bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Implementation Strategy of Bringing Smart Mobility into Reality
Authors: Setyowati Kristina , Parwiyanto Herwan , Suryawati Retno
Published: April 2021

High urban vehicle growth rate results in high traffic jam rate and makes the portrait of urban transportation dull. It is a challenge and an opportunity all at once to provide smart mobility system. Smart mobility is a mobility system enabling the arrival at destination through less mobility, move freely, and less travel time. This study aims to find out the implementation strategy in bringing Smart Mobility into Reality. The strategies used were firstly, diversification strategy, the synchronization and cooperation with Central and Provincial governments. Secondly, it is aggressive strategy involving the strategy of applying E-Gov through IT Development, strategy of reinforcing the integration between Transportation modes and strategy of developing Office Strategy Plan referring to Master plan of Smart City. The method employed was qualitative one. Techniques of collecting data used were FGD and data documentation, while data analysis was carried out using A Procedure for Data Analysis. The result of research showed that there is a diversification strategy including providing smart public transportation (BST and feeder) and agglomeration transportation (TransJateng). Meanwhile, aggressive strategy includes 1) the strategy of intensifying the application of e-Gov through and developing IT of public transportation in “buy the service” scheme using TEMAN bus application, 2) strategy of reinforcing integration between Transportation modes in the form of improving accessibility of public transportation (BST) with feeder and agglomeration transportation (TransJateng), and 3) improving smart mobility by improving service quality and accessibility of public transportation.
Survive, Revive, Thrive: Chapter 5: Shakedown Cruise
Authors: Blasingame Tom
Published: April 2021

I am very resourceful, as any woman would be. - Valentina Tereshkova, Russian cosmonaut, born 1937 (first woman in space, Vostok 6, 16 June 1963)

What is a Shakedown Cruise?

Learning is not compulsory ... neither is survival. - W. Edwards Deming, American engineer, 1900-1993 (His management practices revived Japan.)

For those unfamiliar, a “shakedown cruise,” also known as a sea trial, is performed to test a ship’s operational systems, both mechanical and human. I became painfully aware of the term “shakedown” when I went on my first trip to the Charles L. Sommers Canoe Base operated by the Boy Scouts in northern Minnesota in 1974. The guides had us (literally) dump everything out of our travel bags and then selected only the essential items we could take. Weight was at a premium, and, if I may confess, I did lie a little about my age. The minimum age was 12, and I turned 12 during the trip, but it was a brutal physical experience for us. We were left with a compass, a few utensils for eating, a sleeping bag, and one change of clothes. I actually recall drinking, eating, and cooking out of a single stainless steel cup. Bluntly, I don’t think I have ever been colder, hungrier, or more tired in my life. But, of course, the guides were correct. You only need the essentials to survive.

Many of you are probably thinking, “I’ll bet I know where he is going with this …,” and you are right. As individuals and as an industry, we need to focus on the essentials. Our industry is on a shakedown cruise like no other in our history. We must jettison the nonessentials and test the machinery (i.e., our technical knowledge and capabilities) as we restart and re-engage. Most importantly, we must focus on those actions/paths that ensure our effectiveness, efficiency, and long-term survival.

At SPE, we, too, are in shakedown mode, which has been painful for all and excruciating for some. We have had to redirect resources, and, perhaps most importantly, we have had to focus on the reality that our business model must undergo substantial changes. The essentials will remain, such as technical conferences, workshops, and our primary intellectual asset, technical publications. However, assistance to sections and student chapters has been reduced, as well as support for academic and public service programs.

The reality is that SPE is financially sound, but, like any ship in a storm, it has to batten its hatches and, if the pandemic prevails, make further program reductions. On a positive note, SPE has been able to avoid reducing its workforce, as we have created a financial path that avoids personnel reductions. As the 2021 SPE President, I congratulate the SPE’s senior management for their efforts to achieve this outcome.
Digital Change Takes a Network
Authors: Rassenfoss Stephen
Published: April 2021

A lot is expected of Meindert Dillen and Philipp von Wussow by Wintershall Dea.

Their mission is to ensure that the company’s technical team is increasingly able to use advanced data analysis to find and produce oil and gas more productively.

The focus is on increasing the capabilities of those with traditional engineering and geology training. “Someone who can understand seismic processing can program a neural network,” said Patrick von Pattay, a vice president for Wintershall Dea and chairman off the Digital Transformation Committee of SPE’s Digital Energy Technical Section.

That is an apt description of Dillen, whose work as a geophysicist using advanced analytics led to his current job. In both roles, finding new ways to extract useful bits of information from massive data sets is valuable.

This team was created after the merger of Wintershall and Dea - with one member from each company. They have been working to scale up their influence by “building a community and pulling people together.”

A key part of their effort was creating a digital skills network a few years ago. This grassroots effort has helped bring together technical staffers with the wide range of traditional and digital knowledge needed to deliver digital change.

“We are in a lucky position,” Dillen said. “A lot of people are interested in this technology and want to apply it in ways” that can have a significant impact.

The number involved must be expressed as a range - between 100 and 200, because engagement varies - with people including geophysics experts who were learning about neural networks in the 1980s when the available computing power limited its uses and digital natives who wonder why their workplace is not using the tools found in everyday life.

A network’s worth of skills is required because the potential applications are as varied as the many disciplines within engineering, geology, and geophysics, among others.

“No one on Earth can define all the use cases,” said von Wussow, whose career began in subsurface roles and later included stops in business development and management along the way to analytics.

The company does offer digital skills training and discussions - which are done online because of COVID-19. A lot of the new thinking is spread by word of mouth in online communities.

“Now, people in Norway who know people in Argentina and Russia spread the ideas,” von Wussow said.

Von Wussow and Dillen sometimes play the role of matchmaker. Relatively simple requests can be met by connecting people with complementary skills inside the company or steering them to outside sources.

Other times, the problem is bigger and project evaluation and management skills are required, beginning with figuring out the root of the problem, how digital might help solve it, and whether the benefit of doing so justifies the effort.

If a project is a go, those involved need to think through the plan of attack and consider the people and resources required and whether they will come from inside or outside the company.
Technology Focus: High-Pressure/High-Temperature (March 2021)
Authors: Ziegler Robert
Published: April 2021

For the past several months, the rig count in North America has been slowly but steadily improving and some pockets of deepwater operations are finally showing some activity, especially in Central and South America and Africa, where interesting discoveries continue. Arctic operations also are picking up, though not in North America, where a new administration in the US is bringing some uncertainty to upstream operations. Looking at leasing activity in 2020, however, the operators on federal land seem to have built up a backlog, so the immediate consequences of recent executive action seem not to be significant, though they do set an important precedent. More significant seems to be the opposition to pipelines, which are the most-efficient and safest way to transport any form of bulk material, be it gas, liquid, or slurry. Even if the most-stretched targets of an energy transition become reality, the need for pipeline transport will remain, and even increase, if the gas transported is biogas and hydrogen, where much larger volumes must be transported for the same calorific value of natural gas.

In my tenure as a reviewer for JPT, I had refrained from a materials-focused special simply because high-pressure/high-temperature (HP/HT) conferences and sessions seem to be dominated by them and I wanted to demonstrate a wider spectrum of the challenges of HP/HT operations. With the energy transition leading to the possibility of free hydrogen being introduced into the energy system outside of established chemical feedstock installations (which are all low-pressure), this is a good time to remind our industry (and the outside world) that vast experience exists in the oil and gas industry on the interaction of hydrogen and metal (at very high pressures), a challenge that is still not completely understood and that is still a large cause of pressure-vessel failures (e.g., in refineries). Also, if carbon dioxide is intended to be captured and contained in metal vessels, another set of metallurgical challenges emerges.

This Technology Focus looks at two papers from Asia, where these challenges were discovered and mitigated, and one paper from Gulf of Mexico deepwater operations.

Many learnings can be taken from these papers, and extremely costly and safety-critical failures and loss of containment can be avoided. Addressing technical risk, thorough and detailed front-end engineering is a cost-effective and cost-saving activity, and this applies especially for front-end corrosion engineering and testing, as we have seen from several megaprojects in the past where this was not done to the extent finally understood to have been required.

So, I invite you all to understand and embrace the fact that sound and competent engineering, as well as communicating learnings across functions and industries, is the key enabler for future success in our stressed industry, and to use our engineering brainpower and imagination to bring those HP/HT projects currently deemed too expensive to develop within the realm of the current oil-price environment.
High-Density Brine Used in Oil-Based Completion Fluid Deployed Offshore Norway
Authors: Carpenter Chris
Published: April 2021

This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights of paper SPE 199243, “First Use of a Newly Developed High-Density Brine in an Oil-Based Screen Running Fluid in a Multilateral Extended-Reach Well: Fluid Qualification, Formation Damage Testing, and Field Application, Offshore Norway,” by Bjarne Salmelid, Morten Strand, and Duncan Clinch, Halliburton, et al., prepared for the 2020 SPE International Conference and Exhibition on Formation Damage Control, Lafayette, Louisiana, 19–21 February. The paper has not been peer reviewed.

When used for running sand-control screens, low-solids, oil-based completion fluids (LSOBCF) maintain reservoir wellbore stability and integrity while minimizing the potential risks of losses, screen plugging, completion damage, and productivity impairment. Until now, using LSOBCF as a screen running fluid has been limited by fluid density. The complete paper discusses the design, qualification, and first deployment of an LSOBCF that incorporates a newly developed, high-density brine as the internal phase to extend the density limit.

Field History

This new field’s well forms part of the greater Alvheim area located in the central part of the North Sea, close to the UK sector. The formations discussed present excellent reservoir characteristics but also significant drilling challenges. The intruded country rock tends to have a high shear failure gradient (SFG) combined with a relatively low fracture gradient. Furthermore, because these reservoirs are exploited using long horizontal and multilateral wells, the drilling window is relatively narrow. For the presented case, the SFG was anticipated to be 1.39 specific gravity (SG) equivalent mud weight with an equivalent circulating density limit of 1.49 SG and stretch limit of 1.53 SG. The fluid density chosen to drill the well was 1.40 SG, and the density for the screen running fluid was planned to be 1.45 SG.

Fluids Qualification

Laboratory Testing Matrix. An extensive laboratory test matrix was initiated for the qualification of reservoir fluids. The reservoir fluid and drill-in fluid (RDIF) qualification is not detailed in the paper, only the LSOBCF and the novel brine used to prepare this fluid. The test matrix included tests such as rheology performance, long-term stability, production screen on 275 µm screen coupons, standard fluid-loss and filter-cake repair capabilities, reservoir fluid and RDIF compatibility tests, true crystallization temperature (TCT), and corrosion rate. The ultimate test was to check for formation and completion damage performance.
Anxiolytic-like effect of natural product 2-hydroxy-3,4,6-trimethoxyacetophenone isolated from Croton anisodontus in adult zebrafish via serotonergic neuromodulation involvement of the 5-HT system
Authors: Silva Antonio Wlisses da , Ferreira Maria Kueirislene A. , Rebouças Emanuela L. , Mendes Francisco Rogenio S. , Moura Atilano Lucas dos S. , Marinho Marcia Machado , de Menezes Jane Eire S. A. , Marinho Emmanuel Silva , Santos Hélcio S. , Teixeira Alexandre Magno Rodrigues
Published: April 2021

Benzodiazepines are highly effective in combating anxiety; however, they have considerable adverse effects, so it is important to discover new safe anxiolytic agents. This study was designed to investigate the anxiolytic and anticonvulsant effect of natural product 2-hydroxy-3,4,6-trimethoxyacetophenone (HTMCX) and its possible mechanisms of action in adult zebrafish. The open field and light / dark tests (n = 6 animals/group) were used to assess anxiety and pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) as a seizure inducer. The 96-hour acute toxicity of HTMCX was also investigated. HTMCX (1, 3, and 10 mg / kg; v.o.) was not toxic and affected locomotor activity. The highest doses (3 and 10 mg / kg; v.o.) produced signs of anxiolytic action in the light / dark test, and this effect was abolished by the pizotifen (antagonist 5HTR1 and 5HTR2A / 2C), having the potential to form a complex in the same region of the site indicating that the anxiolytic effect via the serotonergic mechanism. However, the anxiolytic effect of HTMCX has not been abolished by flumazenil (antagonist GABARA), cyproheptadine (antagonist 5HTR2A), and granisetron (antagonist 5HTR3A / 3B). Therefore, HTMCX demonstrated an anxiolytic effect, suggesting that the 5HTR1 and 5HTR / 2C receptors may be involved in the pharmacological performance of this acetophenone in the central nervous system.
The network interplay of interferon and toll-like receptor signaling pathways in the anti-Candida immune response
Authors: Salgado Ranieri Coelho , Fonseca Dennyson Leandro M. , Marques Alexandre H. C. , Napoleao Sarah Maria da Silva , França Tábata Takahashi , Akashi Karen Tiemi , Prado Caroline Aliane de Souza , Baiocchi Gabriela Crispim , Plaça Desirée Rodrigues , Jansen-Marques Gabriel , Filgueiras Igor Salerno , De Vito Roberta , Freire Paula Paccielli , de Miranda Gustavo Cabral , Camara Niels Olsen Saraiva , Calich Vera Lúcia Garcia , Ochs Hans D. , Schimke Lena F. , Jurisica Igor , Condino-Neto Antonio , Cabral-Marques Otavio
Published: April 2021

Fungal infections represent a major global health problem that affects over a billion people and kills more than 1.5 million individuals annually. Here we employed an integrative approach to unravel the landscape of the human immune responses to Candida spp. (C. albicans and C. auris) by performing a meta-analysis of microarray, bulk, and single-cell RNA-sequencing (RNASeq) of blood transcriptome data. We identified that C. albicans activates a network interplay of signaling molecules commonly involved in both toll-like receptor (TLR) and interferon (IFN) signaling cascades. These molecules form a highly interconnected interferome network, which contains an immune overlap with the anti-viral responses. scRNAseq data confirmed that genes commonly identified by the three transcriptomic methods present a consistent upregulation pattern across innate immune and adaptive cells (CD4+, CD8+, and CD19+ lymphocytes). Thus, our results shed new lights on the molecular basis of immune response to Candida spp.
A Mathematical Model of U.S. COVID-19 Deaths, Incidence and Quarantine Adjusted Herd Immunity by Age
Authors: Lovvoll Vikki
Published: April 2021

In January 2021, a steep decline in U.S. COVID-19 deaths and case reports were noted, well before herd immunity or vaccinations would have been expected make an impact. This model predicts COVID-19 deaths and infections based on three insights. First, mortality rates differ significantly by age. Second, heterogeneous social mixing by age during quarantine may result in older adults (higher risk) to have more effectively quarantined conferring lower incidence relative to younger adults (lower risk and disproportionate essential frontline work). Third, deaths and Infection Fatality Rates may more reliably predict incidence relative to reported cases by removing uncertainty introduced from asymptomatic disease, testing availability, and false results. Age stratified IFR and deaths through December 5 were used to projected deaths (99% significance, P-value .002). Sensitivities for IFR, immune durability, and vaccinations were also modeled. By end 2020, 42% of the U.S. population had immunity differing significantly by age with 25-44-year-olds near 80%. A “critical mass” of immunity in these ages segments conferred herd immunity to other age groups. Herd immunity exists in the context of historic social distancing (quarantine). A significant percent of high-risk individuals remains susceptible and may facilitate another wave if social distancing restrictions are lifted prior to vaccination. Vaccine administrations through mid-February contributed a nominal amount to declining deaths.
Effect of Adenosine A2a Receptor Antagonist In Haloperidol Induced Model of Parkinson’s Disease.
Authors: Zehra Syeda Najam , Younus Ishrat , Malhi Saima Mahmood , Raza Muhammad Liaquat , Ishaqui Azfar Athar , Khan Sana
Published: April 2021

One of the major causes of neurological disorders is degeneration of neurons which is commonly termed as Neurodegeneration. It is well documented that two of the neurodegenerative disorders i.e., Alzheimer’s Disease & Parkinson Disease comes in top fifteen causes of deaths in United States of America. Due to the neuroprotective property of adenosine A2a receptor antagonists (ZM241385) was evaluated in haloperidol mouse model of Parkinson’s disease. Our results reveal significant antidopaminergic effects of adenosine A2A receptor antagonist that support its utilization as a new treatment approach in Parkinson’s diseases.
Design And Simulation of An Electro-Optic Even Parity Bit Error Detection System
Authors: Uddin Mohammad Rakib , Law Foo Kui , Jalal Ahmed Hasnain
Published: April 2021

In the present day, optical communication technology is proving to be one of the potential replacements to the current electronic-based systems due to its much higher data transmission rate with low loss and electromagnetic interference. This paper designed and simulated our proposed circuit of a digital photonic even parity bit error detection system that is widely employed for the long-range digital signal transmission. Silicon photonic micro-ring resonators are used as their core component. Each of the rings is configured to operate as a digital logic XOR mode by taking advantage of the silicon waveguide's resonance shifting properties. Dynamic response characterization was carried out by simulating the proposed circuits at the data rate of 1-Gbps, with the data sampling rate of 1.6-THz. A clear timing waveform was generated to confirm that the proposed circuit operates as the parity bit error detection system.
Evolution Characteristics of Flood Disaster in Hunan
Authors: Wang Yuhao , Sun Yurong
Published: April 2021

With the global climate changing, floods increasingly impede human social and economic development. Extracting flood information from historical flood data and improving human's awareness of flood control and disaster relief promote scientific risk management regarding flood and accurate evaluation about reducing disaster risks. Take Hunan Province as an example. Firstly, this paper selected three indexes - flood-hit population, death toll and total direct economic loss – as independent variables, with taking the skewed distribution characteristics of flood data into consideration, to build a nonlinear model of comprehensive evaluation index of flood disaster in Hunan. Then, from the angle of these three indexes, the disaster situation in Hunan was compared with the national average disaster situation in order to get general understanding of consequences of flood in Hunan. In addition, to eliminate influence of dimension and inflation on the analysis results, the indexes were quantified by using statistical methods from the perspective of economics. Finally, average flood disaster index value of China and Hunan were calculated respectively according to the model. The research shows that Hunan is a flood-prone area in China and that degree of damage by floods in Hunan is always the severest among the country no matter from which angle we choose among the three indexes. Further analysis indicates that severe flood occurs every four years in Hunan, on average.
The Dosimetric Evaluation of An In-House Software Developed For Metal Artefact Reduction On Two Different Radiotherapy Treatment Planning Systems
Authors: Inal Aysun , Us Songul Barlaz
Published: April 2021

Metal Artefact Reduction (MAR) is very important in terms of dose calculation in radiotherapy. It was aimed to develop an in-house MAR software as an alternative to commercial software programs and to examine its effectiveness by comparing it with the SMART-MAR software which was available commercially. A phantom containing metal with high atomic number was designed and computed tomography (CT) images of this phantom were taken (Without-MAR images). The obtained CT images were processed with the SMART-MAR software and the developed In-House MAR software. Processed images were compared in terms of Hounsfield unit (HU), absolute dose values ​​in the Accuray and CMS XiO treatment planning systems, and gamma evaluation. The best HU improvement was observed in the developed In-House MAR. The maximum mean percentage differences in absorbed doses at the determined points in Accuray was found 33.3% and 32.5% between Without MAR - SMART MAR and Without MAR- In-House MAR, respectively. The In-House MAR software developed by using MATLAB was shown similar results with the SMART MAR software. Although in-house MAR software needs to be investigated clinically, it is more advantageous than commercially available software in terms of being cost-free, applicability in a shorter time and without reconstruction.
Power Generation at Room Temperature -How to Design of the Sensitized Thermal Cell-
Authors: Kohata Haruki , Obinata Mitsugu , Ikeda Takumi , Sekiya Hayato , Mei Biao , Wang Ye , Mizukoshi Kazushi , Isobe Toshihiro , Nakajima Akira , Matsushita Sachiko
Published: April 2021

The effective utilisation of thermal energy is crucial to a world aiming at sustainable development goals. The sensitised thermal cell (STC) is a new thermal energy conversion technology, which was reported in 2017, for generating electricity via the redox reactions of electrolyte ions with thermally excited carriers The effective utilisation of thermal energy is crucial to a world aiming at sustainable development goals. The sensitised thermal cell (STC) is a new thermal energy conversion technology, which was reported in 2017, for generating electricity via the redox reactions of electrolyte ions with thermally excited carriers in semiconductors. STC is attracting attention as a technology that could affect oil prices globally. Here, we report the successful construction of STC, which discharges and recovers well at room temperature, by studying the interelectrode and ion diffusion distances. The fabricated STC is thinner than 0.5 mm and can be rendered flexible. Further, STCs, which possess a power generation capacity of 0.1 mA, 100 mV per 1 mm2 area, and shall be installed “in” internet-of-things (IoT) devices, drainage pipes, and walls in the future.in semiconductors. STC is attracting attention as a technology that could affect oil prices globally. Here, we report the successful construction of STC, which discharges and recovers well at room temperature, by studying the interelectrode and ion diffusion distances. The fabricated STC is thinner than 0.5 mm and can be rendered flexible. Further, STCs, which possess a power generation capacity of 0.1 mA, 100 mV per 1 mm2 area, and shall be installed “in” internet-of-things (IoT) devices, drainage pipes, and walls in the future.
Photosynthetic and Antioxidant Activities in Extremophile Microalgae Dunaliella Salina, Cylindrotheca Closterium and Phormidium Versicolor According to NaCl Concentration and Irradiance
Authors: GUERMAZI Wassim , Masmoudi Salma , Gammoudi Sana , Trabelsi Neila Annabi , Ayadi Habib , Morant-Manceau Annick
Published: April 2021

Dunaliella salina (Chlorophyceae), Phormidium versicolor (Cyanophyceae) and Cylindrotheca closterium (Bacillariophyceae) were isolated from three ponds in the solar saltern of Sfax (Tunisia) having an average salinity of 350, 100 and 90 respectively. Growth, pigment contents, photosynthetic and antioxidant enzyme activities were measured under controlled conditions: three light levels (300, 500 and 1000 µmol photons m-2 s-1) and three NaCl concentrations (40, 80 and 140 g L-1). The highest salinity reduced the growth of D. salina and P. versicolor, and strongly inhibited that of C. closterium. These results are in accordance with the species distibution in the salt marshes. Irradiance rise only induced a significant increase of net photosynthesis in C. closterium probably due to the efficient nonphotochemical quenching and antioxidative enzyme activities. According to □PSII values, the photosynthetic apparatus of P. versicolor was stimulated by increasing salinity whereas that of D. salina and C. closterium was decreased by irradiance rise. The production of carotenoids in D. salina and P. versicolor was stimulated when salinity and irradiance increased whereas it decreased in the diatom. Antioxidant activity of carotenoids could compensate the low antioxidant enzyme activity measured in D. salina.
Effects of Na2SO4 Concentration and Surface Shape on The Weathering of Granite During Wet-Dry Cycling
Authors: cao yuanpeng , Sun Qiang , Wang Shaofei , Ge Zhenlong , Dong Zhihao , Shi Qingmin
Published: April 2021

The presence of salts during cyclic wet and dry conditions can cause weathering of rock and is the main cause of damage to ancient and modern buildings. Accordingly, salt weathering, especially of granite, has aroused great interest. Determining the relationship between wet-dry cycling and the physical properties of rock is of great significance to geotechnical engineering. In this paper, granite samples were processed into two shapes (round and semicircular) and subject to 0, 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 wet-dry cycles, with the wetting achieved with 0%, 5%, 10% or 20% Na2SO4 solution. The mass loss, roughness and indentation hardness of granite samples all changed to some extent with cycle number, with greater changes occurring at higher salt concentrations. Rock shape also affects the extent of weathering damage, as surface area and features such as corners facilitate the ingress of salt solution.
Correlation of Trigeminopontine Angle with Severity of Trigeminal Neuralgia due to Neurovascular conflict over medial aspect of nerve. Can we prognosticate the reduction in pain in patients on medical management?
Authors: Lamani Pundalik Umalappa , Arora Abhishek J , Kona Kiran Kumar Reddy , Yarlagadda Jyotsna
Published: April 2021

Background: Neurovascular conflicts (NVC) are one of the major causative factors in patients presenting with Trigeminal neuralgia (TN). We found great degree of variation in acuteness of medial trigeminopontine angle (mTPA), angle between medial border of trigeminal nerve and anterior border of pons in patients with TN and tried to find its correlation with pain severity due to NVC over the medial aspect of nerve (mNVC).Aims and Objectives: To Correlate mTPA measurement with severity of trigeminal neuralgia due to mNVC. To calculate the reduction in pain in patients kept on medical management and its correlation with medial trigeminopontine angle.Material and Methods: This was a retrospective observational study conducted between May 2018 to October 2020. A total of 41 patients presenting with Trigeminal Neuralgia and showing corresponding Neurovascular conflict were included in the study. Out of the total cases with NVC, 30 cases showed NVC over the medial surface of the nerve. All the patients were evaluated on MAGNETOM Skyra 3T MRI (Siemens). Using Two-line Cobb angle method, trigeminopontine angle was calculated. Pre-treatment pain intensity and post treatment pain relief of each patients were assessed by using numeric rating scale (NRS). NRS with numbers from 0 to 10 (‘no pain’ to ‘worst pain imaginable’). Relevant clinical details regarding pre- and post-treatment pain score as well as treatment plan opted by patients were collected.Results: Patients with post treatment response ≥ 50% is considered as “good response” and < 50% is considered as “poor response”. In our study with trigeminopontine angle threshold of 45 degree, 7 out of 8 (87.5%) patients with > 450 mTPA showed poor response and 15/22 (68.2%) patients ≤ 450 showed good response to medical management for trigeminal neuralgia due to mNVC with statistical significance difference with p-valve of 0.007Conclusion: In our study, we found a negative correlation between the mTPA and percentage pain relief in patients kept on medical management. We realised that mTPA measurement could become an important tool for prognosticating pain relief for patients of trigeminal neuralgia on medical therapy.
Resurrected ancestral influenza A viruses recapitulate the avian-to-mammalian adaptation of European avian-like swine influenza virus
Authors: Su Wen , Harfoot Rhodri , Su Yvonne , DeBeauchamp Jennifer , Joseph Udayan , Jayakumar Jayanthi , Crumpton Jeri-Carol , Jeevan Trushar , Rubrum Adam , Franks John , Pascua Philippe , Kackos Christina , Zhang Yuqin , Zhang Mengting , Ji Yue , Bui Christine H. T. , Jones Jeremy , Kercher Lisa , Krauss Scott , Pleschka Stephan , Chan Michael CW , Webster Robert , Wu Chung-Yi , Reeth Kristien Van , Peiris Malik , Webby Richard , Smith Gavin , Yen Hui-Ling
Published: April 2021

The emergence of a pandemic influenza virus may be better anticipated if we better understand the evolutionary steps taken by avian influenza viruses as they adapt to mammals. We used ancestral sequence reconstruction to resurrect viruses representing initial adaptive stages of the European avian-like H1N1 virus as it transitioned from avian to swine hosts. We demonstrate that efficient transmissibility in pigs was gained through stepwise adaptation after 1983. These time-dependent adaptations resulted in changes in hemagglutinin receptor binding specificity and increased viral polymerase activity. An NP-R351K mutation under strong positive selection increased the transmissibility of a reconstructed virus. The stepwise-adaptation of a wholly avian influenza virus to a mammalian host suggests a window where targeted intervention may have highest impact. Successful intervention will, however, require strategic coordination of surveillance and risk assessment activities to identify these adapting viruses and guide pandemic preparedness resources.
The Prevalence of Disseminated Tuberculosis Among Tuberculosis Patients in Uganda
Authors: Kyagulanyi Eddy , Mirembe Joy , Nantaayi Brandy , Nalukenge Sonita , Mukasa David , Tamale Jaffer , Oriekot Anthony , Kamya Moses R. , Baluku Joseph Baruch
Published: April 2021

Background: The incidence of disseminated tuberculosis (DTB) is increasing worldwide yet its epidemiological characteristics in Uganda are not known. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence, associated factors, and treatment outcomes of DTB among patients at a national tuberculosis (TB) treatment center in Uganda.Methodology: The study took place at the TB unit of Mulago National Referral Hospital in Kampala, Uganda. We conducted a retrospective chart review of TB patients who were enrolled in care between January 2015 and December 2019. Eligible charts were for patients with pulmonary bacteriologically confirmed TB enrolled into care in the period under study. DTB was defined as TB at two or more non-contiguous sites.Results: Overall, 400 patient charts were eligible, of whom 240(60.0%) were aged 15 – 34 years and 205 (51.3%) were female. The prevalence of DTB was 8.5% (34/400) (95% CI: 6.0% – 11.7%). Patients with DTB were more likely to be casual laborers (44.1% vs 21.3%, p = 0.023), from Bantu ethnic group (67.7% vs. 40.5%, p = 0.0021), and had at least one comorbidity (82.4% vs 37.2%, p <0.001), of which HIV was the most frequent. Further, patients with DTB (n = 20) were more likely to have empyema (15% vs 2.6%, p = 028) but less likely to have bronchopneumonic opacification (0.0% vs 15.3%, p = 0.043) on chest x-ray imaging. Patients with DTB had higher mortality (26.5% vs 6.37%) and a lower cure rate (41.2% vs 64.8%), p = 0.002.Conclusion: Our findings highlight the need for early detection of TB before dissemination and greater use of TB preventive therapies in HIV-infected individuals to counter the observed high mortality of DTB.
Characteristics of Inflammatory Storm in BALF of Severe Pneumonia in Children
Authors: Deng Fang , Cao Hui Ling , Liang Xiao Hua , Li Qu Bei , Yang Yang , Zhao Zhi Hua , Tan Jun Jie , Fu Guo , Shu Chang
Published: April 2021

Background: There are few studies on inflammatory storms in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of children with pneumonia. Therefore, we will retrospectively investigate characteristics of inflammatory storms in BALF of children with pneumonia in our hospital.Methods: 161 children with pneumonia were retrospectively divided into two groups: mild and severe pneumonia, according to the clinic diagnosis. Flow cytometry was performed to detect the levels of cytokines, including IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17A, TNF-α and IFN-γ. We performed receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC) and spearman correlation to evaluate the role of BALF inflammatory cytokines and cells in pneumonia.Results: 1) The levels of IL-6, IL-10, IL-17A, and TNF-α, and ratios of IL-6 to IL-10 and TNF-α to IL-10 in BALF of severe pneumonia group were higher than those of mild pneumonia group. 2) The number of inflammatory cells and the percentage of neutrophils in BALF of severe pneumonia group increased, and the percentage of macrophages decreased, compared with the mild pneumonia group. 3) ROC analysis showed that both the increase of the levels of IL-6, IL-10 and TNF-α, and ratios of IL-6 to IL-10 and TNF-α to IL-10, number of inflammatory cells and neutrophils, percentage of neutrophils, and the decrease of the percentage of macrophages exceeding the cut-off value could be used to distinguish children with severe pneumonia from mild pneumonia. Conclusion: In severe pediatric pneumonia, BALF inflammatory cytokines and inflammatory cell infiltration are more intense. And these inflammatory signals are important biomarkers for reflecting the severity of pediatric pneumonia.Trial registration: This study approved by the Medical Research Ethics Committee of Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, registered in http://www.chictr.org.cn/, No. ChiCTR2000034048(registration date, June 22, 2020).
Impact of Social Isolation on Mental Health Amid COVID-19 Pandemic: A Nationwide Survey
Authors: Rahman Md Ashrafur , Tambi Richa , Mahmud Tarif , Rahman Atiqur , Hasan Mehedi , Berdiev Bakhrom , Akter Hosneara , Eshaque Tamannyat Binte , Faruk Md Omar , Shanjana Easna , Woodbury-Smith Marc , Ghaziuddin Mohammad , Reza Hasan Mahmud , Uddin Mohammed
Published: April 2021

Background: Although social isolation is known to limit the spread of a pandemic, the impact of mental health for such measures is yet unknown. In this cross-sectional study, we investigated the impact on mental health among different age groups due to social isolation during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Methods: We conducted a carefully designed cross sectional survey on mental health that was disseminated widely by way of email, personal contact and social media to subjects aged between 11 and >70 years. For our analysis we stratified data into three distinct groups: children/young adults (11-40), middle age (40-60) and older adult age (> 60) groups. 3214 respondents answered the survey. Bonferroni corrected Chi-square tests were used to find significant relationships between the demographic groups and mental health related variables. Results: We observed a high percentage of insomnia (79%) in old age respondants compared to children/young adults (61%) and middle age (66%) groups, suggesting that ‘age’ is significantly associated (p= 3.8 X 10-06; odds ratio (OR) = 2.34) with ‘insomnia’. Respondents who were retired also reported a higher prevalence (73%) of insomnia (p = 2.79 X 10-8) compare to employed individuals. A higher level of mental stress (84%) was observed in middle aged respondents followed by old adult (71%) respondents (p=0.001). Significantly higher rates (p = 5.08 X 10-27; OR = 2.06) of mental stress were detected in people with preexisting comorbidities compared with the healthy group. The old age participants were less familiar with the concept of social isolation and 54% of old age participants had a negative perception towards social isolation compared to children/young adults (12%) and middle-aged (7%) respondents. Conclusion: Our results indicate an association between age and mental stress concomitant on the COVID-19 social isolation policy in Bangladesh. Social isolation increased insomnia and mental stress, particularly in old age and middle age group. Moreover, these older age groups also tended to have a negative perception of the COVID-19 isolation policy. Therefore, providing mental healthcare services and policy related education in developing countries should target these older age groups to ensure maintenance of their mental wellbeing and adherence to safe practice.
Dietary Risk Factors of Physical Growth of Filipino School-aged Children
Authors: Agdeppa Imelda Angeles , Nakamura Taro , Sugita Mayu , Toledo Marvin Bangan , Sampaga Pamela Castillo , Zamora Jezreel Ann Taruc
Published: April 2021

Background: The study evaluated the relationship of the usual nutrient intake and protein adequacy to the prevalence of child malnutrition. Methods: Data were derived from the 2013 Philippine National Nutrition Survey. A total of 6,565 children aged 6-12 years across all the 17 regions that participated in the survey were analyzed. Two (2) non-consecutive day 24-hour dietary recalls (24hR) were collected to estimate the individual food intake. PC-SIDE version 1.0 software (Software for Intake Distribution Estimation) was used to estimate the usual intake of energy and key nutrients accounting for between - and within-person differences in dietary intake. The 2007 WHO Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS) method was used to measure the protein quality or the utilizable protein intake. Results: School-aged children were found to have lower dietary intake of utilizable protein than total protein. Higher consumption of grains and meat decreased the prevalence of stunting. Furthermore, linear growth of children was found to be associated with the dietary intake of several nutrients including utilizable protein, calcium, vitamin B12, vitamin C and vitamin D. The prevalence of stunting and underweight significantly decreased with a higher consumption of utilizable protein. Milk consumption decreased the prevalence of underweight. The prevalence of underweight also decreases with a higher dietary consumption of calcium, riboflavin and vitamin C. Higher consumption of grains also decreased the prevalence of underweight and wasting. A decreased prevalence of wasting was also found with higher dietary consumption of riboflavin, thiamine and fiber. On the contrary, higher consumption of meat, milk and grains increased the prevalence of obesity. In particular, higher dietary consumption of utilizable protein and vitamin C increased the prevalence of obesity. Conclusions: Even though the dietary total protein intake of school-aged children is considered adequate, the existence of malnutrition among children may be specifically attributed to quality of protein consumed. Therefore, the study suggests that nutrition interventions and policies focusing on child malnutrition should improve not just the quantity, but the quality of protein sources consumed by children to aid in proper growth and development.
Predicting Unplanned Hospital Visits in Older Home Care Recipients: A Cross-country External Validation Study.
Authors: Klunder Jet H , Bordonis Veronique , Heymans Martijn W , Roest Henriëtte G van der , Declercq Anja , Smit Jan H , Garms-Homolova Vjenka , Jónsson Pálmi V , Finne-Soveri Harriet , Onder Graziano , Joling Karlijn J , Maarsingh Otto R , Hout Hein PJ van
Published: April 2021

Background: Accurate identification of older persons at risk of unplanned hospital visits can facilitate preventive interventions. Several risk scores have been developed to identify older adults at risk of unplanned hospital visits. It is unclear whether risk scores developed in one country, perform as well in another. This study validates seven risk scores to predict unplanned hospital admissions and emergency department (ED) visits in older home care recipients from six countries. Methods: We used the IBenC sample (n=2446), a cohort of older home care recipients from six countries (Belgium, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Italy and The Netherlands) to validate four specific risk scores (DIVERT, CARS, EARLI and previous acute admissions) and three frailty indicators (CHESS, Fried Frailty Criteria and Frailty Index). Outcome measures were unplanned hospital admissions, ED visits or any unplanned hospital visits after six months. Missing data were handled by multiple imputation. Performance was determined by assessing calibration and discrimination (area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC)). Results: Risk score performance varied across countries. In Iceland, DIVERT and CARS reached a fair predictive value (AUC 0.74 (0.68-0.80) and AUC 0.74 (0.67-0.80), respectively, for any unplanned hospital visits). In Finland, DIVERT had fair performance predicting ED visits (AUC 0.72 (0.67-0.77)) and any unplanned hospital visits (AUC 0.73 (0.67-0.77)). In other countries, AUCs did not exceed 0.70. Conclusions: Geographical validation of risk scores predicting unplanned hospital visits in home care recipients showed substantial variations of poor to fair performance across countries. Unplanned hospital visits seem considerably dependent on health care context. Therefore, risk scores should be validated regionally before applied to practice. Future studies should focus on identification of more discriminative predictors and develop more accurate risk scores that work in multiple country’s care contexts.
Risk factors for nonvisualization of the sentinel lymph node on lymphoscintigraphy in breast cancer patients
Authors: Chahid Youssef , Qiu Xinbo , de Garde Ewoudt M.W. van , Verberne Hein J. , Booij Jan
Published: April 2021

BackgroundAccurate sentinel lymph node (SLN) staging is essential for both prognosis and treatment in patients with breast cancer. However, the preoperative lymphoscintigraphy may fail to visualize the SLN in some patients. The purpose of this retrospective study was to identify risk factors associated with SLN nonvisualization on lymphoscintigraphy. For this single-center retrospective study all data of lymphoscintigraphy of SLN procedures from March 2011 to April 2021 were collected and reviewed from the Amsterdam UMC database. ResultsA total of 1886 SLN procedures were included in this study. The SLN nonvisualization rate was 25.1% on lymphoscintigraphy at 4 hours post injection. The SLN nonvisualization rate decreased to 9.4% after reinjection. Multivariable analysis showed that age ≥70 years (P<0.001; OR: 2.27; 95% CI: 1.46–3.53), BMI ≥30 kg/m2 (P=0.031; OR: 1.48; 95% CI: 1.04–2.12), and nonpalpable tumors (P=0.004; OR: 1.54; 95% CI: 1.15–2.07) were independent predictors of SLN nonvisualization. Tumor location, brand of radiopharmaceutical, injected dose and volume, experience of preparer and administrator were not associated with SLN nonvisualization. None of the patient, tumor or tracer characteristics were associated with SLN nonvisualization after radiotracer reinjection.ConclusionsThis study shows that risk factors for SLN nonvisualization in breast cancer patients during preoperative lymphoscintigraphy are age ≥70 years, BMI ≥30 kg/m2, and nonpalpable tumors. Our results support the notion that SLN lymphoscintigraphy is a very robust technique, that does not depend on the experience of the preparer or administrator of the radiotracer.