bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Oil Recovery Dynamics of Natural Gas Huff ‘n’ Puff in Unconventional Oil Reservoirs Considering the Effects of Nanopore Confinement and Its Proportion: A Mechanistic Study
Authors: Wei Bing , Zhong Mengying , Wang Lele , Tang Jinyu , Wang Dianlin , You Junyu , Lu Jun
Published: April 2022

When reservoir fluids are confined by nanoscale pores, pronounced changes in fluid properties and phase behavior will occur. This is particularly significant for the natural gas huff ‘n’ puff (HNP) process as a means of enhanced oil recovery (EOR) technology in unconventional reservoirs. There have been considerable scientific contributions toward exploring the EOR mechanisms, yet almost none considered the effects of nanopore confinement and its proportion on the oil recovery dynamics. To bridge this gap, we developed an approach to calculate fluid phase equilibrium in nanopores by modifying the Rachford-Rice equation and Peng-Robinson equation of state (PR-EOS), completed by considering the shifts of fluid critical properties and oil/gas capillary pressure. Afterward, the effect of nanopore radius (rp) on the phase behavior between the injected natural gas and oil was thoroughly investigated. Compositional simulation was performed using a rigorously calibrated model based on typical properties of a tight reservoir to investigate the production response of natural gas HNP, including the effects of nanopore confinement and its proportion.

We demonstrated that the critical pressure and temperature of fluid components decreased with the reduction in rp, especially for heavy constitunts. The saturation pressure, density, and viscosity of the oil in the presence of natural gas all declined linearly with 1/rp in the confined space. The suppression of fluid saturation pressure was indicative of an extended single-phase oil flow period during production. The cumulative oil production was approximately 12% higher if the confinement effect was considered in simulation. Moreover, the average reservoir pressure declined rapidly resulting from this effect, mainly caused by the intensified in-situ gas/oil interaction in nanopores. The results of this paper supplement earlier findings and may advance our understanding of nanopore confinement during natural gas HNP, which are useful for field-scale application of this technique.
The Promotion Effect of Ionic Liquids on Polymer-Driven Recovered Water by Microwave Treatment
Authors: Sun Nana , Wang Ding , Quan Qing , Shen Lisha , Sun Huina , Su Ruiyu
Published: April 2022

In view of the difficulties in breaking emulsions and removing oil from polymer-produced water, this study systematically analyzes the promotion effect of anion type, cation type, and concentration of ionic liquid on polymer-driven water produced by microwave treatment. First, when the microwave power is 400 W and the radiation time is 40 seconds, the oil removal rate is only 34.95%. Second, when the anion of the ionic liquid is Br−, the oil/water interfacial tension (IFT) reaches the lowest value. During microwave radiation, the ionic liquid adsorbed on the oil/water interface converts more electromagnetic energy to heat energy owing to dipole polarization and interfacial polarization. In addition, bromine salts have the lowest absolute zeta potential; thus, the electroneutralization effect is the largest. Third, as the length of the cationic alkyl chain of the ionic liquid increases, its synergistic effect with the microwaves first decreases and then increases. Finally, during microwave irradiation, as the concentration of 1-hexadecyl-3-methylimidazole bromide salt increases, the oil removal rate first increases rapidly and then decreases slightly. When the concentration of 1-hexadecyl-3-methylimidazole bromide is 1 mmol/L, the oil removal rate reaches the highest value of 90.31%.
An Enhanced Premature Ventricular Contraction Pulse Detection and Classification Using Deep Convolutional Neural Network
Authors: Raj Remya , Kumar Ushus S , Maik Vivek
Published: April 2022

Accurate and precise monitoring of cardiac arrhythmia’s helps to avoid serious heart issues. The research concentrates on using Photoplethysmography (PPG) and Arterial Blood Pressure (ABP) with deep Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) for the classification and detection of fetal cardiac arrhythmia or Premature Ventricular Contractions (PMVCs). The process starts with Icentia 11k, a public dataset of ECG signal which consist of different cardiac abnormalities. The process proceeds with the MIMIC dataset and test dataset available from the hospital which is the transferred weights obtained from Icentia 11k dataset. The fine tuning improves the accuracy of classification. The proposed method can be able to detect and classify PMVCs in to three types: Normal, P1 and P2 with an accuracy of 99.9%, 99.8% and 99.5%.
Human body burden of Bisphenol A: a case study of lactating mothers in Florianopolis, Brazil
Authors: de Siqueira Carolina Dumke , Adenrele Alabi Okunola , de Moraes Ana Carolina Rabello , Monteiro Fabiola Branco Filippin
Published: April 2022

Background: Exclusive breast milk is the recommended nutrition by the World Health Organization (WHO) until six months of age, followed by introducing foods with continual breastfeeding. Bisphenol A (BPA) is a synthetic chemical used as a monomer in polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins. Human exposure to BPA can cause numerous adverse health effects such as diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease, with children and infants as the most susceptible groups. Thus, this study aimed to determine BPA concentration in the colostrum of 64 mothers hospitalized at the University Hospital Professor Polydoro Ernani de São Thiago through the ELISA technique. We also assessed possible associations between breast milk BPA concentration and lactogenesis II. The results showed that all the breast milk samples contained a high concentration of BPA with a median value of 34.18 ng/mL. In addition, exposure to BPA did not alter the nutritional status of the mother; however, BPA concentration in mothers is influenced by the consumption of food packaged in plastic containers. The total daily intake of BPA in breastfed babies was 19.5 µg/kg/day and 28.5 µg/kg/day was recorded in the 95th percentile of the body weight per day, which is higher than the maximum daily intake by the European Food Safety Authority. This is of public health importance as a high concentration of BPA in the breast milk of the lactating mothers in this study could cause severe health problems in these mothers and much more in the infants breastfeeding on these BPA-contaminated breast milk.
Energy-based Swing-up Control for a Two-link Underactuated Robot with Flexible First Joint
Authors: Peng Zhiyu , Xin Xin , Liu Yannian
Published: April 2022

This paper concerns the swing-up control of an underactuated two-link robot with a linear torsional spring-attached ﬁrst joint and an actuated second joint (called the FA robot below) moving in a vertical plane. First, we present a necessary and sufficient condition such the FA robot is linearly controllable at the upright equilibrium point (UEP, where two links are both upright). Second, we prove without any assumption that the FA robot is at an equilibrium point provided that its actuated joint angle is constant under a constant torque. Third, for the FA robot with its torsional stiﬀness of the spring being smaller than a value determined by the coefficients of its gravitational terms, we propose an energy-based controller without singular points to swing it up. We conduct a global motion analysis for the FA robot under the proposed controller. For the case that the total mechanical energy of the FA robot converges to its desired value, we present its phase portrait. For the case that the convergence is not achieved, we show that the FA robot approaches an equilibrium point belonging to a set of equilibrium points, and propose a sufficient condition to check its stability. From the motion analysis, we present a sufficient condition such that the FA robot can be swung-up close to the UEP under the proposed swing-up controller. Finally, we verify our theoretical results through a numerical simulation.
Thiadiazole Functionalized Salicylaldehyde-Schiff Base as a pH-responsive and Chemo-Reversible “Turn-Off” Fluorescent probe for Selective Cu (II) Detection: Logic Gate Behaviour and Molecular Docking Studies
Authors: Chhikara Aruna , Tomar Deepak , Bartwal Gaurav , Chaurasia Madhuri , Sharma Anuj , Gopal Swarita , Chandra Sulekh
Published: April 2022

A novel thiadiazole functionalized schiff base chemoreceptor (E)-2,4-dichloro-6-(((5-mercapto-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-yl)imino)methyl)phenol (SB-1) has been synthesized and characterized spectroscopically by using various techniques. Its photophysical behaviour was scanned towards a variety of metal ions in mixed aqueous media. The chemosensor (SB-1) displayed excellent selectivity towards Cu2+ ion through fluorescent diminishment (turn-off phenomenon). Colorimetric analyses showed a rapid colour change from yellow to dark red under visible light upon addition of Cu2+ ions. Interestingly, the original yellow colour reappeared back instantly after the addition of EDTA2- anions, thus confirming the reversible nature of SB-1. Competitive experiments validated no interference from the other co-existing metal ions in the recognition process of SB-1 towards Cu2+ ion. Job’s plot confirmed 1:1 binding stoichiometry between SB-1 and Cu2+ ion with the binding constant value of 3.87×104 M-1. The limit of detection was determined to be 1.01×10-7 M suggesting good sensitivity of SB-1 towards Cu2+ ions. Furthermore, pH-dependent UV-Vis spectral behaviour of SB-1 confirmed that it could act as an effective optical pH-sensor for highly acidic environment as well. Portable nature of probe SB-1 was explored by fabricating “easy-to-use” paper test strips, which allow robust and rapid detection of Cu2+ ions. Based on the multi-responsive properties of SB-1, a ‘NOR’ logic gate was constructed by applying Cu2+ and EDTA2- as chemical inputs (ln1: Cu2+, ln2: EDTA2-) while emission intensity observed at 560 nm was considered as output signal (O1). DFT optimized geometries confirmed that chemosensor SB-1 exists in Azo form (Enol form) in its ground state. Molecular docking of the SB-1 and its copper complex, into the binding site of TRK protein tyrosine kinase (PDB: 1t46) was also carried out to explore their biological activity and their potential use as TRK inhibitors.
Correlation of drug resistance pattern with Lipase Production in clinical isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae
Authors: Devanathan Kanimozhi , Sivaraman Umadevi , Subramaniam Pramodhini , Easow Joshy
Published: April 2022

AimThe aim of our study is to correlate drug resistance patterns with Lipase production in clinical isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae. Materials and MethodsA total of 150 clinical isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae from various clinical samples collected during the period from July 2020 to December 2020 was included in this study. Lipase production was detected by tween 80 agar and an antibiotic susceptibility test has been performed by Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method as per CLSI guidelines [10]. Extended Spectrum Beta-lactamase (ESBL) producers were detected by combined disc diffusion method and Carbapenemase production was detected by using the E-test strip method.Results and DiscussionOut of 150 consecutive non-duplicate isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae, 74 isolates from Exudate, 7 from Blood, and 69 were from urine. Among 150 isolates, 85(56.6%) isolates produced Lipase production, 43(57.3%) were ESBL producers and 20(32.25%) isolates were positive for Carbapenemase production.ConclusionShowing virulence in clinical isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae, and the antibiotic susceptibility pattern with lipase production in Klebsiella pneumoniae were noticed. If the virulence is increased in Klebsiella pneumoniae, a drug-resistant pattern also shows more resistance in number. And finally, to correlate the ESBL and Carbapenemase producer with lipase production, in that also the ESBL and Carbapenemase producer shows more number with lipase production. And also noted, when compared with outpatients, inpatients show more lipase production. And hence ampicillin is an intrinsic resistance to Klebsiella pneumoniae. In this study, to correlate the drug-resistant pattern, ESBL, and Carbapenemase producer with lipase production in clinical isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae.
Evaluation of Nursing Competences in the Licensure Exam: an Italian Observational Study
Authors: Pantaleo Flavia , D'Angelo Daniela , Stievano Alessandro , Albanesi Beatrice , Petrizzo Antonello , Notarnicola Ippolito , Pulimeno Ausilia Maria Lucia , De Marinis Maria Grazia , Marchetti Anna
Published: April 2022

BackgroundIn recent years, the licensure exam in nursing has focused on the range of curricula and teaching methods used in international universities. ‘Tuning’ was the first document that sought to harmonise training purposes in terms of competences and learning outcomes in Europe. Nursing has 47 specific competences divided into 5 domains.MethodsA multicentric observational perspective study was conducted in four universities in the Lazio region for to describe which of 47 Tuning competences are evaluated during the licensure exam in Italian nursing degree courses, at what level of performance, in which clinical area and setting are contextualised, and what types of tests are used for their evaluation. The commissioners of the Professional Order of Rome – OPI – collected data via tests in the licensure exams for the academic years 2017–2019 using 2 grids, one for cognitive and one for psychomotor assessments.ResultsThe Tuning competences were requested 7522 times, 5130 for the cognitive trials and 2392 for the psychomotor trials. The most frequently requested competences were those associated with domain 2, and the level of performance most required in cognitive tests was autonomy of judgement (52.30%). In both tests, the most-investigated competences concerned the area of non-communicable diseases and the hospitalised adult patient. ConclusionsThe competences assessed most often were associated with nursing practice and clinical decision-making. These areas coincided with those deemed essential for the first cycle of studies and are contextualised for the priority health problems of hospitalised adult patients. This indicates that nursing education still focuses on the preparation of nursing students for hospital settings. Moreover, there is still a high degree of discrepancy in the types of tests used in different schools. Their choices are influenced by the number of students and the structural resources available.
CCM signaling complex (CSC) couples both classic and non-classic progesterone receptor signaling
Authors: Abou-Fadel Johnathan , Jiang Xiaoting , Grajeda Brian , Padarti Akhil , Ellis Cameron , Flores Esmeralda , O Alyssa-Marie Cailing-De La , Zhang Jun
Published: April 2022

Background
Breast cancer, the most commonly diagnosed cancer, remains the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States, and excessive Progesterone (PRG) or Mifepristone (MIF) exposure, including females under Hormone Replacement Therapy or taking hormonal contraceptives during their reproductive ages, may be at an increased risk for developing breast cancer. PRG exerts its cellular responses through signaling cascades involving classic, non-classic, or combined responses by binding to either classic nuclear PRG receptors (nPRs) or non-classic membrane PRG receptors (mPRs). Currently, the intricate balance and switch mechanisms between these two signaling cascades remain elusive. Three genes, CCM1-3, form the CCM signaling complex (CSC) which mediates multiple signaling cascades.
Methods
Utilizing molecular cellular biology, Omics, and systems biology approaches, we analyzed the relationship among CSC, PRG, and nPRs/mPRs.
Results
We discover that the CSC plays an essential role in coupling both classic and non-classic PRG signaling pathways by mediating crosstalk between them, forming the CmPn (CSC-mPRs-PRG-nPRs) signaling network. We found that mPR-specific PRG actions (PRG + Mifepristone) play an essential role in this CmPn network during breast cancer tumorigenesis; identified 4 categories of candidate biomarkers (9 intrinsic, 2 PRG-inducible, 1 PRG-repressive, 1 mPR-specific PRG-repressive, and 2 mPR-responsive) for Luminal-A breast cancers during tumorigenesis; and confirmed prognostic application of RPL13 and RPL38 as intrinsic biomarkers in Luminal-A breast cancers using a dual validation method.
Conclusions
We discover that the CSC plays an essential role in the CmPn signaling network.
Intraocular Pressure Screening During High-Volume Cataract Surgery Outreach in Ethiopia
Authors: McClain Ian J. , Rooney David M. , Tabin Geoffrey C.
Published: April 2022

Introduction: Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide and is often undetected in resource-limited settings. Early screening and treatment of elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) reduces both the development and progression of visual field defects. IOP screening in developing countries is limited by access to ophthalmic equipment, trained ophthalmic staff, and follow up. High-volume cataract surgery outreaches in resource-limited countries provide ample opportunity for glaucoma screening, intervention and follow up. Methods: This prospective cross-sectional study took place during a cataract outreach campaign sponsored by the Himalayan Cataract Project (HCP) in partnership with Felege Hiwot Hospital in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia, during April 5th – April 10th 2021. IOP was measured on the surgical eye of patients before undergoing small incision cataract surgery (SICS) using rebound tonometry with an iCare tonometer model IC100.Results: Intraocular pressure (IOP) was measured in 604 eyes of 595 patients who received SICS. Mean IOP was 12.1 mmHg (SD = 5.0 mmHg). A total of 29 patients had an IOP greater than 21 mmHg representing 4.8% of total IOP measurements. A total of 17 patients received oral acetazolamide prior to surgery to acutely lower IOP. Six of these patients had their surgery delayed due to elevated IOP and 9 patients received excisional goniotomy at the time of SICS. A temporal approach during SCIS was taken for all patients with elevated IOP to allow for possible trabeculectomy at a future date.Discussion: IOP screening during high-volume cataract outreach campaigns can be performed safely, accurately and on a large scale with minimal resources and supplemental training. Pre-operative IOP measurement can improve surgical care at the time of cataract surgery as well as help establish long-term follow up for patients with glaucoma.
Exploring HIV Testing Service Models for Enhanced Positivity Yield in Southern Africa, 2022: A Systematic Review
Authors: Mugauri Hamufare D. , Karakadzai Mujinga , Mugurungi Owen , Chirenda Joconiah , Takarinda Kudakwashe , Tshimanga Mufuta
Published: April 2022

Background: In 2015, the World Health Organization issued HIV testing guidelines that shifted the global focus on HIV testing, from testing for coverage to targeted testing. This was done to enhance positivity yield and increase efficiency in the utilization of finite resources. In response, various nations developed varied models of implementation, which has exposed varied implementation of the targeted testing mantra. Because of the varied interpretations as shown by the many models that were developed in response to the guidelines, the success of the strategies remains unknown. Targeted testing is particularly important for Southern Africa, which, until this day, bears a disproportionate burden of HIV. Methods: We, therefore, intend to conduct a systematic review of all studies on targeted testing models that were developed and are being implemented in Southern Africa. Further, we will examine each identified model and its documented contribution to the identification of HIV positive clientsDiscussion: In Southern Africa, HIV/AIDS caused 336,175 deaths and more than 20 million Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) in 2017 alone (9,10). Southern Africa remains the epicentre of HIV/AIDS with the top 10 high burdened countries all being within the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC). This study will therefore recommend the most effective Targeted HIV testing models for utilization in resource-limited settings.Conclusion: This review will provide insights into the models for targeted testing being implemented in Southern Africa. Further, it will demonstrate high-yield innovations that can be adopted to expedite HIV epidemic control through enhanced case detection
Practical counting of substitutive paths on a planar infrastructure network
Authors: Hayashi Yukio , Tanaka Atsushi
Published: April 2022

When there are many non-intersecting paths between two vertices on a network, the connectivity is fault-tolerant. Because of no common vertices on these paths, they can be emergently used in avoiding destroyed parts on the usual paths by any disasters or attacks. It gives a tolerance index whether the combination of non-intersecting paths is many or few. However, to enumerate such paths is an intractable combinatorial problem, no practical algorithm has been known. On the other hand, many socio-technological infrastructure networks are embedded on the surface of Earth. Thus, as an approximate solution, we extendedly apply the counting method based on a path matrix with our proposed mapping to directed acyclic graphs from a planar network according to each pair of source and terminal vertices. The tendency of many or few combinations of the paths is clearly investigated through computer simulations for real networks. This approach will be useful for evaluating the existence of substitutive paths to improve the tolerance in risk management.
How to avoid the posterosuperior femoral neck screw in-out-in intraoperatively: The application of the 150° oblique tangential fluoroscopic view
Authors: Zhang Jian , Tang Xin
Published: April 2022

Objective: This study investigates the application of the 150° tangential fluoroscopic projection as a novel fluoroscopic view to detect the posterosuperior screw in-out-in (IOI) in the inverted triangle cannulated screws fixation of femoral neck fractures.Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted including 33 patients with femoral neck fractures enrolled from April to November 2021. All patients underwent closed reduction and internal fixation with inverted triangular cannulated screws under intra-operative C-arm fluoroscopy. The posterosuperior femoral neck screw position (whether in-out-in and the distance to the femoral neck cortex) was evaluated from the standard anteroposterior (AP), lateral view, and tangential view images. Postoperative computed tomography (CT) scan results are considered the gold standard for detecting the femoral neck screw locations.Results: Of 33 patients, no femoral neck screws were found to be placed IOI under the standard AP and lateral views. The tangential view revealed the posterosuperior screw was IOI in 8 patients, whereas the average distance between the posterosuperior screw and the posterior femoral neck cortex was 2.73±1.06 mm under the standard lateral view. Postoperative CT verified that posterosuperior screw was placed IOI in these 8 patients. In the other 25 patients, the average distance between the posterosuperior screw and the posterior femoral neck cortex was 5.48±1.26 mm under the standard lateral view and 2.76±1.08 mm under the tangential view, with a statistically significant difference between the two groups (p<0.05). Post-operative CT demonstrated that the femoral neck screws were completely contained in the femoral neck in these 25 patients.Conclusions: Intra-operative tangential view of 150° can effectively identify the posterosuperior screw IOI in the inverted triangle cannulated screws fixation of femoral neck fractures. Based on our study, we highly recommend the tangential view as a routine intraoperative fluoroscopic angle to avoid the posterosuperior screw IOI.
Chinese herbal formula comprehensively and significantly ameliorated a range of autonomic symptoms accompanying Parkinson’s disease: a case report
Authors: Zhang Yong , Xiao Zheman , Lu Zuneng
Published: April 2022

We reported a Parkinson’s disease (PD) patient with a range of severe forms of autonomic dysfunction, who achieved notable and comprehensive improvements in autonomic dysfunction, including orthostatic hypotension, anorexia, constipation, sexual dysfunction, intolerance to cold and heat, and hyperhidrosis, after taking a Chinese herbal formula (CHF). Furthermore, this CHF significantly reduced the total dose of antiparkinsonian drugs taken by the patient. Furthermore, the case report provides some clues about the pathogenesis of PD-related autonomic symptoms; that is, hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis hypofunction or kidney-yang deficiency may be the key mechanism for autonomic dysfunction in PD patients.
Geochemistry of the Paleocene saline lake in the southwestern Jianghan Basin, Central China: implications for provenance, tectonic setting, and palaeoclimate
Authors: Yan Kai , Wang Chunlian , Wang Jiuyi , Yu Xiaocan , Teng Xiaohua , Li Ruiqin , Liu Lihong
Published: April 2022

As an important sedimentary area of mineral resources in central and eastern China, the Jianghan Basin has received more and more attention. In recent years, thick evaporites and potassium and lithium-rich brine ores have been discovered in the Paleocene strata in the southern Jianghan Basin, which provides a material basis for studying the genesis of evaporites in central and eastern China. This paper aims to further understand the provenance, tectonic setting and paleoenvironment of the Paleocene Shashi Formation in the south of Jianghan Basin through the study of whole-rock geochemistry, so as to provide theoretical basis for the formation of evaporite. The chondrite-normalized REE distribution pattern of the Shashi Formation’s siltstones are characterized by enriched LREE and flat HREE similar to those of UCC with negative Eu anomalies. Combined with the geochemical element ratio discriminant diagram, such as Al2O3-TiO2, Zr/Sc-Th/Sc, Hf-La/Th, and La/Sc-Co/Th, these samples were sourced from felsic source rocks. Moreover, the discriminant diagrams of K2O/Na2O-SiO2/Al2O3, La-Th-Sc, and Th-Co-Zr/10 suggest that the samples were formed under the tectonic settings of active continental margin and continental island arc. The discriminant diagrams of Zr/Sc-Th/Sc and Al2O3-Zr-TiO2 show that all samples were not affected by recycling and hydraulic sorting. The weathering indices (CIA, CIW, PIA, and ICV) and the diagram of Al2O3-(CaO + Na2O)-K2O suggest that mild chemical weathering in the source area under arid climatic condition. And the palaeoclimatic indicators of Sr/Cu, Ga/Rb, and C-value indicate that the climate was cool and arid. According to the geochemical data and previous studies, the Paleocene sediments in the southwest of the Jianghan Basin were from felsic source rocks, and formed in the tectonic background of active continental margin and continental island arc, and the climate was mainly arid and cold.
Multicomponent exercises to prevent and reduce back pain in elderly care nurses: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Otto Ann-Kathrin , Wollesen Bettina
Published: April 2022

Background
Sports science is making an important contribution to health services research and supports the development of tailored interventions, e.g., in nursing settings. Working in elderly care is associated with a high prevalence of low back pain (LBP). Due to the diverse requirements and high strains, multicomponent programs are essential to address all relevant factors. This randomized controlled trial investigated the effects of a tailored ten-week ergonomics and twelve-week strength training on lifting behavior (Progressive Isoinertial Lifting Evaluation (PILE-Test)), strength endurance (Biering-Sørensen-Test), LBP (Visual Analog Scale, VAS), functional impairment (Oswestry Disability Index (ODI)) and adherence (self-developed questionnaire).
Methods
n = 42 nurses were randomly assigned to the intervention (n = 20) or control group (n = 22). The data were collected at baseline, at ten weeks (after ergonomics training), at 22 weeks (after strength training), and at 34 weeks (follow-up). Group differences were analyzed by Chi2-Tests, ANOVA, and Linear Mixed Models.
Results
The intervention group showed an improved lifting performance (PILE-Test; 95% CI, 1.378–7.810, p = .006) and a reduced LBP compared to the control group (VAS; 95% CI, -1.987-0.034, p = .043) after ergonomics training (PILE-Test, F (1,34) = 21.070, p < .001; VAS, F (1,34) = 5.021, p = .032). The results showed no differences concerning the Biering-Sørensen-Test and the ODI. Positive adherence rates were observed.
Conclusions
This approach and the positive results are essential to derive specific recommendations for effective prevention. The study results can be completed in future research with additional strategies to reduce nurses’ burden further.
Trial registration:
The trial was registered at DRKS.de (DRKS00015249, registration date: 05/09/2018).
DOCNN: Double Optimized Convolution Neural Network for Brain Abnormalities Segmentation via MRI
Authors: V Nehru , V Prabhu
Published: April 2022

Brain Image segmentation is the predominate approach used to conquer an isolated anomaly portion of MRI image through proper thresholding strategy adapted in the deep learning model. Hence, it can converge to desire fitness value and thereby, finds optimistic solution to best threshold effectively. However, it may face high computational complexity because of meta-heuristic search of multi-level thresholding in order to console accuracy as well as efficiency. In this paper, an effective segmentation of abnormalities on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images using Double Optimized Convolution Neural Network (DOCNN) is proposed. In this method, first, Ant Bee Colony (ABC) algorithm along with Sugeno Fuzzy (SF) logic set is used to extract the salient features by knowing depth of penetration into tissues textures. Thereby, a cell infectious radius and spreading ratio is easily calculated. Second, a best optimistic threshold value is identified without creating any additional complexity by using back widow spider algorithm. When compared to other existing approaches such as Equilibrium optimization (EO), Particle swarm optimization (PSO), Slap swarm optimization (SSO), Genetic algorithm (GA), Firefly algorithm (FA), and Gray wolf optimization (GWO), With Other Deep Learning Models (CNN, RNN, LSTM) the proposed algorithm takes less computational complexity and high accuracy in terms of infectious portion detection. It has proved by estimated parameters such as specificity, precision, and sensitivity, Jaccard index and Dice coefficient index.
Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma With Ilium and Cervical Lymph Nodes Metastases: A Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Gong Yi , Tan Wanlin , Liao Liyan , Xu Yan , Li Xiaodu , Zhang Qi , Niu Chengcheng
Published: April 2022

IntroductionAnaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is a rare and clinically aggressive thyroid carcinoma with highly mortality. However, no matter the diagnosis or therapy of this disease was still a dilemma.Case reportWe present a 79-year-old female patient with progressively enlarged thyroid nodules and diagnosed as tracheal stenosis. Two years ago, the patient had presented in our hospital with right ilium pain and diagnosed as poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma of lung with right ilium and cervical lymph nodes metastases. Then, the patient received intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and cancer immunotherapy with pembrolizumab. Twenty months later, a total thyroidectomy and cervical lymph nodes dissection were undertaken, the histopathologic and immunohistochemical evaluations confirmed the diagnosis of ATC with local squamous cell carcinoma differentiation. Postoperatively, the patient received a cancer immunotherapy with anlotinib and envafolimab, but the patient died 6 weeks after surgery.ConclusionWe have reported a case of ATC with local squamous cell carcinoma differentiation, which was misdiagnosed as lung squamous cell carcinoma with extensive metastases and treated by cancer immunotherapy, the overall survival of this patient was more than 24 months.
Efficacy of pancreatic duct stenting prior to laparoscopic pancreatic tumor enucleation
Authors: Jiang Guixing , Zhou Xinyang , Wang Meng , Lin Tianyu , Chen Jionghuang , Ding Guoping , Wu Zhengrong , Lou Songmei , Liang Xiao , Cao Liping
Published: April 2022

Background
Laparoscopic pancreatic tumor enucleation (LPE) is a viable option for the removal of non-malignant pancreatic masses leading to maximally preservation of organ function. However, postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) is a concern, particularly when the mass is close to the main pancreatic duct (MPD). Pancreatic duct stents are used to treat refractory pancreatic leakage, Preoperative stenting of the MPD might prevent its injury when performing LPE.
Aimas
To explore the application value of pancreatic duct stents in laparoscopic pancreatic tumor enucleation.
Methods
We reviewed the clinical data of patients who underwent either Laparoscopic pancreatic enucleation with pancreatic stenting (LPE + PS) or LPE from January 2016 to December 2019. The patients were divided into two groups as LPE + PS and LPE.
Results
Twenty (9 LPE and 11 LPE + PS) were included in the final analysis. The 2 groups were equivalent in baseline characteristics and pathologic variables. LPE + PS group showed shorter hospital stay (p = 0.045), lower Grade B/C postoperative pancreatic fistula rates than the LPE group (p = 0.047). Intraoperative and postoperative outcomes, including operating time (p = 0.124), estimated blood loss (p = 0.258), were similar in the two groups. No local recurrence and no patients presented exocrine or endocrine insufficiency was detected in either group.
Conclusion
This procedure is associated with acceptable morbidity and it is safe. The preoperative stenting of the MPD may facilitates to identify the main pancreatic duct intraoperatively, might avoid the occurrence of Grade B/C POPF.
Modification of food additive titanium dioxide (TiO2 E171) with honey and thyme
Authors: Ahmed Hager Youssef , Ibrahim I. H. , Sallam Abdelsattar M. , Said Alaa Hassan
Published: April 2022

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is a distinguished semiconductor that is used as a coloring agent in many products including paints, plastics, papers, cosmetic creams, and food products. In the food industry TiO2 is Labelled as E171 according to the European Union legislation and it is used in many products such as sugar confectionery, chewing gums, candies, some cheeses and sauces, low-fat products such as skimmed milk, ice creams, and pastries with a percentage up to 3.88 mg of TiO2 per g of product. According to the literature, around 36% of TiO2 E171 particles are nanoparticles (NPs), which can cross the intestinal barrier reach the blood circulation then accumulate in the liver, spleen, kidneys, and lung tissues resulting in serious damage to these organs. The aim of this study is to use honey and thyme as natural coating materials to enhance the biocompatibility of three types of TiO2 E171 (anatase, rutile, and food grade). The physiochemical characteristics and bioactivity of TiO2 E171 before and after modification with honey and thyme were measured. The obtained results demonstrate that the modification of TiO2 E171 with honey and thyme didn’t alter its physicochemical properties and the modified TiO2 E171 showed higher antioxidant activity and lower toxicity.
Xiaoyan Decoction’s Intervention on WISP2/CCN5 gene Knockdown Breast Cancer Transplanted Tumor Growth
Authors: Lv Yan , Zhang Chang , Li Xiao Jiang , Gao Shan , Zheng Xu , Han Yan Yan , Li Chong , Geng Qiang
Published: April 2022

Xiaoyan decoction, as a classical traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula, has been widely used for decades of years due to its safety and efficiency in tumor therapy. CCN5, also known as WISP-2(WNT-1 induced secreted protein 2) factor, plays an important role in inducing tumor cell apoptosis and inhibiting tumor proliferation. This study elucidated the mechanisms of inhibiting the WISP2/CCN5 gene knockdown nude mice tumor growth by Xiaoyan decoction. MCF-7 cells transfected by sh-WISP2/CCN5 were transplanted into nude mice and WISP2/CCN5 gene knockdown nude mice model was established. Xiaoyan decoction was orally administered to WISP2/CCN5 gene knockdown nude mice so as to intervene the growth of nude mice tumor model. As a result, the tumor volume of Xiaoyan decoction intervention group was significantly smaller,compared with WISP2/CCN5 gene knockdown group(P = 0.032). Besides, our study demonstrated that Xiaoyan Decoction was effective for raising the mRNA and protein levels of WISP2/CCN5 and p27Kip1, reducing the Skp2 mRNA and protein levels. Quantitative RT-PCR and western blotting were used to evaluated the mRNA and protein levels of WISP2/CCN5, Skp2 and p27Kip1. Increased mRNA and protein levels of WISP2/CCN5 and p27Kip1, decreased Skp2 mRNA and protein levels under the intervention by Xiaoyan decoction was found out in nude nice model. Overall, these results suggested that Xiaoyan decoction was an effective drug in inhibiting the growth of WISP2/CCN5 gene knockdown nude mice tumor, and WISP2/CCN5 might act as a potential anti-breast cancer target of Xiaoyan decoction.
Determinants of quality of life among adolescents in the Małopolska region, Poland
Authors: Magiera Agnieszka , Pac Agnieszka
Published: April 2022

PurposeThe aim of the study was to indicate determinants of the quality of life (QoL) in the fields of demographic, socio-economic factors, general health and lifestyle. Methods The cross-sectional study was carried out in a southern region of Poland among schoolchildren from 5 junior high schools and 5 upper secondary schools. 804 students –393 girls and 411 boys took part in the study. The quality of life was measured using the Polish version of the KIDSCREEN-52 questionnaire. It covered 10 dimensions of the quality of life. In addition, the author's questionnaire concerning determinants of the adolescents' quality of life (demographic and social-economic data, general health and lifestyle) was used. In the analysis of the quality of life standardized results on the European population (T-score) and categorization on the low, average and high quality of life were taken into account. Defining the possible determinants of the adolescents' quality of life was made by the multivariate logistic regression models.ResultsThe highest prevalence of low QoL was observed in school environment (53.4%) and the psychological well-being (51.6%) dimensions of the KIDSCREEN-52. The factors that increased the risk of the low assessment of the quality of life were inter alia female sex, level of education, dissatisfaction of health state, appearance, bad material standing in family, bad relations with at least one parent/caregiver, not spending free time with friends besides school.ConclusionAmong predictors of low QoL, female sex, level of education, dissatisfaction with appearance had an impact on the majority of dimensions of QoL.
A fluorescent enzyme-assited biosensor for analyzing the sperm DNA breakpoints in the freezing process
Authors: Zhou Yue , Zhuo Lifan , Wang Juan , Pei Chengbin , Deng Yukai , Jia Shaotong , Tian Jia , Wang Honghong , Wang Hongyan , Ma Lianghong , Yan Bei
Published: April 2022

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
Improved Overlapping Community Detection in Weighted Complex Social Network Using Hybrid Agglomerative Hierarchical Clustering for optical networks
Authors: Divyapushpalakshmi M. , R Ramalakshmi , Ramachandran V.
Published: April 2022

Community detection in a social network has become a very important step in the recognition of the structure and dynamics of networks in different areas. At present, overlapping community detection methods have become an important and challenging research field, as they have introduced the prospect of vertex connections in more than one community. As a result, many clustering methods have been proposed to discover communities in social networks. Conversely, conventional node clustering and comparatively novel presented link clustering techniques have some disadvantages during overlapping community detection. Existing agglomerative node clustering is insufficient to capture the persistent overlaps owing to the low throughput and unclear description of communities. Therefore, in this paper, a novel hybrid particle-based agglomerative hierarchical (HPAHC) clustering technique is presented for overlapping communities discovered in complex social networks. In the proposed hybrid clustering method, the node’s similar information or behavior and geometric structure (local and global structure) information is extracted from the link topology in social networks. Subsequently, the particle-based agglomerative hierarchical clustering method utilizes the extracted source information for community detection. In social networks, a significant similarity measure can be designed for every pair of objects by considering both the node behavior and geometric structural features. Thus, nodes with high similarity are preserved in a similar community, and our proposed technique will detect communities effectively whose boundaries cannot be simply divided.
WITHDRAWN: Prevalence of personality traits and disorders among KSU medical students. Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder: a survival mechanism or a prerequisite?
Authors: Al-Jaffer Mohammed , Alghamdi Saleh A , Alanazi Sadeem D , Albdaya Norah A , Zuair Amerah M Bin , Alrasheed Njoud , AlAglan Raghad A
Published: April 2022

Background: A personality disorder (PD) is defined in the DSM-5 as a persistent pattern of inner experience and behavior that deviates markedly from the expectations of the individual's culture. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and characteristics of personality traits/disorders among medical students.Methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted at the outpatient clinic, Psychiatry Department, King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The data were collected during an interview conducted by trained assessors under the supervising principal investigator, using a Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-V (SCID-5, produced by the American Psychiatry Association).Results: The prevalence of PDs among 252 medical students was determined including 44.05% males and 55.95% were females from 1st year to internship year. It was found that following personality disorders prevailed in the medical students; OCPD (21.8%), avoidant (6.7%), paranoid (2.8%), narcissistic, schizoid and borderline (2% each), dependent (0.8%), histrionic and schizotypal (both 0.4%), and antisocial (0%).Conclusion: The prevalence of PDs amongst medical students was remarkable. Approximately one in every five students had OCPD. It is recommended to implement screening tests for PDs in the students’ clinic.
Metagenomic reveals succession in the bacterial community and predicts changes in raw milk during refrigeration
Authors: Rong Guo , Ju Ning , Wang Yuanyuan , Gou Meng , Li Puyu , Luo Yulong
Published: April 2022

In this study, metagenomics was used to analyze microbial succession and predict changes in raw milk during 6 days of storage at 4 ºC, aimed at determining how microorganisms drive the deterioration of refrigerated raw milk. The microbial community in raw milk changed significantly with an extension of refrigeration time (P < 0.01). The dominant bacterial genera gradually evolved from Acinetobacter, Streptococcus, and Anaplasma to Flavobacterium, Pseudomonas, and Lactococcus. KEGG annotation results indicated that the main role of the bacterial community included amino acid biosynthesis, carbon metabolism, and functioning as an ABC transporter. Additionally, lipid, amino acid and carbohydrate metabolism pathways were significantly expressed at the beginning, middle, and end of refrigeration, respectively. Refrigeration time is an important factor affecting the composition of the microbial flora in raw milk. The results of this study illustrate the role of microorganisms in the deterioration of refrigerated raw milk.
Surgical treatment of a pre-tracheal thyroid gland with a symptom in a patient with dual ectopic thyroid. A case report
Authors: Saito Masayuki , Banno Hirona , Ito Yukie , Ido Mirai , Goto Manami , Ando Takahito , Kousaka Junko , Mouri Yukako , Fujii Kimihito , Imai Tsuneo , Nakano Shogo , Tsuzuki Toyonori
Published: April 2022

Background: Dual ectopic thyroid, a very rare condition, is defined as the simultaneous presence of ectopic thyroid tissue in two abnormal locations. Here, we report the surgical treatment of a patient with dual ectopic thyroid.Case presentation: The patient was a 12-year-old boy with right para-midline swelling for 2 months. On physical examination of the upper anterior neck, there was a 4 cm × 3 cm mass that was soft, mobile, smooth, and painless. Blood examination showed euthyroidism. Neck ultrasonography showed a well-circumscribed multilocular cyst. We followed up by observation only because the patient had no local symptoms or malignancy. After 2 years, the mass gradually enlarged, so we performed surgery to improve cosmetic outcomes. Preoperative neck CT revealed both a high-density solid mass at the base of the tongue and a central low-density region surrounded by a high-density area at the pre-tracheal region below the hyoid. The infrahyoid mass was surgically removed, and the sublingual mass was left intact. Pathological findings showed the growth of multiple-size follicles, leading to a diagnosis of adenomatous goiter. Postoperative 123-I scintigraphy showed radioactive iodine uptake in the sublingual lesion but none in the normal thyroid bed despite the extirpation of thyroid tissue. Postoperative thyroid hormone replacement was started for subclinical hypothyroidism. One year postoperatively, the patient became euthyroid.Conclusion: Surgical excision was used to manage a symptomatic cervical infrahyoid mass related to dual ectopic thyroid. Postoperatively, thyroid hormone replacement was required both to prevent enlargement of the remaining sublingual thyroid and to maintain adequate thyroid hormone levels.
Histogram-based analysis of diffusion-weighted imaging for predicting aggressiveness in papillary thyroid carcinoma
Authors: Wei Ran , Zhuang Yuzhong , Wang Lanyun , Sun Xilin , Dai Zedong , Ge Yaqiong , Wang Hao , Song Bin
Published: April 2022

Background: To assess whole-tumor histogram-based analysis of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) map for its potential in predicting aggressiveness in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC).Methods: Totally 88 patients administered neck magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with PTC confirmed by pathology were enrolled in the current retrospective study. Whole-lesion histogram features were extracted from ADC maps. The aggressive and non-aggressive groups were compared for histogram features by Mann-Whitney U test. Backward stepwise logistic regression analysis was carried out for identifying independent predictive factors. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was implemented to evaluate the performances of factors showing significance, and an optimal predictive model for PTC aggressiveness was developed.Results: The aggressive and non-aggressive groups comprised 67 (44.03±13.99 years old) and 21 (43.86±12.16 years old) patients, respectively. Six histogram features were included into the final predictive model. ADC_firstorder_Maximum had the best performance (area under the curve [AUC]=0.83). The final combined model showed an optimal performance, with AUC and accuracy of 0.88 and 0.82, respectively. Conclusions: Whole-lesion histogram analysis based on ADC maps could be utilized for evaluating aggressiveness in PTC, with satisfactory accuracy.