bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Optimal and Cost-Effective Artificial Lift System (ALS) Combination, Success Case Studies, and Cost Saving Assessment for RRP (Reciprocating Rod Pump) Wells in Oman
Authors: Naser Abuelfotouh A.
Published: October 2024

With continuous instability of oil prices, it became necessary to reduce the cost of lifting the crude oil from the wells. This cost reduction is not feasible for each stage of the total oil production system; therefore, the optimization of each component in the production system is a must.

The primary challenge is to extend the lifting equipment run life, especially the downhole components. For years, operators have been looking for reliable, flexible, and intelligent lifting systems to improve their operating costs, reservoir recovery factor by maximizing well production.

Production optimization meant to apply an optimum analysis and comprehensive investigation of well production system; including the artificial lift system that expected to increase the oil production and reduce the operating costs.

When producing difficult fluids from marginal, mature, and brown onshore oil fields, Sucker rod (Beam and Progressive Cavity) Pumping systems are typically the most common artificial lift methods used. The primary challenge is to extend the lifting equipment run life, especially the downhole components. Production optimization found to be an essential for the life cycle of each system to extend run life, decrease cost, and increase the cumulative production per well. High WC (90% & above), corrosive environment, sand production & scale build up resulted from water flooding effect are factors that result in harsh operating condition that dramatically affect downhole equipment lifetime & lead to premature failure.

In some of the fields premature failures resulted from harsh operating conditions are found close to 70% of total premature failure & 35% of total failures. The failures and problems related to Beam pumping (BP) and the success resulted from the applications of the system optimization has encouraged us to be selected to be the subject of this paper.

This presentation will discuss in full details the current downhole pump failures, challenges & plan of improving downhole pump metallurgy, configuration the application using latest technology in BP system. It will share different case histories and best practices from BP Wells by using actual well data and performance.

This topic can be summarized in: -

Heavy oil harsh well condition challenges & operational performance of beam pumping system in such these conditions. Solids & abrasives related failures investigation & solution planning Success stories maximizing pump efficiencies and minimizing failure rates of beam pumping system Cost saving impact after using solutions.
Enhancing Safety Measures for Vulnerable Populations : Focused on the civil-police cooperation system
Authors:   Korean Association of Public Safety and Criminal Justice, Kim Jin-Hyeok
Published: October 2024

The issue of vulnerable populations in South Korea has been a longstanding concern, with various attempts made to address it over the years. However, these efforts have not yielded satisfactory outcomes. On the contrary, the problem has intensified quantitatively and qualitatively, becoming a more entrenched social issue. The lack of visible progress can be attributed to the structural problems of the national economy. At the same time, there is a limitation in the fragmented approach of addressing the issues of vulnerable populations solely from an economic perspective.
The category of vulnerable populations includes not only those facing economic challenges but also socially and culturally marginalized groups, as well as individuals with illnesses or disabilities who are unable to lead lives within the normal range of society on their own. These groups are being perpetuated and expanded under the neglect of the state and society. Thus, resolving the issues faced by vulnerable populations must focus on enhancing social safety measures to improve their quality of life.
To achieve this, it is essential to establish a safety system tailored to each type of vulnerable population and create an environment where this system can operate effectively. Specifically, this involves setting up dedicated departments within police forces, strengthening patrol functions for identifying and detecting vulnerable groups, and building a civil-police cooperation safety system. In addition, there should be continuous training of specialized personnel to care for these populations, along with the establishment of support systems to assist them.
Fundamentally, the need to enhance the cohesion among disbanded community members is to ensure a comprehensive community safety net.
Validation Study of the Troop Adjustment Scale in Military Soldiers
Authors:   Korean Association of Public Safety and Criminal Justice, Jeon ChangYoung , Lee SeungHyun , Park JongSeung
Published: October 2024

The purpose of this study was to accurately measure the extent of unit adjustment in a context where policies related to unit adjustment of military personnel are being implemented and interest in unit adjustment is high.
To this end, the suitability of the unit adjustment scale developed by Stouffer et al. (1949), translated by Lee Yoon-hee (1963), and modified by Shin Tae-soo (1981) for the Korean military was verified. As a result of the exploratory factor analysis, 10 items were removed from the original 26 items, and based on the reliability analysis, the reliability value was highest when all 16 modified items were used. Next, a confirmatory factor analysis was conducted on these items to present the revised Korean Army Soldiers' Unit Adjustment Scale.
The scale was composed of four subfactors as in the original scale. Three of the items, mental and physical condition, willingness to perform duties, and job position and job satisfaction, were the same as the original scale, but for the last factor, attitude toward the military organizational environment, the items were reviewed with the exception of the items that were deleted through the validity analysis, and it was found that it was appropriate to have one factor consisting of perceptions of military officers rather than overall attitudes toward the organizational environment.
This study is significant in that it empirically validated the unit adaptation scale with military soldiers in a situation where validation of scales related to unit adaptation is lacking, and it is significant in that it deleted inappropriate items and revised the scale to fit the current military situation.
Consideration of the gap between the Private School Act and the Personal Information Protection Act: Focusing on the investigation of grounds for disciplinary action and the request for disciplinary resolution
Authors:   Korean Association of Public Safety and Criminal Justice, Jung Se jong , Im Won Sik
Published: October 2024

Among the many challenges regarding the interpretation and application of the Personal Information Protection Act, we paid attention to the conflict between the Private School Act and the Personal Information Protection Act, which are facing in the self-audit practice of school corporations, and discussed solutions to them.
Specifically, how to interpret Article 18 of the Personal Information Protection Act determines whether the audit is legal or illegal under the Private School Act, and there are cases in which audit personnel at school corporations are accused of criminal matters.
Based on this awareness of the problem, this paper ① presented possible case, ② looked at the actual laws surrounding self-audit, ③ introduced the decisions of the Personal Information Protection Committee, ④ identified the application of the Personal Information Protection Act through in-depth interviews with investigative police officers, and ⑤ presented solutions to the case and promoted legislative suggestions.
Investigative police officers who participated in the interview answered that they did not clearly understand the Personal Information Protection Act, and that the concept of the Personal Information Protection Act itself was ambiguous and faced considerable difficulties.
As an improvement plan, it was suggested that Article 18 (2) of the Personal Information Protection Act should add “in the case of “audit” in public institutions (to which the Personal Information Protection Act applies) as a requirement for the use of personal information outside the purpose and provision of it to a third party, or include “school corporations and affiliated schools” in Article 2 (4) of the Public Audit Act.
Analysis of Competencies Required for Senior Police Officers
Authors:   Korean Association of Public Safety and Criminal Justice, Jeong Im Soo , Choi Eung Ryul
Published: October 2024

This study aims to identify the competencies of senior police officers. Through qualitative research methods, including domestic and international literature reviews on competencies using bibliometric mapping, in-depth interviews applying phenomenological research methods, and verification of competency importance by a group of subject matter experts, the competencies of senior police officers were derived.
The competencies identified are categorized into public security competencies and management competencies. Public security competencies include integrated command capabilities, risk management abilities, communication skills, analytical and evaluation abilities, and organizational planning abilities. Management competencies include strategic thinking abilities, change management capabilities, coordination and integration skills, citizen-oriented competencies, and public service ethics.
The derivation of these competencies is expected to enhance the fairness of the promotion system for senior police officers and to promote a competency-based personnel system. This will contribute to increasing organizational competitiveness and improving police services for citizens.
Current status and implications of the Indirect Compulsion under the Administrative Appeals Act
Authors:   Korean Association of Public Safety and Criminal Justice, Shin Kwan Woo
Published: October 2024

In this study, the purpose of this study was to overview the Indirect Compulsion system, which is a means of securing the Binding Force of Ruling, review the current status of Indirect Compulsion from 2020 to 2023, examine its implications, and make suggestions to ensure institutional effectiveness.
The Indirect Compulsion system under the Administrative Appeals Act is a system that guarantees the effectiveness of the decision through a compensation order from the Administrative Appeals Commission upon the applicant's request for Indirect Compulsion if the administrative authority does not implement the administrative judgment result. Indirect Compulsion procedures are carried out if the administrative authority fails to fulfill its obligation to re-disposition of the matter despite A ruling recognizing an appeal or mediation being established.
Through a review of the Indirect Compulsion decision case, the following implications could be observed.. There were cases where the respondent delayed re-disposition through a lawsuit against the ruling recognizing an appeal or refused to disclose information by imposing unfair conditions through arbitrary interpretation of the law. In addition, there were cases where procedural transparency and fairness were damaged by failing to re-disposition in violation of the procedures of the Information Disclosure Act, or there were cases where the company failed to fulfill its re-disposal obligations by repeatedly applying incorrect laws by deviating or abusing its discretion. And, able to confirm cases where the administrative authority failed to fulfill its obligation re-disposition according to the purpose of the decision by omission or only partially re-disposition in violation of the Binding Force of Ruling.
Looking at the direction of institutional development of Indirect Compulsion to ensure the effectiveness of decisions through the above implications, it can be summarized as follows. First, in cases where the Administrative Appeals Committee makes a ruling recognizing an appeal, it is necessary to introduce a system for reporting the results of re-disposition by the administrative authority. Second, standards for a compensation order must be established depending on the degree of non-performance of the re-disposal obligation and the period of delay. Third, if the application for Indirect Compulsion is approved, the decision must be sent to the respondent supervisory office so that an audit can be conducted in accordance with the violation of the re-disposition obligation.
WITHDRAWN: Stock price prediction based on generative adversarial network
Authors: Zhou Yan , Lin Yuhao , Hu Zongliang , Song Bo , Tang Jianliang
Published: October 2024

The full text of this preprint has been withdrawn by the authors as it was submitted and made public without the full consent of all the authors. Therefore, the authors do not wish this work to be cited as a reference. Questions should be directed to the corresponding author.
Difference in the efficacy of the modified-vaccinia Ankara vaccine as pre-exposure and post-exposure prophylaxis against sexual transmission of monkeypox virus clade IIb in non-human primates
Authors: Herate Cécile , Ferrier-Rembert Audrey , Relouzat Francis , GALLOUET Anne-Sophie , Pascal Quentin , Letscher Hélène , Cavarelli Mariangela , Bosquet Nathalie , Gros Wesley , Delache Benoit , Langlois Sébastien , Timera Hawa , Jarjaval Fanny , Bossevot Laëtitia , Ludot Camille , Brua Catherine , Ferraris Olivier , Silvestre Nathalie , Grand Roger Le , Tournier Jean-Nicolas
Published: October 2024

The monkeypox virus (MPXV) outbreak of 2022 caused a human disease with unusual epidemiological and clinical features, notably an increase in human-to-human transmission through sexual contact, predominantly among men who have sex with men (MSM). This evolution underscores the need to reassess prevention and control strategies in the context of a sexually transmitted disease. Here, we show that rectal challenge of cynomolgus macaques with a 2022 clade IIb MPXV isolate mimics sexual transmission, leading to rectal infection, with systemic and male genital tract dissemination and seminal fluid shedding. Vaccination with modified-vaccinia Ankara (MVA) protected the macaques from subsequent rectal MPXV challenge. However, MVA failed to prevent the disease when administered four days post-exposure to MPXV. These findings have a critical impact on outbreak management and highlight the importance of reevaluating MVA post-exposure prophylaxis protocols.
Global intensification of heat extremes has halved the abundance of tropical birds
Authors: Kotz Maximilian
Published: October 2024

Climate change is having widespread impacts on ecosystems worldwide, but the extent to which it may have already altered the abundance of major taxa remains unknown. Here, we show that the historical intensification of climate extremes has substantially reduced the abundance of terrestrial bird populations over the past five decades. Combining over 86,000 time-series observations of population abundance with exposure to locally defined climate extremes, we find strong and robust evidence that hot extremes reduce abundance growth, dominating the role of average temperature conditions or changes in precipitation. These impacts are largest in lower-latitude tropical regions and are robust when controlling for changing human pressure and the geographic and taxonomic bias of observed populations. Quantifying the portion of extreme intensification which is attributable to climate change implies substantial historical reductions in bird-abundance of up to 50% at low latitudes. These results provide new evidence that human-driven intensification of heat extremes is degrading the abundance of a major terrestrial vertebrate class, of particular relevance given hitherto unexplained declines of tropical birds in undisturbed habitats.
SARS-CoV-2 invasion dynamics based on genomic and geographic data: from Alpha to Delta and Omicron
Authors: Choi Yangji , De Ridder David , Ladoy Anaïs , Damien Jacot , Guessous Idris , Opota Onya , Bertelli Claire , Vuilleumier Séverine , Joost Stéphane , Greub Gilbert
Published: October 2024

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need to understand the invasion dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 variants. Here, we investigate the successive invasions and geographical spread of three key variants of concern - Alpha, Delta, and Omicron - using an integrated dataset of genomics and geographic data from the canton of Vaud, Switzerland. We used a high-resolution dataset of 4,033 SARS-CoV-2 genomic sequences from PCR-positive cases between March 2020 and April 2022, accurately geocoded to residential locations. We identified genomic clusters with identical viral genomes and their number and size were larger for Omicron variant, confirming its distinct transmissibility. Invasion dynamics was well evidenced by the nucleotide diversity. Early in the invasion, nucleotide diversity was low and increased over time as variants diversified. New variant invasion was characterized by rapid increase in nucleotide diversity, due to co-circulation of old and new variants, followed by an abrupt decrease in diversity implying a complete replacement. A sharp increase and decrease of diversity within neighborhoods showed a rapid invasion of the Omicron across neighborhoods. We observed an exceptional peak of diversity within the same buildings during Omicron invasion, suggesting its stochastic transmission. This study supports the data-driven public health strategies to control and predict epidemics.
Superconductivity emerging from the Neel state in infinite-stage single-layer cuprate La2CuO4+δ
Authors: Ihara Yoshihiko , Sharma Ramender , Miyakoshi Kota , Oda Migaku , Ishida Kenji
Published: October 2024

The relationship between antiferromagnetism and superconductivity in copper oxide superconductors (cuprates) with single CuO2 conducting layer, e.g. La2-xBa(Sr)xCuO4, has been understood as a macroscopic phase separation when these phases appear in one sample. Here, we report compelling evidence that superconductivity occurs in a fully ordered Neel state as demonstrated by the 139La nuclear quadrupole resonance measurement for a single-layer cuprate La2CuO4+δ with small amount of excess oxygen δ = 0.015. Uniform oxygen distribution throughout the crystal is achieved as a crucial factor in realizing microscopic phase coexistence by surpassing the miscibility gap associated with the staging instability; self-organized periodic oxygen arrangement driven by mobile oxygen atoms.
This finding urges the reconsideration of the superconducting phase diagram of cuprates and the mechanism underlying at. While there are similarities with iron-based and heavy-Fermion superconductors for two-phase coexistence, the presence of sizable magnetic ordered moments in the Nel state sets La2CuO4+δ apart.
Retrieval from vacuolar/endosomal compartments underpinning neofunctionalization of SNARE in plants
Authors: Ueda Takashi , Feng Yihong , Ebine Kazuo , Ito Yoko , Kanazawa Takehiko , Sawasaki Tatsuya , Nozawa Akira , Uemura Tomohiro , Nakano Akihiko
Published: October 2024

The distinctive protein and lipid composition underlies the distinct function of each organelle, regulated by balanced anterograde and retrograde membrane trafficking. The vacuole, the largest plant organelle, is pivotal in various plant functions, with its protein composition tightly regulated by bidirectional trafficking. However, the existence of retrograde transport from the plant vacuole remained unverified. In this study, we demonstrate retrograde trafficking from the vacuole in Arabidopsis. We observed retrieval of VAMP727, a plant-unique vacuolar membrane fusion machinery, from the vacuolar membrane. VAMP727 retrieval is facilitated by SORTING NEXIN proteins, which were independently diversified between plant and non-plant systems. Furthermore, we show that the core retromer complex and SORTING NEXINs act independently in distinct retrograde transport events with specific cargos. Thus, plant cells have elaborated a unique retrieval mechanism from the vacuole, underpinning the neofunctionalization of VAMP727 during plant evolution.
The efficiency of anti-transpirants in the enhancement of the physiology of Rapeseed var. GSC-07 (Brassica napus L.) under different water stress levels.
Authors: Pakhira Arka , Jolly Gritta Elizabeth , Jincy M , Bag Animesh Ghosh
Published: October 2024

Rapeseed is a crucial crop in India, contributing 23.7% and 27% to oilseed acreage and production, respectively. With an estimated population of 1.32 billion, 21.12 million tonnes of edible oil are required, with about 20% to be met by rapeseed-mustard equivalent to 12.7 Mt. Water stress due to several factors is the limiting factor for increasing productivity. The main objective for performing this work is to evaluate the potential of anti-transpirants to study the underlying mechanism asserted by the anti-transpirants on the physiology of rapeseed. Three levels of stress were applied viz. Irrigation at 100% FC (Field Capacity), 75% FC and 50% FC. The research work was carried out in the agriculture field of Lovely Professional University. The experiment was carried out with 3 main plot treatments (Irrigation levels) and 5 sub-plot treatments (Anti-transpirants) carried out in three replications with 45 plots. The layout was split-plot design and statistical analysis was done using STATISTIX 10 and OPSTAT. After performing experiment, it has been observed that with increasing stress, reduced chlorophyll content, increased proline accumulation, and increased stomatal count per unit area of fresh leaf were observed. The least stress was observed due to the treatment of the crops with Kaolin 6% and as a result, lower proline accumulation, higher chlorophyll content, and lower stomata per unit area was observed. Plants treated with Kaolin 6% were observed to have higher nutrient (N, P and K) uptake. Whereas the same has been obtained in the crops treated with irrigation at 100% FC. The difference between the result obtained in irrigation at 100% FC and irrigation at 75% FC is less which indicates that increase in water availability was not too beneficial for the physiological development of the crop.
Spatio-temporal evolution of aeolian sand patterns in the Boulenouar Region, Mauritania: Insights from InSAR coherence and K-means Analysis
Authors: Deya Yaghoub Ahmed , Henoune Mohamed
Published: October 2024

This study combines Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) techniques with Sentinel-1B data and NASA's MERRA-2 reanalysis meteorological data to monitor the annual spatiotemporal evolution of aeolian processes in the arid region of Boulenouar, northwest Mauritania. Analysis of 31 SAR images acquired between February 2020 and February 2021 identifies three key areas affected by wind activity: a vast field of mobile barkhan dunes, the town of Boulenouar, and the surrounding road and rail infrastructure. Unsupervised k-means classification of coherence images shows that 19.4\% of the dunes are highly active. The study indicates an annual erosion rate of 3.84\% to the north and west, accompanied by a sedimentation rate of 15.56\% along transport axes and around Boulenouar. Correlated with NASA meteorological data, the analysis shows that wind activity is most intense in spring and summer. This study highlights the potential of coupling Sentinel-1 InSAR data with meteorological data to finely map wind dynamics in desert environments.
Association of Primary Tumor Volume with Survival in Patients with HER-2-positive Breast Cancer After Trastuzumab Treatment: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: su pengcheng , Yang Dong , Li Jinlei , Wu Luyan , Wang Liyan , Cui Xiaofei , Li Xingxing , Ma Haoxia
Published: October 2024

Background:
The relationship between primary tumor volume (PTV) and overall survival (OS) in patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2)-positive breast cancer following Ttrastuzumab therapy remains controversial in the medical research community. Currently, there is insufficient evidence to definitively establish the relationship between PTV and OS; understanding this relationship is critical for healthcare and public health because it has significant implications for patient outcomes. Consequently, the PTV and its effects on OS have become the focus of extensive research.
Objective:
The primary objective of this study was to improve our understanding of the influence of PTV on OS and elucidate the clinical implications of this correlation. The secondary objective was to determine the optimal cutoff value for assessing the effect of PTV on OS in patients with HER-2-positive breast cancer after trastuzumab treatment.
Methods:
In this retrospective cohort study, we analyzed the data of 666 participants retrieved from the Dryad database. Relevant variables, including PTV, OS, lymph node status, Nottingham Histology Grading, Ki-67 expression, and age, were collected for all participants. We employed Cox regression analysis to explore the potential interaction effects to support our research objectives.
Results:
In total, 666 patients were identified during the follow-up period. The mean (standard deviation, SD) age of participants was 60.7 years, and all were women. The mean (SD) tumor volume was 19.9 (11.1) mm. With a mean (SD) follow-up of 82.4 (30.2) months, increasing tumor volume (per 1-mm increase) was associated with significantly worse adjusted OS (hazard ratio, 1.03; 95% confidence interval, 1.02–1.05).
Conclusions:
To the best of our knowledge, this extensive retrospective cohort study of patients with HER-2 positive breast cancer after trastuzumab treatment is the first to demonstrate a significant association between the PTV and a 3% increase in the risk of OS.
Understanding Delays in Breast Cancer Diagnosis: Insights from Bangladesh
Authors: Hossain Mohammad Sorowar , Trisha Sumaya Khan , Hasan Mohammad Nayeem , Akhter Waheed , Karim-Kos Henrike
Published: October 2024

Background
This study investigates factors contributing to delays in breast cancer diagnosis in Bangladesh and their impact on cancer staging. Early detection is crucial for effective treatment, yet many women in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are diagnosed at advanced stages, resulting in poorer outcomes.
Methods
A cross-sectional study was conducted at two major cancer care facilities in Dhaka. Women aged 18 and older with suspected or confirmed breast cancer were included. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire on sociodemographic and clinical variables. Total delay, defined as the time from symptom recognition to treatment initiation, was categorized into patient delay (symptom recognition to first medical consultation) and provider delay (first consultation to treatment start). Logistic regression analyses identified factors associated with these delays.
Results
Among 355 participants, 55.7% experienced total delays of over four months, with the highest delays in stage III cases (51.5%). Key factors contributing to patient delay included low education (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR]: 1.96, 95% CI: 1.04–3.74), low monthly income (AOR: 1.45, 95% CI: 1.22–1.90), and absence of breast pain (AOR: 0.55, 95% CI: 0.32–0.94). Provider delays were significantly associated with rural residence (AOR: 3.07, 95% CI: 1.49–6.98), and presence of nipple discharge (AOR: 2.92, 95% CI: 1.04–8.06). Total delays were most prevalent among patients from the Rangpur division (AOR: 6.07, 95% CI: 1.76–8.02), rural areas (AOR: 2.04, 95% CI: 1.17–3.61), and those with lower education. Additionally, nearly 80% of patients delayed seeking medical attention due to the belief that symptoms would resolve spontaneously, while 75% cited negligence and 65.5% reported financial barriers.
Conclusions
Significant delays in breast cancer diagnosis in Bangladesh are driven by socio-economic factors and inadequate healthcare access. Increasing public awareness, especially in rural areas, and improving healthcare accessibility are essential to facilitate early detection. Expanding screening programs and training healthcare providers in early cancer detection are critical to improving patient outcomes.
Socioeconomic determinants of access to safe abortion and experiences along the care trajectory: A survey of women with a five-year abortion history in Abuja and Lagos, Nigeria
Authors: Roemer Matthea , Ushie Boniface Ayanbekongshie , Akiode Akinsewa , Onuoha Ogechi , Idoko Ochanya , Taiwo Anne
Published: October 2024

Background:
Unsafe abortion remains a significant cause of maternal morbidity and mortality in many African countries, including Nigeria. There is limited evidence on abortion safety or experiences of abortion care in Nigeria. This study aims to fill gaps in understanding of how abortion safety has evolved since previous estimates and provide new insight on pregnant people’s experiences along the abortion care trajectory and how sociodemographic factors correlate with these experiences and the overall safety of abortion.
Methods:
Data presented are drawn from a larger study that was conducted in Lagos and Abuja, Nigeria in 2023 using a total market assessment approach. This analysis drew exclusively on data from a quantitative survey of women of reproductive age with a 5-year history of induced abortion(s). Abortion safety was operationalised based on two dimensions in line with a previous analysis of Nigeria PMA survey data: (1) whether the method(s) used included any non-recommended methods and (2) whether the source(s) used were clinical or non-clinical. Analyses include frequencies of abortion safety and experiences along the abortion care trajectory and bivariate and multivariate assessments of sociodemographic and reproductive history correlates.
Results:
Two hundred women completed the survey of which 197 reported their abortion method and were included in this analysis. Almost half (44.7%) of respondents’ reported abortions were categorised as most unsafe involving non-recommended methods and non-clinical source(s). Those living in rural areas and those who were living in severe poverty were significantly more likely to have had the most unsafe abortions. Those living in poverty were also at increased likelihood of being unable to access an abortion from their preferred source and of experiencing any complications.
Conclusion:
These findings confirm that abortion in Nigeria is a public health concern and an issue of social inequity. Efforts to improve equitable access to in-facility services, particularly surgical procedures and post-abortion care is critical to ensure management of complications from unsafe abortion. Simultaneously, increasing awareness of the availability of quality-assured medication abortion drugs for self-management and/or training of lower-level providers on management of medical abortion can help mitigate the toll of unsafe abortion-related morbidity and mortality.
How fragile are European GVCs? The role of functional diversification and implications for industrial policy
Authors: Coveri Andrea , Giammetti Raffaele , Zanfei Antonello
Published: October 2024

This paper examines the relationship between functional diversification and foreign input reliance (FIR) in European countries, with a focus on manufacturing sectors. We propose that greater functional diversification is a key strategy to soften dependency on foreign inputs, thereby mitigating the risks associated with Global Value Chain (GVC) disruptions. We elaborate on recently developed indicators for GVC exposure based on international gross trade flows and test their association with a novel measure of functional diversification, proxied with data on Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) across value chain activities. Our findings reveal that functional diversification is negatively associated with FIR, particularly from extra-EU28 sources, indicating that European countries can reduce exposure to GVC disruptions by diversifying value-adding functions. However, this relationship is also found with reference to the intra-EU FIR component, suggesting that functional diversification strategies undertaken at the level of individual member states may end up weakening European trade integration. We conclude that the EU’s Open Strategic Autonomy framework should carefully consider coordinated industrial strategies to strengthen the EU’s capacity to navigate GVC disruptions without undermining intra-EU trade ties.
Enhancing Network Intrusion Detection Using GraphConvolutional Networks Fused with Traditional Systems
Authors: Ansah Patrick , John Caroline , Tetarave Sumit Kumar , Kalaimannan Ezhil
Published: October 2024

In the ever-evolving landscape of network security, effective intrusion detection is paramount.The detection of anomalies in network systems is very vital to the safety of data as well asthe privacy of individuals. This research presents an advanced approach to network intrusiondetection by incorporating Graph Convolutional Networks (GCN). We propose two novel mod-els: a GCN-Autoencoder (GCN-AE) for unsupervised anomaly detection and a GCN-basedk-Nearest Neighbors (GCN-KNN) for supervised intrusion classification. Utilizing a balanceddataset extracted from the UNSW-NB15 dataset, which includes a diverse range of modern net-work activities and cyber-attacks, our models exploit the underlying graph structure of networkdata to enhance detection capabilities. The imbalanced dataset consists of 49 features and 700,000instances including standard network traffic metrics such as duration, protocol type, service,source bytes, and destination bytes which help to gain deeper insights into complex attacks. TheGCN-Auto-encoder performed at 52.86% whereas the GCN-KNN performed at 99.94% with thebalanced dataset.
A Proposed Confidence Ellipse Approach for Benefit-Risk Assessment in Clinical Trials
Authors: Zhang Yinuo , Zhang Xiaofang , Wang Peijing , Wu Yangfeng , Chow Shein-Chung
Published: October 2024

In clinical development, an independent data safety monitoring committee (IDMC) is often established to ensure the test treatment's integrity, quality, safety, and efficacy under investigation. In clinical trials, IDMC may recommend stopping the trial early due to safety, futility/efficacy, or both after reviewing observed data in the interim based on pre-specified stopping boundaries. In practice, the interim data is often too small to reach clinically meaningful differences with statistical significance (i.e., the observed clinically meaningful difference is reproducible and not purely by chance alone). To provide an overall assessment (or complete clinical picture) of the performance of the test treatment under investigation, the FDA (2023) published guidance on the benefit-risk assessment (BRA) framework to facilitate IDMC decision-making. Several methods have been studied in the literature following the FDA's recommended framework. However, these methods did not consider the uncertainties and heterogeneities. Alternatively, a BRA approach is proposed based on a confidence ellipse of primary safety and efficacy endpoints. The proposed confidence ellipse approach was evaluated both theoretically and via a clinical trial simulation. The results indicate that the proposed confidence ellipse provides consistent and stable metrics, particularly as sample sizes increase. The derived metrics of Benefit-Risk Difference (BRD) and Benefit-Risk Ratio (BRR) showed favorable performance across different scenarios and thresholds. Applied to the TESTING trial data, our method confirmed and extended the original finding that a reduced methylprednisolone dose offered a more favorable benefit-risk profile. Specifically, the confidence ellipse method highlighted that the reduced dose consistently provided a better balance between efficacy and safety, particularly under stricter criteria for clinical significance. This method validated the original conclusions and provided additional insights into how different dosing regimens perform across various clinical scenarios, potentially offering a more refined tool for optimizing treatment decisions in complex therapeutic contexts.
Improving clinical expertise in large language models using electronic medical records
Authors: Zhu Lifeng , Liu Jingping , Wang Jiacheng , Zhang Weiyan , Jiang Sihang , Yang Hai , Wang Chao , Ye Qi , Ruan Tong , Rui Xinkai , Chen Huajun
Published: October 2024

Electronic medical records (EMRs) are essential in clinical practice. Although current medical large language models (LLMs) excel in tasks like US Medical Licensing Examination, they struggle with real-world clinical applications due to insufficient large-scale EMR data in their training, hindering their clinical expertise. To address this limitation, we proposed EMR-LLM, an LLM for clinical practice using EMRs. Firstly, we continually pre-trained a general LLM on medical corpora to enhance its domain knowledge. Then, we designed three categories of instruction tasks using EMRs: structure understanding, numerical understanding, and downstream tasks. Finally, we introduced an ability-boosting instruction-tuning method, which mimics human learning, progressing from simple to complex tasks while introducing a data replay strategy to retain learned knowledge. Experimental results demonstrated that EMR-LLM outperformed strong competitors on six EMR tasks, nine medical benchmarks, and three open-domain benchmarks. Moreover, in discharge summary generation, EMR-LLM achieved performance levels close to those of expert clinicians.
Plant-Derived Recombinant Macromolecular PAP-IgG Fc as A Novel Prostate Cancer Vaccine Candidate Eliciting Robust Immune Responses
Authors: Kang Yangjoo , Kim Deuk-Su , Hwang Hyunjoo , Seo Young-Jin , Hinterdorfer Peter , Ko Kisung
Published: October 2024

Prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) is a specific protein that is highly expressed in prostate cancer. In this study, we constructed two recombinant PAP fusion genes: PAP fused to the immunoglobulin G (IgG) Fc fragment (designated PAP-Fc) and PAP-Fc fused to the endoplasmic reticulum retention sequence KDEL (designated PAP-FcK). Transgenic Nicotiana tabacum plants expressing these recombinant macromolecular proteins (MPs) were generated using Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, and the presence of both genes was confirmed through genomic PCR. Western blot analysis validated the expression of PAP-Fc and PAP-FcK MPs, which were successfully purified via protein A affinity chromatography. Size-exclusion high-performance liquid chromatography revealed dimeric peaks for PAP-Fc (PAP-FcP) and PAP-FcK (PAP-FcKP). Bio-transmission electron microscopy demonstrated 'Y'-shaped protein particles resembling antibody structures. Moreover, PAP-FcP and PAP-FcKP exhibited a high association rate with human FcγR and FcRn. Vaccination of mice with both PAP-FcP and PAP-FcKP resulted in increased total IgG against PAP and enhanced activation of CD4+ T cells, comparable to mice immunized with PAP, which served as a positive control. These findings indicate that both plant-derived MPs can effectively induce adaptive immunity, positioning them as promising candidates for prostate cancer vaccines. Overall, plants expressing PAP-Fc and PAP-FcK represent a viable production system for antigenic macromolecule-based prostate cancer vaccines.
Contrasting recovery of metagenome‑assembled genomes and derived microbial communities from lizard fecal and cloacal samples
Authors: Hernández Mauricio , Langa Jorge , Aizpurua Ostaizka , Navarro-Noya Yendi E. , Alberdi Antton
Published: October 2024

Genome-resolved metagenomics, based on shotgun sequencing, has become a powerful strategy for investigating animal-associated microbiomes, due its heightened capability for delivering detailed taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional insights compared to amplicon sequencing-based approaches. While genome-resolved metagenomics holds promise across various non-lethal sample types, their effectiveness in yielding high-quality metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) remains largely unexplored. Our investigation of fecal and cloacal microbiota of the mesquite lizards (Sceloporus grammicus) using genome-resolved metagenomics revealed that fecal samples contributed 97% of the 127 reconstructed bacterial genomes, whereas only 3% were recovered from cloacal swabs, which were largely enriched with host DNA. Taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional alpha microbial diversity was greater in fecal samples than in cloacal swabs. We also observed significant differences in microbial community composition between sampling methods, and higher inter-individual variation in cloacal swabs. Bacteroides, Phocaeicola and Parabacteroides (all Bacteroidota) were more abundant in the feces, whereas Hafnia and Salmonella (both Pseudomonadota) increased in the cloaca. Functional analyses showed that metabolic capacities of the microbiota to degrade polysaccharides, sugars and nitrogen compounds were enriched in fecal samples, likely reflecting the role of the microbiota in nutrient metabolism. Overall, our results indicate that fecal samples outperform cloacal swabs in characterizing microbial assemblages within lizards using genome-resolved metagenomics.
Development and performance analysis of a novel triple-anode plasma torch with annular powder feeding for high-efficiency powder processing
Authors: Fan Ying , Yu Deping , Qiu Jier , Xiao Yu , Qu Yun , Gao Zhengjiang , Zhang Fei , Zhang Jian
Published: October 2024

Direct current (DC) plasma torches play a pivotal role in the field of material processing, with their performance largely determined by the characteristics of the plasma jet. However, conventional DC plasma torches produce a plasma jet that has a small high-temperature region and a high velocity, which limits their powder processing rate. This paper introduces a novel triple-anode plasma torch (TAPT) equipped with annular powder feeding to address these challenges. Comprehensive investigation into the plasma jet characteristics of the TAPT was carried out through a combination of experimental measurements and numerical simulations. Results show that the TAPT produces an optimal plasma jet for powder processing, marked by a large high-temperature region, low velocity, and high uniformity. The plasma jet's peak temperature reaches over 20,000 K, with a 4,000 K region of 150 mm in length and 33 mm in diameter, and minimal regions exceeding a velocity of 80 m/s. The annular powder feeding of the TAPT guarantees a stable plasma jet for effective material processing, with the arc voltage exhibiting a small standard deviation of just 1.08 V. Furthermore, the TAPT’s efficacy in powder processing was exemplified by spheroidization trials involving aluminum oxide powder, which yielded an impressive energy efficiency of approximately 4.35 kWh/kg. Overall, the TAPT shows considerable potential in the field of powder processing, specifically in raising the efficiency of powder spheroidization processes.
Magnetic carbon bead-based concentration method for SARS-CoV-2 detection in wastewater
Authors: Angga Made Sandhyana , Raya Sunayana , Hirai Soichiro , Haramoto Eiji
Published: October 2024

Wastewater surveillance for pathogens is important to monitor disease trends within communities and maintain public health; thus, a quick and reliable protocol is needed to quantify pathogens present in wastewater. In this study, a method using a commercially available magnetic carbon bead-based kit, i.e., the Carbon Prep (C.prep) method (Life Magnetics), was employed to detect and quantify severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) as well as bacteriophage Phi6 and pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV) in wastewater samples. The performance of this method was evaluated by modifying several steps and comparing it with the polyethylene glycol (PEG) precipitation method to demonstrate its applicability to virus detection in wastewater. The protocol of the C.prep method, based on the manufacturer’s instructions, could not detect SARS-CoV-2 RNA, while the optimized protocol could detect it in the tested samples at concentrations that were not significantly different from those obtained using the PEG precipitation method. However, the optimized C.prep method performed more poorly in recovering Phi6 and detecting PMMoV than the PEG precipitation method. The results of this study indicated that the full workflow of the C.prep method was not sufficient to detect the target viruses and that an additional RNA extraction step was needed to remove inhibitors in wastewater.
In-silico inhibitory Activities of Tribulusamide D Against Cannabinoid Receptor (CB1)
Authors: MOHAMMED Isiaka , KOMOLAFE Tomilayo Modupe , OSANYINBI Adetoro Ajibike , EBIEKPI Alison Michael , ADEKUNLE Olawale Kabir , OLADOSU Ibrahim Adebayo
Published: October 2024

Many women experience the effect of excess endocannabinoid production in the body by noticing some changes such as anxiety, the effect on learning and memory, reproduction and sex, metabolism, growth, and development. Others take cannabinoids as drugs. Cannabinoids are known to have anti-depressant properties but are also inhibitors of sexual urges. Research has shown that cannabinoids reduce dopamine levels, hence the need to inhibit the activities of cannabinoid receptors found all over the body, especially the brain. This research focuses on in-silico inhibition of cannabinoid receptors which serve as a precursor to the metabolism of cannabinoids. A Cannabinoid Receptor (CB1) PDB was downloaded (7V3Z) from https://www.rcsb.org. The protein was prepared, the sitemap identified and the receptor grid generated too. Tribulusamide D (TD) is a natural product isolated from Tribullus terrestris and has been confirmed to have anti-inflammatory activities. TD was drawn using the 2-D sketcher and copied to the 3-D workspace of the maestro Schrodinger suite. The native ligand, 2-[(1R,2R,5R)-5-hydroxy-2-(3-hydroxypropyl)cyclohexyl]-5-(2-methyloctan-2-yl)phenol was used as the reference drug (since it acts as an agonist to the receptor) and was prepared using ligprep module. The prepared protein and ligands were docked using the ligand docking module of the Maestro Schrodinger suite. The docking of the ligands with CB1 shows that Tribulusamide D has a better docking score with a higher negative value than the reference drug and hence could enhance sexual urge when the desire is inhibited by excess cannabi. In-vivo and in-vitro research is recommended to confirm the inhibitory activities of Tribulusamide D against CB1 as predicted by this study.
Performance Evaluation and Optimization of Graphene Nanosheet FET
Authors: Abdul-kadir Firas Natheer , Mohammad Khalid khaleel , Abdulqader Hussein Ali AL , Smaani Billel
Published: October 2024

Graphene Nanosheet Field Effect Transistor (GNSFET) is constructed for the first time (using grapheme material) and simulated by Silvaco TCAD Tools it can be considered as a novelty work in Nanosheet FET design. This paper study and explore the effects of the device dimensions’ variation for 2-nanosheets GNSFET device. The variation in dimension of the gate length (Lg = 14,16 and 18) nm, gate width (Wg = 12,14 and 16) nm, and gate height (Hg = 6,7 and 8) nm are to be considered for the evaluation and optimization of the designed GNSFET performances. In addition, the performances and characteristics of the 2-nanosheets GNSFET device have been compared with that of 3- Nanosheets GNSFET device. Several nanosheet performance factors have been taken into consideration throughout the optimization process, including the following: on-current (ION), off-current (IOFF), ION/IOFF ratio, Sub threshold Swing (SS), Drain Induced Barrier Lowering (DIBL) and Trans conductance (gm). ION/IOFF ratio which represents the device switching capability is improved to 1.77e+10 at Lg=14 nm, Wg=14 nm and Hg=7 nm. The Sub Threshold Swing (SS) in this paper approaches the ideal value of 60 mV/dec which insure the device's improved gate control. The value of SS= 61.23 mV/dec at Lg = 18 nm, Wg=14 nm and Hg=7nm was obtained. The value of DIBL is between 1.28 mV/V and 31.05 mV/V. Finally, the resulted value of gm is 71.36 µS at Lg=14 nm, Wg=14 nm and Hg=7 nm.