bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ocular Manifestations of Flavivirus Infections
Authors: MEZIOU ZINA Sourour , HOARAU Gautier , LABETOULLE Marc , KHAIRALLAH Moncef , ROUSSEAU Antoine
Published: November 2023

Flaviviruses are a group of positive sense single-stranded RNA viruses predominantly transmitted by arthropods (mainly mos-quitoes), that cause severe endemic infections and epidemics on a global scale. It represents a major cause of systemic morbidity and death that are expanding worldwide. Among this group, Dengue fever, West Nile virus, Yellow Fever, Japanese Encephalitis, and recently Zika virus have been linked to a spectrum of ocular manifestations. The latter encompass subconjunctival hemor-rhage and conjunctivitis, anterior and posterior uveitis (inclusive of vitritis, chorioretinitis, and retinal vasculitis), maculopathy, retinal hemorrhages, and optic neuritis. Clinical diagnosis of these infectious diseases is primarily based on epidemiological data, history, systemic symptoms and signs, and the pattern of ocular involvement. Diagnosis confirmation relies on laboratory testing, including RT-PCR and serological testing. Ocular involvement typically follows a self-limited course but can result in irreversible visual impairment. Effective treatment for flavivirus infections is currently unavailable. Prevention remains the mainstay for arthropod vector and zoonotic disease control. Effective vaccines are available only for Yellow Fever virus, Dengue virus and Japanese Encephalitis virus. This review comprehensively summarizes the current knowledge regarding the ophthalmic mani-festations of the foremost flavivirus-associated human diseases.
A Machine Learning Approach to Understand the Impact of Temperature and Rainfall Change on Concrete Pavement Performance Based on Ltpp Data
Authors: Argha Debo Brata Paul , Ahmed Md Ashik
Published: November 2023

Climate change is one of the most concerning global issues and has the potential to influence every aspect of human life. Like different components of society, it can impose significant adverse impacts on pavement infrastructure. Although several research efforts have focused on studying the effects of climate change on natural and built systems, its impact on pavement performance has not been studied extensively. Due to the weather effect the lifetime of pavement is getting lower on the other hand maintenance cost is getting higher and higher. The data has been collected from LTTP website and as a site The State of Texas has been considered. The primary objective of this project is to quantify the effect of temperature as well as precipitation changes on pavement response and performance prediction using the ARIMA model and develop a logistic regression model to analyze the forecast data.
Digital Transformation to Support Sustainable Literacy Development: UAE Storytime
Authors: Alhosani Sameera , Hall Lewis , Holuj Hayley
Published: November 2023

This case study explores the transformative effects of emergent digital technologies, particularly augmented reality (AR), on literacy engagement and reading for pleasure. The United Arab Emirates Ministry of Education implemented the UAE Storytime programme, utilising AR to create an interactive literacy experience for young learners. The programme incorporated bilingual episodes, featuring stories based on local and global contexts, with 3D objects and interactive games to enhance understanding. The results indicate a positive correlation between the use of AR and literacy engagement. A high proportion of learners scanned the QR codes to access the AR objects, which enhanced their engagement and understanding of the stories. The programme fostered a learner agency, engaged family members in the learning process, and established a sense of global community. The study recommends the integration of similar initiatives into the curriculum to promote collaboration, creativity, and holistic learning experiences.
A Comprehensive Study on the Integration of Virtual Reality Technology in School
Authors: SWARGIARY KHRITISH
Published: November 2023

Virtual Reality (VR) technology in education has the potential to revolutionize the Indian school education system. This research study investigates the present state of VR adoption, perceived benefits, concerns, and future expectations among both students and educators. The survey-based approach collected responses from 45,000 students and 2,000 educators across a diverse range of schools in India. The findings highlight a mixed current landscape with significant room for expansion in VR utilization. Both students and educators express optimism regarding the benefits of VR, recognizing its capacity to enhance engagement, comprehension, and motivation in the learning process. However, challenges, including budget constraints, the need for training and support, and concerns about student safety, must be addressed to effectively integrate VR into education. Expectations for the future emphasize inclusivity, accessibility, and customized learning experiences. The research underscores the transformative potential of VR in Indian education while emphasizing the necessity of addressing practical challenges for its successful implementation.
Electrical-Quantum Modelling of the Neutron and Proton as a Three-Phase Alternating Current Electrical Generator. Determination of the Number of Quarks-Antiquarks-Gluons and Gravitons, Inside a Neutron
Authors: Gerardo Flores Hector , Gonçalves de Souza Maria Isabel
Published: November 2023

Here we will electrically-quantum model the neutron and proton as a three-phase alternating current electric generator, for this, we will use the theory of three-phase electric generators and vector or phasor diagrams. We will use this model to hypothesize how the quarks that form neutrons and protons with a combined mass of 10 MeV/c², can generate, through quarks-antiquarks-gluon interactions, a mass of 939.56 MeV/c² for the neutron and a mass of 938.27 MeV/c² for the proton. Using quantum mechanics and the theory of the generalization of the Boltzmann constant in curved space-time we will calculate the number of quarks-antiquarks-gluons and gravitons inside a neutron. We will also analyse βˉ decay using vector diagrams, we will calculate the tension of the string T₀ and the length of the string ℓs between quarks-antiquark and finally, we will model a black hole using a neutron equivalent model.
Thermodynamic Optimization and Economic Evaluation of a High-Temperature Triple Organic Rankine Cycle System
Authors: Li Pengcheng , Shu Chengxing , Li Jing , Wang Yandong , Chen Yanxin , Ren Xiao , Jie Desuan , Liu Xunfen
Published: November 2023

The efficiencies of conventional triple organic Rankine cycle (TORC) configurations are restricted by the low critical temperatures of common working fluids (＜320 °C). This paper proposes a high-temperature TORC system. A near-azeotropic mixture biphenyl/diphenyl oxide (BDO), which has stellar track record in the high-temperature ORC applications, is innovatively adopted as the top and middle ORC fluid simultaneously. The top cycle evaporation temperature is up to 400 °C in view of BDO’s high stability. Five conventional organic fluids are chosen for the bottom ORC. Fundamentals of the TORC system are illustrated, and mathematical models are built. Thermo-economic performance is investigated. The results hint that the optimal thermodynamic property is achieved on the use of benzene as the bottom fluid. The maximum thermal and exergy efficiencies are respectively 40.86% and 74.14%. The largest irreversible loss occurs inside the heat exchanger coupling the middle and bottom ORCs, accounting for above 30% of the total entropy generation. The levelized energy cost (LEC) is 0.0284 $/kWh. Given the same heat source condition, the TORC system can boost efficiency by 1.02% and drive down LEC by 0.0024 $/kWh compared with a BDO mixture-based cascade ORC.
Spontaneous Parametric Downconversion, Proof of Existence of Photons, and Single-Photon Interference and Quantum Eraser (Single Photon Quantum)
Authors: Umair Muhammad
Published: November 2023

Spontaneous parametric downconversion At the heart of all quantum optics experiments is called as Spontaneous parametric downconversion. This is a downconversion process when the output frequency is smaller than the input frequency. The whole process is Spontaneous. Experimentally we have to downconvert the photons and convert them into pairs of a photon. We use the Beta-barium borate(BBO) crystals to downconvert the coming violet-blue laser. We find the maximum number of counts on detectors and their coincidence. When the BBO crystals is well aligned, we find no difference in detecting vertically or horizontally polarized photons because they are orthogonal to each other. Proof of existence of photons We want to investigate the properties and verification of quantization of light. Experimently we want to establish the existence of single photon which shows the grainy-ness of individual photon quantum mechanically and shows wave like behaviour classically. We get the coincidences counts on detectors with addition of detector B’ by using PBS in the path of signal beam. Experimentally we prove the Quantum as well as classical nature of light by the measurement of second-order degree coherence in light g2(0). For classically the g2(0)≥1 and quantum mechanically g2(0)=0.When we add the delay time interval of 1ns after reflected and transmitted photons from PBS signal beam. The delay generator did not create a significant difference in the coincidence counts detection in the value of g2(τ ). Single photon interference and quantum eraser we want to observe the interference by making the single photons pass through the interferometer, and we will see the interference of the single photons. If the light passes through the interferometer, the visibility of the interference pattern to which extent these fringes are observed is dependent on the extent to which the ’which-way’ or ’which-path’ information is available to the experimenter. If the observer knows the information about the ’which-way’ of the light path, then we cannot observe the inference pattern. Because we only can make an interference pattern if we erase the which-way information of the light path. If you erase the information about the’ which-way,’ we can observe a very high interference pattern. We can erase the information about the light path’s ’which-way’ or ’which-path’ by using a polarizer and orienting at 45o. In this way, we can observe a very high pattern. If we introduce the angle of the polarizer at 0o or 90o, we see very low interference.
О численном моделировании бегущих ленгмюровских волн в теплой плазме
Authors: Фролов Александр Анатольевич , Frolov Aleksandr Anatol'evich , Чижонков Евгений Владимирович , Chizhonkov Evgenii Vladimirovich
Published: November 2023

Проведено численное моделирование бегущих ленгмюровских волн в теплой плазме при использовании кинетического описания процесса. Волны такого типа могут возбуждаться мощным коротким лазерным импульсом (так называемая кильватерная волна). Показано, что скорости распространения возмущений в моментах функции распределения второго и третьего порядков существенно превышают скорость распространения волны плотности заряда. Важным аспектом работы является сравнение кинетической и гидродинамической моделей на примере рассмотренной задачи. Показано, что гидродинамическая модель без учета теплового потока не дает хорошего приближения к решению кинетического уравнения Власова. В результате проблема замыкания для уравнений моментов остается открытой.
Anaesthetic Management during Balloon Atrial Septostomy in Transposition of Great Arteries
Authors: Subroto Devina Ravelia Tiffany , A'malia Ulya , Wibowo Ardian
Published: November 2023

Background: Transposition of the great arteries (TGA) is a congenital heart defect that can cause death in 30% of the first week of birth, 50% in the first month, 70% in 6 months, and 90% in the first year, thus requiring immediate corrective action in neonates with rapid early detection. The purpose of this case study is to highlight management considerations in TGA cases in the Balloon Atrial septostomy (BAS) procedure.
Discussion: A 1-day-old newborn girl was brought to               Dr. Moewardi General Hospital in February 2022. The patient had a history of cyanosis when she cried and was born with an APGAR score of 6.7.8. The lips were cyanotic on physical examination, with a SpO2 of 77% with a nasal O2 of 2 lpm. The echocardiography results obtained TGA, ASD II, PFO, and PDA. The patient then underwent a BAS procedure. Anesthesia management was performed using ketamine for induction, air bar, O2, and sevoflurane for maintenance of anesthesia. The operation was successful, and postoperative care was carried out. Anesthesia management aims to keep SVR and PVR to a minimum, with a PVR lower than SVR, to prevent desaturation in the patient. A decrease in PVR also can increase pulmonary blood flow, allowing more blood to be mixed and higher oxygen saturation in the blood for the patient.

Conclusion: The principle of anesthesia management in TGA cases is to avoid a reduction in cardiac output and SVR and keep the PVR lower than the SVR.
Paisaje y viñedos en la DO “Rueda”: de la diferenciación a la singularidad
Authors: Baraja Rodríguez Eugenio , Herrero Luque Daniel , Martínez Arnáiz Marta
Published: November 2023

Los espacios vitivinícolas del Duero han logrado una gran proyección comercial al amparo de las marcas territoriales que avalan su calidad en los mercados globales. Sin embargo, la evolución de las preferencias de los consumidores, unido a los límites y contradicciones de los modelos productivos desarrollados tanto en la viña como en la bodega, explican la emergencia de nuevas estrategias de diferenciación. El presente artículo analiza el caso de la DO «Rueda», un territorio donde la especificidad de su variedad principal, la verdejo, y las inversiones realizadas para modernizar el sector, generaron un dinamismo económico y demográfico inusual en una región donde la despoblación se generalizaba. El crecimiento acelerado de las plantaciones de viña y de la producción de vino, junto al bloqueo comercial derivado de la COVID-19, han actuado como revulsivo en la activación de estrategias de singularización. El artículo indaga en estos procesos y, mediante métodos participativos, se plantea el papel que el paisaje, como expresión de la diversidad territorial y vitivinícola, puede desempeñar en la comercialización de vinos singulares de La Seca, en el corazón de la DO «Rueda», donde tradición productora y dinamismo empresarial se materializan en el municipio de mayor densidad vitícola de Castilla y León.
It Is Easy To Find Lithium; Turning a Profit Is Hard
Authors: Rassenfoss Stephen
Published: November 2023

Finding lithium in the water from oil and gas wells is easy. Finding enough to make money is hard.

In the US and Canada there has been growing interest in directly extracting lithium from the water coming out of the oil/water separator, which is competing with more established techniques such as mining and evaporating lithium-rich fluids.

The race to find lithium is driven by expectations that fast-rising electric car sales will make the lithium required for batteries in those vehicles a valuable commodity. Those chasing direct extraction are also betting that their innovations can do what they say.

Direct extraction from water started looking like a real possibility earlier this year when ExxonMobil paid $100 million to buy a company holding 120,000 gross acres of leases in south Arkansas.

The price reflected the location in the heart of the direct lithium extraction industry of the future. The area offers a unique combination of lithium-rich water plus the infrastructure and expertise needed to transport, process, and dispose of the billions of gallons of water needed for industrial-scale mineral extraction.

Commercial production of battery-quality lithium carbonate in Arkansas is years off. But the sprawling network of water-producing wells, pipelines, and processing that have made the state one of the world’s leading bromine producers, lowers the risk and cost of commercial lithium production.

The source of the lithium-rich water is the Smackover—an oil formation discovered near El Dorado, Arkansas, back in 1921 when a gusher blew in. A year after that discovery, there were 608 producing wells nearby, according to the El Dorado News-Times.

Now with lithium looking like battery gold, investors are rushing in. In this emotional market, lithium carbonate prices have swung like cryptocurrency.

As of mid-October, a ton of it was selling for about $25,000. Over the past quarter it averaged $32,000/ton. Late last year it stood at $85,000. And in 2021 it was going for $10,000, said Graham Bain, vice president for subsurface opportunities at Enverus. He offered $25,000/ton as a “go forward price.”

As with oil and gas, hopes of high prices have a way of rapidly increasing supplies, resulting in price-crashing gluts. So far, most oil companies sound curious but far from committed to lithium.

“There’s a big rush. I have received several requests from companies in the Permian Basin to discuss lithium in the water,” said Jean-Philippe Nicot, senior research scientist at the Bureau of Economic Geology (BEG) at The University of Texas at Austin.

He is the lead author on recent paper that offered a primer on what’s known about lithium brines from oil wells in states from Texas to Mississippi. It is based on nearly 1,802 water analyses from the US Geological Survey (USGS)—some dating back to the 1960s—plus a recent 576-well survey by the BEG.

The geologists, whose work ranged from hard-rock mining to water research, said this is an early effort to begin figuring out how to find the lithium in subsurface water.
Technology Focus: EOR Operations (November 2023)
Authors: Barsotti Elizabeth
Published: November 2023

We often see and, in some very unfortunate cases, experience ravaging wildfires, colossal floods, and scorching droughts. These “once-in-a-lifetime” climate events have become increasingly commonplace. The World Health Organization has referred to climate change as “the biggest health threat facing humanity.” The finger is often pointed at the oil and gas industry as the source of these tragic events. Indeed, according to the International Energy Agency, oil companies emit more than 5,000 million tons of CO2 every year. Even so, seeing organizations pitted against the industry and our livelihoods can be disheartening, especially because we know the other half of the story that is overlooked but cannot be understated. Oil is the bedrock on which modern society is built. The primary question remains: How can we continue to produce oil while minimizing its climate‑harming byproducts?

Thanks to the ingenuity of industry professionals around the world, new technologies are emerging that allow us to achieve this goal. Using these technologies, we can simultaneously maximize CO2 sequestration and oil recovery. By using surfactant-alternating-gas or surfactant/CO2 coinjection processes, oil production and CO2 storage can be tailored to the needs of a specific reservoir, as discussed in paper SPE 212969. The same industry that produces the building blocks for life‑saving medical prosthetics can now also recycle the plastic pollutants accumulating in our landfills and oceans. Using a combination of pyrolysis, chemical functionalization, and pulverization, Janus carbon nanofluids can be mass-produced from waste plastics. Under simulated laboratory conditions, in even ultralow concentrations (0.01 wt% in brine), they can alter wettability and reduce oil/brine interfacial tension, as described in paper SPE 214799. And, while government regulations seek to limit new exploration and drilling, we now have better reservoir-management strategies and tools to continue to produce essential energy from reservoirs that are approaching their centenary. Data from the La-Sa-Xing Field in the Daqing Reservoir complex in China documents reservoir management over more than 50 years, including the maturation of polymer floods from the first small‑scale pilots in 1972 to fieldwide application, which continues to the present. A review of the field in paper SPE 215058 provides insightful guidance on well spacing, slug size, polymer chemistry, and profile modifications, among other aspects.

These developments and more position the oil and gas industry as an essential player in the energy transition.

Recommended additional reading at OnePetro: www.onepetro.org.

SPE 212949 Kuparuk Field Reservoir Management After 40 Years by Trond B. Jensen, ConocoPhillips, et al.

SPE 212958 Accurate Horizontal Well Placement in Waterflooded Field’s Drilling Project: A Case Study From Central Sumatra Basin, Indonesia by Dwiki Fimadoni, Halliburton, et al.

URTeC 3870505 Design of Chemical EOR in Unconventional Reservoirs by Johannes O. Alvarez, Chevron, et al.
Molecular characteristics of VP4 and VP7 of a Rotavirus A in cattle in Yunnan Province, China
Authors: li wengui , Zhang Chenxi , Duan Xinhui , Liu Lixian , Wu Xin , Chai Jun , Wang Guojun , Gao Huafeng
Published: November 2023

Rotavirus is classified within the family Reoviridae, subfamily Sedoreovirinae, and the genus Rotavirus. This genus encompasses eight groups, denoted as species A to H, with Group A holding particular significance due to its widespread prevalence among both human and animal populations. Among these, Bovine rotavirus (BoRV) stands out as the leading cause of substantial morbidity, mortality, and economic losses in neonatal calves.Rotavirus is classified within the family Reoviridae, subfamily Sedoreovirinae, and the genus Rotavirus. This genus encompasses eight groups, denoted as species A to H, with Group A holding particular significance due to its widespread prevalence among both human and animal populations. Among these, Bovine rotavirus (BoRV) stands out as the leading cause of substantial morbidity, mortality, and economic losses in neonatal calves. In order to identify the etiology of cattle with diarrheal diseases and further enrich the epidemiological data of bovine rotavirus (BRV) in China, RT-PCR was used to identify virus pathogens from 10 diarrheal cattle fecal samples. Positive samples were inoculated in MA-104 cells, generating stable cytopathologies from the sixth generation. Basic physicochemical properties, structural functions and functions of the VP4/VP7 proteins of the virus were predicted and analyzed by indirect immunofluorescence test (IFA). The results identified the isolated virus was BRV and it was named RVA/Cattle/CHN/YN1/2021/G8P. Following RT-PCR amplification, sequencing and splicing of 11 gene segments of this strain, homology and typing analyses were conducted. A genetic tree of isolated strains was constructed based on VP7 and VP4 sequences, and the genetic evolutionary relationship and the variation of amino acid sequences were analyzed. The results showed that among 11 fragments of the YN-1 genome, 5 segments showed high nucleotide identity with a deer strain, 2 segments with human, 1 with U.S. vaccine strain; 7 segments highly identified with a U.S. strain, among them 5 segments were highly identified with strain C/Cervidae/United States/14-02218-2/2014. Bioinformatics analysis results indicated that both VP4 and VP7 proteins are stable, hydrophilic, transmembrane and non-secretory proteins. The number of O-glycosylation, N-glycosylation, phosphorylation sites were 150 and 59, 3, 102 and 34 in VP4 and VP7, respectively. Subcellular localization is located in the plasma membrane, with α-Spiral and extension as the main structures, with irregular curls and β-The corner running through it. Therefore, the genome constellation of this strain was determined as G8-P[1]-I2-R2-C2-M2-A3-N2-T6-E2-H. The study results lay a foundational work for the development of vaccines, and detection kits, which also support the effective prevention and control of BRV infection in China in the near future.
Bioremediation of common high-molecular-weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: a bibliometric analysis based on Web of Science via VOSviewer
Authors: Tang Jing-Qian , Wu Yang , Han Yao-Yao , Shen Qian-Hui , He Xiang-Feng , Feng Nai Xian , Huang Yong
Published: November 2023

High-molecular-weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (HMW-PAHs) are an important group of persistent organic pollutants. Bioremediation has emerged as a cost-effective and environmentally friendly technique to remediate HMW-PAH contamination. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive bibliometric analysis using VOSviewer software on a dataset comprising 3009 relevant publications retrieved from the Web of Science database. Our analysis specifically focused on exploring the research landscape of bioremediation strategies for common HMW-PAHs, denoted as BC-HMW-PAHs. By employing cocitation analysis, co-occurrence analysis, and clustering analysis, we unveiled the knowledge foundation of BC-HMW-PAH bioremediation research, with notable contributions from renowned academic journals such as Applied and Environmental Microbiology, Chemosphere, and Environmental Science & Technology. The research in this field is interdisciplinary and includes the fields of environmental science, biotechnology, applied microbiology, microbiology, engineering, and toxicology. The key research themes identified encompass PAHs, biodegradation, benzo[a]pyrene, bioaugmentation, and degradation. Based on insights from our bibliometric analysis, we presented five research recommendations: in-depth exploration of degradation mechanisms for specific HMW-PAHs, thorough comprehension of microbial metabolic pathways, investigation into the toxicity and degradation products of HMW-PAHs, implementation of field experiments and scale-up applications, and establishment of long-term monitoring and assessment protocols.
Shoot Tip Cryopreservation and Elimination of SMV and CMV Virus from Infected Stocks of Pinellia ternata (Thunb.) Breit.
Authors: Dong Wanqi , Wang jinxiu , Gao Sufang , Tang Shunli , He chunyu , Guo Qingyi , zhang yanhong
Published: November 2023

Cryopreservation, an effective protocol for long-term conservation, requires minimal maintenance and space. Genetic resource collection of Pinellia ternata (Thunb.) Breit. is essential for breeding and genetic diversity. The purpose of this study is to develop a vitrification cryopreservation protocol and virus-free technology of P. ternata. Shoot tips of dormant buds recovered from cryopreservation yield a regeneration rate of 75.0% and the main steps of the optimized protocol are as following: 0.8 mm-long shoot tips excised from in vitro dormant tubers subjected to cold-acclimation for 14 days, and then treated with LS for 20 min and incubated in plant vitrification solution (PVS2) for 40 min followed by plunging directly into liquid nitrogen. After rapid thawing at 38°C for 2 min, the shoot tips were unloaded in a 1.2 M sucrose solution for 20 min and then inoculated into 1/2MS medium (half-strength salts) supplement with KT 0.5 mg·L−1, NAA 0.2 mg·L−1, 3% (w/v) sucrose and 0.8% (w/v) agar, pH 5.8. No obvious phenotypic variation was observed. Inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) detected only 0.063% variation bands in 44 cryo-derived plantlets of P. ternata. By means of shoot tips cryotherapy or thermotherapy in vitro plantlets at 35℃ for 4 weeks followed by shoot tips culture for regenerated plants, SMV and CMV could be efficiently eradicated. Thus, cryotherapy would hold great promise as an effective approach for validly eradication of P. ternata viruses, and can be simultaneously applied to long-term collect P. ternata germplasm and produce virus-free plants.
Current Bunching Effect of Large-Scale Alkaline Hydrogen Evolution
Authors: Wei Wei , Xia Yanghong , Cheng Haoran , Li Liming , Hu Zhiyuan , Bo Yaolong
Published: November 2023

Alkaline water electrolysers (AWEs) are suitable for the industrial hydrogen production driven by renewable energy sources. However, the understanding about the operating principle of large-scale AWEs is not profound and enough. Here, we report the current bunching effect and its related phenomena for large-scale AWEs, namely low-load inefficiency and anomalous efficiency-temperature relationship. It is generally thought that the electrolysis or ionic current is distributed uniformly on the surface of bipolar plates in AWEs, but in fact, the current is not consistent and locates within narrow areas especially for low-load states. Through the detailed electric field calculation, the mechanism of current bunching effect is revealed. It is pointed out that the physical structures and electrical characteristics instead of the chemical properties of AWEs are strongly related to the current bunching effect. Based on the found current bunching effect, the inefficiency and anomalous efficiency-temperature relationship of low-load AWEs can be explained effectively. This work sheds new light on and provides inspiration for the further development of the industrial hydrogen production from fluctuating renewable energy sources based on low-cost AWEs.
Comparison of Clinicopathological and Prognostic Features of Breast Cancer Patients Younger Than 40 Years and Older Than 65 Years
Authors: Culha Yaşar , Davarcı Sena Ece , Ünlü Beyza , Özaşkın Duygu , Demir Hacer , Baykara Meltem
Published: November 2023

Purpose
The aim of this study is to compare the clinicopathological and prognostic features of women aged 40 years and younger and 65 years and older with breast cancer.
Methods
Between dates; 01.01.2011 and 31.12.2021 136 female cases aged 40 years and younger and 223 female cases aged 65 and over were identified among all cases (1395 cases) registered as breast cancer in the file archives of Afyonkarahisar Health Sciences University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Oncology for the study. Chi-square (x2) test was used for categorical variables and independent sample t-test for continuous variables. Log-rank test and Kaplan-Meier plots were used for survival analysis. For the statistical evaluation, p < 0.05 was considered significant.
Results
Both overall survival (p < 0.01) and breast cancer specific survival (BCSS) (p = 0.01) were significantly worse in the older group. BCSS, were significantly worse in the older group in Luminal B (HER2-) (p = 0.013) and HR- HER2+ (p = 0.015) subtypes detected. In multivariate cox regression analysis, only presence of metastases at diagnosis or follow-up (p < 0.001) and ECOG PS 2–3 status (p = 0.001) were associated with an increased risk of breast cancer specific death.
Conclusion
In our knowledge there is not a study that directly compare this two groups. In our study, similar to many studies, more aggressive tumor features were found in young patients, but unlike many studies, mortality was found to be significantly higher in older patients. Presence of metastasis and poor ECOG PS were found to be the most influential factors in breast cancer specific death risk.
Association between the endocannabinoid system-related gene polymorphisms and epilepsy
Authors: Anvar Leila Hosseinzadeh , Moosavi Seyyed Ebrahim , Charsouei Saeid , Zeinalzadeh Narges , Nikanfar Masoud , Ahmadalipour Ali
Published: November 2023

The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is an intricate network consisting of receptors, enzymes, and endogenous ligands that play a pivotal role in various neurological processes. It has been implicated in the pathophysiology of several neurological disorders, including epilepsy. Extensive research has demonstrated the involvement of genetic factors in influencing the susceptibility to and progression of epilepsy. In this study, we focused on investigating the connection between genetic variations in genes related to the ECS and the occurrence of epilepsy. Some ECS-related gene polymorphisms were selected and genotyping was performed using the polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) technique. Interestingly, CB1 rs12720071 genotype (OR 16.33, 95% CI 1.8–149; p = 0.001) showed an association with generalized epilepsy and MAGL rs604300 genotype (OR 2, 95% CI 1.1–3.4; p = 0.013) demonstrated a relationship with females diagnosed with focal epilepsy. So, studying CB1, MAGL and their genetic variations provides insights into the role of the endocannabinoid system in health and diseases. Moreover, they hold the potential to pave the way for the development of novel therapeutic approaches specifically targeting them.
United States Electric Utility Adaptation to Natural Disasters and Green Power Mandates
Authors: Huang Robert , Kahn Matthew
Published: November 2023

Access to electricity is a crucial determinant of quality of life and productivity. The United States has a highly reliable electricity grid, but it faces new resilience challenges posed by more intense natural disasters and ambitious green power requirements. Over the past decade, utilities have faced a tradeoff between achieving local carbon mitigation goals and offering reliable power access. Using a generator panel dataset from 2013 to 2022, we document that electricity generation from renewables declines during extreme weather events. Based on an electric utility panel dataset over the same period, we find that natural disasters disrupt electricity distribution, but transmission lines are resilient to such shocks. Utilities have made some adaptation progress over time. The higher costs of supplying reliable green power are associated with higher retail electricity prices.
A Graph-Based Approach for Prioritizing Sets of Related Cancer Genes
Authors: Ochieng Peter Juma , Dombi József , Kalmár Tibor , Maróti Zoltán , London András , Krész Miklós
Published: November 2023

Purpose:
The identification of cancer-related genes with significant mutations is critical for deciphering the underlying mechanisms of tumor initiation and progression. Because of the infinite number of genes that are mutated at a low frequency, this is often a critical task in large-scale genomic analysis. To identify infrequently mutated genes, gene interaction networks have been combined with mutation data. Here, we introduce GBP-PR (Graph-Based Prioritization with PageRank), an efficient computational approach for prioritizing cancer-related genes.
Methods:
GBP-PR assigns a mutation score to each gene based on the type of mutation.Then the mutation neighbor influence of each gene received from their neighbors in the network is calculated via the asymmetric spreading strength computed from the consensus gene interaction network. To generate a set of the prioritized potential cancer genes, GBP-PR applies a PageRank algorithm with a gene-specific dynamic damping.
Results:
The experimental results with six types of cancer indicate the potential of GBP-PR to discover known and possible new significant cancer genes. Evaluation matrices with six types of cancer indicate that GBP-PR performs better when integrated with PageRank Algorithm compared with other rating algorithms (GBP-Keener, GBP-Colley, and GBP-Massey)
Predicting Postoperative Skeletal Muscle Mass Loss in Patients with Gastric Cancer based on The Charlson Comorbidity Index
Authors: Jiang Zhi-xuan , Lu Yang-bin , Huang Jian-qiang , yang Xinxin , Shao Jian can , Zhang Weiteng , Prof Xian Shen , Chen Xiaodong
Published: November 2023

Background and aims:
Postoperative loss of skeletal muscle mass in cancer patients is closely associated with tumour recurrence and poor survival. The Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) is associated with survival in patients with gastric cancer. This study aimed to analyse the relationship between the CCI and postoperative skeletal muscle mass loss in patients with gastric cancer.
Methods
We enrolled patients who underwent radical gastrectomy at our centre between 2014 and 2019. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to assess the correlation between Charlson comorbidities and postoperative skeletal muscle mass loss. Subgroups were used to analyse differences among populations with different characteristics.
Results
Of the 816 eligible participants, 405 (49.6%) developed postoperative skeletal muscle mass loss. Further, 133 (16.3%) participants had CCI ≥ 2. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that anaemia (P = 0.048,odds ratio [OR] = 0.704) and hypoalbuminaemia (P = 0.048, OR = 0.704) were independent protective factors against postoperative skeletal muscle mass loss. Furthermore, CCI ≥ 2 scores (P = 0.013, OR = 1.663) and preoperative skeletal muscle index (P < 0.001, OR = 1.060) were independent risk factors for postoperative skeletal muscle mass loss.
Conclusion
The CCI can be used as an effective tool to predict postoperative skeletal muscle mass loss in patients with gastric cancer and can be used to provide new evidence for perioperative nutritional intervention in these patients.
Antimicrobial Potential of Hippocratea indica Acetone Leaf Fractions against Salmonella Typhi: An in vitro and in silico Study
Authors: Owolabi Akinyomade , Akpor Oghenerobor , Ndako James , Owa Stephen , Oluyori Abimbola , Oludipe Emmanuel , Asaleye Rotdelmwa
Published: November 2023

Salmonella Typhi is a major global concern in many low- and middle-income countries. In addition, the emergence and persistence of drug resistant strains has increased the impact of this disease. Plant metabolites have been explored traditionally and scientifically as antimicrobial agents. Thus, this study was designed to investigate the antimicrobial potential of acetone leaf fractions of H. indica against S. Typhi. Dried pulverized leaves of H. indica were macerated with acetone after defatting with n-hexane. The leaf extract was concentrated and subjected to column chromatography and eight bioactive fractions were identified. The fractions were characterized using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The fractions were evaluated for antibacterial activity against Salmonella Typhi in-vitro and in-silico. The lowest MIC was observed in fractions 20 and 21 (0.375 mg/mL) while the lowest MBC was observed in all fractions except 7, 17 and 18 (0.375 mg/mL). A ligand from fraction 8 had the highest binding affinity to Type I dehydroquinase (-3.4) and a ligand from fraction 7 had the highest binding affinity to Gyrase B (-11.2). This study concludes that the overall antimicrobial activity of the acetone leaf extract of H. indica provided evidence that it contains drug-like compounds that can be further explored as a drug candidate against S. Typhi.
The mitochondrial UPR induced by ATF5 attenuates intervertebral disc degeneration via cooperating with mitophagy
Authors: Xu Wen-Ning , Zheng Huo-Liang , Yang Run-Ze , Sun Yuan-Fang , Peng Bi-Rong , Song Jian , Jiang Sheng-Dan , Zhu Li-Xin
Published: November 2023

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) is an aging disease that results in a low quality of life and heavy socioeconomic burden. The mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPRmt) is involved in various aging-related diseases. Our study aims to investigate the role and underlying mechanism of UPRmt in IVDD. Nucleus pulposus (NP) cells were treated by IL-1β and nicotinamide riboside (NR) served as UPRmt inducer to treat NP cells. TUNEL assay, Western blot and Flow cytometry were used to determine the apoptosis of NP cells. Detection of ATP, NAD + and NADH were used to determine the function of mitochondria. MRI, Safranin O-fast green staining and Immunohistochemical examination were used to determine the degree of IVDD in vivo. In the present study, we discovered that the level of UPRmt was significantly lower in the human tissue of patients with IVDD than in healthy controls. In vitro, UPRmt and mitophagy levels were promoted in NP cells after IL-1β treatment. Upregulation of UPRmt by NR and Atf5 overexpression inhibited the apoptosis of NP cells induced by IL-1β treatment and further improved mitophagy. Silencing of Pink1 reversed the protective effects of NR and inhibited mitophagy induced by the UPRmt. In vivo, NR might attenuate the degree of IDD by activating the UPRmt in rats. In summary, the UPRmt was involved in IVDD by regulating Pink1-induced mitophagy. Mitophagy induced by the UPRmt might be a potential therapeutic target for IVDD.
Association between visual functions and qualitative and quantitative Optical Coherence Tomography parameters in Malaysian Eyes with typical neovascular age related macular degeneration: A pilot study
Authors: Ghoshal Rituparna , Ghosh Somnath , Sharanjeet Sharanjeet-Kaur , Fadzil Norliza Mohamad , Ngah Nor Fariza , Aziz Roslin Azni Binti Abd
Published: November 2023

Purpose
None of the previous studies established a strong relationship between them. Thus, the aim of the present pilot research was to evaluate the detailed visual functions and qualitative and quantitative OCT parameters and to measure the correlation between them.
Methods
Patients diagnosed as naïve neovascular AMD were recruited from a public hospital of Malaysia. Best corrected distance visual acuity, near visual acuity, reading speed and contrast sensitivity were assessed. Several quantitative and qualitative morphological parameters were evaluated using the spectral-domain OCT. A semi auto method of image analysis was employed.
Results
Fifteen newly diagnosed typical neovascular AMD eyes were evaluated in this study. Mean (± SD) distance visual acuity, near visual acuity, contrast sensitivity and reading speed were recorded as 0.92 ± 0.39, 0.80 ± 0.38, 0.75 ± 0.39, 70.02 ± 14 respectively. Average retinal thickness, central thickness and centre maximum thickness showed good correlation (r = > 0.05) with distance visual acuity, near visual acuity and contrast sensitivity. Similarly, centre minimum thickness showed good correlation (r = > 0.50) with distance visual acuity. An intact external limiting membrane and photoreceptors inner and outer segment showed better visual functions.
Conclusion
The present pilot study reported morphological and visual functions of Malaysian typical neovascular AMD eyes. All the visual functions of the study eyes showed significant impairment. Some of the OCT parameters showed good correlation with visual functions. Thus, regardless of small sample size, the present pilot study generated new knowledge and understanding on this area. Future research with large sample is recommended.
Multimodal Protein Representation Learning and Target-aware Variational Auto-encoders for Protein-binding Ligand Generation
Authors: Ngo Nhat Khang , Hy Truong Son
Published: November 2023

Without knowledge of specific pockets, generating ligands based on the global structure of a protein target plays a crucial role in drug discovery as it helps reduce the search space for potential drug-like candidates in the pipeline. However, contemporary methods require optimizing tailored networks for each protein, which is arduous and costly. To address this issue, we introduce TargetVAE, a target-aware variational auto-encoder that generates ligands with desirable properties including high binding affinity and high synthesizability to arbitrary target proteins , guided by a multimodal deep neural network built based on geometric and sequence models, named Protein Multimodal Network (PMN), as the prior for the generative model. PMN unifies different representations of proteins (e.g., primary structure-sequence of amino acids, 3D tertiary structure, and residue-level graph) into a single representation. Our multimodal architecture learns from the entire protein structure and is able to capture their sequential, topological, and geometrical information by utilizing language modeling, graph neural networks and geometric deep learning. We showcase the superiority of our approach by conducting extensive experiments and evaluations, including predicting protein-ligand binding affinity in PBDBind v2020, DAVIS and KIBA datasets as well as the assessment of generative model quality, ligand generation for unseen targets, and docking score computation. Empirical results demonstrate the promising and competitive performance of our proposed approach. Our software package is publicly available at https://github.com/HySonLab/ Ligand Generation
Global Soft Pooling Adaptive Attention Network for Single Aerial Image-Based 3D Outdoor Scene Reconstruction
Authors: Wang Wenju , Li Wei , Yan Ruipeng
Published: November 2023

In the realm of outdoor scene 3D reconstruction from a solitary RGB aerial image, a persistent challenge pertains to the issue of inadequate reconstruction accuracy. In this article, we introduce a novel approach, namely, the Global Soft Pooling Adaptive Attention Network, designed to facilitate high-precision 3D scene reconstruction in outdoor environments. This network primarily comprises two distinct attention network modules: the Global Soft Pooling Dynamic Convolutional Attention and the Three-Head Adaptive Graph Attention. The Global Soft Pooling Attention Network employs a stem_conv and four MBdyconv components for the extraction of multi-scale image features. It harnesses global soft pooling techniques, integrating both channels fusion and spatial attention mechanisms, thereby enabling the precise acquisition of composite features. These features are subsequently assigned to initialize mesh vertices. The Three-Head Adaptive Graph Attention Network leverages three sets of adaptive 1D convolutions to derive 3D vertex features, taking into account the weights of neighboring vertices. A linear layer is employed to compute the vertex coordinate offsets (denoted as "ΔV"), which are then utilized to refine the initial mesh vertices, ultimately achieving an enhanced mesh model. When evaluated on the publicly available SensatUrban dataset, our proposed method demonstrates impressive performance metrics, achieving a reconstruction performance index of 0.96 for l2 and 1.68 for l3. Experimental results unequivocally demonstrate that our approach outperforms existing deep learning methodologies, establishing itself as the state-of-the-art solution for outdoor 3D scene reconstruction.
Geochemical Evaluation of Pinghu Formation Source Rocks for Hydrocarbon Potential in East China Sea of Xihu Depression
Authors: Cui Zhihua , Taiwo Olusoji Lawrence , Aaron Peace Mawo
Published: November 2023

The Xihu Depression in the East China Sea Basin (ECSB) is a potential petroleum accumulation area, but its Pinghu Formation is poorly understood and requires more geochemical evidence. This study aims to evaluate the organic matter abundance and hydrocarbon potential of source rocks of typical lithologies of mudstone, carbonaceous mudstone and coal. The results show that mudstone source rocks have a broad total organic carbon (TOC) range, with nearly 35% exceeding 1.0% and averaging 1.03%, indicating relatively high organic content. Carbonaceous mudstone and coal and samples exhibit high TOC, ranging from 5.0% to 72.9% and 31.7% to 72.9%, and with average 12.6% and 51.3%, suggesting significant hydrocarbon generation potential. This formation exhibits high organic richness, especially in coal and carbonaceous mudstone, comparable to top source rocks in other Chinese land basins. This supports that mudstone source rocks have a low organic matter abundance and moderate hydrocarbon potential due to their thickness, whereas carbonaceous mudstone and coal showcase higher organic richness with significant hydrocarbon potential. This study provides new geochemical data and insights on the Pinghu Formation and its exploration potential, particularly by enhancing the previously overlooked but noteworthy evidence related to mudstone.