bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Group B Streptococci Recto-Vaginal Colonization, Antimicrobial Susceptibility Pattern and Associated factors among Pregnant Women at Selected Health Facilities of Wolaita Sodo Town, Southern Ethiopia
Authors: Shano Abera Kumalo , Takele Biruk Gebre , Jejaw Shimelis Shiferaw , Dana Wokil Wolde , Jagiso Tamirayehu Shonde
Published: June 2023

Background: Streptococcus agalactiae or Group B Streptococcal colonization of the gastrointestinal and genital tracts of pregnant women usually remains asymptomatic; even if it is the critical determinant of infection in neonates and young infants. It causes early and late onset of invasive Group B Streptococcus (GBS) disease manifesting as septicemia, meningitis and pneumonia. Now it is recognized as an important cause of maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality in many parts of the world including Ethiopia where the magnitude of the problem has been little studied. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of GBS colonization, to identify associated risk factors and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern among pregnant women at selected health facilities of Wolaita Sodo Town, Southern Ethiopia. Methodology: A health facility based cross-sectional study design was conducted at WSUCSH & Wolaita Sodo Health Center from June to August, 2022. A total of 279 pregnant women who were in ANC follow up with at 35-37 weeks of gestation were included. For GBS isolation, recto-vaginal swabs were inoculated in 1ml Todd-Hewitt broth medium supplemented with 10μg/ml colistin and 15μg/ml nalidixic acid and followed by identification of isolates based on colonial morphology, gram stains, catalase reaction and CAMP tests. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using modified Kirby–Bauer disk diffusion method. All collected data were organized in Epi info 4.6.0.2, then transfer tabulated using SPSS version 20. Logistic regression analysis was used to see the association between variables. Finally, the p-value < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: In present study, 279 pregnant mothers included and their age was between 15 to 38 years with a mean of 26.5 ± 4.5 years. Of all participants, the highest 120 (43.01%) were housewives. The overall carriage rate of GBS was 67(24.0%). GBS colonization showed a statistically significant association with college and above levels of maternal education [AOR= 6.610, 95% CI (1.724 - 25.349), P=0.01]. High susceptibility of GBS isolate was seen to Penicillin G & Chloramphenicol (92.5%) for each, Ampicillin, and Ceftriaxone (89.6%) each, following Vancomycin (74.62%), and Erythromycin (77%). Relatively, GBS showed high resistance to Tetracycline (88 %). Conclusion: In this study, the overall prevalence of GBS colonization was 24.0%. College and above educational level was statistically significant with GBS colonization. This study used to give attention to the management of pregnant women by making GBS culture one of the routine diagnoses during ANC follow-up and to prevent infection by early detection.
The (α, p)-Golden Metric Manifolds and Their Submanifolds
Authors: Hretcanu Cristina E. , Crasmareanu Mircea
Published: June 2023

The notion of Golden structure was introduced 15 years ago by the present authors and know a constant interest by several geometers. Now, we propose a new generalization apart of that called metallic structure and considered also by the authors. By adding a compatible Riemannian metric we focus on the study of submanifolds in this setting.
Development of a Two- Stage Hydrometallurgical Technology for Processing Gold-Antimony Concentrate from the Olimpiadinskoe Deposit
Authors: Rusalev Rostislav , Rogozhnikov Denis , Dizer Oleg , Golovkin Dmitry , Karimov Kirill
Published: June 2023

An integrated two-stage metallurgical technology has been developed for processing concentrates from the Olimpiadinskoe deposit with high antimony and arsenic content. The parameters of the alkaline sulphide leaching process of the initial concentrate of the Olimpiadinskoe deposit, providing maximum extraction of antimony in solution at 99% level have been recommended. The L:S ratio = 4,5:1; the concentration of sodium sulphide - 61 g/L; the concentration of sodium-hydroxide – 6,5 g/L; the duration – 3 hours; the temperature – 50 °C. A synergistic effect of alkaline sulphide leach cakes co-processing by sulphuric and nitric acids has been determined. Pre-treatment allows to reduce the composition of nitric acid by converting the carbonates into gypsum and increases the extraction of arsenic by 15 % at the following nitric leaching. Laboratory research of nitric acid leaching of decarbonized cake allowed to set the basic parameters for maximum iron and arsenic extraction in solution (92 and 98 %): the L:S ratio =9:1; the concentration of nitric acid – 6 mol/L; the time – 90 min. The full polynomial equations for iron and arsenic extraction from decarbonised cake have been derived. The model is relevant since the value the determination coefficients for iron and arsenic R2 were 96,7 and 93,2 %. The high value of gold recovery from the cake of two-stage alkaline sulphide and nitric acid leach cake at 95 % has been established. The maximum value of arsenic deposition from the nitrate leach solution in the form of the insoluble deposition As2S3 99,9 %. A basic technological flowsheet diagram for flotation gold-antimony processing for the Olimpiadinskoe deposit has been developed; it includes two redistributions: production of metallic antimony and gold extraction from the nitric leach cake.
Phylogenetic Analysis and Codon Usage Bias Reveal the Potential of Feline and Canine Chaphamaparvovirus for Cross-species Transmission
Authors: Guo Xu , Zhang Yingying , Pan Yang , Yang Kankan , Tong Xinxin , Wang Yong
Published: June 2023

Chaphamaparvovirus (ChPV) is an ancient virus that has been detected in a variety of hosts. In this study, based on the phylogenetic analysis and the adaptability of ChPV to multiple hosts, we evaluated the potential of feline (FeChPV) and canine ChPV (CaChPV) for cross-species transmis-sion. Phylogenetic analysis showed that FeChPV and CaChPV were closely related. Notably, two strains of ChPVs isolated from domestic cats and 2 from dogs clustered together with CaChPVs and FeChPVs, respectively, suggesting the stringent boundaries between canine and feline ChPV may be broken. Further analysis revealed that CaChPV and FeChPV were more adapted to dogs than to cats, strongly suggesting the possibility of unidirectional or bidirectional transmission be-tween dogs and cats. Mutation analysis identified several shared mutations in cross-species-transmissible strains that were not located within immune epitopes. Furthermore, the VP struc-tures of FeChPV and CaChPV exhibited a high degree of similarity across both cross-species-transmissible and non-cross-species-transmissible strains. However, definitive experimental evi-dence is lacking, and its capacity for cross-species transmission should be approached with cau-tion and elucidated in further studies.
Metabolic Fingerprints of Effective Fluoxetine Treatment in the Prefrontal Cortex of Chronically Socially Isolated Rats: Marker Candidates and Predictive Metabolites
Authors: Filipovic Dragana Milutin , Inderhees Julica , Korda Alexandra , Tadić Predrag , Schwaninger Markus , Inta Dragoš , Borgwardt Stefan
Published: June 2023

The increasing prevalence of depression worldwide requires more effectiveness in therapy approaches and a molecular understanding of antidepressants mode of action. We carried out untargeted metabolomics of the prefrontal cortex of rats exposed to chronic social isolation (CSIS), a rat model of depression, and/or fluoxetine treatment using liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry. The behavioral phenotype was assessed by the forced swim test. To analyze metabolomics data, univariate and multivariate analysis and biomarker capacity assessment using the classical receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were used. Support vector machine-linear kernel (SVM-LK), as a machine-learning algorithm was performed for binary classification. Upregulated myo-inositol following CSIS may represent a potential marker of depressive phenotype. Effective fluoxetine treatment reversed depressive-like behavior and increased sedoheptulose 7-phosphate, hypotaurine, and acetyl-L-carnitine contents, which were identified as potential markers. We identified 4 or 10 marker candidates with ROC curve greater than 0.9 for CSIS or fluoxetine effectiveness designation. SVM-LK has given accuracy of 61.50%, or 93.30%, and 7 or 25 predictive metabolites for CSIS vs. control and fluoxetine-treated CSIS vs. CSIS classification. Overall, metabolic fingerprints combined with ROC curve and SVM-LK may represent a new approach to identifying potential markers or predicting metabolites for group designation or classification.
The Concentration of PCSK9-Lp(a) Complexes and the Level of Blood Monocytes in Males with Coronary Atherosclerosis
Authors: Filatova Anastasiia Yu. , Afanasieva Olga I. , Arefieva Tatiana I. , Potekhina Alexandra V. , Tyurina Alexandra V. , Klesareva Elena A. , Razova Oksana A. , Ezhov Marat V. , Pokrovsky Sergey N.
Published: June 2023

In this study we analyzed the concentration of lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)], PCSK9-Lp(a) complexes and the circulating monocyte subsets in coronary atherosclerosis. 257 patients with coronary atherosclerosis (CA) and 68 patients without stenotic atherosclerosis in the coronary, carotid and lower extremity arteries (control group) were enrolled. Monocyte subpopulations (classical CD14++CD16-, intermediate CD14++CD16+, non-classical CD14+CD16+) were analyzed by direct immunofluorescence and flow cytometry. Lp(a) and PCSK9-Lp(a) complexes in serum were detected by ELISA. The concentration of Lp(a) was higher in CA group compared to controls (23.0 (9.1;73.3) mg/dL versus 10.7 (4.7;25.0) mg/dL, p<0.05). No correlations between the level of Lp(a) and the concentration of PCSK9-Lp(a) complexes, nor between the level of Lp(a) or PCSK9 and the total number of monocytes were observed in both groups. A slight positive correlation between the concentration of PCSK9-Lp(a) complexes and the absolute level of monocytes was obtained (r=0.20, p=0.002) in patients with atherosclerosis predominantly due to intermediate monocyte subsets (r=0.33, p=0.04). According to regression analysis both PCSK9-Lp(a) complex concentration and BMI were related to the absolute number of blood monocytes in patients with atherosclerosis. Further studies are required to determine the pathogenetic contribution of PCSK9-Lp(a) complexes to the development of atherosclerosis.
Metabolic Reprogramming of Immunity in Obesity and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2).
Authors: Mehta Rucha , Nguyen Huy , Deshpande Neeta , Venketaraman Vishwanath
Published: June 2023

The risks for complications of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) infection are higher in obese individuals. Obesity is a state of chronic low-grade inflammation, with high leptin levels due to leptin resistance, high basal levels of other pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-alpha, MCP-I and IL-6, and low adiponectin levels, thus contributing to a state of defective innate immunity as well as impaired B and T cell responses. Obesity is a risk factor for metabolic syndrome, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and hypertension. It has been observed that pre-existence of these diseases confers a higher risk of severe SARS CoV2 infection as well as the need for intensive care; even below the age of 60 years if their body mass index (BMI) is greater than 30 kg/m2, and even more so if it is > 35 kg/m2.
The metabolic factors contributing to the changes in altering the immune mechanisms in obese individuals and how this enhances the susceptibility to infection and development of serious SARS-CoV2 infection have been the subject of many debates. Future development of targeted therapy and guidelines will be benefited by greater understanding into these metabolic pathways.
Solid Polymer Electrolytes for Zinc Ion Batteries
Authors: De Cachinho Cordeiro Ivan Miguel , Li Ao , Lin Bo , Ma Daphne Xiuyun , Xu Lulu , Eh Alice Lee-Sie , Wang Wei
Published: June 2023

To date, zinc ion batteries (ZIBs) have been attracting extensive attention due to their outstanding properties and the potential to be the solution for next-generation energy storage systems. However, the uncontrollable growth of zinc dendrites and water-splitting issues seriously restrict the further scalable application. Over the past few years, solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) have been regarded as a promising alternative to address these challenges and facilitate the practical advancement of zinc batteries. In this review, we revisited the research progress of SPEs applied in zinc batteries in the past few years and focus on introducing cutting-edge polymer science and technologies that can be utilized to prepare advanced SPEs for high-performance zinc batteries. The operating mechanism of SPEs and the functions of polymers will be summarized. To highlight the polymer functions, SPEs are categorized into three types, respectively, homogenous polymer SPEs, hybrids polymer SPEs, and nanocomposites SPEs, which are expected to reveal the roles and principles of various polymers in zinc batteries. This review presents the current research progress and fundamental mechanisms of polymer-based SPEs in zinc batteries, outlines the challenging issues encountered, and meanwhile proposes potential solutions for future endeavours.
Effects of Dairy Cows Management Systems on the Physicochemical and Nutritional Quality of Milk and Yogurt, in a North-Eastern Romanian Farm
Authors: Rațu Roxana Nicoleta , Cârlescu Petru Marian , Usturoi Marius Giorgi , Lipșa Florin Daniel , Veleșcu Ionuț Dumitru , Arsenoaia Vlad Nicolae , Florea Andreea Mihaela , Ciobanu Marius Mihai , Radu-Rusu Răzvan-Mihail , Postolache Alina Narcisa , Simeanu Daniel
Published: June 2023

The study's objective was to investigate changes in the fatty acid composition of cow milk in general and in 80 Romanian Spotted cows' husbandry and feeding systems in particular (grazing – GC group vs. stabulation – SC group). The ultimate objective was to determine if the changes that happened in the milk also transferred to the finished product. Also, the influence of the raw milk quality produced by both systems was evaluated when yogurt was made from it. The milk was gathered in May, July, and September and used for both the yogurt-making process and the study, which lasted from May to October. As comparison to milk from SC, milk from grazed caws had larger percentages of fat and dry matter throughout the summer (GC) season. Moreover, pasture-based rations (MGC) contained more PUFA than MCS did. Data research revealed that not only do factors like milk origin and initial quality have a substantial impact on yogurt quality parameters, but also technologies like milk fermentation have a considerable impact on the fatty acid profile of yogurt. As comparison to cows kept permanently in stables, grazed cows (MGC) had fat with a lower concentration of saturated fatty acids and a higher proportion of rumenic, vaccenic, and oleic acids (MSC). When fresh milk is processed into yogurt and other dairy products, the fatty acid profiles alter, with saturated fatty acids predominating over unsaturated ones. The findings show that pasture-fed cows have a positive impact on milk quality, particularly in terms of fatty acid profile, as well as on yogurt's ultimate nutritional and dietary quality.
Preexposure Prophylaxis against COVID-19 with Tixagevimab/Cilgavimab in Slovenian National Cohort of Kidney Transplant Recipients
Authors: Borštnar Špela , Arnol Miha , Večerić Haler Željka , Mlinšek Gregor
Published: June 2023

Tixagevimab/cilgavimab (TIXA/CILGA) was introduced in early 2022 as a promising new drug for pre-exposure prophylaxis against COVID-19 in immunocompromised patients. The aim of our study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of TIXA/CILGA in a Slovenian national cohort of kidney transplant recipients as pre-exposure prophylaxis in the Omicron era. Demographic, clinical, laboratory, and therapeutic data were collected from electronic and paper medical rec-ords. Of the 106 patients who received TIXA/CILGA, 6 patients (5.7%) subsequently acquired SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infection. The incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection was only slightly lower compared with patients who did not receive TIXA/CILGA (7.0%). All patients who re-ceived TIXA/CILGA had a mild disease course, whereas 20% of patients who did not receive TIXA/CILGA required hospitalization and two patients died. Adverse effects most likely related to TIXA/CILGA occurred in 12% of patients, one of whom experienced deep vein thrombosis. None of the patients suffered acute myocardial infarction or cerebrovascular insult. Overall, the benefit of added protection for kidney transplant patients appears to outweigh the potential risk of adverse events and provide additional protection against severe COVID-19 protection.
Generalizability of a Random Forest-based model of maize lodging built with satellite image data and its application to monitoring and evaluating maize lodging risks
Authors: Guo Huirong , Ming Bo , Nie Chenwei , Zhang Guoqiang , Yang Hongye , Gao Shang , Xue Beibei , Xin Jiangfeng , Feng Dayun , Jia Biao , Hou Peng , Xue Jun , Xie Ruizhi , Wang Keru , Li Shaokun
Published: June 2023

Lodging is a common problem in maize production that seriously impacts yield, quality, and the capacity for mechanical harvesting. Evaluation of site-specific lodging risks requires establishment of a method for multi-year monitoring. In this study, spectral images collected by the Sentinel-2 satellite were processed to obtain three types of data: gray-level co-occurrence matrix texture (GLCM), vegetation indices (VIs), and spectral reflectance (SR). Lodging classification models were then established with Random Forest (RF) using each of the three data types separately (the GLCM, VI, and SR models) and in combination (SR+VI model, SR+GLCM model, VI+GLCM mod-el, and SR+VI+GLCM model). By gradually removing features with low importance scores from the SR+VI+GLCM model and analyzing the changes in the overall accuracy (OA), the optimal set of predictive variables was identified and used to construct the optimal model. A model built us-ing data from a single timepoint in 2021 was tested on data collected at a similar timepoint in 2019 and vice versa to assess interannual model generalizability. The results of this study demon-strate that for monitoring maize lodging, models constructed with a single feature type, the GLCM model had significantly lower accuracy compared to the VI and SR models. During certain growth stages, the model constructed with combined features had significantly higher accuracy in monitoring maize lodging compared to models constructed with a single feature. During the pro-cess of selecting the optimal predictive variables, it was found that the accuracy of the model did not increase as the number of predictive variables increased. The results show that the positive and negative validation models had an accuracy of 96.55% and 95.18%, with kappa values of 0.93 and 0.83, respectively. This indicates that the model has strong generality for the same repro-ductive stage between years. This study provides a detailed method for large-scale maize lodging monitoring, allowing for identification of optimal planting practices to reduce the probability of lodging and ultimately improving regional maize yield and quality.
SORPTION PROPERTIES OF OXIDIZED AND NON-OXIDIZED ACTIVATED CARBON FOR COPPER(II) IONS
Authors: Khobotova ElinaBorysivna , Datsenko VitaVasylivna
Published: June 2023

The problem of obtaining effective sorption materials is relevant in connection with the growing volumes of industrial wastewater and the development of individual technologies for their purification, including sorption methods. Activated carbon has established itself as a unique sorbent with a high sorption capacity for compounds of various nature. Modification of its surface, its oxidation leads to an increase in adsorption activity. The aim of this work is to compare the sorption properties of oxidized and non-oxidized activated carbon with respect to copper(II) ions. The concentration of Cu(II) ions in the solution was determined by atomic absorption analysis on an MGA-915 spectrometer. The degree of coal oxidation was characterized by the value of the static exchange capacity. Studies on the model synthetic nitrogen-containing carbon SKN showed the presence of different amounts of oxygen-containing surface functional groups: weakly acidic (lactonic) ‒COO‒; strongly acidic (carboxylic) ‒COOH; phenolic ‒OH. It is shown that without access to oxygen, the mechanisms of interaction of activated carbon of different oxidation states with Cu(II) ions are different: when weakly oxidized carbon is used, reductive sorption occurs, and if highly oxidized carbon serves as a sorbent, ion exchange occurs. It was found that for SKN coal with a low oxygen content, the boundary sorption of Cu(II) ions in a deaerated medium is about 40 mg/g; in the presence of oxygen, it decreases to 6 mg/g. An increase in the proportion of carboxyl and phenolic groups leads to an increase in the sorption of Cu(II) ions. Reductive sorption of copper(II) from aerated solutions is thermodynamically prohibited. It is recommended to use additional oxidation of coal to increase the content of PFG and the sorption capacity of the sorbent. For the extraction of copper(II) from aqueous technological solutions, carbon materials with a sufficient amount of oxygen-containing functional groups of various nature are most effective.
ELECTRONIC INFORMATION AS EVIDENCE
Authors: Semko Mykhailo , Krakhmalyov Oleksandr
Published: June 2023

The widespread use of digital technology both in everyday life and in law enforcement raises the question of the use of digital information in evidence in criminal proceedings. However, there is still no single definition. Thus, quite often the term "digital information" is defined as information in the form of signals of any physical nature, recorded on computer media, the content and / or properties of which establish the presence or absence of circumstances to be proved in criminal proceedings. It is important to understand that such information can be created, transmitted, stored, etc. not only with the help of computer technology, but also with the use of other equipment (dictaphones, digital cameras, camcorders, smartphones, etc.).

Analysis of the state of the issue. Digital information is objective. This is due to the fact that its fixation on digital media occurs without processing by human consciousness - in the form in which it objectively existed, regardless of the perception of the person who fixes it. Most often, this information is created outside the framework of criminal proceedings not to bring it to the attention of the pre-trial investigation or court, but for a completely different purpose. For example, CCTV cameras can be installed for security purposes or to prevent and combat crime. Making a video eliminates the participation of the human factor, because the recording of the event is automatic. As a result, the information obtained in this way is objective.

The current CPC does not contain the concept of "electronic evidence", but the analysis of other procedural codes (including CAS, CPC and CPC) allows us to establish that this concept means information in electronic (digital) form that contains information about the circumstances relevant to the case , in particular, electronic documents (text documents, graphics, plans, photographs, video and audio recordings, etc.), websites (pages), text, multimedia and voice messages, metadata, databases and other data in electronic form.
Intonation of Interrogative Sentences in Learning Arabic for Mahārat al-Kalām
Authors: Utami Sri , Hania Irfan , Imawan Yuli , Syafiqoh Nada Nabilah , Suteja  , Faiqotussana
Published: June 2023

The purpose of this study was to find out the intonation patterns of interrogative sentences for students in class 10 of MAS Al-Hikmah, Soe, Nusa Tenggara Timur, their acceptance by Arabic linguists, and their learning of speaking skills (mahārat al-kalām). This research is a case study that is included in qualitative descriptive research. The data collection technique in this study was to test the intonation of interrogative sentences with the help of the Praat application. The data were analyzed with qualitative descriptive and investigative methods. The results obtained are: first, students of class 10 at MAS Al-Hikmah can apply intonation patterns of Arabic interrogative sentences with varying acceptability values, assisted by teaching aids in the form of articulated sound images and contours. Second, apply the application of interrogative sentence intonation patterns to learning mahārat al-kalām, namely, students and lecturers as parties involved in this learning can apply the principles and fulfill the components of learning Arabic in general.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Secondary to Tuberculous Tenosynovitis With Rice Bodies
Authors: El-Rosasy Mahmoud A , Elrosasy Amr M. , Khaled Abdullah
Published: June 2023

Case:

We report the case of a 34-year-old African man who presented with severe symptoms of recurrent left carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and left hand swelling after previous open decompression. Considering the recurrent unilateral affection of the left hand in a patient working in a slaughterhouse in an area with a moderate burden for tuberculosis, tuberculous infection was suspected. Open surgery and biopsy revealed tuberculous tenosynovitis of flexor tendon sheath and shiny white rice bodies.

Conclusion:

Tuberculous tenosynovitis should be considered as a differential diagnosis of the CTS when there is evidence of proliferative tenosynovitis in patients from an endemic area for tuberculosis.
Chronic Polymicrobial Infectious Melanonychia Striata
Authors: Wu Kitty Y. , Suh Gina A. , Shin Alexander Y.
Published: June 2023

Case:

A 62-year-old man presented with a 10-year history of isolated melanonychia striata of his dominant thumb. Surgical biopsy ruled out subungual melanoma but revealed foreign plant material causing chronic infectious melanonychia from multiple pathogens, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and Candida spp. After removal of the nail plate and thorough debridement, the melanonychial streak resolved completely at 12 months of follow-up.

Conclusion:

Bacterial infection is a rarely reported cause of melanonychia, and in addition to surgical pathologic specimens, intraoperative fungal and bacterial cultures should always be obtained for accurate diagnosis of melanonychia striata.
Treatment and Outcome of a “Floating Fibula” Injury
Authors: Joseph Elias G. , Morgan Dustin D. , Mutty Christopher E.
Published: June 2023

Case:

We report a case of a rare “floating fibula” ankle injury characterized by dislocation of the proximal tibiofibular joint (PTFJ), syndesmosis disruption, complete deltoid disruption, and tibiotalar dislocation without fibula fracture in a 44-year-old man. Imaging includes preoperative and postoperative radiographs and CT scans. Treatment involved reduction and screw fixation of the syndesmosis and PTFJ with planned screw removal. A successful clinical and radiographic outcome was achieved at the 15-month follow-up.

Conclusion:

This case highlights the unique features of the “floating fibula” injury and shows that reduction and intraoperative assessment may be more challenging than a typical Maisonneuve injury.
Inversion Framework of Reservoir Parameters Based on Deep Autoregressive Surrogate and Continual Learning Strategy
Authors: Zhang Kai , Fu Wenhao , Zhang Jinding , Zhou Wensheng , Liu Chen , Liu Piyang , Zhang Liming , Yan Xia , Yang Yongfei , Sun Hai , Yao Jun
Published: June 2023

History matching is a crucial process that enables the calibration of uncertain parameters of the numerical model to obtain an acceptable match between simulated and observed historical data. However, the implementation of the history-matching algorithm is usually based on iteration, which is a computationally expensive process due to the numerous runs of the simulation. To address this challenge, we propose a surrogate model for simulation based on an autoregressive model combined with a convolutional gated recurrent unit (ConvGRU). The proposed ConvGRU-based autoregressive neural network (ConvGRU-AR-Net) can accurately predict state maps (such as saturation maps) based on spatial and vector data (such as permeability and relative permeability, respectively) in an end-to-end fashion. Furthermore, history matching must be performed multiple times throughout the production cycle of the reservoir to fit the most recent production observations, making continual learning crucial. To enable the surrogate model to quickly learn recent data by transferring experience from previous tasks, an ensemble-based continual learning strategy is used. Together with the proposed neural network–based surrogate model, the randomized maximum likelihood (RML) is used to calibrate uncertain parameters. The proposed method is evaluated using 2D and 3D reservoir models. For both cases, the surrogate inversion framework successfully achieves a reasonable posterior distribution of reservoir parameters and provides a reliable assessment of the reservoir’s behaviors.
Autonomous Fracture Conductivity Using Expandable Proppants in Enhanced Geothermal Systems
Authors: Al Balushi Faras , Zhang Qitao , Dahi Taleghani Arash
Published: June 2023

Early thermal breakthrough in enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) due to the presence of preferential flow channels is a major challenge that endangers efficient and economic heat extraction in such systems. Previous studies mainly focused on adjusting circulation rates of the working fluid, which still leaves significant amounts of untapped heat behind. Currently, there is a lack of technologies for altering flow distribution within the fracture network to achieve uniform heat sweeping in the reservoir. This work presents a novel concept for making proppants to autonomously control fracture conductivity based on the surrounding temperature. Here, proppants with negative thermal expansion coefficients have demonstrated the capability for appropriate fracture conductivity adjustment as a function of temperature to achieve uniform flow across the fracture network. Particle-particle interactions governing such functions are explicitly modeled, and then the Lattice Boltzmann methods (LBM) is used to determine the potential impact of closure stress and temperature changes on the permeability of the proposed proppant packs. Microscale analyses are further used to determine the required material properties to achieve a certain improvement in the permeability of the proppant pack. Our analyses show an enhancement in permeability and the associated fracture conductivity by half of their initial values. Field-scale analysis further confirms the effectiveness of the proposed concept as 31.4% more heat can be extracted from EGS over 50 years of production when the proposed proppants are used. Such novel proppants may effectively delay thermal breakthrough, sweep heat from larger rock volumes, and elongate the life span of the EGS project.
Natural recovery of old crop fields in a South African Grassland biome
Authors: Coetzer Willem G. , Coetzer Kayleigh
Published: June 2023

Changing land-use practices has led to an increased rate of cropland abandonment in South Africa. Globally, climate change has increased the need for additional studies on the impact of land abandonment on soil health in arid and semi-arid environments. We, therefore, aimed to measure the changes in soil health with time following abandonment. The study site is located in the Winterberg Mountains of the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Standard soil characteristics were assessed for three recovering old crop fields. Samples from the surrounding natural habitat were also included for comparison. Significant positive changes in soil water-holding capacity and carbon and nitrogen characteristics were observed with increased age since abandonment, pointing to soil quality recovery. It will, however, still take a significant amount of time for total recovery to be achieved. Continuous monitoring of old crop fields in agricultural and formally protected areas is needed to fully understand the long-term effects of cropping on soil quality in this region.
Facile Synthesis of Z-Scheme Fe-nPPy/BiOI Nanocomposite for Enhanced Visible Light Driven Photocatalytic Activity
Authors: Kumar Rajesh , Gogoi Rituporn , Sharma Kajal , Singh Astha , Siril Prem Felix
Published: June 2023

In this work, conducting polymer (CP) and bismuth oxyiodide (BiOI) based Z-scheme nanocomposite photocatalysts were prepared at room temperature. The nanocomposite formation with intimate interfaces were confirmed by advanced characterization techniques. In comparison to pure BiOI and Fe-nPPy, the hybrid nanocomposite, Fe-nPPy/BiOI showed significant enhancement in photocatalytic degradation of crystal violet (CV) dye when exposed to a visible light source. The photocatalyst was versatile for photocatalytic environment remediation as it could degrade pharmaceutical pollutant tetracycline (TC) also. The proper alignment of band edge potential and better interfacial contact between Fe-nPPy and BiOI, which reduce charge recombination in the nanocomposite and enable their better utilisation for the photocatalytic degradation reaction, were attributed to the better photocatalytic performance of the Fe-nPPy/BiOI nanocomposite. Further, the photogenerated electrons were acting as the primary reactive species responsible for degradation process, as per trapping experiments.
Rank-based deep learning from citizen-science data to model plant communities
Authors: Brun Philipp , Karger Dirk , Zurell Damaris , Descombes Patrice , de Witte Lucienne , de Lutio Riccardo , Wegner Jan , Zimmermann Niklaus
Published: June 2023

In the age of big data, scientific progress is fundamentally limited by our capacity to extract critical information. We show that recasting multispecies distribution modeling as a ranking problem allows analyzing ubiquitous citizen-science observations with unprecedented efficiency. Based on 6.7M observations, we jointly modeled the distributions of 2477 plant species and species aggregates across Switzerland, using deep neural networks (DNNs). Compared to commonly-used approaches, multispecies DNNs predicted species distributions and especially community composition more accurately. Moreover, their setup allowed investigating understudied aspects of ecology: including seasonal variations of observation probability explicitly allowed approximating flowering phenology, especially for small, herbaceous species; reweighting predictions to mirror cover-abundance allowed mapping potentially canopy-dominant tree species nationwide; and projecting DNNs into the future allowed assessing how distributions, phenology, and dominance may change. Given their skill and their versatility, multispecies DNNs can refine our understanding of the distribution of plants and well-sampled taxa in general.
Social-Economic and Environment Impacts for a Fish Reverse Supply Chain: A Mixed Integer Linear Optimization Approach
Authors: Vanany Iwan , Wangsa Ivan Darma , Savitri Niken Anggraini , Putera Rizki Revianto , Wibawa Berto Mulya , Atmaja Lukman , Tseng Ming-Lang
Published: June 2023

This study contributes to the fish reverse supply chain due to lack of social-economic and environmental impacts. This study aims to develop a mathematical model for fish reverse supply chain with multi-echelons, multi-products, and multi-periods considering the social-economic (job opportunities and profit) and environmental (carbon emissions) impacts through mixed-integer linear programming (MILP). The proposed model provides social-economic insight for governments to understand the increasing of job opportunities if fish gelatin and powder industries can process fish waste (fish bones and skin). The managerial insight for fish processing industries to increase profit and reduce carbon emission in production, transportation, and warehouse. A sensitivity analysis is illustrated to show that the supply of raw fish, selling prices, and purchasing costs are sensitive to total profit, carbon emissions, and job opportunities. The results show that the total profit for five months is IDR 21,779,378,445 and the largest contribution to the total cost is the costs of purchasing, emission costs, and production costs, which are 44.04%; 23.7%; and 18.2%, respectively.
Continental Delamination Initiates Subduction and Supercontinent Breakup
Authors: Cao Zebin , Liu Lijun
Published: June 2023

Subduction is a fundamental process that drives plate tectonics1, 2 and supercontinent cycles3-5. The separation of a supercontinent requires the initiation of new subduction zones along its passive margins, evidenced in the appearance and increase in global continental arc volcanism6, 7 during the breakup of Pangea and Rodinia. However, the mechanism of subduction initiation (SI) at the passive margin remains elusive. Previous studies show that the mechanical resistance for SI at a mature passive margin cannot be overcome by the gravitational force of old oceanic lithosphere, even with the addition of ridge push and sediment loading8-10. Here we propose a new mechanism for passive margin SI due to delamination of the nearby cratonic lithospheric mantle (CLM), following recent findings that the CLM consists of a buoyant upper layer and a dense lower layer11-14, with the net CLM buoyancy significantly greater than that of the ambient mantle13, 14. We demonstrate that dynamic perturbations, such as plume underplating, could trigger lower CLM delamination along preexisting weak zones, while the buoyant upper CLM uplifts to damage the passive margin, ultimately leading to the formation of a new subduction zone. We further show that the developing oceanic subduction generates large extensional stress in the overriding plate, facilitating supercontinent breakup. We suggest that this new SI mechanism represents a key driving force for the periodic operation of supercontinent cycles.
High efficacy of VLA2001 vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 infection in non-human primates
Authors: Grand Roger Le , Galhaut Mathilde , Lundberg Urban , Marlin Romain , Schlegl Robert , Seidel Stefan , Bartuschka Ursula , Heindl-Wruss Jürgen , Relouzat Francis , Langlois Sébastien , Bosquet Nathalie , Morin  Julie , Galpin-Lebreau Maxence , Gallouet Anne-Sophie , Gros Wesley , Naninck Thibaut , Pascal Quentin , Chapon Catherine , Mouchain Karine , Fichet Guillaume , Lemaitre Julien , Cavarelli Mariangela , Contreras Vanessa , Legrand Nicolas , Meinke Andreas
Published: June 2023

The fight against COVID-19 requires mass vaccination strategies, and vaccines inducing durable cross-protective responses are still needed. Inactivated vaccines have proven lasting efficacy against many pathogens and good safety records. They contain multiple protein antigens that may improve response breadth and can be easily adapted every year to maintain preparedness for future seasonally emerging variants. Here we report the immunogenicity and efficacy of VLA2001 in animal models, the first inactivated whole virus COVID-19 vaccine that has received standard marketing authorization by the European Medicines Agency. VLA2001 formulated with alum and the TLR9 agonist CpG 1018™ adjuvant generated a Th1-biased immune response and serum neutralizing antibodies in BALB/c mice. In non-human primates, two injections of VLA2001 were sufficient to induce specific and polyfunctional T cell responses, predominantly Th1-biased, and high levels of antibodies neutralizing SARS-CoV-2 infection in cell culture. These antibodies also inhibited the binding of the Spike protein to human ACE2 receptor of several variants of concern most resistant to neutralization. After exposure to a high dose of SARS-CoV-2, all vaccinated groups of cynomolgus macaques exhibited significant levels of protection from viral replication in the upper and lower respiratory tracts and from lung tissue inflammation as compared to controls.
Sky Fruit Seed Crush (SFSC): A potential Source of less Salt Curing of Raw Goatskin
Authors: Razzaq Md. Abdur , Rahman M. Mahfujur , Rahman Md. Motinur
Published: June 2023

The curing of raw hides and skins using sodium salt is a widely recognized technique, although it has negative consequences on the environment by elevating water salinity and introducing a significant amount of Total Dissolved Solid (TDS). In order to tackle this issue, goat skin was conserved through the utilization of a mixture consisting of crushed sky fruit seeds and sodium salt. Various ratios of mixture were tested on raw goat skin, and the optimal outcome was achieved by utilizing a blend consisting of 10% seed crush and 10% sodium salt, based on the weight of the raw skin. The experimental specimen effectively endured a month-long continuous evaluation of preservation-related variables such as odor, hair loss, shrinkage temperature, moisture level, and bacterial population during the trial period. The experimental sample and the sample preserved according to conventional methods were subjected to the standard leather processing technique. The liquor from both samples was analyzed to confirm the impact of environmental factors on preservation. The results of the experiment indicate 59% decrease in the levels of total dissolved solids (TDS) and 44% reduction of chloride (Cl−) content. The processed leather samples were assessed for their quality through the analysis of their physical properties and fiber structure using a scanning electron microscope (SEM).
An epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition model recovers and predicts critical mutations underlying hepatic cancer stem cells emergence
Authors: Hernández-Magaña Alexis , Bensussen Antonio , Martínez-García Juan Carlos , Álvarez-Buylla Elena R.
Published: June 2023

Background:
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) have the ability to form tumors, induce metastasis and resistance to chemotherapy. These cells are generated by the epithelium-mesenchymal transition, and its presence has been linked to a poor prognosis. In the case of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), it has been seen that the increase in stemness markers portends the death of the patient. Thus, it is essential to understand how CSCs are formed in order to improve treatments against HCC.
Results:
In the present work we carry out an exhaustive documentary investigation to create a gene regulatory network (GRN) in which a total number of 240 bibliographic references are integrated to model the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in hepatocytes (hEMT). From this network, we constructed a discrete Boolean model able to reproduce several apparently unconnected behaviors of the hEMT reported in the literature. We found that stem-like cells are formed by the action of hEMT only from proliferating hepatocytes in the WT model. Under normal conditions, stem-like cells are unstable and easily differentiate into other phenotypes. However, somatic mutations in tumor suppressors such as p53 or aberrant overexpression of oncogenes such as YAP1 stabilize proliferation conditions in hepatocytes and favor the appearance of CSCs. In addition, we found that these mutations have different effects on hEMT-mediated cell fates. Finally, our data suggest that this process is common to other epithelial cancers, but in HCC, inhibition of p53 is particularly important.
Conclusions:
In this work we found the mechanism by which somatic mutations generate the emergence of CSCs. These mechanisms may be used to understand the formation of CSCs in other epithelial cancers.
A familial natural short sleep mutation promotes healthy aging and extends lifespan in Drosophila
Authors: Pandey Pritika , Wall P. , Lopez Stephen , Dubuisson Olga , Zunica Elizabeth , Dantas Wagner , Kirwan John , Axelrod Christopher , Johnson Alyssa
Published: June 2023

Sleep loss typically imposes negative effects on animal health. However, humans with a rare genetic mutation in the dec2 gene (dec2P384R) present an exception; these individuals sleep less without the usual effects associated with sleep deprivation. Thus, it has been suggested that the dec2P384R mutation activates compensatory mechanisms that allows these individuals to thrive with less sleep. To test this directly, we used a Drosophila model to study the effects of the dec2P384R mutation on animal health. Expression of human dec2P384R in fly sleep neurons was sufficient to mimic the short sleep phenotype and, remarkably, dec2P384R mutants lived significantly longer with improved health despite sleeping less. The improved physiological effects were enabled, in part, by enhanced mitochondrial fitness and upregulation of multiple stress response pathways. Moreover, we provide evidence that upregulation of pro-health pathways also contributes to the short sleep phenotype, and this phenomenon may extend to other pro-longevity models.
Landscape Diversity in the Brahmaputra Floodplains: A Case Study of the Northern Bank
Authors: HAZARIKA RASHMI , BHAGABATI A. K.
Published: June 2023

Landscape change is the product of differing human-environment interactions in an area. It is the result of a variety of physical environments and the dynamic interactions between nature and culture. This study is focused on the riverine landscape, which encompasses the Brahmaputra's active floodplain sections between the Jia Bharali and the Buroi rivers and between the Brahmaputra in the south and National Highway No. 15 in the north. The main objective of the study is to study the landscape diversity in the study area and the factors responsible for landscape change. The study is based on personal field observation and household surveys in seven selected villages of five different communities and is also based on secondary data. The study found that both natural and anthropogenic factors play an essential role in the landscape diversity in the study area. First and foremost change is the reduction of agricultural land and crop diversification. Sand casting is also playing an important role in crop diversification. Due to frequent floods, many people from the char areas have shifted to other areas due to erosion. In the study area between 1999 to 2019 erosion was 68.82 km 2 and deposition was 81.64 km 2 . Due to erosion, 79 villages are affected in the study area, 36 villages are completely eroded and 43 are partially eroded. Due to the earthquake, the width of the river Brahmaputra has also increased up to 2 km leading to the submergence of many char villages. There is an increase in settlement area in the study area from 18.51 km2to 24.72 km2, with an increase of 6.22 km2of settlement area from 1999 to 2019. Change in house types is also seen in the study area.