bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Accelerating Technology Adoption: A Benchmarking Study of Organisational Innovation Adoption Culture in Upstream Oil and Gas
Authors: Roberts Ruby , Flin Rhona , Corradi Luca
Published: September 2021

Working towards a net zero future requires change and adaptation from us all. Innovation offers many potential solutions on how to successfully make that change within the oil and gas industry. Consequently, maximising the value that technological innovation presents is vital for delivering a sustainable net zero. Yet, the oil and gas industry has developed a reputation for being conservative and reluctant to adopt new technology, with companies sometimes referred to as "fast followers". In recent years, the industry has begun to change with an incremental increase in innovation activities. Despite these efforts, and a need to accelerate innovation, there appears to be a resistance to adopt new technology.

Evidence from O&G industry bodies indicate that psychological factors play a key role in technology adoption; not surprisingly, as workers, managers, investors, and regulators can all have a powerful influence on an organisation's receptivity to new technology. Recent research has provided insight into the psychological factors that influence technology uptake decisions in the oil and gas industry. Through a series of studies, the psychological technology adoption framework (P-TAF) was developed which outlined the 15 key psychological factors that influence technology adoption decisions. These are organised into 6 categories: personality, attitudes, motivations, cognitive factors, social factors, and organisational level factors. The work emphasised the influence that overarching organisational culture can have on how people respond to and introduce technology within their company. Whilst technology readiness levels are commonly applied to start-ups and their innovations, less is known about the readiness culture which facilitates innovation uptake.

To bridge this gap, a preliminary measure of organisational innovation adoption culture was developed as based upon the previous psychological research, empirical innovation measures, and organisational culture models. This was piloted as an online survey with 36 people working in the technology space in O&G in June 2020. These results were used to later refine the culture measure to develop a 33-item scale consisting of eight categories. This new measure was deployed as part of an industry benchmarking study of innovation adoption culture within O&G consisting of 82 managers from 12 companies and in December 2020. Participating organisations were given the opportunity to receive a snapshot of their technology adoption culture. An overview of the measure and a summary of survey results will be given during the presentation as well as recommendations on how to support an innovation adoption culture. A considerable volume of new technology needs to be developed and adopted to be able to reach net zero and understanding the psychological and cultural barriers is imperative to delivering that.
Estimating Carbon Storage in Urban Forests of New York City
Authors: Pregitzer Clara , Hanna Chloe , Charlop-Powers Sarah , Bradford Mark
Published: September 2021

Forests play an important role in mitigating many of the negative effects of climate change. One of the ways trees mitigate impacts of climate change is by absorbing carbon dioxide and storing carbon in their wood, leaves, roots, and soil. Field assessments are used to quantify the carbon storage across different forested landscapes. The number of trees, their size, and total area inform estimates of how much carbon they store. Urban forested natural areas often have greater tree density compared to trees planted in designed cityscapes suggesting that natural area forests could be an important carbon stock for cities. We report a carbon budget for urban forested natural area using field-collected data across an entire city and model carbon stock and annual stock change in multiple forest pools. We find that natural area forests in New York City store a mean of 263.04 (95% CI 256.61, 270.40) Mg C ha− 1 and we estimate that 1.86 Tg C (95% CI 1.60, 2.13 Tg C) is stored in the city’s forested natural areas. We provide an upper estimate that these forests sequester carbon at a mean rate of 7.42 (95% CI 7.13, 7.71) Mg C ha− 1 y− 1 totaling 0.044 Tg (95% CI 0.028, 0.055) of carbon annually, with the majority being stored in trees and soil. Urban forested natural areas store carbon at similar and in some cases higher rates compared to rural forests. Native oak-dominated forests with large mature trees store the most carbon. When compared to previous estimates of urban-canopy carbon storage, we find that trees in natural area forests in New York City account for the majority of carbon stored despite being a minority of the tree canopy. Our results show that urban forested natural areas play an important role in localized, natural climate solutions and should be at the center of urban greening policies looking to mitigate the climate footprint of cities.
Apelin-13 Attenuates Early Brain Injury Through Inhibiting Inflammation and Apoptosis in Rats After Experimental Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
Authors: Shen Xiaoyan , Yuan Guiqiang , Li Bing , Cao Cheng , Cao Demao , Wu Jiang , Li Xiang , Li Haiying , Shen Haitao , Wang Zhong , Chen Gang
Published: September 2021

Background: Early brain injury (EBI) has been considered as the major contributor to the neurological dysfunction and poor clinical outcomes of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Studies showed that apelin-13 exhibits a neuroprotective effect in brain damage induced by cerebral ischemia. However, it remains unclear whether apelin-13 could exhibit the protective functions following SAH. The present study aimed to validate the neuroprotective role of apelin-13 in SAH, and further investigated the underlying mechanisms. Methods and Results: We constructed SAH rat model and we found that apelin-13 significantly alleviated neurological disorder and brain edema, improved memory deficits in SAH rats. Apelin-13 treatment decreased contents of TNF-α and IL-1β in cerebral spinal fluid of SAH rat by using ELISA. Apelin-13 treatment promoted the expression of APJ and Bcl-2, and decreased the level of active caspase-3 and Bax in the temporal cortex after SAH by using western blot. Also, apelin-13 attenuated the cortical cell death and neuronal degeneration as shown by TUNEL, FJB and Nissl staining. However, ML221, an inhibitor of APJ, significantly reversed all the above neuroprotective effects of apelin-13. Moreover, a neuron-microglia co-culture system, which mimic SAH in vitro, confirmed the protective effect of apelin-13 on neurons and the inhibitory effect on inflammation through apoptosis-related proteins.Conclusions: These data demonstrated that apelin-13 exhibit a neuroprotective role after SAH through inhibition of apoptosis in an APJ dependent manner.
Inhibition of β-catenin Protects Mouse Hearts From Ventricular Arrhythmias After Myocardial Infarction Independent of Ion Channel Gene Changes
Authors: Wang Jerry , Xia Ying , Lu Aizhu , Wang Hongwei , Davis Darryl R. , Liu Peter , Beanlands Rob S. , Liang Wenbin
Published: September 2021

Wnt/β-catenin signaling is activated in the heart after myocardial infarction (MI). This study aims to investigate if β-catenin deletion affects post-MI ion channel gene alterations and ventricular tachycardias (VT). MI was induced by permanent ligation of left anterior descending artery in wild-type (WT) and cardiomyocyte-specific β-catenin knockout (KO) mice. KO mice showed reduced susceptibility to VT (18% vs. 77% in WT) at 8 weeks after MI, associated with reduced scar size and attenuated chamber dilation. qPCR analyses of both myocardial tissues and purified cardiomyocytes demonstrated upregulation of Wnt pathway genes in border and infarct regions after MI, including Wnt ligands (such as Wnt4) and receptors (such as Fzd1 and Fzd2).. At 1 week after MI, cardiac sodium channel gene (Scn5a) transcript was reduced in WT but not in KO hearts, consistent with previous studies showing Scn5a inhibition by Wnt/β-catenin signaling. At 8 weeks after MI when Wnt genes have declined, Scn5a returned to near sham levels and K+ channel gene downregulations were not different between WT and KO mice. This study demonstrated that VT susceptibility in the chronic phase after MI is reduced in mice with cardiomyocyte-specific β-catenin deletion primarily through attenuated structural remodeling, but not ion channel gene alterations.
Alteration of the expression of sirtuins and var genes by heat shock in the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum: a pattern emerges
Authors: Anagu Linda O. , Hulse David R. , Horrocks Paul D. , Chakravorty Srabasti J
Published: September 2021

Background
In the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum the expression of ‘var’ virulence genes is regulated through epigenetic mechanisms. P. falciparum sirtuin epigenetic regulators have a direct effect on their var gene expression patterns, are increased in the 3D7 laboratory strain on exposure to heat shock. A Gambia study showed an association with fever, blood lactate and var genes commonly expressed in severe malaria, and between PfSir2A and group B var. A Kenyan study extended this association to between PfSir2A and overall var transcript level. We investigated a causal link between heat shock or lactate levels and sirtuins or var expression.
Methods
In vitro experiments were conducted using laboratory and recently-laboratory-adapted Kenyan isolates of P. falciparum to follow up the correlative findings of the field study. To investigate a potential cause-and-effect relationship between host stress factors and parasite gene expression, qPCR was used to measure the expression of sirtuins and var genes after highly synchronous cultured parasites had been exposed to 2h or 6h of heat shock at 40°C or elevated lactate.
Results
Heat shock was shown to increase the expression of PfSir2B in the trophozoites, whereas exposure to lactate was not. After the ring stages were exposed to heat shock and lactate, there was no alteration in the expression of sirtuins and severe-disease-associated upsA and upsB var genes. The association between high blood lactate and sirtuin/var gene expression that was previously observed in vivo appears to be coincidental rather than causative.
Conclusions
This study demonstrates that heat stress in laboratory and recently-laboratory-adapted isolates of P. falciparum results in a small increase in PfSir2B transcripts in the trophozoite stages only. This finding adds to our understanding of how patient factors can influence the outcome of Plasmodium falciparum infections.
Assessment of the Effectiveness of BOPPPS-Based Hybrid Teaching Model in Physiology Education
Authors: Liu Xiao-Yu , Lv Chunmei , Zhu Hui , Wang Xiaoran , Jia Shuwei , Zhang Ying , Wen Haixia , Wang Yu-Feng
Published: September 2021

Background: Online teaching has become increasingly common in higher education, of the post-pandemic era. While a traditional face-to-face lecture or offline teaching remains very important and necessary for students to learn the medical knowledge systematically, guided by the BOPPPS teaching model, combination of online and offline learning approaches has become an unavoidable trend for maximizing teaching efficiency. However, in physiological education, the effectiveness of a combined online teaching and offline teaching model remains poorly assessed. The present study aims at providing an assessment to the hybrid teaching model.Methods: The study was performed among undergraduate medical students of Class 2017-2019, taught during 2018-2020, in the Physiology course in Harbin Medical University. Based on established offline teaching model with BOPPPS components in 2018, we incorporated online teaching contents into it to form a hybrid BOPPPS teaching model (HBOPPPS, in brief), preliminarily in 2019 and completely in 2020. The effectiveness of the HBOPPPS was assessed by comparing the final examination scores of both objective (multi-choice and single answer questions) and subjective (short and long essays) questions between different classes. Results: The final examination score of students in Class 2019 (83.9±0.5) who were taught with the HBOPPPS was significantly higher than that in Class 2017 (81.1±0.6) taught with offline BOPPPS and in Class 2018 (82.0±0.5) taught with preliminary HBOPPPS, which was mainly reflected in the average subjective scores. The subjective scores of Class 2019 (41.6±0.3) and Class 2018 (41.4±0.3) were significantly higher than that of Class 2017 (38.2±0.4). In the questionnaire among students in Class 2019, 86.2% of students were satisfied with this HBOPPPS and 79.4% students thought HBOPPPS improved their learning ability. In addition, majority of the students (73.5%) believed that reproducibility of the learning content was the major advantages of the HBOPPPS and 54.2% of the students also appreciated the flexibility of HBOPPPS. Lastly, 61.7% of the students showed a preference to be taught with the HBOPPPS in future.Conclusions: HBOPPPS is an effective teaching modal and useful for enhancing effectiveness of Physiology teaching. This is attributable to the reproducibility and flexibility as well as the increased students’ learning initiatives.
GIS-based Multicriteria Decision Analysis for Settlement Areas: A Case Study in Canik
Authors: Kilicoglu Cem
Published: September 2021

In addition to population growth throughout the world due to migration from rural to urban areas, population density is constantly increasing in certain regions, thereby necessitating the introduction of new settlements in these regions. However, in the selection of settlement areas, no sufficient preliminary examinations are conducted; consequently, various natural disasters may cause significant life and property losses. Herein, the most suitable settlement areas were determined using multicriteria decision analysis in Canik District, where the population is constantly increasing. Therefore, this study is aimed to incorporate a new perspective to the studies on this subject. Within the scope of the study, landslide and flood risks, which are among the most important natural disasters in the region, were primarily evaluated, and risky areas were determined. Thereafter, suitable and unsuitable areas in terms of biocomfort, which affect people’s health, peace, comfort, and psychology, and which are also significant in terms of energy efficiency, were determined. At the last stage of the study, the most suitable settlement areas that are suitable in terms of both biocomfort and low level of landslide and flood risks were determined; the calculated proportion of such areas to the total study area is only 2.1%. Therefore, because these areas are insufficient for the establishment of new settlements, areas with low landslide and flood risks but unsuitable for biocomfort were secondarily determined; the ratio of these areas was calculated as 56.8%. The remaining areas are inconvenient for the establishment of settlements owing to the risk of landslides and floods; the ratio of these areas was calculated as 41.1%. The study is exemplary in the respect that the priority for the selection of settlement areas is specified, which can be applied for selecting new settlements for each region considering different criteria.
Effects of Chemical Dispersant on the Surface Properties of Kaolin and Aggregation with Spilled Oil
Authors: Li Wenxin , Yu Yue , Xiong Deqi , Qi Zhixin , Fu Sinan , Yu Xinping
Published: September 2021

After oil spills occur, dispersed oil droplets can collide with suspended particles in the water column to form the oil-mineral aggregate (OMA) and settle to the seafloor. However, only a few studies have concerned the effect of chemical dispersant on this process. In this paper, the mechanism by which dispersant affects the surface properties of kaolin as well as the viscosity and oil-seawater interfacial tension (IFTow) of Roncador crude oil were separately investigated by small scale tests. The results indicated that the presence of dispersant impairs the zeta potential and enhances the hydrophobicity of kaolin. The viscosity of Roncador crude oil rose slightly as the dosage of dispersant increased while IFTow decreased significantly. Furthermore, the oil dispersion and OMA formation at different dispersant-to-oil ratio (DOR) were evaluated in a wave tank. When DOR was less than 1:40, the oil enhancement of dispersant was not significant. In comparison, it began to contribute when DOR was over 1:40 and the effect became more pronounced with the increasing DOR. The adhesion between oil droplets and kaolin was inhibited with the increasing DOR. The size ratio between oil droplets and particles is the significant factor for OMA formation. The closer the oil-mineral size ratio is to 1, the more difficultly the OMA forms.
Feasibility of Coconut Testa oil and Coconut Waste Cooking oil as Potential Biodiesel Feedstocks
Authors: Maliyekkal Muhammed Niyas , Shaija Andavan
Published: September 2021

It is well known that biodiesel from pure coconut oil is suited best for diesel engine operation. However, the commercialization of coconut oil biodiesel is unfeasible due to its higher cost and demand as a food material. In this study, biodiesels were produced from coconut testa oil and coconut waste cooking oil, two waste feedstock derivatives of coconut. Fatty acid composition and properties such as density, calorific value, kinematic viscosity, cloud and pour points, flash and fire points, Conradson carbon residue, and copper strip corrosion of these two biodiesels were determined and compared with those of fresh coconut oil biodiesel and the standard diesel. It was found that the properties and fatty acid profiles of all three biodiesels were similar. Furthermore, from the engine testing using B20 (diesel-biodiesel blend with 20% biodiesel) blends of prepared biodiesels, it was found that the engine performance, emission, and combustion characteristics were comparable for coconut testa oil and coconut waste cooking oil biodiesels with fresh coconut oil biodiesel. Thus the coconut testa oil and coconut waste cooking oil can be used as low-cost feedstocks for biodiesel production with all advantages of fresh coconut oil.
Deep-learning Model for Predicting the Survival of Rectal Adenocarcinoma Patients based on the SEER Database
Authors: Yu Haohui , Huang Tao , Feng Bin , Lyu Jun
Published: September 2021

Background: We collected information on patients with rectal adenocarcinoma in the United States from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. We used this information to establish a model that combined deep learning with a multilayer neural network (the DeepSurv model) for predicting the survival rate of patients with rectal adenocarcinoma.Methods: We collected patients with rectal adenocarcinoma in the United States and older than 20 years who had been added to the SEER database from 2004 to 2015. We divided these patients into training and test cohorts at a ratio of 7:3. The training cohort was used to develop a seven-layer neural network based on the analysis method established by Katzman and colleagues to construct a DeepSurv prediction model. We then used the C-index and calibration plots to evaluate the prediction performance of the DeepSurv model.Results: The 49,275 patients with rectal adenocarcinoma included in the study were randomly divided into the training cohort (70%, n=34,492) and the test cohort (30%, n=14,783). There were no statistically significant differences in clinical characteristics between the two cohorts (p>0.05). We applied Cox proportional-hazards regression to the data in the training cohort, which showed that age, sex, marital status, tumor grade, surgery status, and chemotherapy status were significant factors influencing survival (p<0.05). Using the training cohort to construct the DeepSurv model resulted in a C-index of the model of 0.824, while using the test cohort to verify the DeepSurv model yielded a C-index of 0.821. These values show that the prediction effect of the DeepSurv model for the test-cohort patients was highly consistent with the prediction results for the training-cohort patients.Conclusion: The DeepSurv prediction model of the seven-layer neural network that we have established can accurately predict the survival rate and time of rectal adenocarcinoma patients.
Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis; A Rare Complication Of Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever
Authors: Pradeep Chamila , Karunathilake Parackrama , Abeygunawardena Shamali , Ralapanawa Udaya , Jayalath Thilak
Published: September 2021

Background
Haemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is an uncommon systemic inflammatory clinical syndrome associated with numerous conditions and a rare complication of dengue associated with significant mortality and morbidity even with appropriate treatment. The outcome is further poor if the diagnosis is delayed or left untreated. Therefore a high degree of clinical suspicion is paramount in the diagnosis of HLH, especially in an atypical presentation of dengue infection.
Case Presentation
A 17-year-old boy with a non-significant past medical history admitted with a four-day history of fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, and loose stool. On admission, he was hemodynamically stable and managed as serologically confirmed dengue fever. On the 5th day of fever, he entered the critical phase, which was uncomplicated except for high fever spicks. Even after the critical phase was over, he had ongoing high fever spicks, hepatosplenomegaly with persistent thrombocytopenia, neutropenia and anaemia. Serum ferritin level was > 3000 ng/ml, while the triglyceride level was 314 mg/dl. Bone marrow biopsy revealed an increased haemophagocytic activity. Secondary HLH was diagnosed based on criteria used in the HLH-2004 trial and successfully managed with intravenous dexamethasone 10 mg/body surface area/day for the first two weeks followed by tapering of course over eight weeks.
Conclusion
Though this is a rare complication, the clinician must suspect HLH in expanded dengue syndrome complicated with ongoing fever, splenomegaly with cytopenias, and necessary investigations to establish a firm diagnosis. Early treatments will result in promising outcomes while preventing complications and reducing mortality.
Identification of Biomarkers Related To The Diagnosis And Prognosis of Thyroid Cancer Through Bioinformatics Analysis
Authors: Xie Xiao-Li , Yin Hua-Li , Pan Yu-Lin , Li Guo-Xia , Yuan Chun-Yan , Sheng Xia
Published: September 2021

Background: Thyroid cancer is the most common malignant tumor of the head and neck. In recent years, the incidence of thyroid cancer (THCA) worldwide has rapidly increased and shows a trend in the younger generation. This study attempted to screen key genes and potential prognostic biomarkers for thyroid cancer using bioinformatics analysis.Methods: This study attempted to screen key genes and potential prognostic biomarkers for thyroid cancer using bioinformatics analysis. 101 cases of thyroid cancer and 78 cases of normal thyroid tissue were collected from three Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases, then we identified the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and conducted downstream analyses. Moreover, we screened hub genes by constructing a protein‐protein interaction (PPI) network. Finally, we assessed the expression level of hub genes in thyroid cancer tissue and its normal tissue using GEPIA and qRT-PCR respectively. Results: 159 upregulated and 251 downregulated genes were determined after gene integration of these three GEO data sets. Through PPI analysis, we consider the top 20 DEGs with high connectivity as the hub genes of THCA. After that, this study verified 20 central genes through the GEPIA database and found that only four hub genes (TOP2A, FN1, TIMP1, and MMP9) had significantly higher expression levels in thyroid cancer tissues than in normal thyroid tissues. We further analyzed the correlation between these four hub genes and the prognosis of patients with thyroid cancer, which suggests that FN1, MMP9, TIMP1 help assess the prognosis of patients with thyroid cancer. We performed GSEA analysis on these 4 hub genes simultaneously, found that the high expression of these 4 hub genes enriched the "cell cycle." Subsequently, we collected thyroid cancer tissue specimens, verified these four hub gene expression levels by RT-PCR, and found that only FN1 and TIMP1 genes in thyroid cancer tissues had significantly higher mRNA levels than normal tissues. Conclusions: Our research has identified 20 hub genes that may be related to the occurrence and development of thyroid cancer through multiple gene expression profile data sets and a series of comprehensive bioinformatics analyses. Further database and tissue validation analysis revealed that only 2 hub genes may be considered as potential prognostic biomarkers, including FN1 and TIMP1. In addition, these two hub genes are involved in the cell cycle, suggesting that they may play a role in the occurrence and development of thyroid cancer.
Increased Indian Ocean-North Atlantic Ocean Warming Chain under Greenhouse Warming
Authors: Yang Young-Min , Park Jae-Heung , An Soon-Il , Wang Bin
Published: September 2021

Over the last half century, the Indian Ocean (IO) and the North Atlantic Ocean (NA) have shown strong warming trends that affected global and regional climates. Here, we investigate a closed linkage mechanism in warming between the two oceans by performing an Earth system model simulation. On the one hand, IO warming increases sea surface temperature (SST) over the NA by enhancing the warm oceanic advection around South Africa along with longwave radiative fluxes through upper tropospheric teleconnection. On the other hand, the warmer NA SST-induced atmospheric teleconnection leads to anomalous easterlies over the western Pacific, where sea level increases. The enhanced contrast in the sea levels of the Pacific and IO intensifies Indonesian throughflow, which increases ocean heat transport from the Pacific and warms the IO. This positive interaction (the IO-NA warming chain) reinforces further warming over both ocean basins. The IO-NA warming chain is projected to intensify due to a higher background SST under future climatic conditions with strong anthropogenic forcing, reducing precipitation over the western U.S. by 20%–50%.
Impact of Climate Change On Future Productivity And Water Use Efficiency of Wheat In Eastern India
Authors: Mukherjee Asis , Huda Abul Kalam Samsul , Saha Salil
Published: September 2021

High temperature and elevated CO2 under future climate change will influence the agricultural productivity worldwide. Burgeoning population along with climate change situation is going to threaten the food security of India. According to IPCC 5th assessment report (2014), global mean surface temperature and concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) at the end of 21st century will increase by 4.8°C and 539 ppm respectively under Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 8.5 scenario. Considering the burning issue present study aims to find out the probable change in different climatic parameters under high greenhouse gas emission (RCP 8.5) scenario during 2021-2095 and their impact on wheat yield and water productivity over six locations (Jalpaiguri, Nadia, Murshidabad, Malda, Birbhum and South 24 Parganas) covering five major agro-climatic zones of West Bengal, a state of eastern India. Results showed that maximum temperature (Tmax) and minimum temperature (Tmin) will increase by 5.3oC and 5.9oC during the end of this century. The increase in annual rainfall will be maximum (22%) at Murshidabad. Wheat yield will increase by 3 to 28% across the study sites. The seasonal crop evapotranspiration value will decline by 1 to 21%. Both water- use efficiency (WUE) and transpiration -use efficiency (TUE) will increase at all the study sites.
An Exogenic Origin for the Volatiles Sampled by the LCROSS Impact
Authors: Mandt Kathleen , Mousis Olivier , Hurley Dana , Bouquet Alexis , Retherford Kurt , Magana Lizeth , Luspay-Kuti Adrienn
Published: September 2021

Returning humans to the Moon presents an unprecedented opportunity to determine the origin of volatiles stored in the permanently shaded regions (PSRs), which trace the history of lunar volcanic activity, solar wind surface chemistry, and volatile delivery to the Earth and Moon through impacts of comets, asteroids, and micrometeoroids. So far, the source of the volatiles sampled by the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) plume (1, 2) has remained undetermined. We show here that the source could not be volcanic outgassing and the composition is best explained by cometary impacts. Ruling out a volcanic source means that volatiles in the top 1–3 meters of the Cabeus PSR regolith may be younger than the latest volcanic outgassing event (~ 1 billion years ago; Gya) (3).
The Effect of Particle Size Distribution And Shape On The Microscopic Behaviors of Loess Via DEM
Authors: Li Xi-An , Sun Jianqiang , Ren Hongyu , Lu Tuo , Ren Yongbiao , Pang Tao
Published: September 2021

Loess has loose metastable structure, which is not difficult to be destroyed under load. As the core and soul of loess structure, it is part of the main research directions of loess engineering properties at present to study its microscopic behaviors and then realize the interpretation and prediction of macroscopic mechanical properties. In this study, based on the analysis of the basic physical properties of loess samples from seven different places, each sample was scanned by X-ray with continuous slice CT, and the three-dimensional microstructure of loess samples was established. According to the computer graphics method, each particle is equivalent to an ellipsoid, and the flattening rate and elongation rate of particles in each sample are quantitatively counted. Taking the particle size distribution (PSD) and shape parameters (flatness and elongation) of each sample as the control factors for generating discrete element method (DEM) samples, a series of triaxial compression simulation tests were carried out, and the microscopic behaviors of each sample were studied within the whole test framework. Comparing the results of seven different samples, it is shown that both PSD and particle shape have effects on stress-strain relationship, dry density and the normal contact force of loess samples. Most of the sand particles (> 0.075mm) are flat particles, while the clay particles (< 0.005mm) are mainly near spheres. When the volume fraction of sand particles is large, the dry density of the sample is the lowest. However, when the content of near spherical clay particles is large and the particle size distribution is good, and the average coordination value is large, which shows that it has strong normal contact force, and thus higher shear strength.
The co-evolution of the genome and epigenome in colorectal cancer
Authors: Sottoriva Andrea , Heide Timon , Cresswell George , Spiteri Inma , Lynn Claire , Fernandez-Mateos Javier , Chen Bingjie , Zapata Luis , Chkhaidze Kate , Nichol Daniel , Caravagna Giulio , James Chela , Mossner Maximilian , Kimberley Christopher , Househam Jacob , Berner Alison , Schmidt Melissa , Lakatos Eszter , Baker Ann-Marie , Graham Trevor , Barozzi Iros , Costa Helena , Mitchinson Miriam , Jansen Marnix , Bridgewater John , Rodriguez-Justo Manuel , Magnani Luca , Ramazzotti Daniele , Shibata Darryl
Published: September 2021

Colorectal malignancies are a leading cause of cancer death. Despite large-scale genomic efforts, DNA mutations do not fully explain malignant evolution. Here we study the co-evolution of the genome and epigenome of colorectal tumours at single-clone resolution using spatial multi-omic profiling of individual glands. We collected 1,373 samples from 30 primary cancers and 9 concomitant adenomas and generated 1,212 chromatin accessibility profiles, 527 whole-genomes and 297 whole-transcriptomes. We found positive selection for DNA mutations in chromatin modifier genes and recurrent chromatin changes in regulatory regions of cancer drivers with otherwise no mutation. Genome-wide alterations in transcription factor binding accessibility involved CTCF, downregulation of interferon, and increased accessibility for SOX and HOX, indicating developmental genes reactivation. Epigenetic aberrations were heritable, distinguishing adenomas from cancers. Mutational signature analysis showed the epigenome influencing DNA mutation accumulation. This study provides a map of (epi)genetic tumour heterogeneity, with fundamental implications for understanding colorectal cancer biology.
A Case Report of RRBP1-ALK Fusion Gene-Positive Epithelioid Inflammatory Myofibroblastic Sarcoma With Collagenous Stroma
Authors: Cheng Na , Xue Liyan
Published: September 2021

Background: Epithelioid inflammatory myofibroblastic sarcoma (EIMS) is a rare variant of inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors with distinct morphological features and malignant clinical behavior. ALK is positive in all EIMS cases, the RANBP2-ALK fusion gene has been detected in most EIMSs, but several RRBP1-ALK and EML4-ALK fusion genes have also recently been reported.Case presentation: Here, we report a case of RRBP1-ALK fusion-positive EIMS in the colon. The patient was a 26-year-old man. A pelvic mass was found in a routine physical examination and was completely resected. Microscopically, the tumor cells were rounded and epithelioid in shape. Diffuse collagenous stroma and focal inflammatory infiltration were present. ALK was positive, with a pattern of cytoplasmic staining with perinuclear accentuation, and the RRBP1-ALK fusion gene was detected by targeted next generation sequencing. The patient began to take crizotinib from October 2019 to July 2020, and the patient is presently in good condition. No synchronous or metachronous metastases was found.Conclusions: EIMSs with different ALK fusion partner genes have unique staining patterns, which may provide clues for diagnosing EIMS. EIMS cases with RRBP1-ALK fusion gene and with diffuse collagenous stroma may have a good prognosis.
Knowledge, Attitude and Perception of West Africans Towards COVID-19: A Survey to Inform Public Health Intervention
Authors: Udoakang Aniefiok John , Zune Alexandra Lindsey Djomkam , Tapela Kesego , Oloche Owoicho , Fagbohun Ifeoluwa Kayode , Anyigba Claudia Adzo , Lowe Matt , Nganyewo Nora Nghochuzie , Keneme Bineta , Olisaka Frances Ngozi , Henry-Ajala Agatha Nkem , Oboh Mary Aigbiremo , Paemka Lily , Amenga-Etego Lucas N
Published: September 2021

Background: The first case of the novel coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) in West Africa was first confirmed in Nigeria in February 2020. Since then, several public health interventions and preventive measures have been implemented to curtail transmission of the causative agent, the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Therefore, this study was performed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of West Africans towards COVID-19. Methods: An online survey was conducted between 29 September to 29 October 2020 among West Africans. Thirty-three survey questions were designed to collate demographics data and participants’ knowledge, attitude and perception towards COVID-19.Results: Overall, 1106 respondents from 16 West African countries, ranging from 1 to 548 with about 11.8% residing outside the subregion, participated in the survey. The respondents had an average COVID-19 knowledge score of 67.82 ± 8.31, with knowledge of the disease significantly associated with the country of residence (P = 0.00) and marginally so in settlement types (P = 0.05). Most respondents (93.4%) could identify the main COVID-19 symptoms, and 73.20% would consult a healthcare professional if infected with SARS-CoV-2. Also, 75.2% of the respondents are willing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, whereas 10.40% and 14.40 % are unwilling and undecided, respectively. Perceptions of what constitute COVID-19 preventive measures were highly variable. Approximately, 8% of the respondents felt that their government responded excellently in managing the pandemic while a third felt that the response was just good. Also, more than half (54%) opined that isolation and treatment of COVID-19 patients is a way of curbing SARS-CoV-2 spread.Conclusions: Most West Africans have basic knowledge of COVID-19 and showed a positive attitude, with likely proactive practice towards the disease. However, results showed that these varied across countries and are influenced by the types of settlements. Therefore, the health and education authorities in various countries should develop focused measures capturing people in different settlements to improve their preventative measures when designing public health interventions for COVID-19 and any future epidemics or pandemics.
Study the Effects of COVID-19 in Punjab, Pakistan using Space-time Scan Statistic for Policy Measures in Regional Agriculture and Food Supply Chain
Authors: Hussain Sajjad , Mubeen Muhammad , Ahmad Ashfaq , Fahad Shah , Nasim Wajid , Hammad Hafiz Mohkum , Shah Ghulam Mustafa , Murtaza Behzad , Tahir Muhammad , Parveen Saima
Published: September 2021

Food service and retailing sectors play a vital role in economics of Punjab, Pakistan. Pakistan is included in top 50 countries which are estimated to face serious agriculture and food deficiency related challenges due to the world-wide pandemic coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19). The aim of this study was to study the effects of COVID-19 on food security and agriculture in Punjab, Pakistan using space-time scan statistic (STSS). A survey was conducted at 720 points in different districts of the province. The STSS detected “active” and emerging clusters that are current at the end of our study aera – particularly 17 clusters were formed while adding the updated case data. ArcGIS 10.3 software was used to find relative risk (RR) values; the maximum RR value was found to be 42.19 and maximum observed cases 53265 during June 15th – July 1st. Due to the highest number of cases of COVID-19 and RR vales during July, mostly farmers faced many difficulties during the cultivation of cotton and rice. Mostly farmers (72%) observed increase in prices of inputs (fertilizers and pesticides) during lockdown. The timely results (attained through STSS and RR) can inform decision makers and public health officials about where to improve the allocation of resources (including those for farming community), also, where to apply stricter quarantines and travel bans. If the supply chain of agriculture related inputs is disturbed, farmers may find it quite difficult to access markets, which could result in a decline in production and sales of crops and livestock in study area. It is suggested that to protection of food security and to decrease the effect of the lockdown, Punjab government needs to review food policy as well as analyze how market forces will respond to the imbalanced storage facilities and capacity, supply and demand, and price control of products. The findings of this study can also help policy-makers to formulate an effective food security and agriculture adaptation strategy.
Development of Rill Erosion On Bare Sloping Farmland Under Natural Rainfall Conditions
Authors: Zhang Jingling , Zhou Lili , Huang Donghao
Published: September 2021

Rill erosion is an important type of soil erosion and provide a basis for preventing and controlling soil loss on sloping farmland. This study was conducted in a standard runoff plot of bare soil (20 m length, 5 m width with a slope of 10 degrees) to monitored runoff and sediment processes during two continuous and two intermittent natural rainfall events, and observed the rill morphological characteristics after multiple rainfall conditions. We observed the runoff and sediment processes presented a pattern of multi-peaks for continuous rainfall events, and a pattern of single or two peaks during two intermittent rainfall events. The sediment yield rate with instantaneous rainfall intensity and runoff rate exhibited a peak lag phenomenon with 1–6 min. After multiple rainfall events, rill were identified as strip-shaped, V-shaped, and tree-branched distribution, and rills were mainly distributed in 5–20 cm width and 0–10 cm depth, and the mean rill length, width and depth increased 2.27, 0.30 and 0.16 times compared to the initial slope (R0). The side-wall collapse erosion was mostly greater than downcutting erosion in the slope section I, II and III. In conclusion, this study help to understanding the slope runoff and erosion mechanisms, and provide a scientific basis for soil erosion model on sloping farmland.
WITHDRAWN: LncRNA HOXA11-AS Aggravates The Keloid Formation By Targeting miR-148b-3p/IGFBP5 Axis
Authors: Wang Juan , Shen Jing
Published: September 2021

Background: LncRNA homeobox (HOX) A11 antisense (HOXA11-AS) mediates cell-biological phenotypes of keloid fibroblasts and influence the keloid progression, yet the underlying mechanism is not fully understood.Methods: HOXA11-AS, miR-148b-3p and IGFBP5 expression were detected by RT-qPCR or western blots. CCK8 and colony formation assays were applied to examine the cell proliferation. The cell migration was determined via Transwell migration assays. The cell apoptosis was determined by western blots with anti-Bax antibodies and anti-Cleaved Caspase-3 antibodies. The interplay between miR-148b-3p HOXA11-AS and IGFBP5 was confirmed by luciferase reporter assays or RNA immunoprecipitation.Results: The amplification of HOXA11-AS and IGFBP5 was detected in keloid and keloid fibroblasts, while miR-148b-3p expression was reduced. Moreover, downregulation of HOXA11-AS in keloid fibroblasts inhibited cell proliferation, migration and triggered apoptosis. Mechanically, HOXA11-AS was proved to sponge miR-148b-3p and abrogate the inhibition on miR-148b-3p target, IGFBP5 mRNA, thus promoting keloid fibroblasts proliferation, migration and inhibiting apoptosis.Conclusion: These results find that HOXA11-AS promotes keloid progression by miR-148b-3p/IGFBP5 axis, suggesting the potential of targeting HOXA11-AS/miR-148b-3p/IGFBP5 axis to combat keloid.
Marital Status Independently Predicts Survival in Patients with Small Cell Lung Cancer: A SEER Database Analysis
Authors: Luo Pei , Mao Yan , Yang Liping , Pan Chao , Guo Jun
Published: September 2021

Purpose This study will investigate the relationship between marital status and prognosis in small cell lung cancer patients. Methods Patients of SCLC was selected from the SEER database (1973-2013) and the patient sinformation. Kaplan-Meier analysis, log-rank test and Cox regression model were used for studying patientprognosis. Result 27069 SCLC patients eligible for inclusion were screened from the SEER database. Kaplan-meier test showed that the median OS values were 8, 7, 6 months in married, single and SDW patients, respectively. Conclusion This study shows that marital status is an independent prognostic factor for overall survival in SCLC patients. Married patients with small cell lung cancer have better prognosis than those who were divorced/separated, widowed and single.
Efficacy of hypnotherapy on pain intensity and psychological distress among women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder, applicability of suggestions focused on cognitive flexibility and ego strength
Authors: Abazari Nader , Heydarinasab Leila , Yaghubi Hamid , Farahani Hojjatollah
Published: September 2021

Background: Premenstrual dysphoric disorder PMDD is a health difficulty that is so similar to premenstrual syndrome PMS but is more serious Many women with PMDD may also have anxiety or depression, in this way, lasting irritability or anger that may affect other people, feelings of sadness or despair, or even thoughts of suicide, feelings of tension or anxiety, panic attacks, mood swings or crying often, lack of interest in daily activities and relationships, trouble thinking or focusing, tiredness or low energy, food cravings or binge eating, trouble sleeping, feeling out of control, physical symptoms such as cramps, bloating, breast tenderness, headaches, and joint or muscle pain are some of prevalent symptoms suffer women with PMDDMethods: The present research was a randomized controlled trial. In order to control variables pain intensity and psychological distress among patients with PMDD, the participants were selected accidently from female students of Shahed University of Tehran who consulted to psychology in order to assess their premenstrual symptoms and randomly divided into two groups. Each of groups encompassed 30 women between 20 up to 35-year-old whom diagnosed by PMDD via PSST from winter 2019 to spring 2020. In this study, one group received hypnotherapy and the other group received no intervention. Results: There are significant differences between the two groups. The efficacy of the procedure of hypnotherapy in the experimental group was more than that in the control group, (sig = 0.05).Conclusion The present study findings revealed that hypnotherapy with suggestions focused on cognitive flexibility and ego strength affected pain intensity and psychological distress among females with PMDD significantly. (sig=0.05)
Dvl3 Promotes the Phenotypic Transformation of RA-FLS and Aggravation of CIA Through Wnt Pathway by Exosome Intervention.
Authors: Tan Weixing , Chen Ning , Qiu Yang , Feng Xiaomei , Li Shuwen , Zhang Yongjin , Li Haoran , Gao Jie , Zhao Dongbao
Published: September 2021

ObjectiveThis study was performed to explore the expression pattern of Dvl3 in RA and investigate the function and mechanism of Dvl3 in RA by exosome intervention.Methods: The expression pattern of Dvl3 was examined by IHC, WB, and qPCR. Modified exosomes obtained from culturing supernatant of RA-FLS infected with Dvl3 over expression (OE) lentivirus by ultracentrifugation were administrated to the target RA-FLS. The ability of survival, migration, and the production of inflammatory factor influenced by exosomal Dvl3 were detected by CKK8 kits, Tunel, migration test, qPCR, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) respectively; Pathological examination, ELISA, and behave revaluation were performed after injection of exosomes into the articular cavity of CIA mice. The possible downstream pathways of Dvl3 were screened by qPCR and WB, and verified by double luciferase reporter experiment.ResultsThe expression level of Dvl3 was significantly increased in RA and CIA. Exosomes from the OE group could significantly promote cell proliferation activity, migration/invasion ability. The augment of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-17, and IL-21 was observed in exosomal Dvl3-OE group. The deteriorated role of exosomal Dvl3 in collagen-induced arthritis model (CIA) has been fully demonstrated in terms of cartilage destruction, apoptosis, and inflammation. Over expression of Dvl3 was accompanied by the significant increase of β-catenin and RhoA activities.Conclusion﻿This study discovered the high expression of Dvl3 of exosomes derived from RA patients which may possessed the ability to promote phenotypic transformation of RA-FLS and aggravation of CIA through Wnt pathway.