bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Digital intensity, trade costs and exports' quality upgrading
Authors: Chiappini Raphaël , Gaglio Cyrielle 
Published: June 2023

AbstractThis paper studies the relationships between digitalisation, trade costs, quality upgrading and trade flows, using an extended version of a gravity model. Based on information from various sources of data, we estimate these relationships sequentially for a sample of 18 manufacturing and 14 service sectors in 40 countries over the period 2000–2014. Using input–output tables from World Input–Output Database, we define an original measure of digitalisation at the country‐sector level that reflects the use of digital inputs into a country's production function. Using trade databases from the CEPII and OECD, we estimate a series of gravity models of trade augmented with this measure of digitalisation. Our results show that sectoral digital intensity positively affects sectoral exports. We provide evidence that this result is not ruled out by other possible factors, such as internet adoption or participation in a global value chain. A heterogeneous analysis also reveals that the effect of digital intensity is stronger for manufacturing trade and for trade between emerging economies. We explore two possible mechanisms explaining this positive relationship. First, we find that digital intensity facilitates trade between countries by reducing communication and transport costs. Second, we show that digital intensity improves the quality of exported products.
Platelet‐rich plasma improves acute and chronic anal fissure, a randomized control trial
Authors: Ebrahimibagha Hamed , Zeinalpour Adel 
Published: June 2023

AbstractAnal fissure is one of the most prevalent diagnosis in patients with anorectal symptoms. Depending on the chronicity, treatment choices vary, from topical and conservative management to operative ones. PRP is a blood‐derived product with a three to five‐fold platelet count and can be used for restorative purposes. The objective of this study is to assess the therapeutic effect of intralesional PRP in acute and chronic anal fissures and comparing it with the classic topical approach. We included 94 patients with acute and chronic anal fissures and divided them into intervention and control groups. Control patients were treated only with topical compounds, and the intervention group received one dose of intralesional autologous PRP plus the same classic treatment. We assessed patients 2 weeks, 1 month, and 6 months later. The mean pain score in the intervention group was significantly lower than control groups in all visits (p‐value <0.001). During the follow‐ups, the bleeding rate was significantly lower in the intervention group, so in the sixth month, the bleeding was 4% in the intervention group against 32% of the control (p‐value <0.001). The healing rate assessed by examination was 96% in the intervention group against 66% in the control in the sixth month (p‐value <0.001). Although there may be no significant difference in healing rate between groups in the acute anal fissure, the PRP group is significantly superior in the chronic setting. We concluded that in anal fissure treatment, PRP plus topical products are significantly superior to alone topical treatment.
Defect–Defect Interactions in the Buckling of Imperfect Spherical Shells
Authors: Derveni Fani , Abbasi Arefeh , Reis Pedro M. 
Published: June 2023

Abstract
We perform numerical experiments using the finite element method (FEM) to investigate the effect of defect–defect interactions on the pressure-induced buckling of thin, elastic, spherical shells containing two dimpled imperfections. Throughout, we quantify the critical buckling pressure of these shells using their knockdown factor. We examine cases featuring either identical or different geometric defects and systematically explore the parameter space, including the angular separation between the defects, their widths and amplitudes, and the radius-to-thickness ratio of the shell. As the angular separation between the defects is increased, the buckling strength initially decreases, then increases before reaching a plateau. Our primary finding is that the onset of defect–defect interactions, as quantified by a characteristic length scale associated with the onset of the plateau, is set by the critical buckling wavelength reported in the classic shell-buckling literature. Beyond this threshold, within the plateau regime, we demonstrate that the largest defect dictates the shell buckling.
Correlation of Microstructure and Nanomechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Inconel 718
Authors: Kim Allen , Vu Lily , Chung Tony , Song David , Wang Junlan 
Published: June 2023

Abstract
Additive manufacturing (AM) has emerged as a crucial technology in recent decades, particularly within the aerospace industry. However, the thermally cyclic nature of these processes introduces significant variations and defects in microstructure, which can adversely affect final part performance and hinder the widespread adoption of the technology. Traditionally, characterization of AM parts has relied on conventional bulk testing methods, which involve analyzing many samples to gather sufficient data for statistical analysis. Unfortunately, these methods are unable to account for local nanoscale variations in material properties caused by the microstructure, as they measure a single averaged property for each tested sample. In this work, we use AM Inconel 718 as a model system in developing a novel approach to correlate nanomechanical properties obtained through nanoindentation with microstructure obtained through electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). By associating mechanical properties obtained from each indent with the corresponding crystallographic direction, we calculate the weighted average hardness and modulus for each orientation. This enables us to generate inverse pole figure maps depicting the relationship between mechanical properties and crystallographic direction. Our method yields results in good agreement with literature when calculating the part modulus and hardness, while effectively capturing nanoscale variations in properties across the microstructure. The key advantage of this methodology is its capability to rapidly test a single AM part and generate a large dataset for statistical analysis. Complementing existing macroscale characterization techniques, this method can help improve AM part performance prediction and contribute to the wider adoption of AM technologies in the future.
Resilience Potentials for Health and Safety Management in Cobot Applications Using the Resilience Analysis Grid
Authors: Adriaensen Arie , Bernabei Margherita , Costantino Francesco , Falegnami Andrea , Stabile Sara , Patriarca Riccardo 
Published: June 2023

AbstractThe increasing usage of cobot applications reshapes work environments and working conditions, requiring specific advancements in organizational practices for health and safety. Enterprises should shift from a technocentric risk management approach to considering cobot application as socio-technical systems, for which a resilience engineering approach is beneficial. This study presents an instantiation of the resilience analysis grid in cobot applications with the aim of measuring resilience potentials in terms of the four cornerstones of resilience engineering (respond, learn, monitor, and anticipate). The assessment has been provided via a questionnaire to 15 companies making use of cobot applications. Results revealed that companies mainly focus on the risk assessment of cobot applications with a traditional view of machine-centric safety, paying less attention to assessing contexts and process variables. This observation seems to arise mainly due to the lack of formally available safety methods or limited guidance from technical standards. Additionally, traditional industrial approaches to risk management lack monitoring of several risks that are essential for managing resilience, defined as the adaptive capacity of people, organizations, and human–machine systems. In addition, companies strongly rely on data from the cobot manufacturer for their safety assessment. The resilience analysis grid was confirmed as a valuable assessment tool for the participating companies to identify improvement areas and assess health and safety from a resilience engineering perspective.
A Desirability-Based Solution Search Method for Sequential Optimization of the Hot Rolling Process
Authors: Cavdar Faruk , Kanca Erdoğan 
Published: June 2023

Abstract
Although it is an old technique, research on the hot rolling process maintains its importance because of its widespread usage in steel production and its requirement for a vast amount of resources, especially energy. The roll pass design of the hot rolling process considerably affects many operational parameters such as energy requirement, roll wear, working forces, and torques. Furthermore, due to the sequential nature of the rolling process, a design of any number of passes is closely interrelated with all other passes in the process. This complexity makes it challenging to find optimal design solutions that strike a balance between conflicting goals and constraints. In this article, a new optimized solution search strategy based on a desirability function is offered to address the sequential characteristics of the roll pass design. A novel optimization method utilizing response surfaces and the proposed solution search strategy is presented to reduce the shaping energy of the overall process while minimizing turning moments and radial forces on rolls during the rough rolling process. The proposed method provides integrated optimization of the process by ensuring information flow between the passes and can also be applied to other sequential processes with some modifications. The developed method and solution search strategy are illustrated and validated through a case study. The findings of the case study are compared to three distinct pass designs used in industrial power plants. The results show significant energy savings, lower turning moments, and reduced radial forces compared to the reference designs.
Visual-Biased Observability Index for Camera-Based Robot Calibration
Authors: Shirafuji Shouhei , Goto Hiroki , Zhang Xiaotian , Okuhara Keiji , Takamura Noritaka , Kagawa Naoya , Baba Hiroyasu , Ota Jun 
Published: June 2023

Abstract
Efficient robot integration can be realized by matching real and virtual robots, and accurate robot models can be generated by kinematic parameter calibration. End-effector pose selection for pose measurement to discover the positioning errors is critical in kinematic parameter calibration. Ideal pose selection maximizes calibration accuracy for a defined measurement uncertainty and optimizes measurement cost and utility. In the design of the pose selection process, observability indices are widely accepted criteria for effective pose selection to evaluate calibration performance. Observability indices represent the effect of uncertainty in the measured end-effector poses on the calibrated parameters. However, unlike expensive direct measurement using laser, low-cost camera-based kinematic calibration estimates the end-effector poses from the marker points in the captured image. The variance of the detected marker positions biases the end-effector poses and, eventually, the calibrated parameters. Therefore, this study proposes extended observability indices for pose selection based on this bias to realize accurate calibration with a low-cost camera. The target observability index is O1, a scale-free, reliable index used in kinematic calibration. Considering the visual bias, we extended it as Ov1. This study evaluated Ov1 by comparing the positioning accuracies calibrated on poses selected by maximizing it, original O1, O3 known as the best criterion to restrain the end-effector positioning uncertainty, and Ov3, which is the extended O3 for consistency. A ball-bar test showed that the poses selected by the index Ov1 exhibited higher positioning accuracy than the other indices.
Determination of a Low Skeletal Muscle Mass Index Using the Mass of the Gluteus Medius in Older Patients With Hip Fractures
Authors: Shiraishi Ryo , Sato Keisuke , Shiraishi Nami , Yoshida Sadao , Ogawa Takahiro , Suenaga Masaki 
Published: June 2023

This study evaluated the relationship between the muscle mass of the gluteus medius (GM) and skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) measured in patients with hip fractures. In this study, 141 patients with hip fractures were divided into those with high or low SMI. The GM index (GMI) was calculated by dividing the GM by the square of the height in meters. The correlation between GMI and SMI was subsequently analyzed, and cutoff values for determining the loss of skeletal muscle mass were calculated using the receiver operating characteristic curve. GMI and SMI showed a positive correlation for both sexes (male: r = .890, female: r = .626, p < .001). The GMI cutoff values were 19.460 cm2/m2 for males and 17.850 cm2/m2 for females. Skeletal muscle mass evaluation of the GM could contribute to hip fracture recovery by improving mobility and facilitating the early diagnosis of loss of SMM.
Efficacy of oseltamivir treatment in influenza virus-infected obese mice
Authors: Honce Rebekah , Jones Jeremy , Meliopoulos Victoria A. , Livingston Brandi , Sharp Bridgett , Estrada Leonardo D. , Wang Lindsey , Caulfield William , Freeman Burgess , Govorkova Elena , Schultz-Cherry Stacey 
Published: June 2023

ABSTRACT

Obesity has been epidemiologically and empirically linked with more severe diseases upon influenza infection. To ameliorate severe disease, treatment with antivirals, such as the neuraminidase inhibitor oseltamivir, is suggested to begin within days of infection especially in high-risk hosts. However, this treatment can be poorly effective and may generate resistance variants within the treated host. Here, we hypothesized that obesity would reduce oseltamivir treatment effectiveness in the genetically obese mouse model. We demonstrated that oseltamivir treatment does not improve viral clearance in obese mice. While no traditional variants associated with oseltamivir resistance emerged, we did note that drug treatment failed to quench the viral population and did lead to phenotypic drug resistance
in vitro
. Together, these studies suggest that the unique pathogenesis and immune responses in obese mice could have implications for pharmaceutical interventions and the within-host dynamics of the influenza virus population.

IMPORTANCE
Influenza virus infections, while typically resolving within days to weeks, can turn critical, especially in high-risk populations. Prompt antiviral administration is crucial to mitigating these severe sequalae, yet concerns remain if antiviral treatment is effective in hosts with obesity. Here, we show that oseltamivir does not improve viral clearance in genetically obese or type I interferon receptor-deficient mice. This suggests a blunted immune response may impair oseltamivir efficacy and render a host more susceptible to severe disease. This study furthers our understanding of oseltamivir treatment dynamics both systemically and in the lungs of obese mice, as well as the consequences of oseltamivir treatment for the within-host emergence of drug-resistant variants.
Salmonella enterica
serovar Typhi uses two type 3 secretion systems to replicate in human macrophages and colonize humanized mice
Authors: Hamblin Meagan , Schade Ruth , Narasimhan Ramya , Monack Denise M. 
Published: June 2023

ABSTRACT

Salmonella enterica
serovar Typhi (
S
. Typhi) is a human-restricted pathogen that replicates in macrophages. In this study, we investigated the roles of the
S
. Typhi type 3 secretion systems (T3SSs) encoded on
Salmonella
pathogenicity islands (SPI)-1 (T3SS-1) and SPI-2 (T3SS-2) during human macrophage infection. We found that mutants of
S
. Typhi deficient for both T3SSs were defective for intramacrophage replication as measured by flow cytometry, viable bacterial counts, and live time-lapse microscopy. T3SS-secreted proteins PipB2 and SifA contributed to
S
. Typhi replication and were translocated into the cytosol of human macrophages through both T3SS-1 and T3SS-2, demonstrating functional redundancy for these secretion systems. Importantly, an
S
. Typhi mutant strain that is deficient for both T3SS-1 and T3SS-2 was severely attenuated in the ability to colonize systemic tissues in a humanized mouse model of typhoid fever. Overall, this study establishes a critical role for
S
. Typhi T3SSs during its replication within human macrophages and during systemic infection of humanized mice.

IMPORTANCE

Salmonella enterica
serovar Typhi is a human-restricted pathogen that causes typhoid fever. Understanding the key virulence mechanisms that facilitate
S
. Typhi replication in human phagocytes will enable rational vaccine and antibiotic development to limit the spread of this pathogen. While
S
. Typhimurium replication in murine models has been studied extensively, there is limited information available about
S
. Typhi replication in human macrophages, some of which directly conflict with findings from
S
. Typhimurium murine models. This study establishes that both of
S
. Typhi’s two type 3 secretion systems (T3SS-1 and T3SS-2) contribute to intramacrophage replication and virulence.
Differential dysregulation of β-TrCP1 and -2 by HIV-1 Vpu leads to inhibition of canonical and non-canonical NF-κB pathways in infected cells
Authors: Pickering Suzanne , Sumner Jonathan , Kerridge Claire , Perera Marianne , Neil Stuart 
Published: June 2023

ABSTRACT

The HIV-1 Vpu protein is expressed late in the virus lifecycle to promote infectious virus production and avoid innate and adaptive immunity. This includes the inhibition of the NF-κB pathway which, when activated, leads to the induction of inflammatory responses and the promotion of antiviral immunity. Here we demonstrate that Vpu can inhibit both canonical and non-canonical NF-κB pathways, through the direct inhibition of the F-box protein β-TrCP, the substrate recognition portion of the Skp1-Cul1-F-box (SCF)
β-TrCP
ubiquitin ligase complex. There are two paralogues of β-TrCP (β-TrCP1/BTRC and β-TrCP2/FBXW11), encoded on different chromosomes, which appear to be functionally redundant. Vpu, however, is one of the few β-TrCP substrates to differentiate between the two paralogues. We have found that patient-derived alleles of Vpu, unlike those from lab-adapted viruses, trigger the degradation of β-TrCP1 while co-opting its paralogue β-TrCP2 for the degradation of cellular targets of Vpu, such as CD4. The potency of this dual inhibition correlates with stabilization of the classical IκBα and the phosphorylated precursors of the mature DNA-binding subunits of canonical and non-canonical NF-κB pathways, p105/NFκB1 and p100/NFκB2, in HIV-1 infected CD4
+
T cells. Both precursors act as alternative IκBs in their own right, thus reinforcing NF-κB inhibition at steady state and upon activation with either selective canonical or non-canonical NF-κB stimuli. These data reveal the complex regulation of NF-κB late in the viral replication cycle, with consequences for both the pathogenesis of HIV/AIDS and the use of NF-κB-modulating drugs in HIV cure strategies.

IMPORTANCE
The NF-κB pathway regulates host responses to infection and is a common target of viral antagonism. The HIV-1 Vpu protein inhibits NF-κB signaling late in the virus lifecycle, by binding and inhibiting β-TrCP, the substrate recognition portion of the ubiquitin ligase responsible for inducing IκB degradation. Here we demonstrate that Vpu simultaneously inhibits and exploits the two different paralogues of β-TrCP by triggering the degradation of β-TrCP1 and co-opting β-TrCP2 for the destruction of its cellular targets. In so doing, it has a potent inhibitory effect on both the canonical and non-canonical NF-κB pathways. This effect has been underestimated in previous mechanistic studies due to the use of Vpu proteins from lab-adapted viruses. Our findings reveal previously unappreciated differences in the β-TrCP paralogues, revealing functional insights into the regulation of these proteins. This study also raises important implications for the role of NF-κB inhibition in the immunopathogenesis of HIV/AIDS and the way that this may impact on HIV latency reversal strategies based on the activation of the non-canonical NF-κB pathway.
Insights into the metabolic specificities of pathogenic strains from the
Ralstonia solanacearum
species complex
Authors: Baroukh Caroline , Cottret Ludovic , Pires Emma , Peyraud Rémi , Guidot Alice , Genin Stéphane 
Published: June 2023

ABSTRACT

All the strains grouped under the species
Ralstonia solanacearum
represent a species complex responsible for many diseases on agricultural crops throughout the world. The strains have different lifestyles and host range. Here, we investigated whether specific metabolic pathways contribute to strain diversification. To this end, we carried out systematic comparisons on 11 strains representing the diversity of the species complex. We reconstructed the metabolic network of each strain from its genome sequence and looked for the metabolic pathways differentiating the different reconstructed networks and, by extension, the different strains. Finally, we conducted an experimental validation by determining the metabolic profile of each strain with the Biolog technology. Results revealed that the metabolism is conserved between strains, with a core metabolism composed of 82% of the pan-reactome. The three species composing the species complex could be distinguished according to the presence/absence of some metabolic pathways, in particular, one involving salicylic acid degradation. Phenotypic assays revealed that the trophic preferences on organic acids and several amino acids such as glutamine, glutamate, aspartate, and asparagine are conserved between strains. Finally, we generated mutants lacking the quorum-sensing-dependent regulator PhcA in four diverse strains, and we showed that the
phcA-
dependent trade-off between growth and production of virulence factors is conserved across the
R. solanacearum
species complex.

IMPORTANCE

Ralstonia solanacearum
is one of the most important threats to plant health worldwide, causing disease on a very large range of agricultural crops such as tomato or potato. Behind the
R. solanacearum
name are hundreds of strains with different host range and lifestyle, classified into three species. Studying the differences between strains allows to better apprehend the biology of the pathogens and the specificity of some strains. None of the published genomic comparative studies have focused on the metabolism of the strains so far. We developed a new bioinformatic pipeline to build high-quality metabolic networks and used a combination of metabolic modeling and high-throughput phenotypic Biolog microplates to look for the metabolic differences between 11 strains across the three species. Our study revealed that genes encoding enzymes are overall conserved, with few variations between strains. However, more variations were observed when considering substrate usage. These variations probably result from regulation rather than the presence or absence of enzymes in the genome.