bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Drilling Optimization Using MPD Technology in Narrow Pressure Window
Authors: Elzenary Mahmoud Nader
Published: May 2023

Drilling operations take place in an environment where high and low pressures are challenges. Both can cause delays, increased expenses, and even failure if they occur unexpectedly. Operators are increasingly equipping themselves against the repercussions of pressure-related surprises by employing strategies that are distinct from those previously employed. Managed pressure drilling (MPD) is one such break from tradition. The drilling margin, also known as the pore-pressure-fracture gradient window, is the pressure range between pore pressure and fracture formation pressure. Operators must set casing and begin drilling the following, smaller hole size if the equivalent circulation density (ECD) goes outside these boundaries at any stage. Overbalanced drilling (OBD) is the process of maintaining a borehole pressure that is higher than the pore pressure gradient.

Drilling is challenging in some operations due to the restricted operating window between pore pressure and fracture pressure. An oil field in North Africa is the subject of a feasibility study for controlled pressure drilling. Mud returns were lost while drilling in an unconsolidated formation in prior wells drilled in this field. This project effort solves this issue by applying surface back pressure to Managed Pressure Drilling technology in this field. The methodology used in this study is based on employing a real-time model to optimize (ECD) values and a drilling simulator to compare drilling operation pressures. To compare the pressures with the required back pressure, the model estimates the annular pressure drop and corresponding circulation density.

The goal of this project is to employ Managed Pressure Drilling calculations to drill the well, optimize the mud weights used to drill the well, reduce the number of casing strings, and avoid losing drilling fluid. As a result of this technique, the MPD optimization will be used to drill the well in a safer and more cost-effective manner while avoiding drilling problems, lowering the Non-Productive Time (NPT).
Regional analysis of posterior corneal elevation after three laser refractive surgeries for correction of myopia of different degrees
Authors: Chen Tong , Li Na , Tian Ge , Lin Yue , Wu Xiaohui , Gao Hua , Liu Mingna
Published: May 2023

Objectives
To evaluate the regional changes of posterior corneal elevation after three laser refractive surgeries for correction of myopia of different degrees.
Methods
200 patients (200 eyes) who underwent laser epithelial keratoplasty (LASEK), femtosecond-assisted laser in situ keratomileusis (FS-LASIK) and small-incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) were included in this retrospective, comparative and non-randomized study. According to preoperative spherical equivalent (SE), each surgical group was divided into two refractive subgroups with low to moderate myopia (LM group) and high myopia (H group). The posterior corneal elevation from Pentacam Scheimpflug tomography was analyzed preoperatively and 1 month, 3 months, 6months and 12months postoperatively. Three subregions of the posterior cornea were divided in this study as the central, paracentral and peripheral region.
Results
For all the three surgical groups, similar changing trends were shown in the two refractive subgroups. H group presented larger changing magnitude than LM group in FS-LASIK over time (P < 0.05), whereas no significant difference was noted in the two refractive subgroups of LASEK or SMILE (P > 0.05). At 12 months postoperatively, the central posterior corneal elevation returned to the preoperative level in LASEK (P > 0.05), but shifted forward significantly in FS-LASIK and SMILE (P < 0.05).
Conclusions
Different posterior corneal regions respond differently to corneal refractive surgeries. LASEK, FS-LASIK and SMILE demonstrate different trends in the regional changes of posterior corneal elevation. The corneal shape seems more stable in LASEK than in FS-LASIK and SMILE.
Sleep conditions and sleep hygiene behaviors in early pregnancy are associated with gestational diabetes mellitus: A propensity-score matched study
Authors: Ma Guojun , Cai Yanqing , Fan Jianxia
Published: May 2023

Purpose
To explore the influence of sleep conditions and sleep hygiene behaviors in early pregnancy on gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) development.
Methods
This 1:1 propensity-score matched study included 1216 pregnant women divided into GDM and control groups based on GDM diagnosis via the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) at 24–28 gestational weeks. Sleep conditions and hygiene behaviors were evaluated using structural questionnaires, including the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and Sleep Hygiene Practice Scale (SHPS). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses and Spearman’s correlation were conducted to identify the associations.
Results
After adjusting for baseline clinical characteristics, women with GDM were more likely to have poor sleep quality (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.585, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.261–1.992) and higher scores for subjective sleep quality, latency, duration, efficiency, and sleep disturbances (all P < 0.01). Mild sleepiness (AOR = 1.311, 95% CI: 1.012–1.699) and worrying about not being able to fall asleep in bed (AOR = 1.123, 95% CI: 1.005–1.255) were more likely to occur in the GDM group. Sleep quality and hygiene behaviors such as sleep-irrelevant activities, staying in bed after waking up, weekend catch-up sleep, and eating too much before sleep were significantly correlated with gestational diabetes variables.
Conclusion
Poor sleep conditions and specific sleep hygiene behaviors in early pregnancy may be independent risk factors for GDM, suggesting that sleep assessment and sleep behavior education can be used as new approaches for the early implementation of surveillance and prevention.
Evaluation of Geriatric Falls in Emergency Department During the Early Coronavirus-2019 Pandemic and Pre-Pandemic Periods
Authors: Arslan Tuğba , Saraç Zeliha Fulden , ERSEL Murat , Savas Sumru
Published: May 2023

Purpose This study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics, presentations, outcomes, and healthcare costs of older patients who presented at the emergency department (ED) with falls in the periods before and during the Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.Methods Hospital records one year before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic were retrospectively analyzed through “International Statistical Classification of Diseases-10th Revision” codes. Age, gender, falls, triage classification, length of stay (LOS) in the hospital and ED, COVID-19 status, Glasgow coma scale (GCS), consultations-comorbidities, injury status, outcomes in the ED, and costs were recorded.Results The study comprised of 3,187 patients aged ≥ 65 years admitted to the ED of a university hospital between March 2019 and 2021. In terms of pre-pandemic and pandemic periods; older patients presenting with falls to the ED, consultations, Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), and LOS in ED were lower in the pandemic period, but costs were higher (p = 0.03, p = 0.01, p = 0.01, p = 0.01 and p = 0.02, respectively). Hospitalization/mortality rates were higher in COVID-19-positive patients (77.2%) than in COVID-19-negative patients (4.6%) within the pandemic period and the patients in the pre-pandemic period (22.8%), likewise for the costs (both p = 0.01).Conclusion Though the number of geriatric fall presentations to ED, comorbidity burden, consultations, and LOS in the ED was lower, direct costs were higher during the pandemic period, particularly for COVID-19 positive older patients admitted to ED with falls than the pre-pandemic period, and those patients were with poorer outcomes.
In Silico Screening of Laccases with Universality based on Structural Analysis
Authors: Zheng Yunxin , Liu Chang , Zhang Chengyu , Qi Zixin , You Shengping , Qi Wei , Su Rongxin
Published: May 2023

Laccases have the advantages of non-specific oxidation and excellent catalytic activity. It is widely used in biomedicine, biosensor, and pollutant degradation. However, there are differences in the structure, substrate range, and fermentative expression of laccases depending on the source. In order to select a laccase with universality, we selected four representative laccases to analyze their catalytic properties from the aspects of sequence homology, isoelectric point, charged characteristics, active pocket, binding energy and the distance between the catalytic site and the substrate. The correlation analysis showed that the screening strategy was mainly based on structural analysis for a comprehensive evaluation through its activity and stability. The B. subtilis-derived laccase (CotA) with large and hydrophilic substrate binding pocket was screened out efficiently. It has the advantages of broad extent for substrates and strong alkali-resistance abilities. Therefore, this silico screening method can screen out suitable enzymes for specific application targets conveniently, which can lay the theoretical foundation for subsequent catalytic application studies.
Analysis of the daily activities of dromedary camel (Camelus dromedaries) kept under farm conditions using deep learning technology
Authors: Al-Khateeb Rama , mansour nabil , Mirza Shaher Bano , Lamghari Fouad
Published: May 2023

This study proposed to collect and analyze the daily activities of dromedary camels kept under farm conditions by training a model depending on frames as opposed to long-term windows. Any change in daily activities gives information on the camel’s health status, and an early warning can be generated to issue a signal upon identifying any diseased camels. Five daily activities: eating, standing, sitting, drinking, and sleeping, were recorded, and analyzed in two phases, each of 7 days of continuous video recordings in November and December 2022. Phase 1 was applied on two camels to test the time elapsed for each daily activity and Phase 2 was applied on 4 camels to determine the difference in daily activities between different camel individuals. The average standing and sleeping activities reduced from 9.8 h to 6.0 h, and from 4.3 h to 2.8 h in phases 1 and 2, respectively. While the average sitting and eating activities increased from 6.2 h to 9.9 h and from 3 h to 4.7 h in phases 1 and 2, respectively. The average drinking activity for all tested camels was 43 min in both phases. All camels were active in the eating, drinking, and standing activities during the early morning hours and after 16:00 O’clock till evening. While during noon and early afternoon, they were sitting under shadows. During the evening and nighttime, they mainly sat, occasionally moving their heads, with some standing and walking activities. The average eating, standing, and sleeping activities did not differ between the 4 tested camels throughout the experiment. While the drinking and sitting activities showed an average variation of 25% and 12%, respectively, in between the tested camels. In conclusion, the camel’s daily activities can be monitored by using the deep learning model. This model efficiently monitors and improves the health of camels kept on farms in remote areas beyond human control.
Persistent mesodermal differentiation capability of bone marrow MSCs isolated from aging patients with low energy traumatic hip fracture and osteoporosis: clinical evidence
Authors: Wang Mei-Chih , Yu Wei-Lin , Ding Yun-Chiao , Huang Jun-Jae , Lin Chin-Yu , Tseng Wo-Jan
Published: May 2023

Background Low-energy trauma-elicited bone fractures represent a sign of bone fragility and ongoing osteoporosis. The low energy hit, such as a slight fall down from a bed, standing height, or fewer, results in a bone fracture, especially in the hip, which is a life-threatening risk for the older adult and a heavy burden for the social economics. Bone can self-heal and maintain the homeostasis of anabolism and catabolism to preserve a healthy bony structure. Meanwhile, bone marrow-derived stem cells (BMSCs) are critical in osteogenesis, leading to metabolic homeostasis in the healthy bony microenvironment. Notably, patients with low-energy traumatic bone fractures usually suffer a higher level of bony catabolism accompanied by osteoporosis. However, whether the BMSCs derived from the patients who suffered osteoporosis and low-energy traumatic hip fracture preserve a sustained mesodermal differentiation capability, especially in osteogenesis, is yet to be explored in a clinical setting.Methods Therefore, we collected BMSCs from clinical hip fracture patients accompanied by evidenced osteoporosis in the current study. The CD markers identification, cytokines examination, and osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation were evaluated and compared with the BMSCs withdrawn from the healthy young donors. Meanwhile, the BMSCs doubling time, doubling level, and cumulative population doubling level of proliferation test were also examined.Results Data reveals that BMSCs collected from elderly osteoporotic patients expressed more abundant interleukin 6 (IL-6) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) than the BMSCs collected from young donors. However, the CD markers and osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation capability in these elderly osteoporotic patients and healthy young donors are identical. Notably, the proliferation capability of BMSCs derived from aging osteoporotic patients compared with BMSCs from healthy juvenile donors reveal an equivalent level in passages 3 ~ 4 that is conventionally used for clinical cell transplantation.Conclusion Collectively, our data evidence that BMSCs derived from elderly osteoporotic patients hold the equivalent differentiation capability identical to BMSCs derived from youth, and the unbalanced bony homeostasis and subsequent osteoporosis in the older adult need further detailed exploration.
A quantitative assessment of crop vulnerability to tephra hazard at Tungurahua volcano, Ecuador: understanding the effect of volcanic and biological factors
Authors: Ligot Noa , Viera William , Peñaherrera Diego , Bernard Benjamin , Bogaert Patrick , Delmelle Pierre
Published: May 2023

Crops are regularly impacted by tephra from explosive volcanic eruptions, causing significant economic losses and jeopardizing farmers’ livelihood at the local to regional scales. Crop vulnerability to tephra remains poorly understood, impeding the construction of robust risk models for agriculture. Previous studies of crop vulnerability to tephra are semi-quantitative and consider tephra accumulation as the only hazard intensity metric. Here, we provide a robust evaluation of crop vulnerability based on the analysis of 700 sets of quantitative data, allowing for the assessment of the influence of various volcanic and non-volcanic factors. We collected farmers’ perceptions of damage to fodders, root and tuber crops, leafy crops, legumes, cereals, tree fruits, non-tree fruits, and estimations of their yield loss due to the August 16–17, 2006, October–November 2015 and February–March 2016 eruptions of Tungurahua volcano, Ecuador. Crop yield loss increased with tephra loads (48 ± 35, 69 ± 33 and 76 ± 34% for < 0.5, 0.5–5 and 5–50 kg m-2, respectively), and we found that exposure to tephra led to a greater decline in yield compared to existing predictions. The results further highlight the plant phenological stage as a key factor of vulnerability. Exposure to tephra during the flowering period of legumes, cereals and tree fruits caused a median yield loss ≥ 80%. Legumes, tree fruits and non-tree fruits are more vulnerable to tephra than onions. Quantitative knowledge on crop vulnerability to tephra can be obtained from post-eruption impact assessments provided that a large population sample is collected and careful uncertainty analysis is conducted.
Impact of Risk Aversion Attitude on Tax Morale:
Authors: Wan Hongyu
Published: May 2023

This study examines how risk attitude affects tax morale among approximately 7300 taxpayers in South Korea by focusing on the individual-level variable. To estimate tax morale in terms of risk attitude, the framed and hypothetical tax morale question method is used. The method clearly states that there is no documentary evidence about cash payment. Therefore, the chances of being audited or fined are minute. The study finds that a risk-aversion attitude has a positive impact on tax morale even when the risk of being audited and fined is low. Furthermore, the results indicate that the positive impact of risk aversion on tax morale remains consistent even among different income groups, genders, and educational backgrounds.
JEL classification：H26
Knowledge and Behaviour of Vitamin A Consumption Associates to Night Blindness
Authors: Suparmi Suparmi , Prasetya Harka , Rahmawati Atik , Lailaulaan Milliam Shinta
Published: May 2023

Background Night blindness is the first sign of vitamin A deficiency, which can lead to blindness if left untreated. This study aimed to determine the relationship between college students' knowledge and consumption of vitamin A-rich foods and the appearance of night blindness symptoms.Methods This cross-sectional study involved 409 students in their sixth semester at Sultan Agung Islamic University. A questionnaire was used to collect data on the level of knowledge and behaviour of vitamin A consumption. Low Luminance Questionnaire (LLQ) collected data on night blindness complaints. To determine the effect of each independent variable on the dependent variable, bivariate and multivariable binary logistic regressions were conducted. The p-value threshold for statistical significance was set at 0.05.Results Bivariate analysis of the Chi-square test revealed that gender, study programme cluster, level of knowledge, and vitamin A consumption behaviour were significantly associated (p < 0.05) with night blindness symptoms. The logistic regression analysis results revealed that learning and behaviour regarding vitamin A consumption were associated with night blindness (p < 0.05). Vitamin A consumption is strongly associated with night blindness symptoms, with an odds ratio (OR) of 2.560 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.215–5.392), whereas vitamin A knowledge showed an OR of 2.239 (95% CI: 1.110–4.516).Conclusion The level of knowledge and behaviour regarding vitamin A consumption is related to night blindness in college students. This study advises students to maintain a healthy diet to prevent night blindness.
Evaluation of Opuntia-Carrageenan superporous hydrogel (OPM-CRG-SPH) as an effective biomaterial for drug release and tissue scaffold
Authors: Das Itishree Jogamaya , Bal Trishna
Published: May 2023

Stimuli-sensitive superporous hydrogels prepared using natural polymers are efficient in sustaining structural integrity for an extended duration and can be employed as an effective drug delivery system including polymeric scaffold for tissue regeneration. A pH-sensitive superporous hydrogel was designed by blending two natural polysaccharides Opuntia mucilage and Carrageenan using microwave irradiation and was optimized according to swelling index at different pH 1.2, 7.4, and 8.0 and % porosity. Optimized grade F6 was analyzed for surface hydrophilicity-hydrophobicity using optical contact angle (OCA). Analytical characterizations of F6 were performed using fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) which reflects semicrystalline behavior. Mechanical property and mucoadhesion study confirmed adequate strength and affinity of F6 at target site. Hemolysis study depicted hemocompatible nature of F6. In vitro drug release study with ciprofloxacin-HCL (CPFX) as model drug indicated controlled release behavior with 43% release in 6 hr and r² = 0.9698. Release kinetic study best fitted to Korsmeyer-Peppas model with n = 0.85262 following non-fickian diffusion. In vitro antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory assays attributed to wound healing nature of F6 which was corroborated by wound contraction and histopathology analyses. In vivo toxicity experiments endorsed to non-toxic character of scaffold and was confirmed by zebrafish toxicity test. The study concludes that the pH-sensitive grade F6 can be effectively used as a novel biomaterial for drug delivery and as polymeric scaffold for biomedical applications.
TMT-based quantitative proteomics reveals that electroacupuncture has neuroprotective effect on Alzheimer's disease rats through synaptic vesicle cycle and glutamatergic synapse signal pathways
Authors: Ke Chao , Shan Shengtao , Tan Yan , Cao Yang , Xie zhengrong , Pan Jiang , Zhang Wei
Published: May 2023

Background༚Recently, there has been increasing evidence that acupuncture as a kind of Traditional Chinese therapeutic method is significantly effective and safe way to treat Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This study provides supporting evidence and mechanism explanation of the therapeutic benefits of EA in the treatment of AD.
Method, In this study, we used tandem mass tagged (TMT) quantitative proteomics and bioinformatics analysis to seek core differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in the typical pathways. And the DEPs were validated by parallel reaction monitoring (PRM).
Results, weidentified 211 proteins thatwere differentiallyexpressed among the different groups. Finally, we identified the following key DEPs:A0A0G2QC31(protein tyrosine phosphatase, PTP) and P31647 (Sodium- and chloride-dependent GABA transporter 3, GAT3), which are enriched in the synaptic vesicle pathway and glutamatergic synaptic pathway respectively.Validation of protein expression by PRM, it was found that the downregulation of GAT3 and PTP in the hippocampus of AD rats after EA treatment. These key proteins and related signaling pathways might be the possible mechanisms of AD treatment.
Conclusion, EA may be providing a neuroprotective effect in cognitive disorders through glutamate synaptic signaling pathway and synaptic vesicle signalingpathway in Aβ1–42-induced AD rat model.
Motivation moderates gender differences in navigation performance
Authors: Schinazi Victor R. , Meloni Dario , Grübel Jascha , Angus Douglas J. , Baumann Oliver , Weibel Raphael P. , Jeszenszky Péter , Hölscher Christoph , Thrash Tyler
Published: May 2023

Gender differences in navigation performance are a recurrent and controversial topic. Previous research suggests that men outperform women in navigation tasks and that men and women exhibit different navigation strategies. Here, we investigate whether motivation to complete the task moderates the relationship between navigation performance and gender. Participants learned the locations of landmarks in a novel virtual city. During learning, participants could trigger a top-down map that depicted their current position and the locations of the landmarks. During testing, participants were divided into control and treatment groups and were not allowed to consult the map. All participants were given 16 minutes to navigate to the landmarks, but those in the treatment group were monetarily penalized for every second they spent completing the task. Results revealed a negative relationship between physiological arousal and the time required to locate the landmarks. In addition, gender differences in strategy were found during learning, with women spending more time with the map and taking 40% longer than men to locate the landmarks. Interestingly, an interaction between gender and treatment group revealed that women in the control group required more time than men and women in the treatment group to retrieve the landmarks. During testing, women in the control group also took more circuitous routes compared to men in the control group and women in the treatment group. These results suggest that a concurrent and relevant stressor can motivate women to perform similarly to men, helping to diminish pervasive gender differences found in the navigation literature.
WDR72 as a Novel Prognosis-Predictive Biomarker Linked to Immune Infiltration and Poor Prognosis in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma
Authors: liu Jinhui , Xiao Lei , Luo Sheng , Liu Jiayuan , Tang Yuanjia , Zhou Benzheng
Published: May 2023

Background: Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is a highly heterogeneous cancer type that lacks early diagnostic markers and effective targets for immunotherapy. WD repeat-containing protein 72 (WDR72) mutations have been linked to renal dysfunction and renal tubular acidosis. However, the potential prognosis-predictive value of WDR72 in ccRCC remains unelucidated.
Methods: The current research used The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data to explore the expression and prognosis-predictive value of WDR72 in various solid tumors, including ccRCC. The analysis was validated using the TCGA–ccRCC cohort and Human Protein Atlas. The biological processes and signaling pathways linked to the expression of WDR72 were identified by conducting Gene Ontology and gene set enrichment analysis. Cox regression analysis was utilized to measure the prognosis-predictive value of WDR72 in ccRCC. Moreover, the association of WDR72 expression levels with immune cell infiltration, methylation, m6A, tumor mutation burden, immune checkpoint molecules, and drug sensitivity was analyzed. Finally, the study was verified by conducting quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and cytological experiments in ccRCC.
Results: A pan-cancer analysis noted that low WDR72 expression levels were strongly linked to poor overall survival and progression-free interval in individuals with ccRCC. The WDR72 levels were remarkably reduced in ccRCC tissues in comparison with the adjacent tissues, and WDR72 was identified as an independent predictor of patients with ccRCC. Pathway enrichment analysis showed a close relationship between genes related to WDR72 and fat metabolism. Low WDR72 expression in ccRCC was linked to higher immune cell infiltration, stronger tumor mutation burden, and higher immune checkpoint molecules. Furthermore, individuals with ccRCC and low WDR72 expression had lower IC50 values for most drugs.
Conclusion: Low WDR72 expression is strongly linked to the progression, prognosis, and microenvironmental immune regulation of individuals with ccRCC. Moreover, it may hold potential as a valuable prognostic biological marker and therapeutic measure for ccRCC. The findings provide a basis for future research by exploring the role of WDR72 in ccRCC tumor development.
Parent-Child Interaction as an Effective Tool for Identifying Autism Spectrum Disorder: Evidence from EEG Analysis
Authors: Deng Lin , He Wei-zhong , Wei Ling , Dai Yuan , Liu Yu-qi , Chen Zi-lin , Gong Jing-bo , Li Fei
Published: May 2023

Background
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder that affects individuals across their lifespan. Early diagnosis and intervention are crucial for improving outcomes. However, current diagnostic methods are often time-consuming, subjective, and costly, making them inaccessible to many families. In this study, we aimed to investigate the use of parent-child interaction as a potential screening tool for identifying children with ASD.
Methods
We recruited 85 preschool ASD children with development delay (DD), ASD children without DD and typically developing (TD) children, along with their caregivers, to engage in parent-child interaction while simultaneously recording EEG and video signals.
Results
We found that the behavioral indicators of both ASD groups were worse than TD group and correlated with the severity of the symptoms of ASD. Both theta and alpha band PSD values increased in both ASD groups compared to TD children, primarily correlated with social behavior rather than IQ level.
Conclusion
Our results verified the behavioral paradigm of parent-child interaction as an efficient method for identifying children with ASD, further validated by the PSD of alpha and theta bands.
Synthesis of Novel Coumarin Derivatives from N,N-dimethylbarbituric Acid and Dimedone via Domino Knöevenagel Hetero-Diels–Alder Reactions
Authors: Asadi Mina , Zarezadeh Nahid , Bahadorikhalili Saeed , Mahdavi Mohammad
Published: May 2023

In this paper, the successful synthesis of several novel coumarin derivatives is reported. For this synthesis, (E)-N-(3-formyl-2-oxo-2H-chromen-4-yl)-N-methyl-2-phenylethene-1-sulfonamide was first prepared in three steps, from the conversion reaction of styrene to (E)-2-phenylethene-1-sulfonyl chloride, followed by 4-chloro-2-oxo-2H-chromene-3-carbaldehyde. The product is reacted with N,N-dimethylbarbituric acid, and dimedone in water. Whereas N,N-dimethylbarbituric underwent traditional domino Knöevenagel hetero-Diels–Alder reaction, affording pyranofused-δ-sultam-annulated coumarins, chromenocoumarin derivatives were obtained using dimedone through a novel type of domino Knöevenagel hetero-Diels–Alder reaction.
Risk-Benefits Assessment of Calcium Supplementation Based on Multi-Dimensional Nutritional Profiles in a Cross-sectional Study
Authors: Mirani Sara , Horváth László , Vecsernyés Miklós , Tóth Béla E.
Published: May 2023

Background
Calcium intake is an essential component of a healthy diet and has been linked to numerous health benefits, including the prevention of osteoporosis and reduction of fracture risk in children and adults. The most plausible consequence of insufficient calcium intake can lead to osteoporosis over decades, which is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality with high burden of disease. However, attention should be given to the risk of potential overdoses, since some trials have linked excessive calcium supplementation to increased risk of health complications.
Methods
Our study aimed to evaluate the possible factors influencing the participants’ calcium profile through a “dietary intake specific questionnaire” to achieve the optimal calcium and vitamin D intake in the prevention of or during therapies for osteoporosis. A comprehensive multi-dimensional dietary survey was administered to evaluate various aspects of the participants' diets, including dietary and supplemented calcium intake, vitamin D exposure, vitamin supplementation profile, and relevant lifestyle parameters. In this article, we specifically analyzed the calcium intake profiles and pharmacovigilance aspects of the study participants.
Results
We received 478 evaluable datasets. The dietary calcium intake, on average, was close to optimal in the general public. Supplementation safety concerns were raised for the public in less than 7% of patients, who were reported to have a potential overload in daily calcium intake. Albeit, one-third (34%) of the population had a significant deficiency (average: 544 mg/day), and this effect was more relevant among ≤ 25-years old individuals, of them only less than 37% of the responders had an optimal calcium intake. More than half (52%) of the dietary calcium deficient participants did not take any additional calcium supplements. Although, in 73% of general population, most calcium supplementation dosage in use was equal to or below 200 mg/day.
Conclusion
Our study highlights the importance to implement a “Patient Focused Motivation Strategy” as a broader approach in pharmaceutical care for increasing the patient’s knowledge, understanding the needs of supplementation, and selecting the correct form and dose of the available non-prescription products. It is important to maintain motivation and adherence to the recommended therapy to achieve optimal health outcomes.
Impact of Interplay Effects on Spot Scanning Proton Therapy with Motion Mitigation Techniques for Lung Cancer: SFUD versus Robustly Optimized IMPT Plans Utilizing a Four-dimensional Dynamic Dose Simulation Tool
Authors: Yamano Akihiro , Inoue Tatsuya , Yagihashi Takayuki , Yamanaka Masashi , Matsumoto Kazuki , Shimo Takahiro , Shirata Ryosuke , Nitta Kazunori , Nagata Hironori , Shiraishi Sachika , Minagawa Yumiko , Omura Motoko , Tokuuye Koichi , Chang Weishan
Published: May 2023

Background: The interaction between breathing motion and scanning beam causes interplay effects in spot-scanning proton therapy for lung cancer, resulting in compromised treatment quality. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the impact of the effects and clinical robustness of two types of spot-scanning proton therapy with motion mitigation techniques for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) by utilizing a new simulation tool (4DCT calculation).
Methods: Three-field single-field uniform dose (SFUD) and robustly optimized intensity-modulated proton therapy (IMPT) plans, combined with gating and rescanning techniques, were created using a VQA treatment planning system for 15 patients with locally advanced NSCLC (70 GyRBE/35 fractions). In addition, gating windows of three or five phases around the end-of-expiration phase and two internal gross tumor volumes (iGTVs) were created, and a rescanning number of four was used. At first, the static dose (SD) was calculated using end-of-expiration computed tomography (CT). Then, the four-dimensional dynamic dose (4DDD) was calculated using the SD plans, 4D-CT images, and deformable image registration technique on the end-of-expiration CT. The target coverage (V98%, V100%), homogeneity index, and conformation number for the iGTVs and organ-at-risk (OAR) doses were calculated for the SD and 4DDD groups and compared between both treatment plans.
Results: In the 3- and 5-phase SFUD, statistically significant differences between SD and 4DDD were observed for V100%, homogeneity, and conformity. In contrast, statistically significant differences were observed for V98%, V100%, and homogeneity in both the 3- and 5- phases of IMPT. The mean V98% and V100% in both 3-phase plans were within the clinical limits (>95%) when the interplay effects were considered; however, V100% decreased to 89.3% and 94.0% for the 5-phase SFUD and IMPT, respectively.
Conclusions: The interplay effects had a limited impact on target coverage and OAR doses in SFUD and robustly optimized IMPT with 3-phase gating and rescanning for patients with locally advanced NSCLC. Furthermore, the target coverage deteriorated considerably as the gating window increased. This study demonstrated that robustly optimized IMPT is more robust than SFUD to the interplay effect in terms of target coverage with the prescription dose and homogeneity.
Trial registration: None.
A comparative analysis of genetic differentiation between two sympatric and closely related species, D. bipectinata and D. malerkotliana
Authors: Singh Gurvachan , Singh Arvind Kumar
Published: May 2023

D. bipectinata and D. malerkotliana are two phylogenetically closely related species that share common ecological niches throughout their distribution zone which comes under Oriental-Australian zoogeographical regions. These two species have been found to share several common genetic characteristics and due to this, they may experience interspecific mating under laboratory conditions and produce hybrid progeny with sterile males and less fertile females. The population genetical work on these two species has been inadequately done by considering cosmopolitan inversions and enzyme polymorphisms. We decided to consider the genetic polymorphism involving commonly persistent chromosomal inversions, allozymes and microsatellite variants of the two species to envisage genetic differentiation among the natural populations of these two species sampled from distant localities of Indian cities. The results of this study indicate that Indian populations of both the species are genetically structured. There exists graded variation (clinal variation) in the level of heterozygosity from north to south as an increase in the observed heterozygosity prevailed from north to south. This trend was observed in the populations of both the species that hints towards similar genetic changes being experienced by its members all along their distribution area. The phylogenetic trees based on the extent of genetic identity between the paired populations of these two species portray two distinct clusters, one for the two populations of north and the other for the remaining populations of south. Further, through this study, it can be stated with certainty that there exists ‘isolation by distance’ as the north and south populations of both the species genetically significantly vary from each other.
ECG Signal Quality in Intermittent Long-Term Dry Electrode Recordings with Controlled Motion Artifacts
Authors: Joutsen Atte , Cömert Alper , Kaappa Emma , Vanhatalo Kirsi , Riistama Jarno , Vehkaoja Antti , Eskola Hannu
Published: May 2023

Wearable long-term monitoring applications are becoming more and more popular in both the consumer and the medical market. In wearable ECG monitoring, the data quality depends on the properties of the electrodes and on how they contact the skin. Dry electrodes do not require any action from the user. They usually do not irritate the skin, and they provide sufficiently high-quality data for ECG monitoring purposes during low-intensity user activity. We investigated prospective motion artifact–resistant dry electrode materials for wearable ECG monitoring. The tested materials were 1) porous: a conductive polymer, conductive silver fabric; and 2) solid: stainless steel, silver, and platinum. ECG was acquired from test subjects in a 10-minute continuous settling test and in a 48-hour intermittent long-term test. In the settling test, the electrodes were stationary, whereas both stationary and controlled motion artifact tests were included in the long-term test. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) was used as a figure of merit to quantify the results. The SNR of all electrode types increased during the settling test. In the long-term test, the SNR was generally elevated further. The introduction of electrode movement reduced the SNR markedly. Solid electrodes had a higher SNR than porous electrodes. In the stationary testing, stainless steel showed the highest SNR, followed by platinum, silver, conductive polymer, and conductive fabric. In the movement testing, the order was platinum, stainless steel, silver, conductive polymer, and conductive fabric.
Efficacy and mechanism of a biomimetic nanosystem carrying doxorubicin and an IDO inhibitor for treatment of advanced triple-negative breast cancer
Authors: Hu Chuling , Liu Yan , Cao Wei , Li Na , Gao Shen , Wang Zhuo , Gu Fenfen
Published: May 2023

As a kind of “cold tumor”, triple-negative breast cancer has a bottleneck in immunotherapy. In this study, mesoporous silica nanoparticles were coated with the chemotherapeutic drug doxorubicin and indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenase 1 inhibitor 1-MT, and the outer layer was coated with a triple-negative breast cancer cell membrane to construct the tumor dual-targeted delivery system CDIMSN for chemotherapy and immunotherapy, and to investigate the immunogenic death effect of CDIMSN. The system targeted the delivery of tumor therapeutic drugs to the tumor microenvironment. Doxorubicin induced tumor immunogenic death, while 1-MT reversed immunosuppression. In vitro experiments showed that IC50 value of CDIMSN was 0.34µg/ml, significantly lower than that of DIMSN (0.56µg/ml). In vivo findings showed that the tumor size in the CDIMSN group was 2.66-fold and 1.56-fold smaller than that in DOX and DIMSN groups, respectively. CDIMSN group was better than naked DIMSN in stimulating CD8+T cells, CD4+T cells and promoting DCs cell maturation. In addition, blood analysis, biochemical analysis and Hematoxylin staining analysis of mice showed that the bionic nanoparticles had good biological safety.
Energy efficient cluster head using modified fuzzy logic with WOA and path selection using Enhanced CSO in IoT-enabled smart agriculture systems
Authors: C Senthil kumar , R Vijay Anand
Published: May 2023

The advent of Internet of Things (IoT) in agriculture has revolutionized the way farmers monitor and manage their crops. IoT-enabled sensors can provide real-time data on various environmental parameters such as temperature, humidity, soil moisture, and crop growth, which can be used to make informed decisions and optimize crop yield. However, the vast amount of data generated by these sensors poses a significant challenge in terms of data processing and communication. To address this challenge, clustering is often used to group the sensors into clusters and elect a Cluster Head (CH) to communicate with the gateway node. The selection of an appropriate CH and the optimal path for data transmission are critical factors that affect the performance of the IoT system. In this paper, we propose a novel approach to optimize the CH selection and path selection using modified Fuzzy Logic, Whale optimization algorithm (WOA) and Enhanced Crow Swarm Optimization (ECSO). Fuzzy Logic is used to evaluate the relevant parameters such as energy, distance, overhead, trust, and node degree to select the most suitable CH. ECSO is then employed to find the optimal path for data transmission based on the selected CH. We evaluate the proposed approach using simulation experiments in a smart agriculture scenario. The results show that our approach outperforms existing approaches in terms of throughput, packet delivery ratio, delay, and energy efficiency. Our proposed approach can significantly improve the performance of IoT-enabled smart agriculture systems, leading to better crop yield and higher profitability for farmers. The results of our simulation experiments demonstrate the superiority of our approach over existing one’s throughput, Packet Delivery Ratio (PDR), delay, energy consumption efficiency is found in the result section.
Proving Concurrency by Loci
Authors: Salehi Saeed
Published: May 2023

A fascinating and catchy method for proving that a number of special lines are concurrent is using the concept of locus. This is now the classical method for proving the concurrency of the internal angle bisectors and perpendicular side bisectors of a triangle. In this paper, we prove the concurrency of the altitudes and the medians by showing that they are loci of some interesting points. Our proofs for these ancient theorems seem to be new. We also provide loci method proofs for the concurrency theorems of Ceva and Carnot.
AMS 2020 MSC: 51M04.
Effects of temperature and salinity on tissue structure, antioxidant capacity and heat shock protein gene expression of Penaeus monodon
Authors: Yang Qibin , Yang Wanli , Jiang Song , Kong Dewei , Jiang Shigui , Huang Jianhua , Yang Lishi , Li Yundong , Zhou Falin
Published: May 2023

In order to explore the influence of temperature and salinity on stress response of P. monodon, four experimental groups were set, respectively were normal temperature and normal salt (Control group), normal temperature and low salt(Group A), high temperature and low salt(Group B), high temperature and normal salt(Group C). The stress experiment was conducted for 96 hours, and the activities of acid phosphatase(ACP), alkaline phosphatase(AKP), total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) in hepatopancreas, the changes of tissue structure and the expression of related heat shock protein genes were measured．The results showed that the branchial structures of the three stress groups were found to be damaged to varying degrees. In Group A, AKP and ACP levels increased initially and then decreased, while T-SOD levels decreased initially and then steadily increased. In Group B and Group C, the four enzymes showed similar trends.There was no significant difference in the expression level of Hsps in the low salt group. The expression levels of Hsp-10, Hsp-60 and Hsp-90 genes showed a similar trend, and the maximum expression levels of the four genes were all at 96h. The expression levels of Hsps in muscle tissue were similar to those in hepatopancreas tissue. However, the highest expression levels of Hsp-70 and Hsp-90 in high temperature and low salt group were at 24h. Through this work on P. monodon stress responses to high temperature and low salinity, we have gained a deeper understanding of the physiological responses to environmental stressors, which will be useful in the development of protective measures for the shrimps under aquaculture conditions that replicate these stressors.
Assessment of X-Ray Rejected Films and Image Quality in Diagnostic Radiology Departments of Teaching Hospitals in Iraq
Authors: Ali Ronak Taher
Published: May 2023

Background Patients undergo repeated X-ray examinations after their initial X-ray radiographs are rejected due to poor image quality. Reject analysis in digital radiography (CR) helps guide the education and training of staff, influences department workflow, reduces patient dose and improves department efficiency. The role of reject analysis in providing relevant information that would help achieve a sound reduction in radiation exposure.Aims To assess the reasons for x-ray film rejection & to analyze reasons for deletions to improve the radiological services.Methods The data were collected from about 200 rejected films from different hospitals in Iraq from January 2021- August 2021. The reject rate, reasons for rejection for individual radiographers, examination types, and projections used a structured format on which investigators recorded relevant data for rejection. The results were then collected and entered into a database for analysis.Results 200 radiographic images were acquired and included in the analysis. Reject rate and cause of rejection were measured across all plane x-ray examinations for the hospitals in Kirkuk general hospital at 8.1%, Mosul General Hospital at 13.9%, and Al-Jumhory Hospital at 6.4%. Study cases and (appointment) 16.1%, Mass & Kv with positioning error 3.7%. The examinations with the highest percentage of deleted images were the chest, lumber spine & knee joints, 13.2%, 3.2% & 1,7%, respectively.Conclusions Creating awareness among the student reduces the overall reject rate. The outcome of this study can be used to set up training programs to improve radiological services and reduce unnecessary radiation exposure to patients.