bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Novel Approach to Foam Characterization Using Multi-Frequency Dielectric Technique for Enhanced Oil Recovery
Authors: Bashir Ahmed , Hassan Amjed , Attia Hussein , Patil Shirish , Kamal Muhammad Shahzad , El-Husseiny Ammar , Mahmoud Mohamed
Published: April 2024

Foam has been used for controlling gas mobility during oil displacement processes in subsurface porous media to mitigate the negative impacts of low gas viscosity, reservoir heterogeneity, and gravity override. Therefore, one potential application of foam is in enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and CO2 sequestration. However, foams are thermodynamically unstable, and the stability properties need to be evaluated initially before introducing foam into the formations. In this study, we developed a novel approach to characterize foam using a multi-frequency dielectric technique.

The dielectric (DI) properties were used to evaluate the foam stability across various surfactant (sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)) concentrations (0.1 and 0.3 wt.%) in deionized water (DW) and seawater (SW) using Keysight impedance analyzer. The relative permittivity and electrical conductivity profiles are measured for the foam bulk at a frequency range of 1 MHz to 3 GHz using an open-ended coaxial probe. In parallel, a conventional test is used to study the foam stability over these same ranges of surfactant concentrations, and seawater concentrations.

The results confirmed that DI properties measurements provided insights into the foam's bulk properties and interactions. Moreover, the study revealed that water's conductivity increases with frequency due to ion polarization, particularly in the low to intermediate frequency range. When examining different concentrations of foam generated with SDS surfactant in deionized water, it was found that foam exhibited lower permittivity compared to pure deionized water. This is attributed to the interference of surfactant molecules with water's electric field interaction. Furthermore, deionized water demonstrated higher conductivity than foam, which contained more air bubbles, creating discontinuities in the conductive path. As the concentration of SDS increased, a slight increase in conductivity was observed, correlating with increased foam stability.

Additionally, the results demonstrated that dielectric properties could effectively evaluate foam stability, showing consistent results with foam stability observed through height measurement over time. This research suggests that dielectric properties could provide an efficient method for assessing foam stability across various foam compositions. Therefore, this will help to improve the understanding of foam stability and set a new standard for in-depth foam research in the petroleum industry, especially for EOR and CO2 sequestrations.
Application of Streamlines in Natural Depletion Systems
Authors: Tovar R.
Published: April 2024

This paper describes a methodology to identify bypassed oil in mature fields under a natural depletion drive mechanism, i.e., aquifer drive, using streamlines. For a reservoir system in a complex nonhomogeneous geological system, with multiple wells and many years of production history, the method leverages on well rate drainage pore volumes generated by a streamline numerical simulator. The methodology uses the concept of time-superposition by normalizing to rates the wells historical cumulative formation withdrawals to calculate and map historical drainage regions (HDR) on a well-by-well basis. Furthermore, it estimates the remaining, bypassed oil volumes in place from these drainage regions.
Characterization and Evaluation of Novel Zwitterionic Surfactants for Enhanced CO2 Foam for CO2 Sequestration in Saudi Arabian Reservoirs
Authors: Bashir Ahmed , Mahboob Ahmad , Hussain Syed M. Shakil , Patil Shirish , Kamal Muhammad Shahzad , Zhou Xianmin
Published: April 2024

This study aims to assess the foamability and foam stability of synthetic zwitterionic surfactants in a seawater environment, both in the absence and presence of oil. The primary objective is to determine their potential use in enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and CO2 sequestration within depleted oil reservoirs by determining the maximum foam stability. Moreover, the efficiency of surfactants is assessed by analyzing bubble sizes under different conditions. Finally, the effect of different concentrations of oil phases on foam stability under various conditions is studied. Two different zwitterionic surfactants (ZS1 and ZS2) were synthetically formulated and tested using ambient foam analyzers to evaluate their foamability and foam stability over time. Parameters such as foam height and foam decay were studied. A high-speed camera was employed to observe foam bubble sizes and coalescence. The performance of the surfactants is further evaluated under seawater and in the presence of different oil concentrations.

All examined zwitterionic surfactants displayed promising results concerning air and CO2 foamability and foam stability under different conditions. Foam generated through CO2 exhibits lower stability than foam created by air. Additionally, to understand the performance of the optimum foam composition in the presence of an oil phase at reservoir conditions, the foam was then brought into contact with different oil concentrations. The results show that foam stability decreased in the presence of different fractions of oil. However, the foam bubble size was not highly affected by the presence of oil. This observation is crucial as it indicates the potential longevity of foam stability in the presence of oil during both the EOR process and CO2 sequestration.

This research introduces an in-depth evaluation of in-house developed zwitterionic surfactants, highlighting their potential for EOR and CO2 sequestration in depleted oil reservoirs. The findings contribute a fresh perspective to the current literature, offering promising alternative synthetic surfactants suitable for different reservoir conditions in the petroleum industry.
Repurposing Idle Wells for Low-Temperature Geothermal Water
Authors: Qi Qianru , Tapsoba Mariam , Ershaghi Iraj
Published: April 2024

California has more than 40,000 idle oil and gas wells on record and similar data applies to the entire US. Some of these wells are located in areas with relatively high geothermal gradients. The temperature at the depths for many of these wells may be high enough that can provide opportunities for repurposing idle wells and accessing subsurface heat for low-temperature geothermal water before permanent plugging and abandonment of the well.

Based on an independent detailed heat map, we identified certain California oilfields that indicated high geothermal gradients. To verify, we also used the temperature data from well logs to establish the presence of high-temperature gradients. To access the heat, we considered the use of a closed-loop water circulation system for heat extraction from subsurface. We tested cases with bottom hole temperatures from 160 to 220 °F, geothermal gradient from 1.58 – 2.58 °F/100 ft, reservoir depths from five to twelve thousand feet, tubing with different insulation thicknesses, water circulation rate from 200 to 1,000 BPD, various temperatures of water sources, imperfect cementation, etc. Cases we considered included plugging the hydrocarbon-bearing formations and within the well circulation of low salinity water through annulus and insulated tubing.

In a case, a reservoir with the subsurface temperature of 190 °F maintains its temperature very well after 30 years after heating the circulated water at a rate of 800 BPD and deliver warm water of around 90 °F at the wellhead steadily. Results show it is the geothermal gradient, rather than depth or temperature at well bottomhole which determines heating power. Formation porosity and permeability do not affect the temperature of heated water in closed-loop system. A low circulation rate may increase the wellhead temperature with a condition of using high-grade insulation tubing. When temperature of source water is low, heating effect from wellbore is even more significant. Cement degradation does not hurt heating effect of wellbores that much, but such wells require careful mechanical examination before repurposing. Overall, we conclude that while some idle wells may not be used as conventional high-temperature geothermal wells, but some offer possibilities for space heating and agricultural greenhouse uses.

Some other states besides California are also experiencing increasing number of orphaned wells. This paper provides a technical basis for evaluating the feasibility of repurposing some of the idle wells for low-temperature geothermal energy extraction.
Integration of Geothermal Energy Recovery and Carbon Sequestration of an EGS by CO2-Water Mixtures
Authors: Xue Zhenqian , Ma Haoming , Chen Zhangxin
Published: April 2024

Enhanced geothermal system (EGS) has been acknowledged as a sustainable and low-carbon alternative for generating electricity. CO2 and water are two conventional heat transmission fluids in an EGS. However, the additional environmental benefits from storing CO2 in the reservoir cannot be achieved in a water-EGS, and an early thermal breakthrough or inadequate power production are the main obstacles in a CO2-EGS. This study introduces a co-injection of CO2 and water in an EGS development. Reservoir and economic models are constructed to compare the technical and economic performance of a water-EGS, a CO2-EGS and a CO2-water-EGS. The results indicate that the proposed CO2-water-EGS can produce more geothermal electric power than CO2-EGS and water-EGS, which can effectively solve the drawbacks of insufficient extraction rate in CO2-EGS, and meanwhile, improve the contribution in CO2 emissions compared to water-EGS. From the economic perspective, a higher Net Present value (NPV), an earlier payback period, a lower breakeven electricity market price, and a lower breakeven carbon credit rate are observed in CO2-water-EGS. Conversely, a not promising electricity generation and larger CO2 consumption make it hard to receive a higher NPV even though the highest carbon credit is earned. In addition, water-EGS performs a similar economic performance in contrast to CO2-EGS since it cannot obtain additional carbon credit although zero investment is required in purchasing expensive CO2. More importantly, CO2-water-EGS is the best option in changeable electricity market price, but CO2-EGS is better in profitability when the carbon credit rate exceeds $50/ton. With a comprehensive comparison of technical and economic feasibilities, this study provides the operators or stockholders with valuable insight into the operation strategy for EGS development.
Maximizing Hydrogen Yield: Pioneering Gas Injection for Enhanced Light Oil Reservoir Utilization
Authors: Okere Chinedu J. , Sheng James J. , Ikpeka Princewill M.
Published: April 2024

Sustainable hydrogen production is a key driver for accelerating global energy transition. This study evaluates the influence of injection gas composition on hydrogen yield during in-situ production of light oil reservoirs. In the study, three gas injection strategies: CH4+CO2, CO2+O2, and N2+O2 are investigated with the aid of dynamic reservoir simulation models and advanced reaction kinetics.

To conduct the investigation, a three-dimensional compositional reservoir model was built using CMG software and a fluid model consisting of ten light hydrocarbons and two non-hydrocarbon components was incorporated. Results from the analysis reveal that injection gas composed of CH4+CO2 yielded the most hydrogen consistently outperforms alternatives, not only in terms of cumulative hydrogen yield but also by contributing to carbon capture and utilization, aligning seamlessly with global sustainability objectives. This could be because the CH4+CO2 leverages on steam methane reforming and dry reforming of methane during in-situ combustion.

Comparing the performance of injection gas composed of CO2+O2 and N2+O2, the study underscores the limitations of combustion-dependent approaches and emphasizes the superior capabilities of reforming processes. CH4+CO2 is effective across a range of temperatures and mole fractions, making it the optimal choice for in-situ hydrogen generation within light oil reservoirs. The efficiency of CO2+O2 is contingent on oxygen availability, and N2+O2, while comparable, lacks the enhancement of methane in promoting hydrogen generation.

Ranking the performance of the three gas injection strategies investigated in this study, CH4+CO2 yielded the most cumulative hydrogen yield and hydrogen-to-syngas ratio, this was followed by N2+O2 and CO2+O2. These findings offer pivotal insights for refining operational parameters and advancing sustainable applications in enhanced hydrogen production within light oil reservoirs.

This research contributes not only to the ongoing discourse on sustainable energy solutions but also addresses efficiency goals and environmental concerns linked to greenhouse gas emissions. The practical implications extend to the energy industry, providing a pathway for sustainable hydrogen production within the intricate landscape of light oil reservoirs.
Patients´ experiences of an exercise intervention in primary care following robot-assisted radical cystectomy due to bladder cancer: A qualitative study
Authors: Karlsson Patrik , Nygren-Bonnier Malin , Torikka Simon , Porserud Andrea , Henningsohn Lars , Olsson Christina B , Rydwik Elisabeth , Hagströmer Maria
Published: April 2024

Background: Physical activity is thought to be a key component in reducing postoperative complications following major abdominal surgery. The available literature on exercise interventions following radical cystectomy in patients with bladder cancer is scarce but suggests that physical activity and exercise might improve physical function and health-related quality of life, thus calling for further investigation. The CanMoRe-trial is a single-blinded randomised controlled trial (Clinicals Trials NCT03998579 25/06/2019), aimed at evaluating the impact of an exercise intervention in primary care following robot-assisted radical cystectomy. This study seeks to explore patients' experiences of the exercise intervention in the CanMoRe-trial to gain a better understanding of facilitating aspects and potential barriers.
Methods: A qualitative study was conducted involving 20 patients from the intervention group of the CanMoRe-trial who were interviewed individually between October 2020 and March 2023 using a semi-structured interview guide. The interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim and reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyse the data.
Results: Four main themes were identified: Having to adapt to new circumstances, describing the challenges regarding physical activity patients face after discharge. Optimising conditions for rehabilitation, describing how practical conditions affect patients’ ability to exercise. Motivated to get back to normal, describing patients´ desire to get back to normal life and factors influencing motivation. Importance of a supportive environment, describing the impact of social support, support from physiotherapists, and how the environment where exercise takes place impacts patients’ ability to exercise.
Conclusion: This study found that patients participating in the CanMoRe-trial are positive towards physical exercise in primary care following radical cystectomy. They are motivated to get back to normal life but face major challenges when arriving home following surgery, which affect their ability to perform physical activity and engage in exercise. Conditions need to be optimised to support patients’ ability to engage in exercise. A supportive environment is needed, including guidance from healthcare professionals enabling patients gradually to develop self-efficacy regarding exercise and focusing on goals related to patients’ normal lives before surgery.
Deciphering the ghost proteome in ovarian cancer cells by deep proteogenomic characterization
Authors: Tristan Cardon , Rio Diego Garcia-del , Derhourhi Mehdi , Bonnefond Amelie , Leblanc Sebastien , Guilloy Noe , Roucou Xavier , Eyckerman Sven , Gevaert Kris , Salzet Michel
Published: April 2024

Proteogenomics is becoming a powerful tool in personalized medicine by linking genomics, transcriptomics and mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomics. Due to increasing evidence of alternative open reading frame-encoded proteins (AltProts), proteogenomics has a high potential to unravel the characteristics, variants and expression levels of the alternative proteome, in addition to already annotated proteins (RefProts). To obtain a broader view of the proteome of ovarian cancer cells compared to ovarian epithelial cells, cell-specific total RNA-sequencing profiles and customized protein databases were generated. In total, 128 RefProts and 30 AltProts were identified exclusively in SKOV-3 and PEO-4 cells. Among them, an AltProt variant of IP_715944, translated from DHX8, was found mutated (p.Leu44Pro). We show high variation in protein expression levels of RefProts and AltProts in different subcellular compartments. The presence of 117 RefProt and two AltProt variants was described, along with their possible implications in the different physiological/pathological characteristics. To identify the possible involvement of AltProts in cellular processes, crosslinking-MS (XL-MS) was performed in each cell line to identify AltProt-RefProt interactions. This approach revealed an interaction between POLD3 and the AltProt IP_183088, which after molecular docking, was placed between POLD3-POLD2 binding sites, highlighting its possibility of the involvement in DNA replication and repair.
Antimicrobial Resistance Patterns and Molecular Characterisation of Neisseria Gonorrhoeae Isolated at Regional and National Referral Hospitals in Uganda
Authors: Jackson Were , Petra Nalumaga Pauline , Phiona Twinomugisha , Jude Busingye , Joel Bazira
Published: April 2024

Gonococcal infections (gonorrhoea) are increasingly becoming important sexually spread infections in humans in sub-Saharan countries including Uganda. Antimicrobial resistance associated withNeisseria gonorrhoeaeis rising threatening health crisis. However, the antimicrobial phenotypic and genotypic resistance patterns of the circulatingNeisseria gonorrhoeaestrains in Uganda have not been fully characterized and known. This study was carried out to investigate genetic characterization ofNeisseria gonorrhoeaeisolates and their antibiotic resistance in Western and Central Uganda. Fifty four isolates cultured from July 2019 to June 2021 were examined. The isolates were sub cultured on Thayer-Martin agar. Phenotypic antibiotic resistance was carried out using Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method as per Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) standards. Molecular techniques (End-point PCR) was used to screenNeisseria gonorrhoeaeantibiotic resistant strains at three important gene loci; penA, gyr A and parC. 56.8% of participants were male with mean age of 30 years. The adults aged 45 and above were the most sexually active with high odds ratio (OR = 2.88) followed by the middle aged (OR = 1.43). High resistance was observed amongst Penicillin (100%), Tetracycline (98.15%), and Ciprofloxacin (87.04%) and least resistance was with Cefixime (33.33%) and cefoxitin (28.26%). PenA was predominant genetic determinant of resistance. In conclusion, there is high genetic variation among theNeisseria gonorrhoeaestrains with high sensitivity to Cefixime and Ceftriaxome. There is need to strengthen clinical laboratory diagnosis and sensitise population on rational use of drugs in treatment of sexually transmitted infections.
AgroAdvisor: Crop Yield Prediction, Crop and Fertilizer Recommendation System using Random Forest with Gradient Boosting and DeepFM for Precise Agriculture
Authors: Kukkar Ashima , Mohana Rajni , Sharma Aman , Mallik Saurav , Shah Mohd Asif
Published: April 2024

Crop yield prediction plays a very important role in productivity growth. Prediction of the crop yield in particular area helps the farmer to choose the right crop to be grown in the land. With crop yield prediction crop recommendation boosts up the productivity of crop. Recommending the correct type of crop in particular land on the factors of soil pH, rainfall, temperature, humidity etc. helps the farmer to choose specific and most suitable crop. With recommendation and yield prediction of crop, fertilizer recommendation is also necessary for more productivity and yield. It is necessary to use suitable fertilizers on optimal timing for the growth of crops. Therefore, in this paper, we have attempted to address these issues by proposing three model systems that will efficiently manage crop production. In this paper, we designed an integrated system named as AgroAdvisor using the hybrid proposed technique such as Random Forest with Extreme Gradient Boosting (RFXGB) and Deep Factorization Machine (DeepFM). RFGB is applied for processing the features, which improves the DeepFM ability to handle the dense numerical features and increase the prediction performance. The result of RFXGB-DeepFM is compared with classical machine learning and deep learning techniques by using recall, F-value, precision and accuracy parameters. The results show that the proposed RFGB-DeepFM technique gives better accuracy than the classical techniques. The impact of RFGXB on existing techniques is also analyzed using Friedman and post hoc statistical testing and results show that in most cases RFGXB enhanced the performance.
iPSC-derived megakaryocytes and platelets accelerate wound healing and angiogenesis.
Authors: Kosaka Kentaro , Takayama Naoya , Paul Sudip Kumar , Oshima Motohiko , Fukuyo Masaki , Rahmutulla Bahityar , Tajiri Ikuko , Mukai Michiaki , Kubota Yoshitaka , Akita Shinsuke , Furuyama Nobutaka , Kaneda Atsushi , Iwama Atsushi , Eto Koji , Mitsukawa Nobuyuki
Published: April 2024

Background Platelet-rich plasma (PRP), which is prepared by concentrating platelets in autologous blood, shows efficacy in chronic skin wounds via multiple growth factors. However, it exhibits heterogeneity across patients, leading to unstable therapeutic efficacy. Human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived megakaryocytes and platelets (iMPs) are capable of providing a stable supply, holding promise as materials for novel platelet concentrate-based therapies. In this context, we evaluated the effect of iMPs on wound healing and validated lyophilization for clinical applications.
Methods The growth factors released by activated iMPs were measured. The effect of the administration of iMPs on human fibroblasts and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) was investigated in vitro. iMPs were applied to dorsal skin defects of diabetic mice to assess the wound closure rate and quantify collagen deposition and angiogenesis. Following the storage of freeze-dried iMPs (FD-iMPs) for three months, the stability of growth factors and their efficacy in animal models were determined.
Result Multiple growth factors that promote wound healing were detected in activated iMPs. iMPs specifically released FGF2 and exhibited superior enhancement on HUVEC proliferation compared to PRP. Moreover, an RNA-seq analysis revealed that iMPs induce polarization to stalk cells and enhance ANGPTL4 gene expression in HUVECs. Animal studies demonstrated that iMPs promoted wound closure and angiogenesis in chronic wounds caused by diabetes. We also confirmed the long-term stability of growth factors in FD-iMPs and their comparable effects to those of original iMPs in the animal model.
Conclusion Our study demonstrates that iMPs promote angiogenesis and wound healing through the activation of vascular endothelial cells. iMPs exhibited more effectiveness than PRP, an effect attributed to the exclusive presence of specific factors including FGF2. Lyophilization enabled the long-term maintenance of the composition of the growth factors and efficacy of the iMPs, therefore contributing to their stable supply for clinical application. These findings suggest that iMPs provide a novel treatment for chronic wounds.
Positively charged specificity site in cyclin B1 is essential for mitotic fidelity
Authors: Mayer Thomas , Heinzle Christian , Höfler Anna , Yu Jun , Heid Peter , Kremer Nora , Stengel Florian , Bange Tanja , Boland Andreas
Published: April 2024

Phosphorylation of substrates by cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) is the driving force of cell cycle progression. Several CDK-activating cyclins are involved, yet how they contribute to substrate specificity is still poorly understood. Here, we discovered that a positively charged pocket in cyclin B1, which is exclusively conserved within B-type cyclins and binds phosphorylated serine- or threonine-residues, is essential for correct execution of mitosis. HeLa cells expressing pocket mutant cyclin B1 are strongly delayed in anaphase onset due to multiple defects in mitotic spindle function and timely activation of the E3 ligase APC/C. Pocket integrity is essential for APC/C phosphorylation particularly at non-consensus CDK1 sites and full in vitro ubiquitylation activity. Our results support a model in which cyclin B1’s pocket serves as a specificity site factor for sequential substrate phosphorylations involving initial priming events that facilitate subsequent pocket-dependent phosphorylations even at non-consensus CDK1 motifs.
Kinetic Simulation of the Reaction between N,N-dimethylazidoethylamine (DMAZ) and Dinitrogen Tetroxide (NTO) based on Density Functional Theory
Authors: Jin Guofeng , Huang Zhiyong , Huang Yuanzheng , Gao Minna , Wang Yingying
Published: April 2024

The long ignition delay time of N,N-dimethylazidoethylamine (DMAZ) and dinitrogen tetroxide (NTO) limits the application of DMAZ. In order to explore the ignition mechanism of DMAZ and NTO and to obtain a theoretical basis for shortening the ignition delay time, the reaction between DMAZ and NO2/NTO was studied based on density functional theory (DFT). The results showed that under the conditions of gas phase and NTO liquid phase, the main path of the reaction is that NO2 attacks the secondary hydrogen atom of DMAZ. The reaction enthalpy is higher than that in the NTO liquid phase, indicating that the gas phase reaction absorbs more energy and is not easy to proceed, while the NTO liquid phase reaction is easier. The combustion mechanism of DMAZ and NTO was preliminarily obtained. It is speculated that under actual working conditions, DMAZ and NTO mainly undergo the liquid-phase reaction。
Immune status of patients with inherited bone marrow failure syndromes: A Single-center analysis
Authors: Lotfy Sohilla , Ghattas Bavly , Elhady Marwa Abd , Meshaal Safa , Hawary Rabab El , Eldash Alia , Galal Nermeen , Elmarsafy Aisha
Published: April 2024

Inherited bone marrow failure syndromes (IBMFS) comprise a heterogeneous group of rare cancer prone genetic disorders with hematologic and physical abnormalities. The immune status of patients with an IBMFS is not entirely clear; however there are some suggestions that a few patients exhibit various degrees of qualitative immune dysfunction. Recently, there are novel and rare PID syndromes that have been associated with cytopenia secondary to bone marrow failure, but they are not always taken into consideration, phenotypic overlap may impair the correct diagnosis. This study included twenty-one patients diagnosed with IBMFS; 17 Fanconi anemia patients and 4 Diamond-Blackfan anemia patients. Evaluation of immune status was done by assessing complete blood count with differential leucocytic count, immunophenotyping of lymphocytes by Flow cytometry (CD3, CD4, CD8, CD19, CD56, B cell maturation, and naïve/memory T cells), as well as immunoglobulins assay (IgG, IgM, IgA levels). Results: Neutropenia was detected in 74% of (N= 15/21) with severity ranging from mild (24%) to severe neutropenia (36%), and all were FA patients. Lymphopenia was detected in 57% of the patients (N=12/21). Low immunoglobulin levels for age were detected in 28.6% of the patients (N=6/21). Most of FA patients had low counts of CD19 B cells, CD27+IgD+ non class switched B cells, CD27+IgD- switched memory B cells, CD27-IgD+ naïve B cells, as well as, low CD4 T Helper cells, CD45 RA naïve T cells, CD56 NK cells, CD45RO memory T cells. In DBA, limited by small sample size, no abnormalities were detected in T cell population, low NK cell counts were reported in two patients. Low CD27-IgD+, CD27+Ig D+ and CD27+IgD were detected in 2/4 of the patients while CD45RA naïve T cells were reduced in only one patient. A positive correlation between the frequency of hospitalization due to infections and degree of bone marrow hypocellularity was found. The degree of lymphopenia, low CD3, CD4, CD8, CD19 and defective T cell maturation subsets were statistically significant variables associated with occurrence of significant infections. Conclusion: IBMFS patients have altered immune status, possibility of the presence of some degree of overlap between IBMFS and certain PIDs associated with cytopenias and special somatic features might be found. Immunological assessment for patients with IBMFS should be considered as a part of routine work up of such patients.
Magnitude of unintended pregnancy among rural reproductive women in Ethiopia: A Multilevel analysis using 2016 EDHS data
Authors: Jejaw Melak , Demissie Kaleb Assegid , Tiruneh Misganaw Guadie , Abera Kaleab Mesfin , Tsega Yawkal , Endawkie Abel , Negash Wubeshet Debebe , Workie Amare Mesfin , Yohannes Lamrot , Getnet Mihiret , Worku Nigusu , Yeshambel Adina , Asmare Lakew , Alemu Hiwot Tadesse , Geberu Demis Mulatu , Hagos Asebe
Published: April 2024

Despite growing utilization of family planning in Ethiopia, many pregnancies in rural areas are still unintended and it remains the main global public and reproductive health challenges with devastating impact on women and child health and general public. Hence, this study was sought to determine the prevalence and associated factors of unintended pregnancy in rural women of Ethiopia. This study used the 2016 Ethiopian Demography and Health Survey data. Total weighted samples of 974 reproductive-aged rural women were included in the analysis. Multilevel mixed logistic regression analysis was employed to consider the effect of hierarchal nature of EDHS data by using stata version 14 to determine individual and community level factors. Variables significantly associated with unintended pregnancy were declared with adjusted odds ratio with 95% CI at p-value < 0.05. The prevalence of unintended pregnancy in rural women was 31.66%( 95%CI: 28.8%, 34.66%). Have no media exposure (AOR: 2.67, 95%CI: 1.48, 4.83), not working (AOR: 0.33, 95%CI: 0.21, 0.52), household size of one to three (AOR: 0.44 95%CI: 0.2, 0.96), primiparous (AOR: 0.41, 95%CI: 0.17, 0.99), poor women (AOR: 2.4, 95%CI: 1.24, 4.56), didn’t have intention to use contraceptive (AOR: 0.24, 95%CI: 0.14, 0.44) were individual factors associated to unintended pregnancy. Large central region (AOR: 4.2, 95%CI: 1.19, 14.62) and poor community level (AOR: 4.3, 95%CI: 1.85, 10.22) were community level factors associated to unintended pregnancy. The present study prevalence of unintended pregnancy in rural women was high. Maternal occupation, household size, media exposure, parity, women wealth, intention to use contraceptive, region and community level wealth were factors statistically associated with unintended pregnancy. Hence, demographer and public health practitioners give great emphasis to set strategies to increase accessibility women to media and improve women financial capacity, and strengthen availability of maternal health service to decrease unintended pregnancy adverse outcome in rural areas.
Identification of Optimal Groundwater Storage Sites in a Semi-Arid Region: A GIS-Based Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) Approach
Authors: Qadem Zohair , Abduljaleel Yasir , Amiri Mustapha , Qadem Abdelghani , Lasri Mohamed , Obda Oussama , Pizzo Henrique , Salem Ali
Published: April 2024

Groundwater became a key solution for satisfying water demand for billions of people in many arid and semi-arid regions where climate change has left its negative mark. That poses the necessity of identifying the potential groundwater storage sites to ensure sustainable aquifers. Water resources' availability conditions have a major impact on the socio-economic status of the area, which reflects the necessity of ensuring sustainable water resources, especially groundwater. This study aims to explore potential areas for groundwater storage in the Saïs Plateau and its middle Atlas borders in Morocco using advanced methods such as Remote Sensing (RS) data managed in a Geographic Information System (GIS). The methodology used for evaluation integrates sophisticated methods such as the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to assess the impact of relevant parameters (precipitation, lithology, rock fractures, and topography) on storage potential. The results reveal significant disparities in storage capacity between the studied regions, highlighting the major influence of climatic and geographical conditions. Areas with high storage potential are mainly concentrated in the Middle Atlas, benefiting from more permeable rocks and abundant precipitation. In contrast, the Saïs Plateau has a more limited storage capacity due to its local geological conditions and lower precipitation levels. This study provides valuable insights for strategic planning of groundwater management, not only as a model for the studied region but also for other regions facing similar challenges of climate change and population growth.
Assembly and analysis of the complete mitochondrial genome of Prunus davidiana (Rosaceae)
Authors: Zhang Yuyan , Guo Xin , Ma Ruijuan , Yu Mingliang , Xu Jianlan , Shen Zhijun , Ren Aihua
Published: April 2024

Background: Prunus davidiana is an excellent woody tree species that has high resistance to various abiotic and biotic stress factors. The species is also a potential gene donor because of its important developmental prospects. While the characteristic of mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) remains unexplored.
Results: In this study, we sequenced and assembled the P. davidiana mitogenome by using the reads from Illumina sequencing and Oxford Nanopore platform. According to the results, the P. davidianamitogenome has a length of 375 671 bp, with a 45.5% GC content. It contains 64 genes, including 39 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, and 3 rRNA genes. The codon usage, repeated sequences, nonsynonymous to synonymous substitution ratios, RNA editing, synteny, and phylogenetic relationships among Rosaceae species and gene migration event were all examined, respectively. The results of our analyses provide valuable information and a theoretical basis for research on P. davidiana in future.
Conclusions: In this study, we assembled and annotated the mitogenome of P. davidiana, an excellent woody tree species that has high resistance to various abiotic and biotic stress factors. The results of our analyses provide comprehensive information on the P. davidiana mitogenome, which should facilitate evolutionary research and molecular barcoding in Rosaceae.
Characterizing the in vitro motor properties of two kinesin-9 family members from Tetrahymena
Authors: Ishii Hiroto , Yamagishi Masahiko , Yajima Junichiro
Published: April 2024

The kinesin-9 family comprises two subfamilies specific to ciliated eukaryotic cells, and has recently attracted considerable attention because of its importance in ciliary bending and formation. However, only scattered data are available on the motor properties of kinesin-9 family members; these properties have not been compared under identical experimental conditions using kinesin-9 motors from the same species. Here, we report the comprehensive motor properties of two kinesin-9 molecules of Tetrahymena thermophila, TtK9A (Kif9/Klp1 ortholog) and TtK9B1 (Kif6 ortholog), using microtubule-based in vitro assays, including single-motor and multi-motor assays and microtubule-stimulated ATPase assays. Both subfamilies exhibit microtubule plus-end-directed, extremely slow motor activity, both in single and multiple molecules. TtK9A shows lower processivity than TtK9B1. Our findings indicate that the considerable slow movement of kinesin-9 that corresponds to low ATP hydrolysis rates, is a common feature of the ciliary kinesin-9 family.
Psychometric properties of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21) in women with breast cancer
Authors: Soria-Reyes Lorena Maria , Alarcón Rafael , Cerezo María Victoria , Blanca María J.
Published: April 2024

Breast cancer impacts the psychological well-being of women, leaving them at risk of developing depression, anxiety, and other stress-related disorders. The Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21) is a widely used measure, although empirical evidence regarding its psychometric properties in the breast cancer population is limited. The purpose of this study was to conduct an exhaustive analysis of the psychometric properties of the DASS-21 in a sample of Spanish women diagnosed with breast cancer. Participants were 289 breast cancer patients who completed the DASS-21 and other questionnaires measuring life satisfaction, positive and negative affect, flourishing, perceived stress, and breast cancer-specific stressors. In terms of validity evidence based on the internal structure of the DASS-21, adequate fit indices were obtained for the model based on three first-order factors (depression, anxiety, stress) and one second-order factor (general psychological distress). Reliability coefficients (McDonald’s omega) ranged from .84 to .95. Validity evidence based on relationships with other variables was also provided by moderate and strong correlations with well-being indicators and stress measures. The results support the use of the DASS-21 for measuring general psychological distress in the breast cancer context, where it may provide useful information for the design of psychological interventions with patients.
A practical evaluation of AutoML tools for binary, multiclass, and multilabel classification
Authors: Aragão Marcelo V. C. , Afonso Augusto G. , Ferraz Rafaela C. , Ferreira Rairon G. , Leite Sávio , de Figueiredo Felipe A. P. , Mafra Samuel B.
Published: April 2024

Choosing the right Automated Machine Learning (AutoML) tool is crucial for researchers of varying expertise to achieve optimal performance in diverse classification tasks. However, the abundance of AutoML frameworks with varying features makes selection challenging. This study addresses this gap by conducting a practical evaluation informed by a theoretical and bibliographical review and a feature-based comparison of twelve AutoML frameworks. The evaluation, conducted under time constraints, assessed accuracy and training efficiency across binary, multiclass, and multilabel (considering both native and label powerset representations) classification tasks on fifteen datasets. We acknowledge limitations, including dataset scope and default parameter usage, which may not capture the full potential of some frameworks. Our findings reveal no single ``perfect'' tool, as frameworks prioritize accuracy or speed. For time-sensitive binary/multiclass tasks, \claas, \autogluon, and \autokeras showed promise. In multilabel scenarios, \autosklearn offered higher accuracy, while \autokeras excelled in training speed. These results highlight the crucial trade-off between accuracy and speed, emphasizing the importance of considering both factors during tool selection for binary, multiclass, and multilabel classification problems. We made the code, experiment reproduction instructions, and outcomes publicly available on GitHub.
Improved video-based point cloud compression via segmentation
Authors: Tohidi Faranak , Paul Manoranjan , Ulhaq Anwaar , Chakraborty Subrata
Published: April 2024

Point cloud is a representation of objects or scenes utilising unordered points comprising 3D positions and attributes. The ability of point clouds to mimic natural forms has gained significant attention from diverse applied fields, such as virtual realityand augmented reality. However, the point cloud, especially the dynamic one, must be compressed efficiently due to its hugedata volume. The latest video-based point cloud compression (V-PCC) standard for dynamic point clouds divides the 3D pointcloud into many patches using computationally expensive normal estimation, segmentation, and refinement. The patches areprojected onto a 2D plane to apply existing video coding techniques. This process often results in losing proximity informationand some original points. This loss induces artefacts that adversely affect user perception. The proposed method segments dynamic point clouds based on shape similarity and occlusion before patch generation. This segmentation strategy helps tomaintain the proximity of the points and retain more original points by exploiting density and occlusion of the points . The experimental results establish that the proposed method significantly outperforms the V-PCC standard and other relevant methods in terms of rate-distortion performance and subjective quality testing for both geometric and texture data of several benchmark video sequences.
High utility of BALF Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing Approach for Etiological Diagnosis of Pneumonia
Authors: Jiang Lingyu , Zhong Yonglong , Xiang Shulin , Han Lin , Zhang Meng , Li Jianliang , Rao Guanhua
Published: April 2024

Background: For patients with pneumonia, rapid detection of pathogens is still a major global problem in clinical practice because traditional diagnostic techniques for infection are time-consuming and insensitive. Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) is a novel technique that has the potential to improve pathogen diagnosis. In this study, we aimed to explore the microbiological diagnostic ability of mNGS compared with that of conventional culture in pneumonia patients and to explore the best opportunityto test.
Methods: A prospective study from June 2020 to June 2021 was performed at a tertiary teaching hospital in China, and 56 pneumonia patients were included among all adult patients with a clinical diagnosis of pneumonia. Blood and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) samples were taken for simultaneous mNGS and conventional culture testing.
Results: All 56 patients underwent both conventional culture and mNGS, 37 of whom were diagnosed with severe pneumonia and 17 of whom were diagnosed with nonsevere pneumonia. The top three pathogenic bacteria detected by mNGS were Acinetobacter baumannii, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Enterococcus faecium was detected more frequently in the non-severepneumonia group (4 vs. 0, p<0.05). The findings revealed that the detection rate of mNGS (84%) was superior to that of conventional culture methods (48%). Notably, the percentage of mNGS-positive BALF samples (46/56, 82.14%) was significantly greater than that ofblood samples (27/56, 48.21%). The etiological comparison demonstrated that mNGS-positive samples for which clinical approval was obtained tended to be associated with a more normalized temperature, lower PCO2 levels, and a higher SOFA score thanmNGS-negative samples (p= 0.022, p = 0.0.028, and p = 0.038, respectively).
Conclusions: In this study, we discovered that the etiology of lung infections frequently involves multiple pathogens. mNGS of BALF is instrumental for detecting nonviral pathogens associated with lung infections. Although the rate of positive blood NGS results is significantly influenced by various clinical factors, for patients suspected of having viral, Legionella, or tsutsugamushi infections, plasma mNGS could serve as a complementary diagnostic tool.
Genomic Surveillance of a Canadian Airport Wastewater Samples Allows Early Detection of Emerging SARS-CoV-2 Lineages
Authors: Overton Alyssa K. , Knapp Jennifer J. , Lawal Opeyemi U. , Gibson Richard , Fedynak Anastasia A. , Adebiyi Adebowale I. , Maxwell Brittany , Cheng Lydia , Bee Carina , Qasim Asim , Atanas Kyle , Payne Mark , Stuart Rebecca , Fleury Manon D. , Knox Natalie C. , Nash Delaney , Hungwe Yemurayi C. , Prasla Samran R. , Ho Hannifer , Agboola Simininuoluwa O. , Kwon Su-Hyun , Naik Shiv , Parreira Valeria R. , Rizvi Fozia , Precious Melinda J. , Thomas Steven , Zambrano Marcos , Fang Vixey , Gilliand Elaine , Varia Monali , Horn Maureen , Landgraff Chrystal , Arts Eric J. , Goodridge Lawrence , Charles Trevor C.
Published: April 2024

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has shown that wastewater (WW) surveillance is an effective means of tracking the emergence of viral lineages in communities, arriving by many routes including via transportation hubs. In Ontario, numerous municipal WWTPs participate in WW surveillance of infectious disease targets such as SARS-CoV-2 by qPCR and whole genome sequencing (WGS). The Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA), operator of Toronto Pearson International Airport (Toronto Pearson), has been participating in WW surveillance since January 2022. As a major international airport in Canada and the largest national hub, this airport is an ideal location for tracking globally emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs). In this study, WW collected from Toronto Pearson’s two terminals and pooled aircraft sewage was processed for WGS using a tiled-amplicon approach targeting the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Data generated was analyzed to monitor trends SARS-CoV-2 lineage frequencies. Initial detections of emerging lineages were compared between Toronto Pearson WW samples, municipal WW samples collected from the surrounding regions, and Ontario clinical data as published by Public Health Ontario. Results enabled the early detection of VOCs and individual mutations emerging in Ontario. On average, emergence of novel lineages at the airport ahead of clinical detections was 1–4 weeks, and up to 16 weeks. This project illustrates the efficacy of WW surveillance at transitory transportation hubs and sets an example that could be applied to other viruses as part of a pandemic preparedness strategy and to provide monitoring on a mass scale.