bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Manufacturing and Hydro Testing of a 10 MWe sCO2 Axial Turbine
Authors: Klaerner John D. , Moore J. Jeffrey , Robinson Kyle , Wade Jonathan L. , McClung Aaron 
Published: October 2023

Abstract
Supercritical CO2 (sCO2) power cycles designed for thermodynamic efficiencies above 50% push component designs into pressure and temperature combinations that approach the limits of American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code and ASME Piping Design Codes with Turbine inlet conditions near 250 bar and 715 °C. These design conditions which limit available materials to high nickel alloys are compounded by the high fluid densities of sCO2 at these conditions which result in very compact machinery at the 10 MWe class which are currently being developed for the DOE supercritical transformational electric power (STEP) program. Design of the STEP Turbine is complete with integrated lessons learned from a previous 1 MWth subscale demonstration of a high temperature 10 MWe Turbine designed under the DOE SunShot Program. Fabrication of the STEP Turbine is nearing completion with all housings and pressure containing components in hand. This paper provides a detailed look at design intentions and limitations for the pressurized sections of the main pressure casing and the fabrication of key turbine components. Additional discussion is provided regarding postfabrication inspection and acceptance of the casing for use after issues with casing welds were identified late in the fabrication process.
Improved performance of nucleic acid-based assays for genetically diverse norovirus surveillance
Authors: Oh Chamteut , Zhou Aijia , O'Brien Kate , Schmidt Arthur R. , Geltz Joshua , Shisler Joanna L. , Schmidt Arthur R. , Keefer Laura , Brown William M. , Nguyen Thanh H. 
Published: October 2023

ABSTRACT

Nucleic acid-based assays, such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR), that amplify and detect organism-specific genome sequences are a standard method for infectious disease surveillance. However, challenges arise for virus surveillance because of their genetic diversity. Here, we calculated the variability of nucleotides within the genomes of 10 human viral species
in silico
and found that endemic viruses exhibit a high percentage of variable nucleotides (e.g., 51.4% for norovirus genogroup II). This genetic diversity led to the variable probability of detection of PCR assays (the proportion of viral sequences that contain the assay’s target sequences divided by the total number of viral sequences). We then experimentally confirmed that the probability of the target sequence detection is indicative of the number of mismatches between PCR assays and norovirus genomes. Next, we developed a degenerate PCR assay that detects 97% of known norovirus genogroup II genome sequences and recognized norovirus in eight clinical samples. By contrast, previously developed assays with 31% and 16% probability of detection had 1.1 and 2.5 mismatches on average, respectively, which negatively impacted RNA quantification. In addition, the two PCR assays with a lower probability of detection also resulted in false negatives for wastewater-based epidemiology. Our findings suggest that the probability of detection serves as a simple metric for evaluating nucleic acid-based assays for genetically diverse virus surveillance.

IMPORTANCE

Nucleic acid-based assays, such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR), that amplify and detect organism-specific genome sequences are employed widely as a standard method for infectious disease surveillance. However, challenges arise for virus surveillance because of the rapid evolution and genetic variation of viruses. The study analyzed clinical and wastewater samples using multiple PCR assays and found significant performance variation among the PCR assays for genetically diverse norovirus surveillance. This finding suggests that some PCR assays may miss detecting certain virus strains, leading to a compromise in detection sensitivity. To address this issue, we propose a metric called the probability of detection, which can be simply calculated
in silico
using a code developed in this study, to evaluate nucleic acid-based assays for genetically diverse virus surveillance. This new approach can help improve the sensitivity and accuracy of virus detection, which is crucial for effective infectious disease surveillance and control.
Identification of
Streptococcus pneumoniae
genes associated with hypothiocyanous acid tolerance through genome-wide screening
Authors: Shearer Heather L. , Pace Paul E. , Smith Leah M. , Fineran Peter C. , Matthews Allison J. , Camilli Andrew , Dickerhof Nina , Hampton Mark B. 
Published: October 2023

ABSTRACT

Streptococcus pneumoniae
is a commensal bacterium and invasive pathogen that causes millions of deaths worldwide. The pneumococcal vaccine offers limited protection, and the rise of antimicrobial resistance will make treatment increasingly challenging, emphasizing the need for new antipneumococcal strategies. One possibility is to target antioxidant defenses to render
S. pneumoniae
more susceptible to oxidants produced by the immune system. Human peroxidase enzymes will convert bacterial-derived hydrogen peroxide to hypothiocyanous acid (HOSCN) at sites of colonization and infection. Here, we used saturation transposon mutagenesis and deep sequencing to identify genes that enable
S. pneumoniae
to tolerate HOSCN. We identified 37 genes associated with
S. pneumoniae
HOSCN tolerance, including genes involved in metabolism, membrane transport, DNA repair, and oxidant detoxification. Single-gene deletion mutants of the identified antioxidant defense genes
sodA
,
spxB
,
trxA,
and
ahpD
were generated and their ability to survive HOSCN was assessed. With the exception of Δ
ahpD
, all deletion mutants showed significantly greater sensitivity to HOSCN, validating the result of the genome-wide screen. The activity of hypothiocyanous acid reductase or glutathione reductase, known to be important for
S. pneumoniae
tolerance of HOSCN, was increased in three of the mutants, highlighting the compensatory potential of antioxidant systems. Double deletion of the gene encoding glutathione reductase and
sodA
sensitized the bacteria significantly more than single deletion. The HOSCN defense systems identified in this study may be viable targets for novel therapeutics against this deadly pathogen.

IMPORTANCE

Streptococcus pneumoniae
is a human pathogen that causes pneumonia, bacteremia, and meningitis. Vaccination provides protection only against a quarter of the known
S. pneumoniae
serotypes, and the bacterium is rapidly becoming resistant to antibiotics. As such, new treatments are required. One strategy is to sensitize the bacteria to killing by the immune system. In this study, we performed a genome-wide screen to identify genes that help this bacterium resist oxidative stress exerted by the host at sites of colonization and infection. By identifying a number of critical pneumococcal defense mechanisms, our work provides novel targets for antimicrobial therapy.
The electromagnetic fine-structure constant in primordial nucleosynthesis revisited
Authors: Meißner Ulf-G. , Metsch Bernard Ch. , Meyer Helen 
Published: October 2023

AbstractWe study the dependence of the primordial nuclear abundances as a function of the electromagnetic fine-structure constant $$\alpha $$
α
, keeping all other fundamental constants fixed. We update the leading nuclear reaction rates, in particular the electromagnetic contribution to the neutron-proton mass difference pertinent to $$\beta $$
β
-decays, and go beyond certain approximations made in the literature. In particular, we include the temperature-dependence of the leading nuclear reactions rates and assess the systematic uncertainties by using four different publicly available codes for Big Bang nucleosynthesis. Disregarding the unsolved so-called lithium-problem, we find that the current values for the observationally based $${}^{2}\text {H}$$

2

H

and $${}^{4}\text {He}$$

4

He

abundances restrict the fractional change in the fine-structure constant to less than $$2\%$$

2
%

, which is a tighter bound than found in earlier works on the subject.
Location Reference Recognition from Texts: A Survey and Comparison
Authors: Hu Xuke , Zhou Zhiyong , Li Hao , Hu Yingjie , Gu Fuqiang , Kersten Jens , Fan Hongchao , Klan Friederike 
Published: October 2023

A vast amount of location information exists in unstructured texts, such as social media posts, news stories, scientific articles, web pages, travel blogs, and historical archives. Geoparsing refers to recognizing location references from texts and identifying their geospatial representations. While geoparsing can benefit many domains, a summary of its specific applications is still missing. Further, there is a lack of a comprehensive review and comparison of existing approaches for location reference recognition, which is the first and core step of geoparsing. To fill these research gaps, this review first summarizes seven typical application domains of geoparsing: geographic information retrieval, disaster management, disease surveillance, traffic management, spatial humanities, tourism management, and crime management. We then review existing approaches for location reference recognition by categorizing these approaches into four groups based on their underlying functional principle: rule-based, gazetteer matching–based, statistical learning-–based, and hybrid approaches. Next, we thoroughly evaluate the correctness and computational efficiency of the 27 most widely used approaches for location reference recognition based on 26 public datasets with different types of texts (e.g., social media posts and news stories) containing 39,736 location references worldwide. Results from this thorough evaluation can help inform future methodological developments and can help guide the selection of proper approaches based on application needs.
Correlates of Presence in a Virtual Reality Gamification Environment for Rehabilitation after Musculoskeletal Injury
Authors: Gouveia Élvio Rúbio , Nascimento Marcelo de Maio , França Cíntia , Campos Pedro , Ihle Andreas , Przednowek Krzysztof , Marques Adilson , Nunes Nuno , Gouveia Bruna R. 
Published: October 2023

Abstract
Virtual reality (VR) has emerged as a powerful option for rehabilitation by providing real-time performance feedback and a safe and customized training environment. This study aimed: (1) to investigate the association between presence in the virtual environment, usability of the system, intrinsic motivation, and immersion in VR gaming designed for rehabilitation after musculoskeletal injury; and (2) to examine the users’ emotional response in terms of pleasure, arousal, and dominance after participating in VR gaming. Thirty-seven individuals aged 23.69 ± 6.98 years participated in five customized VR games designed to provide a complete rehabilitation session after a musculoskeletal injury. Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients and multiple regression analyses were used to investigate the relationship between presence in virtual environments and immersive tendencies, the usability of the system, and intrinsic motivation. The Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test was conducted to evaluate the impact of participation in VR gaming on participants’ presence in virtual environments. Significant correlations were found between presence and immersive tendencies (r = −.40, p = .017), intrinsic motivation (r = .42, p = .013), and usability of the system (r = .64, p &lt; .001). The linear regression model explained 59% of the total variance in the presence of virtual environments. There was a statistically significant increase in the pleasure scores from the beginning to the end of the session. Our results indicate that VR may be useful in increasing adherence to treatment to recover from musculoskeletal injuries.
What are the precise reasons for the disparity in referrals to fitness to practise between international and UK medical graduates?
Authors: Adhiyaman Vedamurthy , Hobson Peter , Sundaram Radha , Williams Llinos 
Published: October 2023

Purpose of the study To discover the precise reasons for referring a doctor to the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service, and whether there are any disparities between referrals of international medical graduates and UK graduates. Further to consider whether understanding the precise reasons would provide insight into the nature of referrals. Study design We collected and analysed the data from the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service website over a period of 12 months. Results There were 228 cases of which 142 (62%) were international medical graduates and 86 (38%) were UK graduates. More international medical graduates were referred for professional misconduct, poor performance and lack of adequate English language. The common reasons for professional misconduct were providing sub-optimal care, sexual misconduct and dishonest behaviour. More UK graduates were referred following convictions due to offences related to alcohol intake and financial dishonesty. There is paucity of good quality information to identify the exact reasons for the disparity. Conclusion More international medical graduates were referred to the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service than UK graduates. There was disparity in the nature of the referrals and we hope our findings will inform employers and the regulatory bodies to understand that comprehensive induction, inclusion, mentoring and adjustments are needed to support international medical graduates to mitigate the risks of failure and help them to meet the required professional standards.
Imaging features of renal ectopia and fusion in 13 cats
Authors: Slinkard Powell T , Anson Augstina , Specchi Swan , Frau Tascon Maria , Muñiz-Moris Laura , Penninck Dominique , Ondreka Nele Eley 
Published: October 2023

Case series summary A retrospective multicenter case series of renal fusion anomalies in cats was investigated. The aim of this study was to describe the imaging characteristics (radiography, ultrasonography and CT) of renal ectopia and fusion in cats. A total of 13 feline patients (median age 9 years) were included in this multicentric retrospective study. Ultrasound was available in 12/13 cases, radiographs in 4/13 cases and CT in 3/13 cases. Of the 13 cases, seven were left to right fusions, four were right to left fusions, one was on the midline and one was in the pelvic inlet. Adopting a human classification system, there were five lump kidneys, four disc kidneys, one horseshoe kidney, one caudal ectopia, one L-shaped kidney and one pelvic kidney. In 2/13 cases, additional congenital malformations were noted, including an azygous continuation of the caudal vena cava and a peritoneal-pericardial diaphragmatic hernia. Relevance and novel information This study provides further description of the imaging findings in feline patients with fused renal ectopia. The morphologic characteristics of the fused kidneys in cats appear similar to what is published in the human literature. Renal fusion might be an incidental finding in cats, but further investigations are necessary to determine their clinical relevance.
Resveratrol Inhibits Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Progression by Reducing Extracellular Matrix Degradation, Apoptosis, Autophagy, and Inflammation of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells via Upregulation of HMOX1
Authors: Qu Yunfei , Zhang Ning , Zhao Yu 
Published: October 2023

Objective: This study aimed to explore the therapeutic effect of resveratrol (RES) against abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) and the role of HMOX1 underlying this effect. Methods: Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) were induced by angiotensin II (Ang II) to construct the microenvironment of AAA. HMOX1 expression was downregulated by the short hairpin ribonucleic acid (RNA) specific to HMOX1 in RES-pretreated VSMCs. The levels of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, MMP-9, and elastin were measured by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blot. Apoptosis rate was detected. The levels of apoptosis-related proteins (caspase-3 and Bax/Bcl-2), inflammatory cytokines (interleukin [IL]-6, tumor necrosis factor [TNF]-α, and IL-1β), and autophagy-related proteins (Beclin 1, light chain 3 [LC3] II/I, and p62) were detected by western blot. The secretion of inflammatory factors in cell supernatant was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The number of autophagic vesicles in VSMCs was observed and analyzed by transmission electron microscopy. A rat model of pancreatic elastase-induced AAA was established to verify the effect and action mechanism of RES. Results: Stimulation of Ang II increased the messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein levels of MMP-2 and MMP-9, decreased elastin expression, and enhanced apoptosis, secretion of inflammatory factors, and autophagy in VSMCs, whereas RES pretreatment ameliorated Ang II-induced VSMC dysfunction. In addition, HMOX1 mRNA and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) protein levels were significantly increased in VSMCs pretreated with RES compared with Ang II treatment alone. Silencing of HMOX1 abolished the effects of RES on VSMC dysfunction. Consistently, RES suppressed the development of AAA in rats by increasing the expression of HMOX1. Conclusion: Resveratrol protects against AAA by inhibiting extracellular matrix degradation, apoptosis, autophagy, and inflammation of VSMCs via HMOX1 upregulation. Clinical Impact Our study found that angiotensin II (Ang II) stimulated increased the levels of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), decreased elastin expression, and promoted apoptosis, autophagy occurrence, and secretion of inflammatory factors, while resveratrol (RES) pretreatment improved this effect. In addition, downregulation of HMOX1 expression eliminated the effect of RES on the function of VSMCs. Our study elucidates that RES improves AAA progression through HMOX1 at both cellular and animal levels. This work can help doctors better understand the pathological mechanism of the occurrence and development of AAA, and provide a theoretical basis for clinicians to find better treatment options.
Impact of csDMARDs adherence on clinical remission in patients with new-onset inflammatory arthritis: a prospective cohort study from the ELECTRA database
Authors: Zanetti Anna , Zambon Antonella , Scirè Carlo A. , Bugatti Serena , Montecucco Carlomaurizio , Sakellariou Garifallia 
Published: October 2023

Background: Major improvements in the management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have made clinical remission an achievable and desirable goal but, despite the relevance gained by a profound disease suppression, many patients with RA still miss clinical remission due to several factors influencing disease activity, including treatment adherence. Objective: To evaluate the effect of adherence to conventional synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (csDMARDs) on the achievement of clinical remission in a cohort of patients with new-onset inflammatory arthritis. Study design: A prospective cohort study was conducted using the ELECTRA database, which consists of clinical data from patients followed at the IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo Foundation (Pavia, Italy), linked to regional administrative healthcare databases. Methods: We enrolled patients with new-onset active disease between January 2006 and December 2013 and followed them until their first clinical remission or end of follow-up (December 2015). To assess the association of csDMARD adherence with clinical remission, we estimated the csDMARD proportion of days covered (PDC) during follow-up. PDC was added to the main clinical adjustment covariates as a time-dependent variable in a proportional hazard Cox regression model. Results: The cohort included 324 patients with a mean (SD) age of 58 (13.9) and predominantly female (74.5%). A total of 219 patients (67.6%) achieved clinical remission during follow-up and 85 (26.2%) in the first 6 months (early clinical remission). Cox regression models showed that a 10% increment of PDC increased the probability of achieving clinical remission by 10% ( p < 0.001) and the probability of early clinical remission by 21% ( p = 0.03). Conclusion: Patients at disease onset with higher adherence to csDMARDs were more likely to achieve clinical remission and early clinical remission. Our study highlighted the importance of close monitoring of patients to increase their likelihood of following therapeutic indications and achieving favorable disease outcomes, such as lower disability.
Do Foreign Fund Flows Influence the Stock Market Index? Evidence From Indonesia
Authors: Danila Nevi , Bunyamin  , Djalaluddin Ahmad , Fathony Yudha 
Published: October 2023

This paper investigates the impact of foreign fund’ flow on the Indonesian stock index incorporating other variables, namely the international stock market, gold price, foreign exchange rate, and the oil price. GJR-GARCH (1,1) model is used to analyze daily time-series data on IDX, foreign fund flows, the S&P 500, and gold, currency, and oil prices from 2014 to 2019. There is an evidence of leverage effect. It means that there is an asymmetric news impact on the conditional variances. Currency and oil prices are the only variables to have an impact on the Indonesian stock market index, while the rest of the variables do not influence the index. The government may provide infrastructures to attract foreign investors. At the same time, the government has to issue the policy that will protect the economy from stock market shocks. Finally, investors may include gold in their portfolio to diversify their investments. JEL Classification: G120, G10, G40