bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Influence of Decentralized Perforation Guns for Hydraulic Fracturing Applications in Highly Deviated or Horizontally Wells on Entry Hole Perforation Performance and Tunnel Geometry for Extreme Hard Rocks (>30k Psi).
Authors: Loehken J. , Mcnelis L. , Fricke B. , Yosefnejad D.
Published: September 2023

The influence of the distance of a perforation gun to the inner casing wall is known to be critical for the correct assessment of the perforation performance by way of entry hole diameter and perforation consistency. Presented in the paper shall be a study on how the perforating gun body to casing wall clearance value will influence the perforating tunnel geometry and ultimately the charge performance on very hard rocks for hydraulic fracturing in an API Section II Test environment that simulates a decentralized gun inside the casing.

Three different shaped charge designs were tested on one type of extreme hard rock core whose UCS is upwards of 30,000 psi. Traditional performance evaluation methods of measuring the Entrance Hole Diameter and Depth of Penetration were undertaken, as well as the evaluation of tip fractures and rock strength influence. The cylindrical rock cores used in this test series were pre-scanned or pre-evaluated to reduce as much test anomalies as possible by employing alternative rock characterization methods such as sonic velocities of the rock and scratch test method for UCS measurement.

The pre-screening process proved itself as an easy method to reduce the variation in test results. Still certain deviations were visible for identical shots, which can be related to differences in the sonic velocities of the target. It becomes also visible, that different charge designs react differently to changes in the rock properties. Some are more resilient or robust than others.

The influence of the gun to casing clearance on the penetration is present, but to smaller extent, than the entrance hole variation. Two types of rocks were chosen as targets, a quartzite and shale cores. The results are generally transferable from the very hard quartzite to shale targets, but the geological anisotropy of the shale, which is not present for quartzite, manifests itself in a reduction in penetration for shots perpendicular to the layering of the shot and in the fracture pattern.

The rock used in the testing is quite representative of some of the more challenging rock formations that are currently perforated for hydraulic fracturing for oil, gas and geothermal applications. Therefore, the knowledge gained from the test series is hopefully of valuable use for the perforating industry going forward.
The Ninja Mentality - Promoting Operational Excellence by Leveraging Simple Solutions
Authors: Wagner C. , Poppel B. , Hardwick B. , Fontana D.
Published: September 2023

Since the first commercial hydraulically fractured oil and gas wells were completed in 1949 (Clark, 1949), oil and gas companies have relentlessly pursued increasing operational efficiency at the wellsite. Data collection and analysis has been at the forefront of this pursuit but the human element in promoting operational efficiency has been under-recognized and is an invaluable element to any data focused analysis.

Big data has driven the notion that higher volumes of data spread throughout different operations within an organization will provide higher value, but data does not have to be big in volume to provide significant value. The dynamics of a talented team and recognition of the value of human insight can be powerful to help drive simple, yet effective solutions for an organization to leverage.

The purpose of this paper is to discuss field data collection and information system development in hydraulic fracturing and how simple solutions surrounding data collection can drive greater operational efficiency gains. With the technological advancements of information systems and the low barrier to entry to utilize these systems, the process of collecting copious amounts of data became much simpler for an organization to implement. However, finding the happy valley between data volume and the business value leveraged from the data is much more important than focusing on the total data volume. Implementing lower cost, yet robust information systems can minimize time and money spent building systems to collect desired and essential data. A few examples of systems that have been built with this practice are defined below.

Time Tracking – Tracking all time and activities at the wellsite enabling granular insight into potential operational efficiency gains. Materials Tracking – Accurate tracking of materials pumped to eliminate waste. Safety – Collecting near miss and potential hazard information to identify accidents before they occur. High Frequency Data – Delivering data quickly so potential operational improvements can be recognized to help lower the cost to produce a barrel of oil. Maintenance Tracking – Identifying which parts lead to excessive costs highlight cost saving potential.

The systems and processes that will be discussed in this paper demonstrate relying on human insight and effective team relationships can drive higher value than simply focusing on collecting enormous amounts of data.
Cultural Crossroads: How Mexican Immigrant Women Navigate Stress and Adaptation
Authors: Bekteshi Venera
Published: September 2023

Objective: This study examined acculturative stress among Mexican immigrant women in the U.S. and its impact on their psychological distress, with implications for addressing their mental health needs.
Methods: This study employed path analysis to investigate relationships between acculturative stress, psychological distress, and contextual factors among 257 Mexican immigrant women from the National Latino Asian American Survey (NLAAS).
Results: The results of this study emphasize the influence of contextual factors on psychological distress and acculturative stress in Mexican immigrant women. Acculturative stress, familismo values, and racial discrimination impacted their psychological distress. Factors such as contentment with decision to move to the U.S., English-language skills, racial discrimination, visiting family abroad, religiosity, and age at immigration influenced their acculturative stress.
Conclusion: The study highlights the importance of considering contextual factors in acculturative stress among Mexican immigrant women and its impact on psychological distress. Implications for practice and policy include developing culturally sensitive interventions, educational opportunities, improved access to mental health services, anti-discrimination policies, and addressing the unique needs of this population. By implementing these strategies, mental health professionals and policymakers can enhance Mexican immigrant women's well-being, resilience, and successful integration into the host society.
A Mendelian randomization-based study on the causal relationship between body mass index and slipped discs
Authors: Huang RenKun , Lu JieHua , Yang XueYi , Sheng Guanyun , Tang Haoran
Published: September 2023

Objective
To make suggestions for clinical prevention and treatment, this study will investigate the causal connection between body mass index and slipped discs.
Methods
The relationship between BMI and slipped discs(SD)was investigated using two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses, which used inverse-variance-weighted, IVW, MR-Egger regression, weighted median estimator (WME), and gene-wide association study (GWAS) analyses on pooled data. The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), which is closely associated with BMI, was chosen as an instrumental variable from the GWAS, and SD was used as the outcome variable.For a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to investigate the causal link between BMI and SD., weighted (IVW), MR-Egger regression, and weighted median estimator (WME) were used. The extracted data were collected from Europe. For to assess the causal relationship between BMI and SD, sensitivity analysis was also carried out using the leave-one-out method, MR-Egger regression intercept test for multiple validities, Cochran's Q test, funnel plot to observe heterogeneity and symmetry, scatter plot to observe the directional consistency of the algorithm, and OR and 95% CI. For BMI, the data included a sample size of 454,884 individuals with 985,867 SNPs, and for SD the sample size was 462,933 individuals with 985,867 SNPs.
Results
The results of MR Egger, WME, and IVW analyses on a total of 419 SNPs linked to BMI were calculated as follows: MR Egger (OR 1.002, 95% CI 0.997-1.007), WME (OR 1.003, 95% CI 1.000-1.006), and IVW (OR value 1.004, 95% CI 1.002-1.006). OR values >1 showed a positive correlation between elevated BMI and SD. WME's P value was 0.30>0.05, IVW's was 3.35>0.05, and the difference was statistically significant. MR Egger's P value was 0.407>0.05, not statistically significant, but the three techniques of analysis all pointed in the same direction. The aforementioned exposures' instrumental factors are not present for multivariate validity, according to the results of the MR-Egger regression, which showed an intercept of 4.2×10-5, a standard error of 4.6×10-5, and a P value of 0.364.
Conclusions
The occurrence of SD and BMI are causally related, and a rise in BMI may play a significant role in the development of SD.
Clinical characterization and immune regulation of IL17C in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma through 431 samples
Authors: Ma Congzhi , Nong Xiaolin
Published: September 2023

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the most common malignant tumor in the head and neck region, originating from the mucosal epithelium of the oral cavity, pharynx, and larynx. At present, the main treatment methods of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma are surgery, and radiotherapy or chemotherapy or a combination of radiotherapy and chemotherapy according to ,the pathological stage of the patient. Exploring new predictive biomarkers based on the molecular biology and immunology of HNSCC will facilitate the development of effective and less toxic clinical treatment approaches, improving the cure rate and prolonging the survival of patients. Therefore, retrospective RNA-seq data analysis was performed on 431 patients from the TCGA database (https://portal.gdc.cancer.gov/). The clinicopathological features and potential immunomodulatory mechanisms of IL17C in HNSCC patients were explored by bioinformatics analysis.IL17C（Interleukin-17C）was enriched in low-stage HNSCC patients and served as an independent prognostic factor for overall survival (OS). Additionally, The results of GO（gene oncology） enrichment analysis and gene set variation analysis (GSVA) analysis showed that IL17C expression was negatively correlated with Cytotoxic T-Lymphocyte Antigen 4（CTLA4） expression, positively correlated with T cell-mediated tumor immune response, and could regulate immune responses in the tumor microenvironment through the classical complement activation pathway. In conclusion the expression of IL17C is closely associated with the pathological and molecular pathology of HNSCC. Furthermore, Patients with high expression of IL17C had a relatively slow tumor progression. Therefore, IL17C may represent a potential new target for HNSCC treatment strategies.
Outcomes of thyroidectomy for secondary thyroid malignancies, a single center experience
Authors: Aydoğdu Yunushan Furkan , Gülçek Emre , Büyükkasap Çağrı , Bostancı Hasan
Published: September 2023

Background:Metastasis of primary malignancies of other organs to the thyroid gland is a rare condition that may pose a diagnostic challenge. In this study, we aimed to report the clinicopathologic features and outcomes of patients treated for secondary thyroid malignancies in our center.
Materials and Methods: The results of patients who underwent thyroidectomy in our clinic between 2015 and 2023 were evaluated retrospectively. Four patients who met the inclusion criteria were evaluated.
Results:The primary tumor was renal cell carcinoma in 2 patients and squamous cell carcinoma of the lung in 2 patients. Median age was 64 years (min:59-max:69). The median nodule diameter was 2.85 centimeters (cm). Extrathyroidal spread was present in 1 patient with renal cell carcinoma metastasis. The other patient with renal cell carcinoma metastasis had lymphatic invasion. Vascular invasion was detected in 1 patient with renal cell carcinoma metastasis and 1 patient with squamous cell carcinoma of the lung metastasis. Surgical margin positivity was present in 1 patient in each group. The median overall survival time was 27 (min:10-max:44) months in the renal cell carcinoma group and 11 (min:6-max:16) months in the squamous cell carcinoma group. After the diagnosis of primary renal cell carcinoma, one patient metastasized to thyroid tissue 43.00 and one patient 94.00 months later. In the squamous cell carcinoma group, one patient showed metastasis to thyroid tissue 6.00 months after the primary diagnosis, while the other patient was first diagnosed with metastatic tissue.
Conclusions:Metastasis to the thyroid gland is a rare phenomenon with an incidence of 0.22% in all thyroid malignancies. It may occur before the detection of the primary tumor or during the follow-up of the primary malignancy. Although the overall prognosis is poor, it can be treated surgically.
Frailty mediated the association between tooth loss and mortality in the oldest old individuals: a cohort study
Authors: Wang MingXia , Chen Hanjie , Diao Yuhan , Deng Xiaomeng , Liu Chang , Gao Jun , Tang Xin , Li Xiaoyan , Liu Yan , Duan Jun
Published: September 2023

Background: The relationship between tooth loss and mortality risk remains uncertain, necessitating further investigation. This study aimed to examine whether frailty acts as a mediator in the association between tooth loss and mortality risk in the oldest old population.
Methods: The Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey was utilized to track participants from 1998 to 2018. Tooth loss was evaluated based on the initial number of remaining teeth, while frailty was determined using a composite of 30 indicators. The variables of mortality, frailty, and tooth loss were assigned as the outcome, mediator, and independent variable, respectively. The Cox model was utilized to incorporate potential confounding factors for the purpose of conducting causal mediation analysis. Various measures were computed, including the total effect (TE), average causal mediation effect (ACME), average direct effect (ADE), and proportion mediated (PM).
Results: The study encompassed a total of 129,936 person-years at risk, with a sample size of 31,899 individuals who had a mean age of 91.79 years. The TE and ADE of tooth loss on mortality were estimated to be 0.12 (95%CI: 0.08, 0.15) and 0.09 (95%CI: 0.05, 0.13), respectively. Additionally, the ACME of frailty was found to be 0.03 (95%CI: 0.02, 0.03), with 21.56% of the TE being mediated. In the subgroup analysis, the ACME of frailty accounted for 33.64% (P=0.28) of the TE among individuals aged 75-89 years, 30.63% (P<0.01) among those aged 90-100 years, and 38.61% (P<0.01) among those above 100 years. Furthermore, the ACME of frailty accounted for 27.38% (P<0.01) of the TE among men and 19.62% (P<0.01) among women.
Conclusion: This study demonstrated a significant association between tooth loss and mortality, with frailty acting as a mediator in this relationship. It is recommended that oral health indicators and frailty status be incorporated into routine geriatric assessments to promote optimal oral health and non-frailty status.
Psychological traits associated with anabolic androgenic steroid use and dependence among female athletes
Authors: Scarth Morgan , Havnes Ingrid Amalia , Jørstad Marie Lindvik , Bjørnebekk Astrid
Published: September 2023

Background Anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) are commonly taken to increase muscle size and enhance performance. However, AAS can lead to many adverse effects, including challenges with mental health and behavior. This study aims to identify behavioral and psychological correlates of AAS use and dependence among female weightlifters. Methods A sample of n = 32 female weightlifters, including 16 with reported AAS use completed questionnaires including the Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment (ASEBA) and Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ). AAS dependence was evaluated using the Structure Clinical Interview for DSM-IV. Group comparisons were made using Welch’s t-tests between control and AAS groups, and AAS dependent and non-dependent groups. Correlations were computed between symptoms of dependence and behavioral and psychiatric scales. Results Females who had used AAS had higher levels of both externalizing and internalizing psychopathology, as well as aggressive traits. Several ASEBA scales including antisocial, externalizing problems and ADHD were correlated with aggressive traits. The most prevalent dependence symptoms were time spent on activities surrounding AAS use (n = 7, 50%), and using more or for longer than planned (n = 6, 42.9%). Dependence symptoms were associated with several ASEBA scales: tolerance was correlated with aggressive behavior (ρ = 0.79,p < 0.001), withdrawal was correlated with attention problems (ρ = 0.78,p < 0.001), and being unable to quit use was associated with anxious/depressive (ρ = 0.80,p < 0.001) and internalizing problems (ρ = 0.79,p < 0.001). Conclusions Females who currently or previously used AAS demonstrated significantly more difficulties with maladaptive functioning and aggressive traits compared to those who have never used. Attention problems may represent an underlying shared risk factor for both aggressive traits and symptoms of AAS dependence.
Combined fetal reduction and cervical cerclage in twin pregnancies complicated by cervical insufficiency: Effects on perinatal outcomes
Authors: Liu Yun , XU Wenyi , NI Xiaotian , Ru Ping , MENG Lulu , YUAN Wenjun , GU Zhuorong , SHI Junyao , SU Xiujuan , LIU Ming , DUAN Tao
Published: September 2023

Background
Twin pregnancies and cervical insufficiency are high risk factors for miscarriage or delivery. This study aims to investigate the clinical value of combing fetal reduction and cervical cerclage in improving perinatal outcomes in twin pregnancies complicated by cervical insufficiency.
Methods
This retrospective cohort study was conducted in two centers. A total of 57 women with twin pregnancies who underwent cervical cerclage were included in the study (2019–2022). Among them, 25 twin pregnancies were reduced to singleton pregnancies before cervical cerclage (reduction group), while 32 cases underwent cervical cerclage without fetal reduction (ongoing group). Demographic data, clinical features, maternal and neonatal outcomes were collected from the electronic medical system. Pregnancy and delivery characteristics, as well as neonatal outcomes, were compared between the two groups.
Results
The rates of preterm birth and cesarean section were significant lower in the reduction group compared to the ongoing group (preterm birth, 12.0% vs. 31.2%, p = 0.007; cesarean section, 52.0% vs. 78.1%, p = 0.015). The mean birth weight of twin pairs in the reduction group was higher than that in the ongoing group (2230 vs. 2724 grams, p = 0.005). There were no significant differences in the pregnancy complications and neonatal outcomes between the two groups, including preeclampsia, gestational diabetes mellitus, low birth weight, sepsis, intra-ventricular hemorrhage (IVH), admission to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), and Apgar score below 7 at 5 minutes (p > 0.05 for each).
Conclusion
Our study suggests that fetal reduction from twin to singleton followed by cervical cerclage is associated with a decreased risk of preterm birth and higher birth weight in twin pregnancies complicated by cervical insufficiency.
The Causal Effects of Appendicectomy on Immune Bowel Disease and Digestive Cancers: A Two-sample Mendelian randomization Study
Authors: Huang Junyu , Liu Zan
Published: September 2023

Background
Previous observational studies have reported that appendicectomy is associated with IBD and digestive cancers. Using a two-sample mendelian randomization (MR) analysis, we aimed to investigate whether appendicectomy is causally associated with IBD and digestive cancers.
Methods
The instrumental variables (IVs) were obtained from public genome-wide association studies (GWAS) data. We used the inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method as the primary statistical method complemented with weighted median and MR-Egger approaches.
Results
The IVW method revealed that genetically determined appendicectomy did not have causal effects on IBD (P > 0.05) and digestive cancers (P > 0.05). Both complementary methods showed congruent results with those of the IVW method.
Conclusion
This study revealed no causal effects of appendicectomy on immune bowel disease and digestive cancers.
CSAR-MSCNN Based Remaining Useful Life Prediction for Bearings
Authors: Jia Wenchao , An Aimin , Du Xianjun , Shi Yaoke , Gong Bin
Published: September 2023

As a key component of rotating equipment, the health status of bearings is closely related to the stable and reliable operation of the equipment, and Remaining Useful Life (RUL) prediction of them can help to reduce the potential risk of equipment failure. In the bearing RUL prediction process, traditional Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) has some limitations: a single-size convolutional kernel only captures a kind of fixed type of data features, which can't fully use the data information; in the iterative process of the CNN model, some of the representative features will be lost with the increase of the depth of the model. Aiming at the above limitations, a Multiscale CNN (MSCNN) combined with a Channel-Wise and Spatial Attention Residual module (CSAR) is proposed as a method for predicting the remaining life of bearings. Firstly, the image features of the vibration signals are extracted by Continuous Wavelet Transform (CWT) and the one-dimensional time-frequency features of the bearings are used as their Health Indicators (HI). Secondly, the MSCNN extraction model is used to extract multiscale features from the bearings, and the fusion-generated multiscale features are used as inputs to the CSAR module, which strengthens the ability of representative features to represent in the network structure by re-weighting the output channels and positions of the representative features. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed CSAR-MSCNN prediction method is verified by an example study of the bearing dataset PRONOSTIA, which provides a feasible solution for RUL prediction of bearings.
External morphological characteristics and Identify subcutaneous glands structure of Sepiella inermis (Van Hasselt, 1835) found in the waters of Thailand.
Authors: Phuynoi Sonthaya , Sukhsangchan Charuay , Zheng Xiaodong
Published: September 2023

The external morphological characteristics and proportion variability of spineless cuttlefish, Sepiella inermis, were investigated at seven locations along the coastal waters of Thailand for one year. A total of 396 specimens were collected from Trat (30), Chonburi (61), Samut Songkhram (80), Phetchaburi (75), Surat Thani (30), Songkhla Province (45) and Ranong Province (75). The results showed that the dorsal mantle length (DML) measurement ranged from 32–92 mm (59.07 ± 10.51), and the body weight ranged from 8.74–133 grams (39.37 ± 18.40). The sexuality has a significant impact on morphological indices, with statistically significant differences at (p < 0.05). The dorsal mantle length can be used to identify sexuality at (p < 0.05), with a range of 40–49 (45.21 ± 2.41) mm for females and 30–39 mm (37 ± 2.82) for males. The morphometric characters at all stations were found to be correlated; Chonburi station stood out significantly from the other stations. Additionally, the description structure of the subcutaneous gland exterior, which had four lobes and was deeply grooved, were examined using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) in the larvae stage. Internally, the wall of the gland consists of four layers: 1) the outer wall is the epidermis, 2) connective tissue, 3) muscle fibers, and 4) the inner wall is mucosa lines and cuboidal in shape. The basal portion of the gland produced an ink source and had four trabeculae branches retaining melanin granule cells. This study of external morphology offers numerous advantages and represents the first reported description of the subcutaneous gland in Sepiella.
Citizen Scientists’ Engagement in Flood Risk-Related Data Collection: A case study in the Bui River Basin, Vietnam
Authors: Tran Huan N. , Rutten Martine , Prajapati Rajaram , Tran Ha T. , Duwal Sudeep , Nguyen Dung T. , Davids Jeffrey C , Miegel Konrad
Published: September 2023

Time constraints, financial limitations, and inadequate tools restrict the flood data collection in undeveloped countries, especially in the Asian and African regions. Engaging citizens in data collection and contribution has the potential to overcome these challenges. This research demonstrates the applicability of citizen science for gathering flood risk-related data on residential flooding, land use information, and flood damage to paddy fields for the Bui River Basin in Vietnam. Locals living in or around flood-affected areas participated in data collection campaigns as citizen scientists using self-investigation or investigation with a data collection app, a web form, and paper forms. We developed a community-based rainfall monitoring network in the study area using low-cost rain gauges to draw locals' attention to the citizen science program. 59 participants contributed 594 completed questionnaires and measurements for four investigated subjects in the first year of implementation. Five citizen scientists were active participants and contributed more than 50 completed questionnaires or measurements, while nearly 50% of citizen scientists participated only one time. We compared the flood risk-related data obtained from citizen scientists with other independent data sources and found that the agreement between the two datasets on flooding points, land use classification, and the flood damage rate to paddy fields was acceptable (overall agreement above 73%). Rainfall monitoring activities encouraged the participants to proactively update data on flood events and land use situations during the data collection campaign. The study’s outcomes demonstrate that citizen science can help to fill the gap in flood data in data-scarce areas.
Experimental and Numerical Investigation of the Impacts of Rotor Tip-Rake on Excitation Forces of Pump-Jet Propulsors
Authors: Ji Xue-Qin , Zhang Xiao-Song , Yang Chen-Jun , Dong Xiao-Qian
Published: September 2023

The tip-clearance flow in a pump-jet propulsor exerts great impacts on the fluctuating pressures and resultant unsteady forces, which are important sources of structural vibrations and radiated noise underwater. The blade geometry close to the tip is an important factor determining the vortex strength in the tip-clearance flow. In the open-water condition, the effects of raking the rotor tips on duct-surface fluctuating pressures and the resultant unsteady forces acting on different components of the propulsor are investigated via physical model experiments and the numerical solution of Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes equations coupled with the SST k-ω turbulence model. The measured and simulated results of hydrodynamic pressures are consistent to each other, and the simulated flows help better understand why the fluctuating pressures change with the tip geometry. The strong fluctuations of duct-surface pressures are caused by intensive tip separation vortices. The duct-surface pressure fluctuations are effectively reduced by using the rake distribution near the tip towards blade back side and, for the combination of the five-bladed rotor and the seven-bladed stator, the resultant unsteady horizontal (and vertical) forces acting on the duct and stator are also reduced. While increasing rake leads to negative effect on pressure fluctuations and unsteady horizontal (and vertical) forces acting on all the components of the propulsor.
Antibacterial and antibiofilm activities of the metabolites isolated from a sponge-associated strain of Streptomyces sp. NBU3429
Authors: Ding Lijian , Huang Guobao , Wang Qiang , Wen Huimin , Li Jinling , Wang Xiao , He Shan
Published: September 2023

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) can easily form biofilms on food surfaces, thus leading to cross-contamination, which is difficult to remove. Therefore, there is an urgent need to find alternatives with good antibacterial and antibiofilm effects. In this study, two indole sesquiterpene compounds, xiamycin (1) and chlorinated metabolite chloroxiamycin (2), were isolated from fermentation liquid of Streptomyces sp. NBU3429 for the first time. The chemical structures of the two compounds were characterized by spectroscopic data interpretation, including 1D NMR and HRESIMS analysis. Antimicrobial test showed that chloroxiamycin (2) (MIC = 16µg/mL) exhibited superior antibacterial activity than xiamycin (1) (MIC = 32µg/mL) against MRSA ATCC43300. Moreover, compound (2) decreased the biofilm formation rate of MRSA ATCC43300 by 12.7%-84.6% in the concentration range of 32–512 µg/mL, which is relatively stronger than xiamycin (1) (4.1%-49.9%) as well. Antibacterial/antibiofilm mechanisms investigation indicated that chloroxiamycin (2) could disrupt the cell wall and membrane of MRSA, inhibiting the production of biofilm extracellular polysaccharides. All these results illustrated that chloroxiamycin (2) is an effective antibacterial/biofilm agent, which makes it an attractive candidate for food preservative.
Comparative Study of DTMUV and LPS on Duck Liver Disease
Authors: Lan Zhenghui , Sun Zhigang , Wang Yi , Li Huatao , Sun Xuejing
Published: September 2023

Background
In order to study the structure of adult duck liver and compare the pathological changes induced by duck Tembusu virus (DTMUV) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in duck liver, the structural characteristics of duck liver were identified by HE staining, reticular fiber staining, trichromatic staining, and then the pathological changes caused by DTMUV virus strains XZ-2012 and LPS in adult duck liver were studied from the perspective of comparing viral and bacterial infections.
Results
The results showed that normal duck liver was reddish brown, the liver lobule boundary was not obvious, and no obvious interlobular bile duct and bile duct were found. By injecting ink into the jugular vein, the location of Kupffer's cells can be located. After DTMUV infection, the liver was swollen, congested, and yellow in color. Lymphocyte infiltration, increased reticular fibers, thickened basement membrane, obvious vacuoles in the liver cells, and increased number of red blood cells in the hepatic sinuses can be seen in the central vein and around the portal area. After LPS infection, the liver was slightly enlarged, no vacuolar degeneration was found in the liver cells, a large number of lymphocytes gathered around the blood vessels, and reticular fibers were significantly increased. The number of Kupffer cells increased after infection.
Conclusions
The pathological changes induced by DTMUV and lipopolysaccharide after invading the liver were explored, which provide theoretical basis for the pathogenicity of avian virus and bacteria and the defense mechanism of the liver.
Levy Based Optimisation in Performance Enhanced Smart Antenna System for 5G Communication
Authors: FAWAD IFFATH , KUMARASWAMY H V
Published: September 2023

Optimisation in Antenna arrays is essential for enhancing various performance parameters such as Side Lobe Levels (SLL), Null positioning and Beam Steering by choosing optimum values for element positions, amplitude excitations or phase values. The objective of this paper is to find the optimum element positions and amplitude excitations using hybridised optimisation algorithm namely: Levy Grey Wolf Optimisation (LGWO) Algorithm. This paper explains the hybridisation of the optimisation algorithm with the Levy Flights (LF) walk concept. The performance of the hybridised algorithm is analysed numerically for a 10-element Dipole Array using MATLAB and compared with results from High Frequency Simulation Software (HFSS). LGWO resulted in 13.18 dB SLL reduction with 0.7 dB Gain enhancement and 20 reduction in First Null Beam Width (FNBW) as compared to the Uniform Linear Dipole Array. MATLAB simulations are carried out for a 28-element Uniform Linear Dipole Array to demonstrate applicability of LGWO in Null positioning and beam steering: 3 Nulls were placed at [1200, 122.50, 1250] with SLL reduced to -19.29 dB for a beam steered pattern using amplitude excitation optimisation.
Non-thermal plasma (NTP) treatment of Trigonella foenum-graecum L. seeds stimulates the sprout growth and the production of nutraceutical compounds
Authors: Motrescu Iuliana , Lungoci Constantin , Ciolan Mihai Alexandru , Jitareanu Gerard
Published: September 2023

The possibility to stimulate the production of some nutraceutical properties of fenugreek sprouts by non-thermal plasma (NTP) processing of the seeds in different conditions was studied. Seeds were treated in direct plasma and direct plasma with a cover, to keep the reactive species near the place where the seeds were. Moreover, the effect of seed pre-soaking was investigated. The outcome of plasma processing was analyzed on the seeds by micro-imagining their surface after treatments, determining the water contact angle, and studying the germination potential. Biometric and biochemical measurements were performed on the resulting sprouts to determine their length, weight, concentrations of photosynthetic pigments, polyphenols, flavonoids, and total protein, with Pearson correlation analysis of the results. We found that it is possible to stimulate the germination of the sprouts, especially for the pre-soaked seeds, and also the growth of the sprouts by about 50%. The concentrations of chlorophyll pigments increased mostly for pre-soaked seeds when exposed to direct plasma without cover more than in with-cover treatments. Direct plasma treatment for 30 s of dry seeds led to a flavonoid concentration triple compared to one of untreated seeds. For polyphenols and antioxidant activity, with cover treatment proved to be better, with an increase, especially for 90 s treatment with cover of the pre-soaked seeds. All the results indicate the possibility of tuning the nutraceutical properties of fenugreek sprouts by NTP treatment.
The selective vulnerability and susceptibility of cerebellar subdivisions in Alzheimer's disease: A study from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative
Authors: Wang Yan , Zhao Kui , Duan Ruihua , Qiu Shijun , Initiative Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative Alzheimer's Dise
Published: September 2023

Background
The cerebellum undergoes substantial alternations in Alzheimer's disease (AD) both pathologically and morphologically. However, there were few studies focusing on morphological changes occurring within distinct subregions of the cerebellum in AD. In this vein, we aimed to investigate the selective vulnerability and susceptibility of cerebellar subdivisions in AD and the impacts of their volume alterations on cognition.
Methods
We screened data from 44 patients with AD and 61 healthy controls (HCs) from the AD Neuroimaging Initiative-2 database. T1-weighted images were utilized to determine volumetric changes. A standardized pipeline was implemented for cerebellar parcellation and volume calculation. The relationships between volumetric changes in cerebellar subunits and cognition were explored.
Results
AD group had higher Alzheimer's disease Assessment Scale–Cognitive Subscale (ADAS-Cog) scores compared to the HCs, whereas their Mini-Mental State Examination scores were lower than the HCs. After adjusting for age, gender, duration of education, and intracranial volume and conducting false discovery rate correction, six out of the 28 subunits exhibited significant difference between groups including lobules bilateral Crus I, Left V, bilateral VIIB, Right VIIIA. Specifically, the volume of bilateral Crus I, Left V lobules in AD group were smaller, whereas the rest of the subunits with group difference were volumetrically larger in AD group. The volume of the Left V lobule in the AD group showed a negative correlation with ADAS-Cog scores.
Conclusions
In summary, the study highlighted that certain cerebellar subdivisions were susceptible to AD, and revealed the potential impacts of volume alterations in these regions on cognition.
The predictive value of peripheral blood CD4 cells ATP concentration for immune-related adverse events in advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients
Authors: Hou Kailian , Ye Weifan , Huang Qunfeng , Li Weiyi , Tan Zhiqiong , tao Na , yang Dongheng , Lin Haoxin , Deng Zihao , Xia Yuanyuan , Yu Guifang
Published: September 2023

Objective
Lung cancer with the highest incidence and mortality in the world. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), can bring long-term survival benefits to patients, but also can bring immune-related adverse events (irAEs) in some patients during therapy. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the predictive effect of peripheral blood WBC, NLR, sATPCD4 and nATPCD4 on irAEs in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)
Methods
Clinical data of 112 patients with advanced NSCLC who were treated with PD -1/PD -L1 inhibitor in the Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University from December 15, 2019 to April 30, 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. These patients were divided into the irAEs group (n = 27) and non-irAEs group (n = 85). The clinical data of the two groups were compared. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were drawn to determine the threshold value of baseline peripheral blood parameters to predict the occurrence of irAEs. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to explore the relationship between peripheral blood markers and the incidence of irAEs.
Results
The patient characteristics have no significant difference between irAEs and non-irAEs group. But the baseline peripheral blood WBC, sATPCD4 and nATPCD4 of patients in the irAEs group were higher than those in the non-irAEs group (p < 0.05), and the NLR in irAEs group was similar to in the non-irAEs group (p = 0.639).Univariate analysis showed that high WBC, sATPCD4 and nATPCD4 may the risk factors for the occurrence of irAEs (p < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that high sATPCD4 and nATPCD4 were independent risk factors for the occurrence of irAEs (p < 0.05). The best critical values of WBC, sATPCD4 and nATPCD4 before treatment for predicting the occurrence of irAEs were 8.165×109cells/L (AUC = 0.705) ,484.5 ng/mL (AUC = 0.777), and 156 ng/mL (AUC = 0.840), respectively.
Conclusions
sATPCD4 and nATPCD4 were independent risk factors for the occurrence of irAEs in advanced NSCLC patients. This discovery provides a new method to predict the occurrence of irAEs in patients. Based on the prediction results, corresponding treatment measures can be taken to reduce the incidence of adverse events
Exploring and optimizing models to predict the risk of death during hospitalization (within 30 days) in elderly patients with COVID-19
Authors: Ma Yimeng , Liu Bowei , Zeng Linna
Published: September 2023

To explore new models on the basis of the CURB-65 score for predicting the risk of death in elderly patients with COVID-19 during their hospitalization and estimate their prediction effectiveness. A retrospective analysis of the clinical data of 200 patients aged ≥ 60 years who received inpatient treatment for COVID-19 at the First Hospital of Qinhuangdao between December 13, 2022 and January 16, 2023 was done. The study population was divided into two groups, death (n = 55) and survival (n = 145), and the clinical data of patients in both groups were compared. The new risk predictors of death and their respective β values were obtained by Logistic univariate regression analysis and multivariate analysis. The score weights of the variables contained in the new models were determined according to the β values. New models were constructed, and the AUC of the ROC curve was applied to evaluate the predictive performance of each model. Logistic multivariate regression analysis revealed CRP/albumin ratio (β = 1.517, P < 0.001), AST (β = 0.879, P = 0.021), and D-dimer (β = 1.025, P = 0.008) as independent risk predictors of death in elderly inpatients with COVID-19. The construction of models to predict the risk of in-hospital mortality in elderly patients with COVID-19 showed that the AUC for Model 1 (CURB-65 score) to predict the risk of death during hospitalization in elderly patients with COVID-19 was 0.777 (95%CI: 0.700-0.854), the AUC for Model 2 (CURB-65 + CRP/albumin ratio score) was 0.829 (95%CI: 0.762–0.896), the AUC for Model 3 (CURB-65 + CRP/albumin ratio + AST score) was 0.846 (95%CI: 0.782–0.910), and the AUC for Model 4 (CURB-65 + CRP/albumin ratio + D-dimer score) was 0.836 (95%CI: 0.771–0.901), Model 5 (CRP/albumin ratio + AST + D-dimer score) had an AUC of 0.782 (95%CI: 0.704–0.860), Model 6 (CURB-65 + CRP/albumin ratio + AST + D-dimer score) had an AUC of 0.849 (95%CI: 0.785–0.914), Model 7 (CURB-65 + AST score) had an AUC of 0.817 (95%CI: 0.747–0.886), Model 8 (CURB-65 + D-dimer score) had an AUC of 0.796 (95%CI: 0.723–0.869), and Model 9 (CURB-65 + AST + D-dimer score) had an AUC of 0.824 (95%CI: 0.754–0.895). Model 3 and Model 6 showed statistically significant differences (P < 0.05) compared to AUC with CURB-65 scores. The difference in AUC between Model 3 and Model 6 is not statistically significant, but the sensitivity of Model 3 is higher at 0.898. Model 3 and Model 6 have better predictive power compared to the CURB-65 score for the risk of death during hospitalization for elderly patients with COVID-19, and Model 3 is more concise.
Can Bipartite Graph Be Effective Tool for Clustering: A Self Organizing Map-based Automated Plant Disease Detection
Authors: Ghosh Aditi , Roy Parthajit
Published: September 2023

An innovative approach for automated plant disease identification has been proposed in this study. The main contribution of this study is the introduction of a bipartite graph-based clustering technique that has been used for image segmentation, a feature extraction methodology using Self Organizing Map (SOM), and a ray tracing method. Numerous research works have already been done in this area with their respective merits and demerits. But this bipartite graph-based clustering for image segmentation, feature extraction using SOM and ray tracing technique has not been used in any of these studies as far as we are aware. The core idea behind this clustering technique is to represent similar spatial data points using a bipartite graph and then Singular Value Decomposition has been used on that graph for clustering. It is common to use SOM for clustering. However, in this study, SOM has been used for feature extraction. First, a spatial dependency matrix based on the pixel value of the gray image has been constructed using SOM. Then some statistical features have been computed from this matrix. Using the ray tracing method, the length of the most extended cluster i.e. the length of the most extended disease-affected patch, and the distribution of the clusters in the image have been computed. The accuracy of our model has been greatly enhanced using these features only. It has been experimented on disease-affected Grape leaf images taken from the Plant Village Dataset. This model outperforms state-of-the-art models which is shown in the result section. Not only that, the proposed features produce better accuracy rather than using some existing features. This comparison has also been shown in the result section. The result has been validated using K-fold cross-validation. Last, but not the least, these features produce good accuracy using different classifiers also.
Using Coleoptera and Odonata as a monitoring tool for improving protected lake habitat characterisation: a case study from Ireland
Authors: Cappelli Giovanni , Gray Emma , Gammell Martin , Lally Heather
Published: September 2023

“Oligotrophic waters containing very few minerals of sandy plains” (code 3110) and “Natural dystrophic lakes and ponds” (code 3160) are two protected lake habitats under Annex I of the European Union Habitats Directive, despite this, their conservation condition is considered unfavourable in most European biogeographic regions. The available classifications rely heavily on water chemistry and phytosociology while leaving other taxa under described. This study used Coleoptera and Odonata communities as a monitoring tool to characterise and distinguish both lake habitat types. Samples were collected from 24 sites in western Ireland over two seasons (spring and summer) using standard sweep netting methods. Despite considerable overlap in assemblages, communities were shaped by lake habitat type, sampling region and season, where lake habitat 3110 hosted a higher diversity of taxa in summer dominated by dragonflies associated with larger, warmer oligotrophic waters, while lake habitat 3160 reflected higher beetle fauna in spring resembling small, turbid, stagnant waterbodies. This research highlights the potential use of aquatic invertebrates as an important monitoring tool for these lake habitats, serves to deepen the current knowledge and fill gaps in their classification, hence improving their conservation condition assessment methods for Member States when reporting under the Habitat Directive.
Optimization of Cloud Services Performance using Static and Dynamic Load Balancing Algorithms
Authors: kumar Raj , Garg Rachit , Sharma Ravi Kumar , Dalip Dalip , Singh Tejbir , Malik Arun , Kumpsuprom Siridech
Published: September 2023

Cloud computing occurs across many operating systems, there is a possibility of resource stalemate during resource allocation. The currently available algorithms, such as Min-Min, Min-Max, and Round Robin, among others, all have issues with overhead, hunger, and deadlock. The strategy that was proposed is successful in overcoming the restrictions that were described before. The proposed technique was carried out by taking into account the virtual machine's average response time, maximum response time, lowest response time, and waiting time throughout the migration process. This was done with the goal of avoiding the stalemate. The proposed approach decreases the amount of time required to respond while simultaneously increasing the cloud's overall efficiency.