bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Unlocking Potential in Thinly Laminated Reservoirs Through Cased Hole Pulsed Neutron Logging
Authors: Akashev Yernur , Ahmad Samira , Cavalleri Chiara , Ignatochkina Yulia , Solodkiy Yevgenii
Published: November 2021

Field A is located in the center of the Dnieper-Donets basin (DDB), producing gas from clastic reservoirs from several deep horizons in the Upper Visean sediments. The case study highlights the application of advanced pulsed neutron logging technologies and high-resolution data processing to unlock the sedimentary layers’ characteristics and the gas potential behind the casing. Multiple rock measurements are simultaneously recorded for continuous lithology identification, porosity quantification, and differentiating gas-filled porosity from low porosity formations. Dedicated log data acquisition and processing techniques enable investigating the effect of thin laminations on reservoir quality and producibility.

The use of advanced pulsed neutron logging and interpretation method reduces the operational risks while securing critical reservoir parameters. A pulsed neutron spectroscopy tool provided a rich dataset including a self-compensated sigma and neutron porosity logs, fast neutron cross section (FNXS) together with capture and inelastic elemental spectroscopy. The logs interpretation was performed integrating FNXS and very high-resolution neutron porosity with mineral dry weight fractions and matrix properties from elemental spectroscopy processing. The comparison between the pulsed neutron measurements with standard open hole logs highlights the critical role of advanced fit-to-purpose logging techniques to accurately describe the underlying complexity of the formation and obtain improved net reservoir and net pay thicknesses in laminated and heterogeneous sequences.

The logging objectives were successfully met, and additional valuable information related to the reservoir were determined in an efficient manner. The study also shows the critical value of FNXS as confident gas measurement.

The FNXS measures the ability of the formation interacting with fast neutrons which are highly dependent on atomic density and not dominated by particular isotopes such as traditional sigma and porosity measurements. It is highly sensitive to gas-filled porosity, but it is independent of hydrogen index, acting like a cased-hole density measurement. Moreover, it demonstrates the importance of accurate knowledge of the mineralogy and matrix as well as the ability to measure at very high resolution to unravel the highly layered nature of the formation and its implication on completion and production strategy.

Pulsed neutron logging has evolved over a half century, but the intrinsic physical measurements remain unchanged. With the advent and introduction of the new FNXS measurement and a high-quality spectroscopy elemental concentration, a higher quality measurement and interpretation can be obtained from standalone pulsed neutron logging. The advanced technology and log data analysis interpretation module can be considered as an effective and comprehensive methodology for robust formation evaluation in similar and complex setting.
Open- and Cased- Hole Formation Evaluation Workflows Running Together for Reducing Uncertainties in Gas Reservoirs: An Acquisition Data and Evaluation Strategy in Dnieper-Donets Basin, Ukraine
Authors: Zambrano Rafael , Sadivnyk Michael , Makar Yevhen , Cavalleri Chiara , Rose David
Published: November 2021

Formation evaluation using cased-hole logs is a primary option for re-evaluating old wells in brownfields or contingency logging in new wells. Its consistency with a robust open hole evaluation is vital for its future implementation in field development. This work describes detailed open- and cased- hole evaluation workflows integrating different advanced subsurface measurements and alternative interpretation techniques to reduce the uncertainties of deriving the main petrophysical properties across the conventional and tight gas reservoirs in the Dnieper-Donets basin.

Since not all open-hole measurements can be recorded behind casing and some of the cased hole logs are not characterized for open hole conditions, it is not always possible to implement the same evaluation techniques for measurements done in open hole and cased hole. Nevertheless, different measurements provide different formation responses that supplement their gaps from one another. A wireline data acquisition strategy has been elaborated to carry out formation evaluation workflows using open- and cased-hole data independently but learning from each other. The methodology is based on novel and non-standard evaluation techniques that use measurements from advanced wireline technology such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and advanced pulsed neutron spectroscopy logs.

The methodology was applied to log data recorded on the Visean and Serpukhovian (Lower Carboniferous) productive gas zones, characterized by porosity (5-15pu) and permeability (0.1-100mD). The principal challenge for the formation evaluation of these reservoirs is deriving an accurate estimation of porosity, which requires removing the gas and matrix effects on the log responses. An inaccurate porosity estimation will result in an inaccurate permeability and water saturation, and the problem worsens in low-porosity rocks. In the open hole, the porosity computation from the Density-Magnetic Resonance (DMR) technique has proven to be more accurate in comparison with common single porosity methods. The same problem is addressed in cased hole conditions with the advanced pulsed neutron spectroscopy logs and a novel technique that combines the thermal neutron elastic scattering and fast neutron cross sections to obtain a gas-free and matrix-corrected porosity, as well as a resistivity independent gas saturation. The consistency of petrophysical properties independently estimated from the two separate workflows add confidence to the approach, and this is reflected in the gas production obtained from the perforated intervals.

This script describes in detail the open- and cased- hole formation evaluation workflows and the wireline technology and methodologies applied. Actual examples illustrate the effectiveness of these quantitative approaches in the Dnieper-Donets basin.
Using Supervised Machine Learning Algorithms for Automated Lithology Prediction from Wireline Log Data
Authors: Popescu Marian , Head Rebecca , Ferriday Tim , Evans Kate , Montero Jose , Zhang Jiazuo , Jones Gwynfor , Kaeng Geovani Christopher
Published: November 2021

This paper presents advancements in machine learning and cloud deployment that enable rapid and accurate automated lithology interpretation. A supervised machine learning technique is described that enables rapid, consistent, and accurate lithology prediction alongside quantitative uncertainty from large wireline or logging-while-drilling (LWD) datasets.

To leverage supervised machine learning, a team of geoscientists and petrophysicists made detailed lithology interpretations of wells to generate a comprehensive training dataset. Lithology interpretations were based on applying determinist cross-plotting by utilizing and combining various raw logs. This training dataset was used to develop a model and test a machine learning pipeline. The pipeline was applied to a dataset previously unseen by the algorithm, to predict lithology. A quality checking process was performed by a petrophysicist to validate new predictions delivered by the pipeline against human interpretations.

Confidence in the interpretations was assessed in two ways. The prior probability was calculated, a measure of confidence in the input data being recognized by the model. Posterior probability was calculated, which quantifies the likelihood that a specified depth interval comprises a given lithology.

The supervised machine learning algorithm ensured that the wells were interpreted consistently by removing interpreter biases and inconsistencies. The scalability of cloud computing enabled a large log dataset to be interpreted rapidly; >100 wells were interpreted consistently in five minutes, yielding >70% lithological match to the human petrophysical interpretation.

Supervised machine learning methods have strong potential for classifying lithology from log data because: 1) they can automatically define complex, non-parametric, multi-variate relationships across several input logs; and 2) they allow classifications to be quantified confidently. Furthermore, this approach captured the knowledge and nuances of an interpreter's decisions by training the algorithm using human-interpreted labels.

In the hydrocarbon industry, the quantity of generated data is predicted to increase by >300% between 2018 and 2023 (IDC, Worldwide Global DataSphere Forecast, 2019–2023). Additionally, the industry holds vast legacy data. This supervised machine learning approach can unlock the potential of some of these datasets by providing consistent lithology interpretations rapidly, allowing resources to be used more effectively.
Room-temperature printing of 2D GaN semiconductor via liquid metal gallium surface confined nitridation reaction
Authors: Liu Jing , Li Qian , Du Bang-Deng , Gao Jian-Ye , Xing Bao-Yu , Wang Dian-Kai , Ye Ji-Fei
Published: November 2021

Outstanding wide-bandgap semiconductor materials like gallium nitride (GaN) have been extensively utilized in power electronics, radiofrequency power amplifiers, and harsh environment adaptability. Due to its quantum confinement impact in enabling desired deep-ultraviolet emission, excitonic impact, and electronic transport features, two-dimensional (2D) GaN has been one of the most remarkable areas for the future growth of microelectronic devices. Here, for the first time, we report a large area, wide bandgap, and room-temperature 2D GaN synthesis and printing strategy via liquid metal gallium surface-confined nitridation reaction. The developed low-temperature synthesis and printing process is consistent with various electronic device manufacturing methods and thus opens a way for the cost-effective growth of the third-generation semiconductor. In particular, the fully printed field-effect transistors relying on the GaN show p-type switching with an on/off ratio greater than 105, maximum field-effect hole mobility of 53 cm2 V−1 s−1, and a small sub-threshold swing at room temperature. The current study establishes a room temperature way to produce the GaN, which can be further verified, generalized, and realized for various upcoming electronic and photoelectronic applications.
MCGNet+: An Improved Motor Imagery Classication Based on Cosine Similarity
Authors: Li Yan , Zhong Ning , Taniar David , Zhang Haolan
Published: November 2021

It has been a challenge for solving the motor imagery classification problem in the brain informatics area. Accuracy and efficiency are the major obstacles for motor imagery analysis in the past decades since the computational capability and algorithmic availability cannot satisfy complex brain signal analysis. In recent years, the rapid development of Machine Learning (ML) methods has empowered people to tackle the motor imagery classification problem with more efficient methods. Among various ML methods, the Graph neural networks(GNNs) method has shown its efficiency and accuracy in dealing with inter-related complex networks. The use of GNN provides new possibilities for feature extraction from brain structure connection. In this paper, we proposed a new model called MCGNet+, which improves the performance of our previous model MutualGraphNet. In this latest model, the mutual information of the input columns forms the initial adjacency matrix for the cosine similarity calculation between columns to generate a new adjacency matrix in each iteration. The dynamic adjacency matrix combined with the spatial temporal graph convolution network(ST-GCN) has better performance than the unchanged matrix model. The experimental results indicate that MCGNet+ is robust enough to learn the interpretable features and outperforms the current state-of-the-art methods.
Structural Analysis And Topology Optimization Design For Bandwidth Extension of Magnetoelectric Seismometer
Authors: Yao Zhenjing , Zhang Jingyi , Gao Zhitao , Liu Yaran , Li Mingyang
Published: November 2021

Magnetoelectric seismometers can measure earthquake information and play an important role in earthquake monitoring. Aiming at the wider effective frequency bandwidth of magnetoelectric seismometers, a novel seismometer based on topology optimization structural pendulum is reported. The topology optimization of leaf spring structure in magnetoelectric seismometer is designed, the natural frequency and spurious frequency characteristics of the novel seismometer are analyzed. Based on variable density theory, the Solid Isotropic Material with Penalization (SIMP) model of the seismometer is established, and the Method of Moving Asymmetric (MMA) is adopted to obtain the optimal topology structure. The finite element analysis using ANSYS shows that novel seismometer after topology optimization structure is characteristic with lower natural frequency and higher spurious frequency than that of before optimization seismometer. The real vibration experimental results indicate that after topology optimization, the effective frequency bandwidth of seismometer is increased by 55.50%, improving from [1s, 51Hz] to [4s, 78Hz].
Clinical Outcomes of Endoscopic Synovectomy With Adjuvant Radiotherapy of Pigmented Villonodular Synovitis of The Hip: A Case Series of Single Center
Authors: Sun Hao , Ju XiaoDong , Huang Hong-Jie , Zhang Xin , Wang Jian-Quan
Published: November 2021

Background: Though radiotherapy has been widely used for knee pigmented villonodular synovitis (PVNS), there is few literatures about radiotherapy for the treatment of PVNS hip. Thus, the purpose of this study was to analyze the clinical outcomes of endoscopic synovectomy with/without radiotherapy postoperatively of PVNS hip.Methods: We performed a retrospective study of patients who underwent endoscopy in our hospital from November 2010 to January 2021. Patients with magnetic resonance image (MRI) signs, endoscopic findings and/or histological evidence of PVNS were included. All patients underwent synovectomy endoscopically and were divided into two groups depending on receiving postoperative radiotherapy or not. The primary outcome measurements were the recurrence of PVNS, receiving revision, and/or converting to total hip arthroplasty (THA). The secondary outcome measurements were the patient-reported outcome (PRO) collected at pre- and post-operation, which consist of Hip Outcome Score Activities of Daily Living (HOS-ADL), modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS), International Hip Outcome Tool-12 (IHOT-12), Non-arthritic Hip Scale (NAHS), and visual analog scale (VAS).Results: In a case series of 16 patients (8 cases of male, 50%), 4 (25%) cases were localized type and 12 (75%) cases were diffuse type. The average follow-up was 44.8±38.2 months (range,3 to 110). 8 (50%) cases (6 diffuse cases and 2 localized cases) received radiotherapy postoperatively, and the rest (6 diffuse cases and 2 localized cases) received endoscopic treatment alone. At the latest follow-up, 3 (18.75%) cases (2 diffuse cases and 1 localized case) who did not receive radiotherapy converted to arthroplasty. The preoperative HOS-ADL, mHHS, IHOT-12, NAHS, VAS scores of remaining 13 patients were 63.1±19.1 (range,32.0 to 98.8), 54.8±20.1 (range, 10.0 to 77.0), 50.9±15.4 (range, 31.0 to 76.6) ,51.6±15.9 (range, 20.0 to 84.4), 6.0±1.4 (range,4.0 to 8.0) points, respectively. The latest HOS-ADL, mHHS, IHOT-12, NAHS, VAS scores of the 13 patients were 79.7±10.8 (range, 58.0 to 97.6), 78.6±9.1 (range,55.0 to 87.0), 74.7±9.7 (range, 55.6 to 91.0), 78.9±18.7 (range,20.0 to 92.5), 3.1±1.2 (range,2.0 to 6.0) points respectively. There was a statistically significant difference between pre- and post-operation PRO.Conclusion: Endoscopic synovectomy can achieve satisfactory PRO in PVNS hip patients. Besides, postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy can achieve higher hip survivability than synovectomy alone in this present study.
The Serum Uric Acid Level of Bipolar Depression: A Retrospective Real-World Study
Authors: Li Gaizhi , Liu Huishan , Lei Lei , Zhang Xuemin , Gao Mingxue , Tu Hongwei , Zhang Yu , Liu Zhifen , Zhang Kerang
Published: November 2021

Objective

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether serum uric acid can be used as a biomarker to identify bipolar disorder (BD) from unipolar depression (UD).
Methods

We reviewed the medical records of 18-65-year-old depressive patients hospitalized in the first hospital of Shanxi Medical University from October 2015 to October 2020. The main discharge diagnosis of these patients was recurrent depressive disorder(RDD) or BD. The data of gender, age, education level, drug use and serum uric acid level were extracted. The differences of uric acid levels between the two groups at admission and discharge were compared.
Results

The uric acid level of BD decreased after treatment, the uric acid level of BD group was significantly higher than that of UD group at baseline (P=0.02) and after treatment (P=0.025).
Conclusion

UA may be a potential biomarker to distinguish BD from UD.
Machine Learning-Based Turbulence-Risk Prediction Method for the Safe Operation of Aircrafts
Authors: Mizuno Shinya , Ohba Haruka , Ito Koji
Published: November 2021

Customer comfort is an important requirement for airlines, and avoiding and mitigating aircraft shaking have always been crucial in this regard. In particular, managing aircraft operations during turbulence is a major issue for airlines. We propose a method for predicting the occurrence of turbulence to support the safe and comfortable operation of aircrafts. Our method integrates meteorological data from Japan and turbulence information provided by Fuji Dream Airlines. Because turbulence occurs rarely, we define a risk cluster that includes turbulence observation data and use it as turbulence training data. Hence, we first estimated the risk cluster, then performed a principal component analysis (PCA) on meteorological data to obtain a projection matrix \(W\) for reducing data dimensions. Using the turbulence-occurrence indicator and the meteorological data coordinates linear transformed by \(W\), we calculated the risk cluster using the k-means method which, in turn, was used in conjunction with support vector classification (SVC) to predict the turbulence-risk dates based on meteorological data from 2019. The results revealed that the days with turbulence risks were accurately identified from the meteorological data; thus, we believe that this method can help support the safe operation of aircrafts. Furthermore, we believe this study will lead to the development of human resources by providing a guide for making safety decisions through the effective use of aviation data.
Bayesian variable selection and survival modeling: Assessing the most important comorbidities that impact lung and colorectal cancer survival in Spain
Authors: Rubio Francisco Javier , Alvares Danilo , Redondo-Sanchez Daniel , Marcos-Gragera Rafael , Sánchez María-José , Luque-Fernandez Miguel Angel
Published: November 2021

Cancer survival represents one of the main indicators of interest in cancer epidemiology. However, the survival of cancer patients can be affected by a number of factors, such as comorbidities, that may interact with the cancer tumour. Moreover, it is of interest to understand how different cancer sites and tumour stages are affected by different comorbidities. Identifying the comorbidities that affect cancer survival is thus of interest as it can be used to identify factors driving the survival of cancer patients. This information can also be used to identify vulnerable groups of patients with comorbidities that may lead to a worst prognosis of cancer. We address these questions and propose a principled selection and evaluation of the effect of comorbidities in the overall survival in cancer patients. In the first step, we apply a Bayesian variable selection method that can be used to identify the comorbidities that predict overall survival. In the second step, we build a general Bayesian survival model that accounts for time-varying effects. In the third step, we derive several posterior predictive measures to quantify the effect of individual comorbidities on the population overall survival. We present applications to data on lung and colorectal cancers from two Spanish population-based cancer registries. The proposed methodology is implemented with a combination of the R-packages mombf and rstan. We provide the code for reproducibility at https://github.com/migariane/BayesVarImpComorbiCancer.
First Report of SYNE1 Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita From Saudi Arabia With a Novel Mutation: A Case Report
Authors: Kamal Naglaa , Alzeky Alaaeddin , Omair Maher R , Attar Ruwayd , Alotaibi Abdullah , safar Abdullah
Published: November 2021

Introduction: Arthrogryposis multiplex congenita (AMC), is a rare congenital condition characterized by multiple joint contractures often affecting both arms and legs which start prior to birth.Patient concern: The pediatrician attending delivery noticed the baby being dysmorphic with generalized hypotonia and multiple joint contractures at birth with antenatal history of reduced fetal movement. The patient was admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit for strict observation and further work up.Diagnosis: Whole Exome Sequencing was performed and identified the novel homozygous variant in the synaptic nuclear envelope protein1 [SYNE1] gene.Intervention: Multidisciplinary team were involved in the management plan, supportive care was the mainstay of treatment.Outcomes: Due to feeding difficulties and on and off requirement of oxygen support, the patient remained hospitalized for a long period then was discharged home on supplemental oxygen and gastrostomy tube feeding.Conclusions: AMC3 should be suspected in patients with decreased fetal movements, dysmorphic features, hypotonia, and arthrogryposis. Molecular testing of the SYNE1 gene confirms diagnosis.
Internationalizing Malawian Higher Education: towards more beneficial academic mobility.
Authors: Banda Lazarus Obed Livingstone , Liu Jin , Munthali George N. Chidimba , Wen Zhou Hui , Mbughi Colleen , Kayembe Helex , Banda Jane Thokozani , Ngulube Peter , Enbeyle Wegayehu
Published: November 2021

Aim: This study investigated the intentions, opportunities, and barriers to engaging in a meaningful internationalization of higher education in Malawi.Methods: This was cross-sectional research that was done between June and October 2021. Using a purposive (judgmental) sampling, we recruited 212 respondents from various institutions of higher education in Malawi. Multilinear regression analysis was used to analyze the factors with the P-value set at 0.05 level of statistical significance. Results: The results indicated that the majority of the respondents were males (63.7%) who fell into 30 years age bracket. Further, the results from the multilinear regression analysis indicate that Institutional collaboration (ß=0.326, p=0.000, CI=0.27—0.383), clear Policy on Mobility (ß=0.146, p=0.0.004, CI=0.047-0.246), experience (ß=0.083, p=0.117, CI=-0.021-0.186), academic rank (ß=0.114, p=0.000, CI=0.069-0.159) were positively statistically significant variables, whereas on the other hand, Occupation (ß=-0.131, p=0.002, CI=-0.213-0.49), academic qualification (ß=-0.106, p=0.013, CI=-0.19-0.023 and mobilityImportance (ß=-0.116, p=0.022, CI=-0.215-0.017) were negatively significant variables respectively.Conclusion and Recommendations: institutions need to invest in international and inter-institutional collaboration, clarify policy direction regarding academic mobility, keep track and linkages with mobile faculty, create a conducive social and formal institutional culture that attracts back mobile faculty, and reduce staff turnover.
Effect of Heated Humidified High Flow Nasal Cannula (HFNC) Oxygen Therapy in Dyspnea Patients with Advanced Cancer, a Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.
Authors: Xu Zhaoning , Li Pingping , Zhang Chi , Ma Dedong
Published: November 2021

PurposeHeated humidified high flow nasal cannula(HFNC) oxygen therapy is one of the most important oxygen therapy methods, which are commonly applied to relieve dyspnea in advanced cancer patients. Our study aims to observe the efficacy and safety of HFNC oxygen therapy on dyspnea patients with advanced cancer and explore the clinical application.Methods 60 subjects with advanced cancer requiring oxygen therapy from a Grade 3, Class A hospital in China were recruited and randomized (1:1) to traditional nasal catheter oxygen therapy or HFNC. Primary outcomes were dyspnea, oral dryness and sleep condition, which were recorded after 72-hour treatment. Secondary outcomes were heart rate (HR), respiration rate (RR), SpO2, PaO2 and PaCO2, which were recorded after 2, 6, 24 and 72 hours-treatment.Results72 hours after treatment, there were significant improvement in all primary outcomes (P<0.001). PaO2 and RR were statistically changed 2 hours after HFNC treatment (P<0.001). PaCO2 and HR were statistically changed 24 hours after HFNC treatment (P<0.001). ConclusionHFNC oxygen therapy has good effect, high safety and is easy to be accepted by dyspnea patients with advanced cancer. It can be used as the first choice of oxygen therapy for these patients and has broad clinical prospects.This work was retrospectively registered in the Chinese Clinical Trials Registry (ChiCTR2100049582) on August 4, 2021.
Effect of Growth Medium Nitrogen and Phosphorus on Nutritional Composition of Lemna Minor (an Alternative Fish and Poultry Feed)
Authors: Ullah Hafiz , Gul Bakhtiar , Khan Haroon , Akhtar Naveed , Rehman Khushnood Ur , Zeb Umar
Published: November 2021

Duckweed (L. minor) belongs to the family of aquatic macrophytes and grows profoundly on the surface of water reservoirs in polluted areas of Pakistan. The plant can be used as a potential alternative for the fish and poultry industry to comply with the promptly growing demand for feed. Our study investigates the effect of varying concentrations (ppm) of nutrients, like nitrogen (N), phosphorus(P) and their combination (NP) on the carbohydrate, lipid, protein, and mineral (Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn & Zn) contents of the duckweed (L. minor). A substantial effect of varying concentrations of N, P and their combinations was seen on all the above-mentioned parameters. Higher protein, lipid, and carbohydrate contents were recorded for 30ppm NP, 20ppm NP, and 10ppm NP, respectively. Minerals contents (Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn & Zn) increased by 20ppm in the case of phosphorus and all nitrogen concentrations. The combined application of NP was more effective in boosting up the protein, carbohydrate, and lipid content whereas less effective in increasing the mineral contents. The NP combinations affected all other parameters except the mineral contents. A decline in the concentration of (N) and (P) showed a negative correlation with the nutritional composition of the plant.
Fast and sensitive GCaMP calcium indicators for imaging neural populations
Authors: Looger Loren , Zhang Yan , Rózsa Martón , Liang Yajie , Bushey Daniel , Wei Ziqiang , Zheng Jihong , Reep Daniel , Broussard Gerard Joey , Tsang Arthur , Tsegaye Getahun , Narayan Sujatha , Obara Christopher , Lim Jing , Patel Ronak , Zhang Rongwei , Ahrens Misha , Turner Glenn , Wang Samuel , Korff Wyatt , Schreiter Eric , Svoboda Karel , Hasseman Jeremy , Kolb Ilya
Published: November 2021

Calcium imaging with protein-based indicators is widely used to follow neural activity in intact nervous systems. The popular GCaMP indicators are based on the calcium-binding protein calmodulin and the RS20 peptide. These sensors report neural activity at timescales much slower than electrical signaling, limited by their biophysical properties and trade-offs between sensitivity and speed. We used large-scale screening and structure-guided mutagenesis to develop and optimize several fast and sensitive GCaMP-type indicators. The resulting ‘jGCaMP8’ sensors, based on calmodulin and a fragment of endothelial nitric oxide synthase, have ultra-fast kinetics (rise times, 2 ms) and still feature the highest sensitivity for neural activity reported for any protein-based sensor. jGCaMP8 sensors will allow tracking of larger populations of neurons on timescales relevant to neural computation.
Immobilization of Baeyer-Villiger monooxygenase from acetone grown Fusarium sp.
Authors: Takagi Michio , T.sriw Kotchakorn , Masuda Ayaka , Kawaguchi Nozomi , Fukui Shusuke , Lan Huong Le Viet , Kato Dai-ichiro , Kitayama Takashi , Fujii Mikio , Koesoema Afifa Ayu , Matsuda Tomoko
Published: November 2021

ObjectiveA novel biocatalyst for Baeyer–Villiger oxidations is necessary for pharmaceutical and chemical industries, so this study aims to find a Baeyer–Villiger monooxygenase (BVMO) and to improve its stability by immobilization. ResultsAcetone, the simplest ketone, was selected as the only carbon source for the screening of microorganisms with a BVMO. A eukaryote, Fusarium sp. NBRC 109816, with a BVMO ( F BVMO), was isolated from a soil sample. F BVMO was overexpressed in E. coli and successfully immobilized by the organic-inorganic nanocrystal formation method. The immobilization improved the thermostability of F BVMO. Substrate specificity investigation revealed that both free and immobilized F BVMO were found to show catalytic activities not only for Baeyer–Villiger oxidation of ketones to esters but also for oxidation of sulfides to sulfoxides. Furthermore, a preparative scale reaction using immobilized F BVMO was successfully conducted. ConclusionsFBVMO was discovered from an environmental sample, overexpressed in E. coli , and immobilized by the organic-inorganic nanocrystal formation method. The immobilization successfully improved its thermostability.
Low-Pt NiNC-supported PtNi nanoalloy oxygen reduction reaction electrocatalysts—In situ tracking of the atomic alloying process
Authors: Feng Quanchen , Wang Xingli , Klingenhof Malte , Heggen Marc , Strasser Peter
Published: November 2021

Carbon-supported platinum-nickel (Pt-Ni) alloy nanoparticles (NPs) emerge as the electrocatalysts of choice for deployment in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) cathodes. To date, viable PtNi nanoalloy catalysts are characterized by large Pt weight loading of up to 50 wt%. To a large extent, their preparation processes often involve the use of expensive or even hazardous organometallic metal precursors, solvents and capping agents, substantially limiting their synthetic scalability and sustainability. Here, we report a novel synthetic strategy toward highly active low-Pt loaded PtNi nanoalloy Oxygen Reduction Reaction (ORR) catalysts. The synthesis involves the Pyrolysis and Leaching of Ni-organic polymers, subsequent Pt nanoparticle Deposition followed by thermal Alloying (referred to as PLDA) to prepare single Ni atom site (NiNC)-supported bimetallic PtNi nanoalloy electrocatalysts with very low Pt weight contents of 3–5 wt% Pt loading. We demonstrate that despite this low Pt weight loading, the catalysts exhibit more favorable Pt-mass activities compared to conventional, carbon-supported 20–30 wt%Pt Pt-loaded benchmark PtNi alloy catalysts. Using in situ transmission electron microscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and surface CO stripping techniques, we track and unravel the key stages of the formation process of the PtNi nanoparticle catalysts directly at the atomic scale. By carefully chosen reference experiments, we find that carbon-encapsulated Ni NPs, rather than NiNx single sites, serve exclusively as the Ni atom source for PtNi alloy formation during thermal treatments. Our materials concepts offer a pathway to further decrease the overall Pt content of PEM fuel cell devices.
Intestinal Epithelial Cell Derived Exosomes Package MicroRNA-23a-3p Alleviate Gut Damage After Ischemia/Reperfusion via Targeting MAP4K4
Authors: Yang Jin , Zheng Xinguo , Wu Yanling , Wang Aiping , Wang Chenhui , Chen Wenxin , Zhong Shan , Yang Hui
Published: November 2021

Backgroud:
Intestinal epithelial cells (IEC) contribute to regulate gut injury after intestinal isochemia/reperfusion (II/R). Exosomes are well documented to deliver bioactive molecules to recipient cells to modulate cell function. However, the role of IEC-derived exosomes in gut damage after II/R and the underlying mechanisms remains unclear.
Methods
IEC-derived exosomes were intravenously injected into the rats after the superior mesenteric artery occlusion for 45 min following reperfusion for 6h. The scores of gut injury, ZO-1 and IL-17A expression, TNF-α and endotoxin concentration were determined at 3 days after II/R assault. Exosomal microRNA-23a-3p and its downstream target molecule-MAP4K4 were also detected.
Results
Our results showed that the IEC-derived exosomes attenuated the damage of IECs after oxygen-glucose deprivation in vitro (p<0.05) and the degree of gut injury at 3 days after II/R assault in vivo (p<0.05). Injection of miR-23a-3p knockdown exosomes derived from IECs aggravated the II/R injury whereas PF-6260933, a small-molecule inhibitor of MAP4K4, was partly reversed the injuried degree by intraperitoneal injection. Underlying mechanism studies revealed that exosomal miR-23a-3p attenuated gut damage by regulating its downstream target MAP4K4.
Conclusions
We demonstrated that IEC-derived exosomes alleviated the II/R injury and promoted gut damage recovery via exosomal miR-23a-3p and its downstream target molecule-MAP4K4.
miR-93-5p Suppresses Ovarian Cancer Malignancy and Negatively Regulate CCND2 By Binding To Its 3’UTR Region
Authors: Chen Guotong , Yan Yiwei , Qiu Xiaojv , Ye Chengfeng , Jiang Xingmei , Song Shuo , Zhang Yibo , Chang Huanhuan , Wang Leqi , He Xuehuan , Tang Lingrong , Zhang Qingyu , Zhang Ying
Published: November 2021

Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecological cancer worldwide, but the underlying mechanism of ovarian cancer malignancy acquirement is largely unknown. miRNA is ubiquitously implicated in disease especially in cancer initiation and progression. In current study, we firstly detected the expression level of miR-93-5p in ovarian cancer patient samples and conducted a survival analysis. Our data revealed miR-93-5p is a favorable prognostic factor but is downregulated in ovarian cancer patients. Secondly, CCK8 assay wound healing assay and flow cytometry-based cell cycle analysis and apoptotic cell analysis were performed respectively to study the function of miR-93-5p. Functional analysis show miR-93-5p promotes ovarian cancer malignancy in term of cell proliferation, migration but reduce cell death. Bioinformatic analysis showed Cyclin-D2(CCND2) is a candidate gene of miR-93-5p with the binding site in its 3’UTR region. Furthermore, quantitive-PCR and western blot were utilized to measure miR-93-5p, CCND2 levels in tissues samples and cell lines. Our data suggested miR-93-5p is negatively correlated to the level of CCND2 mRNA and protein. Finally, Luciferase report assay was conducted, and we demonstrated miR-93-5p reduces CCND2 expression by binding to the 3’UTR region. Our study revealed the function of miR-93-5p in ovarian cancer malignancy and declaimed CCND2 as a target of miR-93-5p.
Parameter design of PLA/Wood Fused Filament Fabrication using Taguchi optimization methodology
Authors: Kechagias John D. , Zaoutsos Stephanos , Chaidas Dimitrios , Vidakis Nectarios
Published: November 2021

This study investigates the effects of four variables during fused filament fabrication of organic biocompatible composite material, PLA with coconut flour, at the ultimate tensile strength and elasticity module of the printed parts. The parameter optimization uses Taguchi L18 design and regression models. The examined deposition variables are the layer thickness, the nozzle temperature, the raster deposition angle, and filament printing speed. The effects of the above variables on the strength of the parts are essential to enhance the mechanical response of the printed parts. The experimental outcomes are investigated using the ANOM and ANOVA analysis and modeled utilizing linear regression models. In addition, an independent experiment was repeated three times at optimum parameters' levels to evaluate the methodology, giving predictions errors less than 3%.
Physical Activity Trajectory In The First 10 Months of The COVID-19 Pandemic in Southern Brazil: a Follow-Up Study
Authors: Caputo Eduardo L , Feter Natan , Leite Jayne S. , Doring Igor R. , Cassuriaga Júlia , Delpino Felipe M , Huckembeck Caroline M. , Alt Ricardo , Silva Marcelo C. , Rombaldi Airton J. , Reichert Felipe F.
Published: November 2021

Background A continuous tracking of the PA level during the COVID-19 pandemic is important to understand how people’s behaviour has varied along time. The aim of this study was to evaluate the physical activity (PA) trajectory over the first 10 months of the COVID-19 pandemic in the south of Brazil. Methods Data from three timepoints of the PAMPA Cohort were used, as follows: 1) pre-COVID-19 (retrospective); 2) Jun-Jul 2020; 3) Dec 2020/Jan 2021. PA practice, frequency, duration, and place where activities were performed (at or out of home) were assessed. Results A reduction in any, sufficient and out of home PA, as well as mean days and minutes were observed from the first (pre-COVID-19) to the second (Jun/Jul 2020) timepoint, followed by an increase in the third timepoint (Dec 2020/Jan 2021). Female participants showed lower PA prevalence for any, sufficient and out of home PA. No marked differences of PA prevalence were observed for income and educational level.Conclusion During the first 10 months of COVID-19 pandemic there was a marked variability on PA pattern in adults from southern Brazil. An ongoing tracking of PA behavior during COVID-19 pandemic is important to understand how this behaviour varies and what actions are needed in order to increase PA on populational level.
Firing Activities in Fractional-Order Hindmarsh-Rose Neuron with Multistable Memristor as Autapse
Authors: Li Zhijun , Xie WenQiang , Zeng Jinfang , Zeng Yicheng
Published: November 2021

Compared with integer order neurons, fractional-order neuron model can more accurately describe the firing behavior of biological neurons. Considering the fact that memristors have the characteristics similar to biological synapses, a fractional-order multistable memristor is firstly proposed in this study. It is verified that the fractional-order memristor has multiple local active regions and multiple stable hysteresis loops, and the influence of fractional order on its nonvolatility is also revealed. Then by considering the fractional-order memristor as an autapse of HR neuron model, a fractional-order memristive neuron model is developed. The effects of the initial value, external excitation current, coupling strength and fractional order on the firing behavior are discussed by time series, phase diagrams, Lyapunov exponents and inter spike interval (ISI) bifurcation diagrams. Three coexisting firing patterns, including irregulate A-periodic bursting, A-periodic bursting and chaotic bursting, dependent on the memristor initial values are observed. It is also revealed that the fractional order can not only induce the transition of firing patterns, but also change the firing frequency of the neuron. Finally, a neuron circuit with variable fractional order is designed to verify the numerical simulations.
Dominance of Zoonotic Pathogen Cryptosporidium Meleagridis in Broiler Chickens in Guangdong, China, Reveals Evidence of Cross-Transmission
Authors: Lin Xuhui , Xin Luyao , Qi Meng , Hou Minyu , Liao Shenquan , Qi Nanshan , Li Juan , Lv Minna , Cai Haiming , Hu Junjing , Zhang Jianfei , Ji Xiangbo , Sun Mingfei
Published: November 2021

Background

Cryptosporidium is one of the most prevalent parasites infecting both birds and mammals. To examine the prevalence of Cryptosporidium species and evaluate the public health significance of domestic chickens in Guangdong Province, Southern China, we analyzed 1001 fecal samples collected from 43 intensive broiler chicken farms from six distinct geographical regions between June 2020 and March 2021.
Methods

Individual DNAs were subjected to nested PCR-based amplification and sequencing of the small subunit of the nuclear ribosomal RNA gene (SSU rRNA). The 60 kDa glycoprotein gene (pgp60) was performed from all positive SSU rRNA samples to characterise subtypes of C. meleagridis.
Results

Cryptosporidium infection rates was found to be 13.2%, comprising with infections with C. meleagridis (78/1001, 7.8%), C. baileyi (48/1001, 4.8%) and mixed infections (6/1001, 0.6%). Three subtype families were identified, IIIb, IIIe and IIIg. Six subtypes were identified in broiler chickens, including one novel (IIIgA25G3R1a) and five previously reported (IIIbA23G1R1c, IIIbA24G1R1, IIIbA21G1R1a, IIIeA17G2R1 and IIIeA26G2R1). Within these subtypes, five known subtypes were genetically identical to those identified in humans.
Conclusions

This is the first report of C. meleagridis in chickens from Guangdong. The frequent occurrence of C. meleagridis in domestic chickens and the common C. meleagridis subtypes identified both in humans and chickens is of public health significance. Our study indicates that broiler chickens represent a potential zoonotic risk for the transmission of Cryptosporidium in this region.
Olorofim and the azoles are antagonistic in A. fumigatus and functional genomic screens reveal mechanisms of cross resistance.
Authors: Rhijn Norman van , Hemmings Sam , Valero Clara , Amich Jorge , Bromley Michael
Published: November 2021

Aspergillosis, in its various manifestations, is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Very few classes of antifungal have been approved for clinical use to treat these diseases and resistance to the first line therapeutics is increasing. A new class of antifungals, the orotomides, are currently in development with the first compound in this class olorofim in late-stage clinical trials. In this study, we characterise a network of genes that govern olorofim response in A. fumigatus. We reveal that the number of transcription factors that regulate olorofim susceptibility are far fewer than we have previously observed for the azoles and the change in sensitivity observed in these isolates is less extreme. Intriguingly, loss of function in two higher order transcriptional regulators, HapB a member of the heterotrimeric HapB/C/E (CBC) complex or the regulator of nitrogen metabolic genes AreA, leads to cross resistance to both the azoles and olorofim. However, a clinical azole resistant isolate with a point mutation in HapE (hapEP88L) retains sensitivity to olorofim. Our transcriptomic analysis suggests that altered sensitivity to olorofim may emerge via modification of genes involved in the production of pyrimidine biosynthetic precursors. Finally, we also show that the action of the azoles are antagonistic to olorofim in vitro.
Ethylene-Inducible AP2/ERF Transcription Factor Promotes Capsaicinoid Biosynthesis in Capsicum
Authors: deng minghua , zhao kai , lv junheng , zhang xiang , li zuosen , zhang hong , huo jinlong , wan hongjian , wang ziran , zhu haishan , zou xuexiao , wen jinfen
Published: November 2021

Ethylene is very important in the process of plant development and regulates the biosynthesis of a lot of secondary metabolites. In these regulatory mechanisms, transcription factors that mediate ethylene signals play a very important role. Capsaicinoids (CAPs) only synthesized and accumulated in Capsicum species, causing their fruit to have a special pungent taste, which can protect against attack from herbivores and pathogens. In this study, we identified the transcription factor CcERF2, which is induced by ethylene, and demonstrated its regulatory effect on CAPs biosynthesis. Transcriptome sequencing analysis revealed the expression patterns of CcERF2 and multiple genes associated to CAPs biosynthesis were basically the same. The spatiotemporal expression results showed CcERF2 was preferentially expressed in the placenta of the spicy fruit. Ethylene can induce the expression of CcERF2 and CAPs biosynthesis genes (CBGs). CcERF2 gene silenced, 1-MCP and PZA treatments caused a decrease in expression of CBGs and a sharp decrease in content of CAPs. The results indicated CcERF2 was associated with the CAPs biosynthesis.
Dual Inhibition of Anti-apoptotic Proteins BCL-XL and MCL-1 Enhances Cytotoxicity of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Cells
Authors: Rahman Siti Fairus Abdul , Azlan Azali , Lo Kwok-Wai , Azzam Ghows , Mohana-Kumaran Nethia
Published: November 2021

One of the many strategies that cancer cells evade death is through up-regulation of the BCL-2 anti-apoptotic proteins. Hence, these proteins have become attractive therapeutic targets. Given that different cell population rely on different anti-apoptotic proteins for survival, it is crucial to determine which proteins are important for Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cell survival. Here we determined the survival requirements for the NPC cells using combination of the CRISPR/Cas9 technique and selective BH3-mimetics. A human apoptosis RT2 Profiler PCR Array was first employed to profile the anti-apoptotic gene expressions in NPC cell lines HK-1 and C666-1. The HK-1 cells expressed all the anti-apoptotic genes (MCL-1, BFL-1, BCL-2, BCL-XL, and BCL-w). Similarly, the C666-1 cells expressed all the anti-apoptotic genes except BFL-1 (undetectable level). Notably, both cell lines highly expressed MCL-1. Deletion of MCL-1 sensitized the NPC cells to BCL-XL selective inhibitor A-1331852, suggesting that MCL-1 and BCL-XL may be important for NPC cell survival. Co-inhibition of MCL-1 and BCL-2 with MCL-1 selective inhibitor S63845 and BCL-2 selective inhibitor ABT-199 inhibited NPC cell proliferation but the effect on cell viability was more profound with co-inhibition of MCL-1 and BCL-XL with S63845 and A-1331852, implying that MCL-1 and BCL-XL are crucial for NPC cell survival. Furthermore, co-inhibition of MCL-1 and BCL-XL inhibited the growth and invasion of NPC spheroids. Deletion of BFL-1 sensitized NPC cells to A-1331852 suggesting that BFL-1 may play a role in NPC cell survival. Taken together co-inhibition of BCL-XL and MCL-1/BFL-1 could be potential treatment strategies for NPC.
Modelling of Seepage and Slope Stability Analysis of Ribb Embankment Dam, Ethiopia
Authors: Zewdu Amanuel
Published: November 2021

Safety against seepage is one in all the primary important steps for checking the possibility of failure of embankment dam and the stability of an embankment dam depends on its geometry, its components, materials, properties of every component, and therefore the forces to which it's subjected. This paper presented seepage and slope stability analysis against Ribb dam safety using finite element-based PLAXIS software, and so the result was compared with different standards. PLAXIS is alternative software that will be used for evaluating the protection of embankment dams due to seepage conditions. The simulated results showed the common rate of flow of seepage through the body of the dam at normal pool level was equal to 5.05*10−6 m3/s/m and through the foundation of the dam was 3.00*10−6 m3/s/m. According to Look (2014) recommendation, the seepage results within the tolerable limit. The results of the factor of safety were considered too different loading conditions. The factor of safety results during the end of construction for both static and dynamic stability analysis were 1.3063 and 1.2226, respectively. For steady-state conditions, the factor of safety obtained for static stability analysis was 1.2604, and also the dynamic analysis 1.1803. The rapid drawdown condition is analyzed with a normal pool level of 1940 m lowered to 1900 m or rapidly reduced 57% of the reservoir water. The analysis results showed that the factor of safety for the static, and dynamic analyses were 1.2021 and 1.0662, respectively. Using different recommended design standards: United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), British dam society (BDS), and Canadian dam association (CDA) the slope stability analysis of the Ribb embankment dam at all critical loading conditions is safe.