bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Eagle Ford Case Study: Monitoring Fracturing Propagation Through Sealed Wellbore Pressure Monitoring
Authors: Brinkley Kourtney , Ingle Trevor , Haffener Jackson , Chapman Philip , Baker Scott , Hart Eric , Haustveit Kyle , Roberts Jon
Published: April 2021

This case study details the use of Sealed Wellbore Pressure Monitoring (SWPM) to improve the characterization of fracture geometry and propagation during stimulation of inter-connected stacked pay in the South Texas Eagle Ford Shale.

The SWPM workflow utilizes surface pressure gauges to detect hydraulically induced fracture arrivals athorizontal monitor locations adjacent to the stimulated wellbore (Haustveit et al. 2020). A stacked and staggered development in Dewitt County provided the opportunity to jointly evaluateprimary completion and recompletion efforts spanning three reservoir target intervals. Fivemonitor wells at varying distances across the unit were employed for SWPM during the stimulation of four wells. An operational overview, analysis of techniques, correlation with seismic attributes, image log interpretations, and fracture model calibration are provided.

Outputs from this workflow allow for a refined analysis ofthe overall completion strategy. The high-density, five well monitor array recorded a total of 160 fracture arrivals at varying vertical and lateral distances, with far-field fracture arrivalsprovidingsignificant insight into propagation rates and geometry. Apronounced trend occurred in both arrival frequency and volumes pumped as monitor locations increased in distance from the treatment well. Specific to target zone isolation, it was identified that traversing vertically in section through a high stress interval yielded a 30% reduction inarrival frequency. An indirect relationship between horizontal distance and arrival frequency was also observed when monitoring from the same interval. A decrease in fracture arrivals from 70% down to 8% was realized as offset distance increased from 120 to 1,700 ft.

The results from this study have proven to be instrumental in guiding interdisciplinary discussion. Assessing fracture geometry and propagation during stimulation, particularly in the co-development of a stacked pay reservoir, is paramount to the determination of proper completion volume, perforation design, and well spacing. Leveraging the observations of SWPM ultimately provides greater confidence in field development strategy and economic optimization.
Evaluating Infill Well Performance and Fracture Driven Interactions Using Intervention Based Distributed Fiber Optics
Authors: Attia Ahmed , Lawrence Matthew
Published: April 2021

Distributed Fiber Optics (DFO) technology has been the new face for unconventional well diagnostics. This technology focuses on measuring Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) and Distrusted Temperature Sensing (DTS) to give an in-depth understanding of well productivity pre and post stimulation.

Many different completion design strategies, both on surface and downhole, are used to obtain the best fracture network outcome; however, with complex geological features, different fracture designs, and fracture driven interactions (FDIs) effecting nearby wells, it is difficult to grasp a full understanding on completion design performance for each well. Validating completion designs and improving on the learnings found in each data set should be the foundation in developing each field. Capturing a data set with strong evidence of what works and what doesn't, can help the operator make better engineering decisions to make more efficient wells as well as help gauge the spacing between each well.

The focus of this paper will be on a few case studies in the Bakken which vividly show how infill wells greatly interfered with production output. A DFO deployed with a 0.6" OD, 23,000-foot-long carbon fiber rod to acquire DAS and DTS for post frac flow, completion, and interference evaluation. This paper will dive into the DFO measurements taken post frac to further explain what effects are seen on completion designs caused by interferences with infill wells; the learnings taken from the DFO post frac were applied to further escalate the understanding and awareness of how infill wells will preform on future pad sites.

A showcase of three separate data sets from the Bakken will identify how effective DFO technology can be in evaluating and making informed decisions on future frac completions. In this paper we will also show and discuss how important well spacing can be to the production on each well.
A New Classification of Gas-Hydrate Deposits and Its Implications for Field-Development Potential
Authors: Lau Hon Chung , Wang Jinjie , Zhang Ming
Published: April 2021

A new classification of gas-hydrate deposits is proposed that takes into account their location (marine vs. permafrost), porosity type (matrix vs. fracture), and gas origin (biogenic, thermogenic, or mixed). Furthermore, by incorporating currently used Classes 1 through 4, which describe the nature of adjacent strata, a total of 16 classes of hydrate deposits have been identified. This new classification provides detailed information on the properties of the hydrate-bearing layer and adjacent strata that can be used for both scientific research and ranking of field-development potential. Using this new classification system, a qualitative ranking of field-development potential for different classes of hydrate deposits according to likely productivity, capital, and operating costs can be conducted. Finally, we demonstrate the usefulness of this new classification by applying it to 11 well-known gas-hydrate deposits worldwide.
Process Intensification of the ionoSolv Pretreatment: Effects of Biomass Loading, Particle Size and 100-Fold Scale-Up
Authors: Chambon Clementine , Verdía Pedro , Fennell Paul , Hallett Jason
Published: April 2021

Background: The ionoSolv process is one of the most promising technologies for biomass pretreatment in a biorefinery context. In order to evaluate the transition of the ionoSolv pretreatment of biomass from bench-scale experiments to biorefinery scale, there is a need to get better insight in process intensification. In this work, the effects of biomass loading, particle size, pulp washing protocols and 100-fold scale up for the pretreatment of the grassy biomass Miscanthus giganteus with the IL triethylammonium hydrogen sulfate, [TEA][HSO4], are presented. Results: At the bench scale, increasing biomass loading from 10 wt% to 50 wt% reduced glucose yields from 68% to 23% due to re-precipitation of lignin onto the pulp surface. Omitting the pulp air-drying step maintained saccharification yields at 66% at 50 wt% loading due to reduced fiber hornification. 100-fold scale-up (from 10 mL to 1 L) improved the efficacy of ionoSolv pretreatment and increasing loadings from 10 wt% to 20 wt% reduced lignin reprecipitation and led to higher glucose yields due to the improved heat and mass transfer caused by efficient slurry mixing in the reactor. Pretreatment of particle sizes of 1–3 mm was more effective than fine powders (0.18–0.85 mm) giving higher glucose yields due to reduced surface area available for lignin re-precipitation while reducing grinding energy needs.Conclusion: Stirred ionoSolv pretreatment showed great potential for industrialization and further process intensification after optimization of the pretreatment conditions (temperature, residence time, stirring speed), particle size and biomass loading. Pulp washing protocols need further improvement to reduce the incidence of lignin precipitation and the water requirements of lignin washing.
Deep Vision Based Surveillance System to Prevent Train-Elephant Collisions
Authors: Gupta Surbhi , Mohan Neeraj , Nagaraju Krishna Chythanya , Karanam Madhavi
Published: April 2021

Animal conservation is imperative, and a lot of technology has been used in different ways. The endangered species like tiger and elephant has raised the need for such efforts. Human-Elephant Collision (HEC) has been an active area of research but still, the optimum solution is not found. As trains are widely used transportation medium in Asian countries, the rail track is even laid down through forest areas and hence intervene the wildlife. Elephants due to their bulky size often become victims of trains. Such tragedy is common especially in green belts in southern zones of India. To rectify the problem, we have proposed a deep vision-based model to identify the elephant near-site using implanted video cameras. Four different models are proposed for the identification of elephants in image/video. One novel lightweight CNN based model is proposed. Three Transfer Learning (TL) models, i.e., ResNet50, MobileNet, Inception V3 have been experimented and tuned for elephant detection. These highly accurate and precise models can alarm the trains hence it can save a precious life.
An Analytic Evolutionary Algorithm To Compute Higher-Order Solutions For Model Equation
Authors: Li Bang-Qing , Ma Yu-Lan
Published: April 2021

In this work, by introducing Darboux operator in evolutionary computing frame, we propose a novel analytic evolutionary algorithm to obtain exact higher-order iteration solutions for model equation. We construct the first-, second- and third-order solutions of a generalized Schrödinger equation by applying this algorithm. The higher-order solutions not only retain the basic features of the lower-order cases, but also become more abundant than the lower-order cases.
Neuromotor Prosthetic to Treat Stroke-Related Paresis
Authors: Serruya Mijail , Napoli Alessandro , Satterthwaite Nicholas , Kardine John , McCoy Joseph , Grampurohit Namrata , Talekar Kiran , Middleton Devon , Mohamed Feroze , Kogan Michael , Wu Chengyuan , Sharan Ashwini , Rosenwasser Robert
Published: April 2021

Background Functional recovery of independent arm movement typically plateaus within six months following a stroke, leaving chronic motor deficits. This feasibility study tested whether a wearable, powered exoskeletal orthosis, driven by a percutaneous, implanted brain–computer interface (BCI), using the activity of neurons in the precentral gyrus in the affected cortical hemisphere, could restore voluntary upper extremity function in a person with chronic hemiparetic subsequent to a cerebral hemispheric stroke of subcortical gray and white matter and cortical gray matter.Methods One person with chronic hemiparetic stroke with upper-limb motor impairment used a powered elbow-wrist-hand orthosis that opened and closed the affected hand using cortical activity, recorded from four 64-channel microelectrode arrays implanted in the ipsilesional precentral gyrus, based on decoding of spiking patterns and high frequency field potentials generated by imagined hand movements using technology and decoding methods used for people with other causes of paralysis. The system was evaluated in a home setting daily for 12 weeks. Results Robust single unit activity, modulating with attempted or imagined movement, was present throughout the precentral gyrus areas. The participant was able to acquire voluntary control over a hand-orthosis BCI, with a score of 10 points on the Action Research Arm Test (out of 53) using the BCI, compared to 0 without any device, and 5 using myoelectric control. Orthosis-powered hand-opening was faster with BCI control compared to myoelectric control, on a standardized object-movement task. Conclusions The findings demonstrate the therapeutic potential of an implantable BCI system coupled to a brace to “electrically bypass” the stroke and promote neurally driven limb function. The participant’s ability to rapidly acquire voluntary control over otherwise paralyzed hand opening, more than 18 months after a subcortical stroke, lays the foundation for a fully implanted movement restoration system.
Virtual Experimentations by Deep learning on Tangible Materials
Authors: Hata Kenji , Honda Takashi , Muroga Shun , Nakajima Hideaki , Shimizu Taiyo , Kazufumi Kobashi , Morita Hiroshi , Okazaki Toshiya
Published: April 2021

Artificial intelligence is an emerging frontier in material science to discover new materials with targeted properties by an artificial neural network (ANN) constructed from existing structure-property databases. This approach has not been applicable to tangible materials, such as plastic composites, fabrics, and rubbers, because the complexities of their structures cannot be defined. Here we propose a deep learning computational framework that can implement “virtual” experiments on tangible materials (carbon nanotube (CNT) films) where structural representations (scanning electron microscope images at 4 levels of magnifications (x2k, x20k, x50k, x100k)) of the processed material (dispersing and filtering) were created by multiple generative adversarial networks from which an ANN predicted multiple properties (electrical conductivity and specific surface area). 1865 virtual experiments were finished within an hour, a task that would take years for real experiments. The accumulated data can be used as a versatile database for material science, in analogous to databases of molecules and solids used in cheminformatics, as exemplified by investigations of the correlation between the electrical conductivity and specific surface area, wall number phase diagrams, the most economical mixture of CNTs at specific property, and inversely designed CNT supercapacitors.
Detection Of Maximal Balanced Clique In Signed Networks Based On Improved Three-Way Concept Lattice and Modified Formal Concept Analysis
Authors: Yang Yixuan , Park Doo-Soon , Hao Fei , Peng Sony , Hong Min-Pyo , Lee Hyejung
Published: April 2021

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
Effectiveness of chelating agent-assisted Fenton-like processes on remediation of glucocorticoid contaminated soil using chemical and biological assessment: performance comparison of CaO2 and H2O2
Authors: Liu Yanan , Zhou Quan , Li Zhenyu , Zhang Ai , Zhan Jiaxun , Miruka Andere Clement , Gao Xiaoting , Wang Jie
Published: April 2021

Glucocorticoids (GCs) have drawn great concern due to widespread contamination in the environment and application in treating COVID-19. Most studies on GC removal mainly focused on aquatic environment, while GC behaviors in soil were less mentioned. In this study, degradation of three selected GCs in soil have been investigated using citric acid (CA)-modified Fenton-like processes (H2O2/Fe(III)/CA and CaO2/Fe(III)/CA treatments). The results showed that GCs in soil can be removed by modified Fenton-like processes (removal efficiency > 70% for 24 h). CaO2/Fe(III)/CA was more efficient than H2O2/Fe(III)/CA at low oxidant dosage (< 0.28–0.69 mmol/g) for long treatment time (> 4 h). Besides the chemical assessment with GC removal, effects of Fenton-like processes were also evaluated by biological assessments with bacteria and plants. CaO2/Fe(III)/CA was less harmful to the richness and diversity of microorganisms in soil compared to H2O2/Fe(III)/CA. Weaker phytotoxic effects were observed on GC-contaminated soil treated by CaO2/Fe(III)/CA than H2O2/Fe(III)/CA. This study therefore, recommends CaO2 based treatments to remediate GC-contaminated soils.
Soil Type Influence Nutrient Availability, Microbial Metabolic Diversity, Eubacterial and Diazotroph Abundance in Chickpea Rhizosphere
Authors: Gowda Sneha , Swarnalakshmi Karivaradharajan , Sharma Meenakshi , Reddy Kedharnath , Bhoumik Arpan , Suman Archna , Kannepalli Annapurna
Published: April 2021

Rhizosphere microbial communities are dynamic and play a crucial role in diverse biochemical processes and nutrient cycling. Soil type and cultivar modulate the compositionof rhizosphere microbial communities. Changes in the community composition significantly alter microbial function and ecological process. We examined the influence of soil type on eubacterial and diazotrophic community abundance and microbial metabolic potential in chickpea (cv. BG 372 and cv. BG 256) rhizosphere. The total eubacterial and diazotrophic community as estimated through 16S rDNA and nifH gene copy numbers using qPCR showed the soil type influence with clear rhizosphere effect on gene abundance. PLFA study has shown the variation in microbial community structure with different soil types. Differential influence of soil types and cultivar on the ratio of Gram positive to Gram negative bacteria was observed with most rhizosphere soils corresponding to higher ratios than bulk soil. The rhizosphere microbial activities (urease, dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase and beta-glucosidase) were also assessed as an indicator of microbial metabolic diversity. Principal component analysis and K-means non-hierarchical cluster mapping grouped soils into three categories, each having different soil enzyme activity or edaphic drivers. Soil type and cultivar influence on average substrate utilization pattern analyzed through community level physiological profiling (CLPP) was found to be higher for rhizosphere soils than bulk soils. The soil nutrient studies revealed that both soil type and cultivar influenced the available N, P, K and organic carbon content of rhizosphere soil. Our study signifies that soil type and cultivarjointly influenced soil microbial community abundance and their metabolic potential.
E-shape Metamaterials Embedded Implantable Antenna for ISM-band Biomedical Applications
Authors: Saidi Amaria , Nouri Keltouma , Bouazza Boubakar Seddik , Becharef Kada , Cherifi Abdelhamid , Abes Turkiya
Published: April 2021

This paper presents a compact antenna based on two different metamaterial resonators, the E-shape resonators and the interdigital resonators suitable for biomedical implant applications. The proposed antennas operate in the industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM) bands in the frequency band of 2.4–2.5 GHz. The integration of metamaterial (MTM) in the design leading to the reduce size of these antennas and gaining enhancement. The overall size of the proposed antennas is\(8\times 7\times 1.27{\mathbf{m}\mathbf{m}}^{3}\). The implantable antennas contain two layers of the substrate; the lower layer comprises the MTM resonators and the upper, superstrate layer. To order to observe the exposure of electromagnetic energy to human tissues, the specific absorption rates (SARs) of the proposed antennas are also calculated in the layer model. The antennas are designed and simulated by the two software simulators CST and HFSS.
Product Quality Control Strategy of Dual Distribution Channel Structure in Three-Echelon Supply Chain
Authors: Zhu Lilong , Lu Bingjie
Published: April 2021

Based on the three-stage Stackelberg dynamic game model, this paper considers how to make product quality control strategy in the three-echelon supply chain consisting of the manufacturer, retailer and customer in the case of retailer dual channel structure (traditional retail channel, internet channel) and manufacturer dual channel structure (traditional retail channel, a third-party platform internet channel). When there are two types of decision model (decentralized decision, centralized decision), we analyze the demand price elasticity, market share ratio, revenue sharing ratio and quality cost coefficient how to influence the product demand, product quality level, retail price and direct price in different channels, expected revenue functions of manufacturer and retailer, consumer surplus and product quality control strategy. We find that: First of all, the retail price and direct price are positively related to product quality level, and the product quality level is negatively related with the demand price elasticity in traditional retail channel and the demand price elasticity in internet channel. What's more, the retailers’ retail price in traditional retail channel will be higher than direct price in internet channel. Thirdly, in the case of centralized decision, the manufacturers' product quality level, retail price, joint expected revenue and consumer surplus will all rise, but the direct price will fall. Fourthly, when the manufacturer establishes the dual channel structure, i.e., entrusting the third-party platform to build the internet channel, the manufacturer's product quality level, retail price, direct price, expected revenue, and consumer surplus will all decline. Finally, we conduct the numerical example by Matlab 2018, which verifies the validity and credibility of our conclusions, and points out the direction for the specific application of the model in practice.
Enhancement of LiFePO4 (LFP) Electrochemical PerformanceTthrough the Insertion of Coconut Shell Derived rGO – Like Carbon as Cathode of Li-ion Battery
Authors: Suarso Eka , Setyawan Firsta Agung , Subhan Achmad , Ramli Muhammad Mahyiddin , Ismail Nur Syakimah , Zainuri Mochamad , Arifin Zaenal , Darminto Darminto
Published: April 2021

In this study, an rGO – like carbon (C) compound was synthesized from coconut shell (biomass), and inserted into LiFePO4 (LFP), as Li-ion battery cathode. Thus, an LFP/C nanocomposite was successfully fabricated using a combination of the sol-gel technique and mechanical ultracentrifugation. LiFePO4 precursors were prepared from commercial starting materials, using the sol-gel technique, and the composites’ carbon weight content was varied between 15% and 30%. Subsequently, the microstructural characteristics and electrochemical properties as cathode for Li-ion batteries were measured. In addition to exhibiting higher electrical conductivity, the synthesized LFP/C nanocomposite showed higher capacity and better cycle capability. Also, the nanocomposite cathode showed a specific capacity of 128 mAhg-1 in the first cycle, and a retention capacity of 75% after 10 cycles, at room temperature and a rate of 0.1 C. The enhanced electrical conductivity and electrochemical performance of the samples prepared are believed to be due to three-dimensional conduction network formed by the rGO like carbon sheets, as observed by electron microscopy.
Lessons Learnt from Managing Orthopaedic Trauma During the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic at a UK District General Hospital
Authors: Patel Bhavisha , Green Sebastian Francis , Henessy Conor , Adamu-Biu Fatima , Davda Kinner , Chennagiri Ramesh , Kankate Raghubir , Ghani Yaser
Published: April 2021

Background: The Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has contributed to over 1,000,000 deaths worldwide. Hospitals responded by expanding services to accommodate the forecasted rise in COVID-19-related admissions. We describe the effects these changes had on management of orthopaedic trauma and patient outcomes at a district general hospital in Southern England.Methods: Data were extrapolated retrospectively from two separate six-week periods in 2019 and 2020 (1st April - 13th May) using electronic records of patients referred to the orthopaedic team. Soft tissue injuries were included where a confirmed diagnosis was made with radiological evidence. Patients were excluded if no orthopaedic intervention was required. Data were compared between the two time periods. Results: There were fewer attendances to hospital in 2020 compared with 2019 (178 vs 328), but time from presentation to surgery significantly increased in 2020 (2.94 days vs 4.91 days, p=0.009). There were fewer operative complications in 2020 (36/145 vs 11/88, p<0.001). However, ordinal logistic regression analysis found a significantly greater complication severity in 2020 including death (p=0.039). Complication severity was unrelated to COVID-19 status.Conclusions: Restructuring of orthopaedic services in response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with significant delays to surgery and higher post-operative complication severity. Our results demonstrate the need for fast-track emergency operative orthopaedic services in UK district general hospitals whilst the COVID-19 pandemic continues.
Visualizing Climate Change: The Role of Construal Level, Emotional Valence, and Visual Literacy
Authors: Duan Ran , Bombara Christian
Published: April 2021

This study examines how the level of concreteness and abstraction of climate change imagery influences people’s responses via emotional valence, and how such effect is moderated by people’s visual literacy. Findings show that concrete images promote negative feelings, which subsequently reduce people’s perceived distance to climate change, encourage concern and behavioral intention. Less visually literate people are more influenced by the visuals’ effect and are more motivated by concrete images. Our study integrates theoretical perspectives from construal level, emotional valence and visual literacy, while also offering practical advice regarding how to effectively visualize climate change to engage a wide audience.
TEMPO-oxidized cellulose hydrogel for efficient adsorption of Cu 2+ and Pb 2+ modified by PEI
Authors: Xing Xinyi , Li Wenqi , Zhang Jie , Wu Han , Guan Ying , Gao Hui
Published: April 2021

In this study, hydrogel were prepared by dissolving and regenerating poplar-cellulose in NaOH/urea/water system. The TEMPO-oxidized cellulose hydrogels (TCH) were prepared using microwave-assisted accelerated TEMPO-oxidation system. Polyethyleneimine (PEI) was grafted onto TCH with glutaraldehyde as a cross-linking agent and the products named as TCP. The hydrogels were characterized by SEM, FTIR, XPS and elemental analyzer. The maximum adsorption capacities of Cu2+ and Pb2+ by TCP were 109.89 mg/g and 279.32 mg/g, respectively. TCP was a single molecule adsorption process with better fitting of Langmuir model. Adsorption kinetics showed that the Pb2+ adsorption rate of TCP was higher than that for Cu2+. The Cu2+ affinity of TCP was higher than the Pb2+. The adsorption capacity of TCP for Cu2+ and Pb2+ was 58.26 mg/g and 91.96 mg/g, respectively, after five cycles. This study provided a promising option of preparing an efficient and recyclable adsorbent in treating wastewater containing heavy metal, such as Cu2+ and Pb2+.
Hyperuniformity and phase enrichment in vortex and rotor assemblies
Authors: Oppenheimer Naomi , Stein David , Zion Matan Yah Ben , Shelley Michael
Published: April 2021

Ensembles of particles rotating in a two-dimensional fluid can exhibit chaotic dynamics yet develop signatures of hidden order. Such “rotors” are found in the natural world spanning vastly disparate length scales — from the rotor proteins in cellular membranes to models of atmospheric dynamics. Here we show that an initially random distribution of either ideal vortices in an inviscid fluid, or driven rotors in a viscous membrane, spontaneously self assembles. Despite arising from drastically different physics, these systems share a Hamiltonian structure that sets geometrical conservation laws resulting in distinct structural states. We find that the rotationally invariant interactions isotropically suppress long wavelength fluctuations — a hallmark of a disordered hyperuniform material. With increasing area fraction, the system orders into a hexagonal lattice. In mixtures of two co-rotating populations, the stronger population will gain order from the other and both will become phase enriched. Finally, we show that classical 2D point vortex systems arise as exact limits of the experimentally accessible microscopic membrane rotors, yielding a new system through which to study topological defects.
Study of some toxicological aspects of titanium dioxide nanoparticles through oxidative stress, genotoxicity, and histopathology in tilapia, Oreochromis mossambicus
Authors: Shahzad Khurram , Khan Muhammad Naeem , Jabeen Farhat , Chaudhry Abdul Shakoor , Ara Chaman , Khan Muhammad Khalil Ahmad , Khan Muhammed Saleem
Published: April 2021

Extensive use of nanotechnology in multiple commodities is raising concern about nanotoxicity and particularly. Particularly, many studies reported the health hazardous effects of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2-NPs). Study focuses on toxicity and accumulation of TiO2-NPs in tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus). For this purpose, Tilapia were kept in water tanks, acclimatized for fourteen days, and treated with different doses of TiO2 nanoparticles 0, 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 mg TiO2-NPs /L. Results revealed an increase in accumulation of TiO2-NPs with an increase in doses. Moreover, with higher dose (1.5 mg /L) gills had maximum levels compared to muscles and liver tissues whereas other doses showed different accumulation patterns. A significantly higher concentration of catalase, glutathione, and lipid peroxidation was recorded in gills (p < 0.05) and superoxide dismutase in the liver. Characteristics like thickening and fusion in lamellae, rupturing of filaments and hyperplasia of gills were also recorded. The phenomenon of increased necrosis and apoptosis in the liver was also noticed with increasing concentration of TiO2-NPs along with formation of sinusoid spaces and condensed nuclear bodies. Elevated values of olive tail movement and % tail DNA were also noticed with increased concentration of TiO2-NPs. This study concluded that TiO2-NPs produced oxidative stress by accumulation in soft tissues and induced pathology and genotoxicity.
Theoretical analysis of CZTS/CZTSSe tandem solar cells.
Authors: Kumar Atul
Published: April 2021

Kesterite CZTSxSe1−x has a band gap range from 1 to 1.5eV depending upon S/Se ration. The tandem of kieserite solar cell is proposed and simulated in SCAPS-1D for device configuration and analysis of the performance. CZTS of bandgap 1.5eV as top cell and CZTSSe of bandgap 1.1eV as bottom cell are stacked in tandem for the structure. The thickness of the two layer are optimized for matching the short circuit current JSC in the tandem. This study shines light on alternative technique of thin film multijunction for enhancing the efficiency of CZTSxSe1−x solar cells.
Percutaneous Thrombectomy in the Management of Early Rethrombosis in Venous Thoracic Outlet Syndrome: Two Case Reports
Authors: Sýkora Ján , Zeleňák Kamil , Vorčák Martin , Krkoška Adam , Vetešková Štefánia , Sýkorová Martina , Sivák Jozef , Hlinka Ľuboš , Šinák Igor
Published: April 2021

BackgroundVenous thoracic outlet syndrome resulting in the upper limb deep venous thrombosis is known as Paget–Schroetter syndrome or effort thrombosis. A general treatment algorithm includes catheter-directed thrombolysis followed by surgical thoracic outlet decompression. There are limited data regarding endovascular treatment of rethrombosis presenting early after the surgery.Case presentationTwo cases of early rethrombosis successfully treated with percutaneous mechanical thrombectomy by two different techniques are described. In both cases, rethrombosis was diagnosed soon after thrombolysis and first rib resection with scalenectomy. After 6 months, both patients remain symptom-free, with patent subclavian veins confirmed by duplex ultrasonography. ConclusionPercutaneous mechanical thrombectomy devices may offer a safe treatment option for patients with recurrent thrombosis after thoracic outlet surgery, even when thrombolytic therapy is contraindicated.
Social decision making, hierarchy and emotional contagion are interconnected by the basolateral amygdala
Authors: Scheggia Diego , Greca Filippo La , Maltese Federica , Carrano Niccolò , DiLuca Monica , Papaleo Francesco
Published: April 2021

Decisions in social contexts might lead to choices favoring self- or others-interest, depending on the relationships between individuals. Prosocial and helping behaviors are evolutionary conserved across mammals. However, the neurobiological bases of choices that benefit others at a personal cost are not understood. Here, we revealed the role of the basolateral amygdala (BLA) in altruistic and selfish choices. We developed a two-choice social decision-making task in which mice could decide to share or not a positive reinforcement with their conspecifics. Preference for altruistic choices was more evident in males and if the conspecific was familiar. In particular, altruistic choices were associated with social dominance and affective state matching between individuals. Chemogenetic BLA neuronal silencing induced lower ranking hierarchy and less preference for altruistic choices. This provides a neurobiological comparative model of altruistic and selfish choices versus dominance hierarchy and emotional contagion, with relevance to pathologies associated with dysfunctions in social decision-making.
Molecular Characterization of a Novel Wheat-infecting Virus in Family Betaflexiviridae
Authors: Wu Jianxiang , Fu Shuai , He Mengzhu , Sun Bingjian , Zhou Xueping
Published: April 2021

Wheat plants showing yellow mosaic in leaves and stunting were observed and collected from wheat fields in the Henan Province, China. Analyses of these plants through transmission electron microscopy showed that these plants contained two filamentous virus-like particles of 200–500 nm and 1000–1300 nm long, respectively. RNA-seq result unveiled a co-infection of wheat yellow mosaic virus (WYMV) and an unknown wheat-infecting virus. The complete genome sequence of the unknown virus is 8,410 nucleotide long, excluding its 3’ end poly (A) tail. This unknown virus has six open reading frames (ORFs). The ORF1 encodes a putative viral replication-associated protein, and the ORF2, 3 and 4 encode the triple gene block (TGB) proteins. The ORF5 and 6 encode the capsid protein (CP) and a protein with unknown function, respectively. Phylogenetic relationship analyses showed that this novel virus is evolutionarily related to viruses in the subfamily Quinvirinae, family Betaflexiviridae. It is, however, distinctly different from the viruses in other genera. Based on the species and genus demarcation criteria set by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV), we tentatively name this novel virus as wheat yellow stunt-associated betaflexivirus (WYSaBV). We also propose WYSaBV as a new member in a new genus in the family Betaflexiviridae.
Prediction of Network Security Situation Awareness based on an Improved Model Combined with Neural Network
Authors: Yuan Li
Published: April 2021

People always pay attention to the security of the network. This paper mainly analyzed the problem of network security situation prediction (NSSP). The Radial Basis Function (RBF) neural network was improved by the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm, and a modified PSO (MPSO)-RBF algorithm was obtained, which was used as the prediction model. Then, the data from National Internet Emergency Center (CNCERT/CC) were used as the experimental data, and the MPSO-RBF algorithm was compared with RBF and PSO-RBF algorithms. The results showed that the MPSO-RBF algorithm could achieve convergence in about 50 times of iterations, showing a high calculation efficiency, and the mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) value, mean square error (MSE) value, and root-mean-square error (RMSE) value were small, 2.13%, 0.0005, and 0.0224, respectively, showing that the algorithm had good prediction performance. The results verify the reliability of the MPSO-RBF algorithm in NSSP, which is conducive to further improve network security.
Cross-scale evaluation of catchment- and global-scale hydrological model simulations of drought characteristics across eight large river catchments
Authors: Kumar Amit , Gosling Simon N , Johnson Matthew F , Zaherpour Jamal , Leng Guoyong , Schmied Hannes Muller , Kupzig Jenny , Breuer Lutz , Hanasaki Naota , Tang Qiuhong , Kumar Rohini , Ostberg Sebastian , Stacke Tobias , Pokhrel Yadu , Wada Yoshihide , Masaki Yoshimitsu
Published: April 2021

Although global- and catchment-scale hydrological models are often shown to accurately simulate long-term runoff time-series, far less is known about their suitability for capturing hydrological extremes, such as droughts. Here we evaluated runoff simulations from nine catchment scale hydrological models (CHMs) and eight global scale hydrological models (GHMs) for eight large catchments: Upper Amazon, Lena, Upper Mississippi, Upper Niger, Rhine, Tagus, Upper Yangtze and Upper Yellow. The simulations were conducted within the framework of phase 2a of the Inter-Sectoral Impact Model Intercomparison Project (ISIMIP2a). We evaluated the ability of the CHMs, GHMs and their respective ensemble means (Ens-CHM and Ens-GHM) to simulate observed monthly runoff and hydrological droughts over 31 years (1971–2001). Observed and simulated hydrological drought events were identified using the Standardised Runoff Index (SRI) and were classified based on intensity. Our results show that for all eight catchments, CHMs out-performed GHMs in monthly runoff estimation showing a better representation of observed runoff than GHMs. The number of drought events identified under different drought categories (i.e. SRI values of -1 to -1.49, -1.5 to -1.99, and ≤-2) varied significantly between models. All the models, as well as the two ensemble means present limited ability to accurately simulate severe drought events in all eight catchments, in terms of their timing and intensity. By analysing the monthly runoff time-series for several extreme droughts over the historical period, we identify room for improvement in the models so that extreme droughts may ultimately be better represented by both CHMs and GHMs.
Theoretical Investigation on Electronic Structure and Photophysical Properties of a Series of Mixed-Carbene Cyclometalated Iridium(III) Complexes With Different Ancillary Ligand Applied in Phosphorescent Organic Light-Emitting Diodes
Authors: Chen Tong , Han Deming , Zhao Lihui , Wang Bao , Shang Xiaohong
Published: April 2021

By using density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT), the geometrical structure, electronic structure and photophysical properties of a series of mixed-carbene cyclometalated iridium(III) complexes with different ancillary ligand have been explored. The frontier molecular orbital (FMO) components and energy levels for all studied complexes have been investigated. The lowest lying absorptions were calculated to be at 327, 322, 333, 332 and 332 nm for these complexes, which have the transition configuration of HOMO→LUMO. The lowest energy emissions for these complexes are localized at 413, 399, 498, 418 and 415 nm, respectively, simulated in CH2Cl2 medium at the M062X level. One complex designed could possess the largest radiative decay rate (kr) value and be a potential candidate for blue emitters in organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). The theoretical study can provide a useful guidance for design and synthesis of new iridium(III) complexes in phosphorescent materials.
Predictors of the Effectiveness of Insulin Pumps in Patients with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Neves Joana Camões , Neves João Sérgio , Neves Celestino , Carvalho Davide
Published: April 2021

Purpose
Insulin pump therapy has become the preferential treatment for type 1 diabetes (T1D) as it mimics the physiological secretion of insulin better than multiple daily injections. However, not all patients improve with insulin pump therapy. This study aims to determine the predictors of the effectiveness of insulin pumps in T1D.
Methods
We conducted a retrospective observational study of patients who started insulin pumps. Data from four timepoints (before, at 6, 12 and 36 months) were evaluated for outcomes of glycemic control and safety. The association of baseline predictors with outcomes was analyzed using linear and logistic regression models.
Results
We evaluated 136 patients (57.4% females, age 36 ± 12 years, duration of T1D 14 ± 9 years). During the follow-up, there was a mean decrease of HbA1c of 0.9 ± 1.2%. The improvement in HbA1c was independent of sex, age and duration of T1D. Higher baseline HbA1c, family history of diabetes and not being treated with statins were predictors of improvement in HbA1c. Not being treated with statins and higher baseline HbA1c predicted improvement in HbA1c without worsening hypoglycemia. History of hypoglycemia was a predictor of severe hypoglycemia. Family history, higher baseline HbA1c and psychological/psychiatric disorders were predictors of ketoacidosis.
Conclusion
Benefits of insulin pump were independent of sex, age, and duration of T1D. Baseline HbA1c, family history of diabetes, treatment with statins, history of hypoglycemia and psychological/psychiatric disorders were predictors of outcomes and may allow the identification of patients who benefit most from insulin pump therapy or who are at increased risk of complications.
The Quality of Service Provision to Newborns in the Primary Healthcare, West Gojjam Zone, North-West of Ethiopia: A Cross-sectional Survey
Authors: Birhanu Bizuhan Gelaw , Mathibe-Neke Johanna Mmabojalwa
Published: April 2021

Background: During 2019, neonatal conditions in Ethiopia accounted for 56% of under-5 deaths, with 33 neonatal deaths occurring for every 1,000 live births. More than 80% of all newborns deaths are caused by preventable and treatable conditions with available interventions. In Ethiopia, mortality rates for newborn babies have remained stubbornly high over the decades. Methods: A cross-sectional survey design was employed. Interviewer-administered questionnaires were administered to 221 health workers and health extension workers in 142 health facilities from April to July 2017. Data was entered in the EpiData 3.1, exported to SPSS and STATA for analysis. Results: Out of the ten quality of newborn care variables, 8.7 [95%CI: 6.03-11.303], the highest mean was achieved by primary hospitals, followed by urban health centres with a 6.4 mean [95%CI:5.168-7.601]. However, nearly half of the rural health centres were providing quality of newborn care at the mean of 5.7 [95%CI: 5.152-6.18], and below half was provided by health posts, 4.5 [95%CI: 3.867-5.116]. From the seven emergency newborn care signal functions, primary hospitals had a higher mean score, 6.3 [95%CI: 6.007-7.325] and rural health centres had a lowest mean score, 2.3 [95%CI: 2.043-2.623]. The availability of essential equipment is also significantly associated with the quality of neonatal care provision in the health facilities (p < 0.05). Overall, the effectiveness of the neonatal healthcare services has a significant association with the health facilitates readiness score [95%CI: 0.134-0.768]. Conclusion: The quality of newborn care was high at the higher-level health facilities and lower in the lower level health facilities such as rural health centres and health posts; where these facilities are designed to provide the newborn care services to the majority of the rural communities. In addition, the provision of emergency newborn care signal functions were critically low in rural health centres where these are a referral receiving health facilities from health posts. Thus, the rural health centres and health posts should be targeted to improve their readiness to provide the quality of services for newborns as per their expected level of care.
Optimization of a Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) Assay for Schistosoma Mansoni (Trematoda: Digenea) Detection in Biomphalaria spp. from Endemic Areas for Schistosomiasis in Brazil
Authors: Mesquita Silvia Gonçalves , Neves Floria Gabriela dos Santos , Scholte Ronaldo Guilherme Carvalho , Carvalho Omar dos Santos , Fonseca Cristina Toscano , Caldeira Roberta Lima
Published: April 2021

Background: Schistosomiasis mansoni is a neglected tropical disease endemic in Brazil caused by Schistosoma mansoni, which is transmitted by Biomphalaria snails. Among all measures to control and eliminate the disease, accurate mapping and monitoring of snail breeding sites for susceptible and/or infected hosts in endemic areas are recommended. Parasitological methods are frequently used to identify infected snails, although they have many limitations, often providing false-negative results. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) is a promising alternative method for a more sensitive, rapid, and cost-effective diagnosis. However, standardization of LAMP assays is challenging due to the variety of parasites that are co-endemic with S. mansoni, and their varying prevalence rates in different areas. In this work, we aimed to optimize a LAMP assay for the detection of S. mansoni in Biomphalaria snails from endemic areas in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Methods: A total of 1,001 snails were collected in five municipalities of the Mucuri and Jequitinhonha Valleys. Snails were pooled and squeezed according to the collection site to detect the presence of the larval forms of S. mansoni and other trematodes. Pooled snails were submitted to pepsin digestion and DNA extraction. Then molecular assays were performed for the species-specific identification and characterization of the samples. A LAMP assay was optimized and validated using laboratory and field samples. Results: Using the parasitological method, S. mansoni cercariae were detected in snails from two collection sites. Biomphalaria glabrata, the main snail host of S. mansoni in Brazil, was detected in 72.2% of the collection sites by PCR-RFLP. Multiplex PCR, LS-PCR, and conventional PCR allowed the detection of positive snails in four additional sites. The optimized LAMP assay was effective in detecting the presence of S. mansoni infection with 100% sensitivity, 91.66% specificity, and a Kappa index of 0.88, when compared to LS-PCR and conventional PCR. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that LAMP is a good alternative for the detection and monitoring of transmission foci of S. mansoni, as it enabled the detection of infection three times more than the parasitological examination and is more applicable directly in the field when compared to other molecular approaches.
HER2-Low Status and Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in HER2 Negative Early Breast Cancer
Authors: Leite Luciana de Moura , Cesca Marcelle Goldner , Tavares Monique Celeste , Santana Debora Maciel , Saldanha Erick Figueiredo , Guimarães Paula Tavares , Sá Daniella Dias Silva , Simões Maria Fernanda Evangelista , Viana Rafael Lima , Rocha Francisca Giselle , Loose Simone Klog , Silva Sinara Figueiredo , Pirolli Rafaela , Fogassa Camilla Albina Zanco , Mattos Bruna Raphaeli Silva , Campos Fernando Augusto Batista , Sanches Solange Moraes , de Lima Vladmir Cláudio Cordeiro , Pondé Noam Falbel
Published: April 2021

Purpose: Recently, phase I studies with novel antibody drug conjugates targeting HER2 suggested benefit in HER2-low patients – defined as immunohistochemistry(IHC) +1 or +2 FISH/ISH non-amplified, with advanced breast cancer(BC). Data on the prognostic value of HER2-low in early stage disease is scarce. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of HER2-low status on response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy(NACT) and survival outcomes in early stage HER2- negative BC. Methods: Records from all BC patients treated with NACT from January 2007 to December 2018 in a single cancer center were retrospectively reviewed. Primary objective was to compare differences between pathologic complete response(pCR) and relapse free survival(RFS) in luminal HER2-low/HER2-0 and triple negative(TNBC) HER2-low/HER2-0. Results: 855 non-HER2-positive patients were identified. Median follow-up was 59 months. 542 had luminal BC (63.4%) and 313 TNBC (36.6%). 285 (33.3%) were HER2-low. Among luminal tumors, 145 had HER2 IHC+1 (26.8%) and 91 IHC+2/ISH non-amplified (16.8%). In TNBC, only 36 had HER2 IHC+1 (11.5%) and 13 IHC+2/ISH non-amplified (4.2%). Among luminal/HER2-low and luminal/HER2-0 population, there was a high proportion of clinical T3/4 (61.5% vs 69.2%, p=0.053), node positive (74.2% vs 66.3%, p=0.27) and stage III tumors (63.1% vs 65%, p=0.51). The same was true TNBC/HER-low as compared to TNBC/HER2-0, despite a non-statistically significant higher cT4 among TNBC/HER-low (32.7% vs. 19.3%, p=0.17). pCR was 13% in luminal/HER2-low versus 9.5% in luminal/HER2-0 (p=0.27), and 51% in TNBC/HER2-low versus 47% in TNBC/HER2-0 (p=0.64). 5y RFS was 72.1% in luminal/HER2-low and 71.7% in luminal/HER2-0 (p=0.47), and 75.6% in TNBC/HER2-low versus 70.8% in TNBC/HER2-0 (p=0.23). HER2-low status was not associated with RFS in multivariate analysis (HR 0.83, 95%CI 0.6–1.11, p=0.21). Conclusion: Our data does not support HER2-low as a biologically distinct BC subtype, with no predictive effect on pCR after NACT nor prognostic value on survival outcomes.