bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
On the shape of Gaussian scale-free polymer networks
Authors: Blavatska Viktoria , Holovatch Yurij 
Published: February 2025

Abstract
We consider the model of complex hyperbranched polymer structures formed on the basis of scale-free graphs, where functionalities (degrees) k of nodes obey a power-law decaying probability

p
(
k
)
∼

k

−
α

. Such polymer topologies can be considered as generalization of regular hierarchical dendrimer structures with fixed functionalities. The conformational size and shape characteristics, such as averaged asphericity

⟨

A
3

⟩

and size ratio g of such polymer networks are obtained numerically by application of Wei’s method, which defines the configurations of any complex Gaussian network in terms of eigenvalue spectra of the corresponding Kirchhoff matrix. Our quantitative results indicate, in particular, an increase of compactness and symmetry of network structures with the decrease of parameter α.
Effectiveness of troubleshooting activities in the instruction phase of productive failure in 8th-graders studying simple electric circuits
Authors: Safadi Rafi’ , Diab Ali 
Published: February 2025

Abstract

Productive failure engages students in a problem-solving phase that requires them to solve novel problems targeting yet-to-be-learned accepted ideas before the instruction phase. A few studies have explored students working individually during the instruction phase, where they diagnose a fictitious student’s erroneous examples; i.e. identify and explain classical errors embedded in them, by comparing these erroneous examples with worked examples involving a step-by-step description of the correct solutions (dubbed ‘ungraded-troubleshooting’ activity). However, these studies have yielded inconsistent results, leaving it unclear whether all students benefit equally from this instruction phase or not. In the current study, which was part of a larger project, seven 8th-grade classes from three different middle schools completed a pretest/intervention/posttest before studying simple electric circuits. The intervention consisted of two productive failure sessions targeting yet-to-be-learned accepted ideas. In the instruction phase of each session, the students in each class were randomly assigned to four activities, two of which were examined here: an ungraded-troubleshooting activity (49 students) and a graded-troubleshooting activity (50 students). It was hypothesized that students would show greater performance gains on the graded-troubleshooting activity that scaffolded the instruction phase by asking students to score erroneous examples on a rubric portraying the worked examples, in addition to diagnosing them. Contrary to predictions, the ungraded-troubleshooting activities led to better learning outcomes. The instructional implications and directions for future research are discussed.
Detection of occult hemorrhage using multivariate non-invasive technologies: a porcine study
Authors: Rashedi Navid , Murphy Ethan K , Klein Samuel B , Hamlin Alexandra , Anderson Justin E , Minichiello Joseph M , Lindqwister Alexander L , Moodie Karen L , Wanken Zachary J , Read Jackson T , Borza Victor A , Elliott Jonathan T , Halter Ryan J , Vaze Vikrant S , Paradis Norman A 
Published: February 2025

Abstract

Objective. Occult hemorrhage (OH) can emerge subtly post-trauma, especially when internal bleeding is not yet severe enough to result in noticeable hemodynamic changes or shock. Despite normal appearances of traditional vital signs like heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP), clinically significant OH may be present, posing a critical diagnostic challenge. Early detection of OH, before vital signs begin to deteriorate, is vital as delays in identifying such conditions are linked to poorer patient outcomes. We analyze the performance of poly-anatomic multivariate technologies—including electrical impedance tomography (EIT), near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), plethysmography (Pleth), and ECG—in a porcine model of OH. The goal was to detect OH without the need to know the subject’s pre-established normal baseline. Approach. Forty female swine were bled at slow rates to create an extended period of subclinical hemorrhage, during which the animals’ HR and BP remained stable before hemodynamic deterioration. Continuous vital signs, Pleth, and continuous non-invasive data were recorded and analyzed with the objective of developing an improved means of detecting OH. This detection was set up as a supervised voting classification problem where the measurement of each technology (minimally transformed) was used to train a classifier. A soft majority voting classification technique was then used to detect the existence of OH. Main Results. When comparing the prediction performance of the most significant univariate technology (EIT) to that of a poly-anatomic multivariate approach, the latter achieved higher area-under-the-curve (AUC) values from receiver operating characteristic analyses in almost every observation interval duration. In particular, after 21 min of continuous observation, the best AUC of the multivariate approach was 0.98, while that of the univariate approach was 0.92. The best multivariate technologies, in descending order, appeared to be EIT on the thorax, NIRS on the abdomen, and EIS on the thorax. Significance. In this clinically relevant porcine model of clinically OH, multivariate non-invasive measurements may be superior to univariate ones in detecting OH. Advanced technologies such as EIT, NIRS, and EIS exhibit considerably greater potential to accurately predict OH than standard physiological measurements. From a practical standpoint, our approach would not require the medical device to have prior access to non-hemorrhage baseline data for each patient. Early detection of OH using these technologies could improve patient outcomes by allowing for timely intervention before vital signs begin to deteriorate.
Carbon aggregation effects on electronic properties of Ge: a first-principles study
Authors: Wang Jinghang , Xia Shilong , Yu Fangqi , Wen Yuhua , Li Cheng 
Published: February 2025

Abstract
Germanium (Ge) is a promising candidate in the field of Si-based optoelectronic integration. The introduction of C may modify the energy band of Ge and thus has scientific and technical significance. In this work, we performed first-principles calculations to investigate the C aggregation behavior in Ge and its effect on the electronic properties. Our results show that for a single C impurity, the substitutional site is more energetically favorable than the interstitial site. The formation energy per C atom decreases with the number of C atoms, indicating the tendency of C clustering in Ge. In particular, the C quadruplet in regular tetrahedral shape is found to be the most stable configuration in Ge. Formation energy calculations of C-related defects with various charge states demonstrate that, for single C doping, the (0/−1) and (−1/−2) transition levels are respectively located at 0.41 and 0.64 eV above VBM, displaying the potential acceptor characteristic. The band structure calculations show the vanishing of the direct band gap characteristic with the aggregation of C atoms in Ge.
Prediction of aerodynamic pass-by noise for a high-speed train pantograph by combining the wind tunnel model and the Farassat_1A formula
Authors: Zhang Shumin , Shi Jiawei , Wang Haoran 
Published: February 2025

Abstract
To effectively control noise emission from a high-speed train in early stage of design, it is necessary to predict the pass-by noise accurately. In the past, wind tunnel model was widely used to predict noise emission at a fixed far-field point, with the train remaining stationary and the wind blowing head-on at high speed. By doing so however, no Doppler effect is predicted. However, if the movement of the source considered, a sliding mesh or overset mesh will be used, which will generate the so-called interfaces between the sliding region and other stationary regions for flow field data exchange, and the existence of such interfaces may have a negative effect on calculation accuracy. Therefore, in this paper, a method is proposed combining the wind tunnel model and the Farassat_1A formula without using sliding mesh or overset mesh. In order to verify the effectiveness of the written program, a moving monopole and dipole source are given first. Based on the verified model, a typical high-speed train pantograph is studied. The subdomain method is used to obtain the sound source data, and then pass-by noise at different far-field observer points is calculated. The contribution of different pantograph components to the standard far-field noise is studied. Results show that due to the Doppler effect, the peak at the vortex shedding frequency of the pan-head is distributed over a frequency range.
Experimental study of charge composition of diffuse vacuum arc in axial magnetic field by optical spectra
Authors: Belostotskii Artemii , Melnikov Anton Dmitrievich , Usmanov Ravil , Gavrikov Andrei , Smirnov Valentin 
Published: February 2025

Abstract
One of the issues of plasma technologies is a design of a high-performance plasma source. A diffuse&#xD;vacuum arc discharge can be one of the promising options due to its properties. In this work, the dependence&#xD;of the charge composition of a diffuse vacuum arc plasma with a hot cathode on the value of the external&#xD;axial magnetic field and discharge voltage was investigated. The study was conducted with thermionic&#xD;gadolinium cathode. Monitoring the charge composition was done by analyzing the emission spectra of the&#xD;plasma. Steady-states of arc discharge were obtained for a range of parameters: the arc currents were 30&#xD;and 40 A, the arc voltage was up to 29 V and the external magnetic field was varied from 0 to 20 mT. It&#xD;was found that in the presence of the eternal magnetic field the defining factor of the charge composition&#xD;was the arc voltage. Moreover, for a fixed arc voltage, the increase in the magnitude causes the growth of&#xD;intensities of all atomic and ionic plasma components (Gd, Gd+&#xD;, Gd++). The potential causes of this effect&#xD;were discussed. It was established that in an axial magnetic field it is possible to implement discharge&#xD;modes with predominance of single-charge ions by increasing the magnitude of external magnetic field.&#xD;Potentially these discharge modes will be of use for the implementation of plasma methods of reprocessing&#xD;spent nuclear fuel.
Partial Submandibular Gland Resection With Ultrasonic Dissector vs Electrocautery
Authors: Buckner Hallie , Shah Anil R 
Published: February 2025

Abstract

Background
The superficial aspect of the submandibular gland can be removed to improve the aesthetic appearance of the face and neck. This study describes a novel surgical technique to resect part of the submandibular gland during a deep neck or face lift.

Objectives
Describe technique to remove the superficial lobe of the submandibular gland using an ultrasonic dissector. Analyze the association between use of ultrasonic technology and reduced post-operative complications. Compare rates of post-operative complications between standard electrocautery and ultrasonic dissection.

Methods
Experimental and control groups were established. A Sonicision ultrasonic dissector (Covidien, Dublin, Ireland) was used for resection in the experimental group, while electrocautery was used for resection in the control group. Post-operative outcomes of neuropraxia, hematoma, seroma, and sialocele formation were collected. Statistical analysis was performed using a Fisher’s exact test in RStudio.

Results
Control patients (n=32) experienced 1 hematoma, 3 seromas, 3 sialoceles, and 3 neuropraxias. Experimental patients (n=48) experienced 2 seromas with no hematomas, sialoceles, or neuropraxia. No association of statistical significance between reduced risk of complications and use of ultrasonic dissection was found.

Conclusions
This novel technique has potential to improve the safety and efficacy of partial submandibular gland resection. However, a follow-up study with greater sample size and without confounding variables, such as intraoperative injection of Botulinum toxin, is necessary.
A conditional denoising VAE-based framework for antimicrobial peptides generation with preserving desirable properties
Authors: Zhao Weizhong , Hou Kaijieyi , Shen Yiting , Hu Xiaohua 
Published: February 2025

Abstract

Motivation
The widespread use of antibiotics has led to the emergence of resistant pathogens. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) combat bacterial infections by disrupting the integrity of cell membranes, making it challenging for bacteria to develop resistance. Consequently, AMPs offer a promising solution to addressing antibiotic resistance. However, the limited availability of natural AMPs cannot meet the growing demand. While deep learning technologies have advanced AMP generation, conventional models often lack stability and may introduce unforeseen side effects.

Results
This study presents a novel denoising VAE-based model guided by desirable physicochemical properties for AMP generation. The model integrates key features (e.g. molecular weight, isoelectric point, hydrophobicity, etc.), and employs position encoding along with a Transformer architecture to enhance generation accuracy. A customized loss function, combining reconstruction loss, KL divergence, and property preserving loss ensure effective model training. Additionally, the model incorporates a denoising mechanism, enabling it to learn from perturbed inputs, thus maintaining performance under limited training data. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed model can generate AMPs with desirable functional properties, offering a viable approach for AMP design and analysis, which ultimately contributes to the fight against antibiotic resistance.

Availability and implementation
The data and source codes are available both in GitHub (https://github.com/David-WZhao/PPGC-DVAE) and Zenodo (DOI 10.5281/zenodo.14730711).
A simple method for preparation of poly(2,2′-bithiophene) flexible electrochromic devices in ionic liquids
Authors: Cao Yudi , Chen Qingshan , Wang Lei , Yang Mingqing , Zhang Shiyu , Niu Chunhui , Lv Yong 
Published: February 2025

Abstract
In this study, we develop a simple method for efficiently preparing poly(2,2′-bithiophene) flexible electrochromic devices. The poly(2,2′-bithiophene) films are fabricated in the ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate. The poly(2,2′-bithiophene) films are characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope, and ultraviolet-visible absorbance spectroscopy. The poly(2,2′-bithiophene) films exhibit electrochromic behavior, transitioning from an orange-red color in its reduced state to a dark green upon oxidation, particularly pronounced in the near-infrared region. Further studies demonstrate that poly(2,2′-bithiophene) films exhibits flexibility, allowing it to be bent and folded. This method for fabricating poly(2,2′-bithiophene) films shows promising potential for future applications.
New insight into slow earthquake activities from continuous ocean bottom seismometers at the Guerrero seismic gap, Mexico
Authors: Chen Yanhan , Ito Yoshihiro , Plata-Martinez Raymundo , Dominguez Luis Antonio , Ohyanagi Shukei , Garcia Emmanuel Soliman , Flores Ketzallina , Cruz-Atienza Victor M , Shinohara Masanao , Yamashita Yusuke 
Published: February 2025

SUMMARY
The Guerrero seismic gap in the Mexican subduction zone exhibits a slip behaviour distinct from that of adjacent segments, which typically experience large earthquakes. With the acquisition of offshore seismic data in this region and the discovery of shallow tectonic tremors, the study of slow earthquakes has gradually increased. This study presents the detection of tectonic tremors and low frequency earthquakes (LFEs) in the Guerrero seismic gap using a combination of a modified envelope cross-correlation method and a matched filter applied to ocean bottom seismometer data for a continuous two-year observational period. The modified envelope cross-correlation method was used to detect and locate tremors, and the matched filter technique enabled the detection of LFEs. These methods allowed for better constraints on the depths of the detected events, offering new insights into tremors and LFE activity offshore the Guerrero seismic gap. Our results show that the spatial distribution of these phenomena, along with seismicity, residual gravity anomalies and seafloor topography, suggests that a section of the shallow plate interface within the gap has experienced stable slip. This study builds on previous work by enhancing the detection and location accuracy of these slow earthquakes, contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of subduction dynamics in the region.
Co-silencing of PhENO1 and PhPPT alters anthocyanin production by reducing phosphoenolpyruvate supply in petunia flower
Authors: Li Xin , Cao Jiahao , Jiang Guiyun , Deng Wenqi , Deng Huimin , Yang Weiyuan , Yu Yixun , Liu Juanxu 
Published: February 2025

Abstract
The shikimate pathway is crucial for the production of aromatic amino acids and various secondary plant products, including anthocyanins. Phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) is an important source for shikimate production. The pre-chorismate part of the shikimate pathway is confined to plastids. There are three sources of PEP in plastids. PEP can be imported into the plastids from cytoplasm via the PEP/phosphate translocator (PPT), and it can also be generated in plastids via enolase (ENO) and pyruvate orthophosphate dikinase (PPDK) catalysis. A large number of anthocyanins are synthesized in the flowers of most ornamental plants in the coloring stage. However, the source of PEP, the precursor of anthocyanin synthesis, is still unknown. Herein, Petunia hybrida PhENO1, PhPPT and PhPPDK genes were identified and their subcellular localization and expression patterns were analyzed. Silencing PhENO1, PhPPT and PhPPDK alone and co-silencing of PhENO1 and PhPPDK or PhPPT and PhPPDK did not exhibit any visible phenotypic change compared with the control, while co-silencing of PhENO1 and PhPPT resulted in the flower color change from purple to light purple. The content of PEP, shikimate, flavonoids, anthocyanins and aromatic amino acids were all significantly decreased in PhENO1 and PhPPT co-silenced plants. Co-silencing PhENO1 and PhPPT did not affect the expression level of key genes in anthocyanin synthesis and shikimate pathways. Furthermore, co-silencing of PhENO1, PhPPT and PhPPDK resulted in a phenotype similar to the co-silencing of PhENO1 and PhPPT. Altogether, our study suggested that PEP used for anthocyanin synthesis is mainly provided by PhENO1 and PhPPT, rather than PhPPDK.
Targeted prebiotic application of gluconic acid-containing oligosaccharides promotes Faecalibacterium growth through microbial cross-feeding networks
Authors: Negishi Hiroki , Ichikawa Ayumi , Takahashi Saori , Kano Hiroshi , Makino Seiya 
Published: February 2025

Abstract
The gut microbiome plays a crucial role in human health, and certain bacterial species, such as Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, are particularly beneficial. This study conducted a comprehensive investigation of prebiotic compounds that showed potential for specifically promoting beneficial gut bacteria. Using in vitro fecal cultures and a human intervention study, we identified maltobionic acid and lactobionic acid as compounds that specifically promoted Faecalibacterium growth both in vitro and in vivo without significantly affecting Bifidobacterium, which is typically increased by traditional prebiotics. In a human intervention study (n = 27), a significant increase was observed in Faecalibacterium abundance following maltobionic acid supplementation, with effectiveness correlating with the initial Parabacteroides abundance. Mechanistic investigations revealed a cross-feeding pathway between gut bacteria. In this pathway, Parabacteroides species converted the gluconic acid moiety of maltobionic and lactobionic acids to glucuronic acid, which was then preferentially utilized by Faecalibacterium. These findings suggest that gluconic acid-containing oligosaccharides are promising prebiotics for the targeted enhancement of beneficial Faecalibacterium and underscore the importance of microbial interactions in prebiotic research, offering new avenues for personalized microbiome modulation strategies.
Multifaceted roles of neutrophils in cardiac disease
Authors: Morrissey Samantha , Kirkland Logan G , Phillips Tasha K , Levit Rebecca D , Hopke Alex , Jensen Brian C 
Published: February 2025

Abstract
Neutrophils, the most abundant leukocytes in human blood, have long been recognized as critical first responders in the innate immune system's defense against pathogens. Some of the more notable innate anti-microbial properties of neutrophils include generation of superoxide free radicals like myeloperoxidase (MPO), production of proteases that reshape the extracellular matrix allowing for easier access to infected tissues, and release of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), extruded pieces of DNA that ensnare bacterial and fungi. These mechanisms developed to provide neutrophils with a vast array of specialized functions to provide the host defense against infection in an acute setting. However, emerging evidence over the past few decades has revealed a far more complex and nuanced role for these neutrophil-driven processes in various chronic conditions, particularly in cardiovascular diseases.
The pathophysiology of cardiac diseases involves a complex interplay of hemodynamic, neurohumoral, and inflammatory factors. Neutrophils, as key mediators of inflammation, contribute significantly to this intricate network. Their involvement extends far beyond their classical role in pathogen clearance, encompassing diverse functions that can both exacerbate tissue damage and contribute to repair processes. Here we consider the contributions of neutrophils to myocardial infarction, heart failure, cardiac arrhythmias and non-ischemic cardiomyopathies. Understanding these complex interactions is crucial for developing novel therapeutic strategies aimed at modulating neutrophil functions in these highly morbid cardiac diseases.