimal parameters, three different waveform water channels are designed: circular channel (CC), triangular channel, and square channel. By employing the computational fluid dynamics numerical simulation, the influence of three kinds of water channels on the temperature of an HPMSM is analyzed under rated conditions. When the depth is 36 mm and the span is 40 mm for the CC, the average temperature rise of the motor winding is 9.88% lower than that of the TWC, reaching 48.77 °C. Results indicate that the cooling effect of the CC is better than others, which improves the cooling effect and operation performance of the motor.
Translation initiation or elongation inhibition triggers contrasting effects on
Caenorhabditis elegans
survival during pathogen infection
Authors: Ghosh Annesha , Singh Jogender 
Published: September 2024

ABSTRACT

Diverse microbial pathogens are known to attenuate host protein synthesis. Consequently, the host mounts a defense response against protein translation inhibition, leading to increased transcript levels of immune genes. The seemingly paradoxical upregulation of immune gene transcripts in response to blocked protein synthesis suggests that the defense mechanism against translation inhibition may not universally benefit host survival. However, a comprehensive assessment of host survival on pathogens upon blockage of different stages of protein synthesis is currently lacking. Here, we investigate the impact of knockdown of various translation initiation and elongation factors on the survival of
Caenorhabditis elegans
exposed to
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
. Intriguingly, we observe opposing effects on
C. elegans
survival depending on whether translation initiation or elongation is inhibited. While translation initiation inhibition enhances survival, elongation inhibition decreases it. Transcriptomic studies reveal that translation initiation inhibition activates a bZIP transcription factor ZIP-2-dependent innate immune response that protects
C. elegans
from
P. aeruginosa
infection. In contrast, inhibiting translation elongation triggers both ZIP-2-dependent and ZIP-2-independent immune responses that, while effective in clearing the infection, are detrimental to the host. Thus, our findings reveal the opposing roles of translation initiation and elongation inhibition in
C. elegans
survival during
P. aeruginosa
infection, highlighting distinct transcriptional reprogramming that may underlie these differences.

IMPORTANCE

Several microbial pathogens target host protein synthesis machinery, potentially limiting the innate immune responses of the host. In response, hosts trigger a defensive response, elevating immune gene transcripts. This counterintuitive response can have either beneficial or harmful effects on host survival. In this study, we conduct a comprehensive analysis of the impact of knocking down various translation initiation and elongation factors on the survival of
Caenorhabditis elegans
exposed to
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
. Intriguingly, inhibiting initiation and elongation factors has contrasting effects on
C. elegans
survival. Inhibiting translation initiation activates immune responses that protect the host from bacterial infection, while inhibiting translation elongation induces aberrant immune responses that, although clear the infection, are detrimental to the host. Our study reveals divergent roles of translation initiation and elongation inhibition in
C. elegans
survival during
P. aeruginosa
infection and identifies differential transcriptional reprogramming that could underlie these differences.
Complete genome sequence of Mycobacteriophage Eaglepride
Authors: Sahi Umar , Kottury Niati G. , Kottury Nirav R. , Kotturi Hari 
Published: September 2024

ABSTRACT

Eaglepride is a mycobacteriophage isolated using
Mycobacterium smegmatis
mc
2
155. The genome length is 50,926 bp with 89 open reading frames and 1 tRNA gene. Based on gene content similarity to actinobacteriophages, Eaglepride is assigned to phage subcluster A10 and shares the highest nucleotide identity with mycobacteriophage OKCentral2016.
Genome sequence of the New Zealand raw milk isolate and candidate probiotic strain
Lactococcus lactis
FNZ339
Authors: de Almeida Eduardo L. , O’Toole Paul W. , Bassett Shalome A. 
Published: September 2024

ABSTRACT

The complete genome sequence of the candidate probiotic strain
Lactococcus lactis
FNZ339 was determined using a hybrid genome assembly comprising data from Illumina and Oxford Nanopore Technologies sequencing platforms. The genome assembly comprised 2,673,297 bp, including the complete circular chromosome and four circular plasmids.
Draft genome of a
Pseudovibrio
sp. isolated from the skeleton of
Pachyseris speciosa
from a Singaporean reef
Authors: Loh Aaron An Rong , Hu Dalong , Law Jabez Mason Yong Jun , Xiong Elton Lim Wen , Deignan Lindsey Kane , Summers Stephen , Pereyra Joao Paulo Andre , Case Rebecca Josephine 
Published: September 2024

ABSTRACT

A
Pseudovibrio
sp. was isolated from the skeleton of the heat resilient coral
Pachyseris speciosa
. Genome analysis revealed the presence of the complete denitrification pathway and potential dimethylsulfoniopropionate metabolism which enhance coral resilience and production of tropodithietic acid, an antibiotic implicated in host defense.
Pneumolysin contributes to dysfunction of nasal epithelial barrier for promotion of pneumococcal dissemination into brain tissue
Authors: Takahara Yuki , Sumitomo Tomoko , Kono Masamitsu , Takemura Moe , Akamatsu Yukako , Hirose Yujiro , Yamaguchi Masaya , Nakata Masanobu , Hotomi Muneki , Kawabata Shigetada 
Published: September 2024

ABSTRACT

Streptococcus pneumoniae
is one of the major pathogens responsible for bacterial meningitis and neurological sequelae. The present study was conducted to identify a non-hematogenous route used by
S. pneumoniae
to gain access to brain tissue without causing bacteremia or pneumonia, as well as bacterial and host factors involved in this process. To investigate the molecular mechanisms and dissemination pathways of pneumococcal infection in brain tissue, mice were intranasally inoculated with
S. pneumoniae
strain EF3030, a clinical isolate from a patient with otitis media. Pneumococci were isolated from the frontal olfactory bulb, caudal cerebrum, and cerebellum, with neither bacteremia nor pneumonia observed in the present model. Immunostaining imaging revealed the presence of
S. pneumoniae
organisms in olfactory nerve fibers. Knockout of the
ply
gene encoding pneumolysin (PLY) markedly compromised the ability of the bacterial organisms to disseminate into brain tissue, whereas the dissemination efficiency of the complemented strain was restored to nearly the same level as the wild type. Notably, distinct upregulation of Gli1 and Snail1, which are involved in the transcriptional repression of junctional proteins, along with downregulation of E-cadherin, was detected in nasal lavage samples from mice infected with the wild-type or complemented strain, but not in those from mice infected with the
ply
mutant. Taken together, the present findings indicate that PLY induces Gli1-Snail1-dependent dysfunction of the nasal epithelial barrier, thus allowing pneumococcal dissemination to brain tissue that occurs in a non-hematogenous manner.

IMPORTANCE

Bacterial meningitis, considered to be caused by bacteremia, can lead to blood–brain barrier disruption and bacterial dissemination into the central nervous system. Despite the availability of intravenously administered antibiotics with cerebrospinal fluid transferability, bacterial meningitis remains associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality. Here, we utilized
Streptococcus pneumoniae
strain EF3030, clinically isolated from otitis media, for the construction of a murine infection model to investigate the molecular mechanisms by which nasally colonized pneumococci disseminate into brain tissue. The obtained findings indicate that pneumolysin (PLY) induces Gli1-Snail1-dependent dysfunction of the nasal epithelial barrier, which facilitates pneumococcal dissemination to brain tissue in a non-hematogenous manner. Our results support the existence of an alternative route by which
S. pneumoniae
can reach the central nervous system and indicate the need for the development of novel therapeutic strategies, which would be an important contribution to the clinical management of bacterial meningitis.
Supplemental Material: Seismic evidence of an extremely thin crust along a 70 Ma slow-spreading crustal segment in the equatorial Atlantic Ocean
Authors: Dhabaria Nirmit , Singh Satish C. 
Published: September 2024

<p> A brief description of methods (data processing, inversions, synthetic tests, and thermal modeling) and supplementary Figures S1–S22 and associated references. </p>
A qualitative study which aims to explore the factors influencing the delivery of both theory and practice of contraception and sexual health on pre-registration midwifery programmes in England
Authors: Cousins Claire , Matthews Gillian , Regan Lesley , Mullins Edward 
Published: September 2024

BackgroundPregnancy offers an opportunity to provide equitable access to contraception information and provision, and professional bodies advocate provision of contraception in the immediate postpartum period. This study examines the contribution of pre-registration midwifery education in preparing student midwives for this aspect of their role.MethodA qualitative study using semi-structured interviews. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. Nine lecturers from pre-registration midwifery programmes representing nine universities in England were interviewed.ResultsThere is minimal contraception and sexual health content on pre-registration midwifery programmes; however, specialist lecturers enhance the learning experience. Talking about sex may be difficult, particularly for younger students. Student midwives observe little discussion/provision of contraception in practice and are unlikely to consider it part of a midwife’s role.ConclusionsA formally assessed national standard of knowledge on pre-registration programmes would be helpful, and this needs to be reflected in practice to become embedded. Institutional investment and commitment to continuous practice development is needed for all midwives. Practice placements in sexual and reproductive health clinics or abortion services may be beneficial to student midwives.
Determinants of First‐Line Nurse Managers’ Span of Control: A Delphi Study
Authors: Boned-Galán Ángel , López-Ibort Nieves , Gil-Lacruz Ana I. , Gascón-Catalán Ana 
Published: September 2024

Aims: The main goal of this research is to identify, through expert consensus, the key factors that determine the span of control (SOC) of first‐line nurse managers (FLNMs) in the Spanish healthcare system.Background: The SOC is a management concept which has usually been defined as the number of subordinates reporting to a superior. In nursing, however, it is much more complex. This complexity is shaped by various factors related to patients, healthcare professionals and organisational structures. Nursing leaders must thoroughly consider these factors and their determinants, which necessitate a comprehensive assessment. Given the significant impact an inadequate SOC can have on patients, professionals and the organisation, it would be beneficial to address this issue. In nursing, studies on this subject are practically nonexistent and focus solely on the number of subordinates, highlighting the need for research in this area.Methods: Between September and December 2022, a Delphi study was conducted. Forty‐five experts were invited to participate. The study involved nurse administrators, FLNMs, university professors, renowned researchers and other non–health professionals related to health management. The participants completed an online survey over three phases. Factor analysis was performed on the items for which consensus was reached. The jamovi software version 2.3.15 was used for data analysis.Results: A total of 35 experts participated in at least one of the three phases of the Delphi study. Following a comprehensive analysis of the identified factors, a consensus was reached on 31 of them. These were subsequently grouped into four categories: unit category (16 items, including complexity, resource management, conflicts and protocolisation and monitoring of activities), professional category (five items: number of staff, staffing stability and skill level and diversity of staff), FLNM category (four items: autonomy, experience and education and leadership style) and organisation category (six items: digitisation and information systems, education, research and implementation evidence‐based practice and performing guards).Conclusions: Our research shows a high degree of consensus amongst participants in identifying the determinants and degree of relevance of SOC‐related aspects. Although SOC is not currently assessed, all stakeholders agree that there are a large number of variables that should be considered when appointing a FLNM.Implications for Nurse Managers: Nursing managers can better assess the health of the organisation and improve performance by understanding the factors that influence the SOC of FLNMs. Due to the lack of previous studies, understanding these factors will allow the development of methods and tools tailored to the characteristics of different health systems.