bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Optimisation of Acid Fracture Design for the Basement Formation in the White Tiger Field
Authors: Nguyen Truong Huu
Published: March 2022

After the period of exploitation at the basement formation of the White Tiger field, the production rates of producer wells had been declining due to near-wellbore formation damaged from drilled cutting and lost circulation materials of drilling activity, leading to natural permeability of the basement reservoir to be decreased. In fact, the effective permeability of the basement was varied between 0.004D 10 464D, with an average permeability of 135mD, the reservoir temperature was ranged between 1300C and 135°C and reservoir pressure was varied 200atm to 320atm. There were a wide variety of stimulating technologies methods applied to the near-wellbore treatment basement formation such as acid salt, mud acid, oil acid emulsion, Gas-Oil-Acid emulsion, and explosion treatment. However, these methods had been brought a low successful stimulation after treatment when the production rates were rapidly decreased after a short time because the near-wellbore basement was re-damaged of producer wells. To eliminate the above problems, this study has presented the optimal acid fracture treatment design with an acid HCl concentration of 15%. The program of acid fracture treatment comprises a fracture propagation model, the acid volume 50400gals, the acid fracture length 119ft, etched acid width 0.344in, and acid fracture conductivity 3350mD.ft, and NODAL tubing evaluation production rate and bottom hole flowing pressure of 3500psi, and comparison between production the rate at pre-treatment and post-acid fracture treatment. The result showing the oil productivity index has been increased with folds of 2.6.
Case Study: The Importance of Integrated Flow Assurance Modelling for Carbon Capture and Storage CCS Project
Authors: Zakaria Mohd Uzair , Wan Hashim Wan Mahsuri , Nik Omar Nik Fauziah , M. Norpiah Rohaizad , Abu Bakar M Azuan , Wan Mohamad Wan Amni
Published: March 2022

A gas field located offshore Malaysia will be developed with carbon capture technology which will recover the remaining amount of hydrocarbon from CO2 rich permeate stream and subsequently concentrate the amount of CO2 to higher purity. The separated high concentration CO2 will be compressed, transported to storage site and injected to store the CO2 safely in a sub-surface geological formation which is a depleted gas field.

One of the key success criteria for the CCS development is to be able to inject the CO2 to the reservoir for permanent storage from early to end of injection life. Typically, the battery limit of interface between the subsurface and surface engineer is the surface ITHP whereby the initial prediction was based on stand-alone sub-surface well modelling. A validation exercise was conducted using surface well modelling, including a sensitivity of three main Equation of State (EOS) being considered i.e., GERG-2008, PR 1978 and Advanced PR 1978, to allow the range of pressure drop to be translated to the ITHP number to be quantified. It is acknowledged that impurities within the CO2 stream have strong effect on phase behaviour and physical property predictions. The CO2 composition under study is >95mol% with a mixture of impurities. In addition, ambient temperature has also been found to influence pressure drop prediction. A similar approach is extended for pipeline study. Subsequently, the result provides a clear picture to develop a basis for facility design pressure.

The integrated approach of flow assurance between wells and pipeline is important as this was found to affect the CO2 source pressure and design of the surface facility. This paper explains how the study was conducted during conceptual engineering stage and can serve as a reference to other CCS projects.
Use of Surface Desander to Bring Back Subsea Production. How to Overcome Reservoir, Well and Facilities Challenges
Authors: Guzman Manuel , Krishnan Thanushya , Gwee Yong Chin , Wu Yvonne
Published: March 2022

A subsea well in Deepwater field in Malaysia observed high sand production during the first half of 2019, this well had been on production for around 7 years. Further evaluation during the second half of 2019 determined that the downhole sand control had been compromised and the well would require intervention to bring back its locked in potential. Technical and Economical evaluations were conducted to determine the most feasible well restoration activity. This paper covers the aspects from technology selection to operation challenges and identified solutions.

Riserless well intervention was initially identified to restore production from this well and compared with other alternatives. After technical and economical evaluations, the use of a surface desander was identified as the best solution to unlock production from this well while a more permanent solution was evaluated. A surface desander was installed upstream of first stage separation. Well and facilities operating envelopes were updated to determine the operating window for the well as per last observed conditions before the well was shut in. However, once the well was back online a much higher than anticipated watercut was observed and different solutions, in term of surface settings, were tested to determine a new operation window.

The use of surface desander to handle subsea sand control failure requires a steady flow against a significant choke to the flowline at the end of the riser. Changes in reservoir watercut provided a significant challenge to flow the well at steady conditions and limited the efficacy of surface desander.

Flow assurance is a key parameter to avoid sand deposition along the subsea flowline to the platform. Use of a neighbor well proved to allow continuous steady production and a new logic was designed to maximize production from both wells while keeping sand from reaching the production facilities.
Guidance for Design and Operation of Pump Rooms Following the Explosion on the FPSO Cidade de São Mateus
Authors: Duddy Michael , Ronza Andrea , Zakariah Noorhafizal
Published: March 2022

On the 11th of February 2015 a pump room explosion on the Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) Cidade de São Mateus killed nine persons, injured twenty-six more and crippled the unit, requiring that it be removed to a yard to effect repairs. In 2020 the FPSO Owner confirmed that the FPSO Charter and the Services Agreements with the respective Oil and Gas Company had reached their final terms and the unit remained in lay-up in Singapore.

Seven years on from this event, although the causes leading up to the incident are well understood within some sections of the oil and gas industry, along with the availability of various high-quality publications on the subject, there remains no consolidated guidance from Classification Societies, regulatory authorities, insurers nor industry advisory groups on how to prevent a reoccurrence of a similar event. Indeed, some FSO/FPSO operators have not implemented the required changes within their existing fleet or within their subsequently developed facilities.

This paper provides a synopsis of the incident onboard the FPSO Cidade de São Mateus (CdSM) and the root causes of the accident. From those findings, it describes the design and operational measures some Floating Storage and Offloading (FSO)/FPSO owner/operators and oil and gas companies have implemented to further reduce the potential risks associated with the use of pump rooms. These measures are subsequently visualised by way of a bow-tie diagram. An overview of current Classification Society rules and regulatory authority requirements relating to pump rooms are shown and discussed. Furthermore, the paper demonstrates some of the flaws that still exist in the engineering and operation of contemporary FSO/FPSO pump rooms. As a continuation from those defects, several FPSO pump room incidents that have occurred after 2015, which could have led to a similar catastrophic pump room explosion to that of CdSM, are explained. Finally, the paper contains a recommended basis for design and operational guidance to owners and operators of FSO/FPSOs with pump rooms.
A Permeability Evolution Model of Double-Porosity Media with Consideration of Temperature and Pressure Variations
Authors: Zhang Yi , Li Gao , Leng Guangchun , Wang Keda , Wang Rui , Li Pingxian
Published: March 2022

Reservoir heat treatment (RHT) can improve rock seepage capacity. Recently, it has been considered as a potential technology to enhance unconventional oil and gas recovery. This work presents a permeability evolution model to describe the thermal cracking effects of double-porosity media under temperature change and certain formation pressure. Moreover, to verify the accuracy of the model, a typical double-porosity media (tight sandstone) is selected as the sample, and the permeability of the sample is tested using a simulated formation heating device. Firstly, according to the observation results under SEM, 400°C is regarded as the transition temperature of porous and fractured media. The two-parameter exponential function and the improved "cubic law" are used to characterize the permeability of the pore part and the fracture part respectively. Secondly, rock is comprised of matrix grains and pore space. In the model hypothesis, the volume of the matrix grains is just a function of temperature, and the pore space is compressed or released under the action of effective stress, considering the difference of deformation between the matrix grains and the pore space, the Hooke's law based on engineering strain and natural strain is adopted for them respectively. Thirdly, the influence of temperature on crack spacing and opening is analyzed based on the energy principle and Weibull distribution. Finally, a permeability evolution model is established for the whole process of thermal expansion and cracking. The model describes two phases. In the first phase, the matrix grains expand under confining pressure, and at the same time accumulate thermal stress. In the second phase, after the thermal stress overcomes the confining pressure, the porosity recovers and cracks are gradually damaged and formed. The interaction between thermal stress and confining pressure is controlled by introducing a modulation factor. Due to the difference of component properties, the rock has obvious non-uniform thermal fracture phenomenon. Therefore, in this model, three parameters are introduced to ensure the robustness of the model: the contribution of deformation behavior of the matrix grains and pore space to crack opening, the influence of effective stress on crack opening, and the crack proportion of effective seepage. The results indicate that the model can describe the permeability evolution behavior of double-porosity media under certain confining pressure and temperature changes, it provides theoretical guidance for RHT to enhance oil and gas recovery.
Understanding the Interactions at Rock-Water and Oil-Water Interfaces during Controlled-Salinity Water Flooding
Authors: Belhaj Ahmed Fatih , Singh Navpreet , Sarma Hemanta Kumar
Published: March 2022

Over the years, laboratory studies and a limited number of field trials have demonstrated the potential of enhancing oil recovery using controlled-salinity water flooding. The injected brine composition is one of the promising techniques that could alter the wettability of carbonate rocks by changing the concentration of the potential determining ions (PDIs), specifically Ca2+, Mg2+, and SO42− ions. In this study, a comprehensive experimental study was conducted to investigate the rock-fluid and fluid-fluid interactions at rock-water and oil-water interfaces. The first step of the study was to measure the interfacial tension (IFT) using the spinning-drop tensiometer and study the dynamic behavior of the oil-water interactions. The zeta potential of carbonate rock samples was then measured using a specially-designed zeta potentiometer capable of utilizing the whole core plug, rather than the pulverized samples. The streaming potential technique was used for the zeta potential measurements and the experiments were conducted under different modified brine composition and rock saturation conditions. Subsequently, wettability alteration experiments were conducted using a specially designed high-pressure high-temperature (HP/HT) cell. The IFT measurements showed an increasing trend as salinity decreases, clarifying that rock-water interactions are more dominant over oil-water interactions. Results of the zeta potential experiments showed a clear trend of yielding more negative values as the seawater gradually diluted down to 1%dSW, due to the expansion of the electrical double layer. On the other hand, when the brine composition was modified, the increase of the PDIs (Ca2+ and Mg2+) did not have as much impact on zeta potential as the SO42− ions. In the wettability alteration experiments, both diluted and composition-modified brine generated a higher imbibition rate, resulting in a higher total oil production when compared with the experiments using the seawater. Furthermore, the wettability alteration of the rock surface trended more towards water-wetness conditions, as inferred from the contact angle measurements. The measurement of zeta potential before and after wettability alteration tests showed that the zeta potential value became less negative after the experiment, which suggested the expulsion of oil from the rock. This was further verified by the measurements of zeta potential for the unsaturated rock and saturated rock with brine and oil. The findings from this study would provide a better understanding of the rock-fluid and fluid-fluid interactions during controlled-salinity water flooding, which will benefit future studies in this area.
Study on Riser System in Hang-Off Configuration for Deep-Sea Mining
Authors: Yamamoto Marcio , Yamamoto Joji , Masanobu Sotaro
Published: March 2022

For Deep Sea Mining (DSM), the current concept for the Vertical Transport System (VTS) has multiple lines for the return of water to the sea bottom. Such VTS resembles a drilling riser, which is a field-proven technology. Our objective is to compare a drilling riser with different boundary conditions, including hang-off configuration.

Numerical simulation was calculated using commercial software for dynamic analysis of riser systems. The simulation included a 1, 500m long riser, sea current, irregular waves, and the platform motion calculated using Response Amplitude Operator.

For the top tensioned configuration, the tensioning system is required to avoid the riser pipe's buckling and the Mathieu Instability at the bottom portion of the riser. On the other hand, the same phenomenon did not occur in the hang-off configuration. The LMRP and BOP attached to the bottom end kept the riser pipe tensioned during the whole simulation. Therefore, the hang-off configuration is an important alternative for DSM riser. Besides, a tensioning system shall be mandatory for VTS when supported or attached to the seafloor.
Review and Comparative Study of Methodologies for Hydrodynamic Analysis of Nearshore Floating Solar Farms
Authors: Zhang Chi , Santo Harrif , Magee Allan Ross
Published: March 2022

The ocean surface offers enormous potential for generating renewable energy, but cost-effective, reliable, and robust systems are needed. Developing floating solar farms (FSF) can contribute to the process of reducing carbon emissions. However, the rational methodology for hydrodynamic analysis of floating solar farms is still not well established. This paper aims to identify a suitable methodology for the analysis of floating solar farms for mild and moderate environments in nearshore, and eventually deeper offshore deployments.

This paper reviews the various type of FSFs developed in recent years and the methodologies applied to evaluate their hydrodynamic performance. Following that, the paper focuses on assessing three potential methodologies for the evaluation of the hydrodynamic performance of articulated FSFs in a nearshore region. The three methods are the two-step approach with multi-body radiation and diffraction analysis, hydroelastic/generalized mode method, and empirical approach utilizing Morison's equation. To evaluate these methods, a simplified small-scale FSF which is comprised of 16 articulated box-type modules, is established. A soft mooring system is introduced to constraint the horizontal motion of the farm. The small-scale farm is representative of a typical large FSF in the nearshore region of Singapore. Numerical models of the farm based on the three methods are established separately, and the dynamic responses of the farm are simulated and analyzed. The motion response operators of the modules of the FSF covering the typical wave periods in nearshore conditions are obtained, and the results from the three methods are evaluated in terms of their efficiency and accuracy.

It is found that the three methods show consistent results of the dynamic responses of the solar farm in long waves. However, some discrepancies are present in short waves, mainly due to the increasing importance of hydrodynamic interactions which are neglected in one of these methods. The results could be a useful reference for the design and hydrodynamic analysis of similar FSFs.
Cutaneous anthrax in patient with type 2 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Harioputro Dhani Redhono , Nurhayatun Evi , Kusumawardani Arie
Published: March 2022

Anthrax is a zoonotic disease caused by Bacillus anthracis, which is transmitted to humans from infected animals. Transmission occurs when there is a contact with animals or products from animals infected with anthrax. Anthrax infection is an important public health problem in developing countries. Indonesia is one of the countries where zoonotic anthrax forms can still be found. The most common entrance route for anthrax spores is the skin. Although skin anthrax usually resolves on its own, complications can arise in untreated cases. Underlying systemic disorders such as diabetes mellitus can disrupt the clinical picture and cause atypical presentation. A 50-year-old woman who works as a farmer with a history of diabetes mellitus, is treated at a local hospital with complaints of fever and inflamed lesions in the lower right leg. An anthrax outbreak has been reported in the area where she lives. At clinical examination regional swelling was found and the appearance of blackish lesions accompanied by pus around the wound. Laboratory tests documented by ELISA an increased titer of anthrax antibodies. The patient was given antibiotic therapy with a combination of penicillin G and ciprofloxacin intravenously and experienced healing from skin lesions. We can conclude that comorbid diseases such as diabetes mellitus can obscure clinical manifestations of skin anthrax and causes systemic symptoms. With appropriate management, skin anthrax lesions in patients with comorbid diabetes mellitus can heal with good results.
Complete clearance of periungual warts in an immunocompromised patient using diluted intralesional bleomycin
Authors: Altalhab Saad
Published: March 2022

Periungual warts are commonly resistant to treatment, especially in immunocompromised patients. Many treatment modalities have been used with variable results. Bleomycin is one of the most effective treatments for recalcitrant warts, including the periungual type. It can be used either as a topical application after needling or as a direct injection. We report complete clearance of multiple periungual warts in an immunocompromised patient after diluted bleomycin injection. The patient did not have a recurrence after eight months of follow up.
A Case Report of Male Systemic Lupus Erythematous with Antinuclear Antibodies-Negative: A Challenging Diagnosis
Authors: Baharudin Ruziana , Idris Nur Suhaila , Muhammad Juliawati , Abdullah Wan Noor Hasbee Wan
Published: March 2022

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a connective tissue disease of unknown etiology that predominantly affects women of childbearing age. We report a case of male systemic lupus erythematous with antinuclear antibodies and typical clinical presentations of multiple skin lesions, polyarticular joint pain, fatigue, anorexia, and hair loss. Full evaluations were used to establish a diagnosis of SLE. The lower prevalence of SLE among males and antinuclear antibody-negative patients poses a great challenge for diagnosis. Therefore, as primary care doctors, we need to have a high suspicion of systemic lupus erythematous even in male and antinuclear antibody-negative patients. Thus, early treatment may help patients improve their quality of life.
Teaching Family Medicine and General Practice
Authors: Hashim Muhammad Jawad
Published: March 2022

The teaching of family medicine and general practice should aim to develop an appreciation of the unique nature and role of the specialty. Teachers should relate patient cases to the principles of family medicine. These principles include (1) compassionate care; (2) a generalist/holistic approach focusing on the whole person, family, and community; (3) continuity of relationship, i.e., building a patient-physician bond of trust; (4) reflective mindfulness; and (5) lifelong learning. The curriculum, instructional strategy, and assessment should be carefully aligned. Core competencies include patient-centered communication, physical examination skills, clinical procedures, palliative care, humanities in medicine, holistic care, shared decision-making, family therapy, home and community visits, chronic disease care, problem-based documentation, team-based care, data-driven improvement, information mastery, ethics and professionalism, and work-life balance. Family medicine/general practice is defined as the medical specialty that manages common and long-term illnesses, focusing on overall health and well-being. Hence, clerkship schedules should maximize clinical exposure and opportunities for self-reflection. A learner-centered approach should begin with a self-identified inventory of learning needs based on the curriculum; next, these needs should be chosen as topics for student presentations. Teaching methods should include mini-workshops: a combination of didactic lectures and small-group exercises. Individual face-to-face formative feedback should occur at midcourse and culminate in a group reflection on the learning experience. Clinical supervision should gradually decrease as each resident demonstrates safe patient care. Procedure skills training should be closely supervised, formally documented, and constitute about one-fourth of learning sessions.
A Rare Case of Spinal Epidural Abscess Following Urinary Tract Infection Caused by Escherichia coli in a Patient with Pre-existing Stress Fractures of the Lumbar Spine
Authors: Shin Wooram , Oh Ju Hwan , Cho A Young , Song In Sup , Kim Young Suk , Lee Kwang Young , Sun In O
Published: March 2022

Spinal epidural abscess (SEA) caused by Escherichia coli is an uncommon condition. It usually occurs secondary to urinary tract infection (UTI), following hematogenous propagation. Disruption of spinal anatomic barriers increases susceptibility to SEA. Although rarely, such disruption can take the form of lumbar spine stress fractures, which can result from even innocuous activity. Here, we describe a case of SEA secondary to UTI in a patient with pre-existing stress fractures of the lumbar spine, following use of an automated massage chair. Successful treatment of SEA consisted of surgical debridement and a six-month course of antibiotic therapy.
Comparison of Efficacy of Glimepiride, Alogliptin, and Alogliptin-Pioglitazone as the Initial Periods of Therapy in Patients with Poorly Controlled Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: An Open-Label, Multicenter, Randomized, Controlled Study
Authors: Kim Hae Jin , Jeong In Kyung , Hur Kyu Yeon , Kim Soo-Kyung , Noh Jung Hyun , Chun Sung Wan , Kang Eun Seok , Rhee Eun-Jung , Choi Sung Hee
Published: March 2022

Background: The choice of an optimal oral hypoglycemic agent in the initial treatment periods for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients remains difficult and deliberate. We compared the efficacy and safety of glimepiride (GLIM), alogliptin (ALO), and alogliptin-pioglitazone (ALO-PIO) in poorly controlled T2DM patients with drug-naïve or metformin failure.Methods: In this three-arm, multicenter, open-label, randomized, controlled trial, poorly controlled T2DM patients were randomized to receive GLIM (n=35), ALO (n=31), or ALO-PIO (n=33) therapy for 24 weeks. The primary endpoint was change in the mean glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels at week 24 from baseline. Secondary endpoints were changes in HbA1c level at week 12 from baseline, fasting plasma glucose (FPG) levels, lipid profiles at weeks 12 and 24, and parameters of glycemic variability, assessed by continuous glucose monitoring for 24 weeks.Results: At weeks 12 and 24, the ALO-PIO group showed significant reduction in HbA1c levels compared to the ALO group (–0.96%±0.17% vs. –0.37%±0.17% at week 12; –1.13%±0.19% vs. –0.18%±0.2% at week 24). The ALO-PIO therapy caused greater reduction in FPG levels and significant increase in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels at weeks 12 and 24 than the ALO therapy. Compared to low-dose GLIM therapy, ALO-PIO therapy showed greater improvement in glycemic variability. The adverse events were similar among the three arms.Conclusion: ALO-PIO combination therapy during the early period exerts better glycemic control than ALO monotherapy and excellency in glycemic variability than low-dose sulfonylurea therapy in uncontrolled, drug-naïve or metformin failed T2DM patients.
Significance of Neuronal Autoantibodies in Comparison to Infectious Etiologies among Patients Presenting with Encephalitis in a Region with a High Prevalence of Infections
Authors: Chang Thashi , Moloney Teresa , Jacobson Leslie , Malavige Neelika , Lohitharajah Janarthani , Wanigasinghe Jithangi , Peach Sian , Woodhall Mark , Berretta Antonio , Waters Patrick , Vincent Angela
Published: March 2022

Background:

Prevalence of antibody-mediated autoimmune encephalitis (AE) is reported to be comparable to infectious encephalitis in Western populations. We evaluated the frequency and significance of AE and neuronal autoantibodies in comparison to infectious etiologies among patients presenting with encephalitis in a South Asian population.

Methods:

Ninety-nine consecutive patients with a clinical diagnosis of encephalitis/meningoencephalitis admitted to two of the largest tertiary-care hospitals in Sri Lanka were studied. PCR and ELISA were used to screen viruses while Gram stain and culture were used to screen bacteria. Sera were tested for antibodies binding to primary embryonic rat hippocampal neuronal cultures and cell-based assays for antibodies to NMDAR, LGI1, CASPR2, Contactin2, AMPAR, GABAAR, GABABR, aquaporin-4 and MOG.

Results:

Patient ages ranged from 1 month to 73 years (mean = 24.91; SD = 21.33) with a male: female ratio of 1.75:1. A viral etiology was identified in 27.3% and bacterial meningoencephalitis was diagnosed in 17.1%. Sera of nine patients had antibodies binding to live primary neurons, but only five had specific antibodies to CASPR2 (n = 1), NMDAR (n = 2) or GABABR-antibodies (n = 2). Moreover, the patients with CASPR2 antibodies and NMDAR-antibodies were also positive for dengue antibodies. Only the two patients with NMDAR-antibodies had features and responses to immunotherapy consistent with AE.

Conclusions:

Identified infectious forms of meningoencephalitis (44.4%) greatly exceeded the occurrence of neuronal autoantibodies (9.1%) and AE (2%) in Sri Lanka, and this may be common in those regions where infections are prevalent.
Comparative performance of verbal autopsy methods in identifying causes of adult mortality: A case study in India
Authors: Gupta Mamta , Lakshmi P.V.M. , Prinja Shankar , Singh Tarundeep , Sirari Titiksha , Rao Chalapati , Kumar Rajesh
Published: March 2022

Background & objectives:

Cause of death assignment from verbal autopsy (VA) questionnaires is conventionally accomplished through physician review. However, since recently, computer softwares have been developed to assign the cause of death. The present study evaluated the performance of computer software in assigning the cause of death from the VA, as compared to physician review.

Methods:

VA of 600 adult deaths was conducted using open- and close-ended questionnaires in Nandpur Kalour Block of Punjab, India. Entire VA forms were used by two physicians independently to assign the cause of death using the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD)-10 codes. In case of disagreement between them, reconciliation was done, and in cases of persistent disagreements finally, adjudication was done by a third physician. InterVA-4-generated causes from close-ended questionnaires were compared using Kappa statistics with causes assigned by physicians using a questionnaire having both open- and close-ended questions. At the population level, Cause-Specific Mortality Fraction (CSMF) accuracy and P-value from McNemar’s paired Chi-square were calculated. CSMF accuracy indicates the absolute deviation of a set of proportions of causes of death out of the total number of deaths between the two methods.

Results:

The overall agreement between InterVA-4 and physician coding was ‘fair’ (κ=0.42; 95% confidence interval 0.38, 0.46). CSMF accuracy was found to be 0.71. The differences in proportions from the two methods were statistically different as per McNemar’s paired Chi-square test for ischaemic heart diseases, liver cirrhosis and maternal deaths.

Interpretation & conclusions:

In comparison to physicians, assignment of causes of death by InterVA- 4 was only ‘fair’. Hence, it may be appropriate to continue with physician review as the optimal option available in the current scenario.
Evaluation of Frontal Sinus Index in Establishing Sex Dimorphism Using Three-Dimensional Cone Beam Computed Tomography in Northern Saudi Arabian Population
Authors: Rao Krishna A. , Doppalapudi Radhika , Al-Shammari Naif Tami , Patil Santosh , Vundavalli Sudhakar , Alam Mohammad Khursheed
Published: March 2022

Purpose:

Identification of sex of unknown people becomes important in situations of mass disaster. Previous studies have shown that morphological characteristic of frontal sinus is distinctive to particular individual and hence, literature suggests that it can be used in establishing identification of a person. However, few researches have concluded that, its use in determining sexual dimorphism is limited.

Aim:

This study aimed to evaluate frontal sinus index using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) and differentiate sex dimorphism based on the index obtained.

Materials and Methods:

A retrospective cross-sectional study was undertaken using three-dimensional-CBCT scans. By simple random sampling method, 150 scans were selected, out of which 74 were of male and 76 were of female within the age group of 20–64 years. The frontal sinus width and the height were measured, and the ratio was taken as frontal sinus index. This index was correlated to the differentiation of sex. Data were analyzed using SPSS, and sex dimorphism was assessed using discriminant function analysis.

Results:

The mean height of the frontal sinus in both males and females was 30.12 ± 7.6 mm and 30.14 ± 7.8 mm, respectively. The mean width of frontal sinus in males (13.39 ± 3.6 mm) was slightly more than that of females (12.06 ± 3 mm).

Conclusion:

The parameter frontal sinus index measured using CBCT was found to be a contributing factor in sex determination in forensic identification within the sample population.
On the Possibilities of Using Some Modern Three-Dimensional Modeling Means in Forensic Examination
Authors: Afonin Dmitry S , Hora Iryna V , Kolesnyk Valerii A , Popovych Inna I , Kuchynska Iryna V
Published: March 2022

Background:

The paper examines the state and prospects of using 3D modeling in solving identification, classification, diagnostic and situational tasks of forensic examination.

Aims and Objectives:

The aim of this study is to analyze the world expert practice of using scientific and technical means of three-dimensional modeling in solving problems of forensic examination, using the example of our country, the leading countries of Europe, as well as the United States. Materials and Methods: The empirical basis of the study is the results of the systematization of scientific and technical means for 3D modeling in solving identification, classification, diagnostic and situational problems of forensic examinations used in the expert practice of Ukraine, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and the USA.

Results:

The systematization of modern scientific and technical means for 3D modeling, used in solving identification, classification, diagnostic and situational tasks of forensic examination, has been carried out. We analyzed and identified 3D modeling software that most fully meets the requirements of effective forensic expert activities. The features of the use of effective 3D modeling mean for solving identification, classification, diagnostic and situational tasks of forensic examination, namely the software systems “ToolScan” and “TrasoScan”, and the SketchUp program have been disclosed.

Conclusion:

The introduction of the SketchUp 8 software into forensic expert activities will increase the effectiveness of the modeling method in forensic examinations, which, in turn, will have an impact on the effectiveness of expert conclusions, increase their evidentiary value and, as a result, contribute to the entire process of a criminal investigation.
Comparison of Adult Defendants' Forensic Psychiatric Evaluation in Criminal Courts Between Mainland China and Taiwan China
Authors: Tam Wai-Cheong Carl
Published: March 2022

The defendant's mental capacity is often crucial in criminal procedure, and an expert witness may be requested to conduct a forensic psychiatric evaluation. This paper analyzes the law and clinical practice of adult defendants' forensic psychiatric evaluation in criminal courts between Mainland China and Taiwan China. Results indicated that the law in Taiwan China explicitly mentioned more mental illness and mental capacity than the law in Mainland China regarding forensic psychiatric evaluation. Concerning expert witnesses, Mainland China has established a registration and management system, but in Taiwan China, the judge decides the expert witness's admissibility. Furthermore, clinical evaluation guidelines have been promulgated in Mainland China, while none in Taiwan China. Implications of the findings were discussed.
The Effect of COVID 19 on Liver Parenchyma Detected and measured by CT scan Hounsfield Units
Authors: Fataftah Jehad Z , Tayyem Raed , Qandeel Haitham , Baydoun Haneen A , Al Manasra Abdel Rahman A , Tahboub Ahmad , Al-Dwairy Salem Y , Al-Mousa Alaa
Published: March 2022

Background:

COVID 19 may affect organs other than lungs, including liver, leading to parenchymal changes. These changes are best assessed by unenhanced computed tomography (CT). We aim to investigate the effect of COVID 19 on liver parenchyma by measuring the attenuation in CT scan Hounsfield unit (HU).

Materials and Methods:

A cohort of patients, who tested COVID 19 polymerase chain reaction positive, were enrolled and divided into two groups: fatty liver (FL) group (HU ≤ 40) and nonfatty liver (NFL) group (HU > 40) according to liver parenchyma attenuation measurements by high resolution noncontrast CT scan. The CT scan was performed on admission and on follow up (10–14 days later). Liver enzyme tests were submitted on admission and follow up.

Results:

Three hundred and two patients were enrolled. Liver HU increased significantly from 48.9 on admission to 53.4 on follow up CT scan (P<0.001) in all patients. This increase was more significant in the FL group (increased from 31.9 to 42.9 [P =0.018]) Liver enzymes were abnormal in 22.6% of the full cohort. However, there was no significant change in liver enzymes between the admission and follow up in both groups.

Conclusion:

The use of unenhanced CT scan for assessment of liver parenchymal represents an objective and noninvasive method. The significant changes in parenchymal HU are not always accompanied by significant changes in liver enzymes. Increased HU values caused by COVID 19 may be due to either a decrease in the fat or an increase in the fibrosis in the liver.
Status of breast cancer screening strategies and indicators in Iran
Authors: Omidi Zahra , Koosha Maryam , Nazeri Najme , Khosravi Nasim , Zolfaghari Sheida , Haghighat Shahpar
Published: March 2022

Background:

This scoping review aimed to investigate the status of breast cancer (BC) preventive behaviors and screening indicators among Iranian women in the past 15 years. BC, as the most common cancer in women, represents nearly a quarter (23%) of all cancers. Presenting the comprehensive view of preventive modalities of BC in the past 15 years in Iran may provide a useful perspective for future research to establish efficient services for timely diagnosis and control of the disease.

Materials and Methods:

The English and Persian articles about BC screening modalities and their indicators in Iran were included from 2005 to 2020. English electronic databases of Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus, and Persian databases of Scientific Information Database (SID) and IranMedex were used. The critical information of articles was extracted and classified into different categories according to the studied outcomes.

Results:

A total of 246 articles were assessed which 136 of them were excluded, and 110 studies were processed for further evaluation. Performing breast self-examination, clinical breast examination, and mammography in Iranian women reported 0%–79.4%, 4.1%–41.1%, and 1.3%-45%, respectively. All of the educational interventions had increased participants’ knowledge, attitude, and practice in performing the screening behaviors. The most essential screening indicators included participation rate (3.8% to 16.8%), detection rate (0.23–8.5/1000), abnormal call rate (28.77% to 33%), and recall rate (24.7%).

Conclusion:

This study demonstrated heterogeneity in population and design of research about BC early detection in Iran. The necessity of a cost-effective screening program, presenting a proper educational method for increasing women's awareness and estimating screening indices can be the priorities of future researches. Establishing extensive studies at the national level in a standard framework are advised
PREDATION OF SCOLOPENDRA VIRIDICORNIS (NEWPORT 1844) (CHILOPODA, SCOLOPENDRIDAE) BY BOTHROPS ERYTHROMELAS (AMARAL 1923) (SQUAMATA, VIPERIDAE) IN THE CAATINGA, NORTHEAST BRAZIL
Authors:   Museu de História Natural do Sul do Estado do Espírito Santo, Silva-Soares Thiago , Watanabe Leticia Keiko ,   Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Segadilha Juliana ,   Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro
Published: March 2022

even small vertebrates. On March 1th, 2016, during a herpetological survey we observed a subadult male B. erythromelas road-killed with a dead centipede popping out from its body. We believe that the centipede was ingested by the snake, and broke out through the snake's body when it was run over. Our report is the first predation record between these two venomous species.
A comparative analysis of morphological mutations-clippings and blends/portmanteaux in English and Urhobo languages
Authors: Idialu Princess O.
Published: March 2022

Language, the major means of human communication, grows and changes in form as nations garner new experiences and engage in new technologies. The creation of new words to capture the new experiences and technologies becomes inevitable. This work researches into neologisms in the forms of clippings – shortening of words; and blends – combination of parts of two or more source words in both the English and the Urhobo languages. The exploratory, descriptive, quantitative and comparative research methods were used, while data collection was done  through library search, interviews and extensive internet search. From the result of the analysis of accessed data, English has back clips (52%) and  fore-clips (19%) as its two most frequently occurring types of clips; the Urhobo has the most frequenting occurring as the median clips (44%) and  fore-clip (38%) as the next most frequent. Again, while the English language has the most blend as the (BE) (41%), followed by (WE) (19.1% and  ((BW) at (13.7%), the Urhobo blend patterns are more varied with (BW) as highest (25.5%); followed by (MW) (15.7%) and (WE=O) (11.8%)  respectively. This shows that there are word mutations appearing in clips and blends, and, therefore, recommend that these are studied and  included in our daily use, especially in informal settings.
The Communicative Ecology of Social Media in the Organization of Social Movement for Collective Action in Ghana: The Case of #FixTheCountry
Authors: Brobbery Collins Adu-Bempah , Da-Costa Caroline Aboagye , Apeakoran Ephraim Nana
Published: March 2022

This study seeks to unravel the media-oriented practices and media technology applications of the #FixTheCountry protests which seek to demand accountability from successive governments of Ghana. While acts by various governmental agencies supposedly worked to prevent a physical convergence due to the Covid-19 pandemic, their efforts proved futile due to the communicative ecology driving the movement. Using the concept of communicative ecology and a multimodal ethnography through observation, semi-structured interviews and time series analysis of happenings after the emergence of the hashtag, #FixTheCountry, the study found out that the diverse backgrounds of the participants of the movement notwithstanding, the hybridity of the communication technologies, especially the use of social media fueled the success of their interaction, leading to enhanced information and communicative ecology, giving them a formidable front both within and outside Ghana. It recommends that political actors need to embrace protest movements for collective action based on purpose, especially because of the complex intertwining technology that characterizes their formation in the digital era.
Peer Influence and School Library Use by Students in Public Secondary Schools in Lagos State, Nigeria
Authors: Olaleru Elizabeth Abosede , Owolabi Ruth Onajite
Published: March 2022

This study investigated the influence of peer influence on school library use among public secondary schools in Lagos State, Nigeria. The study adopted survey research design. The study population comprised 16,366 students in public secondary schools in Lagos State. Structured questionnaire was used for the data collection and the Cronbach alpha value ranged from 0.7 to 0.9 which shows that the instrument is valid. Findings showed that students in public secondary schools in Lagos State, Nigeria used school library twice a week (mean = 3.00, SD = 0.79). School library was used daily among students in public secondary schools in Lagos State, in order to enable them to study and perform well in their studies (x̅ = 3.33). The extent of peer influence on library use was moderately high (the mean = 2.91, SD = 0.86). Peer pressure exerted high influence at (x̅ = 3.05) and peer academic value at mean = 2.76. Peer influence has a negative significant influence on school library use among students in public secondary schools in Lagos State, Nigeria (R2 = 0.025, β = -0.157, t = -5.781, p<0.05). Therefore, this study recommends that school administrators and librarian should care for each student in situation where there is negative influence it should be observed and corrected before it becomes a public menace.
A new locality for three threatened butterfly species in the Bewaarkloof Reserve of the Limpopo Province, South Africa
Authors: Terblanche Etienne
Published: March 2022

No Abstract
Development and early stages of Mylothris chloris chloris (Fabricius, 1775) (Lepidoptera: Pieridae)
Authors: Sáfián Szabolcs
Published: March 2022

In this paper, the full life-history of Mylothris chloris chloris is discussed with morphological descriptions of its early stages and multiple photo illustrations, documented in Liberia, West Africa. The early stages of M. chloris are compared with those of M. agathina.
The establishment in Harare, Zimbabwe, of Spalgis lemolea Druce, 1890, and notes on its life history
Authors: Francis Jonathan , Gardiner Alan J.
Published: March 2022

No Abstract
Peculiar behaviour of a female Alaena margaritacea (Eltringham, 1929) (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae: Poritiinae)
Authors: Terblanche Etienne
Published: March 2022

A female Alaena margaritacea was observed using her legs to groom grass blades on a slope, the type locality, near Haenertsburg, Limpopo Province, South Africa. The behaviour was video-recorded. The article describes the behaviour’s peculiarities and stages such as reiterative grooming at blade tips. Using extant literature, it posits two hypotheses for the behaviour’s function: that it involves territorial, sexual scent-marking or that it aims to repel competing feeders such as ants by the putative use of semiochemicals.
Up-regulation of miR-30b suppresses glioblastoma by negatively regulating MEF2D through Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway
Authors: Bai Jianfeng , Yu Qingqing , Ning Tongbo
Published: March 2022

Purpose: To study miR-30b’ significance on glioblastoma, and its underlying mechanism of action.

Methods: Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) while 3-(4,5)- dimethylthiahiazo (-z-y1)-3,5-di- phenytetrazoliumromide (MTT), Transwell, and xenograft tumor formation assays were carried out to study miR-30b’s effect on glioblastoma while luciferase reporter assay was employed to study the interaction between MEF2D and miR-30b. Glioblastoma cells treatment with miR-30 mimic or inhibitor were subjected to Western blot assay to study the effect of Wnt/β-catenin signaling on miR-30b/MEF2D axis-mediated cell progression.

Results: MiR-30b was lowly expressed in glioblastoma tissues (p = 0.007), and this was associated with poor prognosis of patients (p = 0.022). The direct target of miR-30b was identified as MEF2D (p = 0.036). Increasing miR-30b blocked MEF2D expression in glioblastoma cells (p = 0.029). Moreover, MEF2D overturned miR-30b’ inhibitory effect on glioblastoma cell progression (p = 0.041; p = 0.006; p = 0.037). In vivo, restoration of miR-30b inhibited tumor growth (p = 0.01) and MEF2D. Interestingly, restoration of miR-30b inhibited epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathways.

Conclusion: These results indicate the critical role of miR-30b/MEF2D axis in glioblastoma via EMT and Wnt/β-catenin pathways. Thus, the miR-30b/MEF2D axis might be a beneficial therapeutic target for the management of glioblastoma patients.