bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Intelligent Gas Production Avails Planning System
Authors: Al Saad Mohammed Sadiq , Al Qahtani Adel Ali
Published: March 2023

The health of wells, facilities, and reservoirs is a core responsibility of gas reservoir management. In addressing the challenges of gas demand dynamism, water and solids production mitigation, facilities and reservoirs integrity, an intelligent production avails target system is developed. The system is designed to generate systematic and sustainable well-by-well production avails for various production cycles/scenarios in seconds.

The system digests wells data fed into the system through an up-to-date wells database and in-field sensors linked to a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system. Feed data includes testing parameters, i.e., gas rate, condensate-gas ratio, water-gas ratio, and wellhead pressure, geochemical water analyses, solids production, reservoir pressure, and pressure-volume-temperature (PVT). Upon QC, a daily well potential is determined based on testing data, Productivity Index (PI), and cumulative production. Well potential is then automatically verified against in-field gas flow sensors data. Maximum allowable avails per well are then determined based on the aforementioned parameters and surface facilities design to meet dynamic gas demand while sustaining wells performance and facilities integrity.

The resulting system found an excellent parallel between determined well potential and producible gas rate from in-field sensors. In emulating an experienced decision-making process, linear regression modeling proved diverse variable integration for parameters. Variable importance figures based on residuals fit (in brackets) are as follows; test gas gate (7.5), test WHP (2.4), PI (0.6), WGR and geochemical water sampling parameters (5.6), and reservoir pressure (2.9). Solids production was incorporated as a cap for wells producing from unconsolidated formations. Condensate production and PVT allowed for dynamic facilities-oriented production scenarios to be developed on demand. This diverse variable importance illustrates the holistic approach of this system in integrating avails dynamics on a well-by-well basis and reservoir levels. Incorporation of surface facilities is a key feature considering non-associated gas, condensate, and hydrocarbons PVT from processing capacity and design parameters standpoints.

This intelligent system capitalizes on big data analytics of surveillance activities and in-field sensors to automate vital reservoir management business. It assumes a novel approach in production allocation across non-associated gas fields in a systematic and intelligent manner with production sustainability as the main objective. Further novelty is the linkage between subsurface and surface aspects of the field in the process to maintain both reservoir health and facilities integrity.
A Novel Approach for Improving Uptime of Water Supply Wells in Oil Fields by Applying Lean Six Sigma
Authors: Al Shukaili Aisha , Ram Nayakam , Al Ghadani Adnan , Al Malki Younis , Susatyo Yoseph
Published: March 2023

Objectives/Scope: In the oil and gas industry, there are different ways to support and maintain oil production by preserving the pressure in the oil reservoirs. Water injection is acknowledged as one of the most effective methods to keep the reservoir’s pressure and hence maximize the oil recovery. In X field, located in the South of Oman, oil recovery utilizing water injection started in 2005. Three water supply wells provide the water for injection. Since 2018 the uptime of these wells has been around +- 69% which is far from the target uptime of 95%. This affects the water injectivity to the reservoir and hence oil production. On average, around 370 bbl/d of oil production is deferred, with potential revenue of 6 million US$ lost annually.

Methods, Procedures, Process: To overcome the problem of low uptime of water supply, Lean Six Sigma was applied, using the DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control) method. The DMAIC approach has successfully proven process improvements in different industries but has yet to be used in the oil and gas industry. The DMAIC method was applied to identify the main contributors to wells failures, and hence remove process defects and reduce the downtime of the water supply wells. Six Sigma is generally known as a data-driven methodology for improving quality and reducing variation in business activities using multiple statistical tools.

Results, Observations, Conclusions: The study was performed on various possible factors that can cause downtime to the water supply wells. Statistical analysis confirmed three leading causes: well surface leaks, overhead line failures and backpressure. Three dedicated teams were formed to develop and implement improvement plans. This improved uptime of the water supply wells from 69% to more than 98%, which translates to an increase of 1100m3/day (6900 bbl./day) of water injection. As a result, production increased by 1150 bbl./day of oil. The overall benefit for the 14 days pilot and sustain interval of this project was 640,000 USD (assuming 40 USD per barrel). The changes being sustained give an expected annual gain of 4.7 million USD per well. This approach will be replicated in another three fields with the same issue.

Novel/Additive Information: Applying the Lean Six Sigma methodology has effectively improved the uptime of water supply wells and hence water injectivity and oil production. This study proved that Lean Six Sigma could be used to help unlock many oil production opportunities.
Performance Evaluation of Iron Oxide and Graphite Nanoparticles in Water-Based Drilling Muds at HPHT Conditions
Authors: Murtaza Mobeen , Rana Azeem , Ahmad Hafiz Mudaser , Mahmoud Mohamed , Patil Shirish , Kamal Muhammad Shahzad , Al Sheri Dhafer
Published: March 2023

The compositions of drilling muds are tailored to fulfil the harsh requirements of a deep wellbore environment. The fluid loss into the formations causes borehole instability and hinders the drilling operation's performance. The decrease in rheological characteristics influences carrying capacity. Nanoparticles have the ability to block the nanopores present in clay and limit fluid loss in formations and maintain drilling mud stability. This study investigates the capacity of iron oxide and graphite nanoparticles to affect the fluid loss characteristics and rheological features of a water-based drilling mud under HPHT conditions.

To study rheological parameters, the Discovery Hybrid rheometer was used to determine the rheological properties of drilling muds containing nanoparticles in the concentration of 0.5 lb/bbl in a base drilling mud composed of 10 lb/bbl bentonite and 0.5 lb/bbl XC polymer. The experimental data were fitted to the Bingham Plastic model to study rheological parameters. API filtration test was performed to study the fluid loss volume of each drilling mud formulation. The linear swelling inhibition test showed that iron oxide and graphite particles reduced the swelling of bentonite.

A significant improvement in rheological properties was observed for nanoparticles specifically with the addition of iron oxide (Fe2O3). The yield point and viscosity were increased significantly with iron oxide compared to graphite. The addition of nanoparticles maintained the stability of drilling muds at HPHT conditions and resulted in a stable rheological profile. A significant reduction in the fluid loss was also observed with iron oxide resulting in the lowest fluid loss compared to base and graphite mixed drilling muds.

The use of nanoparticles along with high molecular weight polymer improved the fluid loss characteristics, rheological properties, and dispersion. This study reveals the potential use of nanoparticles as a water-based drilling mud additive with effective drilling operations and less formation damage in harsh conditions.
IVSE: Indian Voice Separation and Enhancement from a cocktail party scenario
Authors: Gupta Monika , Singh R. K. , Singh Sachin
Published: March 2023

Audio bots like Alexa, Siri, Google assistant, require a clean voice to perform a task. These bots ignore a disturbance or mixed voice. We get the famous message “sorry I could not understand”. With the introduction of smart homes and smart cities, it is imperative for devices to understand the commands in a noisy environment and that too in a native language. Indian Voice Separation and Enhancement (IVSE) offer the solution. For separation and enhancement of voice, the model should filter the noise first. For eliminating zero and negative values, a Zero-Negative filter (ZNF) is created. To eliminate the rippling effect induced by the time domain or frequency domain filters, Enhance Voice Function (EVF) enhances the voice. The output is windowed into different frames of equal lengths. Then it is labelled as noise and clean signals. A gradient boosting algorithm-based approach is then applied to filter the noise. The 50,000 voiceprints from the filtered voice were used to construct a training and validation set. For predictive analysis, the dataset is divided into an 80:20 ratio. IVSE uses LightGBM to create distinctive voiceprints. LightGBM operates in the background on Tensor Flow, which improves its performance. The paper compares IVSE and different benchmark algorithms at the end.
Uterine Leiomyosarcoma with a Novel RAB2A-PLAG1 Gene Fusion
Authors: Sham Sunder , Hosseini Hossein , Kokabee Mostafa , Bendari Ahmed , Reham Al-Refai , Zhong Xuelin , Vele Oana , Villella Jeannine A. , Unger Pamela , O'Leary Xiaoqing , Benhamidam Jamal K.
Published: March 2023

Uterine leiomyosarcoma (ULMS) is the most common subtype of uterine sarcoma and constitutes 1% of all uterine malignancies. In some cases, distinguishing ULMS from endometrial stromal sarcoma (ESS) can be challenging because they may display histological and immunohistochemical overlaps. In such cases, molecular studies such as RNA sequencing to detect gene rearrangements can help arrive at a definitive diagnosis. We report a unique case of ULMS with a novel RAB2A-PLAG1 gene fusion. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case in English literature.
Case Presentation:
An 80-year-old woman presented to our hospital with a one-month history of pelvic pain and abnormal uterine bleeding. Imaging was notable for a large necrotic uterine mass, thickened endometrium, and uterine fibroids. Subsequent endometrial biopsy (EMB) revealed an unremarkable transformation zone of the epithelium. After four months, the patient presented with persistent symptoms. A solid mass within the endometrium was observed on the imaging. Endometrial curettage (EMC) revealed a malignant uterine mesenchymal neoplasm, with histological findings suggestive of ULMS and ESS. The patient underwent a total hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. Immunohistochemical analysis of the resected specimen was inconclusive. RNA sequencing revealed a novel RAB2A-PLAG1fusion, and ULMS was diagnosed.
Conclusion:
This is the first case of ULMS with a RAB2A-PLAG1 gene fusion. Pathologists should be aware of the extensive morphological and immunophenotypic overlap between the various uterine mesenchymal neoplasms. In challenging cases, molecular studies are crucial for pathologists to arrive at a final diagnosis.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy in suicidal patients with borderline personality disorder: A pilot randomized controlled trial in Taiwan
Authors: Wu Shu-I , Huang Hui-Chun , Chen Joya Shu-Chin , Korslund Kathryn , Lin Chen-Ju , Lin Ying , Chang Yi-Hung , Yeh Hsiao-Mei , Lin I-Chieh , Lin Yu-Wen , Sun Fang-Ju , Liu Shen-Ing
Published: March 2023

Background:Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is associated with considerable morbidity and mortality. Suicidality and self-injury are common. This study aimed to examine the implementation of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) in the local Chinese sample.Method:This is a single-blind randomized controlled trial recruited patients diagnosed with BPD with at least two episodes of suicidal or non- suicidal self-injurious episodes in the past 5 years. These patients were randomly assigned to one year of either DBT or psychotherapy delivered by community treatment experts in suicide prevention. Primary outcomes, assessed at 4-month intervals over the treatment year, were frequency of suicide attempts and episodes of non- suicidal self-injury. Psychological distress including depression, anxiety, hopelessness, suicidal ideations, and quality of life were also measured.Results:Of the 150 patients with borderline personality disorder referred and screened, 60 participated in the trial. Reductions in self-harm behaviors, medical utilizations due to suicidal ideations or suicidal attempts, borderline symptoms, and psychological distress were found in both groups. However, no between-group differences were noted at the end of treatments.Conclusions:Our results suggest that BPD patients with suicidal attempts in a publicly funded health care system with limited resources benefited equally from DBT and treatment delivered by suicide prevention experts in Taiwan.Trial registration:Clinical Trial IdentifierNCT01952405. First Submitted: September 6, 2013
Molecular characterization and antifungal activity of lipopeptides produced from Bacillus subtilis against plant fungal pathogen Alternaria alternata
Authors: N Harish B , N Nagesha S , N Ramesh B , S Shyamalamma , S Nagaraj M , C Girish H , C Pradeep , S Shiva Kumar K , S Tharun Kumar K , N Pavan S , V Kavan Kumar
Published: March 2023

Alternaria alternata is a fungus that has been recorded to cause leaf spots on over 380 host species of plant. It is an opportunistic pathogen on numerous hosts causing leaf spots, rots, and blights on many plant parts. This study aimed to investigate the antifungal activity of the lipopeptides from strains (T3, T4, T5, and T6) of B. subtilis were studied. The genomic DNA was isolated from B. subtilis bacteria and confirmed the presence of iturin, surfactin, and fengycin genes by PCR amplification. Antifungal Lipopeptides were extracted, identified by HPLC, and quantified from B. subtilis strains with the values for T3 (24µg/ml), T4 (32µg/ml), T5 (28µg/ml) and T6 (18µg/ml). The extracted lipopeptides from T3, T4, T5, and T6 strains of B. subtilis at 10µg/ml of media were used against Alternaria alternata to check the antifungal activity. The rate of inhibition using lipopeptides against Alternaria alternata was recorded as T3 (75.14%), T4 (75.93%), T5 (80.40%), and T6 (85.88%). Among the four strains, the T6 strain (85.88%) showed the highest antifungal activity against the Alternaria alternata.
Identification of the Expression Patterns and Potential Prognostic Role of m6A-RNA Methylation Regulators in Wilms Tumor
Authors: Jia Changlin , Gao Hongjie , Ma Wenyue , Liu Xiaoya , Chang Mengmeng , Sun Fengyin
Published: March 2023

Background. To explore the potential role of m6A methylation modification in Wilms Tumor (WT) by m6A-RNA Methylation (m6A) regulators.
Methodology. The association of m6A modification patterns with immune and prognostic characteristics of tumors was systematically evaluated using 19 m6A regulators extracted from Wilms Tumor’s samples in public databases. A comprehensive model of "m6Ascore" was constructed using principal component analysis, and its prognostic value was evaluated.
Results. Almost all m6A regulators were differentially expressed between WT and normal tissues. Unsupervised clustering identified three distinct m6A clusters that differed in both immune cell infiltration and biological pathways. The m6Ascore was constructed to quantify m6A modifications in individual patients. Our analysis suggests that m6Ascore is an independent prognostic factor for WT and can be used as a novel predictor of WT prognosis.
Conclusions.This study comprehensively explored and systematically characterized m6A modifications in WT. m6A modification patterns play a critical role in the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) and WT prognosis. m6Ascore provides a more comprehensive understanding of m6A modifications in WT and offers a practical tool for predicting WT prognosis. This study will help clinicians to identify valid indicators of WT to improve the poor prognosis of this disease.
Smallholder Farmers Adoption of Climate Smart Livestock Production: Practices, Status and Determinants in Hidebu Abote Woreda, Central Ethiopia
Authors: Ayal Desalegn , Mamo Bassa
Published: March 2023

This study aimed at identifying the status, determining factors, and challenges in adopting climate smart livestock production practices by smallholder farmers. Three-staged sampling techniques were used to select the targeted area and 233 sample smallholder farmers respondents. Data were collected mainly using a pre-tested structured questionnaire. Key informant interviews and focus group discussions were also conducted to complement the household survey data. Various descriptive statistics were applied to analyze the collected survey data. An ordered logistic regression model was used to analyze the determinant factors which affect the adoption status of the sampled smallholder farmers. The result revealed that the most adopted practices were composting (85.41%) and manure management (70.39%) while the least adopted technologies were biogas generation (3.86%) and rotation grazing (22.32%). The adoption status of the sampled smallholder farmers was also categorized into low (19.74%), medium (67.81%), and high adopter (12.45%). The high cost of improved breed, use of manure for fuel, free grazing, lack of information and awareness were the major constraints to adopting the technology. The result also revealed that education, grazing land, total livestock holding, and extension agent contact contributed significantly and positively to the adoption status, while the distance from the water source had an insignificant and negative effect on the adoption status of climate smart livestock production practices.
Does the birth plan match what is relevant to women? Women's preferences when giving birth
Authors: Artieta-Pinedo Isabel , Paz-Pascual Carmen , Garcia-Alvarez Arturo , Bully Paola , Group ema.Q , Espinosa Maite
Published: March 2023

Background: To support women in making shared decisions, it is important to know what is relevant to them. The aim is to explore which of the options included in birth plans are of most interest to women, and whether the variability is associated with personal characteristics
Methods: Participants were asked about their degree of agreement with statements about delivery environment, accompaniment, pain relief, medical intervention and neonatal care. The relationship between agreement with each statement, sociodemographic variables and fear of childbirth (W-DEQ-A) was analysed.
Results: 247 women responded. More than 90% preferred a hospital delivery, with information about and control over medical intervention, accompanied by their partner and continuous skin-to-skin contact with the newborn. There are other questions to which women attach less importance or which show greater variability in their responses; these are questions related to more clinical aspects. More than 30% had a neutral opinion on foetal monitoring, placenta delivery, or cord clamping. There are various factors that are related to this variability;parity, nationality, educational level, risk factor or fear of childbirth are the most important.
Conclusions: The birth plan currently on offer is only partly tailored to women's areas of interest. There are some issues, mostly identified as very important, that should form the basis of childbirth care rather than being an option: these are the aspects more connected to human relationships in childbirth. Other clinical issues, which present greater variability, must be offered for reflection, together with the information and support necessary for decision-making.
Decreasing per capita human capital growth in 166 countries from 1990 to 2020
Authors: Chen Shuning , PIAO Xiangdan , Xie Jun , Managi Shunsuke
Published: March 2023

Human capital is widely acknowledged as an inclusive resource that encompasses the knowledge and expertise of citizens, which propels economic development. This research integrates education data with demographic, health, and socioeconomic factors to construct a cross-country human capital monetary accounting framework. We evaluate the levels of educational attainment and the total adult population by stage of life expectancy. Subsequently, we assess education returns based on lifetime income and educational attainment. This accounting tracks the level and changes of human capital in 166 countries from 1990 to 2020, providing multiple indicators to measure human capital for sustainability. The primary findings indicate that globally, the growth trajectory of human capital has declined over the past decade, suggesting a threshold for human capital growth under current investment levels. Based on these findings, it is recommended that policymakers consider this shift and align long-term human capital investment with sustainable growth paths.
Change in skeletal muscle mass is associated with hepatic steatosis in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
Authors: Jo Ik Hyun , Song Do Seon , Chang U Im , Yang Jin Mo
Published: March 2023

The association between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and sarcopenia is known. We aimed to determine the association between skeletal muscle mass changes and NAFLD status. This retrospective single-center study analyzed patients who underwent health screening twice between November 2009 and December 2017, with a temporal gap of 6 ± 0.5 years. The degree of sarcopenia was assessed using appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM) adjusted for weight and body mass index (BMI). Changes in hepatic steatosis and fibrosis status were evaluated using noninvasive serum markers. Patients with a decrease in ASM/BMI (n = 353) had increased hepatic steatosis index (HSI) and fatty liver index (FLI) scores during 6 years (p < 0.05). The baseline sarcopenia group had a greater elevation in NAFLD fibrosis score (NFS) over 6 years than those without baseline sarcopenia. ASM changes over 6 years showed a negative correlation with variations in HSI (β=-0.96 in ASM/Weight and − 28.93 in ASM/BMI) and FLI (β=-5.44 in ASM/Weight and − 167.12 in ASM/BMI). Subgroup analyses showed similar results according to sex and age. Sarcopenia may worsen steatosis and vice versa. Skeletal muscle status can be used to predict the course of NAFLD and establish individualized treatment strategies.
Current Research on Deposition and Drift of Droplets Sprayed by Plant Protection UAV
Authors: Qin Weicai , Chen Panyang
Published: March 2023

Plant protection UAV, which is highly adapted to terrain and capable of efficient low-altitude spraying, will be extensively used in agricultural production. This paper systematically sorts out the single or several independent factors influencing the deposition characteristics of droplets sprayed by plant protection UAV, as well as the experimental methods and related mathematical analysis models used to study the droplet deposition and drift. It proposes a research method based on farmland environmental factors to simulate the deposition and drift characteristics of pesticide droplets, further studies the impact of multiple factors on the droplet deposition characteristics by using an indoor simulation test system for the spraying flow field of plant protection UAV to simulate the plant protection UAV spraying flow field, temperature, humidity and natural wind and integrating the operation parameters, environmental conditions, crop canopy characteristics and rotor airflow, explores the main effects and interactive effects of the factors influencing the deposition of pesticide droplets, establishes a mathematical model which can reflect the internal relations of multiple factors and evaluate and analyze the droplet deposition characteristics, and further proposes a scientific and effective method for determining the optimal pesticide droplet deposition. In addition, it also proves that this research method can provide a necessary scientific basis for the formulation of operating standards for plant protection UAV in China, inspection and evaluation of operating tools at the same scale, and the improvement and upgrading of spraying systems.
Evaluation of upper limb perception after stroke: a prevalence and longitudinal study with the new Affected Limb Perception Questionnaire (ALPQ)
Authors: KONIK Stéphanie , BEAUD Valérie , FELLRATH Julia , MARTINELLI Isabella , GUANZIROLI Eleonora , MOLTENI Franco , BASSOLINO Michela , SERINO Andrea
Published: March 2023

Background

Following a stroke, patients may suffer from alterations in the perception of their own body due to an acquired deficit in body representations. While such changes may impact their quality of life as well as recovery, they are not systematically assessed in clinical practice. This study aims at providing a better understanding of the prevalence, evolution and impact on recovery of upper-limb body perceptions (BPs) alterations following stroke. In addition, we will investigate associations among BPs alterations items, their associations with the sensorimotor functions, upper-limb usage, damages in brain structure and connectivity.

Methods

We developed a new tool named ALPQ (for Affected Limb Perception Questionnaire) to address the present study objectives. It assesses subjective disturbances in the perception of the affected upper limb (UL) following stroke, by measuring several dimensions, namely: anosognosia for hemiplegia, anosodiaphoria for hemiplegia, hemiasomatognosia, somatoparaphrenia, personification of the affected limb, illusion of modification of physical characteristics (temperature, weight, length), illusory movements, super- or undernumerary limb, upper-limb disconnection, misoplegia, and involuntary movement. This study combines a cross-sectional and longitudinal design. The ALPQ will be administered to minimum 60 acute and 100 sub-acute stroke patients. When possible, patients will be followed up to the chronic stage. Complementary evaluations will be administered to assess patients’ sensorimotor and cognitive functions as well as upper-limb activity, and brain lesions will be analysed.

Discussion

The ALPQ is a new tool to evaluate patient’s body perceptions which has the advantages to cover a broad range of BPs distortions, to be compatible with the clinical context, and to have a quantitative approach. This study will provide a better understanding of BPs alterations following stroke: their prevalence and evolution, as well as their associations with sensorimotor deficit, cognitive profile and spontaneous arm activity, brain lesions and recovery. Ultimately, the results could support the personalization of rehabilitation strategy accordingly to patients’ UL perception to maximize their recovery.

Trial registration

https://osf.io/p6v7f.
Modeling Alzheimer’s disease in primary neurons reveals DNA damage response coupled with MAPK-DLK signaling in wild-type tau-induced neurodegeneration
Authors: Li Sanming , Roy Ethan R. , Wang Yanyu , Watkins Trent , Cao Wei
Published: March 2023

Background: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most prevalent form of neurodegeneration. Despite the well-established link between tau aggregation and clinical progression, the major pathways driven by this protein to intrinsically damage neurons are incompletely understood.
Methods: To model AD-relevant neurodegeneration driven by tau, we overexpressed wild-type human tau in primary mouse neurons and characterized the subsequent cellular and molecular changes. RNAseq profiling and functional investigation were performed as well. A direct comparison with a mutant human tau was conducted in detail.
Results: We observed substantial axonal degeneration and cell death associated with wild-type tau, a process accompanied by activated caspase 3. Mechanistically, we detected deformation of the nuclear envelope and increased DNA damage response in tau-expressing neurons. Gene profiling analysis further revealed significant alterations in the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway; moreover, inhibitors of dual leucine zipper kinase (DLK) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) were effective in alleviating wild-type human tau-induced neurodegeneration. In contrast, mutant P301L human tau was less toxic to neurons, despite causing comparable DNA damage. Axonal DLK activation induced by wild-type tau potentiated the impact of DNA damage response, resulting in overt neurotoxicity.
Conclusions: We have established a cellular tauopathy model highly relevant to AD and identified a functional synergy between DNA damage response and the MAPK-DLK axis in the neuronal degenerative process.
Characterization of Upper Cretaceous Matulla and Wata clastic reservoirs from October field, Central Gulf of Suez, Egypt
Authors: Farouk Sherif , Sen Souvik , Saada Saada , Eldosouky Ahmed , Elsayed Romaisaa , Kassem Ahmed , Al-Kahtany Khaled , Abdeldaim Ahmed
Published: March 2023

This study discusses the petrographic and petrophysical characteristics of the shallow marine clastic reservoirs of the Coniacian-Santonian Matulla Formation and upper Turonian Wata Formation from the October oil field, Central Gulf of Suez Basin. Thin sections, SEM and XRD data indicate that the studied glauconitic subarkose quartz arenites of the Matulla and Wata reservoirs are fine to very fine-grained, moderately sorted, subrounded to subangular and exhibit good intergranular primary porosity with good pore connectivity. Moderate to slight compaction and grain to grain pressure solution resulted in a slightly inhomogeneous packing of framework grains. Feldspar dissolution contributed to the secondary porosity generation which enhanced the reservoir quality, while quartz overgrowth and minor calcite cementation are inferred as porosity destroying diagenetic agents. Pore-filling kaolinite and clay phases also had a negative effect on reservoir storage capacity. Routine core analysis indicated average > 20% porosity and good permeability (up to 412 mD) in the meso-megaporous sandstones of both the reservoirs. Permeability anisotropy analysis of Matulla samples indicates the dominance of primary depositional fabric and isotropic pores with minor scattered/connected horizontal pores and vertical pore connectivity. Wireline log-based assessments provided quantitative petrophysical properties which also exhibit low shale volume and higher hydrocarbon saturation (up to 80%). The same has also been deciphered from the gas chromatography data which confirms the presence of oil in the Matulla and Wata pay zones based on gas balance, wetness and character ratios. The study concludes excellent reservoir properties in the Upper Cretaceous clastic intervals of the October field.
Intensification of the lacustrine methane cycle during the Toarcian Oceanic Anoxic Event
Authors: Huang Yizhou , Jin Xin , Pancost Richard , Kemp David , Naafs Bernhard
Published: March 2023

The Toarcian Oceanic Anoxic Event (T-OAE, ca. 183 Ma) was one of the most intense perturbations of Earth’s System of the last 250 million year. It was associated with the large-scale emission of 12C-enriched carbon, global warming, and increased organic carbon burial. Although the T-OAE and its impact on climate and biogeochemical cycles are well-documented for the marine realm, the impact on continental biogeochemical cycles that could provide powerful positive feedback mechanisms that exacerbate the initial perturbation is poorly understood. Here we show that the stable carbon isotopic compositions (δ13C) of bacterial lipids (hopanoids) became very depleted during the T-OAE in the Ordos Basin, a large inland lake in northern China. We interpret these data as reflecting a transient increase in aerobic methane consumption in the lake due to increased methane production in the lake sediments. The surplus depletion in hopanoid 13C coincides with the appearance of biomarker evidence for photic zone euxinia, indicating a link between lakes’ water column stratification / deoxygenation and intensification of the methane cycle. Our results indicate that the T-OAE had a direct impact on terrestrial biogeochemical cycles that could have provided a positive feedback, enhancing and prolonging its duration.
High-protein, low glycemic index snack from optimized blend of three wholegrains exhibit nutraceutical quality and elicit low glycemic response in diabetic human subjects
Authors: Olagunju Aderonke , Arigbede Titilope , Oyeleye Sunday , Makanjuola Solomon , Oyebode Esther T. , Enikuomehin Adenike
Published: March 2023

Snack products are evolving as new carriers of functional ingredients with nutritional and health-promoting benefits. A blend of whole grains is increasingly being utilized to harness the functional potential of the grain mix. Amaranth, acha, and pearl millet grains flours were optimized using response surface methodology (RSM), to obtain optimum blends (90:5:5 and 47.98:26.68:25.34) having high protein content and low glycemic index. Snack bar products from the blends were labelled MBY and MBZ. A total of 50 subjects were recruited. About 42% were overweight while 40% were obese. Each was allowed to consume snacks containing the equivalent of 50 g of carbohydrates. Finger prick was employed to evaluate the postprandial glucose response of snack products while venous blood was evaluated for antioxidant enzymes, carbohydrate-hydrolyzing activities, and insulin using standard methods. Consumption of the multigrain snacks elicited a stable postprandial response (133-141 mg/dL) with 16 and 24% postprandial decline. In addition, snacks had low to intermediate glycemic index (52 and 56) and reduced α-amylase/glucosidase activities compared to control snacks. Similarly, glutathione level, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase activities in serum from subjects that consumed multigrain snacks were upregulated compared to control and market sample groups. Moreso, snack products promoted a reduction in serum insulin levels in diabetic subjects (45 and 17% for MBY and MBZ respectively). Following the nutraceutical properties displayed by the formulated snack especially MBY, it can be promoted as a functional snack for the management of diabetes while solving the limited snack product choice of diabetes sufferers.
A 3-month survival model after Gamma Knife surgery in patient with brain metastasis from lung cancer with Karnofsky performance status ≤ 70
Authors: Park Hangeul , Chung Hyun-Tai , Kim Jin-Wook , Dho Yun-Sik , Lee Eun Jung
Published: March 2023

Gamma Knife surgery (GKS) for brain metastasis (BM) has been generally advocated for patients with a Karnofsky performance status (KPS) scale of ≥ 70. However, some patients with a poor KPS scale of < 70 are recoverable after GKS and show durable survival. A purpose of this study is to devise a 3-month survival prediction model to screen patients with BM with a KPS of ≤ 70 in whom GKS is needed. A retrospective analysis of 67 patients with a KPS scale of 60–70 undergoing GKS for BM of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) from 2016 to 2020 in our institute was performed. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate factors related to survival for more than 3 months after GKS. The probability (P) prediction model was designed by giving a weight corresponding to the odds ratio of the variables. The overall survival was 9.9 ± 12.7 months (range, 0.2–53.2), with a 3-month survival rate of 59.7% (n = 40). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, extracranial disease (ECD) control (p = .033), focal neurological deficit (FND) (p = .014), and cumulative tumor volume (∑ TV) (p = .005) were associated with 3-month survival. The prediction model of 3-month survival (Harrell’s C index = 0.767) was devised based on associated factors. In conclusion, GKS for BMs is recommended in selected patients, even if the KPS scale is ≤ 70.
Topoclimate of the Zahlé region (Eastern Lebanon)
Authors: Zeinaldine Rabih , Dahech Salem
Published: March 2023

This work examines the topoclimatic characteristics of Zahlé, specifically thermal breezes and the Urban Heat Island (UHI) phenomenon. Three-hourly data from 1994 to 2021 from conventional weather stations shows a frequency of breezes in the summer season of 74%. In Rayak, mountain and valley breezes have been noticed alternating between day and night, channeled by the topography of the Bekaa Valley. In Houch El Oumaraa, valley-sea breezes dominate during the day and country-mountain breezes occur at night. These breezes affect the distribution of air temperature and humidity, creating an average thermal contrast of 4.3°C between the city and its surrounding countryside at night. Data from weather stations implanted in 2022 and car surveys at a fine scale (half hourly data) level has confirmed the previous findings: During nighttime, the mountain breeze dominates and brings cool and moist air from the mountains into the valley at a low speed (<1 m/s). During the day, a valley breeze dominates from 9 am to 3 pm and can reach speeds of up to 4 m/s. Additionally, a sea breeze with faster speeds (5 m/s) is present between 1 pm and 3 pm, lasting until 9 pm. The car surveys indicate a temperature variation of 9 ℃ between the valley and the surrounding urban areas during early morning.
Redo mitral valve replacement in an adult atrioventricular septal defect heart with severe pulmonary hypertension: A case study
Authors: Sugiyama Kayo , Matsuyama Katsuhiko , Ogino Hitoshi
Published: March 2023

Background
Pulmonary hypertension associated with left heart disease (Nice PH classification group-II) improves when left heart disease is treated, but optimal medication for group-II PH is still controversial.
Case presentation
A 37-year-old female who had undergone patch closure for a partial atrioventricular septal defect (AVSD), and mitral valve replacement with a rather large bioprosthesis at juxtaannular position for mitral regurgitation was referred to our institute because of severe PH. Echocardiography revealed severe calcification of the bioprosthesis, and its stent post protrusion into the left ventricular outflow tract, therefore, redo mitral valve replacement at the supraannular position using a mechanical valve was performed successfully. Postoperatively PH gradually improved with meticulous medical management.
Conclusions
Narrowing of the left ventricular outflow tract in AVSD is well-known; however, potentially occurred left ventricular outflow tract obstruction (LVOTO) due to its stent post and extremely severe group-II PH due to severe calcification in bioprosthetic mitral valve should be minded.
Genotoxicity of Copper, Silver and Green Synthetic Gold Nanoparticles in fish (Ctenopharyngodon idella)
Authors: khan Ajmal , Khan Maghfoor , Shah Nazish , Khan Mansoor , Dawar Abidullah , Shah Ashraf Ali , Dawar Farmanullah , Khisroon M.K Muhammad
Published: March 2023

Grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) was exposed to nanoparticles of different concentrations i.e. copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO-NPs), silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) and green synthetic gold nano particles (Au-NPs) each for a period of 14 and 28 days. The DNA damage in the erythrocytes of Grass carp were detected through comet assay technique. The values of Total Comet Score (TCS) were noted for the exposed concentrations with a significant increasing trend (p < 0.05) and ordered as CuO-NPs > Ag-NPs > Au-NPs. The highest TCS value of the exposed erythrocytes was recorded for CuO-NPs at 40 mg L− 1 after 14 days of exposition period. Comparatively, TCS values of erythrocytes exposed to green synthetic Au-NPs at all the concentrations and exposed time was less as compared to the Ag-NPs and CuO-NPs. The study confirmed the adverse effects of nanoparticles on the genetic material of fish cells.
Groundwater Level Complexity Analysis Based on Multifractal Characteristics: A Case Study in Baotu Spring Basin, China
Authors: Niu Shuyao , Shu Longcang , Li Hu , Li Yuxi , Guo Jianmin
Published: March 2023

Groundwater resources are important natural resources that must be appropriately managed. Because groundwater level fluctuation typically exhibits non-stationarity, revealing its complex characteristics is of scientific and practical significance for understanding the response mechanism of the groundwater level to natural or human factors. Therefore, employing multifractal analysis to detect groundwater level variation irregularities is necessary. In this study, multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis (MF-DFA) was applied to study the multifractal characteristics of the groundwater level in the Baotu Spring Basin and further detect the complexity of groundwater level variation. The main results indicate that groundwater level variation in the Baotu Spring Basin exhibited multifractal characteristics, and multifractality originated from broad probability density function (PDF) and the long-range correlation of the hydrological series. The groundwater level fluctuations in wells 358 and 361 exhibited a high complexity, those in wells 287 and 268 were moderately complex, and the groundwater level fluctuations in wells 257 and 305 were characterized by a low complexity. The spatial variability of hydrogeological conditions resulted in spatial heterogeneity in the groundwater level complexity. This study could provide important reference value for the analysis of the nonlinear response mechanism of groundwater to its influencing factors and the development of hydrological models.
Analysis of historic drought condition based on SPI and SPEI at various timescales in the South Saskatchewan Watershed, Alberta, Canada
Authors: Mousavi Roya , Johnson Dan L , Kroebel Roland , Byrne James M
Published: March 2023

With global warming and alterations of climatic patterns, greater frequency and severity of extreme events are observed in different regions. Drought is one of the most challenging extreme events, one which can cause catastrophic and long-lasting impacts on water availability, environment, agriculture, economy, and societies. This study investigates the historic changes of drought conditions in Southern Alberta which is home to communities whose main economic activity is agriculture, or otherwise related to environmental variables, and has experienced severe droughts in the past. We employed SPI (standardized precipitation index) and SPEI (standardized precipitation-evapotranspiration index) as drought indicators at 1-, 3-, 6-, 9-, and 12-month(s) timescales, to explore significant changes during 1980–2018. The indices were computed using a Daymet-gridded dataset for the South Saskatchewan River Watershed (SSRW). Constructed drought occurrence maps revealed that, on average, in nearly half of the analysis period, the region experienced drought. Comparing four past decades showed that drought impacted a larger area in 2000–2010, and the percentage of the area impacted by severe or extreme droughts significantly increased in the last two decades, compared to 1980–2000. Results show decreasing trends of drought in some areas, mainly in the headwaters of Bow River in the Rocky Mountains, and increasing trends in larger areas, mostly found downstream. The result denotes expansion of the dry/wet conditions to larger areas at longer timescales. The extent of areas with a significant trend (increasing/decreasing) was greater with longer timescales of drought indices. Comparing the two drought indices suggests significant differences, and outperformance of SPEI in detecting dry conditions.
LncRNA NEAT1 antagonizes the inhibition of melanoma proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT by Polyphyllin B
Authors: Wang Wenjun , Wang Meng , Liu Xiaxia , Chen Xin , Cheng Hui , Wang Guokai
Published: March 2023

Polyphyllin B (PPB) is a compound with anti-tumor effects. Nuclear paraspeckle assembly transcript 1 (NEAT1) is a long-stranded noncoding RNA that induces epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of tumor cells and promotes tumor growth and metastasis. However, the role and mechanism of PPB on melanoma and the correlation between them remain unclear. In this study we screened NEAT1 by using LncRNA transcriptomic sequencing, and then transfected B16F10 cells using OVER-NEAT1 lentivirus. Next, we found that PPB had significant proliferation inhibition of melanoma and B16F10 cells through MTT assay and establishment of mouse subcutaneous transplantation tumor model; in addition, through wound healing assay, transwell assay and establishment of mouse melanoma lung metastasis model, we found that PPB significantly inhibited the invasion and migration of B16F10 cells in vitro, and inhibited the metastasis of melanoma to lung, bone and liver in vivo. Finally, changes in the expression levels of EMT-related proteins were assessed by western blot (WB) and immunohistochemistry, and PPB significantly downregulated the expression levels of MMP-9, N-cadherin, etc., and upregulated E-cadherin. While overexpressed NEAT1 showed the ability to promote melanoma proliferation, migration and invasion, in addition to partially reversed the inhibition of proliferation, migration and invasion of melanoma by PPB mentioned above.
Synergistic correlated states and nontrivial topology in coupled graphene-insulator heterostructures
Authors: Lu Xin , Zhang Shihao , Gao Xiang , Yang Kaining , Gao Yuchen , Ye Yu , Han Zheng , Liu Jianpeng
Published: March 2023

In this work, we study the synergistic correlated states in two distinct types of interacting electronic systems coupled by interlayer Coulomb interactions. We propose that this scenario can be realized in a new type of Coulomb-coupled graphene-insulator heterostructures with gate tunable band alignment. We find that, by virtue of the interlayer Coulomb coupling between the interacting electrons in the two layers, intriguing correlated physics that is not seen in either individual layer emerges in a cooperative and synergistic manner.
Specifically, as a result of the band alignment, charge carriers can be transferred between graphene and the substrate under the control of gate voltages, which can yield a long-wavelength electronic crystal at the surface of the substrate. This electronic crystal exerts a superlattice Coulomb potential on the Dirac electrons in graphene, which generates subbands with reduced non-interacting Fermi velocity. As a result, $e$-$e$ Coulomb interactions within graphene would play a more important role, giving rise to a gapped Dirac state at the charge neutrality point, accompanied by interaction-enhanced Fermi velocity.
Moreover, the superlattice potential can give rise to topologically nontrivial subband structures which are tunable by superlattice's constant and anisotropy. Reciprocally, the electronic crystal formed in the substrate can be substantially stabilized in such coupled bilayer heterostructure by virtue of the cooperative interlayer Coulomb coupling.
We further perform high-throughput first principles calculations to identify a number of promising insulating materials as candidate substrates for graphene to demonstrate these effects. Our findings provide new insights into the physics of correlated and topological electronic states in graphene-based heterostructures.
Machine Learning based Prediction and Diagnosis of Heart Disease using multiple models
Authors: Maurya Jyoti , Prakash Shiva
Published: March 2023

Nowadays, heart disease is considered to be the main cause of sickness. Since the majority of people are unaware of their own kind and severity of heart disease, heart disease is now a significant problem that affects people of all ages. On the other hand, manual approach of prediction is challenging and often requires the capability to choose the relevant approach. To resolve these issues, various machine-learning models are playing a vital role in automatic disease prediction in medical field. In this study, we have calculated and made a comparison of accuracy of various machine learning models such as SVM, KNN, Logistic Regression, Decision Tree, Random Forest, Gaussian Naive Bayes, AdaBoost, Extra Tree Classifier and Gradient Boosting for prediction of heart disease using UCI repository dataset for training and testing of models. Among all the models used, the highest accuracy of 95.08% obtained by the Gradient Boosting model The major aim of the paper is to get a reliable, computationally effective machine learning algorithm for heart disease prediction.