bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Harness the Power of Hardware Technologies for Scale Control and Management in Subsea Fields
Authors: Guan Hua , Rice Phillip Adam , Avery Mike
Published: May 2022

The global opportunities within the subsea market, in both greenfield and brownfield, have been growing over the years; however, the increasing complexity in subsea fields has brought significant challenges in terms of scale control and management. This is highlighted by the lack of reliable water compositions and resulting uncertainties of scale risk evaluation, the difficulty to control chemical dosage subsea, and well access for intervention which becomes a very costly event. These challenges can greatly impact the operational, contingency, and remediation programs, hence the overall economy of the field.

This paper presents a selection of hardware technologies that have been utilized to resolve the challenges associated with scale control in subsea fields. Subsea sampling systems have enabled the collection of representative fluid samples directly from the point of interest. This advanced sample transport and analysis has ensured the supply of representative fluid data into scale risk assessment; while chemical injection metering valves (CIMV) have allowed the correct chemical dosage into the target wells. The evolution of optimized hydraulic intervention technologies have improved the available options for cost-effective well access, leveraging lower cost vessels and improving overall capital and operational expenditures.

These recent developments in subsea hardware technologies have enabled the subsea scale control problems to be handled more effectively. Upon the review of these associated scale management challenges, the system layouts and working mechanisms of each applicable hardware technology are illustrated in detail. This is further demonstrated by several successful case histories where reliable scale control, reduced intervention frequency, significant cost saving, and increased uptime are achieved. Moreover, equipment flexibility and adaptability to cover a range of environmental conditions, namely water depth, to provide an optimum hydraulic intervention method that offers a commercially attractive alternative to traditional riser-based techniques.

The novel scale remediation solutions discussed in this paper have demonstrated the power of integrating hardware technologies with effective chemicals and suitable intervention methods for successful scale control and management in subsea fields.
Mechanical Characteristics of Cluster Perforation String under Running Process in Horizontal Wells with Unconventional Oil/Gas Reservoirs
Authors: Guo Xiaoqiang , Liu Jun , Du Zhigang , Tang Kai , Cao Dayong , He Zuqing
Published: May 2022

To improve the safety of cluster perforating tubing strings in horizontal wells with unconventional oil/gas reservoirs, a passing capability analysis model for cluster perforation string in a wellbore is established, in which the friction between downhole tools and borehole wall, fluid resistance, wellbore geometric constraint, and tool variable cross section were accounted for. The model is solved via geometric analyses and the beam-column theory. Then, the cable pump thrust test is carried out in three shale gas wells in South Sichuan, and comparing the measured data with the theoretical calculation results, the correctness of the theoretical model is verified. Based on that, the influences of the cluster numbers, the perforating gun types, the well section length, and the well types on the mechanical characteristics of the cluster perforation string are systematically analyzed. The results obtained demonstrate that, first, the number of perforating gun clusters should be as small as possible when the azimuth angle or well inclination angle changes greatly. In case of a small change of azimuth or deviation angle, the number of perforation gun clusters can be appropriately increased to improve the operation efficiency. Second, when the deviation angle and azimuth angle change greatly in field operation, it is recommended to use a small perforating gun to ensure the smooth running of the perforating string. When a large perforating gun is needed in the field, it is necessary to optimize the well trajectory (reduce the location of the big dogleg in wellbore) to ensure the safe running of the tubing string. Third, in the field well trajectory optimization design, the position of well inclination angle change and azimuth angle change should be staggered to improve the trafficability of perforating tubing strings on-site. Moreover, when increasing the well sections, the position of the knee point should be optimized to be smoother, and the change rate of the parameter value of the well trajectory should be reduced. The research results provide a theoretically sound guidance for designing and practically sound approach for effectively improving the service life of perforating tubing strings in horizontal wells with unconventional oil/gas reservoirs.
Comparative analysis and epidemiological study of SARS-CoV-2 in first wave among different states of India
Authors: Kaushik Rakesh , Nikita  , Lugani Yogita , Rishabh  , Gururaj K. , Lata Suman , Pandey Ishan , Singh Shoorvir
Published: May 2022

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Corona Virus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has now spread worldwide, and various governments are attempting to control the disease's spread before it becomes a global health crisis. Data from 28 Indian states and 8 Union Territories (UTs) provide a detailed look at the transmission pathways and case fatality rate (CFR) of the SARS-CoV-2. Among the global data, India was found to be the third country with the highest mortality cases of 157K, and Maharashtra was having the most higher number of mortality cases followed by Tamil Nadu and others. The percent distribution of CFR calculated in each geographical zone of India i.e. Central, Eastern, North Eastern and Northern, Southern and Western zone were 17%, 14%, 7%, 22%, 12%, and 28%, respectively. Furthermore, the CFR was calculated at different periods of the month using a standard formula. The CFR was significantly higher (P<0.01) in April to June of 2020. CFR was significantly different (P<0.01) depending on the month. Moreover, CFR was compared in different zones in India, western zone showed the highest CFR as compared to other zones. The effectiveness of SARS-CoV-2 was evaluated in patients of various ages and co-morbidities. Patients >21 years had the highest age-specific positivity rate. The prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 patients in acute and chronic disease was 12.87 and 87.13 percent, respectively. Thus, this analytical epidemiological study serves specifically in establishing a relationship between SARS-CoV-2 infection and other precipitating factors causing morbidity and mortality during the given time frame in the first wave, in the year 2020.
Evaluation of oleaginous yeasts isolated from lignocellulosic waste, sugarcane bagasse as a potential source for single cell oil production and other biochemical metabolites.
Authors: Legodi Lesetja Moraba , Moganedi Kgabo L Maureen
Published: May 2022

Purpose
The microorganisms that possess diverse and improved traits for biotechnological applications provide an opportunity to address some of the current industrial challenges such as sustainability of fuel energy and food. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of yeast isolates from sugarcane bagasse for single oil production.
Methods
Oleaginocity of the yeasts was confirmed through gravimetric analysis of lipids, Nile red, sulfo-phosphovanillin (SPV) and gas chromatography method for fatty acid methyl esters (FAME). Identification of the selected yeasts was carried out through 5.8S of the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer, ITS and 26S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) sequences.
Results
The yeast isolates accumulated lipids between 28% and 67% of the dry cell weight, and 22%-33% based on SPV assay, qualifying them as oleaginous yeasts. the isolated yeasts were identified as Candida ethanolica and Pichia manshuriica.
Conclusion
The lipids contained high level of fatty acids in the following order: oleic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid and linoleic acid, which made up 82% of the total lipids. The fatty acids composition of the selected yeast species was found to be suitable for the applications in biofuel, nutraceutical and food industry.
Heavy Metal Analysis in of Indoor and Outdoor Dust Extracts and Cytotoxicity evaluation and inflammation factors on Lung, Gastric and Skin Cell Lines
Authors: Nezhad Mohsen Azimi , Ghasemi Ahmad , Mohtashami Mahnaz , Saeidi Jafar , Mashadrizeh Aliakbar Haddad , naimabadi abolfazl
Published: May 2022

Background: Urban dust particles are one of the most worrying parts of the urban environment in terms of public health, which is considered the richest carriers of heavy metals and other pollutants in these areas. Heavy metals have aroused widespread attention due to their non-degradability, high toxicity and cumulative carcinogenic effects. Methods: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the cytotoxic effects of indoor and outdoor dust extracts on lung, gastric and skin cell lines in Neyshabur, Iran. Thus, the city of Neyshabur was divided into three areas, high-traffic, medium-traffic and low-traffic (rural), based on the urban traffic map. Sampling of deposited urban dust was performed from inside residential houses (indoor dust) and outside residential houses (outdoor dust), followed by measuring the concentration of heavy metals in all samples. Aqueous extracts of these compounds were prepared to determine their cytotoxicity and gene expression effects on lung carcinoma cell lines (A549), gastric cancer cell lines (AGS) and normal fibroblasts (L929).Results: The results showed that the concentration of heavy metals in indoor dust samples was higher than outdoor dust samples. Independent t-test was performed to measure the difference in toxicity between indoor and outdoor samples. According to the P value of 0.015, there was a significant difference between these two samples. The indoor samples had higher toxicity for the study cell lines. The results revealed a higher concentration of heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Co, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn) in the indoor samples. One-way ANOVA test found no significant difference between the level of toxicity and the type of cell lines. Based on this test, there was a significant difference between the type of traffic situation and the degree of toxicity. The p-value = 0.005 and Tukey's test indicated a significant difference between high traffic areas and medium traffic areas (p = 0.019) and low-traffic areas (p = 0.008), so that the dust in areas with high traffic had a higher degree of toxicity. Conclusion: Due to the higher concentration of heavy metals in indoor dust and the degree of damage caused by these compounds on cell lines, we need to be more sensitive to the appliances probably exposed to these pollutants, especially when it comes to children living indoors.
PLEKHA4 is a prognostic biomarker and correlated with immune infiltrates in glioma
Authors: Xiong Zhongtang , Li Liu , Bian Piaopiao , Luo Qiuping , Jiang Qingping , Xiong Hanzhen , Zhang Wei
Published: May 2022

Background
Gliomas are the most common and life-threatening intracranial tumors. Immune-infiltration of the tumor microenvironment significantly affects tumor prognosis in glioma. Recently, PLEKHA4 was reported to be up-regulated in melanoma and closely associated with tumor genesis and development, but its role in glioma is poorly understood.
Methods
The clinical data of glioma patients were downloaded from the TCGA database. Immunohistochemistry was used to verify PLEKHA4 expression in tumor tissues. We assessed the influence of PLEKHA4 on survival of glioma patients by survival module and GEPIA. Then, we downloaded datasets of glioma from TCGA and investigated the correlations between the clinical characteristics and PLEKHA4 expression using logistic regression. Moreover, we use TIMER to explore the collection of PLEKHA4 expression and immune infiltration level in glioma and to analyse cumulative survival in LGG. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was performed using the TCGA dataset.
Results
The results showed that PLEKHA4 transcript levels were significantly upregulated in multiple cancer types, including gliomas. Moreover, immunohistochemical analysis verified that PLEKHA4 was overexpressed in gliomas compare to the corresponding normal tissues. We assessed the influence of PLEKHA4 on survival of glioma patients by survival module and GEPIA. Then, we downloaded datasets of glioma from TCGA and investigated the correlations between the clinical characteristics and PLEKHA4 expression were analyzed using logistic regression. Univariable survival and multivariate cox analysis showed that increased PLEKHA4 expression significantly correlated with age, tumor grade, IDH mutation status,1p/19q codel status and higher PLEKHA4 had shorter OS,DSS,PFI. We also used TIMER to explore the collection of PLEKHA4 expression and immune infiltration level in glioma and to evaluate cumulative survival in glioma. Specifically, PLEKHA4 expression level had significant positive correlations with infiltrating levels of B cell, CD4 + T cells, CD8 + T cells, macrophages, neutrophils and DCs in glioma and upregulation of PLEKHA4 expression was significantly related to immune cell biomarkers, and immune checkpoint expression in glioma.
Conclusions
Our findings proposed that PLEKHA4 was an independent prognostic biomarker and correlated with immune infiltrates in glioma, and targeting PLEKHA4 might improve immunotherapy in glioma.
Examining the Influence of Turbulence on Viscosity Measurements of Molten Germanium under Reduced Gravity
Authors: Bracker Gwendoly , Luo Yuansu , Damaschke Bernd , Samwer Konrad , Hyers Robert
Published: May 2022

The thermophysical properties of liquid germanium were recently measured both in parabolic flight experiments and on the ISS in the ISS-EML facility. The viscosity measurements differed between the reduced gravity experiments and the literature values. Since the oscillating drop method has been widely used in EML, further exploration into this phenomenon was of interest. Models of the magnetohydrodynamic flow indicated that turbulence was present during the measurement in the ISS-EML facility which accounts for the observed difference.
Determinants of Community-Acquired Pneumonia among 2-59 Months Old Children Attending Health Facility in Hossaena Town, Ethiopia
Authors: Endale Adis , Gari Taye , Haji Yusuf , Tiruneh Yeshanew , Wudneh Taye
Published: May 2022

Background: Globally, pneumonia is the leading cause of mortality among children. Among high burden countries, Ethiopia ranks fifth. Regardless of this fact, efforts to identify determinants of pneumonia have been limited in the study area.Objective: Identify the determinants of community-acquired pneumonia among under-five children. Methods: Institution-based unmatched case-control prospective study was carried out among 143 cases and 285 controls of under-five children. The data were collected using a structured and pre-tested questionnaire, then entered into Epi-info version 7 and analyzed using SPSS) version 20. logistic regression model was used to determine the effect of various factors on the outcome variable. Results: The result of this study identified maternal age less than 25 years (AOR=3.98, 95% CI=2.16,7.31), family size greater than 4 (AOR=4.99, 95% CI=2.62,9.50),non-exclusive breast feeding (AOR=2.40, 95% CI=1.03,5.57), stunting (AOR=1.99, 95% CI=1.11, 3.60), history of diarrhea in the last 15 days (AOR=2.37,95% CI=1.13,4.98), charcoal used as a source of cooking fuel (AOR=6.09, 95% CI=2.77,17.12), lack of separate kitchen (AOR=2.20,95% CI=1.24, 3.91) and parental smoking (AOR=3.79, 95% CI=1.82, 7.90) were determinants of community acquired pneumonia among 2-59 month age children. Conclusion: Maternal age< 25 years, family size> 4, non-exclusive breastfeeding, stunting, history of diarrhea, charcoal use as cooking fuel, and parental smoking were risk factors of community-acquired pneumonia. Limiting the family size, nutritional intervention, prevention and early treatment of diarrheal diseases, and preventing indoor air pollution could be optional interventions to reduce the risk of community-acquired pneumonia.
Degradation Feature Extraction of Quay Crane Gearbox Based on Static Divided Symbol Sequence Entropy
Authors: Wang Bing , wang Wei , Hu Xiong , de sun jian
Published: May 2022

Gearbox is an important transmission equipment of quay crane hoisting mechanism. In order to accurately extract the degradation features from the vibration monitoring signal, a degradation feature extraction technique based on the static divided symbol sequence entropy is proposed. Considering the uniformity of the symbolization standard, the technique takes the root mean square of the signal in health condition as the basis, and combines the scale coefficient to establish a uniform basic scale. At the same time, the symbol set is expanded to enhance the information content and the ability of characterizing complexity of signal in large-value region. The Logistic chaotic sequence and the lifetime signal of hoisting mechanism gearbox are used for analysis respectively. The results show that the proposed technique is able to characterize the complexity of the nonlinear time series, and sensitively describe the performance degradation of the hoisting mechanism gearbox. The calculation speed is fast, which will lay a method foundation for further evaluating the health condition of large-scale quay crane in the port.
Early life nutrition affects the molecular ontogeny of testicular development in the young bull calf
Authors: Coen Stephen , Keogh Kate , Lonergan Patrick , Fair Sean , Kenny David
Published: May 2022

Enhanced early life nutrition accelerates sexual development in the bull calf through neuroendocrine-signalling mediated via the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis. Our aim was to assess the impact of contrasting feeding regimes in bull calves during the first 12 weeks of life on the testes transcriptome and proteome. Holstein-Friesian bull calves were offered either a high (HI) or moderate (MOD) plane of nutrition, designed to support target growth rates of 1.0 and 0.5 kg/day, respectively. At 12 weeks of age all calves were euthanized, testicular parenchyma sampled, and global transcriptome (miRNAseq and mRNAseq) and proteome analyses undertaken. Bioinformatic analyses revealed 7 differentially expressed (DE) miRNA and 20 DE mRNA. There were no differentially abundant proteins between the two dietary groups. Integration of omics results highlighted a potential role for the cadherin gene, CDH13, in earlier reproductive development. Furthermore, co-regulatory network analysis of the proteomic data revealed CDH13 as a hub protein within a network enriched for processes related to insulin, IGF-1, androgen and Sertoli cell junction signalling pathways as well as cholesterol biosynthesis. Overall, results highlight a potential role for CDH13 in mediating earlier reproductive development as a consequence of enhanced early life nutrition in the bull calf.
Total organic carbon concentrations in clastic cave sediments from Butler Cave, Virginia, USA: implications for contaminant fate and transport
Authors: Riddell Jill Leighanne , Downey Autum R. , Vesper Dorothy J. , Padilla Ingrid Y.
Published: May 2022

Clastic cave deposits are representative of sediments throughout the karst aquifer and thus are an abundant and accessible resource through which to study the chemistry of karst aquifer. Clastic cave sediments are attributed to depositional facies based on cave location, sorting, and particle size. These facies settings may influence different chemical parameters of the sediments, like concentrations of total organic carbon (TOC). The TOC concentrations in clastic cave sediments have not been well constrained nor has the role of clastic sediments in contaminant fate and transport through karst systems been well described. In this study, particle size, TOC, and total nitrogen were measured in sediments representing different facies in Butler Cave, Virginia, USA. TOC concentrations ranged from 0.08–0.87 weight percent and C:N molar ratio ranged from 3–15, indicating a possible terrestrial source of organic carbon in these sediments. The diamicton facies was sandier and but had similar TOC concentrations compared to the channel facies. TOC concentrations measured in Butler Cave were within the same range as those observed in above water, eogenetic clastic cave sediments from two caves in Puerto Rico. Estimated retardation factors calculated based on the TOC concentrations in the Butler Cave sediments indicate the range of TOC in this cave could be responsible for 39–987% increase in retardation of selected contaminants. This study highlights the importance of measuring the ranges of TOC in clastic cave sediments across different facies and their role in contaminant fate and transport.
Susceptibility of Anopheles Mosquitoes to Insecticides Used In Busia and Tororo Districts, Eastern Uganda
Authors: Chemutai Faith , Kisakye Joseph , Kabbale Fredrick , Egeru Anthony
Published: May 2022

This study assessed the susceptibility of Anopheles mosquitoes to LLINs and IRS as vector control interventions used in Tororo and Busia district. Samples of Anopheles mosquito larvae were collected from various breeding grounds and reared in an insectary. Emerged adults were dissected under a stereoscopic microscope and identified using standardized morphological keys after respective bioassays on used LLINs and sprayed walls. A One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to test for significant differences in the mean composition of mosquito species across the study area, mean variations, mortalities by net and wall type. Results showed that the Anopheles gambiae sensu lato revealed a higher mean of 78.33 ± 41.52, compared to Anopheles funestus (16.42 ± 24.87) which was lonely found in Busia district. Out of four brands of nets tested for insecticides susceptibility, 99% mortality was recorded for the insecticide concentration of 80 mg/m2 deltamethrin impregnated DAWA plus 2.0 nets. PermaNet 3.0 and Olyset recorded mortality rate of 95% and 93% at chemical concentrations of 50 mg/m2 and 525 mg/m2 permethrin respectively. PermaNet 2.0 recorded 67% mortality at 55 mg/m2 permethrin. The average number of Anopheles mosquitoes were more susceptible to 12.5 mg/m2 of Fludora fusion impregnated onto plastered painted walls at a rate of 100% as compared to the other types of walls after 2 weeks (6.86 ± 4.07) and 1 month of chemical spray (6.69 ± 4.01) varied insignificantly (t = 0.175, P = 0.861). Meanwhile, a disaggregated results by time of spray (T0 and T1) and exposure periods, showed that plastered painted wall, had higher mortalities followed by Brick Plain and Mud/Wattle wall substrates, respectively. This study has shown that vector behavior, biology and physiology need consistent monitoring and surveillance for further entomological characterization and the need for coming up with new vector control interventions.
A New Machine Learning-Driven Approach for the Diagnosis of COVID-19: An Ultra Covix Model
Authors: Vinod Dasari Naga , Zungeru Adamu Murtala , Prabaharan S.R.S.
Published: May 2022

The rigorous clinical prognosis is ambiguous due to the ongoing global crisis caused by different mutant variations of the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic. Hitherto, various clinical prognosis imaging techniques are suggested to medical practitioners to identify COVID-19 contracted individuals. Herein, we demonstrate an efficient tool aiding ultrasound imaging technique backed by machine learning strategies, which help diagnose COVID-19 infected cases more accurately and efficiently. The latter approach complements CT and chest X-ray imaging methods. Accordingly, our novel method employs gradient mapping and distinct haralick features using the image database (705 Ultrasound Images). We also propose a vivid technique that assists in diagnosing COVID-19 contaminated individuals by examining ultrasound pictures to identify novel coronavirus. The test set of the precision score is analyzed in the light of attainment results viz., accuracy, confusion matrix, and ROC curve by utilizing the GitHub repository, which conforms to their endorsed ultrasound images. Various algorithms are used to examine test sets accompanying 211 clinical image data for classification performance. Interestingly, the article reveals that the multiple classification accuracy of the proposed model has achieved 98.1% accuracy between the COVID-19, normal, and Pneumonia ultrasound image database.
Magnetic resonance spectroscopy and methionine positron emission tomography analysis for patients with lower-grade astrocytoma with marked invasiveness
Authors: Yano Hirohito , Ikegame Yuka , Miwa Kazuhiro , Owashi Etsuko , Nakayama Noriyuki , Maruyama Takashi , Matsunaga Kengo , Ohe Naoyuki , Takei Hiroaki , Ikuta Souko , Yamada Tetsuya , Ohmura Kazufumi , Yokoyama Kazutoshi , Muragaki Yoshihiro , Iwama Toru , Shinoda Jun
Published: May 2022

Background
The isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) status of patients with World Health Organization grade II or III astrocytoma is essential for understanding its biological features and determining therapeutic strategies. This study aimed to use radiological analysis to predict the IDH status of patients with lower-grade astrocytomas.
Methods
Forty-seven patients with grade II (17 cases) or III astrocytomas (30 cases), based on the 2016 World Health Organization Classification, underwent methionine (MET) positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) on the same day between January 2013 and June 2020. The patients were retrospectively assessed. Immunohistochemistry showed 23 cases of IDH-mutant and 24 of IDH-wildtype. Based on FLAIR/T2 imaging, three doctors blinded to clinical data independently allocated 18 patients to the clear boundary group between the tumor and the normal brain and 29 to the unclear boundary group. The peak ratios of N-acetylaspartate (NAA) / creatine (Cr), choline (Cho) / Cr, and Cho/NAA and the tumor-to-normal region (T/N) ratio for maximum accumulation in MET PET were calculated. For statistical analysis, Fisher’s exact test was used to assess associations between two variables, and the Mann–Whitney U test to compare the values between the IDH-wildtype and IDH-mutant groups. The optimal cut-off values of MET T/N ratio and MRS parameters for discriminating IDH-wildtype from IDH mutant were obtained using receiver operating characteristics curves.
Results
The unclear boundary group had significantly more IDH-wildtype cases than the clear boundary group (P < .001). The IDH-wildtype group had significantly lower Cho/Cr (< 1.84) and Cho/NAA (< 1.62) ratios (P = .02 and P = .047, respectively) and a higher MET T/N ratio (> 1.44, P = .02) than the IDH-mutant group. The odds for the IDH-wildtype were 0.22 for patients who fulfilled none of the four criteria, including boundary status and three ratios, and 0.9 for all four criteria.
Conclusions
These results suggest that the combination of MRI, MRS, and MET PET examination could be helpful for the prediction of IDH status in World Health Organization grade II/III gliomas.
Prognostic risk factors of T2, T3, and T4 thoracic esophageal cancer and their relationship with improved survival after radiotherapy: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Xu Chengzhen , Yin Zhengsheng , Wei Linghua , Chen Debao , Duan Yaxi , Li Xiang , Wan Yujie , Wu Xiaomin
Published: May 2022

Background: This study aimed to investigate the prognostic risk factors of T2-T4 thoracic esophageal cancer and the survival benefit of common treatment modalities to provide a basis for selecting the most appropriate treatment. Methods: This population-based retrospective cohort study collected data of patients diagnosed with T2-T4 thoracic esophageal cancer between 2010 and 2016 in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. Patients were divided according to those who had surgery and those who had radiotherapy. Survival curves were generated using the Kaplan–Meier (KM) method and compared using the log-rank test. Cox regression analysis was used to analyze the independent risk factors for prognosis. The effects of common treatment methods were analyzed according to their survival benefit.Results: A total of 4998 patients were included. There was no significant difference in survival between the surgical and non-surgical groups (P=0.79). There was no significant difference in survival between those with T2 (P=0.47) and T4 (P=0.66) disease between the radiotherapy and non-radiotherapy groups, but there was between the radiotherapy and non-radiotherapy groups in patients with T3 disease (P=0.0019). Radiotherapy is an independent risk factor for the prognosis of T3 esophageal cancer, but not for T2 and T4 esophageal cancer.Conclusion: Surgery has no effect on survival in patients with T2-T4 thoracic esophageal cancer. Radiotherapy and T3 disease are independent prognostic risk factors for patients with T2-T4 thoracic esophageal cancer. These results provide a reliable basis for clinical treatment of patients with T2 -T4 thoracic esophageal cancer.
A Deep Neuro-Fuzzy Rule-Based System for Mammography Image Classification
Authors: HEPSAĞ Pınar USKANER , YAZICI Adnan , ÖZEL Selma Ayşe
Published: May 2022

Breast cancer has become one of the most significant diseases all over the world as the mortality rate is increasing day by day. Therefore, early diagnosis of breast cancer is very important to reduce the mortality rate. This is because the earlier breast cancer is detected; the more successful treatments are applied to get rid of the disease. The aim of this work is to calculate the breast cancer risk score using deep learning methods and a fuzzy rule-based system to enable people to take precautions against breast cancer. Therefore, a hybrid system consisting of two independent parts is described in this paper: In the first part, a deep neural network is trained to provide inputs to the fuzzy rule-based system. In the second part, the fuzzy rule-based system calculates the risk scores for breast cancer by using the output of the deep neural network structure. We also propose a simple rule-based classifier that uses the calculated risk value to diagnose breast cancer. We compare the results of our model with the existing neural network-based models and show that breast cancer can be diagnosed with high confidence using the proposed neuro-fuzzy rule based system.
Predictive Biomarker DPY19L1 Reduces Survival in Glioma Patients
Authors: Lin Po-Chun , Chung Ming-Hsuan , Wang Peng-Wei , Huang Li‑Chun , Chen Ssu‑Han , Hueng Dueng-Yuan , Hung Kuang-Chen
Published: May 2022

Background: Glioblastomas have poor survival outcome. Identifying biomarker for survival differentiation is beneficial for glioma patients. This study aims to investigate the survival outcome and pathological grading of DPY19L1 in human gliomas.Methods: We analyzed the DPY19L1 mRNA expression and survival of human gliomas from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA) databases. We validated gene expression of DPY19L1 in glioma by quantitative RT‑PCR and Western blot. Further validation via immunohistochemical staining (IHC) of human glioma samples was performed from the Human Protein Atlas. We also investigated in Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins (STRING) to explore the protein-protein interaction of DPY19L1.Results: Overexpression of DPY19L1 mRNA level was associated with higher glioma grade. Moreover, high expression of DPY19L1 reduced survival in patients with glioma. Human glioma samples further found that the labeling index of DPY19L1 was higher in high-grade than in low-grade gliomas. Conclusion: Elevation in DPY19L1 expression correlates with higher WHO pathological grading and unfavorable prognosis. DPY19L1 is a novel predictive biomarker and potential therapeutic target in glioma treatment.
Giant enhancement of superconducting critical temperature in substitutional alloy (La,Ce)H9
Authors: Bi Jingkai , Nakamoto Yuki , Shimizu Katsuya , Zou Bo , Zhou Mi , Liu Guangtao , Wang Hongbo , Ma Yanming
Published: May 2022

A sharp focus of current research on superconducting superhydrides is to raise their critical temperature Tc at moderate pressures. Here, we report a striking discovery of giant enhancement of Tc in CeH9 obtained via random substitution of half Ce by La, leading to equal-atomic (La,Ce)H9 alloy stabilized by maximum configurational entropy, containing the LaH9 unit that is unstable in pure compound form. The synthesized (La,Ce)H9 alloy exhibits Tc of 148-178 K in the pressure range of 97-172 GPa, representing up to 80% enhancement of Tc compared to pure CeH9 and showcasing the highest Tc at sub-megabar pressure among the known superhydrides. This work demonstrates substitutional alloying as a highly effective enabling tool for substantially enhancing Tc via atypical compositional modulation inside suitably selected host crystal. This optimal substitutional alloying approach opens a promising avenue for synthesis of high-entropy multinary superhydrides that may exhibit further increased Tc at even lower pressures.
Quality of Life Among Type II Diabetes Mellitus Patients at Kamuzu Central Hospital in Lilongwe, Malawi: a Mixed-method Study
Authors: Chisalunda Alinafe , Ng’ambi Wingston , Tarimo Nesto , Banda Ndaziona Peter Kwanjo , Muula Adamson Sinjani , Kumwenda Johnstone , Nyondo-Mipando Alinane Linda
Published: May 2022

Background: Type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM) significantly impacts the quality of life (QoL) yet data on quality of life among these patients in Malawi are lacking. This study was conducted to assess QoL among patients with T2DM. Methods: A mixed-method cross-section study was carried out at Kamuzu Central Hospital (KCH), Lilongwe, Malawi. A systematic sampling method was used for quantitative data and purposive sampling was used for qualitative data. A modified diabetes quality of life (MDQoL)-17 questionnaire was used for quantitative data while in-depth interviews and diary methods were used for qualitative data. Demographic data were summarized using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics using t-test and ANOVA. Thematic content analysis guided by Braun and Clark (2006) was utilized to analyze qualitative data. Ethical approval was obtained from the College of Medicine Research and Ethics Committee (CoMREC) reference number P.09.20.3122.Results: A sample of 339 participants with a mean age of 50.3±15.5 was recruited. Overall, the mean QoL score was moderate (63.91±19.54). Those with tertiary education and those on health insurance had better QoL (QoL 73.8, C.I. 68.56-79.04, p-value 0.005), (QoL 76.71, C.I. 69.22-84.19, p-value 0.005) respectively compared to those with lower education and those without health insurance. Furthermore, the absence of comorbidities was associated with having better QoL (QoL 71.18, C.I. 66.69-75.67, p-value < 0.0001). Qualitatively, the participants referred to QoL as an absence of disease and leading an independent life. T2DM was associated with patients’ health status, increased stress levels, loss of independence as well as lifestyle changes. There were QoL-promoting factors among T2DM patients such as diabetes health talks, having a supportive family, accepting one’s condition positively, and following hospital advice such as doing physical exercises and following a prescribed diet. Inhibiting factors include drug shortages, societal perceptions, sedentary lifestyle, stress, and despising hospital advice.Conclusion: Overall the QoL in patients with T2DM receiving treatment at KCH is moderate. The QoL of patients with T2DM is influenced by interrelated factors and this requires multidisciplinary team care to optimize the QoL among these patients. Health workers need to adopt a holistic approach when treating patients with T2DM, such as managing comorbidities and including assessment of QoL, behavioral change measures like physical exercises, and a healthy diet. The government and various stakeholders need to promote education and mandatory national health insurance which improve health status.
A Mobile Localization Algorithm based on Fuzzy Estimation for Serious NLOS Scenes
Authors: Wang Yan , Gong Yuxin , Yang Huikang
Published: May 2022

The indoor environment is intricate and the global positioning system (GPS) unable to satisfy the demand of indoor location accuracy. Therefore, the localization method based on wireless sensor network (WSN) has attach great importance and researched lately. The toughest issue to solve is the non-line of sight (NLOS) error caused by obstacles and other reasons. Hence, a location method based on hypothesis test and modified fuzzy probabilistic data association filter (HT-MFDAF) is proposed in this paper. Line-of-sight (LOS) and NLOS situations are regarded as an interactive Markov process. In the case of NLOS, we firstly identify and mitigate NLOS based on hypothesis testing theory. Then the ones which still have serious NOLS pollution is discarded by calculating similarity. Finally the fuzzy membership degree is calculated by MFDAF, reconstructing the correlation probability to get the position estimate. The eventual location result is acquired by the Interactive Multiple Model (IMM) which weighted LOS and NLOS estimated position. Simulation and experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the algorithm.
IL-27 promotes cardiac fibroblast activation and aggravates cardiac remodeling post myocardial infarction
Authors: Ma Xiaoxue , Meng Qingshu , Gong Shiyu , Shi Shanshan , Liang Xiaoting , Lin Fang , Gong Li , Liu Xuan , Li Yinzhen , Li Mimi , Wei Lu , Han Wei , Liu Zhongmin , Zhou Xiaohui
Published: May 2022

Excessively chronic inflammation and cardiac fibrosis post myocardial infarction(MI) cause progressive ventricular remodeling, which finally leads to heart failure. We previously found a high level of IL-27 in the heart and serum till day 14 post ischemia-reperfusion heart. However, whether IL-27 is involved in chronic inflammation-mediated ventricular remodeling remains unclear. In the present study, we found IL-27 expression levels in serum and damaged heart tissue were elevated and continued to day14 in mice after myocardial infarction. We also found MI triggered high IL-27 expression in cardiac macrophages. The increased expression of IL-27 in the serum is correlated with cardiac dysfunction and fibrosis after MI in mice. Furthermore, addition of IL-27 significantly activated the JAK/STAT signaling pathway in cardiac fibroblasts (CFs). Meanwhile, treatment with IL-27 promoted the proliferation and migration, as well as the differentiation of CFs to myofibroblasts and ECM production induced by angiotensin II (Ang II). Collectively, high level of IL-27 mainly produced by cardiac macrophages post MI promotes the collagen production of CFs and aggravates cardiac fibrosis.
Effect modification by NT-proBNP on the association between adiponectin and total mortality in EPIC–Heidelberg: A case-cohort study
Authors: Mukama Trasias , Johnson Theron , Kaaks Rudolf , Katzke Verena
Published: May 2022

BackgroundNT-proBNP has been hypothesized as a possible explanation for the paradoxical association between adiponectin and cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. We examined the heterogeneities by NT-proBNP, sex, BMI, smoking status, hypertension and diabetes status in the association between adiponectin and cardiovascular disease risk and mortality. MethodsWe used a case-cohort design nested within the EPIC-Heidelberg cohort, including 1,387 incident cases of myocardial infarction or stroke, 582 deaths from cardiovascular causes and 2,352 total deaths. We estimated hazard ratios for the association between 1SD increase in log-transformed adiponectin levels and cardiovascular disease risk, cardiovascular mortality and total mortality using Prentice-weighted Cox-proportional hazard models and assessed heterogeneity of the associations across strata of covariates. ResultsOverall, adiponectin was significantly associated with all-cause mortality [HR = 1.09, 95%CI: 1.03-1.16, p = 0.004], the association with cardiovascular mortality did not reach statistical significance [1.10 (0.99-1.37), p = 0.073] whereas there was no association with cardiovascular disease risk. There was significant heterogeneity by NT-proBNP in the association between adiponectin and all-cause mortality (phet = 0.019) such that significant increase in hazards of mortality were restricted to participants in the highest tertile of NT-proBNP. Among participants in the highest tertile NT-proBNP, adiponectin showed a dose-response relationship with total mortality such that; compared to participants in the lowest quintile, those in the third, fourth and fifth were at 1.22 (0.87-1.70), 1.50 (1.07-2.11), and 1.59 (1.15-2.21) higher hazards of mortality respectively. ConclusionsSignificant association between adiponectin and mortality was only observed in the context of high NT-proBNP. Our findings provide further support for hypothesis that NT-proBNP may explain the adiponectin paradox.
Gibberellin and abscisic acid transporters facilitate endodermal suberin formation in Arabidopsis
Authors: Binenbaum Jenia , Wulff Nikolai , Camut Lucie , Kiradjiev Kristian , Tal Iris , Vasuki Himabindu , Anfang Moran , Zhang Yuqin , Sakvarelidze-Achard Lali , Davière Jean-Michel , Ripper Dagmar , Bergua Esther Carrera , Manasherova Ekaterina , Lazary Shani , Novak Vlastimil , Crocoll Christoph , Weinstein Roy , Cohen Hagai , Ragni Laura , Aharoni Asaph , Band Leah , Achard Patrick , Nour-Eldin Hussam , Shani Eilon
Published: May 2022

The plant hormone gibberellin (GA) regulates multiple developmental processes. It accumulates in the root elongating endodermis, but how it moves into this cell file and the significance of this accumulation are unclear. Here, we identified a monophyletic clade of NPF transporters required for GA and abscisic acid (ABA) translocation. We demonstrate that NPF2.14 is a subcellular GA/ABA transporter, the first to be identified in plants, facilitating GA and ABA accumulation in the root endodermis to regulate suberization. Further, NPF2.12 and NPF2.13, closely related proteins, are plasma membrane-localized GA and ABA importers that facilitate shoot-to-root GA12 translocation, regulating endodermal hormone accumulation. This work reveal that GA promotes root suberization and that GA and ABA can act non-antagonistically. We demonstrated how a clade of transporters mediates hormone flow while utilizing defined cell-file-specific vacuolar storage at the phloem unloading zone, allowing a hormone slow-release mechanism required for suberin formation in the maturation zone.
Characterization of SARS-CoV-2 distribution and microbial succession in a clinical microbiology testing facility during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic
Authors: Sah Govind Prasad , Kovalick Grace , Chopyk Jessica , Kuo Peiting , Huang Lina , Ghatbale Pooja , Das Promi , Realegeno Susan , Knight Rob , Gilbert Jack A. , Pride David T.
Published: May 2022

Background: The exchange of microbes between humans and the built environment is a bidirectional and dynamic process that has significant impact on health. Most studies exploring the microbiome of the built environment have been predicated on improving our understanding of pathogen emergence, persistence, and transmission. Previous studies have demonstrated that SARS-CoV-2 presence significantly correlates with the proportional abundance of specific bacteria on surfaces in the built environment. However, in these studies, SARS-CoV-2 originated from infected patients. Here we perform a similar assessment for a clinical microbiology lab while staff were handling SARS-CoV-2 infected swab samples for RT-qPCR analysis. The goal of this study was to understand the distribution and dynamics of microbial population on various surfaces within different sections of a clinical microbiology lab during a short period of 2020 Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.Results: We sampled floors, benches and sinks in three sections of an active clinical microbiology lab (bacteriology, molecular microbiology, and COVID) over a 3-month period. Although floor samples harbored SARS-CoV-2, it was rarely identified on other surfaces, and bacterial diversity was significantly greater in floor samples than sinks and benches. The floor-associated microbiota comprised greater proportions of bacteria commonly associated with natural environments (e.g., soils), and benchtops harbored a greater proportion of human-associated microbes, including Staphylococcus and Streptococcus, which may have originated from either laboratory staff or clinical samples. Finally, we show that the microbial composition of these surfaces did not change over time and remained stable.Conclusion: Despite of finding viruses on the floors, no lab-acquired infections were reported during the study period, which suggests that lab safety protocols and sanitation practices were sufficient to prevent pathogen exposures. Like other BEs and health care facilities the most common bacteria colonizing the surfaces in a clinical microbiology lab primarily consist of bacterial taxa of environmental and human origin. Although our analysis here does not identify the source of infection in any given case, it does help to elucidate microbes that colonize these surfaces and have the potential to cause LAIs.
Effect of vertical preparation on fit of heat pressed zirconia reinforced lithium disilicate and monolithic zirconia three-unit fixed partial dentures: A comparative study
Authors: Elsherbini Mohammed , Al-Zordk Walid , Diaa Mohamed , Amin Rahma A , Sakrana Amal Abdelsamad
Published: May 2022

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of horizontal and vertical tooth preparation on the internal and marginal fit of zirconia reinforced lithium silicate and monolithic zirconia fixed partial dentures.Methods: Forty ceramic fixed partial dentures were divided into four groups (n=10) according to ceramic type and finish line design. Group HL: Horizontal tooth preparation with heat pressed zirconia reinforced lithium disilicate. Group HZ: Horizontal tooth preparation with zirconia fixed partial denture. Group VL: Vertical tooth preparation with heat pressed zirconia reinforced lithium disilicate fixed partial denture. Group: VZ: Vertical tooth preparation with zirconia fixed partial denture. Micro-CT was used to evaluate the fit of each fixed partial denture. Data were collected and statistically analyzed.Results: Horizontal preparation showed a significant better fit than that of vertical preparation for both abutments (P˂.001). Zirconia showed significant better fit than heat pressed zirconia reinforced lithium disilicate for the posterior abutment. All the results were within internal and marginal fit requirements.Conclusions: Nevertheless, being within the clinically acceptable fit values, the vertical preparation can negatively affect the marginal gap and internal fit of fixed partial dentures at certain points. The marginal gap and internal fit of the ceramic fixed partial dentures can be affected by ceramic type and finish line design.