bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Use of Apligraf in Acute Wounds
Authors: Kirsner Robert S. 
Published: October 2023

AbstractAdvances in the development of tissue engineered skin have led to several new products aimed at improving wound healing. Designed as a skin substitute, both epidermal and dermal equivalents have been under investigation and used clinically for over a decade. A novel bi‐layered living skin equivalent, Apligraf, has been approved in several countries and is approval in the US FDA for the treatment of venous ulcers. Derived from foreskin, cultured neonatal fibroblasts are combined with bovine type I collagen to form a neodermis over which cultured neonatal keratinocytes are placed, proliferate and differentiate. In addition to use in venous ulcers, Apligraf use has also been reported in acute wounds such as surgical excision sites and partial thickness donor sites. Apligraf's use in acute wounds has lent insight into its biologic behavior, safety and efficacy. Through these experiences, it has been learned that Apligraf behaves similar to a partial thickness autograft, and is safe and effective. In addition, Apligraf appears to ‘take‘, in many cases persists, is not clinically rejected but its ultimate fate is not known.
Seasonal variations in the quality of mopane leaves as a source of browse for mammalian herbivores
Authors: STYLES C. V. , SKINNER J. D. 
Published: October 2023

SummaryThis paper deals with seasonal variations in the chemical composition of mopane leaves in terms of their palatability to herbivores. Green mopane leaves were found to be most palatable over summer, a period when, due to very poor rainfall, the veld was at its most desolate. Senescing leaves were at their most palatable in late winter/early spring, this resource maintaining many herbivores for the short period before the spring leaf flush. Four leaf classes were identified during the spring leaf flush: young green leaves were the most palatable followed by very young leaves, mature green leaves and senescent leaves. The flush is independent of rain and coincides with the end of the dry season, a period when most tree species occurring in association with the mopane are leafless and the grass sward is very poor. It begins earlier on heavily browsed trees. Most ungulates present in the area were found to utilize the nutritious young leaves. The importance of this leaf flush is discussed with respect to the management of the area, and the importance of the heavy pressure large mammals are imposing on this veld type is elicited.
Viruses in Salix grown for bioenergy
Authors: Kopp R. F. , Castello J. D. , Abrahamson L. P. 
Published: October 2023

SummaryA study was completed to determine if willows propagated vegetatively for bioenergy in New York State were infected by viruses. Unrooted, dormant cuttings from 10 willow clones were planted in a greenhouse. Four months later the young foliage and roots were tested for tomato mosaic tobamovirus, tobacco necrosis necrovirus (TNV), and brome mosaic bromovirus by double‐antibody sandwich enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. All three viruses were detected in the roots of some plants, but rarely in foliage. Every clone was infected with at least one virus. Tobacco mosaic virus and TNV were also transmitted to Chenopodium quinoa from extracts of roots collected from field‐grown willows. Imported willow material may be virus‐infected.
Virulence of two Finnish Gremmeniella abietina types (A and B)
Authors: Terho M. , Uotila A. 
Published: October 2023

SummaryThirteen Finnish Gremmeniella abietina isolates of types A and B were compared for differences in their virulence. Three kinds of inoculations were made: one with conidia on young Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) seedlings and two with mycelia on the stems and shoots of young Scots pine trees. Inoculations with conidia were carried out in August 1992 and inoculations with mycelia were carried out six times between 11 August and 20 October, 1992. The experiments were evaluated in the late spring and early summer of 1993. The results showed that there was a difference in virulence between the two types. In the conidial inoculations type A infected 34.7% and type B infected 11.0% of the inoculated seedlings. For mycelial inoculations with type A the mean canker (stems) and necrosis (shoots) lengths were 19.3 mm and 8.6 mm longer, respectively, than with type B inoculations. In shoot inoculations there also was a clear difference between the two types in the number of such inoculations where no symptoms were observed. For type B shoot inoculations there was no fungal growth in 21.5% whereas for type A inoculations the figure was only 3.7%.
Wound response of Eucalyptus clones after inoculation with Cryphonectria cubensis
Authors: van Zyl L. M. , Wingfield M. J. 
Published: October 2023

SummaryTwenty‐five different Eucalyptus grandis clones were artificially wounded and inoculated with a virulent isolate of Cryphonectria cubensis. The capacity of wounds to close through callus production was correlated with the relative susceptibility of these clones to infection by C. cubensis. Clones with the greatest capacity to close wounds were those that were also most tolerant to C. cubensis infection. Those with a lower capacity to close wounds were most susceptible to Cryphonectria canker.
Introduction of potential helix‐capping residues into an engineered helical protein
Authors: Parker Matthew H. , Hefford Mary Alice 
Published: October 2023

MB‐1 is an engineered protein that was designed to incorporate high percentages of four amino acid residues and to fold into a four‐ α‐helix bundle motif. Mutations were made in the putative loop I and III regions of this protein with the aim of increasing the stability of the helix ends. Four variants, MB‐3, MB‐5, MB‐11 and MB‐ 13, have replacements intended to promote formation of an ‘N‐ capping box’. The loop I and III sequences of MB‐3 (both GDLST) and MB‐11 (GGDST) were designed to cause αL C‐terminal ‘capping’ motifs to form in helices I and III. MB‐5 has a sequence, GPDST, that places proline in a favourable position for forming β‐turns, whereas MB‐13 (GLDST) has the potential to form Schellman C‐capping motifs. Size‐exclusion chromatography suggested that MB‐1, MB‐3, MB‐5, MB‐11 and MB‐13 all form dimers, or possibly trimers. Free energies for the unfolding of each of these variants were determined by urea denaturation, with the loss of secondary structure followed by CD spectroscopy. Assuming an equilibrium between folded dimer and unfolded monomer, MB‐13 had the highest apparent stability (40.5 kJ/mol, with ±2.5 kJ/mol 95% confidence limits), followed by MB‐11 (39.3±5.9 kJ/mol), MB‐ 3 (36.4±1.7 kJ/mol), MB‐5 (34.7±2.1 kJ/mol) and MB‐1 (29.3±1.3 kJ/mol); the same relative stabilities of the variants were found when a folded trimer to unfolded monomer model was used to calculate stabilities. All of the variants were relatively unstable for dimeric proteins, but were significantly more stable than MB‐1. These findings suggest that it might be possible to increase the stability of a protein for which the three‐dimensional structure is unknown by placing amino acid residues in positions that have the potential to form helix‐ and turn‐stabilizing motifs.
WINNERS AND LOSERS ON NYSE: A RE‐EXAMINATION USING DAILY CLOSING BID‐ASK SPREADS
Authors: Akhigbe Aigbe , Gosnell Thomas , Harikumar T. 
Published: October 2023

AbstractWe study a sample of NYSE stocks that experienced a large one‐day price change during 1992 and were reported as daily largest percentage gainers and largest percentage losers in the Wall Street Journal. The sample indicates significant reversals during the immediate post‐announcement period. We test for market efficiency by using bid‐ask spreads obtained from the transactions data for the days immediately after the announcement. The overall results indicate that the returns during the reversal period are less than the average bid‐ask spread during the same time. We also find that major losers, firms with −20 percent to −50 percent event‐date abnormal returns, experience price reversals generating returns that are significantly greater than the average bid‐ask spread during that period. We interpret this result as consistent with the overreaction hypothesis. A test of a trading rule to exploit this overreaction is not profitable, providing support for weak‐form market efficiency.
SMALL FIRM AND VALUE EFFECTS IN THE CANADIAN STOCK MARKET
Authors: Elfakhani Said , Lockwood Larry J. , Zaher Tarek S. 
Published: October 2023

AbstractWe examine the relation among average returns, market beta, firm size, and book‐to‐market value for Canadian stocks during 1975–92. We document a negative relation between average return and the market capitalization of firms, but find no relation between average return and market beta. While the small firm effect is significant during a period of reduced capital gains tax, it is noticeably lower than during the period leading up to the change. We find that average returns are positively related to book‐to‐market value especially during the period of lower capital gains tax.
RATIONAL TIMING OF CALLS OF CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED STOCKS
Authors: Byrd Anthony K. , Mann Steven V. , Moore William T. , Ramanlal Pradipkumar 
Published: October 2023

AbstractConversion‐forcing calls of convertible preferred stocks are re‐examined focusing on the value of the conversion option impounded in the preferred price. This amount represents the preferred shareholder wealth potentially transferable to common stockholders. Capture of this wealth underlies the theoretical motivation for calling and forcing conversion as soon as possible. Most of the preferred issues examined exhibit nonpositive average option values throughout all but short periods; hence, no wealth transfer opportunity exists for immediate calls. Issues that exhibit positive option values are called quickly. In contrast to interpretations that have persisted for over fifteen years, our results reveal no substantial delays in calling convertible preferred stocks.
THE EFFECT OF ANALYSTS' FORECASTS ON EARNINGS MANAGEMENT IN FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
Authors: Robb Sean W. G. 
Published: October 2023

AbstractI test a market consensus hypothesis about earnings management in the banking industry. This hypothesis states that when analysts have reached a consensus in their earnings forecasts, managers have an incentive to manage earnings through discretionary accruals to achieve market expectations. A sample of banks is partitioned based on the degree of forecaster consensus, and the behavior of one discretionary accrual, the loan loss provision, is predicted for each partition. The results suggest bank managers make greater use of the loan loss provision to manipulate earnings in a discretionary manner when analysts have reached a consensus in their earnings predictions.
CROSS‐AUTOCORRELATION BETWEEN A SHARES AND B SHARES IN THE CHINESE STOCK MARKET
Authors: Chui Andy C. W. , Kwok Chuck C. Y. 
Published: October 2023

AbstractListed companies in China, upon meeting certain requirements, can issue two types of shares: A shares and B shares. Local investors in China can only buy and sell A shares, while foreign investors can only buy and sell B shares. We argue that foreign investors may receive news about China faster than domestic Chinese investors because of information barriers in China. Since foreigners participate in the B‐share market, the price movements of B shares should reflect the common information that the foreigners have. Rational A‐share investors can therefore condition their trading decisions on the previous price movements of B shares. As a result, returns on B shares should lead the returns on A shares. Using daily prices of A and B shares, we demonstrate that returns of B shares are correlated with those of A shares and that this correlation depends on the information transmission mechanism at work. The pattern of the asymmetric cross‐autocorrelation is robust to the inclusion of lagged realized returns and trading volumes.
Dynamic modeling and leak detection of ammonia leakage in food cold storage system
Authors: Zhao Yanfeng , Yang Zhao , Hou Zhaoning , Guo Changzhen , Zhang Shuping , He Hongxia 
Published: October 2023

AbstractWithin the domain of food processing and storage, cold storage facilities are crucial for maintaining product quality. The primary source of refrigerant leakage in these systems typically originates from slight defects at the welding joints. Such leakage elevates the internal temperature of the facility, subsequently degrading the quality of the stored food products. This research presents a versatile, dynamic model that harmonizes the structural parameters with the thermophysical parameters of disparate components within the cold storage system designed to analyze leakage in ammonia refrigeration systems by employing interchangeable modules, an approach that overcomes the challenge associated with gathering leakage data from conventional ammonia systems. The inherent flexibility of this model facilitates module substitution in alignment with various cold storage parameters, thus ensuring adaptability to diverse conditions. The “Refrigeration System Leak Detection Cloud Service” (RSLDCS) and an associated leakage detection procedure are proposed, with validation against pertinent datasets. The empirical results demonstrate that the deviation between the model's output and the actual engineering data, including the extant calculation methodologies under 20% (the average fitting of the trend of is 96.43%). This degree of precision confirming the model's accuracy and reliability. Through the verification of the leak detection procedure, the complete state of leakage can be discerned within the appropriate temporal data set, and the site of the leak can be pinpointed with a margin of deviation ranging from −19% to +13%. The model provide new solutions for food storage safety.Practical applicationsCold storage facilities often experience subtle leaks that are challenging to detect. These minor leaks adversely affect the efficiency of the refrigeration system, leading to temperature variations that can degrade the quality of stored food. Additionally, they pose a risk to the safe operation of the facility. The presented results enable companies to effectively monitor and control leaks in cold storage systems of identical design. For different cold storage configurations, modules can be adjusted accordingly. Utilizing this model provides critical data and assessment criteria for ammonia leakage, leading to a comprehensive understanding of leakage scenarios. By implementing the RSLDCS‐based detection and localization methodology, leaks within the ammonia refrigeration system can be swiftly and accurately identified. This provides a robust and reliable safeguard for the safe operation of ammonia refrigeration systems, enhancing food production safety.
A novel de novo variant in POLR3B gene associated with a primary axonal involvement of the largest nerve fibers
Authors: Geroldi Alessandro , Tozza Stefano , Fiorillo Chiara , Nolano Maria , Fossa Paola , Vitale Floriana , Domi Regi , Gaudio Andrea , Mammi Alessia , Patrone Serena , Barbera Andrea La , Origone Paola , Ponti Clarissa , Sanguineri Francesca , Zara Federico , Cataldi Matteo , Salpietro Vincenzo , Venturi Consuelo Barbara , Massucco Sara , Schenone Angelo , Manganelli Fiore , Mandich Paola , Bellone Emilia , Gotta Fabio 
Published: October 2023

AbstractBackground and AimsPOLR3B gene encodes a subunit of RNA polymerase III (Pol III). Biallelic mutations in POLR3B are associated with leukodystrophies, but recently de novo heterozygous mutations have been described in early onset peripheral demyelinating neuropathies with or without central involvement. Here, we report the first Italian case carrying a de novo variant in POLR3B with a pure neuropathy phenotype and primary axonal involvement of the largest nerve fibers.MethodsNerve conduction studies, sympathetic skin response, dynamic sweat test, tactile and thermal quantitative sensory testing and brain magnetic resonance imaging were performed according to standard procedures. Histopathological examination was performed on skin and sural nerve biopsies. Molecular analysis of the proband and his relatives was performed with Next Generation Sequencing. The impact of the identified variant on the overall protein structure was evaluated through rotamers method.ResultsSince his early adolescence, the patient presented with signs of polyneuropathy with severe distal weakness, atrophy, and reduced sensation. Neurophysiological studies showed a sensory‐motor axonal polyneuropathy, with confirmed small fiber involvement. In addition, skin biopsy and sural nerve biopsy showed predominant large fibers involvement. A trio's whole exome sequencing revealed a novel de novo variant p.(Arg1046Cys) in POLR3B, which was classified as Probably Pathogenic. Molecular modeling data confirmed a deleterious effect of the variant on protein structure.InterpretationNeurophysiological and morphological findings suggest a primary axonal involvement of the largest nerve fibers in POLR3B‐related neuropathies. A partial loss of function mechanism is proposed for both neuropathy and leukodystrophy phenotypes.
Diving into dual functionality: Swim bladder muscles in lionfish for buoyancy and sonic capabilities
Authors: Parmentier Eric , Herrel Anthony , Banse Marine , Hornstra Heidie , Bertucci Frédéric , Lecchini David 
Published: October 2023

AbstractAlthough the primary function of the swim bladder is buoyancy, it is also involved in hearing, and it can be associated with sonic muscles for voluntary sound production. The use of the swim bladder and associated muscles in sound production could be an exaptation since this is not its first function. We however lack models showing that the same muscles can be used in both movement and sound production. In this study, we investigate the functions of the muscles associated with the swim bladder in different Pteroinae (lionfish) species. Our results indicate that Pterois volitans, P. radiata and Dendrochirus zebra are able to produce long low‐frequency hums when disturbed. The deliberate movements of the fin spines during sound production suggest that these sounds may serve as aposematic signals. In P. volitans and P. radiata, hums can be punctuated by intermittent louder pulses called knocks. Analysis of sonic features, morphology, electromyography and histology strongly suggest that these sounds are most likely produced by muscles closely associated with the swim bladder. These muscles originate from the neurocranium and insert on the posterior part of the swim bladder. Additionally, cineradiography supports the hypothesis that these same muscles are involved in altering the swim bladder's length and angle, thereby influencing the pitch of the fish body and participating in manoeuvring and locomotion movements. Fast contraction of the muscle should be related to sound production whereas sustained contractions allows modifications in swim bladder shape and body pitch.
Nurses' and auxiliary nurses' beliefs and attitudes regarding the sexual health of patients with severe mental illness: A qualitative study
Authors: Martinez Julien , Verot Elise 
Published: October 2023

AbstractIntroductionSexual health is essential to the overall health. People suffering from severe mental illness (SMI) experience a deterioration in their sexual health. These patients and their caregivers seem unwilling to engage in a dialogue concerning sexual health within the context of mental health care.AimThe study investigated nurses' and care assistants' beliefs and attitudes regarding the sexual health of people with SMI on the psychiatric care pathway.MethodsTwenty semi‐structured interviews were conducted with nurses and care assistants. Data were subject to a thematic analysis.ResultsThree main themes emerged: (1) The formalization of the care approach towards people with a SMI in hospitals; (2) the place given to sexual health in psychiatry units; (3) nurses and care assistants are not equipped to deal with patients' sexual health.DiscussionCaregivers consider that sexual health is a fundamental right and an indicator of good health. They nevertheless believe that the psychiatric hospital remains a place of acute care where sexual health is not considered.Implication for PracticeThis research justifies that it is necessary to question the representations of nurses and care assistants before implementing a tailored intervention that integrates the consideration of sexual health into the holistic care of the patient on the psychiatric care pathway.
Hyperthermia is a promising potential adjunct to treating sporotrichosis: A refractory case of HIV sporotrichosis and in vitro experiments on Sporothrix spp.
Authors: Liu Yuan‐yuan , Song Yang , Guan Meng‐qi , Yang Li , Chen Rui‐li , Shi Ying , Cui Yan , Li Shan‐Shan 
Published: October 2023

AbstractBackgroundHyperthermia is a common monotherapy for sporotrichosis, but only in patients with special conditions, such as pregnancy and nursing. However, hyperthermia has not been used more widely for sporotrichosis in clinical practice.Patients/MethodsAn HIV‐positive adult male with lymphocutaneous sporotrichosis caused by Sporothrix globosa that did not respond to conventional itraconazole therapy lasting >2 months received adjunctive therapy with local hyperthermia. To simulate the effects of heat exposure on the growth and morphology of Sporothrix spp. in vitro, S. globosa, S. schenckii and S. brasiliensis were exposed to intermittent heat (42°C) for 1 h a day for 7 or 28 days and observed under transmission electron microscopy.ResultsItraconazole combined with local hyperthermia significantly improved the lesions, and the patient was successfully cured of sporotrichosis, with no recurrence after 2 years of follow‐up. Cultures of Sporothrix spp. treated with 7 days of daily heat exposure in vitro showed obvious decreases in colony diameters, but not numbers, compared with untreated cultures (p < .001). After 28 days of heat exposure in vitro, Sporothrix spp. were unable to thrive (p < .001), and ultrastructural alterations, including loose cell wall structure, incomplete cell membrane, disrupted vacuoles and fragmented nuclei, were noticeable.ConclusionsOur case findings and in vitro experiments on Sporothrix spp., together with a literature review of previous sporotrichosis cases, suggest that hyperthermia has a clinical role as a treatment adjunct. Large‐scale clinical trials are required to examine the utility of hyperthermia in various forms of cutaneous sporotrichosis.