bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evidências de validade semântica e de conteúdo na construção de um Instrumento de Avaliação da Percepção sobre a Morte e o Luto.
Authors: Carvalho Gueidia Fernandes , Gusmão Estefânea Élida da Silva , Viana-Meireles Livia Gomes
Published: June 2020

Este estudo tem por objetivo relatar a construção, bem como a validação semântica e de conteúdo dos itens de um questionário de avaliação da percepção sobre morte e luto. O questionário objetiva compreender como as pessoas percebem a morte e o luto na atualidade. A formulação dos itens baseou-se na literatura clássica e recente sobre o tema. O questionário foi analisado por sete juízes, que sugeriram mudanças, inclusões e exclusões de algumas afirmações e foi respondido por 203 participantes. A análise semântica e de conteúdo mostrou que o questionário é de fácil compreensão, apontando para um instrumento com evidência de validade de conteúdo e semântica
Características gestacionais e estado nutricional de mulheres no último trimestre de gravidez e no pós-parto imediato
Authors: Sampaio Rafaella Maria Monteiro , Aguiar Brena Keila Oliveira , Jerônimo Aliny Lima , Pinto Francisco José Maia
Published: June 2020

Objetivo: Investigar as características gestacionais e o estado nutricional de mulheres no último trimestre de gravidez e no pós-parto imediato.Metodologia: Foi realizado um estudo transversal, quantitativo com abordagem descritiva, no período de outubro de 2010 a março de 2011, na Maternidade Escola Assis Chateaubrian (MEAC), em Fortaleza-Ceará. Foram selecionadas aleatoriamente para participar da pesquisa 223 puérperas adultas. A coleta de dados foi realizada por meio de uma entrevista semiestruturada, sendo investigados os seguintes grupos de variáveis hierarquizadas: dados socioeconômicos e demográficos, gestacionais e nutricionais. Os dados univariados foram analisados de forma descritiva usando-se as frequências (absolutas e percentuais) e as medidas paramétricas (média e desvio padrão).Resultados: A proporção geral de puérperas jovens 114 (51,1%), com idade entre 19 e 24 anos. Verificou-se que a maioria das mães 117 (52,5%) era multípara. Em relação ao pré-natal, quase todas as puérperas 222 (99,6%) afirmaram ter realizado pelo menos uma consulta. O estado nutricional das mães antes da gestação, determinado pelo IMC, mostra que predominou a eutrofia 168 (75,3%).Conclusões: Um acompanhamento eficiente do ganho de peso durante a gestação e o atendimento nutricional pode evitar possíveis excesso ou déficit de peso ao final da gestação.
O impacto do uso dos agrotóxicos na saúde pública: revisão de literatura
Authors: Garcia Simone Domingues , De Lara Taynah Ivanir Da Costa
Published: June 2020

O uso extensivo de agrotóxicos têm sido cada vez mais associado a problemas de saúde na população, sendo fundamental maiores estudos referentes ao tema. Objetivo: identificar a produção teórica referente aos impactos dos agrotóxicos na saúde pública, por meio da revisão integrativa nas bases de dados Biblioteca Virtual da Saúde e SciElo. Materiais e métodos: utilizou-se a revisão integrativa de literatura. Resultados: Observou-se que em regiões com utilização de agrotóxicos em larga escala a população apresentou maiores taxas de alterações auditivas, problemas gestacionais, doenças neurológicas, neoplasias e intoxicações agudas. Além disso, observou-se também problemas no cenário ambiental, como detrimento dos recursos hídricos para consumo humano e contaminação das águas. Conclusão: Com isso, torna-se necessário maiores investimentos em ações de controle e monitoramento para a utilização dos agrotóxicos, além de ampliar os estudos para que ocorra maior conhecimento da população sobre o tema.
Lung Nodule Sizes Are Encoded When Scaling CT Image for CNN's
Authors: Cherezov Dmitry , Paul Rahul , Fetisov Nikolai , Gillies Robert J. , Schabath Matthew B. , Goldgof Dmitry B. , Hall Lawrence O.
Published: June 2020

Noninvasive diagnosis of lung cancer in early stages is one task where radiomics helps. Clinical practice shows that the size of a nodule has high predictive power for malignancy. In the literature, convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have become widely used in medical image analysis. We study the ability of a CNN to capture nodule size in computed tomography images after images are resized for CNN input. For our experiments, we used the National Lung Screening Trial data set. Nodules were labeled into 2 categories (small/large) based on the original size of a nodule. After all extracted patches were re-sampled into 100-by-100-pixel images, a CNN was able to successfully classify test nodules into small- and large-size groups with high accuracy. To show the generality of our discovery, we repeated size classification experiments using Common Objects in Context (COCO) data set. From the data set, we selected 3 categories of images, namely, bears, cats, and dogs. For all 3 categories a 5- × 2-fold cross-validation was performed to put them into small and large classes. The average area under receiver operating curve is 0.954, 0.952, and 0.979 for the bear, cat, and dog categories, respectively. Thus, camera image rescaling also enables a CNN to discover the size of an object. The source code for experiments with the COCO data set is publicly available in Github (https://github.com/VisionAI-USF/COCO_Size_Decoding/).
Multisite Technical and Clinical Performance Evaluation of Quantitative Imaging Biomarkers from 3D FDG PET Segmentations of Head and Neck Cancer Images
Authors: Smith Brian J. , Buatti John M. , Bauer Christian , Ulrich Ethan J. , Ahmadvand Payam , Budzevich Mikalai M. , Gillies Robert J. , Goldgof Dmitry , Grkovski Milan , Hamarneh Ghassan , Kinahan Paul E. , Muzi John P. , Muzi Mark , Laymon Charles M. , Mountz James M. , Nehmeh Sadek , Oborski Matthew J. , Zhao Binsheng , Sunderland John J. , Beichel Reinhard R.
Published: June 2020

Quantitative imaging biomarkers (QIBs) provide medical image–derived intensity, texture, shape, and size features that may help characterize cancerous tumors and predict clinical outcomes. Successful clinical translation of QIBs depends on the robustness of their measurements. Biomarkers derived from positron emission tomography images are prone to measurement errors owing to differences in image processing factors such as the tumor segmentation method used to define volumes of interest over which to calculate QIBs. We illustrate a new Bayesian statistical approach to characterize the robustness of QIBs to different processing factors. Study data consist of 22 QIBs measured on 47 head and neck tumors in 10 positron emission tomography/computed tomography scans segmented manually and with semiautomated methods used by 7 institutional members of the NCI Quantitative Imaging Network. QIB performance is estimated and compared across institutions with respect to measurement errors and power to recover statistical associations with clinical outcomes. Analysis findings summarize the performance impact of different segmentation methods used by Quantitative Imaging Network members. Robustness of some advanced biomarkers was found to be similar to conventional markers, such as maximum standardized uptake value. Such similarities support current pursuits to better characterize disease and predict outcomes by developing QIBs that use more imaging information and are robust to different processing factors. Nevertheless, to ensure reproducibility of QIB measurements and measures of association with clinical outcomes, errors owing to segmentation methods need to be reduced.
Comparison of Segmentation Methods in Assessing Background Parenchymal Enhancement as a Biomarker for Response to Neoadjuvant Therapy
Authors: Nguyen Alex Anh-Tu , Arasu Vignesh A. , Strand Fredrik , Li Wen , Onishi Natsuko , Gibbs Jessica , Jones Ella F. , Joe Bonnie N. , Esserman Laura J. , Newitt David C. , Hylton Nola M.
Published: June 2020

Breast parenchymal enhancement (BPE) has shown association with breast cancer risk and response to neoadjuvant treatment. However, BPE quantification is challenging, and there is no standardized segmentation method for measurement. We investigated the use of a fully automated breast fibroglandular tissue segmentation method to calculate BPE from dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) for use as a predictor of pathologic complete response (pCR) following neoadjuvant treatment in the I-SPY 2 TRIAL. In this trial, patients had DCE-MRI at baseline (T0), after 3 weeks of treatment (T1), after 12 weeks of treatment and between drug regimens (T2), and after completion of treatment (T3). A retrospective analysis of 2 cohorts was performed: one with 735 patients and another with a final cohort of 340 patients, meeting a high-quality benchmark for segmentation. We evaluated 3 subvolumes of interest segmented from bilateral T1-weighted axial breast DCE-MRI: full stack (all axial slices), half stack (center 50% of slices), and center 5 slices. The differences between methods were assessed, and a univariate logistic regression model was implemented to determine the predictive performance of each segmentation method. The results showed that the half stack method provided the best compromise between sampling error from too little tissue and inclusion of incorrectly segmented tissues from extreme superior and inferior regions. Our results indicate that BPE calculated using the half stack segmentation approach has potential as an early biomarker for response to treatment in the hormone receptor–negative and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2–positive subtype.
Profile of Pulmonary Tuberculosis Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Pulmonary Department Dr. Soetomo General Hospital Surabaya
Authors: Soetrisno Ayu Rahmanita Putri , Setiabudi Rebekah Juniati , Wulandari Laksmi
Published: June 2020

Background: Pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) is the most important infectious disease, caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB). Indonesia is the third country with the most prevalent TB cases in the world. Not all people who were exposed to MTB will become active TB, because the immune response is the main determinant. Immunocompromised person, such as patients who have type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) as a comorbid are more prone to develop active TB infection. This study aimed to analyze the profile of pulmonary TB patients with type 2 DM in Pulmonary Department Dr. Soetomo General Hospital Surabaya.Methods: This was an observational descriptive study with a cross-sectional design. The research data were obtained from the medical records of TB patients with type 2 DM in Pulmonary Department Dr. Soetomo General Hospital Surabaya in January - December 2017.Results: Out of a total of 414 hospitalized patients, 74 patients with pulmonary TB were found with type 2 DM. Only 53 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Gene Xpert results were sensitive (66.7%), previous TB treatment history (54.7%), unregulated type 2 DM (88.4%), RBG with the average of 311.83 mg/dl, PPBS with the average of 263.31 mg/dl, FBG with the average of 238 mg/dl, and HbA1C > 10% (68%).Conclusion: The majority of the patients of pulmonary TB with type 2 DM have average high blood glucose and unregulated DM.
THE DIFFERENCE BLOOD CORTISOL LEVEL BETWEEN MALE AND FEMALE ON WORKERS EXPOSED BY CONTINOUS NOISE
Authors: Sumardiyono Sumardiyono
Published: June 2020

Background: Noise is a dangerous stressor in the workplace. One industry that has a high-risk noise intensity is the textile industry, which can have a stressful impact on workers. Stress can be shown by increased blood cortisol levels. Purpose: This study aimed to determine differences on blood cortisol levels of male and female workers exposed to continuous noise in the textile industry. Method: This study used analytic observational with cross sectional design. The research population is the worker weaving PT. Iskandar Indah printing Textile Surakarta amounts to 565 people. The sampling technique used purposive random sampling. Inclusion criteria: the work period is at least 1 year and age is at least 20 years. The sample obtained by using the calculation formula of mean difference is the number of samples per group of 20 people. Statistical test used Independent Samples T Test at the 0.05 level of significance. Results: The results showed the noise intensity in the weaving section between 93-105 dBA. Male group cortisol levels were 14.4±3.7 µg/dL and the female group were 11.8±3.7 µg/dL. The result of Independent Samples T Test statistic is shown significant test result (t=2,241; p=0,031). Conclusion: There is a difference in blood cortisol levels between male and female workers exposed to continuous noise in the textile industry. The conclusion of this study is that the level of stress due to exposure to continuous noise is a group of male workers is higher than female workers.
Modélisation de la croissance de bovins : évolution des modèles et applications
Authors: HOCH T. , PRADEL P. , AGABRIEL J.
Published: June 2020

Les modèles mathématiques tiennent de nos jours une place importante dans les recherches en biologie. En productions animales, notamment dans le domaine de la croissance des bovins, de nombreux modèles ont été élaborés. Leur degré de complexité et leur niveau d’intégration des connaissances des mécanismes varient notamment en fonction des objectifs qui leur sont assignés. La prise en compte de processus biologiques à des échelles fines, d’où un niveau d’agrégation faible du modèle, peut constituer une source d’incertitude sur la valeur des paramètres employés, et donc nuire au caractère opérationnel d’un modèle.
Cet article classe et décrit dans un premier temps les différents types de modèles de croissance de bovins. Puis un modèle dynamique et mécaniste, que nous avons développé, fait l’objet d’une description détaillée. Ce modèle se veut suffisamment simple pour pouvoir être utilisé pour la prévision de la croissance des animaux en fonction de l’alimentation, tout en intégrant une formalisation mathématique des processus biologiques. Les résultats issus de ce modèle ont été confrontés avec des données expérimentales concernant des génisses Salers. Cette comparaison montre une assez bonne adéquation entre données simulées et expérimentales. Toutefois, pour certaines variables, telles que les lipides et les dépôts adipeux, des améliorations, notamment de la formalisation de nos connaissances, apparaissent nécessaires. L’intégration de tels modèles dans des outils de recommandations alimentaires est également discutée.
Valeur nutritionnelle de la viande de lapin
Authors: COMBES S.
Published: June 2020

Les aliments pour l’homme, outre leurs aspects nutritionnels de couverture des besoins, ont acquis depuis peu une valeur santé. Face à ce phénomène, de nouveaux besoins de connaissances concernant les constituants des aliments sont apparus. Cet article a pour objet de montrer les points forts et les lacunes dans les connaissances relatives à la valeur nutritionnelle de la viande de lapin. 50 publications ont été sélectionnées. Pour des lapins aux âges et poids commerciaux d’abattage, les teneurs en protéines (21 + 1,5 % de viande fraîche), eau (72,5 + 2,5 % de viande fraîche) et minéraux totaux (1,2 + 0,1 % de viande fraîche) sont similaires dans les différents travaux et ne nécessitent pas d’autres investigations. Les principales causes de variations de la teneur en lipides (5 + 3,3 % de viande fraîche) sont connues et bien décrites (région anatomique et alimentation principalement). La viande de lapin est pauvre en sodium (49 mg/100 g) mais riche en phosphore (277 mg/100 g). Les teneurs en certains éléments tels le fer (1,4 mg/100 g), le cuivre ou le sélénium ne sont pas suffisamment bien établies. Par ailleurs les teneurs d’autres oligo-éléments n’ont à notre connaissance jamais été évaluées. Enfin, les données disponibles semblent indiquer que la viande de lapin montre un profil global en vitamines proche de celui observé chez le poulet. Il est cependant nécessaire de confirmer ces observations. La viande de lapin présente une teneur en cholestérol relativement basse comparativement aux autres viandes de 59 mg/100g et un ratio en acides gras oméga 6 / oméga 3 avantageux de 5,9. L’équilibre en acide gras de la viande de lapin, animal monogastrique et herbivore, montre par ailleurs une remarquable plasticité en fonction de l’équilibre en acide gras de la ration.
Valeur nutritionnelle des oeufs
Authors: NYS Y. , SAUVEUR B.
Published: June 2020

L’oeuf peut être défini comme une source peu énergétique de protéines parfaitement équilibrées et de lipides de très bonne digestibilité, assurant par ailleurs 20 à 30 % du besoin journalier de l’homme en de nombreux minéraux et vitamines (pour 100 g d’oeuf). Il est cependant déficient en glucides, calcium et vitamine C. Ces qualités font de l’oeuf un aliment particulièrement indiqué pour les populations sensibles à l’équilibre de leur ration : enfants, personnes âgées ou convalescentes. L’oeuf est enfin le seul aliment d’origine animale capable d’être conservé à l’état cru pendant une période notable à température ambiante.
Insights into the Epidemiology of the First Wave of COVID-19 ICU Admissions in South Wales – the Interplay between Ethnicity and Deprivation
Authors: Baumer Thomas , Phillips Emily , Dhadda Amrit , Szakmany Tamas , COVID-19 Group Gwent
Published: June 2020

On the 9th March 2020, the first patient with COVID-19 was admitted to ICU in the Royal Gwent Hospital, Newport, Wales. We prospectively recorded the rate of ICU admissions of 52 patients with COVID-19 over 60 days, focusing on the epidemiology of ethnicity and deprivation. Patients were 65% (34 of 52) male and had a median (IQR) age of 55 (48-62) years. Prevalent comorbidities included obesity (52%); diabetes (33%), and asthma (23%). COVID-19 hospital and ICU inpatient numbers peaked on days 23 and 39, respectively – a lag of 16 days. The ICU mortality rate was 33% (17 of 52). Black, Asian and Minority Ethnics (BAME) population represented 35% of ICU COVID-19 admissions (18 of 52) and 35% of deaths (6 of 17). Within the BAME group, 72% (13 of 18) were found to reside in geographical areas representing the 20% most deprived in Wales, versus 27% of Caucasians (9 of 33). Less than 5% of the population within the hospital catchment area are of BAME descent, yet they represent a disproportionately high proportion of patients with ICU admission and mortality suffering from COVID-19. The interplay between ethnicity and deprivation, which is complex, may be a factor in our findings. This in turn could be related to an increased prevalence of co-morbidities; higher community exposure; or genetic polymorphisms.
Performance Measurement and Improvement of Healthcare Service Using Discrete Event Simulation in Bahir Dar Clinic
Authors: Meresa Aregawi yemane , Heniey Hagazi Abrha , Gidey Kidane
Published: June 2020

This paper deals with the service performance analysis and improvement using discrete event simulation has been used. The simulation of the heath care has been done by arena master development 14-version software. The performance measurement for this study are patients output, service rate, service efficiency and it is directly related to waiting time of patients in each service station, work in progress, resource utilization.Simulation model was building for Bahir Dar clinic and then, prepared the proposed model for the system. Based on the simulation model run result, the output of the existing healthcare service system is low due to presence of bottlenecks on the service system. Moreover, the station with the largest queue and high resource utilization are identified as a bottleneck. The bottlenecks, which have identified are reduced by using reassigning the existing resources and add new resources and merging the similar services, which has under low resource utilization (nurses). Finally, the researchers have proposed a developed model from different scenarios. Moreover, the best scenario is developed by combining scenario 2 and 3. And then, service efficiency of the healthcare has increased by 9.86 percent, the work in progress (WIP) are reduced by 3 patients from the system and the service capacity of the system is increased 34 to 40 patients per day due to the reduction of bottleneck stations.
Orthopaedic Guidelines for the COVID-19 Post-Outbreak Period
Authors: Xiong Yuan , Chen Lang , Lin Ze , Panayi Adriana C. , Mi Bobin , Liu Guohui
Published: June 2020

Currently, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis has rapidly spread worldwide. As the earliest outbreak area of the pandemic, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China, is gradually recovering to its normal state under the effective control of government authorities. Outpatient services in major hospitals are now being restored. An accumulation of asymptomatic infections is a potential risk for medical personnel, especially when there is crowding in hospitals. As the biggest center for orthopaedic patients in Wuhan, our orthopaedic outpatient department admits >300 patients per day. Optimal guidelines on how to handle this huge number of patients during the post-outbreak stage of the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly with regard to potential asymptomatic infection, are urgently needed for orthopaedic surgeons. We have developed and proposed applicable guidelines to fill this knowledge gap, including the necessary protective strategies for medical personnel in orthopaedic outpatient and inpatient wards as well as during surgery. We also have provided mental health recommendations for health-care workers. To the best of our knowledge, these guidelines are the first of their kind for orthopaedic surgeons who are slowly reestablishing medical activity following the pandemic.
Modification of a Ceramic Brick Additives of Inorganic Technogenic Products of Water Treatment of Combined Heat and Power Plant
Authors: Kauchur A. S. , Sheleh V. K. , Zhornik V. I. , Kovaliova S. A.
Published: June 2020

Waste of combined heat and power plants represents a certain danger to the environment, and hence the economic problems. However such waste contains substances that are advisable to use for production of construction and finishing materials. Technogenic products of water treatment from the Yuzhnaya combined heat and power plant (sludges of chemical water treatment – code 8410500) are a calcite mixture containing more than 64 wt. % calcite. The mineralogical composition of inorganic waste has been determined while using X-ray and IR-spectral researches. Mechanical activation of calcite inorganic wastes leads to grinding of calcite and a decrease in the amount of adsorbed water, which affects the increase in the content of silica frame structures, the reactivity of which directly depends on their quantity. Changes in the structure of silicon dioxide during mechanical activation are established according to IR studies. The results of X-ray and IR studies of the Zapolie deposit clay used in ceramic brick production technology make it possible to attribute it to raw materials with high reactivity. An experimental batch of ceramic bricks has been produced at JSC “Obolsky Ceramic Plant” with addition of calcite inorganic waste from combined heat and power plants. An X-ray diffraction analysis of samples of the obtained bricks having standard composition and with addition of waste has been carried out. The influence of calcite inorganic waste content in the feedstock on the process of ceramic brick structure formation has been stu-died in the paper. Addition of chemical water treatment waste containing calcium carbonate up to 15 wt. % to the Zapolye clay mixture helps to reduce a firing temperature and an appearance of the melt. This leads to crystallization processes of solid minerals from the melt and an increase in the amount of glass phase which contributes to improvement of strength properties in ceramic bricks. The possibility of using inorganic waste (sludges of chemical water treatment – code 8410500) of combined heat and power plants as a component of emaciated additives in clay raw materials in the process of ceramic brick production has been established in the paper.
Mapeamento da COVID-19 na macrorregião de saúde da Foz do Rio Itajaí
Authors: Da Silva Felipe Bruno , Bohn Vieira Isabel Cristina , Fand Ykeizumi Lara Yumi
Published: June 2020

Em março de 2020, foi registrado em Santa Catarina o primeiro caso de síndrome respiratória aguda grave corona vírus 2 (SARS – CoV-2), conhecida como COVID-19. Tendo em vista o comportamento de disseminação gradativa e rápida, com o surgimento de casos e óbitos em diversos países, a Organização Mundial da Saúde (OMS) declarou que para controlar a proliferação do vírus, é necessário aplicar medidas restritivas de alcance individual, ambiental e comunitário. Considerando o exposto, o presente artigo teve como objetivo mapear o número de casos e óbitos da COVID-19 nos municípios da macrorregião da foz do Rio Itajaí, no período de 18 de março à 18 de maio de 2020 e relacioná-los com as medidas restritivas municipais dos 11 municípios que integram a região a partir dos boletins epidemiológicos emitidos pela SES/SC e identificar a expansão da contaminação por meio do mapeamento digital. Como resultado, constatou-se que ao final do período de análise, os 11 municípios que contemplam a região registraram ao menos um caso da COVID-19. Foi identificado que os municípios tiveram um comportamento de disseminação de forma independente, assim como os decretos de normas restritivas, tendo cada município diferentes medidas em datas distintas. Percebe-se que as medidas restritivas de alcance individual, ambiental e comunitário, de acordo com seu conteúdo, podem restringir o contágio da doença por mais tempo e ter impactos direto na disseminação e controle da doença, sendo que os municípios que emitiram o maior número de decretos no período, tiveram menores números de casos confirmados.
Comments: Recalibrating to a New Normal
Authors: Boschee Pam
Published: June 2020

Pre-COVID-19 forecasts were blown out of the water and nearly made moot quickly in the first quarter of this year. Attempts to form long-term forecasts are stymied by uncertainties until some degree of stabilization returns to the oil and gas industry. The recent meteoric oil price dive plus the pandemic narrowed the window for defining “long term” with confidence.

For example, Fatih Birol’s comment, “We see early signs of a gradual rebalancing of oil markets. It is still gradual and it is still fragile,” might be interpreted as cautiously optimistic. The executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA) also tweeted upon the release of the agency’s monthly report in mid-May … “the picture is still very bleak for the industry. After ‘Black April,’ the heaviest demand destruction may be behind us, but huge uncertain-ties remain. We now forecast global oil demand will fall by 8.6 mb/d in 2020.”

Global supply remains excessive but is being dialed back. In what previously would have been an unexpected twist, the US will be the single largest contributor to the historic drop in crude supply, a decline of 12 million B/D by the end of the year.

The shale operators, who not so long ago were producing at record levels, are now the primary drivers in decreasing global production largely by rapidly shutting in their wells, especially in the Permian and Bakken.

Non-OPEC producers will account for nearly one-third (approximately 4 million B/D) of the global supply drawdown. The US is forecast to rein in the majority (about 3 million B/D) - surpassing Saudi Arabia’s expected supply cuts, including its recent further reduction of 1 million B/D (bringing its expected daily production to 7.5 million instead of 8.5 million). Canada, Norway, and Brazil are also pulling back production.

Global supply may continue to outpace demand as lockdowns ease and consumption of oil and gas picks up in travel and individual and industrial activity, the duration and timing of which is unpredictable.

Although Brent and West Texas Intermediate crude prices remain down more than 50% year to date, they have rebounded from the recent fast and furious drops. The level of the rebound, however, does not yet come close to recovery across the industry. Over the short or long term, the definitions of recovery will be recalibrated to a changed “normal.”
Technology Focus: Coiled Tubing (June 2020)
Authors: Crabtree Alex
Published: June 2020

As I think about this year’s Coiled Tubing feature, we are all in the midst of the effects of COVID-19 social distancing, an oil-price crash, and high levels of oil in storage. What will the world - and the oil industry, in particular - look like in a couple of months? Certainly, cash flow is going to be king among the various financial metrics. What can deliver results quickly and at a comparatively lower cash requirement? In many ways, these factors have played into the coiled tubing segment’s growth over the past couple of decades (i.e., delivering value). Will tomorrow be the same as just a few short months ago? In one sense - market size - no, but in another sense - as a segment that has always sought out and applied innovative, cost-effective solutions - yes.

The papers summarized in this year’s feature demonstrate the application and versatility of coiled-tubing-based solutions to different phases of a well’s life-cycle, from exploration through production and, finally, to abandonment.

In an exploration well, using coiled tubing to perform a drillstem test (DST) and potentially stimulate a zone of interest has long been a desire because it is perceived to be a cost-effect method over more-traditional methods. Paper SPE 199853 details the development and initial use of such a system that includes surface real-time readout, always desirable in a DST.

Moving into the later days of a well’s production phase, artificial lift typically is used to overcome the limitations of falling bottomhole pressure. In paper IPTC 19930, a detailed overview of a coiled tubing gas-lift installation is given, together with some of the production analysis used to determine the installation’s configuration. This technique has been used for several years around the globe, and some useful insights are shared by the authors.

Finally, coming to the end of a well’s life-cycle, is well abandonment. This is always a cost-sensitive lifecycle phase, even before today’s paradigm. The final paper of this year’s selection demonstrates how a coiled-tubing-based approach enabled a cost-effective plug and abandonment to be achieved while still meeting local regulatory requirements.

Remember, you may need to distance physically but you can stay connected by making use of, and participating in, your Society of Petroleum Engineers.

Stay well, everyone.
Technology Focus: EOR Operations (June 2020)
Authors: Goodyear Stephen
Published: June 2020

As I write this, I am in Week 4 of working at home because of COVID-19. Like many sectors of the economy, the oil and gas industry is affected by the practical issues raised by social isolation but uniquely so by the dramatic fall in oil price triggered by a reduction in demand and the battle for market share between major producing countries. All this is set against the backdrop of the energy transition and the long-term effect this will bring for our industry’s energy products.

In difficult times, there is naturally a focus on maximizing the operational efficiency of existing assets, including enhanced-oil-recovery (EOR) operations and looking for capital-efficient ways to increase the resource base in existing assets.

In the longer term, the outlook for EOR, at first sight, might seem to be particularly challenged in the face of the energy transition. This is because of both the effect of an increased focus on the life cycle - or well-to-wheels - carbon intensity of each barrel produced and the expectation of the existence of stranded, unproducible hydrocarbon resources if we are to stay within a global carbon budget and prevent unmanageable temperature rises.

While some EOR technologies, particularly thermal, have unfavorable greenhouse-gas intensity metrics, others create the possibility of lower-intensity barrels. The increasing success in large-scale polymer flooding shows that EOR methods can recover more oil at reduced carbon intensity - more barrels with reduced water injection and produced-fluid handling. In the right circumstances, CO2 EOR can enable CO2 capture through the additional revenues it produces compared with pure storage or by producing barrels with a significantly lower carbon intensity that may qualify under low-carbon-fuel standards. Gas EOR, where it is managing associated gas to minimize flaring and venting of methane and CO2, also reduces the intensity of conventional waterflood and depletion barrels.

There is an apocryphal curse that says, “May you live in interesting times.” Like it or not, we live in interesting times, times of unprecedented change, challenge, and uncertainty; however, times such as these drive creativity. In the energy transition, there is the opportunity to innovate in EOR technology, deployment, and operations to deliver cost-effective and lower-intensity barrels.
Generation of human hair-bearing skin organoids from stem cells
Authors: Lee Jiyoon , Koehler Karl
Published: June 2020

Skin is a complex and vulnerable tissue that it is challenging to reconstitute once damaged. Here, we describe a three-dimensional organoid culture system that can generate fully stratified skin with its appendages from human pluripotent stem cells. This in vitro-based skin organoid culture system will benefit investigations into basic skin biology and disease modeling, as well as translational efforts to reconstruct or regenerate skin tissue.
Medical cannabis for the reduction of opioid dosage in the treatment of non-cancer chronic pain: A systematic review
Authors: Okusanya Babasola , Asaolu Ibitola O. , Ehiri John E. , Kimaru Linda Jepkoeach , Okechukwu Abidemi , Rosales Cecilia
Published: June 2020

Background: Medical cannabis (MC) is currently being used as an adjunct to opiates given its analgesic effects and potential to reduce opiate addiction. This review assessed if MC used in combination with opioids to treat non-cancer chronic pain would reduce opioid dosage.Methods: Four databases - Ovid (Medline), Psyc-INFO, PubMed, Web of Science, and grey literature – were searched to identify original research that assessed the effects of MC on non-cancer chronic pain in humans. Study eligibility included randomized controlled trials, controlled before-and-after studies, cohort studies, cross-sectional studies, and case reports. All databases were searched for articles published from inception to October 31, 2019. Cochrane’s ROBINS-I tool and the AXIS tool were used for risk of bias assessment. PRISMA guidelines was followed in reporting the systematic review.Results: Nine studies involving 7,222 participants were included. There was a 64%-75% reduction in opioid dosage when used in combination with MC. Use of MC for opioid substitution was reported by 32%-59.3% of patients with non-cancer chronic pain. One study reported a slight decrease in mean hospital admissions in the past calendar year (P=.53) and decreased mean emergency department visits in the past calendar year (P=.39) for patients who received MC as an adjunct to opioids in the treatment of non-cancer chronic pain compared to those who did not receive MC. All included studies had high risk of bias, which was mainly due to their methods. Conclusions: While this review indicated the likelihood of reducing opioid dosage when used in combination with MC, we cannot make a causal inference. Although medical cannabis’s recognized analgesic properties make it a viable option to achieve opioid dosage reduction, the evidence from this review cannot be relied upon to promote MC as an adjunct to opioids in treating non-cancer chronic pain. More so, the optimal MC dosage to achieve opioid dosage reduction remains unknown. Therefore, more research is needed to elucidate whether MC used in combination with opioids in the treatment of non-cancer chronic pain is associated with health consequences that are yet unknown.Systematic review registration: This systematic review was not registered.
Laparoscopic-assisted Soave operation for the treatment of Hirschsprung disease in children: 5 years of experience
Authors: Liu Mingkun , Fang Yifan , Zhang Bing , Lin Yu , Li Oumin , Bai Jianxi , Wu Dianming
Published: June 2020

Purpose The purpose of this study was to summarize the clinical experience of the laparoscopic-assisted Soave operation for the treatment of Hirschsprung disease in children. Methods In total, 186 children with Hirschsprung disease participated in this study from January 2014 to January 2019. The Soave operation was used to treat Hirschsprung disease with laparoscopic assistance. Symptoms and signs were followed up at one week, one month, three months, six months, one year and every 1-2 years after the first year. Results All 186 children underwent laparoscopic surgery successfully, and none progressed to open surgery. During hospitalization and follow-up, there were 49 patients with complications, including 1 patient with an anastomotic leakage, 1 with an anal stricture, 5 with constipation recurrence, 5 with dirty defecation, 22 with enterocolitis, and 15 with perianal erosion. There were no complications such as abdominal bleeding, abdominal infection, ureter injury, adhesive intestinal obstruction, anastomotic stricture, incontinence. Conclusion The laparoscopic-assisted Soave operation is a safe and feasible method for the treatment of Hirschsprung disease in children. This method has the advantages of less trauma and good cosmetic effects.
Reproductive capacity and recurrence of disease after surgery for moderate and severe endometriosis – a retrospective single center analysis
Authors: Schippert Cordula , Witte Yvonne , Bartels Janina , Garcia-Rocha Guillermo-José , Jentschke Matthias , Hillemanns Peter , Kundu Sudip
Published: June 2020

Background: Endometriosis can be associated with considerable pain and sterility. After surgical excision of moderate or severe endometriosis lesions, the rate of recurrence reaches up to 67%. The objective of this retrospective study was to establish the recurrence and pregnancy rates following surgical resection of stage III/IV endometriosis lesions. Indications for operation were endometriosis symptoms, sonographic findings and/or infertility. Methods : A total of 456 patients who underwent stage III/IV endometriosis surgery between 2004 and 2014 were sent a questionnaire relating to their postoperative medical treatment, pregnancies, relief of symptoms and recurrence. Responses of 206 patients (45.2%) and their clinical data were analysed for this study. Results : A total of 66.5% (N=137) of patients had stage III disease, and 33.5% (N=69) had stage IV disease. The average age was 37 years (17-59). A total of 63.1% (N=130) of surgeries were performed by laparoscopy, 21.8% (N=45) were performed by laparotomy and 15% (N=31) were performed by conversion. Complete resection of endometriosis lesions was achieved in 90.8% of patients (N=187). After surgery, 48.5% (N=100) of the women did not receive hormonal treatment; the main reason was the desire for children in 53%. Complete or partial relief in complaints was achieved in 93.2% (N=192). The rate of recurrence was 21.8% (N=45). The statistically significant factors that was associated with a higher risk to develop recurrence was an age <35 (p<0.005).After surgery, 65.8% (79/120) of patients who wished to have children became pregnant. There was a statistically significant association among a higher postoperative pregnancy rate and age <35 (p<0.003) in multivariante logistic regression analysis and laparoscopic surgical access in univariante logistic regression analysis (p<0.01). Conclusion: We assessed the high percentage of complete or partial relief of symptoms of 93.2%, the high postoperative pregnancy rate of 65.8% and the low rate of recurrence of 21.8% compared to international literature to be very encouraging for women suffering from moderate and severe endometriosis. Though laparoscopy is considered the ´gold standard` of endometriosis surgery, laparotomy still may be indicated in patients with extensive endometriosis especially to preserve reproductive function.
An integrated drug repurposing strategy for the rapid identification of potential SARS-CoV-2 viral inhibitors
Authors: Trezza Alfonso , Iovinelli Daniele , Prischi Filippo , Santucci Annalisa , Spiga Ottavia
Published: June 2020

The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome–coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The virus has rapidly spread in humans, causing the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. Recent studies have shown that, similarly to SARS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2 utilises the Spike glycoprotein on the envelope to recognise and bind the human receptor ACE2. This event initiates the fusion of viral and host cell membranes and then the viral entry into the host cell. Despite several ongoing clinical studies, there are currently no approved vaccines or drugs that specifically target SARS-CoV-2. Until an effective vaccine is available, repurposing FDA approved drugs could significantly shorten the time and reduce the cost compared to de novo drug discovery. In this study we attempted to overcome the limitation of in silico virtual screening by applying a robust in silico drug repurposing strategy. We combined and integrated docking simulations, with molecular dynamics (MD), Supervised MD (SuMD) and Steered MD (SMD) simulations to identify a Spike protein – ACE2 interaction inhibitor. Our data showed that Simeprevir and Lumacaftor bind the receptor-binding domain of the Spike protein with high affinity and prevent ACE2 interaction.Authors Alfonso Trezza and Daniele Iovinelli contributed equally to this work.
The Infantile Neuroaxonal Dystrophy Rating Scale (INAD-RS)
Authors: Atwal Paldeep , Midei Mark , Adams Darius , Fay Alexander , Heerinckx Frederic , Milner Peter
Published: June 2020

Background: INAD is an autosomal recessive neurogenetic disorder caused by biallelic pathogenic variants in PLA2G6. The downstream enzyme, iPLA2, plays a critical role in cell membrane homeostasis by helping to regulate levels of phospholipids. The clinical presentation occurs between 6 months and 3 years with global developmental regression, hypotonia, and progressive spastic tetraparesis. Progression is often rapid, resulting in severe spasticity, visual impairment, and cognitive decline, with many children not surviving past the first decade of life. To date, no accepted tool for assessing the severity of INAD exists; other commonly used scales (e.g. CHOP-INTEND, Modified Ashworth, Hammersmith Functional Motor Scale) do not accurately gauge the current severity of INAD, nor are they sensitive/specific enough to monitor disease progression. Finally, these other scales are not appropriate, because they do not address the combination of CNS, peripheral nerve, and visual pathology that occurs in children with INADMethods: We have developed and validated a structured neurological examination for INAD (scored out of 80). The examination includes six main categories of pediatric developmental evaluation: 1) gross motor-and-truncal-stability skills, 2) fine motor skills, 3) bulbar function, 4) ocular function, 5) temporo-frontal function, and, 6) Functional evaluation of the autonomic nervous system. A cohort of patients diagnosed with INAD were followed prospectively to validate the score against disease severity and disease progression. Results: We show significant correlation between the total neurological assessment score and months since symptom onset with a statistically significant (p = 6.7 x 10-07) correlation between assessment score and disease onset. As hypothesized, the coefficient of months-since-symptom-onset is strongly negative, indicating a negative correlation between total score and months since symptom onset.Conclusion: We have developed and validated a novel neurological assessment score in INAD that demonstrates strong correlation with disease severity and disease progression.
Molecular detection of tick-borne pathogens in cattle from Saudi Arabia
Authors: Alanazi Abdullah D , Alouffi Abdulaziz S , Alshahrani Mohammad Y , Alyousif Mohamed S , Abdullah Hend H.A.M. , Allam Ahmad M , Elsawy Bassma S.M. , Abdel-Shafy Sobhy , Alsulami Muslimah N
Published: June 2020

Background: Babesiosis and anaplasmosis are tick-borne diseases that affect the health of cattle and may also be responsible for major economic losses. This study aimed to detect the presence of the causative agents of babesiosis and anaplasmosis among cattle in different provinces in Saudi Arabia and to characterise their species genetically. Methods: A total of 362 blood samples were taken from cattle in four regions (Riyadh, Al-Kharj, Al-Hasa and Al-Qassim) of Saudi Arabia and were molecularly screened by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of partial 18S rRNA and 23S rRNA genes to detect Babesia and Anaplasma species. Results: The overall prevalence of Babesia and Anaplasma in cattle was 2.49% and 5.80%, respectively. Theileria annulata (T. annulata) and Theileria ovis (T. ovis) were found in seven (1.93%) and two (0.55%) of the 362 samples, respectively. Anaplasma ovis (A. ovis) was detected in 21 (5.80%) of 362 samples. Likewise, four of the cattle were found to be coinfected with more than one pathogen (1.10%). All cattle samples tested negative for other species of Babesia, Theileria and Anaplasma. Conclusions: The presence of T. ovis and A. ovis has been reported in Saudi Arabia. Here, the presence of two novel genotypes of T. annulata is also reported in Saudi Arabian cattle. Further molecular surveys on larger numbers of samples from the entire country are needed to correctly address the prevalence and geographical distribution of tick-borne disease.
Mild cognitive impairment in older adults: the role of cognitive reserve and resilience
Authors: Lam Bess Yin-Hung , Lai Daniel W.L. , Li Jessica , Zou Zhi , Chan Chetwyn C. H.
Published: June 2020

Background

Positive ageing amid of age-related neurodegeneration is a global challenge. The present study examined whether psychological resilience can be a protective factor among older adults.
Methods

The participants were 233 community-dwelling older individuals with or without mild cognitive impairment (MCI). They completed testing on resilience and the cognitive reserve proxies. Hierarchical logistic regression was conducted to test the hypotheses of the present study.
Results

After controlling for age and the cognitive reserve proxies, resilience (b= -0.38) and resilience × visuospatial function significantly predicted MCI group membership (ps < 0.05). There are two new findings. First, higher level of resilience in addition to the conventional cognitive reserve proxies predicted lower MCI risks. Second, MCI participants with higher level of resilience had significantly higher visuospatial ability than their lower level counterparts.
Conclusions

These findings raise the question of whether resilience should be considered as a cognitive reserve proxy. It also calls for future research to enhance the level of resilience in older adults for healthy ageing.