bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Maximizing Stimulation Efficiencies in Offshore Multistage Completions, Black Sea, Romania
Authors: Grubac Gabrijel , Conrad Joel , Janiczek Peter , Alexandru Dragomir , Mcgarvey Sean
Published: January 2022

This paper presents an analysis of the stimulation treatment design and operational efficiencies in the Black Sea. In greater detail, the paper focuses on how the stimulation design and each operational step has been optimized to save time, money and ensure an HSE driven completion methodology.

An analysis was performed on the stimulation design and implementation approach looking at its evolution through a knowledge building and lesson learning process. The principal goal was to determine the most economical way to stimulate an offshore well without making any concessions to the reservoirs’ production or ultimate recovery. From the basics of well and frac design to completion optimization, effort was applied in analyzing ball launching procedures, frac spacing, logistical arrangements on the stimulation vessel and all other areas where there was potential to make improvements. Ultimately, an analysis of fluid displacements during flush was performed and deductions inferred.

Past stimulation treatments were analyzed in an effort of better understanding the advantages and disadvantages in terms of production output of the wells. Similarly, an analysis of the completion approach and operational efficiencies showed the ability of pumping three stimulation stages a day. Considering that horizontal wells in the area are usually completed in six stages, a stimulation campaign would effectively be completed in 2 pumping days, 4 days total if no weather or operational delays are faced. Further improvements of this approach have been implemented in 2021 when six stimulation stages have been pumped in a single vessel ride. Applying the ball drop procedure offshore showed optimal results, as it is efficient in reducing downtime in between fracturing stages and in achieving proper isolation between stimulation zones. Likewise, with over flush being a concern throughout most of the stimulation population, certain cases in the Black Sea showed that over flushing did not adversely affect production of the wells with the production exhibiting ~15% above expected production rates post stimulation. In conclusion, the authors believe that the operational efficiencies achieved in the Black Sea are transposable in other offshore environments and successful cost cutting can be achieved by sound engineering and logistical decisions.

The approach and results are beneficial in understanding where the economics are positively impacted in multistage stimulation treatments in the offshore environments, hence ultimately improving the rate of return.
Fluorescent Microspheres Method Efficiency in Horizontal Wells with Gas Condensate Liquid
Authors: Klimov Mikhail , Ramazanov Rinat , Husein Nadir , Upadhye Vishwajit , Drobot Albina , Novikov Igor , Bydzan Andrei , Gazizov Ruslan , Buyanov Anton
Published: January 2022

The proportion of hard-to-recover reserves is currently increasing and reached more than 65% of total conventional hydrocarbon reserves. This results in an increasing number of horizontal wells put into operation. When evaluating the resource recovery efficiency in horizontal wells, and, consequently, the effectiveness of the development of gas condensate field, the key task is to evaluate the well productivity. To accomplish this task, it is necessary to obtain the reservoir fluid production profile for each interval. Conventional well logging methods with proven efficiency in vertical wells, in case of horizontal wells, will require costly asset-heavy applications such as coiled tubing, downhole tractors conveying well logging tools, and Y-tool bypass systems if pump is used. In addition, the logging data interpretation in the case of horizontal wells is less reliable due to the multiphase flow and variations of the fluid flow rate.

The fluorescent-based nanomaterial production profiling surveillance technology can be used as a viable solution to this problem, which enables cheaper and more effective means of the development of hard-to-recover reserves. This technology assumes that tracers are placed downhole in various forms, such as marker tapes for lower completions, markers in the polymer coating of the proppant used for multi-stage hydraulic fracturing, and markers placed as fluid in fracturing fluid during hydraulic fracturing or acid stimulation during bottom-hole treatment.

The fundamental difference between nanomaterial tracers production profiling and traditional logging methods is that the former offers the possibility to monitor the production at frac ports in the well for a long period of time with far less equipment and manpower, reduced costs, and improved HSE.
Case Study of Condensate Dropout Effect in Unconventional Gas/Condensate Reservoirs with Hydraulically Fractured Wells
Authors: Alsultan Ali H. , Shaoul Josef R. , Park Jason , Zitha Pacelli L. J.
Published: January 2022

Condensate banking is a major issue in the production operations of gas condensate reservoirs. Increase in liquid saturation in the near-wellbore zone due to pressure decline below dew point, decreases well deliverability and the produced condensate-gas ratio (CGR). This paper investigates the effects of condensate banking on the deliverability of hydraulically fractured wells producing from ultralow permeability (0.001 to 0.1 mD) gas condensate reservoirs. Cases where condensate dropout occurs over a large volume of the reservoir, not only near the fracture face, were examined by a detailed numerical reservoir simulation.

A commercial compositional simulator with local grid refinement (LGR) around the fracture was used to quantify condensate dropout as a result of reservoir pressure decline and its impact on well productivity index (PI). The effects of gas production rate and reservoir permeability were investigated. Numerical simulation results showed a significant change in fluid compositions and relative permeability to gas over a large reservoir volume due to pressure decline during reservoir depletion. Results further illustrated the complications in understanding the PI evolution of hydraulically fractured wells in "unconventional" gas condensate reservoirs and illustrate how to correctly evaluate fracture performance in such a situation.

The findings of our study and novel approach help to more accurately predict post-fracture performance. They provide a better understanding of the hydrocarbon phase change not only near the wellbore and fracture, but also deep in the reservoir, which is critical in unconventional gas condensate reservoirs. The optimization of both fracture spacing in horizontal wells and well spacing for vertical well developments can be achieved by improving the ability of production engineers to generate more realistic predictions of gas and condensate production over time.
Impact of Delayed Flowback on Well Performance: Case Study
Authors: Al Shidhani Ruqia , Al Shueili Ahmed , Al Salmi Hussain , Jaboob Musallam
Published: January 2022

Due to a resource optimization and efficiency improvements, wells that are hydraulically fractured in the tight gas Barik Formation of the Khazzan Field in the Sultanate of Oman are often temporarily left shut-in directly following a large scale massive hydraulic fracturing stimulation treatment. Extensive industry literature has often suggested (and reported), that this may result in a significant direct loss of productivity due to the delayed flowback and the resulting fracture conductivity and formation damage. This paper will review the available data from the Khazzan Field address these concerns; indicating where the concerns should and should not necessarily apply.

The Barik Formation in the Khazzan Field is an over-pressured gas-condensate reservoir at 4,500 m with gas permeability ranging from 0.1 to 20 mD. The average well after hydraulic fracturing produces 25 MMscfd and 500 bcpd against a wellhead pressure of 4,000 psi. A typical hydraulic fracturing stimulation treatment consists of 14,000 bbl of a borate-crosslinked guar fluid, placing upwards of 1MM Lbs of high conductivity bauxite proppant within a single fracture. In order to assess the potential production loss due to delayed flowback operations, BP Oman performed a suite of formation damage tests including core samples from the Barik reservoir, fracture conductivity considerations and dynamic behaviors. Additionally, normalized production was compared between offset wells that were cleaned-up and put onto production at different times after the hydraulic fracturing operations.

Core tests showed a range of fracture conductivities over time with delayed flowback after using the breaker concentrations from actual treatments. As expected, enhanced conductivity was achieved with additional breaker. The magnitude of the conductivity being created in these massive treatments was also demonstrated to be dominant with respect to damage effects. Finally, a normalized comparison of an extensive suite of wells clearly showed no discernible loss of production resulted from any delay in the flowback operations.

This paper describes in details the workflow and resulting analysis of the impact of extensive shut-in versus immediate flowback post massive hydraulic fracturing. It indicates that the impact of such events will be limited if the appropriate steps have been taken to minimize the opportunity for damage to occur. Whereas the existing fracturing literature takes the safe stance of indicating that damage will always result from such shut-ins, this paper will demonstrate the limitations of such assumptions and the flexibility that can be demonstrated with real data.
Extended-Time Conductivity Testing of Proppants Used for Multi-Stage Horizontal Completions
Authors: Pearson C. Mark , Green Christopher A. , McGill Mark , Milton-Tayler David
Published: January 2022

The American Petroleum Institute Recommended Practice 19-D (2018) is the current industry standard for conductivity testing of proppants used in hydraulic fracturing. Similar to previous standards from both the API and ISO, it continues the practice of measuring a "reference" long-term conductivity after 50-hours of time at a given stress. The fracture design engineer is then left to estimate a damage factor to apply over the life of the well completion based on correlations or experience.

This study takes four standard proppants used for multi-stage horizontal well completions in North America and presents test data over 250-days of "extended-time" at 7,500 psi of effective stress. The API RP 19-D procedure was followed for all testing, but extended for 250-days duration for the four proppant types: 40/70 mesh mono-crystalline "White" sand, 40/70 mesh multi-crystalline "Brown" sand, 100 mesh "Brown" sand, and 40/70 mesh Light Weight Ceramic (LWC). The 7,500 psi stress condition was chosen to replicate initial stress conditions for a 10,000 feet deep well with a 0.75 psi/ft fracture gradient - typical of unconventional resource plays such as the Bakken formation of North Dakota or the Delaware Basin in west Texas. Results presented provide a measure of the amount of damage occurring in the proppant pack due to time at stress.

To the authors’ knowledge, there has never been any extended-time conductivity data published for multiple proppant types over the timeframe completed in this study - despite the obvious need for this understanding to optimize the stimulation design over the full life of the well.

Results for the four proppant types are presented as conductivity curves as a function of time for the 250-days of testing. Pack degradation is shown to follow a semi-log decline. Late time continued degradation for all materials is extrapolated over the life of a typical well (40 years), and compared to extended-time particle size distribution and crush data to explain the results observed.

Extended-time data such as this 250-day study have never been published on proppants such as these despite the fact that fracture conductivity has a major impact on the productive life of a well and the ultimate recovery of hydrocarbons from the formation. The data presented should be of great interest to any engineer involved with completion designs, or reservoir engineers assessing the productive life and ultimate recovery in the formation since economic optimization is primarily driven by the interplay of fracture length/area with extended-time in-situ fracture conductivity.
Eco-Friendly Electric-Powered Hydraulic Fracturing Towards Shale-Gas Recovery: Efficiency, Economics and Field Application
Authors: Tong Zheng , Kuang Yunfan , Fan Chunming , Li Tao , Wang Jiangyang , Li Yiliang , Qian Jie
Published: January 2022

The recovery of unconventional gas fields especially the shale gas is of great significance to clean energy supply. High productivity of shale gas is attributed to the large-scale hydraulic fracturing with high operating pressure (80-100MPa) and discharging rate (14-18m3/min). More high-horsepower fracturing vehicles driven by diesel engines result in higher CAPEX. The low operation efficiency and unexpected maintenance negatively affected the economics performance of operators due to unacceptable OPEX. The fully electric-powered hydraulic fracturing solution was proposed as the alternative to the diesel-engine fracturing vehicles in this article. The skid-based electric pumping units were newly developed with advantages of high power density (6000HP per unit), Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) modules integration, fuel cost saving, low maintenance expenditure and eco-friendly operation. The field application was conducted in one pad of N209 in shale gas field, Sichuan, China.

The electric-powered system, consisting of pumping units and blenders with other facilities, was deployed on the operation site. One large-capacity electric power grid (35kV and 30000kVA) was constructed for both drilling and massive multistage fracturing. The operation team successfully performed all hydraulic fracturing jobs as required with 7.4×105 kWh of total power consumption. The system functioned reliably without large faults occurred.

The electric-powered solution was comprehensively evaluated and compared to the diesel-engine fracturing solution in terms of CAPEX, operational efficiency, power consumption, maintenance and fleet crew cost. The novelty of the technology is the fully electric-powered hydraulic fracturing system with large-capacity electric power grid. It is concluded from the field application that the electric-powered fracturing technology is qualified for unconventional reservoirs development.
Connecting the Dots: Multistage Fracturing in Horizontal Wells with Multilayered Reservoirs - Lessons Learned
Authors: Al Shueili Ahmed , Jaboob Musallam , Al Salmi Hussain
Published: January 2022

Efficient multistage hydraulic fracturing in horizontal wells in tight-gas formations with multilayered and laminated reservoirs is a very challenging subject matter; due to formation structure, required well trajectory, and the ability to establish a conductive and permanent connection between all the layers. BP Oman had initiated the technical journey to deliver an effective horizontal well multistage frac design through learnings obtained during three key pilot horizontal wells. Since these initial wells, additional candidates have been drilled and stimulated, resulting in further advancement of the learning curve.

Many aspects will be covered in this paper, that will describe how to facilitate the most effective hydraulic fracture placement and production performance, under these laminated conditions. These approaches will include the completion and perforation selection, fracture initiation zone selection, fracture height consideration, frac fluid type and design. The paper will go on to describe a range of different surveillance options, including clean-up and performance surveillance as well as number of other factors.

The experiences that have been gained provide valuable insight and learning about how to approach a multistage fracturing horizontal well program in this kind of depositional environment. Additionally, how these lessons can potentially be subsequently adapted and applied to access resources in the more challenging and higher risk areas of the field. For example, this paper will present direct comparison of over and under-displaced stages; differences in execution and production for cased hole and open hole completions; and many other variables that always under discussion for hydraulic fracturing in horizontal wells.

This paper describes in detail the results of many multistage fracturing trials by BP Oman in horizontal wells drilled in challenging multilayered and laminated tight-gas reservoirs. These findings may help to cut short learning curve in similar reservoirs in the Middle East Region and elsewhere.
Worlds First Offshore Horizontal Well Using Jointed Pipe Cemented Frac Sleeve Technology
Authors: Thomson Shaun , Kiyabayev Baglan , Ritchie Barry , Monberg Jakob , De Heer Maurits , Skov List Soren
Published: January 2022

The Valdemar field, located in the Danish sector of the North Sea, targets a Lower Cretaceous, "dirty chalk" reservoir characterized by low permeabilities of <0.5mD, high porosities of >20% and contains up to 25% insoluble fines. To produce economically the reservoir must be stimulated. Typically, this is by means of hydraulic fracturing. A traditional propped fracture consists of 500,000 to 1,000,000 lbs of 20/40 sand, placed using a crosslinked seawater-based borate fluid. The existing wells in the field are completed using the PSI (perforate, isolate, stimulate)1 system. This system was developed in the late 1980s as a way of improving completion times allowing each interval to be perforated, stimulated and isolated in a single trip and has been used extensively in the Danish North Sea in a variety of fields. The system consists of multiset packers with sliding sleeves and typically takes 2-3 days between the start of one fracture to the next.

Future developments in this area now require a new, novel and more efficient approach owing to new target reservoir being of a thinner and poorer quality. In order for these new developments to be economical an approach was required to allow for longer wells to be drilled and completed allowing better reservoir connectivity whilst at the same time reducing the completion time, and therefore rig time and overall cost.

A project team was put together to develop a system that could be used in an offshore environment that would satisfy the above criteria, allowing wells to be drilled out to 21,000ft and beyond in excess of coiled tubing reach. The technology developed consists of cemented frac sleeves, operated with jointed pipe, allowing multiple zones to be stimulated in one trip, as well as utilizing a modified BHA that allows for the treatments to take place through the tubing, bringing numerous benefits.

The following paper details the reasons for developing the new technology, the development process itself, the challenges that had to be overcome and a case history on the execution of the first job of its kind in the North Sea, in which over 7MM lbs of sand was pumped successfully, as well as the post treatment operations which included a proof of concept in utilizing a tractor to manipulate the sleeves. Finally, the production performance will be discussed supported by the use of tracer subs at each of the zones.
Experimental Study on Phase Conjecture Based on Two-dimensional Image and Carrying Three-dimensional Image With Mist in Electro-holographic Reconstruction *
Authors: Zhi-xiong ZHAO , Hua ZHANG , Qing-yun Kuang , Bo Li , Lin Hu
Published: January 2022

A method is proposed for phase conjecture based on the intensity curve of a two-dimensional(2D) image by computing a polynomial equation. The intensity values of the 2D image, which represents the distance between the image detectors and the three-dimensional(3D) scene is converted to phase information by our method. The results of numerical calculation with phase conjecture are analyzed. And what’s more, the numerical reconstruction results with phase information obtained as initial phase factors of a complex object for Fresnel kinoform and dynamic pseudorandom-phase tomographic computer holography(DPP-TCH) are compared. The peak signal-to-noise ratio(PSNR) and correlation coefficient (CC) between the reconstructed images and original object are analyzed. An experimental system is designed for photoelectric holographic reconstruction based on phase-only liquid crystal spatial light modulator(LC-SLM) and mist screen. The electro-optical experimental results indicate that suppressed the speckle noise 3D images that can be observed with naked eye have been obtained.
Comprehensive Multi-cohort Transcriptional Meta-analysis of Muscle Diseases Identifies a Signature of Disease Severity
Authors: Walsh Christopher James , Batt Jane , Herridge Margaret , Mathur Sunita , Bader Gary D , Hu Pingzhao , Khatri Purvesh , Santos Claudia Dos
Published: January 2022

Muscle diseases share common pathological features suggesting common underlying mechanisms. We hypothesized there is a common set of genes dysregulated across muscle diseases compared to healthy muscle and that these genes correlate with severity of muscle disease. We performed meta-analysis of transcriptional profiles of muscle biopsies from human muscle diseases and healthy controls. Studies obtained from public microarray repositories fulfilling quality criteria were divided into six categories: i) Immobility, ii) inflammatory myopathies, iii) ICU acquired weakness (ICUAW), iv) congenital muscle diseases, v) chronic systemic diseases, vi) motor neuron disease. Patient cohorts were separated in discovery and validation cohorts retaining roughly equal proportions of samples for the disease categories. To remove bias towards a specific muscle disease category we repeated the meta-analysis five times by removing data sets corresponding to one muscle disease class at a time in a “leave-one-disease-out” analysis. We used 636 muscle tissue samples from 30 independent cohorts to identify a 52 gene signature (36 up-regulated and 16 down-regulated genes). We validated the discriminatory power of this signature in 657 muscle biopsies from 12 additional patient cohorts encompassing five categories of muscle diseases with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.91, 83% sensitivity, and 85.3% specificity. The expression score of the gene signature inversely correlated with quadriceps muscle mass (r =-0.50, p-value = 0.011) in ICUAW and shoulder abduction strength (r=-0.77, p-value = 0.014) in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The signature also positively correlated with histologic assessment of muscle atrophy in ALS (r=0.88, p-value=1.62x10−3) and fibrosis in muscular dystrophy (Jonckheere trend test p-value = 4.45 x 10−9). Our results identify a conserved transcriptional signature associated with clinical and histologic muscle disease severity. Several genes in this conserved signature have not been previously associated with muscle disease severity.
Quantitative and Qualitative Methods for the Characterization of Karst Springs (case study: Lorestan province, Zagros Mountain, Iran)
Authors: Geravand Fatemeh , Hosseini Seiyed Mossa , Maghsoudi Mehran , Yamani Mojtaba
Published: January 2022

Karst groundwater resources in the Zagros Mountains are vital for supplying of different demands in the region which need to sustainable management and protection. Quantitative and qualitative characterization of karst aquifers in this region were understudied due to lack of site-specific logging-data and speleological investigations. In this study, a state-of-the-art of the statistical methods developed to characterize karst aquifer based on analyses of the spring recession hydrograph and spring water quality are presented. These methods including Manging’s method for classification of karst aquifers, relationships of precipitation and discharge data, groundwater quality index (GQI), hydrochemical diagrams (Piper, Durov and Gibbs), and Saturation index (SI), Chloro-Alkaline indices (CAI). 42 major karst springs mainly located in folded part of Zagros region (western Iran) are selected for application of the reviewed methods. Results indicated that the saturated zone exerts almost main control over the discharge of 76% of the studied springs. The base-flow contributes as between 80.0% to 100% of total water storage in the study aquifers. 78.5% of the studied aquifers have a high karstification degree. An insignificant lag-time is observed between the precipitation on the karst basin and spring discharge. The hydrochemical diagrams show that the waters are dominated by HCO3 and Ca and the majority of the waters are alkaline, with originate from silicate minerals weathering. Such repeatable methods adopted in this study can provide crucial information of the karst aquifers, especially those suffer scarcity of aquifer hydrodynamic data.
Diagnostic and Prognostic Significance of Serum Tumor Markers in Patients With Lung Cancer
Authors: Chen Suipeng , Kuang Mengjiao , Wang ShiShi , Huang Shirui , Li Jizhen , Zhou Teng , Wang Huiyan , Cai Yue , Yang Wei , Xie Qipeng
Published: January 2022

Background: Tumor markers CEA, CYFRA21-1, NSE, proGRP, and SCC-Ag were routinely used for lung cancer. The objective of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic value of these markers.Methods: The levels of 5 serum tumor markers were measured in 255 patients with lung cancer (44 squamous cell carcinoma, 183 adenocarcinoma, 28 small cell lung cancer), 103 patients with benign lung disease, and 120 healthy controls. The relevant clinical data of the patients were collected to analyze the expression of CEA, CYFRA21-1, NSE, proGRP, and SCC-Ag in the serum of lung cancer and their correlation with prognosis.Results: The positive rates and expression levels of CEA, CYFRA21-1, NSE, proGRP, and SCC-Ag in the lung cancer group were higher than those in patients with benign lung diseases and healthy controls. CYFRA21-1 and SCC-Ag were highly expressed in lung squamous cell carcinoma, and NSE and proGRP were highly expressed in small cell lung cancer. The expression levels of CYFRA 21-1, NSE, and proGRP in small cell lung cancer were higher than those in non-small cell lung cancer. The levels of CEA, CYFARA21-1, NSE, and proGRP were linearly correlated with the occurrence of lung cancer, while the level of SCC-Ag was not significantly correlated with the occurrence of lung cancer. What’s more, the levels of CYFAR21-1 and NSE in the death group of lung cancer patients were higher than those in the survival group.Conclusion: CEA, CYFRA21-1, NSE, proGRP, and SCC-Ag played a good role in diagnosing lung cancer. CYFRA21-1 and SCC-Ag can be used as markers for the diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma, and NSE and proGRP can be used as markers for small cell lung cancer. Meanwhile, the combined detection of CEA, CYFARA21-1, NSE, and proGRP had the highest diagnostic accuracy for lung cancer. Furthermore, CYFAR21-1 and NSE can be used to evaluate the prognosis of lung cancer patients.
Gynostemma Pentaphyllum Ameliorates Lipid Metabolic Abnormalities in Diabetic Kidney Disease
Authors: Wang Pengrui , Jiao Shouhai , Sun Li , Sun Helin , Wang Cunzhi , Sun Hengyi , Zhang Zhongwen
Published: January 2022

Background: Patients with diabetic kidney disease (DKD) were often accompanied with dislipidemia. Gynostemma pentaphyllum can ameliorate insulin resistance and reduce the synthesis of triglycerides and cholesterol, but the underlying mechanism is still unclear. Therefore, we used the network pharmacologic strategies to evaluate potential therapeutic effects and protective mechanisms of gynostemma pentaphyllum on diabetic kidney disease. Methods: Gynostemma pentaphyllum's potential targets were predicted using the TCMSP databases. The pathogenic factors involved in DKD and dislipidemia were screened by the OMIM and Gene Cards databases. The common targets of gynostemma pentaphyllum, DKD and dislipidemia were used to establish a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopaedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis were used to explore the potential molecular pathways. Results: The key targets for the therapeutic effects of gynostemma pentaphyllum included IL-6, AKT1, VEGFA, PTGS2, CCL2 and CASP3. Enrichment analysis showed that the underlying mechanism were mainly the involved in inhibition of inflammatory response, negative regulation of apoptotic process and angiogenesis. TNF, PI3K-Akt, and HIF-1 signaling pathways were considered as the key pathways. Conclusion: Gynostemma pentaphyllum played a therapeutic role in DKD complicated with dislipidemia, mainly through influencing inflammation response, apoptosis and angiogenesis.
Association of Antenatal Corticosteroid Administration-to-delivery Interval With Neonatal Respiratory Distress Syndrome and Respiratory Support in Preterm Infants
Authors: Li Lixia , Li Haijing , Jiang Yejun , Yu Beimeng , Wang Xiuren , Zhang Wujiang
Published: January 2022

Background: Administration of antenatal corticosteroids (ACS) is an effective strategy for the management of preterm infants, which can improve neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS) and attenuate the risk of neonatal mortality. However, many preterm infants do not expose to a complete course of ACS administration, and the effects of different ACS-to-delivery intervals on NRDS and respiratory support remain unclear.we explore the relationships of ACS administration-to-birth intervals with NRDS and respiratory support in preterm infants in this study.Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, the preterm infants born between 240/7 and 316/7 wk of gestation were recruited from Jan 2015 to Jul 2021. All participants were categorized based on the time interval from the first ACS dose to delivery: <24 h, 1-2 d, 2-7 d, and more >7 d. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine the relationships between ACS-to-birth interval and primary or secondary outcome, while adjusting for potential confounders.Results: Of the 706 eligible neonates, 264, 83, 292 and 67 received ACS-to-delivery intervals of <24 h, 1-2 d, 2-7 d and >7 d, respectively. After adjusting these confounding factors, multivariable logistic analysis showed a significant increased risk of NRDS (aOR: 1.8, 95% CI: 1.2-2.7), neonatal mortality (aOR: 2.8, 95% CI: 1.1-6.8), the need for surfactant use (aOR: 2.7, 95% CI: 1.7-4.4), endotracheal intubation in delivery room (aOR: 1.9, 95% CI: 1.0-3.7), mechanical ventilation (aOR: 1.9, 95% CI: 1.1-3.4) in the ACS-to-delivery interval of <24 h group when compared with the ACS-to-birth interval of 2-7 d group. Similar findings were observed in the subgroup analysis of the ACS interval of <6 h and 6-12 h groups (incidence of death and surfactant use), but no obvious differences were found in the ACS intervals of 12-24 h, 1-2 d and >7 d groups compared with the ACS-to-birth interval of 2-7 d group.Conclusions: Neonatal outcomes such as NRDS, neonatal mortality, the need for surfactant use, intubation in delivery room, mechanical ventilation are at a higher risk when the neonates exposed to ACS interval for less than 12 h before delivery.
Mouse CHD4-NURD is Required for Neonatal Spermatogonia Survival and Normal Gonad Development.
Authors: de Castro Rodrigo Orlandini , Previato Luciana , Carbajal Agustin , Goitea Victor , Griffin Courtney T. , Pezza Roberto J.
Published: January 2022

Testis development and sustained germ cell production in adults rely on the establishment and maintenance of spermatogonia stem cells and their proper differentiation into spermatocytes. Chromatin remodeling complexes regulate critical processes during gamete development by restricting or promoting accessibility of DNA repair and gene expression machineries to the chromatin. Here, we investigated the role of CHD4 and CHD3 catalytic subunits of the NURD complex during spermatogenesis. Germ cell-specific deletion of Chd4 early in gametogenesis, but not Chd3, resulted in arrested early gamete development due to failed cell survival of neonate undifferentiated spermatogonia stem cell population. Candidate assessment revealed that CHD4 controls expression of Dmrt1 and its downstream target Plzf, both described as prominent regulators of spermatogonia stem cell maintenance. Our results show the requirement of CHD4 in mammalian gametogenesis pointing to functions in gene expression early in the process.
5-Hydroxymethylcytosine Profiles in Plasma Cell-free DNA Reflect Molecular Characteristics of Diabetic Kidney Disease
Authors: Chu Jin-Lin , Bi Shu-Hong , He Yao , Ma Rui-Yao , Wan Xing-Yu , Wang Zi-Hao , Zhang Lei , Zheng Meng-Zhu , Yang Zhan-Qun , Du Ling-Wei , Maimaiti Yiminiguli , Biekedawulaiti Gulinazi , Duolikun Maimaitiyasen , Chen Hang-yu , Chen Long , Li Lin-Lin , Tie Lu , Lin Jian
Published: January 2022

Background: Complications of diabetes mellitus (DM) are the leading cause of DM-related disability and mortality. Notably, diabetic kidney disease (DKD), one of the main complications of DM, has become a frequent cause of end-stage renal disease. A clinically convenient, non-invasive approach for monitoring the development of DKD would benefit the overall life quality of patients with DM and contribute to lower medical burdens through promoting preventive interventions.Methods: We utilized 5hmC-Seal to profile genome-wide 5-hydroxymethylcytosines in plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA). Candidate genes were identified by intersecting the differentially modified 5hmC marker genes (DMGs) and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) from the GEO datasets GSE30528 and GSE30529. Cytoscape software was used to construct the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and identify the hub genes.Results: The final gene panel of 9 hub genes, including (CTNNB1, PTEN, MYD88, ITGAM, CD28, ITGB2, VCAM1, CXCR4, CD44) were confirmed. Further analysis indicated that this 9-gene signature showed a good capacity to distinguish between DKD and DM. Conclusions: The 5hmC-Seal assay was successfully applied to the cfDNA samples from a cohort of DM patients with or without DKD. Altered 5hmC signatures in plasma cfDNA indicate that 5hmC-Seal has the potential to be a non-invasive epigenetic tool for monitoring the development of DKD and be a part of diabetic care.
Future Property Risk Estimation For Wildfire In Louisiana, USA
Authors: Mostafiz Rubayet Bin , Friedland Carol J. , Rohli Robert V. , Bushra Nazla
Published: January 2022

Background: Wildfire is an important but understudied natural hazard. As with other natural hazards, wildfire research is all too often conducted at too broad a spatial scale to identify local or regional patterns. This study addresses these gaps by examining the current and future wildfire property risk at the census-block level in Louisiana, a U.S. state with relatively dense population and substantial vulnerability to loss from this hazard, despite its wet climate. Here wildfire risk is defined as the product of exposure and vulnerability to the hazard, where exposure is a function of the historical and anticipated future wildfire frequency and extent, and the latter is a function of population, structure and content property value, damage probability, and percent of property damaged. Results: Historical (1992−2015) average annual statewide property loss due to wildfire was $5,556,389 (2010$), with the greatest risk to wildfire in southwestern inland, east-central, extreme northwestern, and coastal southwestern Louisiana. Based on existing climate and environmental model output, this research projects that wildfire will increase by 25 percent by 2050 in Louisiana from current values. When combined with projections of population and property value, it is determined that the geographic distribution of risk by 2050 will remain similar to that today – with highest risk in southwestern inland Louisiana and east-central Louisiana. However, the magnitude of risk will increase across the state, especially in those areas. Projected annual loss will be $11,167,496 by 2050 (2010$) due to population growth, intensification of development at the wildland-urban interface, and climate change. The wildfire-induced property damage is notable because it is projected to increase by 101 percent. These values do not include crop, forestry, or indirect losses (e.g., cost of evacuation and missed time at work), which are likely to be substantial. Conclusions: The results suggest that increased efforts are needed to contain wildfires, to reduce the future risk. Otherwise, wildfire managers, environmental planners, actuaries, community leaders, and individual property owners in Louisiana will need to anticipate and budget for additional efforts to mitigate the economic (and presumably other) impacts associated with a substantial and increasing hazard that often goes underestimated.
Efficiency of Nicotinamide-based Supportive Therapy in Lymphopenia for Patients With COVID-19: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Hu Qiang , Zhang Quan-Yu , Peng Cheng-Fei , Ma Zhuang , Han Ya-Ling
Published: January 2022

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficiency of nicotinamide-based supportive therapy in lymphopenia for patients with coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). Methods: 24 patients diagnosed with the COVID-19 were randomly divided into two groups (n=12) during hospitalization in the ratio of 1:1. Based on the conventional treatment, the treatment group was given 100mg nicotinamide, five times a day. The control group only received routine treatments. The primary endpoint was the change in absolute lymphocyte counts. The secondary endpoints included both the in-hospital death and the composite endpoint of aggravation, according to upgraded oxygen therapy, improvement of nursing level, and ward rounds of superior physicians for changes of conditions. Results: The full blood counts before and after receiving the nicotinamide were comparable in each group (all P>0.05). Before and after receiving the nicotinamide, mean absolute lymphocyte counts were similar between the two groups ([0.94±0.26]*109/L versus [0.89±0.19]*109/L, P=0.565; [1.15±0.48]*109/L versus [1.02±0.28]*109/L, P=0.445, respectively). Therefore, there was no statistically significant difference in the lymphocyte improvement rate between the two groups (23.08±46.10 versus 16.52±24.10, P=0.67). There was also no statistically significant difference for the secondary endpoints between the two groups.Conclusion: Among patients with COVID-19, there was no statistically significant difference in change of full blood counts and the absolute lymphocyte counts before and after intervention in both groups. Therefore, no new evidence was found for the effect of niacinamide on lymphopenia in patients with COVID-19.Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04910230. Registered 1 June 2021-retrospectively registered.
Investigation of the Anisotropic Structure of Travertine in Terms of Geological and Physico-Mechanical Properties: Sarıhıdır (Avanos-Nevşehir) Travertine Quarry
Authors: Kolay Ersin , Karakoç Gökhan , Temiz Uğur
Published: January 2022

Travertine is a sedimentary rock with generally layered structure, mainly comprising carbonate. They are used for different purposes in interior and exterior spaces by cutting parallel or perpendicular to the bedding according to use. Travertine may contain several facies linked to variations in conditions during formation. With these features, travertine is one of the rocks with anisotropy most commonly observed. In this study, the anisotropic structure due to facies and layering in travertine was investigated considering geological and engineering properties. The Sarıhıdır travertine quarry face was divided into four different zones with different features. Chemical, mineralogic, physical, index and mechanical properties of the samples taken from these zones were determined. During determination of engineering parameters, samples were prepared parallel and perpendicular to bedding. The source of the travertine is a mixture of limestone, dolomite, evaporite and ultramafic rocks and they have epigean character, though they were affected by the hypogean environment. It appeared there were textural differences between the zones, rather than differences in chemical and mineralogic composition. When travertine was cut parallel to layering, all zones were suitable for decoration and facing. Only T-4 zone samples cut parallel were useable for flooring and load-bearing elements. In terms of compression and abrasion resistance, T-4 zone was better than the other zones. The cut direction of the travertine samples is an important factor for physical and mechanical behavior. Samples cut parallel to layering were observed to provide better results. According to the results, it is recommended to use products from the same travertine zone side-by-side in structures and to consider the cutting direction for long life of the building and to prevent economic losses.
Development of Artificial Intelligence Climate Chamber and Experimental Study on Crop Phenotype Acquisition
Authors: Ren Anhua , Jiang Dong , Kang Min , Wu Jie , Xiao Fangcheng , Hou Pei , Fu Xiuqing
Published: January 2022

Background: The deficiencies of traditional artificial climate chambers in phenotypic collection and analysis were improved to achieve the high-throughput acquisition of crop phenotypes during the growth period. This paper has developed an artificial intelligence climate cabin with functions of crop cultivation management and phenotype acquisition during the whole growth period. This research also established an environmental control system, a crop phenotype monitoring system and a crop phenotype acquisition system with environmental parameter adjustment and crop image collection. Phenotypic feature extraction and other functions were carried out in the cultivation experiment, and phenotype acquisition of wheat was performed under different nitrogen fertiliser application rates. Comparison and analyses were performed by the systematic and manual measurement values of crop phenotype characteristics, and the acquisition of wheat table was evaluated based on artificial intelligence climate cabin. The goodness of fit of the model was used to classify data.Results: During the different growth periods of wheat, the correlation analysis between the systematic and manual measurement values of its leaf area, plant height and canopy temperature showed that the obtained correlation coefficient r was greater than 1, and the fitting determination coefficient R2 was greater than 0.7156, with errors. The coefficient root mean square error was less than 2.42, indicating that the two were positively correlated, and their correlation was excellent. Conclusion: The results verified the feasibility and applicability of the artificial intelligence climate cabin to study the phenotypic characteristics of crops.
Sirtuin 1 Protects the Mitochondria in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells via Suppressing Hypoxia-induced Factor-1 Alpha Expression
Authors: Zhou Zun-Qiang , Guan Jiao , Chen Shi-Geng , Sun Jian-Hua , Zhang Zheng-Yun
Published: January 2022

Background: We hypothesized that Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) might attenuate the Warburg effect in tumor cells by modulating hypoxia-induced factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α) expression. This study aimed to explore the role and the underlying mechanism of SIRT1 in protecting the mitochondrial functions in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. Methods: Quantitative real-time PCR and western blot analysis were conducted to determine gene expression in HCC cells. Co-immunoprecipitation (co-IP), chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP), and luciferase reporter assays were performed to examine DNA-protein interactions. Colony formation and MTT assays were carried out to explore the role of SIRT1 in HCC cell proliferation in vitro. PLC5 and Huh7 tumor xenografts were generated in mice to investigate the role of SIRT1–HIF-1α signaling in HCC development in vivo. Results: In different HCC cell lines, overexpression of SIRT1 promoted oxidative phosphorylation-associated gene expressions, ATP production, cell proliferation, and apoptotic protein expression while attenuating VEGF expression. In mice, overexpression of SIRT1 resulted in significant reductions in the weights of PLC5 and Huh7 tumor xenografts. Knockdown of SIRT1 exhibited opposite effects. Mechanistically, overexpression of SIRT1 promoted HIF-1α deacetylation, VHL-mediated HIF-1α degradation, and AMPK expression. Furthermore, SIRT1 interfered with the HIF-1α–c-Myc interaction to stimulate the transcription of a mitochondrial biogenesis enhancer mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM). Overexpression of HIF-1α completely reversed the effects of SIRT1.Conclusions: SIRT1 protects the mitochondria of HCC cells via suppressing HIF-1α expression, suggesting that SIRT1 may exert antitumor activity in HCC by reducing the Warburg effect.
Climate Zoning Under Climate Change Scenarios In The Basin Of Lake Urmia And Vicinity Basins
Authors: Jani Rasoul , Khatibi Rahman , Sadeghfam Sina , Zarrinbal Elnaz
Published: January 2022

A study of climate change scenarios is presented in this paper by projecting a set of recorded precipitation data into three future periods by statistical downscaling methods by employing LARS-WG using data from 7 synoptic stations. The study area covers the basin of Lake Urmia and its overlaps with two of its surrounding basins flowing to the Caspian Sea. The modelling is at two stages: Downscaling comprises: (i) use large-scale GCM models to provide climate variables (predictors); and (ii) downscale them to the local climatic variables for correlating with the observed timeseries (e.g. rainfall) for the period of T0: 1961-2001 - 40 years; Projecting comprises the derivation of precipitation values during the time periods of ; T1: 2011-2030), T2: 2046-2065 and T3: 2080-2099 at synoptic stations using three of standard scenarios: A1B, A2 and B1. These values are then used to map the climate zoning, which show: (i) climates at T1 are still similar to T0 and if any difference, precipitation increases; but changes are likely at T2 and T3 periods; (ii) the climate is moving toward a peakier regime at the northern region but drier towards the central region; and (iii) precipitation is likely to decrease in some of the zones. Thus, the results underpin the need for more responsive policymaking and should this not be realised in the next 5 to 10 years, the future seems bleak, as the loss of Lake Urmia and the depletion of aquifers are likely to be permanent, inflicting immigration from the region.
The Measurement of Sustainable Regional Manufacturing Industry: The Case of China
Authors: Ye Meng , Wang Yaqi , Deng Fumin
Published: January 2022

Since the introduction of Made in China 2025 and its focus on sustainable development and manufacturing industry transformation, appropriate evaluation methods to accurately assess the development of China’s manufacturing industry have become essential. Therefore, this research constructed an innovative evaluation index system for manufacturing development based on seven dimensions: innovation, structural optimization, economic benefits, efficiency enhancements, green development, international competition, and social benefits. An objective combination weighted-gray correlation-TOPSIS (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution) evaluation model was applied to the Sichuan Province manufacturing industry data from 2009 to 2018 to create a representative sample, in which the overall development level from 2009 to 2016 took on an inverted U-shaped curve that reached its maximum in 2013, fell to its lowest point in 2016, and then began a steady upward trend marked by innovation and efficiency improvements; however, sustainability fell. Based on these results, this research provides a scientific reference for policy-makers with recommendations for innovation-driven development strategies, green development promotion, and social benefit improvements with the aim of promoting more sustainable development of China's manufacturing industry.