bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessment of the Prognostic Value of Radiomic Features in 18F-FMISO PET Imaging of Hypoxia in Postsurgery Brain Cancer Patients: Secondary Analysis of Imaging Data from a Single-Center Study and the Multicenter ACRIN 6684 Trial
Authors: Muzi Mark , Wolsztynski Eric , Fink James R. , O’Sullivan Janet N. , O’Sullivan Finbarr , Krohn Kenneth A. , Mankoff David A.
Published: April 2020

Hypoxia is associated with resistance to radiotherapy and chemotherapy in malignant gliomas, and it can be imaged by positron emission tomography with 18F-fluoromisonidazole (18F-FMISO). Previous results for patients with brain cancer imaged with 18F-FMISO at a single center before conventional chemoradiotherapy showed that tumor uptake via T/Bmax (tissue SUVmax/blood SUV) and hypoxic volume (HV) was associated with poor survival. However, in a multicenter clinical trial (ACRIN 6684), traditional uptake parameters were not found to be prognostically significant, but tumor SUVpeak did predict survival at 1 year. The present analysis considered both study cohorts to reconcile key differences and examine the potential utility of adding radiomic features as prognostic variables for outcome prediction on the combined cohort of 72 patients with brain cancer (30 University of Washington and 42 ACRIN 6684). We used both 18F-FMISO intensity metrics (T/Bmax, HV, SUV, SUVmax, SUVpeak) and assessed radiomic measures that determined first-order (histogram), second-order, and higher-order radiomic features of 18F-FMISO uptake distributions. A multivariate model was developed that included age, HV, and the intensity of 18F-FMISO uptake. HV and SUVpeak were both independent predictors of outcome for the combined data set (P < .001) and were also found significant in multivariate prognostic models (P < .002 and P < .001, respectively). Further model selection that included radiomic features showed the additional prognostic value for overall survival of specific higher order texture features, leading to an increase in relative risk prediction performance by a further 5%, when added to the multivariate clinical model..
Etiology and Risk Factors for Infectious Keratitis in South Texas
Authors: Puig Madeleine , Weiss Menachem , Salinas Ricardo , A Johnson Daniel , Kheirkhah Ahmad
Published: April 2020

Purpose: To determine the causative organisms and associated risk factors for infectious keratitis in South Texas.
Methods: This retrospective study was performed at a tertiary teaching hospital system in South Texas. Medical records of all patients who presented with infectious keratitis from 2012 to 2018 were reviewed. Only patients with culture-proven bacterial, fungal, and Acanthamoeba keratitis were included.
Results: In total, 182 eyes of 181 patients had culture-proven bacterial, fungal, or Acanthamoeba keratitis. The age of patients ranged from 3 to 93 years, with a mean of 48.3 ± 20.8 years. The most common etiologic agent was bacteria, with 173 bacterial cultures (95.1%) recovered, followed by 13 fungal cultures (7.1%), and 3 Acanthamoeba cultures (1.6%). Of the 218 bacterial isolates, coagulase-negative Staphylococcus was the most common (25.7%), followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (23.4%), Staphylococcus aureus (11.0%), and Moraxella (7.8%). Fusarium was the most common fungal isolate (46.2%). The most common risk factors for infectious keratitis included contact lens wear (32.4%), underlying corneal disease (17.6%), trauma (14.3%), and ocular surface disease (13.7%).
Conclusions: Bacteria are the most common cause of infectious keratitis in this patient population, with coagulase-negative Staphylococcus and Pseudomonas as the most common isolates. The prevalence of culture-positive fungal keratitis is significantly lower than that of bacterial keratitis. Contact lens wear is the most common risk factor associated with infectious keratitis in South Texas.
Temporal Artery Biopsy for Diagnosing Giant Cell Arteritis: A Ten-year Review
Authors: Abri Aghdam Kaveh , Soltan Sanjari Mostafa , Manafi Navid , Khorramdel Shabnam , Amirpooya Alemzadeh Sayyed , Ali Akbar Navahi Roshanak
Published: April 2020

Purpose: To assess the use of temporal artery biopsy (TAB) in diagnosing giant cell arteritis (GCA) and to evaluate patients’ clinical and laboratory characteristics.
Methods: We conducted a retrospective chart review of patients with suspected GCA who underwent TAB and had complete workup in a tertiary center in Iran between 2008 and 2017. The 2016 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) revised criteria for early diagnosis of GCA were used for each patient for inclusion in this study.
Results: The mean age of the 114 patients in this study was 65.54 ± 10.17 years. The mean overall score according to the 2016 ACR revised criteria was 4.17 ± 1.39, with 5.82 ± 1.28 for positive biopsies and 3.88 ± 1.19 for negative biopsies (p <0.001). Seventeen patients (14.9%) had a positive biopsy. Although the mean post-fixation specimen length in the biopsy-positive group (18.35 ± 6.9 mm) was longer than that in the biopsy-negative group (15.62 ± 8.4 mm), the difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.21). There was no statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of sex, serum hemoglobin, platelet count, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate. There were statistically significant differences between the biopsy-negative and biopsy-positive groups with respect to patients’ age and C-reactive protein level (P < 001 and P = 0.012, respectively).
Conclusion: The majority of TABs were negative. Reducing the number of redundant biopsies is necessary to decrease workload and use of medical services. We suggest that the diagnosis of GCA should be dependent on clinical suspicion.
Techniques of Eyebrow Lifting: A Narrative Review
Authors: Bahmani Kashkouli Mohsen , Karimi Nasser , Sianati Hamed , Khademi Behzad
Published: April 2020

None of brow lift techniques are completely satisfactory because of their limited effectiveness, lack of longevity, and potential complications. The aim of this study was to provide a comprehensive review of the literature on the pros and cons of the most popular techniques in brow and forehead lift. Relevant original articles in the PubMed database (English language) were sought using the search terms “eyebrow lift”, “forehead lift”, ”periorbital rejuvenation”, ”eyebrow ptosis”, ”blepharoplasty and eyebrow change”, ”surgical eyebrow lift”, and ”non-surgical eyebrow lift”, No date limitation was considered. Titles and abstracts were scanned to include the most pertinent articles. Subsequently, full texts of included articles (111 articles) were skimmed and finally 56 references were selected for the review. A narrative synthesis of data was finally undertaken with particular attention to the indications, techniques, and common complications of the eyebrow lift procedures. Ten popular techniques including two nonsurgical methods (Botulinum toxin A and soft tissue fillers) were reviewed in this article. In general, non-surgical methods of forehead/brow lift are temporary, need less experience and correction would be easier should any complication occur. Surgical methods are divided into three categories: trans-blepharoplasty eyebrow lift, direct eyebrow lift, and trans-forehead eyebrow/forehead lift. Currently, the most popular method is the endoscopic forehead lift approach even though its longevity is limited. Direct brow-lift is particularly useful in patients with facial palsy and those who are more likely to be accepting of the scar (male gender, high forehead hair line).
Unusual Subcutaneous Presentation of Cavernous Hemangioma in the Lower Eyelid: A complete translation from Farsi
Authors: Bagheri Abbas , Feizi Mohaddeseh , Tavakoli Mehdi
Published: April 2020

This article is based on a study first reported in Farsi in the Bina Journal of Ophthalmology, titled معرفی یک مورد همانژیوم کاورنوس پلک تحتانی, Volume 23, Issue 2 (Winter 2018) 2018/10/23. Original URL: https://binajournal.org/article-1-936-fa.pdf
Purpose: To report a patient with cavernous hemangioma (CH) presenting as a “subcutaneous” lower eyelid mass.
Case report: A 37-year-old man presented with a painless and palpable mass over the right lower eyelid for two years prior to referral. Computed tomography scan revealed a well-defined, lobulated mass located in the mid and lateral portion of the lower eyelid that extended posteriorly to the anterior orbital space. A transcutaneous excisional biopsy was performed. Histopathologic findings of the tumor confirmed CH. Most CHs are intraconal lesions, making our case an unusual presentation for this condition.
Conclusion: CH may present superficially in the eyelid and anterior orbital area and thus, although this location is not common, it should be kept in mind as a differential diagnosis for any well-defined eyelid tumor.
Bilateral Keratoconus in a Patient with Isolated Foveal Hypoplasia
Authors: Hassanpour Kiana , Nourinia Ramin , Behnaz Nazanin , Azarmina Mohsen , Jalali Setareh , Roshandel Danial
Published: April 2020

This is a Photo Essay and does not have an abstract.
Alport Syndrome and Femtosecond Laser Assisted Cataract Surgery
Authors: Orts-Vila Paz , Amparo Francisco , Luís Rodríguez-Prats José , Tañá-Rivero Pedro
Published: April 2020

We report the surgical management of a patient with bilateral anterior lenticonus due to Alport syndrome using femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery (FLACS) and the Optiwave Refractive Analysis (ORA) system. A 38-year-old man with Alport syndrome presented to our department with visual loss due to anterior lenticonus in both eyes. Adjustments during bilateral FLACS were performed with the software’s calipers to manually delineate the anterior capsulotomy. Multifocal toric intraocular lenses (IOLs) were selected and placed in the posterior chamber with the aid of intraoperative aberrometry. The intended postoperative positioning parameters for the IOL as well as the planned visual acuity and refraction were achieved. The implementation of FLACS and intraoperative wavefront aberrometry is a safe and useful surgical approach for the management of cataract in challenging cases such as patients with anterior lenticonus due to Alport syndrome.
Risk Factors for and Mental Well-Being Outcomes of Economic Abuse in Hong Kong Chinese Population
Authors: Yau Jessie Ho-Yin , Fong Daniel Yee-Tak , Wong Janet Yuen-Ha
Published: April 2020

Although economic abuse is one of the major tactics of intimate partner violence, there has been a lack of empirical evidence on the factors associated with economic abuse and its mental well-being outcomes in Chinese population. This study aimed to identify risk factors for and mental well-being of economic abuse in Chinese population. This was a cross-sectional household survey with 504 Chinese adults in Hong Kong. It was found that unmarried individuals and individuals with tertiary education or above were at risk of economic abuse. Moreover, there were significant association between economic abuse experience and anxiety, depression, and psychosomatic symptoms. Resilience was the protective factor against anxiety, depression, and psychosomatic symptoms. The findings were discussed alongside with Chinese culture.
Does Alcohol Use in Large Group Contexts Mediate the Association Between Sex-Related Alcohol Expectancies and Rape?
Authors: Waterman Emily A. , Lefkowitz Eva S.
Published: April 2020

Women who hold positive beliefs about alcohol's role in sexual experiences may be more likely to drink alcohol in large group contexts such as bars and parties than other women. These contexts may confer risk for rape. In the current article, we examined the association between sex-related alcohol expectancies and rape during college, and whether drinking in large group contexts mediates this association. College women completed surveys for seven consecutive semesters. Contrary to previous cross-sectional research, women with more positive sex-related alcohol expectancies at the start of college and women who drank alcohol more frequently in large groups at the start of college were no more likely to experience rape during college. Longitudinal research is critical to identify risk factors that may be targeted for prevention.
Peer Victimization Patterns and Trauma Symptoms in a National Longitudinal Sample of Youth
Authors: Turner Heather A. , Mitchell Kimberly J. , Jones Lisa M.
Published: April 2020

Using a nationally representative sample of 791 youth, ages 8–17 at baseline, this study identified patterns over a 2-year period in specific forms of peer victimization and examined differences in the mental health consequences of those patterns. Findings show that, among the victimized, physical assault had relatively high persistence compared to other forms, while physical intimidation and emotional bullying had relatively high rates of desistence. Emotional bullying at T1 was associated with increased risk of T2 Internet harassment and Internet harassment at T1 strongly predicted T2 dating violence. Patterns of victimization over time differed in their relationship with trauma symptoms. Findings emphasized the importance of recency and the distress of new victimization experiences, rather than the chronicity or repetition of victimization. Understanding variations in peer victimization patterns and outcomes over time can help to inform interventions that better target sources of risk across adolescence.
An Exploration Into the Importance of a Sense of Belonging for Online Learners
Authors: Peacock Susi , Cowan John , Irvine Lindesay , Williams Jane
Published: April 2020

Fostering a sense of belonging and a personal connection is seen as fundamental by many educational researchers, regardless of the learning environment. Online learning certainly provides flexible learning opportunities but comes with notable issues. For online learners, nurturing a sense of belonging may present a way of improving their experiences and attainment, as well as reducing attrition rates. Research specifically exploring sense of belonging and online learning is limited. This article addresses that gap and reports on a small-scale exploratory study using qualitative data-collection and analysis methods to investigate the importance, or not, of sense of belonging for postgraduates’ online education by exploring the origins and nature of their lived experience of online learning and their sense of belonging therein. Our initial findings emphasise its importance for them as online learners and have identified three significant themes: interaction/engagement, the culture of the learning, and support. These early findings highlight the importance of these three themes in promoting a sense of belonging and in ensuring that there are opportunities for meaningful group and peer interactions; they will be of interest to all engaged in online education.
Analysis of Impacts of Operational Risk Management Practices on Banks’ Financial Performance: Study of Selected Commercial Banks in Nigeria
Authors: Oye Diekolola
Published: April 2020

Increase in losses borne by banks as a result of inadequate operational risk management practices and the adverse impact on banks’ financial performance has been a major concern to bank management and regulators. This study analysed the impact of operational risk management practices on the financial performance of commercial banks in Nigeria. 10-years (2008 - 2017) secondary data extracted from audited financial statements of selected commercial banks in Nigeria was used for the study. The data was analysed using the Linear Multiple Regression Model. The results showed that there is a positive relationship between operational risk management and the financial performance of banks. The findings revealed that sound operational risk management practices impact positively on the financial performance of banks. We, therefore, recommend that banks’ management should deploy adequate resources towards understanding operational risk to ensure sound operational risk management and improved financial performance of banks.
Macroeconomic Factors and Influence on Stock Return That Impact the Corporate Values
Authors: Iqmal Fariz Mohamad , Putra Ivan Gumilar Sambas
Published: April 2020

This research aims to determine the influence of macroeconomic variables on stock return and its impact on corporate values. The population in this research is the sector of agriculture because based on the results of the sector's observation, the most severe decline in performance among others. Further sampling is done by the purposive sampling method, so from 22 companies that listings only 15 companies that meet the criteria. The analytical technique to be used in this study is to use a double linear regression analysis technique expanded with a pathway analysis method to obtain a comprehensive picture of the relationship between variables of one variable with other. We find is an inflation and interest rate negatively and significantly affecting the return of shares. The exchange rate positively and significantly affects the stock return and the influential stock return rate positively and significant to the corporate values.
Robustesse, flexibilité, plasticité : des processus adaptatifs révélés dans les systèmes d’élevage extensifs de ruminants
Authors: BLANC F. , DUMONT B. , BRUNSCHWIG G. , BOCQUIER F. , AGABRIEL J.
Published: April 2020

Les systèmes d’élevage extensifs de ruminants reposent largement sur l’exploitation de l’herbe. Leur objectif est de produire tout en maintenant des coûts de production à un faible niveau (recours limité aux intrants et à la complémentation). Or, dans de tels systèmes les ressources alimentaires pâturées (disponibilité et qualité) sont caractérisées par leur grande variabilité spatiale et temporelle et leur sensibilité aux aléas climatiques. Le milieu d’élevage étant faiblement contrôlé par l’éleveur, c’est sur l’animal et sur ses capacités adaptatives que reposent en grande partie la pérennité du troupeau et sa productivité. En particulier, la collecte de la ressource alimentaire étant principalement confiée à l’animal, celui-ci doit être capable d’assurer au mieux sa ration quotidienne par le pâturage et doit être capable de subir des périodes de sous-alimentation plus ou moins longues et intenses.
Dans cette synthèse, nous montrons que pour faire face à de telles contraintes de l’environnement, les herbivores sont capables de développer des réponses adaptatives qui mettent en œuvre des ajustements physiologiques et comportementaux. Ces réponses, lorsqu’elles sont analysées sur le long terme, révèlent des stratégies d’adaptation différentes entre races. Ces stratégies sont analysées du point de vue de leur efficacité et de leur aptitude à soutenir des priorités orientées vers la survie et le développement de l’organisme ou privilégiant l’investissement reproductif et maternel.
Évolution et sensibilité aux aléas des résultats technico-économiques des exploitations de bovins allaitants selon les profils de production
Authors: MOSNIER C. , AGABRIEL J. , VEYSSET P. , BEBIN D. , LHERM M.
Published: April 2020

Les éleveurs de bovins sont confrontés à une évolution continue du contexte socio-économique et à des conditions climatiques et économiques aléatoires. Nous cherchons à déterminer à travers une analyse statistique si des exploitations disposant de plus grandes sources de flexibilité sont moins sensibles à ces aléas et si leurs revenus moyens s’en ressentent.
A partir des données technico-économiques d’un panel de 55 exploitations du bassin Charolais sur la période 1987-2007, nous avons dégagé trois profils de production sur la base de critères relatifs à l’engraissement des mâles et au chargement. Des cycles de production plus longs confèrent une plus grande diversité d’animaux commercialisables à court terme et un faible chargement diminue les risques de pénurie en fourrages. Nos analyses montrent que ce sont les éleveurs avec le chargement le plus élevé qui ajustent le plus leurs itinéraires de production via la complémentation des animaux et la part des surfaces en prairies fauchées, et, qui ont les résultats économiques les plus sensibles aux aléas climatiques. Les éleveurs engraissant le plus d’animaux ont eu des revenus moins sensibles aux aléas de prix. Il n’y a en revanche pas de différences significatives de revenus moyens selon les profils. L’analyse des évolutions de long terme révèle que les éleveurs ont tous modifié leur exploitation via l’agrandissement, l’intensification de la production à l’animal et la diminution de la part des mâles engraissés. Les exploitations les moins chargées semblent aller vers une extensification encore plus prononcée de la gestion des surfaces fourragères.
Role of Sanctions and Macroeconomic Determinants on FDI Inflow: A Case Study
Authors: Rasouli Ghahroudi Mehdi , Chong Li choy
Published: April 2020

In this paper, we investigate the role of sanctions in the relationship between macroeconomic determinants and foreign direct investment inflows. We also investigate the moderating role of sanctions in FDI inflows into Iran. The empirical results reveal that macro determinants such as infrastructure, exchange rate, inflation rate, investment return, and governance have a long-run impact on FDI inflows in Iran. Our findings also show that GDP growth rate and trade openness have no significant effect on FDI. Our results indicate that sanctions do not have a significant moderating role in the relationship between macroeconomic factors and foreign direct investment. Surprisingly, international sanctions have a positive relationship with FDI inflows in Iran. Furthermore, sanction has a positive impact on the inflation rate and exchange rate in Iran. Finally, our findings show that sanctions have had a significant impact on Iran's economic growth in recent years due to increasing the severity level of sanctions.
Discovery of Multi-Target-Directed Ligands by Targeting Host-specific SARS-CoV-2’s Structurally Conserved Main Protease
Authors: Joshi Rakesh , Jagdale Shounak , Bansode Sneha , Shankar S. Shiva , Tellis Meenakshi , Pandya Vaibhav Kumar , Giri Ashok , Kulkarni Mahesh
Published: April 2020

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection has resulted in the current COVID-19 pandemic. Worldwide this disease has infected around 1.5 million individuals with a mortality rate ranging from 5 to 10%. It has also imposed extreme challenges on global health, economy, and social behavior. Due to the unavailability of therapeutics, several efforts are going on in the drug discovery to control the SARS-CoV-2 viral infection. The main protease (MPro) plays a critical role in viral replication and maturation, thus can serve as the primary drug target. To understand the structural evolution of MPro, we have performed phylogenetic and SSN analysis, that depicted divergence of Coronaviridae MPro in five clusters specific to viral hosts. This clustering was also corroborated with the comparison of MPro structures. Furthermore, it has been observed that backbone and binding site conformations are conserved despite variation in some of the residues. This conservation can be exploited to repurpose available viral protease inhibitors against SARS-CoV-2 MPro. In agreement with this, we performed screening of the custom-made library of ~7100 molecules including active ingredients present in the Ayurvedic anti-tussive medicines, anti-viral phytochemicals and synthetic anti-virals against SARS-CoV-2 MPro as the primary target. We identified several natural molecules that strongly binds to SARS-CoV-2 MPro among which top seven molecules are d-Viniferin, Myricitrin, Taiwanhomoflavone A, Lactucopicrin 15-oxalate, Nympholide A, Biorobin and Phyllaemblicin B. Most of the predicted lead molecules are from Vitis vinifera, also reported for anti-tussive and/or antiviral activities. These molecules also showed strong binding with other main targets RdRp and hACE-2. We anticipate that our approach for identification of multi-target-directed ligand will provide new avenues for drug discovery against SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Avoiding COVID-19 Complications with Diabetic Patients Could Be Achieved by Multi-Dose Bacillus Calmette–Guérin Vaccine: A Case Study of Beta Cells Regeneration by Serendipity
Authors: Ayoub Bassam M. , Ramadan Eman , Ashoush Nermeen , Tadros Mariam M. , Hendy Moataz S. , Elmazar Mohamed M. , Mousa Shaker A.
Published: April 2020

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the major risk factors for COVID-19 complications as it is one of the chronic immune-compromising conditions especially if patients have uncontrolled diabetes, poor HbA1c &/or irregular blood glucose levels. Diabetic patient’s mortality rates with COVID-19 are higher than cardiovascular or cancer patients. Recently Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) has shown successful results in reversing diabetes in both rats and clinical trials based on different mechanisms from aerobic glycolysis to Beta cells regeneration. BCG is a multi-face vaccine that has been used extensively in protection from TB and leprosy and has been repositioned for treatment of bladder cancer, diabetes & multiple sclerosis. Recently, the COVID-19 epidemiological study confirmed that universal BCG vaccination reduced morbidity and mortality in certain geographical areas. Countries without universal policies of BCG vaccination (Italy, Nederland, USA) have been more severely affected compared to countries with universal and long-standing BCG policies that have shown low numbers of reported COVID-19 cases. Some countries have started clinical trials that included a single dose BCG vaccine as prophylaxis from COVID-19 or an attempt to minimize its side effects. This proposed research aims to use BCG vaccine as a double-edged weapon countering both COVID-19 & diabetes, not only as protection but also as therapeutic vaccination. The work includes a case study of regenerated pancreatic beta cells based on improved C-peptide & PCPRI laboratory findings after BCG vaccination for a 9 years’ patient. The patient was re-vaccinated based on a negative tuberculin test & no scar at the site of injection of the 1st BCG vaccination at birth. Furthermore, the authors in the present article described a prospective BCG multi-dose clinical study in full details that they will apply in case of acceptance of their submitted grant & the ethical committee approval. The aim of the clinical study is to check if double dose BCG (4 weeks apart) will show a significant difference in the protection of health care professionals in Egypt. The authors suggest and invite the scientific community to take into consideration the concept of direct BCG re-vaccination (after 4 weeks) because of the reported gene expressions & exaggerated innate immunity consequently. As the diabetic MODY-5 patient (mutation of HNF1B, Val2Leu) was on low dose Riomet® while eliminating insulin gradually, a simple analytical method for metformin assay was recommended to ensure its concentration before use as it is not approved yet by the Egyptian QC labs.
Honey Bee Survival Mechanisms Against the Parasite Varroa destructor: A Systematic Review of Phenotypic and Genomic Research Efforts
Authors: Mondet Fanny , Beaurepaire Alexis , McAfee Alison , Locke Barbara , Alaux Cedric , Blanchard Solene , Danka Bob , Le Conte Yves
Published: April 2020

The ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor is the most significant pathological threat to the western honey bee, Apis mellifera, leading to the death of most colonies if left untreated. An alternative approach to chemical treatments is to selectively enhance heritable honey bee traits of resistance or tolerance to the mite through breeding programs, or select for naturally surviving untreated colonies. We conducted a literature review of all studies documenting traits of A. mellifera populations either selectively bred or naturally selected for resistance and tolerance to mite parasitism. This allowed us to conduct an analysis of the diversity, distribution and importance of the traits in different honey bee populations that can survive V. destructor throughout the globe. In a second analysis, we investigated the genetic bases of these different phenotypes by comparing ’omics studies (genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics) of A. mellifera resistance and tolerance to the parasite. Altogether, this review provides a detailed overview of the current state of the research projects and breeding efforts against the most devastating parasite of A. mellifera. By highlighting the most promising traits of varroa-surviving bees and our current knowledge on their genetic bases, this work will help direct future research efforts and selection programs to control this pest. Additionally, by comparing the diverse populations of honey bees that exhibit the traits, this review highlights the consequences of anthropogenic and natural selection on the interactions between hosts and parasites.
Recursive Feature Elimination and Random Forest Classification of Meadows and Dry Grasslands in Lowland River Valleys of Poland Based on Airborne Hyperspectral and LiDAR Data Fusion
Authors: Demarchi Luca , Kania Adam , Ciężkowski Wojciech , Piórkowski Hubert , Oświecimska-Piasko Zuzanna , Chormański Jarosław
Published: April 2020

The use of Hyperspectral (HS) and LiDAR acquisitions has a great potential to enhance mapping and monitoring practices of endangered grasslands habitats, beyond conventional botanical field surveys. In this study we assess the potentiality of Recursive Feature Elimination (RFE) in combination with Random Forest (RF) classification in extracting the main HS and LiDAR features needed to map selected Natura 2000 grasslands along Polish lowland river valleys, in particular alluvial meadows 6440, lowland hay meadows 6510 and xeric and calcareous grasslands 6120. We developed an automated RFE-RF system capable to combine the potentials of both techniques and applied it to multiple acquisitions. Several LiDAR-based products and different Spectral Indexes (SI) were computed and used as input in the system, with the aim of shedding light on the best-to-use features. Results showed a remarkable increase in classification accuracy when LiDAR and SI products are added to the HS dataset, strengthening in particular the importance of employing LiDAR in combination with HS. Using only the 24 optimal features selection generalized over the three study areas, strongly linked to the highly heterogeneous characteristics of the habitats and landscapes investigated, it was possible to achieve rather high classification results (K around 0.7-0.77 and habitats F1 accuracy around 0.8-0.85), indicating that the selected Natura 2000 meadows and dry grasslands habitats can be automatically mapped by airborne HS and LiDAR data. Similar approaches might be considered for future monitoring activities in the context of habitats protection and conservation
Hydrodynamic Cavitation-based Rapid Expansion of Hesperidin-rich Products from Waste Citrus Peel as a Potential Tool Against COVID-19
Authors: Meneguzzo Francesco , Ciriminna Rosaria , Zabini Federica , Pagliaro Mario
Published: April 2020

Based on recent computational and experimental studies, hesperidin, a bioactive flavonoid abundant in citrus peel, stands out for its high binding affinity to the main cellular receptors of SARS-CoV-2, outperforming drugs already recommended for clinical trials. Thus, it is very promising for prophylaxis and treatment of COVID-19, along with other coexistent flavonoids such as naringin, which could help restraining the pro-inflammatory overreaction of the immune system. Controlled hydrodynamic cavitation processes showed the highest speed, effectiveness and efficiency in the integral and green aqueous extraction of flavonoids, essential oils and pectin from citrus peel waste. After freeze-drying, the extracted pectin showed high quality and excellent antioxidant and antibacterial activities, attributed to flavonoids and essential oils adsorbed and concentrated on its surface. This study reviews the recent evidence about hesperidin as a promising molecule, and proposes a feasible and affordable process based on hydrodynamic cavitation for the integral aqueous extraction of citrus peel waste resulting in hesperidin-rich products, either aqueous extracts or pectin tablets. The uptake of this process on a relevant scale is urged, in order to achieve large-scale production and distribution of hesperidin-rich products. Meanwhile, experimental and clinical studies could determine the effective doses either for therapeutic and preventive purposes.
Mystery over the Haze during 1st week of November 2019 in Delhi-NCR
Authors: Suresh Arjun
Published: April 2020

As the haze engulfed the Delhi NCR after Diwali there is a panic in public about its causes and consequences. Here are some facts and figures to know the truth behind the scene. Temperature fell down from 24’C on October 31 to 21’C on November 2 as recorded at UPPCB station at sector-125, Noida which is adjacent to Delhi a very strategic location and can be considered as reference point for Delhi-NCR. The details of the study conducted is given below.
High Throughput Virtual Screening to Discover Inhibitors of the Main Protease of the Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2
Authors: Strodel Birgit , Olubiyi Olujide , Olagunju Maryam , Keutmann Monika , Loschwitz Jennifer
Published: April 2020

We use state-of-the-art computer-aided drug design (CADD) techniques to identify prospective inhibitors of the main protease enzyme, Mpro of the COVID-19 virus. With the high-resolution X-ray crystallography structure of this viral enzyme recently being solved, CADD provides a veritable tool for rapidly screening diverse sets of compounds with the aim of identifying ligands capable of forming energetically favorable complexes with Mpro . From our screening of 1,082,653 compounds derived from the ZINC, the DrugBank, and our in-house African natural product libraries, and a rescreening protocol incorporating enzyme dynamics via ensemble docking, we have been able to identify a range of prospective Mpro inhibitors, which include FDA-approved drugs, drug candidates in clinical trials, as well as natural products. The top-ranking compounds are characterized by the presence of an extended ring system combined with functional groups that allow the ligands to adapt flexibly to the Mpro active site as, for example, present in the biflavonoid amentoflavone, one of the most promising compounds identified here. This particular chemical architecture leads to considerable stronger binding than found for reference compounds with in vitro demonstrated M pro inhibition and anticoronavirus activity. The compounds determined in this work thus represent a good starting point for the design of inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 replication.
Remarks by L.G. Rawl at the 1989 SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition
Authors: Rawl L. G.
Published: April 2020

Thank you. It's a pleasure to return to texas/ where i have spent much of my career, and to address this international conference.

Your theme is appropriate, and certainly timely. There is no doubt that "excellence" will indeed be "essential for the 1990s."

Our industry has long provided quality products at competitive costs to an expanding world economy. In doing so, we’ve met countless technical challenges in finding, developing, processing, and marketing energy supplies from some of the most difficult geologic and geographic settings in the world.
Brief: Using a Drilling Management System To Build a Learning Organization
Authors: Hanni Garry , Chambers Imren , Quay Walter
Published: April 2020

A fundamental problem facing any drilling organization is learning. The geologic environment is never perfectly known, and the organization is never entirely certain of the best way to drill a particular well. This is especially true in areas where development wells do not number in the hundreds. This means that drilling organizations are faced with the challenge of learning how to apply technology better in a partially unknown environment. This paper describes a computer- based management system to make organizational learning a part of the way drilling teams do their everyday business. The system, the drilling management system (DMS), uses commonly available software on IBM-compatible PC's.

Fundamental Drilling Problem

This paper describes a software-assisted approach to implement the principles of learning organizations in drilling teams. This effort is supported by two basic points, either of which might suffice as justification. First, the U.K. government has mandated that operators be able to demonstrate an auditable trail for drilling operations by 1995. This means that the basis for every drilling decision must be known and recorded. Second, there are significant financial advantages for drilling organizations that can learn quickly. (Studies have shown that even good drilling organizations spend 10% to 25% of their budget on learning; poor organizations spend more.)

The purpose of the DMS is to address both issues by institutionalizing the features of "learning organization." A learning organization defines specific goals linked to its bottom line, remembers how decisions were made, accurately monitors performance, builds an accessible reservoir of experience, and uses this experience to adapt its practices to "do it better next time." The DMS institutionalizes these principles by making it easy for drilling team members to perform each of these functions as a part of their normal course of business.
Managing Remote Field Operations In The Cooper-Eromanga Basin, Australia (Chinese)
Authors: Taylor Neale F.
Published: April 2020

The PDF file of this paper is in Chinese.

The remote, desert location of the Cooper-Eromanga Basin in central Australia provides an ongoing challenge to maintain cost effective operations and development.

The uniqueness comes from the lack of regional infrastructure typical of similar, mature, remote, onshore operating provinces in the USA and Canada, the large scale and sparseness of the operations, and the harshness of the arid environment. It is hoped this paper will provide insights to operating in remote locations, including the inland basins of China.

Operating costs have been reduced in real terms and examples are given of the innovations and technologies being used to achieve continuous improvement. Benchmarking indicates lower costs to look-a-like areas in the USA/Canada; operating efficiencies offset the costs of additional infrastructure. The future will require additional cost reductions to avoid erosion of profitability due to declining oil volumes and increasing numbers of facilities.

The key to success is in recognising the need for change and challenging every aspect of the operation. Gains are likely to come from a myriad of small improvements rather than a few large gains.

WHERE IS IT?

The Cooper and Eromanga Basins are large overlying basins of Permian/Triassic and Jurassic ages; they are located in central Australia, as shown in Figure 1.

The landform is arid being on the edge of the Simpson Desert, flat with sand dunes and gibber plains, and subject to flooding from inland drainage. Nearest infrastructure is located 500 to 800 miles away at Adelaide, Brisbane and Sydney which provide the markets for produced gas.
Data Visualization Centers
Authors: Bowering Dale
Published: April 2020

Published in Oil & Gas Executive Report, Volume 2, Number 2, 1999, pages 32-35.

Early December 1998, Veritas DGC Inc. unveiled its new, state-of-the-art Data Visualization Center in Houston. The center is designed to help Veritas' marine-data-library clients quickly evaluate massive amounts of 3D-seismic data in a collaborative environment, greatly decreasing the overall cost of processing and interpreting seismic images in critical deepwater Gulf of Mexico blocks.

Designed to be a true working environment for teams of geoscientists, the center allows multiple groups to work simultaneously in the main visualization theater and four satellite workrooms to solve complex interpretation problems through sophisticated manipulation of 3D volumes. The result is improved interpretation, with higher confidence, in a shorter time frame.

Deepwater Subsalt Plays Are the Driver

The driver behind the investment Veritas has made in the Data Visualization Center is the subsalt deepwater Gulf of Mexico plays that pose special processing and interpretation problems for geoscientists. The acoustic properties of salt tend to distort the seismic images of geologic structures that lie below or adjacent to the domes and sheets of salt found in the deep waters of the gulf. To derive the best possible images, a technique known as prestack depth migration should be applied to the data. However, this technique is extremely time-consuming and computing-intensive and, therefore, quite expensive. As recently as 3 years ago, an internal study suggested that, with the then current computing resources available, applying prestack depth migration to an average-sized 3D survey could take several years to compute.

Increases in processor speeds and improvements in supercomputing architecture have cut that time to months. Still, the cost in computing time alone makes application of this technique to proprietary data daunting for individual clients, not to mention the preparation and interpretation that also are required. These factors are complicated further by the fact that very few individuals have combined experience in prestack depth migration and subsalt interpretation.
The Economics of Deep Water
Authors: Colligan John
Published: April 2020

Published in Oil & Gas Executive Report, Volume 2, Number 3, 1999, pages 36–42.

Deep water has been proclaimed the great new opportunity to stimulate new hydrocarbon growth. In what has been described as a feeding frenzy, many companies have paid high signature bonuses and accepted tough terms to join the new gold rush. In the last decade, the take up of deepwater acreage has been remarkable: most of the prospective deepwater acreage in depths of up to 5,000ft has already been leased, with significant areas extending to 11,500 ft. Most bids anticipated oil prices significantly higher than the levels of late 1998and early 1999, and the challenge is to make the plays profitable.

For deep water to be viable in today's world, the industry has to be looking to produce at unit technical costs generally no greater than U.S. $6/BOE. Is this realistic? History suggests that it might well be.

Over the past decade, deep water has established itself as a significant piece of the E&P business. The rapid advances in subsurface modeling/understanding and deep offshore technology have given the deepwater business a big impetus.

Conventional basins are maturing and the industry has spent a lot of effort on remote basins, such as the Arctic, with no existing infrastructure or markets or on technologically harsh environments, such as high-pressure/high-temperature reservoirs, but the results frequently have not met expectations. To replace produced reserves and secure future growth, the industry has focused attention more recently on deepwater acreage. The proving ground of the Gulf of Mexico contained the well-established infrastructure, the market and the mature service industry to encourage the deepwater pioneers, who were then emulated by others in more distant waters.

Defining deep water, for simplicity, as water deeper than 200 meters (650ft), some 3.2 million square kilometers of deepwater acreage was held underlease by some 240 companies by 1999, with 12 leading companies holding approximately one-third of this. The largest area of leased acreage is in Asia and, curiously enough, the smallest area is in the Gulf of Mexico.
Microscopic and submicroscopic Plasmodium infections in indigenous and non-indigenous communities in Colombia.
Authors: Montiel Jehidys , Zuluaga Lina M. , Aguirre Daniel C. , Segura Cesar , Tobon-Castaño Alberto , Vasquez Ana M
Published: April 2020

Background The indigenous population is considered a highly susceptible group to malaria because individuals usually live in areas with high exposure to Anopheles and poverty, and have limited access to health services. There is a great diversity of indigenous communities in Colombia living in malaria-endemic areas; however, the burden of infection in these populations has not been studied extensively. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of Plasmodium infections in indigenous and non-indigenous communities in two malaria-endemic areas in Colombia. Methods A community-based cross-sectional survey was conducted in seven villages of Turbo and El Bagre municipalities; three of these villages were indigenous communities. Inhabitants of all ages willing to participate were included. Sociodemographic and clinical data were recorded as well as household information. The parasitological diagnosis was performed by microscopy and nested PCR. The prevalence of microscopy and submicroscopic infection was estimated. An adjusted GEE model was used to explore risk factors associated with the infection. Results Among 713 participants, 60.7% were from indigenous communities. Plasmodium spp. was detected in 30 subjects (4.2%, CI 95% 2.9-5.9); from those, 29 were in the indigenous population, 47% of infections were afebrile, and most of them submicroscopic (10/14). Microscopic and submicroscopic prevalence was 2.5% (CI 95% 1.6-3.9) and 1.7% (CI 95% 0.9-2.9), respectively. In El Bagre, all infections occurred in indigenous participants (3.9%, CI 95% 2.2-7.1), and 81% were submicroscopic. By contrast, in Turbo, the highest prevalence occurred in indigenous people (11.5%; CI 95%: 7.3-17.5), but 88.8% were microscopic. Living in an indigenous population increased the prevalence of infection compared with a non-indigenous population (PR 19.4; CI 95% 2.3-166.7). Conclusion There is a high proportion of Plasmodium infection in indigenous communities. A substantial proportion of asymptomatic and submicroscopic carriers were detected. The identification of these infections, not only in indigenous but also in the non-indigenous population, as well as their associated factors, could help to implement specific malaria strategies for each context.
Meta-analysis of serum and/or plasma D-dimer in the diagnosis of periprosthetic joint infection
Authors: Li Cheng , Margaryan Donara , Ojeda-Thies Cristina , Perka Carsten , Trampuz Andrej
Published: April 2020

Background The purpose of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the diagnostic value of D-dimer in detecting periprosthetic joint infection (PJI). Methods A systematic search and screening of relevant studies was performed in the databases PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase using the following medical subject headings (MeSH) or keywords: “arthroplasty or joint prosthesis or joint replacement or periprosthetic joint or prosthetic joint”, “infection or infectious or infected”, and “D-dimer or serum D-dimer or plasma D-dimer or fibrin degradation products”. Data were subsequently analysed and processed using Meta-Disc. Results Seven studies with 1285 patients were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, and diagnostic odds ratio were 0.75 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.70–0.79), 0.69 (95% CI: 0.66–0.72), 3.01 (95% CI: 1.84–4.93), 0.32 (95% CI: 0.19–0.53), and 10.20 (95% CI: 3.63–28.64), respectively. Subgroup analyses showed that the use of serum D-dimer had better sensitivity and specificity than plasma D-dimer for the diagnosis of PJI . Conclusion Serum D-dimer was shown to have a better diagnostic value than plasma D-dimer for the diagnosis of PJI. Further research is required for clarification.