bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hydrocarbon Generative Properties and Maturity of Cretaceous and Eocene Sediments in the Middle Kura Depression, Azerbaijan
Authors: Akhundov Shahin Khosrov , Tagiyev Mushfig Farhad , Khuduzade Arastun Ismail , Aliyev Natig Namig
Published: October 2021

Meso-Cenozoic sedimentary cover in the Middle Kura depression located between the Greater and Lesser Caucasus mountain structures contains numerous oil accumulations. According to studies in the Cretaceous and Paleogene strata, sedimentary organic matter is of mixed clastic-marine origin. Moderate amounts of organic matter have been recorded in the Eocene sediments (on average 0.70%), in the Upper and Lower Cretaceous average values made up 0.39% и 0.42%, respectively. Analysis of bitumoid composition suggests that in a number of areas bitumoids have experienced a widespread movement across the sedimentary strata. The results of measurements on isolated samples indicate that the Cretaceous strata have only advanced to the initial hard-coal stage of organic transformation (0.48-0.55%Ro). On vitrinite reflectance data the Eocene deposits in studied areas of the Middle Kura depression have reached initial (brown-coal) stage of catagenetic transformation (±0.48Ro%; est. paleotemperature of 85°C). Nonetheless, analysis of formation conditions of commercial HC accumulations found earlier in the Eocene strata allows considering them the most prospective in the Middle Kura depression.
State of Stress in Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli Anticline Structure, South Caspian Sea
Authors: Majidi Reza , Abbasov Abbas , Aliyev Elshan M. , Akhundova Firangiz , Mckidd Joanna
Published: October 2021

The Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli (ACG) field, a tightly folded anticline structure, located offshore Azerbaijan in the south Caspian basin, is one of the most tectonically active regions of the world. Understanding the stress state across the ACG structure is a key to successful development of the field by optimizing well placement during drilling, completion, and depletion/injection phases.

This article summarizes the results of studies undertaken on the state of the stress in ACG field. It encompasses the field-wide overview of stresses from a structural standpoint, the compilation of drilling and completion events, for instance, induced fracture during lost circulation events, and Formation Pressure Integrity Tests (FPIT) as well as analysis of wellbore breakout from variety of sources including borehole image data and caliper logs that were used to infer the magnitude and orientation of far-field stresses. Key outcomes of this study are the stress ratio distribution maps and stress orientation maps across the structure, based on the magnitude and orientations of stresses that were inferred from drilling events and wellbore breakouts.

Results of this analysis show that magnitude and orientation of stresses vary across the structure both laterally and vertically. Minimum principal stress (Shmin) tends to increase from the crest toward the flanks. The maximum principal stress (SHmax) orientation is found to be predominantly sub-perpendicular to the strike of the anticline structure (60°-80° N), influenced by the reginal tectonic stresses. Moreover, stress rotation from sub-perpendicular to sub-parallel to the anticline is observed over some parts of the central and crestal areas, indicating that stresses are less compressional at the center and crest of the Azeri anticline. Local variability is possibly due to proximity to geological features such as mud volcanos, faults, and high deformation areas.

The relative magnitude of stresses found in ACG, suggests a predominantly strike-slip faulting regime (where SHmax is the greatest of the three principal stresses) particularly, at the flanks and noses of the structure.
The Influence of Lithofacies Features of a Deposit on the Efficiency of Reserves Recovery
Authors: Sultanov Shamil Khanifovich , Chudinova Daria Yurievna , Chibisov Alexander Vyacheslavovich , Makhnitkin Eugene Mikhailovich , Kharisova Lily Ramilevna , Urakov Dmitrii Sergeyevich , Aktuganov Roman Robertovich
Published: October 2021

The main task in petroleum engineering is to achieve the maximum possible production of hydrocarbon reserves with low expenditures. Many reasons influence the economics of the project. And one of them is related to choosing the right location for drilling a well in order to produce unrecovered hydrocarbons. The choice of this place has a direct correlation with the geological aspects of an oil field. This paper showed that different facies have a great influence on reserves recovery on the example of the South-Vyintoyskoye field. The classification of facies involved the study of production data. This study was presented by analysis of core sample, application of models by Muromtsev, reading of well logs, and build-up of geological models. The construction of geological models involved work in IRAP RMS TEMPEST, CorelDRAW, Geoglobe, Roxar Program package. The subject of study was the reservoir rock BV7/3-4that is a part of the Barremian age formation. It was concluded that this reservoir rock is composed of mainly argillaceous sandstones, interbedded with siltstones and shales. Authors identified that this formation belongs to three different depositional facies. The facies classification showed that the A1 zone is associated with well-graded fine to the fine-grained size of sediments. The reservoir rock of this zone is composed of sediments that belong to the distribution channel of deltas. And as a result, it is characterized by its high flow rate of production wells. The reservoir rock of the A2 facies zone is composed of sediments that are related to the collapse of mouth bars and branches of deltas. This zone has difficulties in fluid migration due to the presence of heterogeneities and clay material as well as the drilling of new wells close to the given zone lead to the medium flow rate of production wells. The reservoir rock of the A3 facies zone is composed of sediments that belong to turbidity flows. In this zone, organic matter has been recognized as a group of ichnofacies such as "Cruziana". This zone is characterized by the low flow rates of the production wells.
Response, Retune, Revive: The Duty of Producing Never Ceases in Pandemic
Authors: Wang Zhehao , Jobarah Hussain , Kaaki Zouhair
Published: October 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected every facet of global society. It has become evident that the impacts of this pandemic will be far-reaching and long lasting. The abstract showcases how producing entities can stand up to pandemic by initiating manpower demographical study, working schedule adjustment, communication protocol and reinforcing online job training to proactively manage the workforce in a COVID-19 impacted working environment.

Entities should take systematic approaches to handle the crisis. To help employees achieve well-being in work and personal life, management can motivate employees to join Emotional Wellbeing Roadshow, and launch multiple COVID-19 campaigns to improve awareness. To support workforce continuity, an analyst can perform a workforce demographical study. Administrative staff have the option to work remotely at home, especially for senior or those with chronic illness. Working schedules can be adjusted to minimize the travelling for employees from areas with high COVID-19 rates. It is highly recommended to vaccinate employees and eligible family members.

For international entities with thousands of employees and contractors, the workforce is from multiple countries. The diversification of nationality, age, educational background and working experience can create challenges for workforce management. The optimal result for entities is to minimize the extent to which employee is negatively impacted by pandemic, while meeting the business target. Zero employee fatalities caused by COVID-19 and retaining key personnel are the ultimate goals of workforce management during pandemic. During lockdown, staff might continue their career development through e-learning. The workforce could also take online assessments to renew work licenses or maintain job accreditation. Gathering and face-to-face meetings are to be replaced by video conferences. If approval is obtained, employees and eligible family members should have the option to take the COVID-19 vaccination. Due to successful planning, labor cost can be within the budget, and might generate cost savings due to reduced travelling. Due to controlling spread of the virus largely benefited from workforce management, the entity can successfully pass the COVID-19 Compliance Audit conducted by business line, corporate or local government agency.

Entity should proactively respond to COVID-19 pandemic by providing support to workforce using developed tools and resources. In addition, mental health is treated equally as important as physical well-being. Furthermore, work style is retuned to recognize that virtual meeting and working from home could be successful and productive. Therefore, the workforce is always fully revitalized and the duty of producing never ceases in pandemic.
Vertical Fracture Monitoring by Multi-Rate Through-Barrier Diagnostics
Authors: Yeleussinov Doszhan , Assangaliyev Arman , Ospanova Assel , Nagimov Vener , Kirpichikova Elena , Makashev Azamat
Published: October 2021

Hydraulic fracturing has been demonstrated to be a cost-effective method of developing low-permeability heterogeneous clastic reservoirs with vertical wells. In the presence of a thin shale layer as a seal, monitoring effective fracture height becomes extremely important. The conventional approach of a single-regime production logging may be ineffective due to the complex geometry of fluid flow in the near-wellbore zone around the well. The paper describes the experience of the multi-rate through barrier diagnostics as a method of improving hydraulic fracturing evaluation. The standard way to diagnose the effectiveness of hydraulic fracturing is to log a survey under current operating conditions. In general, temperature and passive spectral acoustic measurements provide useful information on identifying the boundaries of fluid movement behind production casing; however, it is difficult to determine if flow occurs in the vertical hydraulic fracture or channeling through damaged cement in a single-regime survey. The multi-rate through-barrier diagnostics allow analyzing the flow dynamics of the wellbore-fracture-formation system under different flowing regimes, enabling a more accurate assessment of fluid movement in the near-wellbore environment within several meters. The paper includes the results of the multi-rate logging survey campaign in vertical water injection wells drilled in a low-permeability clastic reservoir. A proppant-based hydraulic fracturing of the target formation was carried out in the wells. The geological structure of the developed reservoir includes a thin shale layer (break) that separates the target oil-saturated interval from the overlying water bearing reservoir. In order for the operator to optimize future stimulation programs identification of effective hydraulic fracture height in reservoir regions with different shale thicknesses is crucial. The upper boundaries of the injected fluid movement behind the casing were determined based on the survey results. Analysis of the acoustic and temperature field dynamics helped more reliably evaluate the nature of the fluid movement behind the casing, whether flow happens in vertical fracture or cement channeling. This results in a more precise quantitative assessment of the injection profile in the targeted and untargeted reservoir units.
Identification of Viruses Infecting Cigar and Flue-cured Tobacco Using Next Generation Sequencing and Establishment of Multiplex RT-PCR
Authors: Zhou Tao , Zhou Shidong , Chen Yong , Wang Jun , Zhang Ruina , Xiang Huan , Xia Zihao , An Mengnan , Zhao Xiuxiang , Wu Yuanhua
Published: October 2021

Early, precise and simultaneous identification of the plant viruses is of great significance on preventing the spread of the viruses as well as reducing losses on agricultural yield. In this study, identification of plant viruses from symptomatic samples collected from cigar tobacco planting area in Deyang and flue-cured tobacco planting area in Luzhou city of Sichuan Province China was conducted by the deep sequencing of small RNAs (sRNAs) through an Illumina sequencing platform and plant virus specific contigs were generated based on the virus derived siRNA sequences. Additionally, sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis was performed to determine the species or strains of these viruses. A total of 27930450, 21537662 and 28194021 clean reads were generated from three pooled samples with a total of 105 contigs being mapped to the closest plant viruses with the length range from 34~1720 nt. The results indicated that the major viruses were potato virus Y (PVY), Chilli veinal mottle virus (ChiVMV), tobacco vein banding mosaic virus (TVBMV), tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) and cucumber mosaic virus (CMV). Subsequently, a fast and sensitive multiplex reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay was developed for the simultaneous detection of the most frequent RNA viruses infecting cigar and flue-cured tobacco in Sichuan. These results provide theoretical basis and convenient methods for rapid detection and control of viruses on cigar and flue-cured tobacco.
Red Imported Fire Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Cover the Insecticide-Treated Surfaces with Particles to Reduce Contact Toxicity
Authors: Wen Chao , Sheng Liming , Chen Jian , Zhang Jianlong , Feng Ying , Wang Zhong , Chen Xuan , Cai Jiacheng , Wang Lei , He Yinghao , Wen Xiujun , Ma Tao , Wang Cai
Published: October 2021

Surface treatment is commonly used in controlling the red imported fire ants, Solenopsis invicta Buren. In the present study, the behavioral responses of S. invicta workers to surfaces treated with insecticides were investigated. Toxicological tests showed that beta-cypermethrin had the highest contact toxicity (with the lowest LC50 value) among nine tested insecticides, followed by thiamethoxam, fipronil, indoxacarb, chlorfenapyr, rotenone, spinetoram, avermectin, and chlorantraniliprole. In the laboratory, surfaces treated beta-cypermethrin or rotenone significantly reduced the number of foraging ants. In addition, S. invicta workers transported significantly more particles (measured in weight and/or covered area) onto surfaces treated with fipronil (50, 500, and 5000 ppm), rotenone (5000 ppm), or avermectin (5000 ppm) compared with the controls. Similarly, these insecticides significantly triggered the particle-covering behavior of ants in the field. We hypothesized that such behaviors would reduce the contact toxicity of insecticides against S. invicta. When the surfaces treated with fipronil or rotenone (500 or 5000 ppm) were artificiality covered with particles, S. invicta had significantly higher LT50 values compared with insecticide-treated surfaces without particles. This study provides the first evidence that S. invicta workers can perform particle-covering behavior to reduce the toxicity of certain insecticides, which constitutes a unique insecticide-resistance strategy in ants.
Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADMSCs) protect against hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia-induced heart failure by inhibiting autophagy-related apoptosis
Authors: Xu Xu , Tao Lingyun , zhou Jie , Ni Jing
Published: October 2021

Background

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), a type of seed cell, are expected to improve impaired diabetic cardiac function. Inflammation and autophagy play an important role in the development of metabolic disorder-induced heart failure. The aim of this work was to assess the effect of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADMSCs) on metabolic disorder-induced heart failure and the underlying mechanisms.
Methods

Eight weeks old male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into three groups: normal chow mice (NC group), high-fat diet-fed and streptozotocin-treated mice (HFD+STZ group) and mice administered with ADMSCs-once per week for 3 months after the mice were treated with HFD+STZ (ADMSCs+HFD+STZ group). Once a week lipid and glucose levels were measured and echocardiography was performed. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the adhesion of macrophages in heart tissue in all three groups. Inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-8 (CXCL-15) were measured by western blot or RT-qPCR. In vitro, H9c2 cardiomyocytes were stimulated by 33mM glucose in the presence or absence of IL-1β. Transmission electron microscopy, mRFG-GFP-LC3 assays and flow cytometry were used to investigate autophagy-related apoptosis in H9c2 cells.
Results

HFD+STZ treated mice presented significant cardiac hypertrophy, body weight loss, hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia. However, these changes were remarkably reversed by the administration of ADMSCs. The administration of ADMSCs also remits histological alterations and deposition of collagen in the heart tissue. Furthermore, ADMSCs downregulated the adhesion of macrophages in heart tissue. More importantly, IL-1β from macrophages increased the autophagy of myocardial cells stimulated with high glucose, which eventually led to apoptosis and cardiac dysfunction.
Conclusions

This study confirmed that ADMSCs may have potential for use in improving cardiac function by restraining autophagy and apoptosis of myocardial cells. We also identified the roles of the IL-1β in hyperglycemia- and hyperlipidemia-induced cardiac injuries, which may be a key factor for diabetic complications.
Plasma Fibrinogen to Platelet Ratio as a Prognostic Factor for Postoperative Recurrence of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Zhang Jinye , Shi Mingxin , Guo Liyuan , Yang Qiuxing
Published: October 2021

Background: Postoperative recurrence of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma is an important factor affecting the survival of patients. Hypercoagulability is a related factor for the recurrence of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Fibrinogen/platelet ratio (FPR) is used as a meaningful factor for evaluating coagulation status. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the predictive value of FPR for ESCC postoperative metastasis and its relationship with prognosis.Methods: We collected 607 patients undergoing surgery from 2012 to 2015, and performed clinical analysis, including plasma fibrinogen count, platelet count, and their ratio, defined as FPR. Follow-up assessment of recurrence and OS, RFS.Results:145 patients (23.8%) experienced postoperative recurrence. There is a correlation between FPR and postoperative metastasis (p <0.001). The area under the curve (AUC) of FPR predicting postoperative recurrence is 0.620 (95% confidence interval: 0.554-0.686), which is higher than the single factor AUC value of fibrinogen and platelets. The overall survival rate (OS) and recurrence-free survival rate (RFS) of patients with higher FPR were significantly reduced (p = 0.001). Cox regression results show that FPR is an independent predictor of OS and RFS (p=0.004 and <0.028, respectively), while plasma fibrinogen level is not. The C index of the nomogram model predicting OS and RFS is 0.691 and 0.727, respectively. The calibration curve shows that the predictive ability is basically consistent with the actual observation results.Conclusions: FPR may be a predictor of postoperative recurrence in ESCC patients, and it can predict the prognosis of ESCC patients better than fibrinogen.
Translation and Validation of The EORTC QLQ-BR45 Among Ethiopian Breast Cancer Patients
Authors: Getu Mikiyas Amare , Wang Panpan , Kantelhardt Eva Johanna , Seife Edom , Chen Changying , Addissie Adamu
Published: October 2021

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
Performance Analysis on Spatial MFSK Modulation with Energy Detection
Authors: Li Shuaijun , Qiu Hongbing , zheng lin , Yang Chao
Published: October 2021

Noncoherent multiple-input multiple-output （MIMO）detection in fast fading environments has received attention in recent years since less influence by factors such as phase fluctuations and the low requirements for channel estimation and synchronization. Spatial MFSK modulation with energy detection is different from conventional noncoherent MIMO in that it can obtain higher spatial multiplexing, but with the introduction of the nonlinear square-law operation, the analysis of its detection performance needs to be solved. This paper analyzes the theoretical symbol error rate (SER) performance of the Spatial MFSK modulation with energy detection. The noise of the MIMO system by energy detection conform to the generalized gamma distribution. Based on this distribution, the optimal decision rule of the system and the theoretical SER formula are derived. Numerical results show that the theoretical SER formula fits well with the simulation results of the system under the condition of high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).
Evaluation of MENA refugees’ attitudes towards patient autonomy-based ethics of informed consent
Authors: Sevimli Sukran
Published: October 2021

Background

The objective of this study was to identify refugees’ attitudes concerning the autonomy-based ethics of informed consent and to determine whether these attitudes varied by gender.
Methods

A quantitative methodology was adopted for this study. Questions were scored using a Likert-type scale and face-to-face interviews were conducted with 610 refugees who had migrated to Turkey from MENA (Middle East and North Africa) countries.
Results

Refugees from eleven countries participated in the survey, of whom the majority were men (62.5% male versus 37.5% female). Reasons for migration include war/security, poverty, and persecution (67.3%), and wanting to live in developed countries (81.1%). The decision to migrate was mainly decided upon either solely by males (as stated by 46.1% of participants) or by the family as a whole (39.0%). Regarding competence in spoken Turkish, most participants (58.5%) were judged to be at a moderate level. A plurality preferred to follow their doctor’s advice for treatment (42.6%), while nearly one-third deferred to the male authority figure in the family (33.1%). A majority stated that they were unaware of the concept of informed consent (63.3%). There was a significant difference between the responses of men and women with respect to the eight questions concerning informed consent.
Conclusion

Autonomy is a fundamental principle of human rights and medical ethics. Refugees from MENA countries, where the concept of autonomy is contrary to deeply-help traditional religious views of much of the population, in general, have a poor grasp of informed consent as a patient right. Traditional religious/cultural values steeped in patriarchy constitute an obstacle to women making decisions regarding their own lives in MENA countries. Therefore, the practice of informed consent is of critical importance in helping to reduce gender differentials in health care.
Distribution of self-reported health in India: The role of income and geography
Authors: Patnaik Ila , Sane Renuka , Shah Ajay , Subramaniam S. V.
Published: October 2021

Background: We obtain evidence on self-reported health in India using a new large-scale survey database.Methods: We report summary statistics about the self-reported ill-health rate, and explore relationships with socio-economic parameters through lo-gistic regressions.Results: The overall average ill health rate is 3.25%. The most important correlates are age, income and location. We nd substantial variation across the 102 `homogeneous regions' of the country. Higher income is correlated with better health in 40% of India.Conclusions: The maps of ill health seen here diverge from conventional wisdom about North vs. South India. Epidemiological studies are required in the hotspots of ill-health and the regions where higher income does not correlate with improved health.
Predict the Progression of Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia by a Novel Marker Folate Combine with FRα, p16 and Ki-67
Authors: Liu Tingting , Chen Mengjie , Li Xueqin , Wang He
Published: October 2021

Background: To study the expression of serum folate and red blood cell (RBC) folate, folate receptor α (FRα), p16INK4a (p16), and Ki-67 at different levels of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and then analyze their role in the progression of CIN and their value as an early warning indicator of CIN progression.Methods: We randomly collected cervical tissues from patients at the Department of Gynecology in Guangxi Medical University Affiliated Cancer Hospital: Normal controls (149 cases), CIN1 (150 cases), CIN2 (100 cases), and CIN3 (101 cases). The expression of serum folate and RBC folate was detected by the chemiluminescence method, while the expression of FRα, p16, and Ki-67 was detected by Streptavidin-Perosidase (SP) immunohistochemistry.Results: There was no statistically significant difference in serum folate levels between different grades of CIN (P=0.784), but the RBC folate levels were statistically significant (P=0.015), and there was a negative correlation between RBC folate levels and CIN lesion grades (P<0.05). The FRα, p16, and Ki-67 levels in the CIN group were significantly different from those in the normal control group (P <0.01), and a positive correlation was found (P <0.01); FRα positivity (P=0.000), Ki-67 positivity (P=0.000), and low-level RBC folate (P=0.000) were independent risk factors for the progression of CIN; these indicators were combined to establish a random forest (RF) model in which the Ki-67+FRα model was used as the early warning model of CIN progression.Conclusions: RBC folate, FRα, p16, and Ki-67 can be used as valuable clinical test indicators for predicting the progression of CIN; the combined detection model of Ki-67+FRα can be used as an early warning model for predicting the progression of CIN.
Phenotypic and Genotypic Determination of Resistance to Common Disinfectants Among Strains of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Producing and Non-Producing Biofilm Isolated From Iran
Authors: Bakht Mehdi , Alizadeh Safar Ali , Rahimi Sara , anari Raana Kazemzade , Rostamani Mohammad , Javadi Amir , Marashi Mahmood Amin , Nikkhahi Farhad
Published: October 2021

Background: One of the most important reasons for human mortality worldwide is Hospital-acquired infections, which can be controlled by efficient use of proper disinfectants for the Hospital settings. The main aim of the present survey was to assess the susceptibility of Pseudomonas aeruginosa producing and non-producing biofilm isolated to the five commonly used Hospital disinfectants, and evaluation of the synergistic effect of selective disinfectants and Ethylene-diamine-tetra acetic acid (EDTA), and the effect of exposure to sub-inhibitory concentrations of Sodium hypochlorite on antimicrobial susceptibility test.Results: The results showed that Sodium hypochlorite 5%, and Ethanol 70% is the most and less potent disinfectants against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, respectively. Clearly, the addition of EDTA increased the efficacy of selected disinfectants significantly. The changes in the antibiotic-resistance profiles after exposure to sub-inhibitory concentrations of disinfectants were observed for different classes of antibiotics. As well as near the all isolates harbored efflux pump genes and produced biofilm. Conclusion: For disinfection of Hospital surfaces and instruments, the mixture of disinfectant and EDTA were the most suitable selection in this study. In our study, it was clear that exposure to sub-inhibitory concentrations of disinfectants results in resistance to antibiotics. Also, strong and intermediate biofilm formers belonged to MDR/XDR strains.
High Mobility Group Box 1: a Novel Host Restriction Factor in Zika Virus Replication
Authors: Chin Kim-Ling , Zainal Nurhafiza binti , Sam Sing-Sin , Hassandarvish Pouya , Lani Rafidah , AbuBakar Sazaly
Published: October 2021

Neonatal microcephaly and adult Guillain-Barré syndrome are severe complications of Zika virus (ZIKV) infection. The robustly induced inflammatory cytokine expressions in ZIKV-infected patients may constitute a hallmark for severe disease. In the present study, the potential role of high mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1) in ZIKV infection was investigated. HMGB1 protein expression was determined by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunoblot assay. HMGB1’s role in ZIKV infection was also explored using treatment with dexamethasone, an immunomodulatory drug. Antiviral effects of dexamethasone treatment on both wild-typed (WT) and HMGB1-knockdown (shHMGB1) Huh7 cells were determined by the focus-forming assay. Results showed that the Huh7 cells were highly susceptible to ZIKV infection. The infection was found to induce HMGB1 nuclear-to-cytoplasmic translocation, resulting in a >99% increase in the cytosolic HMGB1 expression at 72h.p.i. The extracellular HMGB1 level was elevated in a time- and multiplicity of infection (MOI)- dependent manner. Dexamethasone 150 µM treatment of the ZIKV-infected cells reduced HMGB1 extracellular release in a dose-dependent manner, with a maximum reduction of 71 ± 5.84% (p < 0.01). The treatment also reduced virus titers by over 83 ± 0.50% (p < 0.01). The antiviral effects, however, was not observed in the dexamethasone-treated HMGB1-knockdown cells, suggesting the importance of the intracellular HMGB1 in ZIKV infection. Overall, these results suggest that translocation of HMGB1 occurred during ZIKV infection and inhibition of the translocation reduced ZIKV replication. These findings highlight the potential of developing therapeutics against ZIKV infection by affecting the translocation of HMGB1 from the nucleus to the cytoplasm.
Ensemble Forecast of COVID-19 for Vulnerability Assessment and Policy Interventions
Authors: Ganesan Sashikumaar , Subramani Deepak , Anandh Thivin , Ghose Divij , Babu Giridhara R
Published: October 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic necessitates forecasts to frame science-informed policies. An accurate forecast of the size and timing of future waves could help public health officials and governments to plan appropriate responses. An ensemble forecast by aggregating different scenarios and models makes the prediction robust and reliable. We present an ensemble forecast for Wave-3 of COVID-19 in the state of Karnataka, India, using the IISc Population Balance Model for infectious disease spread. The reported data of confirmed, recovered, and deceased cases in Karnataka from 1 July 2020 to 4 July 2021 are utilized to tune the model’s parameters. An ensemble forecast is done from 5 July 2021 to 30 June 2022. The ensemble is built with 972 members by varying seven critical parameters that quantify the uncertainty in the spread dynamics (antibody waning, viral mutation) and interventions (pharmaceutical, non-pharmaceutical). The probability of Wave-3, the peak date distribution, and the peak caseload distribution are estimated from the ensemble forecast. Analysis of the ensemble forecast results shows that compliance to COVID-appropriate behaviour, daily vaccination rate, and emergence time of immune-escape new variants are the most significant causal factors that determine the timing and severity of COVID-19 Wave-3. We observe that when compliance to COVID-appropriate behaviour is similar to a lockdown-like situation, the emergence of new immune-escape variants beyond September 2021 is unlikely to induce a new wave. No or partial compliance to COVID-appropriate behaviour makes a new wave inevitable. However, increasing the vaccination rate reduces the active caseload at Wave-3’s peak. If Wave-3 emerges, on average, the daily confirmed caseload of children (Age 0–17 years) could be up to seven times more than the corresponding caseload (4390) at Wave-2’s peak. Therefore, large-scale surveillance, including genome sequencing for early detection of new variants and non-pharmaceutical interventions to improve COVID-Appropriate behaviour, is vital to prevent Wave-3 of COVID-19. Doubling the vaccination rate as of 4 July 2021 to 560K doses per day will reduce the daily confirmed cases even if Wave-3 arises. Consequently, hospitalizations, ICU, and Oxygen requirements can be decreased. Since vaccination is yet to start in children, it is essential to ramp up the public health facilities, including pediatric ICUs to treat MIS-C, by 5-9 times to handle the worst-case situation. From a modeling perspective, capturing the nonlinear dynamics induced by the uncertainties in the causal factors is the key to a successful forecast. Therefore, an effort should be made to build an ensemble forecast that contains multiple models and, more importantly, models that account for causal factor uncertainties.
Analysis of Key Pathways, Genes and Immune Cell Infiltration in Metastatic Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Based on Bioinformatics
Authors: Wang Zhangjiao , Shen Yong , Xu Qingxia
Published: October 2021

Objective: To seek potential metastatic tumor markers in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) by bioinformatics. Methods: Four datasets (GSE70409, GSE26886, GSE161533, GSE17351) were downloaded from GEO database, and the differential expression of mRNA was screened by Limma software package. Gene ontology function and kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes pathway enrichment analysis were performed using the database for annotation; Protein–protein interaction network of these DEGs was constructed based on STRING database; then, the hub gene were identified by six algorithms of Cytoscape software. Using GEPIA2 database and OncoLnc database to analyze the survival of hub genes. Immune infiltration was analyzed by TIMER2 database and CIBERSORT deconvolution method. Results: A total of 244 differentially expressed genes(DEGs)were screened from 4 data sets of GEO database, including 164 up-regulated genes and 80 down-regulated genes, which were mainly enriched at extracellular region and extracellular space, and involved in biological processes such as cell adhesion and proteolysis related to tumor invasion and metastasis. KEGG results showed that DEGs were mainly enriched in PI3K-Akt signal pathway and extracellular matrix (ECM) receptor interaction signal pathway. Through the protein interaction analysis of DEGs, we found that three hub genes (CXCL8, MMP9 and MMP13) were highly expressed in ESCC. However, the GEPIA2 database shows that only CXCL8 is associated with the overall survival of ESCC patients. The results of immune infiltration showed that macrophages and resting dendritic cells increased significantly, while mast cells and monocytes decreased significantly. Conclusion: Three hub genes and immune infiltrating cells may play an important role in ESCC, and are expected to become potential tumor markers of ESCC and be used in the diagnosis and treatment of ESCC.
Treatment effects of pharmacotherapy and non-pharmacotherapy of Alzheimer dementia: A systematic review overview and updated network meta-analysis.
Authors: Boongird Chitima , Tearneukit Worapong , Anothaisintawee Thunyarat , McKay Gareth , Thakkinstian Ammarin
Published: October 2021

Introduction: Many existing systematic reviews and meta-analyses summarize the evidence of pharmacotherapies (PTs) and non-pharmacotherapies (NPTs) for wide range of available interventions for the management of Alzheimer dementia (AD). However, a succinct summary and efficacy comparison across the different types of treatments and interventions is lacking. We aim to identify the treatment or treatments with the highest efficacy of current pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments for AD.Methods and analysis: Systematic reviews of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) will be selected according to the following criteria: conducted in elderly patients aged 60 years or older with AD, applied pairwise meta-analysis (PMA) or network meta-analysis (NMA) for pooled relative treatment effects for at least one pair of PTs and NPTs, and at least one of following outcomes was provided for patients/caregivers: cognitive function status, behavior, quality of life. The summary characteristics for each RCT will include the general design, participants, intervention, outcome measurements, duration of therapy and adverse events. The risk of bias will be assessed using Risk of Bias in Systematic Reviews (ROBIS) checklist and the risk of bias of individual RCTs will be assessed using the Revised Cochrane risk-of-bias tool.Ethics and Dissemination: Ethical approval will not be required because this study is based solely on published literature that meets accepted ethical standards, and there will be no concerns about privacy. Dissemination of the evidence obtained will include publication in a peer-reviewed international journal to improve clinical practices on the basis of robust scientific evidence.PROSPERO registration number: CRD42021228245
Evaluate the impact of maternal smoking during pregnancy on sleep duration in female offspring
Authors: Zhang Jingxi , Meng Peilin , Pan Chuyu , Ye Jing , Zhang Huijie , Li Chun’e , Chen Yujing , Zhang Zhen , Cheng Shiqiang , Liu Li , Yang Xuena , Yao Yao , Jia Yumeng , Zhang Feng
Published: October 2021

Background

Sleep is a fundamental state of decreased activity and alertness conserved in human life. Maternal smoking during pregnancy may affect sleep duration female offspring, however the exact connection and mechanism still remain unclear.
Methods

Based on the UK Biobank data, sleep duration was categorized as short sleep (< 7h/day) and long sleep (≥ 9 h/day). Logistic regression analysis was established to evaluate the potential impact of maternal smoking during pregnancy on the short sleep and long sleep of female offspring. Subsequently, genome-wide gene-environment interaction study (GWGEIS) of sleep duration was performed using maternal smoking during pregnancy as an environmental factor.
Results

We found that maternal smoking during pregnancy was related to short sleep and long sleep duration of female offspring (P < 0.001). GWGEIS analysis detected a significant association at ANKLE2 (rs78408032, P = 1.33×10− 8) and a suggestive association at MYT1L (rs76688230, P = 8.85×10− 7) in female subjects.
Conclusion

Our study results suggested a significant effect of maternal smoking during pregnancy on short sleep of female offspring.
Increases in C-reactive Protein Levels are Correlated with Radiographic Progression in Patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis who Achieved Clinical Remission with Tumor Necrosis Factor Inhibitor Treatment
Authors: Koo Bon San , Oh Ji Seon , Park Seo Young , Shin Ji Hui , Nam Bora , Lee Seunghun , Joo Kyung Bin , Kim Tae-Hwan
Published: October 2021

Objectives: To determine the relationship between inflammation and radiographic progression over time in patients in clinical remission for ankylosing spondylitis (AS) after tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi) treatment.Method: Medical records data of AS patients with Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index scores <4 during TNFi treatment were analysed at 6-month intervals from January 2001 to December 2018. To determine the relationship between the modified Stoke Ankylosing Spondylitis Spinal Score (mSASSS) and C-reactive protein (CRP) over time, we fitted linear mixed models with mSASSS as the response variable, baseline mSASSS and the cumulative sum of CRP with different lag times (6, 12, 18, 24, 30, and 36 months) as fixed effects, and patients as random effects. Associations between mSASSS and the cumulative sum of CRP or the lag times with the highest beta coefficients were further investigated with linear mixed models that included additional clinical variables.Results: A total of 2,956 intervals were obtained from 333 patients. Among different lag times, the cumulative sum of log CRP in the previous 18–36 months and mSASSS showed significant beta coefficients. In the final linear mixed model that included clinical variables, the cumulative sum of log CRP in the previous 24 months was significantly associated with mSASSS at 24 months (β=0.043, 95% CI: 0.014–0.071, p=0.004). Conclusion: Remnant inflammation correlates with radiographic progression even in patients in clinical remission with TNFi treatment. CRP is a surrogate marker for radiographic progression despite clinical improvement with TNFi treatment.
The association between non-injection drug use and hepatitis C infection among HIV-negative men who have sex with men
Authors: Zhao Jing , Green Charles , Markham Christine , Fujimoto Kayo , Nyitray Alan G. , Hwang Lu-Yu
Published: October 2021

Background: This study investigated the association between drug use and Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infection in HIV-negative men who have sex with men (MSM) who reported drug use but not injection drug use. Methods: This cross-sectional study analyzed the data of 118 HIV-negative MSM who reported drug use but not injection drug use recruited from two inner-city communities between 2004 and 2007. Latent class analysis (LCA) was used to identify drug use latent classes. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the association between drug use latent class and HCV infection. Results: Four distinct latent classes of drug use were identified: (1) persons >=42 years old who used only crack cocaine, (2) persons about 42 years old who used >2 drugs, (3) persons <42 years old who used >5 drugs, and (4) persons >=42 years old who used >6 drugs. Class 4, persons >= 42 years old who used >6 drugs were significantly associated with HCV infection. Compared with persons about 42 years old who used >2 drugs, persons >=42 years old who used >6 drugs had more than 16 times the odds of having HCV infection (adjusted OR = 16.9, 95%CI: 1.4-205.4), and compared with persons <42 years old who used >5 drugs, persons >=42 years old who used >6 drugs were about 22 times as likely to have HCV infection (adjusted OR=21.8, 95%CI: 1.5-322.8). Conclusions: The subgroup of MSM >=42 years old with non-injection but multiple use of heroin, speedball, and methamphetamine, in addition to crack cocaine and marijuana, had high probability of HCV infection. Public health and education programs, as well as drug treatment and rehabilitation programs, should be developed for this high-risk subgroup to prevent HCV acquisition and transmission.
Motivational State of Japanese Medical Students at the Time of Admission and Factors Influencing Intrinsic Motivation: a Cross-sectional Study
Authors: Kikuchi Asuka , Kawamoto Ryuichi , Akase Taichi , Ninomiya Daisuke , Tokumoto Yoshio , Kumagi Teru
Published: October 2021

BackgroundMedical schools should select students with clear intentions to become doctors because motivated students are better pupils and become better doctors. However, there are no studies directly asking medical students whether they intend to become doctors at the time of medical school admission. The aim of this study was to explore the motivational aspirations of medical students and the factors impacting motivation upon entering medical school.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study at a Japanese national medical school from April 2019 to March 2021. We used a questionnaire asking medical students whether they had clear intentions to become doctors when applying to medical school. Students who answered affirmatively were classified as “intrinsically motivated,” whereas those without this intention were classified as “extrinsically motivated.” We compared these two groups and analyzed the factors influencing intrinsic motivation with multinomial logistic regression analysis.ResultsOut of 531 medical students who completed the questionnaire, 378 (71.2%) had clear intentions to become doctors at the time of admission (intrinsically motivated), and the remaining students did not (extrinsically motivated). Factors influencing intrinsically motivated students were doctors in the students’ family other than their parents (OR = 1.645, P = 0.041), doctors as role models (OR = 2.836, P < 0.001), and having the personality characteristic of empathy (OR = 1.940, P = 0.008). Parental (OR = 0.391, P < 0.001) and peer (OR = 0.284, P = 0.008) influences on their career choice had negative effects on intrinsic motivation.ConclusionsThis study revealed that not all medical students intended to become doctors upon entering medical school, and their motivational status and reasons for being motivated varied. In conducting motivational research on medical students, it may be necessary to keep in mind that the target students who aspire to become doctors are not necessarily a homogenous group. These findings may lay the groundwork for additional medical student motivational research. Additional research on motivation after admission through prospective surveys and developing curricula based on motivation should also be studied in the future.
Facile Techniques to Synthesize Reduced Graphene Oxide for Removing Tetracycline From Water: Kinetics and Thermodynamics Studies
Authors: Dinh Trinh Tran , Ha Thi-My-Trinh , Nguyen Thi-An-Hang , Dang Viet-Cuong , Dao Van-Duong
Published: October 2021

In this study, reduced graphene oxide (rGO) was successfully produced from graphite precursor by chemical oxidation and exfoliation processes which were followed by a reduction process in mild conditions. rGO was then applied in the adsorption of tetracycline (TC) in water. SEM/EDX, XRD, FT-IR, BET, pHpzc were conducted to characterize the synthesized materials. The adsorption efficiency of TC from water was evaluated by changes in several factors such as contact time, temperature, pH of the solution, adsorbent load, and tetracycline concentration. Furthermore, adsorption kinetics, thermodynamics, and isotherms were also investigated. As the result, the adsorption process of TC onto rGO was spontaneous, endothermic, and governed by both physisorption and chemisorption. The maximum uptake calculated from Langmuir isotherm model was 58.03 mg/g. rGO material could be regenerated by using methanol and diluted NaOH solutions. The findings in this work provides a complete data on the TC adsorption process onto rGO and the process of recovery and reuse of rGO.
Spot urine protein creatinine ratio compared with dipstick proteinuria as a primary screening tool for renal disease in a community setting
Authors: Alao Michael Abel , OA Asinobi , OR Ibrahim , IA Lagunju
Published: October 2021

Background

Although, the use of manual dipstick urinalysis for proteinuria has been a common practice, the Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) guideline on screening for chronic renal disease least advocate it use. Besides, several studies have assessed the performance of dipstick urinary in screening for proteinuria to be inaccurate, unreliable with a poor predictive values. The goal of this study was to determine and compare the presence of significant proteinuria (SP) in high-risk African children using the spot urine protein creatinine ratio (UPr/UCr) as a primary screening tool besides dipstick proteinuria screening.
Methods

This cross-sectional study involved 1,316 apparently healthy children recruited through a multi-stage sampling technique in Ogbomoso land, Nigeria. We performed a dipstick urinalysis on early-morning urine samples. Urinary protein content was determined using a turbidimetric method and Jaffe’s reaction to measure the urinary creatinine concentration. Statistical analysis was performed using the IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS)TM, Version 23.0 for Windows.
Results

The prevalence of SP using spot UPr/UCr (≥ 0.2) and dipstick proteinuria screening (≥1+) were 18% and 0.8%, respectively (p<0.001). Of the 224 subjects determined to have SP using UPr/UCr, the females (140; 20.1%) had a higher proportion compared to males (84; 15.4% -p=0.032). Nephrotic range proteinuria was detected in nine out of 10 subjects (90%) using UPr/UCr but in only three out of ten (30%) using the urinary dipstick method. The biserial correlation coefficient (r= 0.092; p=0.001) and inter-rater-agreement (Cohen’s Kappa = 0.01) were poor, and the McNemar’s test result was (p<0.001).
Conclusion

The UPr/UCr ratio technique appeared to perform better than dipstick urinalysis as a primary screening tool for renal disease. Hence, it may be adopted for early detection of SP as a kidney disease marker especially among the high risk population.