bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Evaluating the impact of an anti‐microbial silver‐impregnated surgical dressing on wound infections and healing: A randomised clinical trial
Authors: Whitley Adam , Baláž Peter , Kavalírek Jan , Hanusová Jitka , Gürlich Robert 
Published: December 2023

AbstractStopBac is an innovative silver‐impregnated antimicrobial dressing specifically designed to reduce surgical site infections and enhance healing. The primary objective of this study was to compare infection healing rate at 30 days after surgery between primarily closed surgical wounds covered with StopBac and those covered with Cosmorpor, a standard surgical dressing. Between 1.3.2023 and 30.4.2023, we conducted a prospective screening of all patients undergoing surgical operations within a single surgical department. Patients were randomised into either the Cosmopor group or the StopBac group. Outcome measures were superficial and deep surgical site infections and healed wounds. Data concerning patient and surgical factors were prospectively collected and analysed. The analysis comprised 275 patients, divided into two groups: 140 patients in the StopBac group and 135 in the Cosmopor group. The StopBac dressing was associated with a reduced rate of infection, with an odds ratio of 0.288 (p < 0.001), and an increased likelihood of wound healing at 30 days after surgery. The odds ratio for healing at 30 days was 4.661 (p < 0.001). StopBac was associated with a lower incidence of surgical wound infections and a higher probability of healing at 30 days after surgery, when compared with standard dressing.
Alteration of γδ T cell subsets in non‐human primates transplanted with GGTA1 gene‐deficient porcine blood vessels
Authors: Lee Sujin , Chung Yun Shin , Lee Kyo Won , Choi Miran , Sonn Chung Hee , Oh Won Jun , Hong Hun Gi , Shim Joohyun , Choi Kimyung , Kim Sung Joo , Park Jae Berm , Kim Tae Jin 
Published: December 2023

AbstractBackgroundαGal‐deficient xenografts are protected from hyperacute rejection during xenotransplantation but are still rejected more rapidly than allografts. Despite studies showing the roles of non‐Gal antibodies and αβ T cells in xenograft rejection, the involvement of γδ T cells in xenograft rejection has been limitedly investigated.MethodsSix male cynomolgus monkeys were transplanted with porcine vessel xenografts from wild‐type (n = 3) or GGTA1 knockout (n = 3) pigs. We measured the proportions and T cell receptor (TCR) repertoires of blood γδ T cells before and after xenotransplant. Grafted porcine vessel‐infiltrating immune cells were visualized at the end of experiments.ResultsBlood γδ T cells expanded and infiltrated into the graft vessel adventitia following xenotransplantation of α‐Gal‐deficient pig blood vessels. Pre‐ and post‐transplant analysis of γδ TCR repertoire revealed a transition in δ chain usage post‐transplantation, with the expansion of several clonotypes of δ1, δ3, or δ7 chains. Furthermore, the distinctions between pre‐ and post‐transplant δ chain usages were more prominent than those observed for γ chain usages.Conclusionγδ TCR repertoire was significantly altered by xenotransplantation, suggesting the role of γδ T cells in sustained xenoreactive immune responses.
Large sums of high‐order characters
Authors: Mangerel Alexander P. 
Published: December 2023

AbstractLet be a primitive character modulo a prime , and let . It has previously been observed that if has large order then for some , in analogy with Vinogradov's conjecture on quadratic non‐residues. We give a new and simple proof of this fact. We show, furthermore, that if is squarefree then for any th root of unity the number of such that is whenever . Consequently, when has sufficiently large order the sequence cannot cluster near for any . Our proof relies on a second moment estimate for short sums of the characters , averaged over , that is non‐trivial whenever has no small prime factors. In particular, given any we show that for all but powers , the partial sums of exhibit cancellation in intervals as long as is prime, going beyond Burgess' theorem. Our argument blends together results from pretentious number theory and additive combinatorics. Finally, we show that, uniformly over prime , the Pólya–Vinogradov inequality may be improved for on average over , extending work of Granville and Soundararajan.
Semilinear elliptic Schrödinger equations with singular potentials and absorption terms
Authors: Gkikas Konstantinos T. , Nguyen Phuoc‐Tai 
Published: December 2023

AbstractLet () be a bounded domain and be a compact, submanifold without boundary, of dimension with . Put in , where and is a parameter. We investigate the boundary value problem (P) in with condition on , where is a nondecreasing, continuous function, and and are positive measures. The complex interplay between the competing effects of the inverse‐square potential , the absorption term and the measure data discloses different scenarios in which problem (P) is solvable. We provide sharp conditions on the growth of for the existence of solutions. When is a power function, namely with , we show that problem (P) admits several critical exponents in the sense that singular solutions exist in the subcritical cases (i.e. is smaller than a critical exponent) and singularities are removable in the supercritical cases (i.e. is greater than a critical exponent). Finally, we establish various necessary and sufficient conditions expressed in terms of appropriate capacities for the solvability of (P).
Birational maps with transcendental dynamical degree
Authors: Bell Jason P. , Diller Jeffrey , Jonsson Mattias , Krieger Holly 
Published: December 2023

AbstractWe give examples of birational selfmaps of , whose dynamical degree is a transcendental number. This contradicts a conjecture by Bellon and Viallet. The proof uses a combination of techniques from algebraic dynamics and diophantine approximation.
A Monte Carlo Fuel Assembly Model Validation Adopting Post Irradiation Experiment Dataset
Authors: Loi Lorenzo , Lorenzi Stefano , Cammi Antonio , Introini Carolina 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Within an energy system where nuclear reactors will likely play a critical role, it is fundamental to have access to accurate and reliable computational tools that can predict the plants' behavior under different operating conditions; compared to other energy sources, models and analysis methods for nuclear systems should be able to provide, among other things, detailed information on reactor criticality and fuel evolution. Thanks to the advancements in computational hardware, using three-dimensional codes to obtain a local description of the reactor core has now become feasible, not only for what concerns deterministic codes but also for Monte Carlo (MC) based codes. Those computational methods must be compared with experimental measurements to assess their reliability. For this reason, the 3D Monte Carlo code serpent is currently being validated for light water reactor fuel cycle simulations. This work will compare the isotopic concentrations measured in a Post-Irradiation Experiment (PIE) and the results of the Monte Carlo routine, examining the Takahama-3 fuel assembly test case. Since key information related to the history of the plant under consideration is available, it was possible to follow the depletion cycles of two fuel rods (SF95 and SF97) placed in two separate assemblies. From literature reports, more than 35 nuclide species have been measured at different axial locations by destructive analysis following several radiochemical techniques. A sensitivity analysis, aiming to evaluate the impact of design features on the results, was carried out investigat-ing the cross section libraries, the simulation time Discretization and the imposition of an axial time-varying temperature. During the process, systematic sources of geometry-related errors were analyzed as well. Over-all, the model showed good agreement with the experimental data under an acceptable error threshold. The sensitivity studies also showed how the prediction capability could be increased up to +6%, adopting a realistic temperature mesh for the fuel instead of a uniform temperature approach. Finally, this analysis will focus more deeply on the Antimony-125 evolution, whose concentration is the one with the worst agreement to the experimental dataset not only for this work but also for other benchmarks available in the literature: results will show how the prediction error for this nuclide is systematic for all considered codes, and look for possible causes.
An Additive Manufacturing Testbed to Evaluate Machine Learning-Based Autonomous Manufacturing
Authors: Zhang Zhi , George Antony , Ferdous Alam Md. , Eubel Chris , Prasad Vallabh Chaitanya Krishna , Shtein Max , Barton Kira , Hoelzle David J. 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
This paper details the design and operation of a testbed to evaluate the concept of autonomous manufacturing to achieve a desired manufactured part performance specification. This testbed, the autonomous manufacturing system for phononic crystals (AMSPnC), is composed of additive manufacturing, material transport, ultrasonic testing, and cognition subsystems. Critically, the AMSPnC exhibits common manufacturing deficiencies such as process operating window limits, process uncertainty, and probabilistic failure. A case study illustrates the AMSPnC function using a standard supervised learning model trained by printing and testing an array of 48 unique designs that span the allowable design space. Using this model, three separate performance specifications are defined and an optimization algorithm is applied to autonomously select three corresponding design sets to achieve the specified performance. Validation manufacturing and testing confirms that two of the three optimal designs, as defined by an objective function, achieve the desired performance, with the third being outside the design window in which a distinct bandpass is achieved in phononic crystals (PnCs). Furthermore, across all samples, there is a marked difference between the observed bandpass characteristics and predictions from finite elements method computation, highlighting the importance of autonomous manufacturing for complex manufacturing objectives.
Biosynthesis mechanisms of medium-chain carboxylic acids and alcohols in anaerobic microalgae fermentation regulated by pH conditions
Authors: Shi Xingdong , Wei Wei , Wu Lan , Huang Yuhan , Ni Bing-Jie 
Published: December 2023

ABSTRACT
Valorization of microalgae into high-value products and drop-in chemicals can reduce our dependence on non-renewable fossil fuels in an environmentally sustainable way. Among the valuable products, medium-chain carboxylic acids (MCCAs) and alcohols are attractive building blocks as fuel precursors. However, the biosynthetic mechanisms of MCCAs and alcohols in anaerobic microalgae fermentation and the regulating role of pH on the microbial structure and metabolism interaction among different functional groups have never been documented. In this work, we systematically investigated the roles of pH (5, 7, and 10) on the production of MCCAs and alcohols in anaerobic microalgae fermentation. The gene-centric and genome-centric metagenomes were employed to uncover the dynamics and metabolic network of the key players in the microbial communities. The results indicated that the pH significantly changed the product spectrum. The maximum production rate of alcohol was obtained at pH 5, while pH 7 was more beneficial for MCCA production. Metagenomic analysis reveals that this differential performance under different pH is attributed to the transformation of microbial guild and metabolism regulated by pH. The composition of various functional groups for MCCA and alcohol production also varies at different pH levels. Finally, a metabolic network was proposed to reveal the microbial interactions at different pH levels and thus provide insights into bioconversion of microalgae to high-value biofuels.

IMPORTANCE
Carboxylate platforms encompass a biosynthesis process involving a mixed and undefined culture, enabling the conversion of microalgae, rich in carbohydrates and protein, into valuable fuels and mitigating the risks associated with algae blooms. However, there is little known about the effects of pH on the metabolic pathways of chain elongation and alcohol production in anaerobic microalgae fermentation. Moreover, convoluted and interdependent microbial interactions encumber efforts to characterize how organics and electrons flow among microbiome members. In this work, we compared metabolic differences among three different pH levels (5, 7, and 10) in anaerobic microalgae fermentation. In addition, genome-centric metagenomic analysis was conducted to reveal the microbial interaction for medium-chain carboxylic acid and alcohol production.
Multifactorial resistance of
Bacillus subtilis
spores to low-pressure plasma sterilization
Authors: Muratov Erika , Rosenbaum Florian P. , Fuchs Felix M. , Ulrich Nikea J. , Awakowicz Peter , Setlow Peter , Moeller Ralf 
Published: December 2023

ABSTRACT

Common sterilization techniques for labile and sensitive materials have far-reaching applications in medical, pharmaceutical, and industrial fields. Heat inactivation, chemical treatment, and radiation are established methods to inactivate microorganisms, but pose a threat to humans and the environment and can damage susceptible materials or products. Recent studies have demonstrated that cold low-pressure plasma (LPP) treatment is an efficient alternative to common sterilization methods, as LPP’s levels of radicals, ions, (V)UV-radiation, and exposure to an electromagnetic field can be modulated using different process gases, such as oxygen, nitrogen, argon, or synthetic (ambient) air. To further investigate the effects of LPP, spores of the Gram-positive model organism
Bacillus subtilis
were tested for their LPP susceptibility including wild-type spores and isogenic spores lacking DNA-repair mechanisms such as non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) or abasic endonucleases, and protective proteins like α/β-type small acid-soluble spore proteins (SASP), coat proteins, and catalase. These studies aimed to learn how spores resist LPP damage by examining the roles of key spore proteins and DNA-repair mechanisms. As expected, LPP treatment decreased spore survival, and survival after potential DNA damage generated by LPP involved efficient DNA repair following spore germination, spore DNA protection by α/β-type SASP, and catalase breakdown of hydrogen peroxide that can generate oxygen radicals. Depending on the LPP composition and treatment time, LPP treatment offers another method to efficiently inactivate spore-forming bacteria.

IMPORTANCE
Surface-associated contamination by endospore-forming bacteria poses a major challenge in sterilization, since the omnipresence of these highly resistant spores throughout nature makes contamination unavoidable, especially in unprocessed foods. Common bactericidal agents such as heat, UV and γ radiation, and toxic chemicals such as strong oxidizers: (i) are often not sufficient to completely inactivate spores; (ii) can pose risks to the applicant; or (iii) can cause unintended damage to the materials to be sterilized. Cold low-pressure plasma (LPP) has been proposed as an additional method for spore eradication. However, efficient use of LPP in decontamination requires understanding of spores’ mechanisms of resistance to and protection against LPP.
Host serine protease ACOT2 assists DENV proliferation by hydrolyzing viral polyproteins
Authors: Ma Sen , Shi Sai , Xu Binghong , Liu Meijun , Xie Lei , Su Yang , Li Jiachen , Liang Qinqin , Ye Sheng , Wang Yaxin 
Published: December 2023

ABSTRACT

Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne tropical disease caused by the dengue virus (DENV). The replication of DENV relies on the processing of its genome-encoded polyprotein by both viral protease NS3 (NS3
pro
) and host proteases. However, the impact of host proteases on DENV proliferation is not well understood. In this study, we utilized fluorophosphonate-based probes (FPs) to investigate the up-regulation of host serine proteases during DENV infection in detail. Among the identified proteases, acyl-CoA thioesterase 2 (ACOT2), an enzyme that hydrolyzes acyl-CoA molecules to generate fatty acids and free CoA, exhibited cleavage activity against DENV polypeptide substrates. Enzymatic assays and virological experiments confirmed that ACOT2 contributes to DENV propagation during the replication stage by cleaving the viral polyprotein. Docking models provided insights into the binding pocket of viral polypeptides and the catalytic mechanism of ACOT2. Notably, this study is the first to demonstrate that ACOT2 functions as a serine protease to hydrolyze protein substrates. These findings offer novel insights into DENV infection, host response, as well as the potential development of innovative antiviral strategies.

IMPORTANCE
DENV, one of the major pathogens of Dengue fever, remains a significant public health concern in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. How DENV efficiently hijacks the host and accesses its life cycle with delicate interaction remains to be elucidated. Here, we deconvoluted that the host protease ACOT2 assists the DENV replication and characterized the ACOT2 as a serine protease involved in the hydrolysis of the DENV polypeptide substrate. Our results not only further the understanding of the DENV life cycle but also provide a possibility for the usage of activity-based proteomics to reveal host-virus interactions.
Effect of a doctor working during the festive period on population health: natural experiment using 60 years of
Doctor Who
episodes (the TARDIS study)
Authors: Riley Richard D 
Published: December 2023

Abstract

Objective
To examine the effect of a (fictional) doctor working during the festive period on population health.

Design
Natural experiment.

Setting
England, Wales, and the UK.

Main outcome measures

Age standardised annual mortality rates in England, Wales, and the UK from 1963, when the BBC first broadcast
Doctor Who
, a fictional programme with a character called the Doctor who fights villains and intervenes to save others while travelling through space and time. Mortality rates were modelled in a time series analysis accounting for non-linear trends over time, and associations were estimated in relation to a new
Doctor Who
episode broadcast during the previous festive period, 24 December to 1 January. An interrupted time series analysis modelled the shift in mortality rates from 2005, when festive episodes of
Doctor Who
could be classed as a yearly Christmas intervention.

Results

31 festive periods from 1963 have featured a new
Doctor Who
episode, including 14 broadcast on Christmas Day. In time series analyses, an association was found between broadcasts during the festive period and subsequent lower annual mortality rates. In particular, episodes shown on Christmas Day were associated with 0.60 fewer deaths per 1000 person years (95% confidence interval 0.21 to 0.99; P=0.003) in England and Wales and 0.40 fewer deaths per 1000 person years (0.08 to 0.73; P=0.02) in the UK. The interrupted time series analysis showed a strong shift (reduction) in mortality rates from 2005 onwards in association with the
Doctor Who
Christmas intervention, with a mean 0.73 fewer deaths per 1000 person years (0.21 to 1.26; P=0.01) in England and Wales and a mean 0.62 fewer deaths per 1000 person years (0.16 to 1.09; P=0.01) in the UK.

Conclusions

A new
Doctor Who
episode shown every festive period, especially on Christmas Day, was associated with reduced mortality rates in England, Wales, and the UK, suggesting that a doctor working over the festive period could lower mortality rates. This finding reinforces why healthcare provision should not be taken for granted and may prompt the BBC and Disney+ to televise new episodes of
Doctor Who
every festive period, ideally on Christmas Day.
Analysis of Barbie medical and science career dolls: descriptive quantitative study
Authors: Klamer Katherine 
Published: December 2023

Abstract

Objectives
To identify Barbie brand dolls that had medicine and science themed professions in comparison with other career dolls and to determine their accuracy in meeting clinical and laboratory safety standards.

Design
Descriptive quantitative study.

Setting
Visual and data analysis of web searches.

Main outcome measures
To identify the kinds of medical and scientific subspecialties that the Barbie dolls (and a comparison doll group) worked in; and to determine whether these medical professional and scientist dolls met laboratory and clinical safety standards. Additional data about doll demographics (ie, age, ethnic group, and sex) were also collected.

Participants
92 Barbie brand dolls were analyzed: doctor (n=53), scientist (n=10), science educator (n=2), nurse (n=15), dentist (n=11), and paramedic (n=1). 65 non-Barbie brand dolls were also analyzed for comparison purposes: doctor (n=26), scientist (n=27), nurse (n=7), dentist (n=2), engineer (n=2), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technician (n=1) dolls.

Results
Barbie brand medical professional dolls (n=80) largely treated children (66%, n=53/80), with only three (4%) medical professional dolls being directly depicted working with adults. Of the 12 scientist Barbie brand dolls, none met all proper personal protective equipment requirements related to hair and clothing. Barbie brand dolls often came with items, such as laboratory coats, microscopes, stethoscopes, and glasses, that children stereotypically associate with doctors and scientists. While comparison dolls offered a wider range of age and ethnic groups than the Barbie doll group did, the dolls similarly struggled to portray a wide range of medical and scientific subfields and most comparison dolls did not wear proper personal protective equipment.

Conclusions
Medicine and science themed dolls help to inspire tomorrow’s medical professionals and scientists. All toy companies should ensure that future medical professional and scientist dolls meet clinical and laboratory safety standards and diversify the types of medical and scientific professions represented (especially among male dominated fields). For young girls’ sakes as much as her own, Barbie must keep shattering glass ceilings.