bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Oral microbial biomap in the drought environment: Sjogren's syndrome
Authors: Bustos‐Lobato Laura , Rus Maria J. , Saúco Carlos , Simon‐Soro Aurea 
Published: September 2023

AbstractSjogren's syndrome (SS) is an autoimmune disease that affects primarily the salivary glands, making perturbations in the oral ecosystem and potential factors of salivary flow that influence the onset and development of the disease. The oral cavity contains diverse microorganisms that inhabit various niches such as the oral microbial “biomap.” It does not seem specific enough to establish a characteristic microbiome, given the diversity of clinical manifestations, variable rates of salivary secretion, and influential risk factors in patients with SS. This review discusses the biogeography of the oral microbiome in patients with SS such as saliva, tongue, tooth, mucosa, and gum. The microorganisms that were more abundant in the different oral niches were Gram‐positive species, suggesting a higher survival of cell wall bacteria in this arid oral environment. Reduced salivary flow appears not to be linked to the cause of dysbiosis alone but influences host‐associated risk factors. However, much work remains to be done to establish the role of the microbiome in the etiopathogenesis of autoimmune diseases such as SS. Future studies of the microbiome in autoimmunity will shed light on the role of specific microorganisms that have never been linked before with SS.
A Novel Technology for 3D‐Printing Artificial Vertebral Bodies for Treating Lumbar Spine Adrenal Pheochromocytoma Metastases: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Zhang Yadong , Li Houkun , Wang Wentao , Shan Lequn , Hao Dingjun 
Published: September 2023

BackgroundPheochromocytoma is an adrenal medullary neuroendocrine tumor that rarely metastasizes to the spine. Currently, its specific treatment methods still present challenges.Case DescriptionA 41‐year‐old male patient who underwent left total adrenalectomy due to pheochromocytoma 3 years ago presented with lower back pain, accompanied by numbness and decreased muscle strength in both legs, as well as decreased sensation. Abnormal transmittance of the L3 vertebral body could be seen on anterior–posterior and lateral lumbar X‐rays, irregular bone destruction of the L3 vertebral body was found on CT, and an MRI scan showed that the tumor was located within the L3 vertebral body, protruding into the spinal canal and compressing the epidural sac. No recurrence was found in the abdomen. Preoperatively, perform local embolization of the blood vessels supplying the tumor. First, the L2‐3 intervertebral disc, L3‐4 intervertebral disc and L3 vertebral body were removed using an anterior approach, the whole tumor was removed, and some of the vertebrae were taken for pathological examination and replaced with a 3D‐printed prosthesis. Then, four pedicle screws were placed in the bilateral pedicles of L2 and L4 using the posterior approach, pre‐bent connecting rods were installed to replace the bone cortex of the lamina and articular process followed by bone graft fusion of the interlaminar and facet joints. The postoperative results were satisfactory, and there were no perioperative complications.ConclusionLumbar pheochromocytoma metastasis is rare, difficult to treat, and should be considered in spinal metastases' differential diagnoses so early diagnosis can be made based on medical history and imaging. Preoperative local vascular imaging and embolization of the blood supply vessels were performed. After total en‐bloc spondylectomy of the tumor during surgery, a prosthesis was implanted and combined with pedicle screw fixation to reconstruct spinal biomechanical stability, achieving satisfactory results. Therefore, 3D printed artificial vertebral bodies are a good choice for treating adrenal pheochromocytoma lumbar metastasis. The key to successful treatment is close interdisciplinary collaboration in formulating rigorous comprehensive perioperative plans.
Impact of soil moisture stress during the silk emergence and grain‐filling in maize
Authors: Vennam Ranadheer Reddy , Poudel Sadikshya , Ramamoorthy Purushothaman , Samiappan Sathishkumar , Reddy K. Raja , Bheemanahalli Raju 
Published: September 2023

AbstractSuboptimal soil moisture during the growing season often limits maize growth and yield. However, the growth stage‐specific responses of maize to soil moisture regimes have not been thoroughly investigated. This study investigated the response of maize to five different soil moisture regimes, that are, 0.25, 0.20, 0.15, 0.10, and 0.05 m3 m−3 volumetric water content (VWC), during flowering and grain‐filling stages. Sub‐optimal soil moisture at the flowering and grain‐filling stages reduced ear leaf stomatal conductance by 73 and 64%, respectively. An increase in stress severity caused significant reductions in ear leaf chlorophyll content and greenness‐associated vegetation indices across growth stages. Fourteen days of soil moisture stress during flowering delayed silk emergence, reduced silk length (19%), and silk fresh weight (34%). Furthermore, sub‐optimal soil moisture caused a significant reduction in both kernel number (53%) and weight (54%). Soil moisture stress at the flowering had a direct impact on kernel number and an indirect effect on kernel weight. During grain‐filling, disruption of ear leaf physiology resulted in a 34% decrease in kernel weight and a 43% decrease in kernel number. Unlike grain‐filling, treatments at the flowering significantly reduced kernel starch (3%) and increased protein by 29%. These findings suggest that developing reproductive stage stress‐tolerant hybrids with improved resilience to soil moisture stress could help reduce the yield gap between irrigated and rainfed maize.
‘Whispered in corridors’: Intra‐national politics and practices of knowledge production in South African Human Geography
Authors: Hammett Daniel , Hoogendoorn Gijsbert , Masutha Mukovhe 
Published: September 2023

AbstractReflections on the state of Geography around the globe have noted multiple challenges and opportunities—including a call for the reconfiguring of the discipline as a critical space of care and praxis (Daya, Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, 47, 9, 2022). Such a call is indelibly connected to broader conversations on the politics of knowledge production and critical engagements with cultures of knowledge production. In order to realise the reconfiguring of the discipline, it is imperative to engage with the multi‐scalar politics and practices of knowledge production, to look beyond global inequalities and critically examine the intra‐national inequities and structural biases of knowledge production. Through a focus on South African Human Geography and detailed analysis of publication data and interviews with staff at universities across the country, we critically examine how the ‘haunting’ of apartheid legacies contributes to a double‐peripheralisation of staff at historically disadvantaged institutions while critical conversations remain ‘whispered in corridors’. This more granular engagement with the politics and practices of knowledge production highlights the entwining of intra‐ and inter‐national privilege which produces a mosaic of ‘cores’ and ‘peripheries’ in the uneven landscape of knowledge production that requires critical scholars to engage with on multiple scales in order to realise a more just and equitable knowledge economy.
Clinical performance of a new multiplex assay for the detection of HIV‐1, HIV‐2, HCV, HBV, and HEV in blood donations in Catalonia (Spain)
Authors: Sauleda Silvia , Bes Marta , Piron Maria , Ong Edgar , Coco Sonia Bakkour , Carrió Jaume , Linnen Jeffrey M. 
Published: September 2023

AbstractBackgroundCommercial multiplex nucleic acid tests (NATs) for HIV‐1/HIV‐2/HCV/HBV are widely used in developed countries to screen blood donations. HEV NAT screening has been implemented in some blood banks but is tested with a different assay.Study Design and MethodsThis study describes the clinical sensitivity and specificity of the Procleix® UltrioPlex E (UPxE) assay on the automated Procleix Panther® system for the simultaneous detection of HIV‐1/HIV‐2/HCV/HBV/HEV. To evaluate routine performance, 10,138 donations were tested in parallel with UPxE (in ID‐NAT) and current assays (Procleix Ultrio Elite [UE] assay in ID‐NAT and Procleix HEV assay in pool of 16). To assess clinical sensitivity, archived donations positive for HCV, HIV‐1, HBV, HEV, or occult HBV infection (OBI) were tested (n = 104–186).ResultsFive donations were initially reactive (IR) with UPxE; none of them were reactive with current assays. Two of the three samples IR for HIV‐1/HIV‐2/HCV/HBV were confirmed positive for HBV (HBV NAT and/or anti‐HBV core positive) and classified as OBI. The two samples IR for HEV were confirmed positive (Procleix HEV assay in ID‐NAT and in‐house RT‐PCR HEV assay). One sample IR for HIV‐1/HIV‐2/HCV/HBV with UPxE and another with UE were not confirmed. UPxE showed a specificity of 99.99% for HIV‐1/HIV‐2/HCV/HBV and 100% for HEV. Comparable sensitivities were observed for HIV‐1, HCV, HBV, OBI, and HEV samples tested in the UPxE, UE, and Procleix HEV assays.DiscussionUPxE may provide an efficient solution for the simultaneous detection of HIV‐1, HIV‐2, HCV, HBV, and HEV in blood donations in a single test.
Evaluation of Nox Emissions Associated to Non-Premixed Combustion of H2/Natural Gas Blends in a 40 MW Heavy-Duty Gas Turbine
Authors: Carusotto Salvatore , Labrini Giovanni , Salvadori Simone , Baratta Mirko , Cardile Francesco , Toppino Marco , Valsania Massimo , Misul Daniela 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
The tightening in the international regulations is leading the energy production sector toward the usage of hydrogen, which is a zero-carbon energy carrier. In the field of gas turbine lifetime extension, a nonpremixed approach including hydrogen blending with conventional fuels is the most promising. However, high-temperature spots might occur, thus increasing thermo-mechanical stresses and NOx emissions. Therefore, a reliable evaluation of the impact of hydrogen blends in combustors characterized by nonpremixed flames is necessary. In the present work, a 40 MW heavy-duty multican combustor belonging to EthosEnergy is investigated by means of steady, reactive simulations by using the ANSYS® FLUENT® solver. The combustor geometry is simplified by removing the casing volume, being the flow split among the holes already available. Such simplification allows for paying major attention to the chemical kinetics thanks to the use of the extended reaction mechanism for natural gas developed by National University of Ireland Galway. Simulations include the assessment of the natural gas base load configuration together with hydrogen blends up to 50% in volume, while maintaining unaltered the turbine inlet temperature (TIT). The obtained data provide some retrofitting guidelines in the field of hydrogen usage in nonpremixed combustion and prove for a modified temperature field in the combustor core and close to the basket. A linear increase in NOx emission is also associated with hydrogen addition, thus suggesting the need for NOx abatement technologies (e.g., water injection).
Caputo and Conformable Fractional Order Guava Model for Biological Pest Control: Discretization, Stability and Bifurcation
Authors: Kartal Senol 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
Two predator-prey model describing the guava borers and natural enemies are studied in this paper. Positivity, existence, and uniqueness of the solution, global and local stability analysis of the fixed points of the first model based on the Caputo fractional operator are studied. By adding piecewise constant functions to the second model including conformable fractional operator allows us to transition discrete dynamical system via discretization process. Applying Schur-Cohn criterion to the discrete system, we hold some regions where the equilibrium points in the discretized model are local asymptotically stable. We prove that discretized model displays supercritical Neimark–Sacker bifurcation at the equilibrium point. Theoretical and numerical results show that the discretized system demonstrates richer dynamic properties such as quasi-periodic solutions, bifurcation, and chaotic dynamics than the fractional order model with Caputo operator. All theoretical results are interpreted biologically and the optimum time interval for the harvesting of the guava fruit is given.
Toward Design Guidelines for Multidirectional Patient Transfer on a Bed Surface Using Traveling Waves
Authors: Mansouri Mahshid , Hsiao-Wecksler Elizabeth T. , Krishnan Girish 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
Patients who have limited body movement ability need assistance with frequent repositioning and transfers from their caregivers. These common manual tasks are physically strenuous for caregivers. To minimize caregiver physical effort, several assistive devices have been proposed. However, most devices have complex designs, are expensive, can only move the patient in one direction, or still need the caregiver’s intervention. Inspired by natural waves such as water waves that can carry objects, this study presents actuator-agnostic design guidelines for moving a body on a bed surface using traveling waves as an alternative solution. Specifically, this study explores how transportation speed and movement smoothness are affected by wave parameters such as the wavelength, wave amplitude, number of the actuators used to create the wave profile, and their movement pattern. Additional requirements for moving an elastic object, such as a human body, were also established to minimize the stiffness of the interface layer between the body and wave particles. Results suggest that transportation speed is linearly proportional to wave frequency and horizontal displacement of the wave actuators. Maximizing the number of actuators while minimizing wave amplitude and wavelength will increase the smoothness. Meanwhile, the wavelength must be at least half of the object length to ensure motion stability while also exceeding a critical value to guarantee that feasible waves are achieved in practice. Additionally, the wavelength, wave amplitude, and number of actuators will determine the minimum required stiffness of the interface layer.
Capital and Operational Cost Estimations for a Net-Zero Carbon Emissions Microgrid Application
Authors: Karg Bulnes Fernando , Schmitt Joshua M. , Smith Natalie R. , Khawly George N. , Allison Timothy C. , McClung Aaron 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
The current global perspective in energy production strongly favors the development, implementation, and transition to low carbon emission sources. As more companies and governments make carbon reduction and sustainability goals, the financial reality and viability of this transition becomes a major factor. One of the biggest challenges when it comes to emerging clean energy production systems is scaling and pricing them accurately. Several of these potential technologies have relatively low technology readiness levels (TRL), which further adds to the challenges of creating accurate cost estimates. Sources in literature cite different capital costs available for these energy systems. This paper discusses the methods used to calculate the capital cost associated with a variety of system types, including six energy storage technologies, renewable electricity production using a photovoltaic field, and fossil fuel with carbon capture. The analysis includes a brief assessment of the implementation of these technologies, discusses available literature, and gives a high-level overview of the model and methods used for the design and cost calculations of these facilities. The findings are used in the design of a net-zero carbon emission microgrid based on historic operational data of a 25 MW peak load, with a baseload of 10MW in the winter and 15 MW in the summer. Costs of technologies discussed in this paper and their implementation can be applied for future designs and initial feed studies for similar small-scale grid applications. Findings showed operating scenarios favoring a photovoltaic field with storage over fossil fuel sources with carbon capture.
Synergies and Trade-Offs in Hybrid Propulsion Systems Through Physics-Based Electrical Component Modelling
Authors: Bermperis Dimitrios , Ntouvelos Elissaios , Kavvalos Mavroudis D. , Vouros Stavros , Kyprianidis Konstantinos G. , Kalfas Anestis I. 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
Hybrid-electric propulsion is recognized as one of the enabling technologies for reducing aviation’s environmental impact. In this work a serial/parallel hybrid configuration of a 19-passenger commuter aircraft is investigated. Two underwing-mounted turboprop engines are connected to electrical branches via generators. One rear fuselage-mounted electrically driven ducted fan is coupled with an electric motor and respective electrical branch. A battery system completes the selected architecture. Consistency in modelling accuracy of propulsion systems is aimed for by development of an integrated framework. A multi-point synthesis scheme for the gas turbine and electric fan is combined with physics-based analytical modelling for electrical components. Influence of turbomachinery and electrical power system design points on the integrated power system is examined. An opposing trend between electrical and conventional powertrain mass is driven by electric fan design power. Power system efficiency improvements in the order of 2% favor high-power electric fan designs. A trade-off in electrical power system mass and performance arises from oversizing of electrical components for load manipulation. Branch efficiency improvements of up to 3% imply potential to achieve battery mass reduction due to fewer transmission losses in mission-significant segments. A threshold system voltage of 1kV, yielding 32% mass reduction of electrical branches and performance improvements of 1–2%, is defined. Above the indicated threshold, benefits are limited, and system design complexity increases unfavorably. This work sets the foundation for interpreting mission-level electrification outcomes that are driven by interactions on the integrated power system. Areas of conflicting interests and synergistic opportunities are highlighted for optimal conceptual design of hybrid powertrains.
Energy Management System for Smart Grids Including Renewable Sources and Industrial Symbiosis
Authors: Ferrari Mario L. , Gini Lorenzo , Maccarini Simone 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
The aim of this work regards the development of an energy management system (EMS) for smart grids with a high integration level of renewable sources. Special attention is devoted to waste recycling due to a large industrial symbiosis involving the production of alternative fuels (syngas and biogas). In details, the paper focuses attention on the Eigerøy island (Norway) that will be the demonstration site of the ongoing EU ROBINSON project. The main purpose of this activity is the development of technology integration solutions for decarbonization path, starting from industrialized districts in islands and considering high flexibility for replication issues.
The mentioned technology integration is obtained with an EMS able to operate in real-time mode for minimization of energy costs (fuels and electricity). So, this tool includes a minimization subroutine for calculating the optimal operative condition (on/off status for generators and the related set-points) connected with a Model Predictive Control (MPC) software for the real-time calculation of the generator set-points. An innovative approach is the integration of the electrolyzer management scheduling two different pressure levels for the connected hydrogen storage vessel. Simulation results assess the EMS performance and robustness for the innovative integrated layout including the industrial symbiosis. Special attention is devoted to the performance improvement in terms of cost decrease, CO2 emission decrease, and system efficiency increase.
Sensitivity Analysis of Performance Parameters of a Compressor Blade With Correlated Profile Parameters
Authors: Prots Andriy , Schlüter Lukas , Voigt Matthias , Meyer Marcus , Mailach Ronald 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
Sensitivity analysis is a commonly used method in engineering applications to identify the input variables whose variance has the largest impact on the variance of a model output. Two major difficulties are often encountered. First, many computationally intensive model evaluations are required to obtain sensitivity indices with high statistical confidence. Second, input variables are often correlated, which cannot be handled unambiguously by most sensitivity analysis methods.
Shapley values are a promising sensitivity measure for problems with correlations between input variables, as interaction effects are distributed evenly among the respective input parameters. However, Shapley values are affected by spurious correlations with input variables that have no functional influence. In this case, the Shapley value is dispersed and its significance is reduced. Therefore, a sensitivity measure that detects input variables without functional influence is desirable.
This paper analyzes the behavior of different sensitivity measures with respect to correlated input variables. It is shown that first-order and total-effect Sobol sensitivity indices, and Shapley values alone do not fully detect input variables without functional influence. Therefore, the modified coefficient of importance is introduced to detect such input variables.
In the final part of this paper, a sensitivity analysis for a compressor blade subject to manufacturing variability and wear is performed using the aforementioned sensitivity measures. The blade variation is described by profile parameters. First, the sensitivity analysis is performed, which allows to identify profile parameters that have no functional influence on the isentropic efficiency. Then, the sensitivity analysis is repeated with appropriately grouped profile parameters. It is found that the profile parameters describing the blade thickness have the greatest influence on the variance of the efficiency. With the proposed approach, it is therefore possible to identify the most important profile parameters, even if they are correlated.