bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Shock/Soaking Injection Scheme to Improve Oil Recovery in Carbonate Formations by Low Salinity Water Flooding
Authors: Marzhan Karimova , Peyman Pourafshary , Mahmood Fani
Published: March 2022

The application of low salinity water and ion management of the injected water affects the oil recovery in carbonate formations. Different forced and spontaneous imbibition experiments have been practiced on the carbonate core samples to show the performance of this smart water injection. Various experimental and modeling approaches have been applied by different researchers to optimize the smart waterflooding process. To achieve more practical conditions, the injection time of the smart water should be reduced to control the preparation cost on the field scale. In this paper, we present findings from different modeling/experimental studies to improve the performance of smart water flooding in carbonate formations by the idea of shock/soaking.

Different researches showed that the presence of active ions such as Mg2+ and SO42- in the injection water alters the wettability of carbonates to more water-wet state and also reduces the IFT between the oil and the injected brine. Hence, spiking active ions concentration in the low salinity water improves oil recovery from carbonate formation. In this work, the optimized smart brine was used for injection with novel injection scheme. The optimized brine was set to be injected as the shock slug between two slugs of high salinity water. This smart water shock flooding was designed to reduce the pore volume of low salinity water flooding. The effect of the slug on relative permeability curves was modeled and analyzed in the core and sector scales. Also we experimentally studied the effect of soaking time after the shock on wettability alteration and improvement in recovery by re-injection of high salinity normal brine.

Characterization tests such as contact angle measurement confirmed the effect of shock/soaking on alteration of governing mechanisms such as multi-ion exchange which leads to wettability alteration in the process. Our core flooding experiments showed that the shock injection at the best design can improve the tertiary recovery up to 7.8%. Also, modeling at the reservoir sector shows noticeable incremental oil recovery during the shock injection and high salinity water injection after it.

Our modeling/experimental studies clearly illuminated a new approach to improve the performance of low salinity water flooding in an efficient and cheaper way. By this approach, higher oil recovery can be achieved by the application of less amount of diluted water which is beneficial for the oil industry.
Investigating Non-Newtonian Multiphase Cutting Transport in an Extended Reach Well
Authors: Khan Muhammad Saad , Barooh Abinash , Khan Muhammad Yousuf , Rahman Mohammad Aziz ur , Hassan Ibrahim , Hassan Rashid
Published: March 2022

In horizontal drilling, inefficient hole cleaning causes multiple operational issues and increased pressure loss. In-situ measurement of the cutting transport is essential to understand the hydrodynamics and operational parameters required for the effective hole cleaning. The electrical resistance tomography (ERT) is becoming a promising tool in many industrial applications. The purpose of this study was to provide detailed information about the application of non-invasive ERT system to analyze the volume fraction of solids in the presence of non-Newtonian fluid (0.5 wt% Flowzan) in a drilling annulus. The experiments were conducted in a horizontal flow loop system where the annulus section was 240 (6.16 m) inch long contains the inner and outer diameters of 2.5 inch (6.4 cm) and 4.5inches (11.4 cm), respectively. The obtained results suggested that the ERT system could effectively detect the volume fraction of the solids in the presence of non-Newtonian fluid (Flowzan) at different drilling conditions. Results also revealed that with an increase in fluid velocity, the efficient hole cleaning was observed. Moreover, the drill pipe rotation also positively influenced the cutting transport. Therefore, this study will provide the avenue for the industrial application of in situ ERT measurement technique in the multiphase systems, especially in the presence of the non-Newtonian drilling fluids.
Sea-Fastening Analysis and Design of a Horizontally Transported Large Jacket
Authors: Gorrela Vinod kumar
Published: March 2022

Due to advances in the maritime industry and the availability of a wide range of transportation barges, jackets are now being fabricated far from installation sites. They are commonly towed from fabrication yards to installation sites. This paper focuses on the innovative techniques and methodologies used for the seafastening design during such transportations.

During transportation, the jacket will experience inertial loads due to barge motions. The intensity of these loads depends on various environmental factors (wave height, wind speed, for example). Additionally, the barge will experience hogging and sagging that results in large concentrated loads at the tie-down locations. Therefore, in order to eliminate unnecessary conservatism, it is essential to also include the structural behavior of the jacket during the tow and design the seafastening members accordingly.

The most significant finding is that the hogging and sagging deflections are significantly decreased by considering the jacket stiffness in the transportation analysis. This results in a more practical & optimized seafastening design. A detailed comparison of the numerical model with and without the jacket stiffness is provided to illustrate this stiffening effect.

In addition, for launch jackets, the actual value of the timber stiffness is applied between the jacket launch rail and the barge skid beam. Furthermore, appropriate load dispersion is assumed vertically through this arrangement. These features are critical when estimating the actual loads that will be transmitted to the barge transverse frames and bulkheads.

It is concluded that the stiffness and load path play an essential role in the seafastening design and barge strength checks. Therefore, this paper discusses its importance by considering an actual jacket transportation case study.

The analysis methodology provides practical recommendations to evaluate the actual stiffness of the entire system for the jacket transportation. Conservatisms in the seafastening design are minimized and this results in a more pragmatic design approach.
A Novel Robust Polymer Gels for Water Shutoff Application in Sandstone Reservoir
Authors: Almohsin Ayman , Hung Jin , Bataweel Mohammed , Abadi Abdullah
Published: March 2022

Polymer gels is an effective method for water shut-off (WSO) application in sandstone oil reservoirs having high water cuts. WSO application can extend the economic life of the field once the undesired water production is minimized. A novel polymer gel was developed for water shut-off applications that extend the limitations of the current available materials for sandstone formation.

The new developed system offers chemical bonding of an organically crosslinked polymer gel to the sandstone rock surface, enabling the water shutoff system having enhanced stability with superior performance. The fluid system is low toxic and environmentally acceptable. It is comprised of polymer gel and adsorption components for sandstone formation, In order to enhance the blocking efficiency of WSO polymer gel, specific adsorption component for sandstone formation was introduced into the organically crosslinked polymer (OCP) gel. The gelant can be placed as a single phase, low-viscosity solution into the targeted formation zones. The new Polymer gel

Lab rheology study of the new developed polymer gel reveals that both the gelation time and the formed gel strength were greatly affected by the addition of the sandstone adsorption component. By using the appropriate retarder, the gelation time can be controlled without compromising gel strength. The new polymer gel was placed in haigh permeability sandstone core plug, and chase water was subseqyently injected to measure bloking capasity. The core flow test indicates substantial drops in water prduction. The new polymer system was able to withstand 3500 psi differential pressures at 200°F and did not allow the flow of water inside the core sample.

The new polymer gel system is expected to control water production through high permeability streaks and large pore openings. The system can be injected in porous media without injectivity reduction due to their low initial viscosity. This work provides significant insight using polymer gel system as an effective chemical treatments intended for carbonate substrate as water shutoff material.
Detection of Drilling Loss Zones in Deep Gas Well Using Acoustic and High Precision Temperature Logging Technology, a Case Study from North of Oman
Authors: AbdelAzim Mohamed , Galin Nail , Abri Ahmed , Khanbashi Iman , Shamsi Khalsa , Badar Zeidi , Pranava Ananda , Rodger Chris
Published: March 2022

The X-field is located in the North West of Oman. Drilling of more than 30 appraisal and development vertical wells is planned in the coming few years. Whilst drilling through the carbonate formations of Habshan, Jubaila and Tuwaiq Mountain in the existing 11 wells, total to partial mud losses were encountered in several wells due to the severe karstification. This led to significant cost increases and delays to the well delivery time.

Utilizing the new wide azimuth seismic data and well maps, gives an indication of a loss zone intervals using the seismic attributes to assess the possibility of encountering the loss zone. The detection of the source of losses presents a big challenge; knowing the precise zones helps in optimizing the number of cement curing plugs thus a reduction in drilling days and cost.

When losses occur; the drilling fluid moves from high pressure side (mud weight) to low pressure side (formation) causing a complete loss, where it expands rapidly and produces a turbulent flow that creates an acoustic signal and temperature anomaly. Modern acoustic logging tools, Chorus acoustic platform (Spectral Noise Log – SNL), coupled with fast and high precision temperature logging tools, Cascade thermal platform (High Precision Temperature – HPT), are capable to detect the subsequent acoustic and temperature anomalies in the drilling losses and indicate the loss zones.

The chorus acoustic platform contains a new generation, high-sensitivity hydrophone – a piezo crystal element that records noise in a wide frequency range (0.1-60kHz). The Cascade thermal platform utilizes a super-sensitive platinum sensor with a response time of less than one second. The technology is already being used in critical oil and gas wells to identify tubing and casing leaks and address well integrity issues but, this is the first time it has been used in the open hole to identify the drilling mud losses in Oman.

This paper presents the successful use of Chorus and Cascade platforms (SNL-HPT) in a Deep Gas well in X-Field, North of Oman, PDO Company, for identifying the total and partial loss zone across 12.25" hole.

The well-A was drilled as an appraisal vertical gas deep well in one of X fields, North of Oman, and experienced fluid losses across 12.25" hole in carbonates formations. The top section was cased with 18 5/8" and 13 3/8" casings. Across the interval of interest, drill pipe was inside the borehole filled with water-based mud and the Chorus and Cascade logging tools (SNL-HPT) were conveyed by a slickline located inside the drill pipe.
Improving Zonal Isolation and Cutting the Water Production with the Help of an Engineered Self-Healing Cementing System: A Case Study Review of the First Implementation of its Kind in Kuwait
Authors: Al-Khayyat Bader , Al-Mudhaf Meshari , Saffar Ali Hussein , Mitra Tarasankar , Monteiro Ken , Al-Safran Sarah , Gholoum Saleh , Al-Khaja Mohamed , Ali Jasim , Al-Rashed Fatemah , Alotaibi Mohammad , Almunayes Fahad
Published: March 2022

In one of the prolific fields in Kuwait, achieving zonal isolation posed a big challenge mainly due to setting the production liner shoe close to the oil-water-contact zone. Cement bond logs from the primary cementing jobs were not acceptable due to contamination from intruding water leading to a high water-cut in the produced oil. We review the first implementation of a self-sealing Cementing System in Kuwait to improve zonal isolation and cutting the water production.

A comprehensive pre-job study was executed to engineer a suitable cementing system containing a swellable elastomer for oil-water-cuts with proper test in Lab. A novel HPHT multi-function test cell apparatus and procedure were utilized to measure in-situ ability of fractured cement specimens to seal oil-water-flows under the given simulated downhole conditions. Shrinkage or expansion of the set cement was also verified under pressure and temperature with a continuous test method run over several days. Thorough lab tests and Computational Fluid Dynamics simulations were run to enable a fit-for-purpose and robust cement slurry design ensuring proper placement of the cementing system in the well.

This paper will describe how this cement was designed and engineered in laboratory. It will also describe how the set up was made simulating a crack in cement specimen and injecting water cut oil reacts and provides desired results.

A calculated cement engineering approach was adopted to ensure better cement slurry placement and reduce the chances of slurry contamination. The test conditions were staged to replicate the most appropriate downhole conditions of pressure, temperature and simulated micro channel in the cement sheath. After the successful implementation of the self-sealing cementing system along the 7-in production liner in 2 wells, the corresponding cement bond log images showed hydraulic isolation and the production data from the wells indicated a reduction of nearly 50% in the water cut thus allowing a favorable oil production.

This technology is applied in other wells of this field and other fields also with good results. This is being continued to use in critical wells.
Seismic Models of the Barik Reservoir
Authors: Gangopadhyay Abhijit , Kumar Dhananjay
Published: March 2022

Seismic modeled responses for known geological models, often using well logs, help interpret field seismic data for reservoir characterization. The seismic response of the Barik reservoir is investigated based on its properties as revealed by well logs. The porous Middle Barik manifests itself on the synthetic seismic data within the relevant bandwidth of the available seismic. In the Extended Elastic Impedance domain, chi projections of +30 and -60 appear to separate sand from shale lithology, and relatively high from low porosity in the Barik reservoir, respectively. Various models of the Barik reservoir are also built. These include ones with varying rock properties, thicknesses, and porosity. In the models with varying rock properties, the AVO signature of the Barik sand changes from class IV when the change in Vp/Vs ratio at the interface is weak, to class II or III in other cases. Effects of changes in fluid type are negligible, although a gas charged Barik sand exhibit strong AVO intercept and gradient amplitudes. The AVO behavior of the Barik sand is also dependent on its thickness. A thicker Barik sand shows class IV AVO with a strong negative intercept and positive gradient, whereas one that is half as thick displays class II AVO with a weak negative intercept and negative gradient. The porosity of the Barik sand influences its AVO behavior. The insitu and relatively low porosity Barik sand show class IV AVO with a sharply decreasing gradient for tighter Barik, whereas a higher porosity Barik sand showed a stronger gradient. Lastly, the frequency-dependent AVO signature of the Barik reservoir is investigated. The analysis revealed that the fluid signature is indistinguishable at 20 Hz but may be distinguished at 30 Hz.
Active Learning for Well Control Optimization with Surrogate Models
Authors: Yu Junjie , Jafarpour Behnam
Published: March 2022

Optimization of well controls in waterflooding operations has been established as an effective strategy to increase oil recovery efficiency and to reduce operating costs. Optimization problems, however, entail hundreds of full-scale reservoir simulation runs, which can be computationally expensive and impractical for field-scale applications. Fit-for-purpose surrogate models present more efficient alternatives that can be deployed for faster implementation and to enable real-time applications. In recent years, machine learning (ML)-based surrogate models have gained traction in building efficient proxy models to facilitate reservoir engineering and management workflows. For high-dimensional control variables that are frequently encountered in life cycle optimization, gradient-based local search methods have proven to be the optimization algorithms of choice, especially when adjoint models are available to provide the required gradient information in a computationally efficient manner. The use of local search optimization techniques implies that the surrogate models should be locally accurate and adapted to the optimization path that is traversed during the iterations. The adaptation can be accomplished through active learning, where the training of the surrogate model is performed online (throughout the iterations) and tied to the optimization iterations. This paper presents an active learning framework that is tuned to the local search nature of the optimization problem by updating an initially trained surrogate model based on new samples that are generated during the optimization iterations. Specifically, at each iteration, the full reservoir simulation model is performed to evaluate the true objective function and provide the new simulated data to update the surrogate model, thereby enhancing its local prediction accuracy. As the optimization progresses, older samples that become less relevant to the solution at the current iteration are dropped to preserve the local nature of the surrogate model. Various aspects of designing an active learning-based proxy model for well control optimization are discussed and the framework is applied to waterflooding problems to demonstrate its efficiency and superior performance compared to the traditional offline training approach.
Comprehensive Meteorological and Hydrological Drought Risks Under Changing Environment on the Wanquan River Basin, Southern China
Authors: Li Dan , Liu Bingjun , Ye Changqing
Published: March 2022

Drought is one of the most frequent and devastating natural disasters. Based on future climate scenarios and land use/land cover (LULC) patterns, this study employed the copula framework to calculate the probabilities of meteorological drought risk based on downscaled data as well as hydrological drought risks based on SWAT model simulation data for the next 30 years (2021-2050) in the Wanquan River Basin (WRB), and meanwhile, the relationship between hydrological and meteorological droughts was revealed by correlation analysis and cross wavelet transform (XWT). The results are as follows: (1) In the next 30 years, the risk of intra-seasonal meteorological drought (short-term drought) in the WRB is high at a probability of 40%-70%, while the risk of inter-seasonal meteorological drought is relatively small at a probability of close to 30%; (2) Compared with meteorological drought, the risk of intra-seasonal hydrological drought is small, but the probability of inter-seasonal hydrological drought (medium or long term drought) is 30%-50%, and the risk of hydrological drought in the upstream is greater than that in the downstream; (3) The future meteorological and hydrological droughts in the WRB are significantly and positively correlated, and that hydrological drought lags behind meteorological drought.
Impact of essential oils on methane emissions, milk yield and feed efficiency and resulting influence on the carbon footprint of dairy production systems
Authors: Becker Franziska , Spengler Katrin , Reinicke Frank , Diepen Clara Heider-van
Published: March 2022

Reducing CO2 emissions is one of the highest priorities in animal production. Regarding methane reduction, feed additives are of growing importance. As shown in a meta-analysis, the use of the essential oil (EO) blend Agolin Ruminant affects methane production per day (-8.8%), milk yield (+4.1%) and feed efficiency (+4.4%). Building on these results, the present study investigated the effect of varying individual parameters on the carbon footprint of milk. The environmental and operational management system REPRO was applied to calculate the CO2 emissions. It enables a scenario suitability on the smallest investigation level (feeding group) and an indicator-based assessment of climate-relevant environmental impacts. Within the farm, CO2 emissions include potential emissions of enteric and storage-related CH4, storage- and pasture-related N2O as well as direct and indirect energy expenditures for the housing system. Three feed rations were created, differing in their basic feed components such as grass silage, corn silage and pasture. Due to the reducing effect of EO on enteric methane production alone, a reduction potential of up to 6% could be calculated for all rations. Considering other variable parameters, such as the positive effects on ECM yield and feed efficiency, a GHG reduction potential of up to 10%. Modeling showed that indirect methane reduction strategies are important contributors to environmental impacts. To provide a context for interpretation, it can be assumed that reduction of enteric methane emissions is fundamental, as they account for the largest share of GHG emissions from dairy production.
Frailty Driven Therapy Decisions in the Age of the Patient Driven Payment Model: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Homan Robin , Buslovich Steven , Sayers Margaret , Tuan Wen-Jan , Griffiths Jessica
Published: March 2022

Background
In the absence of guidance from clinicians identifying patients who have the greatest potential to improve function as a benefit of skilled therapy, and writing orders to assure adequate therapy minutes, rehabilitation for the most vulnerable might not have been possible without objective assessment tools. The Frailty Index (FI) is one objective metric for identifying rehabilitation potential. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of routinely collected data and predictive analytics of FI related to function to estimate rehabilitative potential.
Methods
Retrospective analysis of patients admitted into a large urban skilled nursing facility (SNF) in Western New York for post-acute rehabilitation over a nine-month period (N = 341). Using data collected in the Minimum Data Set (MDS), the change in the GG function scores from admission to discharge (GG AvD/C) was computed for each patient. The study utilized a multiple regression modeling approach to evaluate the variation of the GG AvD/C score across the different categories of frailty.
Results
The results of this analysis suggest that by observing a patient's FI near time of admission, the clinician can make a recommendation, based on an objective metric, when ordering patient treatment frequencies and time, based on the patient’s potential for functional gains.
Conclusions
Using a FI to categorize patients into Frailty Risk Groups provides an opportunity to predict the amount of functional improvement from start of care to discharge as measured using MDS GG functional scores.
In silico ADMET, molecular docking and molecular simulation-based study of glabridin’s natural and semisynthetic derivatives as potential tyrosinase inhibitors
Authors: kumari Arti , Kumar Rakesh , Sulabh Gira , Singh Pratishtha , Kumar Jainendra , Singh Vijay Kumar , Ojha Krishna Kumar
Published: March 2022

Objective
Hyper-pigmentation conditions may develop due to erroneous melanogenesis cascade which leads to excess melanin production. Recently, inhibition of tyrosinase is the main focus of investigation as it majorly contributes to melanin production. This inhibition property can be exploited in medicine, agriculture, and in cosmetics. Present study aims to find a natural and safe alternative molecule as tyrosinase inhibitor.
Methods
In this study, human tyrosinase enzyme was modelled due to unavailability of its crystal structure to look into the degree of efficacy of glabridin and its 15 derivatives as tyrosinase inhibitor. Docking was performed by Autodock Vina at the catalytic core enzyme. Glabridin effects on melanoma cell lines was also elucidated by analysing cytotoxicity and effect on melanin production. Computational ADME analysis was done by SwissADME. Molecular dynamic simulation was also performed to further evaluate the interaction profile of these molecules and kojic acid (positive inhibitor) with respect to apo protein.
Results
Notably, four derivatives 5’-formylglabridin, glabridin dimer, 5’-prenyl glabridin and R-glabridin exhibited better binding affinity than glabridin. Glabridin effectively inhibited melanin production in a dose dependent manner. Among these, 5’-formylglabridin displayed highest binding affinity with docking score – 9.2 kcal/mol. Molecular properties and bioactivity analysis by Molinspiration web server and by SwissADME also presented these molecules as potential drug candidates.
Conclusion
The study explores the understanding for the development of suitable tyrosinase inhibitor/s for the prevention of hyperpigmentation. However, a detailed in vivo study is required for glabridin derivatives to suggest these molecules as anti-melanogenic compound.
E-Cigarette Use and Intentions Related to Psychological Distress During the Start of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Cabral Patricia
Published: March 2022

Background
This study examines associations between psychological distress, intentions to use e-cigarettes, and cigarette smoking, e-cigarette use, and cannabis consumption through e-cigarette use among a diverse sample of U.S. young adults
Procedures
: Young adults (N = 405; 72.5% female) were recruited to complete an online survey during the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Results
Associations between psychological distress and cigarette smoking, e-cigarette use, cannabis vaping, and intentions to use e-cigarettes were found. Current e-cigarette use (OR = 1.23) and cannabis vaping (OR = 2.03) was higher among female, possibly due to the significantly higher psychological distress reported among females. Intentions to use e-cigarettes moderated the relationship between psychological distress and all smoking and vaping behaviors.
Conclusions
Public health efforts should increase focus on improving psychological services for young adults to improve coping strategies that are alternative to smoking and vaping behaviors.
Development of Quality Indicators in the Management of Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review
Authors: Atuwo-Ampoh Vivian Della , Ofori Eric Kwasi , Engil-Hills Penelope , Gyapong Margaret , Boadu Mary , Donkor Andrew , Davies Elizabeth , Tetteh Klenam , Addo Patience , Yarney Joel
Published: March 2022

Background
Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death. Current evidence suggests a gap between what is understood to be standard breast cancer management and what happens in clinical practice. The development and implementation of breast quality indicators (QIs) for breast cancer management is one way to achieve better care. This systematic review aimed to identify QIs developed for the management of breast cancer and to summarize characteristics and range of measures uncovered.
Methods
Studies related to the development of QIs for management and monitoring of breast cancer care were systematically searched, extracted and reviewed using four electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and Cochrane Library) following a Prospero Protocol Registration (CRD42020207945). The study was reported using the Preferred Reporting Items for the Systematic Review and Meta-analysis (PRISMA). This review reported on the development of QIs in the management of breast cancer and Donabedian’s framework was adopted as the analytical framework.
Results
Out of 1161 potentially relevant articles identified, eight studies met the inclusion criteria and were directly concerned with QI development for breast cancer care. These included two papers from China and one each from; The Netherlands, Belgium, Scotland and Canada. The remaining two were a collaboration among the European Society of Breast cancer Specialists (EUSOMA). The methods used by these studies to identify and develop QIs included a comprehensive literature review, medical records review, clinical guidelines, and Delphi consensus using an expert panel discussion. A total of 38 QIs were identified and classified as: structure (n = 3); process (n = 30); and outcome (n = 5). Structure indicators included: the availability of Multi-Disciplinary Team Meeting (MDT), medical records and breast cancer research infrastructure. Process indicators included eight diagnostic QIs, 22 treatment QIs and seven follow-up QIs. The outcome indicator focused mainly on the overall five-year survival statistics.
Conclusions
The development of QIs appears relevant to monitor clinical management and performance but is currently limited to higher income countries. Development and implementation of QIs in LMICs countries will improve practice.
Screening Wild Brassica Species Against Alternaria Brassicicola (Schw.) Wiltsh for Breeding Alternaria Leaf Spot Resistance in Brassica Vegetables
Authors: Singh Shrawan , Sagar Sushma , Rao Mahesh , Saroha Sandhya , Garg Pooja , Prasad Lakshman
Published: March 2022

Alternaria leaf spot (ALS) is a major disease of Brassica crops, and it causes huge economic losses to both the cultivated oilseed-and vegetable- Brassicas . The present study was aimed to develop a non-destructive robust method for screening of wild Brassica species and to find resistant wild species against Alternaria brassicicola (Schw.) Wiltsh available in the germplasm. For this, 38 wild Brassica species were screened at adult plant stage by an in vitro detached leaf inoculation method in three consecutive years i.e. 2019-20, 2020-21 and 2021-22. The new screening protocol provides favourable environment (temperature 25±2 °C; relative humidity >90%) for the pathogen and retained the host leaves in condition (by placing sucrose 5% w/v in petiolar base) for disease development. The consistency in reactions of the species against A. brassicicola during all three years of testing indicates the robustness of the protocol. Further, the multiple parameters were recorded on leaf condition and disease response of the wild species. Complete resistance was observed in Capsella while resistance in Lepidium , Camelina and Biscutella . Both Capsella bursa pastoris (L.) Medik (early) and C. bursa pastoris (late) were symptomless resistant. Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz, Diplotaxis erucoides (L.) DC and Diplotaxis gomez-campoi Mart.-Laborde were found to be resistant against A. brassicicola . The significant correlation between disease parameters indicates the robustness and effectiveness of the screening protocol for wild Brassica species.
Biogenesis and Characterization of Proficient Silver Nanoparticles Employing Marine Procured Fungi Hamigera Pallida and Assessment of their Antioxidative, Antimicrobial and Anticancer Potency on Human Breast Cancer (MCF-7) Cell Line
Authors: Mistry Harsh , Thakor Rashmi , Bariya Himanshu S
Published: March 2022

Objectives
To assess the anticancer potential of biosynthesized silver nanoparticles using marine derived fungi Hamigera pallida with their antibacterial and antioxidant activities.
Results
The biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) was assessed by the change in color from bright yellow to dark brown. UV-Visible spectroscopy revealed its stability at 429 nm; ATR-FTIR spectroscopy revealed the functional group responsible for its production; X-Ray Diffraction revealed its crystalline FCC structure resembling the peaks in the XRD pattern, corresponding to (110), (111), (200), and (311) planes; TEM imaging revealed its spherical morphology with an average particle size of 5.85 ± 0.84 nm ranging from 3.69 to 16.11 nm and Tauc's plot analysis revealed a band gap energy of 2.22 eV, revealing aptitude of AgNPs as a semiconductors. The subsequent characterization results revealed the effective synthesis of silver nanoparticles. The biosynthesized AgNPs were found to have significant antimicrobial effect against three Gram-positive and three Gram-negative bacteria. They also demonstrated higher antioxidative potential by demonstrating strong radical scavenging activity against DPPH (2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl). AgNPs showed highest anticancer activity (62.69 ± 1.73%) against human breast cancer (MCF-7) cell line at 100 µg/mL with the IC50 value of 66.07 ± 2.17 µg/mL.
Conclusions
This study revealed the prospect for further utilization of AgNPs by Cell free filtrate (CFF) of Hamigera pallida as an antibacterial, antioxidative and anticancer agents.
Catalpol prevents glomerular angiogenesis induced by advanced glycation end products via inhibiting Galectin-3
Authors: Sun Weixiang , Gao Yuyan , Cao Ying , Lu Jinfu , Lv Gaohong , Xu Huiqin
Published: March 2022

Objectives: The main characteristics of Diabetic Nephropathy (DN) at the early stage is abnormal angiogenesis of glomerular endothelial cells and macrophage infiltration. Galectin-3 plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of DN via binding with its ligand, Advanced Glycation End products (AGEs). Catalpol (Cat.), an iridoid glucoside extracted fromRehmannia glutinosa, has been found to ameliorate vascular inflammation, reduce endothelial permeability and protect endothelial damage upon diabetic milieu. However, little is known about whether Cat. could exert anti-angiogenesis and anti-inflammation effect induced by AGEs. Methods:The anti-angiogenic mechanisms of Cat. were examined by incubating mouse glomerular endothelial cells (mGECs) and RAW 264.7 macrophages induced by AGEs. The expression of Galectin-3 and correlated molecules were also detected in diabetic rats treated with Cat.Key findings: We observed that Galectin-3/Hypoxia-inducible factor-1(HIF-1α)was activated by AGEs in mGECs and RAW 264.7 macrophages, catalpol significantly inhibited the proliferation of the mGECs and RAW 264.7 macrophages in vitro.Meanwhile, it also ameliorateddiabetes-induced renal damage via inhibiting Galectin-3/VEGF/HIF-1α pathways in vivo.Conclusions: Altogether, our findings demonstrated that Cat. prevent the angiogenesis of mGECs and macrophages proliferation via inhibiting Galectin-3. We suggest that Cat.contributes to block the pathogenic development of diabetes-induced renal damage.
Efficacy and Safety of Delivery Timolol Maleate via Nanometer Microneedles among Superficial Infantile Hemangioma: a retrospective study in China
Authors: Yuan Lulu , Wang Xukai , Wang Weiren , Zhang Xujie , Wang Jia
Published: March 2022

Background: Infantile hemangioma is common and affects multidemensionally. Drug therapy is a commonly used method in clinical practice, but its effect needs to be improved. The main challenge derives from the drug penetration and safety. The emergence of nanometer microneedle technology seems to solve these problems. The proposed study aims to review the efficacy and safety of the nano-microneedle by comparing with other drug therapy methods.Methods: A retrospective study reviewed patients with infantile hemangioma who were admitted to a tertiary stomatological hospital from January 2014 to October 2021. The cases were divided into three groups according to the different drugs and the different methods of drug administration, namely timolol maleate solution introduced by nanometer microneedle technology (NM), timolol maleate drops dipped with a medical swab (MS), and propranolol orally (PO). The effective rate, the cure rate, the rate of adverse reactions, and the time for treatment to be effective were recorded and compared.Results：A total of 307 cases were reviewed in the study (NM=97, MS=107, PO=103). The total effective rate, total cure rate, total rate of adverse reactions were 87.6%, 65.2%, 9.4%, respectively. There was statistically significant difference in the effective rate, the cure rate, the rate of adverse reactions, the time for treatment to be effective between the three groups. The results of the pairwise comparison showed that the effective rate of NM was higher than that of MS (P＜0.05), the cure rate of NM was higher than that of MS (P＜0.05), the rate of adverse reactions of OP was higher than that of MS (P＜0.05), the time for treatment to be effective of NM was shorter than that of MS and OP (P＜0.05).Conclusions: Our study revealed that delivery timolol maleate via nanometer microneedle is an efficacy and safety in infantile with superficial hemangioma. It has the highest effective rate and cure rate, lower incidence of adverse reactions, and shortest time for treatment to be effective.
UAV Target Identification Based on Information fusion of Computer Vision and Radar Signals
Authors: Wei Yuan , Hong Tao , Fang Chaoqun
Published: March 2022

With the increasing number of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), the increasing pressure of air traffic management and airspace security, it is a challenge to achieve effective UAV target detection. Computer vision and radar signal detection are two commonly used technologies in this field. Computer vision is limited by meteorological conditions and the radar signal is affected by ground clutter at low altitudes. In response to these problems, this paper describes the information fusion method from two different levels of data-level fusion and decision-level fusion. In this method, Computer vision and radar signals complement each other to improve the detection accuracy. For each level, the method of information fusion is introduced in detail. Besides, the effectiveness of the method is proved by comprehensive experiment. The results show that the accuracy of the fusion method is improved, with a maximum of 9.0%.
Bacterial and Fungal Isolation from Face Masks: Newly Emerged Hygiene Issues Under COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Park Ah-Mee , Khadka Sundar , Sato Fumitaka , Omura Seiichi , Fujita Mitsugu , Hashiwaki Kazuki , Tsunoda Ikuo
Published: March 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has led people to wear face masks daily in public. Although the effectiveness of the face masks against viral transmission has been extensively studied, there is no report on potential hygiene issues due to bacteria and fungi attached to the face masks. We aimed to demonstrate 1, information of the usage duration and types of masks; 2, the number of bacteria and fungi attaching to masks; and 3, identification of the bacteria and fungi attaching to masks. We conducted a survey of 109 volunteers on their mask usage and lifestyles, and cultured bacteria and fungi on their masks. The colony numbers of bacteria were greater in the face-side than outer-side and those of fungal were fewer in the face-side than in the outer-side. A longer mask usage significantly increased the fungal colony counts, but not the bacterial colony counts. Although most identified microbes were non-pathogenic; S. epidermidis, S. aureus and Cladosporium, there were several pathogenic microbes; B. cereus, S. saprophyticus, Aspergillus, and Microsporum. We also investigated the associations between mask-attached microbes and individual lifestyles such as transportation and gargling. These findings suggest that people, especially compromised hosts, should avoid repeated use of masks to prevent microbial infection.
The paradigm based on the fractal model of granular distribution for the study of the mechanical strength of concrete.
Authors: Abdeldjalil Mhammed , Chouicha Kaddour
Published: March 2022

Studies revealed that all the grain size-grading curves specified by concretes mix designs were all typified by an almost perfect quasi-fractal distribution of the aggregate particle size. This enabled to identify the basic granular mixture (no cement, fine or mineral addition) and determine the porosity, based on the granular fractal-identification modulus\("\text{F}\text{D}.\text{l}\text{o}\text{g}(\text{d}/\text{D})"\), comprising the fractal dimension \(\left(\text{F}\text{D}\right)\) of the aggregate involved and the granular range (\(\text{d}/\text{D}\)). The aim of this research work was to shed new light on the prediction of concrete mechanical compressive strength - as a major topic addressed by many researchers who investigated concretes - and introduce a new approach to expand the use of the \("\text{F}\text{D}.\text{l}\text{o}\text{g}(\text{d}/\text{D})"\) modulus, which explicitly addressed the aggregate granularity and implicitly determined the related compactness. The approach adopted a two-phase concrete model, where the first phase being the aggregate and the second phase referring to the paste (cement, water, mineral addition and possibly fines). The implemented granular fractal-identification modulus (GFIM) included new parameters of concretes mix designs as dosage and nature of the concrete components, comprising identical aggregates and hence similar (GFIM) and compactness values. Applying a reading array to experimental compiled results of more than 300 concretes selected from literature provided a clear correlation between the development of concrete compressive strength \({\text{R}}_{\text{C}28}\)and a combination of the classical parameters used. The approach thus established a new and more instructive as well as pedagogical paradigm for adequately assessing and controlling concretes performance on fractal basis.
Potential of two omnivorous iolinid mites as predators of the tomato russet mite, Aculops lycopersici
Authors: Vervaet Lore , Parapurath Gokul , De Vis Raf , Leeuwen Thomas Van , De Clercq Patrick
Published: March 2022

Two iolinid predatory mites were studied in the laboratory as potential biological control agents of the tomato russet mite, Aculops lycopersici (Acari: Eriophyidae). The development, reproduction and predation capacity of Pronematus ubiquitus and Homeopronematus anconai (Acari: Iolinidae) on A. lycopersici were investigated. Developmental time from egg to adult at 25°C averaged 9.59, 9.31 and 9.52 days for P. ubiquitus on A. lycopersici, A. lycopersici and Typha angustifolia pollen, and pollen only, respectively. H. anconai required 11.18, 10.39 and 11.90 days to complete development on the respective diets. Survival of the immature stages exceeded 83% on all diets for both iolinids. In experimental arenas, both predators caused a substantial reduction of the immature population development of A. lycopersici. The number of tomato russet mite offspring was reduced by 78% and 57% by P. ubiquitus and H. anconai, respectively. The addition of pollen to the arena lowered this population reduction to 35% and 27% for the respective predators. However, supplementing a diet of tomato russet mites with pollen significantly increased the fecundity of both predatory mites from 14–15 to 24–25 eggs over a five-day period. The results suggest that both P. ubiquitus and H. anconai have good potential to suppress A. lycopersici populations and that T. angustifolia pollen can support population establishment of the predators.
Serum Pro-B-type natriuretic peptide levels and Cardiac Index as Adjunctive Tools of Blunt Cardiac Injury
Authors: Bae Chae-Min , Cho Joon Yong , Jung Hanna , Son Shin-Ah
Published: March 2022

BackgroundThe purpose of this study is to investigate the competence of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT pro-BNP) and cardiac index (C.I) as adjunctive diagnostic tools for blunt cardiac injury (BCI).MethodsFrom January 2018 to March 2020, 103 patients with major trauma diagnosed with sternum fracture admitted to the traumatic intensive care unit; 33 patients with factors that could affect NT pro-BNP were excluded. Remained 63 patients included this study. 33 patients were diagnosed with non-BCI, and 30 patients were diagnosed with BCI. The median ages of the patients were 58 (range, 24–77) years, and 60 (range, 19–79) years for the non-BCI and BCI groups (p= 0.773). ResultsWhen comparing value NT pro-BNP of admission, hospital day (HD) 2, and HD 3, there were no differences between the two groups (p= 0.084, p= 0.094 and p= 0.175 respectively). When comparing level of C.I, there were differences on admission, and HD 3 (p= 0.012 and p= 0.001, respectively); however, no significant difference was observed on HD 2 (p= 0.176). In addition, when comparing level of lactate, level of admission, HD 2, and HD 3 showed differences between the two groups (p< 0.001, p< 0.001 and p< 0.001, respectively).ConclusionConsecutive NT pro-BNP, C.I and BCI showed no statistical significance and the values of NT pro-BNP and C.I ​​show no correlation with the diagnosis of BCI. However, lactate level may help as an adjunctive tool for diagnosis of BCI.
Epidemiology of Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Kazakhstan: Data from Unified National Electronic Health System 2014-2019
Authors: Gaipov Abduzhappar , Galiyeva Dinara , Gusmanov Arnur , Sakko Yesbolat , Issanov Alpamys , Atageldiyeva Kuralay , Kadyrzhanuly Kainar , Nurpeissova Aiymzhan , Rakhimzhanova Marzhan , Durmanova Aigul , Sarria-Santamera Antonio
Published: March 2022

Background: We aimed to explore descriptive epidemiology of T1 and T2 Diabetes Mellitus (DM) and to investigate demographic factors and comorbidities associated with all-cause mortality by aggregating and utilizing large-scale administrative healthcare data from the Unified National Electronic Health System (UNEHS) for 2014-2019 years period.Methods: We used Kaplan-Meier and log-rank test to calculate failure function and differences in survival by age, sex, ethnicity, and comorbidities with all-cause mortality for Type 1 and Type 2 DM. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to obtain crude and adjusted hazard ratios.Results: Prevalence of Type 1 and Type 2 DM increased 1.7 times from 2014 to 2019. Mortality of Type 1 and Type 2 DM also increased 4 times and 6 times from 2014 to 2019, respectively. Male sex, older age and Kazakh ethnicity were associated with a higher risk of all-cause death compared to females, younger age and other nationalities than Kazakh in patients with Type 1 and Type 2 DM. Coronary artery disease, diabetic nephropathy, stroke, amputations and neoplasms were associated with a higher risk of all-cause death. Conclusion: The prevalence and mortality rate of Type 1 and Type 2 DM increased during the years 2014 - 2019 in Kazakhstan. Male sex, older age and Kazakh ethnicity were associated with a higher risk of all-cause death compared to females, younger age and other nationalities than Kazakh. Coronary artery disease, diabetic nephropathy, stroke, amputations and neoplasms were associated with a higher risk of all-cause death.
Assessment of solar radiation resource from the NASA-POWER reanalysis products for tropical climates in Ghana towards clean energy application
Authors: Quansah Alfred , Dogbey Felicia , Asilevi Prince Junior , Boakye Patrick , Darkwah Lawrence , Oduro-Kwarteng Sampson , Sokama-Neuyam Yen , Mensah Patrick
Published: March 2022

In order to expand the output of solar power systems for efficient integration into the national grid, solar energy resource assessment at site is required. A major impediment however, is the widespread scarcity of radiometric measurements, which can be augmented by satellite observation. This paper assessed the suitability of satellite-based solar radiation resource retrieved from the NASA-POWER archives at \(0.5^\circ \times 0.5^\circ\) spatial resolution over Ghana - West Africa, to develop a long-term source reference. The assessment is based on the criteria of comparison with estimations from sunshine duration measurement for 22 synoptic stations. Overall, the satellite-based data compared well with ground-based estimations by r = 0.6–0.94 ± 0.1. Spatiotemporally, the agreement is strongest over the northern half Savannah-type climate during March-May, and weakest over the southern half Forest-type climate during June-August. The assessment provides empirical framework to support solar energy utilization in the sub-region.