bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Field Deployment of Nanomaterial Based Shale Inhibitors
Authors: Santra Ashok , Patel Hasmukh , Hale Arthur , Osorio Nicolas , Mohammad Arfaj , Jothibasu Ramaswamy , Ehab Elahbrouk
Published: March 2023

Shale inhibition solutions that are commonly used in water-based fluids employ chemical systems that are not universally applicable. For example, kaolinite rich shales, can lose strength when exposed to KCl through cation exchange with potassium. In the United States, government regulations prohibit the disposal of greater than 3,000 ppm chloride on lease or 1,000 ppm chloride off lease. The hazardous nature of choline chloride restricts its use as shale inhibitor for water-based fluids.

Nanosilica Based Shale Inhibitor (NSBSI) has been developed to mitigate the difficulties in clay stabilization in particularly challenging formations. NSBSI is used when drilling with low solids, non-dispersed muds, such as polymer and PAC muds. It can be used as an alternative to polyamine-based shale inhibitors and silicate-based shale inhibitors. Field trials were conducted in three wells. Commonly used shale inhibitor (polyamine based) were replaced by NSBSI in mud formulations in order to complete the field trials. Trouble-free drilling through problematic shale sections with no changes in mud properties, and no indications of lack of inhibition were experienced.

Further addressing field requirements for shale inhibition in water-based muds, we have also developed a second shale-inhibiting product which is functionalized nanoplatelets composed of amine functionalities anchored on the nanometer-thick magnesium silicates (LMS-NH2). A facile synthetic approach was employed to synthesize lab-scale quantity of LMS-NH2 through combination of sol-gel and precipitation techniques. The structural characterization was conducted using powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) to evaluate generation of anticipated LMS-NH2. Shale stabilization characteristics of LMS-NH2 were tested and compared with other commercial shale inhibitors. Clay swelling and clay dispersion tests were performed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the impermeable coating of nano-platelets on to the clay-rich shales. The LMS-NH2 have demonstrated 87% recovery of swellable shales after dispersion tests. The microscopic study conducted on the treated shales reveals the formation of inorganic film on the shales, which provide impervious coating to protect the water susceptible clays. The linear swelling measurements were also performed to understand the effectiveness of LMS-NH2 over 72 hours demonstrating minimized the hydration and subsequent swelling of clay-rich shales.

The newly developed inhibitor in the current study has outperformed conventional shale inhibitors wherein the presence of inorganic constituents aids stronger film formation compared to solely organic inhibitors. Comparative studies have been carried out against commercially used shale inhibitors using linear swell meter, dispersion test and pore pressure penetration test and the results will be presented.
Method to Operate Water Wells at Optimum Rates Utilizing Orifice Performance Curves
Authors: Almannai Mohammed , Javed Muhammad
Published: March 2023

Wells, e.g., water wells (injectors, disposal and supply) operate at designated rates set by reservoir engineers. The objective of producing/injecting these wells at optimum rates is to prolong the well's and reservoir's life. To effectively apply the mentioned objective, each well is assigned a target by the reservoir engineer to either produce or inject. Wells meeting this assigned target are called "compliant" wells while wells that do not meet the set target, whether above or below the target with a specified margin, are classified as "noncompliant" wells. This paper discusses a unique method that will significantly help in maintaining assigned target rates for water wells. The method is applicable to wells that are equipped with intelligent field equipment (DAS—data acquisition system) to monitor the wells in real time. All these wells are equipped with a specific size of orifice plate that maintains a differential pressure (dP), subsequently enabling the flowmeter to read a rate at that point of restriction in the orifice. Each orifice plate, depending on its dimensions, can have its very own orifice performance curve (OPC), which is generated based on multiple parameters. The OPC reflects dP (differential pressure) on its x-axis and flow rate on its y-axis, these curves are beneficial to be used while maintaining the well's target rate. Once a target rate is assigned by the reservoir engineer, a production engineer reviews the OPC and defines the required dP to be communicated for direct field implementation. By this exercise, targeted rates can be obtained without any back and forth communication or field visits for the ultimate goal of achieving compliance in water wells.
Research on Long Open Hole Clad Technology Based on High Performance Solid Expandable Tubular in Shale Gas Reservoir
Authors: Zhan Guodong David , Li Bodong , Aljohar Abdulwahab , Wang Bing , Guo Huijuan
Published: March 2023

The open hole clad technology based on high performance solid expandable tubular is an innovative technology developed rapidly in recent years. It is focus on solving difficult problems that weak and complex formation and severe drilling loses which cannot be effectively plugged or controlled. Especially in shale gas drilling, with that the formation pressure system is more complex and more difficulty to predict accurately, the severe drilling loses and diverse well-bore structure design difficulties are more common. It is urgent to apply this technology to deal with multiple down-hole complex situations and optimize the well-bore structure in shale gas reservoir. This paper studies the long open hole clad technology based on high performance solid expandable tubular in shale gas reservoir by using the methods of theoretical research and field trials. According to the characteristics of shale gas reservoirs, we firstly systematically studied the technical principle, tool structure design and construction process of the open hole clad technology. Then, aiming at improving the ground bearing capacity of CX~ LS formation of shale gas wells of H-3 and H-4, we carried out the open hole clad technology field experiment and analyzed the effect. The research results show that: (1) By optimizing the tool structure and construction process, the open hole clad technology can effectively deal with the risks and challenges brought by severe drilling loses on the safe drilling in shale gas reservoirs. (2) H-3 and H-4 shale gas wells have successfully created conditions for safe drilling in the target formation of LMX group by using open hole clad technology to preventively seal the CX~LS formation with low ground bearing capacity. The ability to seal complex formations in shale gas reservoir using long open hole clad technology based on high performance solid expandable tubular can be deployed economically in shale gas reservoir with complex formation or severe drilling loses.
BTLA-LSDG: Blockchain-based Triune Layered Architecture for Authenticated Subgraph Query Search in Large Scale Dynamic Graphs
Authors: g Sharmila , K. Kavitha Devi M.
Published: March 2023

Over the past era, subgraph mining from a large collection of graph database is a crucial problem. Existing works on subgraph mining is based on the threshold value, which returns similar graphs for a query graph. However, the number of graphs in the answer set for the same threshold can vary in terms of structure and context. In addition, scalability is another big problem due to insufficient storage.Further, it can suffer from security issues. In a distributed environment, since more queries come from different users, it is possible for the attackers to access the graph. These three problems highly exist in the current subgraph mining. To address this downside, our proposed work introduces aBlockchain-based Triune Layered Architecture for authenticated query search in the large scale dynamic graphs. The two fold process is handled in BTLA-LSDG: graph indexing and authenticated query search (query processing), which are implemented in triune layers (Data Generation Layer, Data Storage Layer, and Service Layer). Initially, data owners are authenticated to blockchain using Four-Q-Curve algorithm. The graph index is constructed by data owners and merged graph index is constructed by service providers. Based on the uploaded graph index, hash index is constructed using SHA-3. The hash index is fed into blockchain and form Dendrimer – Fractal Index. On the other hand, data user submits query with authentication. For every authenticated query, the four fold process is handled. Firstly, Multi-Constraint based Belief Entropy function is used for feature sets computation for a given query. Then Dual Similarity based MapReduce helps inmapping and reducing the relevant subgraphs with the use of optimal feature sets. Thirdly, Recurrent Neural Network (RNN)is used for subgraph isomorphic testing. Finally, graph index refinement process is undertaken to improve the query results. For this, query error is computed for each user’s query at the end of retrieval. With respect to query error, fuzzy logic is used to refine the index of graph dynamically. This experiment is implemented using Hadoop environment and the results show better efficiency in terms of Scalability, Security and Storage. Further, it is tested with Precision, Recall, F-measure, Accuracy, Error Rate, Query Response Time and Positive Results.
A synergetic cocatalyst for conversion of carbon dioxide, sunlight and water into methanol
Authors: Mi Zetian , Batista Victor , Ye Zhengwei , Yang Ke , Zhou Peng , Navid Ishtiaque , Xiao Yixin , Pofelska Alexandre , Botton Gianluigi , Ma Tao , Mondal Shubham
Published: March 2023

The conversion of CO2 into liquid fuels, using only sunlight and water, offers a promising path to carbon neutrality. An outstanding challenge is to achieve high efficiency and product selectivity. Here, we introduce a wireless photocatalytic architecture for conversion of CO2 and water into methanol and oxygen. The catalytic material consists of semiconducting nanowires decorated with core-shell nanoparticles, with a copper-rhodium core and a chromium oxide shell. The Rh/CrOOH interface provides a unidirectional channel for proton reduction, enabling hydrogen spillover at the core-shell interface, as shown by density functional theory. The vectorial transfer of protons, electrons, and hydrogen atoms allows for switching the mechanism of CO2 reduction from a proton-coupled electron transfer pathway in aqueous solution to hydrogenation of CO2 with a record high solar-to-methanol efficiency of 0.29%. The reported findings demonstrate a highly efficient, stable, and scalable wireless system for synthesis of methanol from CO2 that could provide a viable path towards carbon neutrality and environmental sustainability.
Exploring the association of CircRNAs expression with pediatric obesity, based on case-control study and related bioinformatics analysis
Authors: Li Guobo , Xu Xingyan , Yang Le , Cai Yingying , Sun Yi , Guo Jianhui , Lin Yawen , Hu Yuduan , Chen Mingjun , Li Huangyuan , Wu Siying
Published: March 2023

Objective: Our present study utilizes case-control research to explore the relationship between specific CircRNA and pediatric obesity through literature review and bioinformatics, and predict its possible biological functions, providing ideas for epigenetic mechanisms study of pediatric obesity.
Methods: CircRNAs related to pediatric obesity were preliminarily screened by literature review and qRT-PCR. CircRNAs expression in obesity children (n=75) and controls (n=75) were confirmed with qRT-PCR in case-control study, followed by bioinformatics analyses, such as GO analysis, KEGG pathway analysis, and CeRNA network construction. Multivariate logistic regression was utilized to analyze the effects of CirRNAs on obesity. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was further drawn to explore the clinical application value of CircRNAs in pediatric obesity.
Results: hsa_circ_0046367 and hsa_circ_0000284 were separately validated to be statistically down-regulated and up-regulated in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of obesity children, and revealed as independent indicators of increased CHD risk [hsa_circ_0046367(OR=0.681, 95%CI: 0.480~0.967) and hsa_circ_0000284 (OR=1.218, 95%CI:1.041~1.424)]. The area under the ROC curve in the combined analysis of hsa_circ_0046367 and hsa_circ_0000284 was 0.706(95%CI:0.623~0.789). Enrichment analyses revealed that they were actively involved in Neural Plasticity mechanisms, Cell Secretion and Signal Regulation.
Conclusion: The present research disclosed that low expression of hsa_circ_0046367 and high expression of hsa_circ_0000284 are risk factors for pediatric obesity, neural plasticity mechanisms was closely related to obesity.
The novel immunosuppressant Cloxyquin activates hTRESK by allosteric modulation of the selectivity filter
Authors: Schreiber Julian , Derksen Anastasia , Goerges Gunnar , Schütte Sven , Sörgel Jasmin , Kiper Aytug , Strutz-Seebohm Nathalie , Ruck Tobias , Meuth Sven , Decher Niels , Seebohm Guiscard
Published: March 2023

The TWIK-related spinal cord K+ channel (TRESK) is a K2P channel contributing to the maintenance of membrane potentials in various cells. Recently, physiological TRESK function was identified as a key player in T-cell differentiation rendering the channel a new pharmacological target for treatment of autoimmune diseases. The channel activator cloxyquin represents a promising lead compound for the development of a new class of immunomodulators. Identification of cloxyquin binding site and characterization of the molecular mechanism causing the agonism can foster the future drug development. Here, we identified the cloxyquin binding site at the M2/M4 interface by mutational scan and analyzed the molecular mechanism of action by protein modelling as well as in silico and in vitro electrophysiology using different permeating ion species (K+ / Rb+). In combination with kinetic analyses of channel inactivation, we show that cloxyquin allosterically stabilizes the inner selectivity filter facilitating the conduction process subsequently activating hTRESK.
An Unusual Route of Odontogenic Infection from the Mandible to the Orbit Through the Facial Spaces, Resulting in Blindness: A Rare Case
Authors: Nashawi Faez Ebrahim , Shasho Hamza Omar , Alkheder Ahmad
Published: March 2023

Orbital infection is a rare complication of odontogenic infections, mostly originating from maxillary teeth. In our case, we present one of the unusual routes by which an odontogenic infection of a lower molar tooth has spread into the orbit. A 67-year-old uncontrolled diabetic patient was referred to the ear, nose, and throat department with a complaint of a swollen right masseteric region and orbital infection following a dental procedure on the right mandibular third molar. Computed tomography scan and Magnetic resonance imaging showed multiple abscesses localized in the masseteric and infratemporal spaces and extending into the orbital cavity through a bony erosion in the lateral orbital with no sinus involvement. Improper treatment and poorly controlled diabetes resulted in the extensive spread of the infection. Clinical and radiological re-evaluation has played a major role in the management of our case by elucidating the route of infection and localizing abscess foci accurately, enabling the team to plan the proper surgical intervention. Level of the Clinical Evidence: Level 4
Potential relationships between uveitis and COVID-19: a bioinformatic study based on CEO database
Authors: Li Chen , Chang Jiayu , Lu Peirong
Published: March 2023

Purpose
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has been a great impact on human survival and a great threat to public health in countries all over the world. The link between COVID-19 and ocular illness has received increasing attention due to SARS-CoV-2 infection can be transmitted through eye contact. Using bioinformatics methods, we sought to investigate the potential molecular mechanisms between uveitis and COVID-19, providing rationales and directions for further exploration.
Methods
Transcriptomic data of uveitis and COVID-19 patient blood samples were accessed from the Gene Expression Omnibus public database. Common differentially expressed genes were identified. Genetic Ontology analysis, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis, Protein-Protein Interaction network analysis were performed on intersected genes. We screened 5 hub genes by using the maximum clustering centrality algorithm. The Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator regression analysis identified the potential biomarkers for uveitis and COVID-19. Finally, the expression level and diagnostic value of the biomarker in the two diseases were determined.
Results
50 intersected genes were extracted from differential expression analysis in uveitis and COVID-19. These genes were functionally enriched in cytokine-mediated signaling pathway, vesicle lumen, receptor ligand activity. Through KEGG analysis, these genes were found to be involved in viral protein interaction with cytokine and cytokine receptor, and cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction. HORMAD1 was obtained by Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator regression analysis, which was high expression in both uveitis and COVID-19 when compared to controls. Receiver Operating Characteristic values and AUC statistics indicated that HORMAD1 had diagnostic value for uveitis and COVID-19.
Conclusions
Bioinformatic analysis predicts HORMAD1 involvement in etiology and therapeutic targets of uveitis and COVID-19. However, additional clinical trials and studies are needed to confirm the role of HORMAD1.
Proficiency Testing Performance in Chemistry Department; a 10-year study of trends in benzoic acid in food
Authors: LI HUI LING
Published: March 2023

Proficiency testing (PT) is considered an indicator to improve competency for laboratory quality management systems. The laboratories participating in PT maintain personnel competency, monitor lab performance, and ensure the validity of the results. The chemistry department started with 20 parameters with participation by its branch laboratories in 1995 and declared it an interlaboratory comparison, then upgraded to PT after applying the procedure following ISO/IEC 17043. Over ten years of results from 2012 to 2021, the chemistry department, which covers the headquarters and 10 branches, achieved satisfactory performance. Only the year 2012 faced an outlier result from the Malacca branch, and two questionable results from the Bintulu and Sibu branches in 2016. Investigation of the outlier and questionable results was based on 4M (Manpower, Method, Machine, and Material). The relationship between the 4M is always mutually beneficial; lacking one will not guarantee high quality. Exploring these 4M provides the lab with a structured framework for root cause analysis by helping the lab understand how each one may have contributed to a particular issue. The trends of PT performance can also be analyzed to increase the quality system. For example, for the Sarawak branch, the Z-score data tends to be over 0, with all the points falling on the upper side, showing that a systematic error occurred. To improve the accuracy of the lab, an investigation is needed. Thus, PT acts as a valuable tool for the laboratory to improve and carry out necessary investigations and corrective actions if any outlier results were obtained in the analysis.
The Effectiveness of Telehealth Gait Retraining in Addition to Standard Physical Therapy Treatment for Overuse Knee Injuries in Soldiers: A Protocol for a Randomized Clinical Trial
Authors: Crowell Michael , Brindle Richard , Miller Erin , Reilly Nicholas , Ford Kevin , Goss Donald
Published: March 2023

Introduction:
Running is the most common cardiovascular exercise in the military. However, there is a high incidence of running-related overuse injuries that reduces military readiness. Gait retraining is a common intervention to treat running-related injuries, but the high cost of equipment and lack of clinician expertise and availability reduces utilization. Gait retraining intervention in a telehealth format might improve feasibility. The purpose of this randomized clinical trial is to determine the effectiveness of a telehealth gait retraining intervention on pain, self-reported function, and biomechanical risk factors for injury in Service Members who present to a Military Health System physical therapy clinic with an overuse knee injury.
Methods
This is a parallel, two-arm, single-blind randomized clinical trial. The two independent variables are intervention (2 levels: telehealth gait retraining intervention with standard of care or only standard of care) and time (3 levels: baseline, 10-weeks or post-intervention, 14-weeks). The primary dependent variables are: 1. worst reported pain during and after running as measured on a visual analog scale; and 2. foot strike pattern during running. Secondary outcomes include worst non-knee pain during running, worst overall knee pain, self-reported function (University of Wisconsin Running Injury and Recovery Index, Single Assessment Numerical Evaluation, Anterior Knee Pain Scale), and running biomechanics (step rate, step length, ground contact time, peak knee adduction angle, peak hip adduction angle, average vertical loading rate, instantaneous vertical loading rate, knee stiffness, and peak rearfoot inversion moment).
Discussion
The effectiveness of a telehealth gait retraining intervention to reduce pain and modify foot strike pattern is not known. The results of this study may help determine the effectiveness and feasibility of a telehealth gait retraining intervention to reduce pain, change foot strike, improve function, and improve running gait biomechanics.
Trial registration:
ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04269473. Registered 05 February 2020, http://clinicaltrials.gov/NCT04269473.
A Magnetic Resonance Imaging Prediction System based on Deep Neural Network and Radiomics to Predict Microvascular Invasion in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Lin Zhao-Yi , Chen Kuang , Chen Wei-Xiang , Li Jin-Feng , Li Cheng-Gang , Song Guo-Quan , Liu Yan-Zhe , Wang Jin , Liu Rong , Hu Ming-Gen
Published: March 2023

Background: A accurate preoperative evaluation of microvascular invasion (MVI) in hepatocellular carcinoma can help surgeons choose the appropriate treatment, while it still remains challenge for radiologists. Computer-aided diagnosis with deep learning technology may be one of the solutions to improve the prediction accuracy.
Methods: MRI with six different sequences were included in this experiment. A deep neural network was used to segment hepatocellular carcinoma after a cross-sequence registration preprocess. Radiomics features together with clinical features were used to form the final prediction model. The clinical features used in the final model was chosen by univariate analysis.
Results: In this work, we collected MRI of 420 cases of hepatocellular carcinomas, in which 140 were MVI cases and 280 patients in the non-MVI group. The radiomics features showed good performances in predicting MVI. The radiomics features showed good performance in predicting MVI. The multi-sequences fusion radiomics features get the best AUC (0.794 ± 0.033). Results for sizes in 3-5cm group showed that the AUC was 0.860±0.065.
Conclusions: A fully automatic system is proposed to predict MVI using preoperative MRI and with the fusion between radiomics and the clinical features, the system shows good performance in prediction MVI, especially in 3-5 cm tumor group.
Bifurcation analysis of a System Modelling Somite Formation
Authors: Kovács Sándor , György Szilvia , Gyúró Noémi
Published: March 2023

This paper deals with stability and bifurcation analysis of a minimal models of vertebrae formation. Conditions are derived under which there can be no change in stability. Using one of the parameters as a bifurcation parameter it is found that various type of bifurcations occurs when the parameter passes through a critical value. Applying the centre manifold theory and the normal form method formulas are given for describing the qualitative properties of the current bifurcation. Computer simulations illustrate the results.
Mathematics Subject Classifications: 92B05 (34D20, 34C23, 34K20).
Effect of Reduced Versus Usual Lipid Emulsion Dosing on Bilirubin Neurotoxicity and Neurodevelopmental Impairment in Extremely Preterm Infants: Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Holzapfel Lindsay , Arnold Cody , Tyson Jon , Shapiro Steven , Reynolds Eric , Pedroza Claudia , Stephens Emily , Kleinfeld Alan , Huber Andrew , Rysavy Matthew , Khan Amir , Lopez Maria del Mar Romero
Published: March 2023

Background: Bilirubin neurotoxicity (BN) occurs in premature infants at lower total serum bilirubin levels than term infants and causes neurodevelopmental impairment. Usual dose lipid infusions in preterm infants may increase free fatty acids sufficiently to cause bilirubin displacement from albumin, increasing passage of unbound bilirubin (UB) into the brain leading to BN and neurodevelopmental impairment not reliably identifiable in infancy. These risks may be influenced by whether cycled or continuous phototherapy is used to control bilirubin levels.
Objective: To assess differences in wave V latency measured by brainstem auditory evoked responses (BAER) at 34-36 weeks gestational age in infants born ≤750 g or <27 weeks’ gestational age randomized to receive usual or reduced dose lipid emulsion (half of the usual dose) irrespective of whether cycled or continuous phototherapy is administered.
Methods: Pilot factorial randomized controlled trial (RCT) of lipid dosing (usual and reduced) with treatment groups balanced between cycled or continuous phototherapy assignment. Eligible infants are born at ≤750 g or <27 weeks’ gestational age enrolled in the NICHD Neonatal Research Network RCT of cycled or continuous phototherapy. Infants will randomize 1:1 to reduced or usual dose lipid assignment during the first 2 weeks after birth and stratified by phototherapy assignment. Free fatty acids and UB will be measured daily using a novel probe. BAER testing will be performed at 34-36 weeks postmenstrual age or prior to discharge. Blinded neurodevelopmental assessments will be performed at 22-26 months. Intention-to-treat analyses will be performed with generalized linear mixed models with lipid dose and phototherapy assignments as random effects covariates, and assessment for interactions. Bayesian analyses will be performed as a secondary analysis.
Discussion: Pragmatic trials are needed to evaluate whether lipid emulsion dosing modifies the effect of phototherapy on BN. This factorial design presents a unique opportunity to evaluate both therapies and their interaction. This study aims to address basic controversial questions about the relationships between lipid administration, free fatty acids, UB, and BN. Findings suggesting a reduced lipid dose can diminish the risk of BN would support the need for a large multicenter RCT of reduced versus usual lipid dosing.
Trial Registration: Clinical Trials.gov, NCT04584983, Registered 14 October 2020, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04584983
Protocol Version: Version 3.2 (10/5/2022)
Clinical characteristics and outcomes of hypersensitivity pneumonitis in South Korea
Authors: Zo Sungmin , Chung Man Pyo , Yoo Hak young , Lee Kyung Soo , Han Joungho , Chung Myung Jin , Yoo Hongseok
Published: March 2023

Hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) is an interstitial lung disease (ILD) that results from an immune-mediated reaction involving various antigens in susceptible individuals. However, the clinical characteristics and outcomes of HP in South Korea are not well understood. This retrospective study analyzed 43 patients with pathologically proven HP at a single tertiary hospital in Korea between 1996 and 2020. In addition, case reports of HP published in Korea were collected. The clinical characteristics, etiologies, treatment, and outcomes of patients from our center, as well as case reports, were reviewed. Patients from our hospital were divided into fibrotic and nonfibrotic subtypes according to the ATS/JRS/ALAT guidelines. Among 43 patients with biopsy-proven HP, 12 (27.9%) and 31 (72.1%) patients were classified into the fibrotic and nonfibrotic subtypes, respectively. The fibrotic HP group was older (64.6 ± 8.5 vs. 55.2 ± 8.3, p = 0.002) with less frequent complaints of fever (0% vs. 45.2%, p = 0.013) compared to the nonfibrotic HP group. The most common inciting antigen was household mold (21, 48.8%), followed by inorganic substances (6, 14.0%). Inciting antigens were not identified in eight (18.6%) patients. Treatment of corticosteroid was initiated in 34 (79.1%) patients. An analysis of 46 patients from Korea by literature review demonstrated that reported cases were relatively younger and drugs were the most common etiology compared to our cohort. The analysis of reported cases, as well as our cohort, showed that exposure history and clinical manifestations are heterogeneous for patients with HP in South Korea.
Sacubitril/Valsartan can improve the cardiac function in heart failure patients with a history of cancer: A real-world retrospective study about aged population
Authors: Chen Zhulu , Zhang Chuan , Zhu Yuxi , Gao Diansa , Mao Min , Zuo Zhong
Published: March 2023

Amis
Sacubitril/Valsartan is now becoming the class one recommendation for HFrEF. Some studies have shown the positive effect of Sacubitril/Valsartan on HFrEF cancer patients, while there is devoid of evidence about the effect of this drug in aged cancer patients with HFmrEF and HFpEF. We did this retrospective study to investigate the beneficial effect of Sacubitril/Valsartan on all three kinds of HF patients with cancer in the aged population.
Method and results
By searching the patients with a diagnosis of both cancer and heart failure over 65, the patients who had received treatment with Sacubitril/Valsartan were selected as the candidates for Sacubitril/Valsartan group, and the patients who had received conventional HF therapy without Sacubitril/Valsartan were chosen as the control group. Data were collected for up to 9 months. We filtered 38 patients and 50 patients valid for Sacubitril/Valsartan group and control group, respectively. After initiation of heart failure management, our study found a better cardiac condition in Sacubitril/Valsartan group, having better LVEF, LVFS, NT-proBNP in 3rd, 6th, 9th month (P<0.05) and better NYHA function classification after the treatment. We also observed fewer cases of deterioration on LAD (p=0.029) and LVEDD (p=0.023) in Sacubitril/Valsartan group. In subgroup analysis, our study showed that all three kinds of HF patients had better LVEF, LVFS, and NT-proBNP in Sacubitril/Valsartan group (P<0.05).
Conclusion
Our study further indicated that Sacubitril/Valsartan can improve cardiac function and benefit cardiac remolding in aged cancer patients of all three kinds of HF. As we know, this is the first study to provide new evidence for the use of Sacubitril/Valsartan in aged cancer patients of all three kinds of HF.
Paraburkholderia phytofirmans PsJN colonization of rice endosphere triggers an atypical transcriptomic response compared to rice native Burkholderia s.l. endophytes
Authors: King Eoghan , Wallner Adrian , Guigard Ludivine , Rimbault Isabelle , Parrinello Hugues , Klonowska Agnieszka , Moulin Lionel , Czernic Pierre
Published: March 2023

Plant microbiome recently emerged as a reservoir to develop sustainable alternatives to chemical fertilizers and pesticides. However, the response of plants to beneficial microbes appears as a critical issue to understand the molecular bases of the interaction of plants with their microbiota. In this study, we combined root colonization, phenotypic and transcriptomic analyses to decipher the commonalities and specificities of the response of rice to closely related Burkholderia s.l. endophytes. In general, these findings suggest that a rice non-native Burkholderia s.l. strain, Paraburkholderia phytofirmans PsJN, is able to colonize the root endosphere while triggering a markedly dissimilar response compared to rice-native Burkholderia s.l. strains. This shows the variability of the response of plants to microbes from different hosts of origin. The most staggering finding from the investigation was that a much more conserved response to the three endophytes used in this study is triggered in leaves compared to roots. Additionally, the transcriptional regulations of genes related to secondary metabolism, immunity and phytohormones appears as markers of the strain-specific responses. Future studies must investigate if these findings can be extrapolated to other models of plants and beneficial microbes to further advance the potential of microbiome-based solutions for crop production.
Understanding needs and expectations to start effective communities of practice
Authors: Elbrink Sanne H , Elmer Shandell L , Osborne Richard H
Published: March 2023

Background
Communities of practice (CoPs) are frequently used in health settings to enhance knowledge and support action around public health issues. Yet, most are ineffective and often at risk of not delivering on this promise. To prevent the loss of time and resources by organisations, facilitators, and members, this paper argues for a reliable assessment of the needs of people who intend to join and to set realistic expectations to assure effective communities of practice. This research proposes a valid and reliable needs assessment and analysis tool for starting communities of practice, by presenting the results of using such a tool.
Methods
Inception needs assessments were developed, tested and administered to 246 respondents entering five communities of practice that focused on one of three public health issues: health literacy, mental health literacy and trauma-informed care. One community of practice had a global audience, four were based in Australia. Data from the needs assessments were analysed qualitatively and supplemented with descriptive statistics. Results were used to develop an analysis tool to support future communities of practice.
Results
The short-term expectations of respondents included seeking to increase their knowledge and getting to know other members of the community of practice. Long-term expectations shifted towards undertaking action, collaborating and improving health outcomes. While respondents learning expectations included a wide range of topics, they articulated very specific knowledge they expected to share with others. There were high expectations of receiving practical support from the facilitator and a strong preference for meetings with synchronous interaction. Most respondents who planned to join focused initially on the direct and individual benefits and participation they expected from others, whereas they indicated limited intention to actively contribute to the learning needs of other community members. Respondents appeared to need to take time to build self-confidence and trust, and frequently applied a wait-and-see attitude.
Conclusions
The findings of this study suggest that an inception needs assessment allows members to express their needs and expectations, which directly informs the direction and structure of a community of practice, gives voice to members, and supports facilitators in managing expectations.
Evaluation of Hospital Indicators Before and After the Implementation of an Orthogeriatric Unit in Older People with Hip Fracture: 5 Years of Follow-Up
Authors: Sánchez Brenda Lorena Pillajo , Ortega María José Suing , Torre Patricio Gabriel Buendía Gómez de la
Published: March 2023

Background: In the older population, hip fracture (HF) is considered a serious public health problem worldwide since it increases morbidity and mortality.
Objective: analyze hospital indicators of care, sociodemographic, clinical and geriatric variables, before and after the implementation of the Orthogeriatric Unit for older adults with acute phase hip fracture at the Hospital de la Policia No. 1 Quito (HPNQ1).
Materials and methods: observational, retrospective, analytical and single-center study completed during the period between January 1, 2012 to December 21, 2017. The sample was a non-probabilistic sample, with 77 participants of 65 years or older admitted with a diagnosis of HF. Information was obtained from the clinical history with confidentiality measures in the handling of information accordingly with the principles of bioethics
Results: mean age of participants was 82.51 (SD= 8.51, range 65 – 99), with a ratio of 1.85 females per 1 male. Osteoporosis and polypharmacy were significantly associated with HF. Prior to the creation of the Orthogeriatric Unit, the hospital indicators showed that the average stay was 11 days and after the implementation of the unit this was reduced to an average of only 8 days, and costs decreased by 30% ($13588.22 vs $ 9814.04 before and after the implementation of an Orthogeriatric unit, respectively).
Conclusion: the orthogeriatric unit substantially improves hospital indicators, reduces total hospital stay by 50% and costs by 30%.
Identification of endoplasmic reticulum stress-related biomarkers of diabetes nephropathy based on bioinformatics and machine learning
Authors: SU Jiaming , PENG Jing , WANG Lin , XIE Huidi , ZHOU Ying , CHEN Haimin , SHI Yang , GUO Yan , ZHENG Yicheng , GUO Yuxin , DONG Zhaoxi , ZHANG Xianhui , LIU Hongfang
Published: March 2023

Background: Diabetes nephropathy (DN) is a growing public health concern worldwide. Renal dysfunction impairment in DN is intimately linked to ER stress and its related signaling pathways. Nonetheless, the underlying mechanism and biomarkers for this function of ER stress in the DN remain unknown.
Methods: Microarray datasets were retrieved from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, and ER stress-related genes (ERSRGs) were downloaded from the MSigDB and GeneCards database. We identified hub ERSRGs for DN progression by intersecting ERSRGs with differentially expressed genes and significant genes in WGCNA, followed by a functional analysis. After analyzing hub ERSRGs with three machine learning techniques and taking the intersection, we did external validation as well as developed a DN diagnostic model based on the characteristic genes. Immune infiltration was performed using CIBERSORT. Moreover, patients with DN were then categorized using a consensus clustering approach. Eventually, the candidate ERSRGs-specific small-molecule compounds were defined by CMap.
Results: Several biological pathways driving pathological injury of DN and disordered levels of immune infiltration were revealed in the DN microarray datasets and strongly related to deregulated ERSRGs by bioinformatics multi-chip integration. Moreover, CDKN1B, EGR1, FKBP5, GDF15, and MARCKS were identified as ER stress signature genes associated with DN by machine learning algorithms, demonstrating their potential as DN biomarkers.
Conclusions: Our research sheds fresh light on the function of ER stress in DN pathophysiology and the development of early diagnostic and ER stress-related treatment targets in patients with DN.
Establishment of Multiplex qPCR System for Common Pathogens and Its Application In the Detection of Fracture Related Infections
Authors: Ma Xianzhi , Li Wenlong , Li Xuemin , Chao Shilan , Ma Sichao , Qi Wanle , Zheng Liansheng
Published: March 2023

Background: The study aims to use five common pathogenic bacteria in Fracture-related infection (FRI) to establish a simple and fast multiplex qPCR method for initially clinical FRI detection.
Methods: A total of 66 patients with FRI and 24 noninfectious volunteers were enrolled. Results from tissue culture and multiplex qPCR were analyzed and compared. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), Youden Index and area under the ROC curve (AUC) of the two methods were calculated respectively.
Results: For 66 FRI cases, tissue culture detected 63 cases (95.5%) and multiplex qPCR detected 56 cases (84.8%). Among the 24 control cases, 12.5% and 16.7% were detected positive by tissue culture and multiplex qPCR, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of multiplex qPCR were 84.8% and 66.7%, while those of tissue culture were 95.4% and 87.5%, respectively. To 51 cases within the detection profile, five common pathogens of FRI, the sensitivity and specificity of PCR changed to 92.2% and 90.9%, respectively.
Conclusion: The advantage of multiplex qPCR is short processing time (< 5h) and simple steps. The multiplex qPCR may provide a complemental method for clinical FRI detection due to the simplicity and rapidity.
Radiomics models based on multisequence MRI for prediction of PD-1/PD-L1 expression in hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Gong Xue-Qin , Liu Ning , Tao Yun-Yun , Li Li , Li Zu-Mao , Yang Lin , Zhang Xiao-Ming
Published: March 2023

The purpose of this study was to explore the efficacy of radiomics based on multisequence MRI to predict the expression of PD-1/PD-L1 in HCC.One hundred eight patients with HCC who underwent contrast-enhanced MRI 2 weeks before surgical resection were enrolled in this retrospective study.Corresponding paraffin sections were collected for immunohistochemistry to detect the expression of PD-1 and PD-L1. All patients were randomly divided into a training cohort and a validation cohort at a ratio of 7:3.The radiomics features were extracted from axial fat suppression T2-weighted imaging (FS-T2WI), the arterial phase (A) and portal phase (P) of axial dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI, and the corresponding feature sets were generated. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) was performed to select the optimal radiomics features for analysis. A logistic regression analysis was performed to construct single-sequence (FS-T2WI, A and P) and multisequence radiomics (M) models. The predictive performance was judged by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) in the training and validation cohorts.In the whole cohort, PD-1 expression was positive in 43 patients and PD-L1 expression was positive in 34 patients. The AUC values of the FS-T2WI, A, P and M models to predict the expression of PD-1 were 0.696, 0.843, 0.863, and 0.946 in the training group and 0.669, 0.792, 0.800 and 0.815 in the validation group, respectively.The AUC values of the FS-T2WI, A, P and M models to predict PD-L1 expression were 0.731, 0.800, 0.800, and 0.831 in the training group and 0.621, 0.743, 0.771,and 0.810 in the validation group, respectively. The combined model (M model) performed better than the other radiomics models. The results of this study suggest that a radiomics model based on multisequence MRI had the potential to predict the preoperative expression of PD-1 and PD-L1 in HCC, which may become a imaging biomarker for ICI treatment.
Clinical characteristics of Dieulafoy’s Lesion in the Small Bowel Diagnosed and Treated by Double-Balloon Endoscopy
Authors: Nakamura Masanao , Yamamura Takeshi , Maeda keiko , Sawada Tsunaki , Ishikawa Eri , Furukawa Kazuhiro , Iida Tadashi , Mizutani Yasuyuki , Yamao Kentaro , Ishikawa Takuya , Honda Takashi , Ishigami Masatoshi , Kawashima Hiroki
Published: March 2023

BACKGROUNDS Obscure gastrointestinal bleeding indicates bleeding in which the source cannot be determined even by balloon-assisted endoscopy. In some cases, the cause is assumed to be a Dieulafoy’s lesion in the small bowel. AIM This retrospective study aimed to reveal the clinical characteristics of Dieulafoy’s lesion in the small bowel as diagnosed by double-balloon endoscopy and consider whether it is possible to predict bleeding from Dieulafoy’s lesionbefore endoscopy in obscure gastrointestinal bleeding. METHOD We reviewed the database of our hospital and identified 38 patients who were diagnosed with Dieulafoy’s lesion and underwent treatment during double-balloon endoscopy. The clinical background, diagnosis, and treatment details of patients with Dieulafoy’s lesion were examined. RESULTS The median age of the 38 patients was 72 years, and 50% of the patients were male. Of the patients, 26 (68%) had a high comorbidity index. We analyzed whether the first double-balloon endoscopy could be definitely diagnosed. Multivariate analysis revealed that hematochezia of ≥ 2 episodes was the independent factor associated with ≥ 2 double-balloon endoscopy diagnoses. The factors associated with re-bleeding after endoscopic treatment were analyzed. Multivariate analysis did not reveal any independent factor associated with re-bleeding, although the number of hemoclips used was likely to be associated. CONCLUSION In cases where a patient experiences two or more episodes of hematochezia, balloon-assisted endoscopy, prepared with optional devices, should be scheduled at the earliest possible time.
Productive and non-productive phase of dengue virus infection in human umbilical cord blood: Egress Viral Particles on Vero cell line
Authors: Vats Amrita , Ho Tzu-Chuan , Puc Irwin , Chang Chiung-Hsin , Perng Guey.Chuen , Chen Po-Lin
Published: March 2023

Although dengue virus (DENV) can establish infection in hematopoietic stem progenitor cells (HSPCs), there is little information on dengue virus persistent infection in CD34+ and CD133+ cell surface glycoprotein of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). CD34 and CD133 also function as cell-cell adhesion factors which are present in umbilical cord blood (UCB). In this study, we attempted to establish a persistent infection model of DENV infection in UCB by infecting for a prolonged period of 30 days. Post-infection of DENV exhibited a productive and non-productive phase of DENV production. Using plaque assay, western blot, and confocal microscopy, we Show that CD133 and CD34 cells are target cells for DENV infection. Moreover, we show that DENV particles can be recovered from the non-productive phase of DENV infected CD34 and CD133 cells after co-incubation with Vero cells. We concluded that CD133 and CD34 retain their capacity to produce the infectious virus due to proliferation and their ability to repopulate, as deduced from BrdU proliferation assay and flow cytometry analysis using t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding. In summary, the platform to co-culture infected primitive HSCs from its non-productive phase onto Vero cells will give new insight into understanding the DENV dynamics in cell-to-cell transmission and reactivation of the virus.