bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Laser-Doppler Velocimetry Measurements in a Cascade of Compressor Blades at Stall
Authors: Hobson Garth V. , Williams Andrew J. H. , Ganaim Rickel Humberto J. 
Published: February 2015

Compressor stall was simulated in the Low Speed Cascade Wind Tunnel at the Turbopropulsion Laboratory. The test blades were of controlled-diffusion design with a solidity of 1.67, and stalling occurred at 10 degrees of incidence above the design inlet air angle. All measurements were taken at a flow Reynolds number, based on chord length, of 700 000.
Laser-sheet flow visualization techniques showed that the stalling process was unsteady and occurred over the whole cascade. Detailed laser-Doppler-velocimetry measurements over the suction side of the blades showed regions of continuous and intermittent reverse flow. The measurements of the continuous reverse flow region at the leading edge were the first data of their kind in the leading edge separation bubble. The regions of intermittent reverse flow, measured with laser Doppler velocimeter, corresponded to the flow visualization studies. Blade surface pressure measurements showed a decrease in normal force on the blade as would be expected at stall. Data is presented in a form which characterizes the unsteady positive and negative velocities about their mean, for both the continuous reverse flow regions and the intermittent reverse flow regions.
Upgrading of the Westinghouse 501FA Row 2 Vane Segment to the 501FC Design
Authors: Beiswenger James , Bonsall John , Janssen Joseph , Kizer Matthew 
Published: February 2015

Early in 1995, Westinghouse decided to seize an opportunity to speed up the implementation of a design upgrade for the 501FA Row 2 vane segment. The planned upgrade of this vane segment had been in the conceptual design stage for a few months. Normally, this type of modification would be planned and implemented over many months. In order to achieve the desired performance goals and meet the customer’s delivery requirements this project would have to move very quickly. The project time frame required that from the conceptual drawing to start of production be no more than eight weeks.
To achieve the accelerated schedule, Westinghouse decided to team with the part machining suppliers to develop a game plan that allowed for true concurrent engineering. The resulting plan was to complete the part design at the same time that all the machining tooling and manufacturing process development was being completed. As a result of combining the resources of the turbine manufacturer with those of the machining vendors, it was possible to implement a complicated part upgrade in a matter of weeks not months.
By utilizing 3-D computer models to define the part configuration as well as to build the machining tools and develop the machining process, the team was able to meet the challenge. The final design was optimized for performance as well as ease of manufacturing. This paper describes the triumphs as well as some of the problems that the team encountered along the way to delivering the final engine hardware.
Dose reduction of scattered photons from concrete walls lined with lead: Implications for improvement in design of megavoltage radiation therapy facility mazes
Authors: Al‐Affan I. A. M. , Hugtenburg R. P. , Bari D. S. , Al‐Saleh W. M. , Piliero M. , Evans S. , Al‐Hasan M. , Al‐Zughul B. , Al‐Kharouf S. , Ghaith A. 
Published: February 2015

Purpose:This study explores the possibility of using lead to cover part of the radiation therapy facility maze walls in order to absorb low energy photons and reduce the total dose at the maze entrance of radiation therapy rooms.Methods:Experiments and Monte Carlo simulations were utilized to establish the possibility of using high‐Z materials to cover the concrete walls of the maze in order to reduce the dose of the scattered photons at the maze entrance. The dose of the backscattered photons from a concrete wall was measured for various scattering angles. The dose was also calculated by the FLUKA and EGSnrc Monte Carlo codes. The FLUKA code was also used to simulate an existing radiotherapy room to study the effect of multiple scattering when adding lead to cover the concrete walls of the maze. Monoenergetic photons were used to represent the main components of the x ray spectrum up to 10 MV.Results:It was observed that when the concrete wall was covered with just 2 mm of lead, the measured dose rate at all backscattering angles was reduced by 20% for photons of energy comparable to Co‐60 emissions and 70% for Cs‐137 emissions. The simulations with FLUKA and EGS showed that the reduction in the dose was potentially even higher when lead was added. One explanation for the reduction is the increased absorption of backscattered photons due to the photoelectric interaction in lead. The results also showed that adding 2 mm lead to the concrete walls and floor of the maze reduced the dose at the maze entrance by up to 90%.Conclusions:This novel proposal of covering part or the entire maze walls with a few millimeters of lead would have a direct implication for the design of radiation therapy facilities and would assist in upgrading the design of some mazes, especially those in facilities with limited space where the maze length cannot be extended to sufficiently reduce the dose.
Improved adaptive reconstruction of multichannel MR images
Authors: Ma Ya‐Jun , Liu Wentao , Zhao Xuna , Tang Weinan , Zhang Zihao , Tang Xin , Fan Yang , Li Huanjie , Gao Jia‐Hong 
Published: February 2015

Purpose:To improve adaptive reconstruction of multichannel MR images by simultaneously removing nonsmooth phase and signal‐loss imaging artifacts.Methods:The improved adaptive reconstruction consists of three steps: (1) modified multichannel images are first derived by dividing raw multichannel images by a reference image (i.e., a normalized single‐channel image); (2) the modified multichannel images are smoothed by a low‐pass filter; (3) adaptive spatial matched filters determined from the smoothed multichannel images are utilized to obtain multichannel combined images. Numerical simulations, as well as MRI experiments, on phantoms and human subjects are performed to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of this improved adaptive reconstruction approach against traditional coil combination methods.Results:Both simulation and MRI experimental results demonstrated that the proposed improved adaptive reconstruction method is able to obtain combined images with reduced nonsmooth phase and signal‐loss imaging artifacts.Conclusions:A novel multichannel image reconstruction method is developed that produces high quality multichannel combined images.
The evaluation of a 2D diode array in “magic phantom” for use in high dose rate brachytherapy pretreatment quality assurance
Authors: Espinoza A. , Petasecca M. , Fuduli I. , Howie A. , Bucci J. , Corde S. , Jackson M. , Lerch M. L. F. , Rosenfeld A. B. 
Published: February 2015

Purpose:High dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy is a treatment method that is used increasingly worldwide. The development of a sound quality assurance program for the verification of treatment deliveries can be challenging due to the high source activity utilized and the need for precise measurements of dwell positions and times. This paper describes the application of a novel phantom, based on a 2D 11 × 11 diode array detection system, named “magic phantom” (MPh), to accurately measure plan dwell positions and times, compare them directly to the treatment plan, determine errors in treatment delivery, and calculate absorbed dose.Methods:The magic phantom system was CT scanned and a 20 catheter plan was generated to simulate a nonspecific treatment scenario. This plan was delivered to the MPh and, using a custom developed software suite, the dwell positions and times were measured and compared to the plan. The original plan was also modified, with changes not disclosed to the primary authors, and measured again using the device and software to determine the modifications. A new metric, the “position–time gamma index,” was developed to quantify the quality of a treatment delivery when compared to the treatment plan. The MPh was evaluated to determine the minimum measurable dwell time and step size. The incorporation of the TG‐43U1 formalism directly into the software allows for dose calculations to be made based on the measured plan. The estimated dose distributions calculated by the software were compared to the treatment plan and to calibrated EBT3 film, using the 2D gamma analysis method.Results:For the original plan, the magic phantom system was capable of measuring all dwell points and dwell times and the majority were found to be within 0.93 mm and 0.25 s, respectively, from the plan. By measuring the altered plan and comparing it to the unmodified treatment plan, the use of the position–time gamma index showed that all modifications made could be readily detected. The MPh was able to measure dwell times down to 0.067 ± 0.001 s and planned dwell positions separated by 1 mm. The dose calculation carried out by the MPh software was found to be in agreement with values calculated by the treatment planning system within 0.75%. Using the 2D gamma index, the dose map of the MPh plane and measured EBT3 were found to have a pass rate of over 95% when compared to the original plan.Conclusions:The application of this magic phantom quality assurance system to HDR brachytherapy has demonstrated promising ability to perform the verification of treatment plans, based upon the measured dwell positions and times. The introduction of the quantitative position–time gamma index allows for direct comparison of measured parameters against the plan and could be used prior to patient treatment to ensure accurate delivery.
Complete Genome Sequence Analysis of Echovirus 24 Associated with Hand-Foot-and-Mouth Disease in China in 2012
Authors: Bian Lian-lian , Yao Xin , Mao Qun-ying , Gao Fan , Wang Yi-ping , Ye Qiang , Zhu Feng-cai , Liang Zheng-lun 
Published: February 2015

ABSTRACT

Echovirus 24 belongs to human enterovirus B species in the family
Picornaviridae
. Here, we report the whole-genome sequences of a novel complete genome sequence of a recombinant (echovirus 24) Echo 24 strain, PZ18/JS/2012, which was isolated from a patient with hand-foot-and-mouth disease in China.
Whole-Genome Sequence of Listeria monocytogenes Strains from Clinical and Environmental Samples from Varanasi, India
Authors: Soni Dharmendra K. , Singh Krishna M. , Ghosh Arpita , Chikara Surendra K. , Joshi Chaitanya G. , Dubey Suresh K. 
Published: February 2015

ABSTRACT

We present here the whole-genome sequences of
Listeria monocytogenes
from Ganges River water, agricultural soil, and human clinical samples from Varanasi, India, which will be used for a comparative analysis.
Utility of Sequencing the
erm
(41) Gene in Isolates of Mycobacterium abscessus subsp. abscessus with Low and Intermediate Clarithromycin MICs
Authors: Brown-Elliott Barbara A. , Vasireddy Sruthi , Vasireddy Ravikiran , Iakhiaeva Elena , Howard Susan T. , Nash Kevin , Parodi Nicholas , Strong Anita , Gee Martha , Smith Terry , Wallace Richard J. 
Published: February 2015

ABSTRACT

The
erm
(41) gene confers inducible macrolide resistance in
Mycobacterium abscessus
subsp.
abscessus
, calling into question the usefulness of macrolides for treating
M. abscessus
subsp.
abscessus
infections. With an extended incubation (14 days), isolates with MICs of ≥8 μg/ml are considered macrolide resistant by current CLSI guidelines. Our goals were to determine the incidence of macrolide susceptibility in U.S. isolates, the validity of currently accepted MIC breakpoints, and the
erm
(41) sequences associated with susceptibility. Of 349 isolates (excluding those with 23S rRNA gene mutations), 85 (24%) had clarithromycin MICs of ≤8 μg/ml. Sequencing of the
erm
(41) genes from these isolates, as well as from isolates with MICs of ≥16 μg/ml, including ATCC 19977
T
, revealed 10 sequevars. The sequence in ATCC 19977
T
was designated sequevar (type) 1; most macrolide-resistant isolates were of this type. Seven sequevars contained isolates with MICs of >16 μg/ml. The T28C substitution in
erm
(41), previously associated with macrolide susceptibility, was identified in 62 isolates (18%) comprising three sequevars, with MICs of ≤2 (80%), 4 (10%), and 8 (10%) μg/ml. No other nucleotide substitution was associated with macrolide susceptibility. We recommend that clarithromycin susceptibility breakpoints for
M. abscessus
subsp.
abscessus
be changed from ≤2 to ≤4 μg/ml and that isolates with an MIC of 8 μg/ml have repeat MIC testing or
erm
sequencing performed. Our studies suggest that macrolides are useful for treating approximately 20% of U.S. isolates of
M. abscessus
subsp.
abscessus
. Sequencing of the
erm
gene of
M. abscessus
subsp.
abscessus
will predict inducible macrolide susceptibility.
An OPTIMIZE Study Retrospective Analysis for Management of Telaprevir-Treated Hepatitis C Virus (HCV)-Infected Patients by Use of the Abbott RealTi
m
e HCV RNA Assay
Authors: Sarrazin Christoph , Dierynck Inge , Cloherty Gavin , Ghys Anne , Janssen Katrien , Luo Donghan , Witek James , Buti Maria , Picchio Gaston , De Meyer Sandra 
Published: February 2015

ABSTRACT

Protease inhibitor (PI)-based response-guided triple therapies for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection are still widely used. Noncirrhotic treatment-naive and prior relapser patients receiving telaprevir-based treatment are eligible for shorter, 24-week total therapy if HCV RNA is undetectable at both weeks 4 and 12. In this study, the concordance in HCV RNA assessments between the Roche High Pure System/Cobas TaqMan and Abbott RealTi
m
e HCV RNA assays and the impacts of different HCV RNA cutoffs on treatment outcome were evaluated. A total of 2,629 samples from 663 HCV genotype 1 patients receiving telaprevir/pegylated interferon/ribavirin in OPTIMIZE were analyzed using the High Pure System and reanalyzed using Abbott RealTi
m
e (limits of detection, 15.1 IU/ml versus 8.3 IU/ml; limits of quantification, 25 IU/ml versus 12 IU/ml, respectively). Overall, good concordance was observed between the assays. Using undetectable HCV RNA at week 4, 34% of the patients would be eligible for shorter treatment duration with Abbott RealTi
m
e versus 72% with the High Pure System. However, using <12 IU/ml for Abbott RealTi
m
e, a similar proportion (74%) would be eligible. Of the patients receiving 24-week total therapy, 87% achieved a sustained virologic response with undetectable HCV RNA by the High Pure System or <12 IU/ml by Abbott RealTi
m
e; however, 92% of the patients with undetectable HCV RNA by Abbott RealTi
m
e achieved a sustained virologic response. Using undetectable HCV RNA as the cutoff, the more sensitive Abbott RealTi
m
e assay would identify fewer patients eligible for shorter treatment than the High Pure System. Our data confirm the <12-IU/ml cutoff, as previously established in other studies of the Abbott RealTi
m
e assay, to determine eligibility for shortened PI-based HCV treatment. (The study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov under registration no. NCT01241760.)
Global Assessment of Antimicrobial Susceptibility among Gram-Negative Organisms Collected from Pediatric Patients between 2004 and 2012: Results from the Tigecycline Evaluation and Surveillance Trial
Authors: Kehl Sue C. , Dowzicky Michael J. 
Published: February 2015

ABSTRACT

The Tigecycline Evaluation and Surveillance Trial (TEST) was designed to monitor susceptibility to commonly used antimicrobial agents among important pathogens. We report here on susceptibility among Gram-negative pathogens collected globally from pediatric patients between 2004 and 2012. Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined using guidelines published by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI). Most
Enterobacteriaceae
showed high rates of susceptibility (>95%) to amikacin, tigecycline, and the carbapenems (imipenem and meropenem); 90.8% of
Acinetobacter baumannii
isolates were susceptible to minocycline, and susceptibility rates were highest in North America, Europe, and Asia/Pacific Rim. Amikacin was the most active agent against
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
(90.4% susceptibility), with susceptibility rates being highest in North America. Extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) were reported for 11.0% of
Escherichia coli
isolates and 24.2% of
Klebsiella pneumoniae
isolates globally, with rates reaching as high as 25.7% in the Middle East and >43% in Africa and Latin America, respectively. Statistically significant (
P
< 0.01) differences in susceptibility rates were noted between pediatric age groups (1 to 5 years, 6 to 12 years, or 13 to 17 years of age), globally and in some regions, for all pathogens except
Haemophilus influenzae
. Significant (
P
< 0.01) differences were reported for all pathogens globally and in most regions, considerably more frequently, when pediatric and adult susceptibility results were compared. Amikacin, tigecycline, and the carbapenems were active
in vitro
against most Gram-negative pathogens collected from pediatric patients;
A. baumannii
and
P. aeruginosa
were susceptible to fewer antimicrobial agents. Susceptibility rates among isolates from pediatric patients were frequently different from those among isolates collected from adults.
Improved Serodiagnosis of Bovine Brucellosis by Novel Synthetic Oligosaccharide Antigens Representing the Capping M Epitope Elements of Brucella O-Polysaccharide
Authors: McGiven John , Howells Laurence , Duncombe Lucy , Stack Judy , Ganesh N. Vijaya , Guiard Julie , Bundle David R. 
Published: February 2015

ABSTRACT

Members of the genus
Brucella
have cell wall characteristics of Gram-negative bacteria, which in the most significant species includes O-polysaccharide (OPS). Serology is the most cost-effective means of detecting brucellosis, as infection with smooth strains of
Brucella
leads to the induction of high antibody titers against the OPS, an unbranched homopolymer of 4,6-dideoxy-4-formamido-
d
-mannopyranosyl residues (
d
-Rha4NFo) that are variably α(1→2)- and α(1→3)-linked. Six
d
-Rha4NFo homo-oligosaccharides were synthesized, each containing a single α(1→3) link but with a varied number of α(1→2) links. After conjugation to bovine serum albumin (BSA), glycoconjugates 1 to 6 were used to develop individual indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (iELISAs). The diagnostic capabilities of these antigens were applied to panels of cattle serum samples, including those falsely positive in conventional assays, and the results were compared with those of the complement fixation test (CFT), serum agglutination test (SAT), fluorescent polarization assay (FPA), smooth lipopolysaccharide (sLPS) iELISA, and competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cELISA) methods. Results from field serum samples demonstrated that all of the synthetic antigens had excellent diagnostic capabilities. Assays developed with the α(1→3)-linked disaccharide conjugate 1 were the best at resolving false-positive serological results. This was supported by the results from serum samples derived from experimentally infected cattle. Data from synthetic trisaccharide antigens 2 and 3 and tetrasaccharide antigen 4 identified an OPS epitope equally common to all
Brucella abortus
and
Brucella melitensis
strains but unique to
Brucella
. Synthetic oligosaccharide conjugates function as effective surrogates for naturally derived antigens. The creation of discrete OPS epitope antigens reveals not only the previously untapped diagnostic potential within this key diagnostic structure but also holds significance for the design of brucellosis vaccines and diagnostics that enable the differentiation of infected from vaccinated animals.
Sequence of Pathogenic Events in Cynomolgus Macaques Infected with Aerosolized Monkeypox Virus
Authors: Tree J. A. , Hall G. , Pearson G. , Rayner E. , Graham V. A. , Steeds K. , Bewley K. R. , Hatch G. J. , Dennis M. , Taylor I. , Roberts A. D. , Funnell S. G. P. , Vipond J. 
Published: February 2015

ABSTRACT

To evaluate new vaccines when human efficacy studies are not possible, the FDA's “Animal Rule” requires well-characterized models of infection. Thus, in the present study, the early pathogenic events of monkeypox infection in nonhuman primates, a surrogate for variola virus infection, were characterized. Cynomolgus macaques were exposed to aerosolized monkeypox virus (10
5
PFU). Clinical observations, viral loads, immune responses, and pathological changes were examined on days 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 postchallenge. Viral DNA (vDNA) was detected in the lungs on day 2 postchallenge, and viral antigen was detected, by immunostaining, in the epithelium of bronchi, bronchioles, and alveolar walls. Lesions comprised rare foci of dysplastic and sloughed cells in respiratory bronchioles. By day 4, vDNA was detected in the throat, tonsil, and spleen, and monkeypox antigen was detected in the lung, hilar and submandibular lymph nodes, spleen, and colon. Lung lesions comprised focal epithelial necrosis and inflammation. Body temperature peaked on day 6, pox lesions appeared on the skin, and lesions, with positive immunostaining, were present in the lung, tonsil, spleen, lymph nodes, and colon. By day 8, vDNA was present in 9/13 tissues. Blood concentrations of interleukin 1ra (IL-1ra), IL-6, and gamma interferon (IFN-γ) increased markedly. By day 10, circulating IgG antibody concentrations increased, and on day 12, animals showed early signs of recovery. These results define early events occurring in an inhalational macaque monkeypox infection model, supporting its use as a surrogate model for human smallpox.

IMPORTANCE
Bioterrorism poses a major threat to public health, as the deliberate release of infectious agents, such smallpox or a related virus, monkeypox, would have catastrophic consequences. The development and testing of new medical countermeasures, e.g., vaccines, are thus priorities; however, tests for efficacy in humans cannot be performed because it would be unethical and field trials are not feasible. To overcome this, the FDA may grant marketing approval of a new product based upon the “Animal Rule,” in which interventions are tested for efficacy in well-characterized animal models. Monkeypox virus infection of nonhuman primates (NHPs) presents a potential surrogate disease model for smallpox. Previously, the later stages of monkeypox infection were defined, but the early course of infection remains unstudied. Here, the early pathogenic events of inhalational monkeypox infection in NHPs were characterized, and the results support the use of this surrogate model for testing human smallpox interventions.
CD40L-Adjuvanted DNA/Modified Vaccinia Virus Ankara Simian Immunodeficiency Virus (SIV) Vaccine Enhances Protection against Neutralization-Resistant Mucosal SIV Infection
Authors: Kwa Suefen , Sadagopal Shanmugalakshmi , Shen Xiaoying , Hong Jung Joo , Gangadhara Sailaja , Basu Rahul , Victor Blandine , Iyer Smita S. , LaBranche Celia C. , Montefiori David C. , Tomaras Georgia D. , Villinger Francois , Moss Bernard , Kozlowski Pamela A. , Amara Rama Rao 
Published: February 2015

ABSTRACT
Here, we show that a CD40L-adjuvanted DNA/modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) vaccine enhances protection against a pathogenic neutralization-resistant mucosal SIV infection, improves long-term viral control, and prevents AIDS. Analyses of serum IgG antibodies to linear peptides of SIV Env revealed a strong response to V2, with targeting of fewer epitopes in the immunodominant region of gp41 (gp41-ID) and the V1 region as a correlate for enhanced protection. Greater expansion of antiviral CD8 T cells in the gut correlated with long-term viral control.