bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hybrid Technology Incorporated Into Colombian Heavy Oil Field Development Plan
Authors: Carpenter Chris
Published: April 2024

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This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights of paper SPE 213199, “Incorporating Hybrid Technology of CSS and Foam in Heavy Oil Field Development Plans: Practical Experiences and Lessons Learned,” by Romel A. Perez, SPE, Hector A. Rodriguez, and Jorge E. Romero, Ecopetrol, et al. The paper has not been peer reviewed.

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A research and development project was conducted to study the use of preformed foams to improve cyclic steam stimulation (CSS). The field results showed benefits in incremental oil production, improvements in energy efficiency, and reduction in carbon intensity. Based on those outcomes, and with the goal of extending the production life of mature assets, the hybrid technology of CSS plus foam improvements was incorporated into the heavy oil field development plans of the Middle Magdalena Valley (MMV) basin in Colombia.

Pilot Results: 2019–2022

CSS maturity is one of the major challenges in the MMV. Many wells report more than 10 steam cycles, decreasing oil productivity, and a trend of shorter steam cycles (less than 10 months). Most injected steam drained the higher-flow-capacity intervals based on the permeability contrast within the pay zone and openhole completions. Therefore, the bullhead injection of preformed foam improvements implemented before the steam cycle was proposed as part of a conformance strategy. The main goal of the pilot test was to demonstrate the efficiency of the hybrid technology, extend the production life of steam cycles, increase oil recovery, and improve energy efficiency and carbon footprint.

The CSS pilot was implemented in six wells of the Teca-Cocorna field (Fig. 1). Performance was evaluated in terms of incremental oil, carbon intensity, and energy efficiency. A similar approach was proposed to evaluate energy efficiency and greenhouse emissions of CSS and hybrid CSS based on numerical simulations and the performance of two wells in Block D-80 in China.

By the end of this stage, an incremental oil of approximately 32,000 STB was confirmed. Only one well recorded almost 50% of the total incremental oil of the pilot, and one well was only evaluated for 6 months because of a mechanical failure. Incremental oil recoveries and geochemical analysis confirmed the potential of this hybrid steam method to target unswept zones in idle or marginal wells operating since the 1980s. Additionally, the Teca-Cocorna pilot reduced carbon intensity and improved energy efficiency by 56% and 54%, respectively.

The reduction of the carbon intensity from 83 (baseline) to 46 kg CO2/STB represents an important achievement in terms of environmental benefits and highlights the fact that the volume of natural gas used to generate steam was optimized by using less gas by extending steam cycles to a minimum of 9 months. In other words, the CCS/foam cycle can produce as much oil as two CCS cycles in the pilot wells.
Water Management Strategy Across ADNOC Oil and Gas Operations
Authors: Madhi Adnan A , Reddy Vijaya Bhaskar , Al Ameri Lubna , Abdelmobdy Mahmoud , Goswami Natavarpuri Hirapuri , AlAwlaqi Amal Omar , Abujarad Nada , Fandino Angela
Published: April 2024

Water is a crucial component for oil and gas production, serving various purposes such as crude washing, desalting, desalination plants feed, boiler feed, cooling water, drilling mud preparation, accommodation facilities, water supply, and irrigation. The UAE, situated in a sub-tropical climate zone with exposure to the Arabian Gulf and Indian Ocean, faces significant challenges in balancing water demand and supply. To optimize water usage, alleviate pressure on the public water supply, and minimize the impact on regional water quality and resources, ADNOC has developed a comprehensive water conservation strategy. This strategy encompasses efficient processes, innovative water treatment, and wastewater reuse technologies, aiming to reduce dependency on fresh water. This paper discusses current water treatment practices, planned abatement projects and associated challenges.
Exploring the impact of the recent global warming on extreme weather events in Central Asia using the counterfactual climate data ATTRICI v1.1
Authors: Fallah Bijan , Rostami Masoud
Published: April 2024

We study the impact of recent global warming on extreme climatic events in Central Asia (CA) for 1901-2019 by comparing the composite representation of the observational climate with a hypothetical counterfactual one that does not include the long-term global warming trend. The counterfactual climate data is produced based on a simple detrending approach, using the global mean temperature (GMT) as the independent variable and removing the long-term trends from the climate variables of the observational data. This trend elimination is independent of causality, and the day-to-day variability in the counterfactual climate remains preserved. The analysis done in the paper shows that the increase in frequency and magnitude of extreme temperature and precipitation events can be attributed to global warming. Specifically, the probability of experiencing a +7 K temperature anomaly event in CA increases up to seven times in some areas due to global warming. The analysis reveals a significant increase in heatwave occurrences in Central Asia, with the observational climate dataset GSWP3-W5E5 (later called also factual) showing more frequent and prolonged extreme heat events than hypothetical scenarios without global warming. This trend, evident in the disparity between factual and counterfactual data, underscores the critical impact of recent climatic changes on weather patterns, highlighting the urgent need for robust adaptation and mitigation strategies.
Additionally, using the self-calibrated Palmer drought severity index (scPDSI), the sensitivity of dry and wet events to the coupled precipitation and temperature changes is analyzed. As a result, the areas under dry and wet conditions are enhanced under the observational climate compared to a counterfactual scenario, especially over the largest deserts in CA. The expansion of the dry regions aligns well with the pattern of desert development observed in CA in recent decades.
WITHDRAWN: Broadcasters, receivers, functional groups of metabolites and the link to heart failure using polygenic factors
Authors: al. Azam Yazdani and et
Published: April 2024

The full text of this preprint has been withdrawn, as it was submitted in error. Therefore, the authors do not wish this work to be cited as a reference. Questions should be directed to the corresponding author.
One-Pot Synthesis of Sequence-Controlled Mesoporous Heterostructures
Authors: Stefik Morgan , Larison Taylor , Williams Eric , Wright Mason , Tengco John Meynard , Boebinger Matthew , Tang Chuanbing
Published: April 2024

Multi-material heterostructures have led to novel characteristics beyond the individual components. Nature controls the architecture and placement of multiple materials through biomineralization of nanoparticles (NP), however, synthetic heterostructure formation remains limited and departs from the elegance of self-assembly. Structure directing agents (SDA) enable nanocomposite self-assembly, however, these are limited to random mixtures due to dynamic (non-covalent) SDA-NP interactions.Here persistent (covalent) SDA-NP interactions enable sequence-controlled heterostructures where the composition profile and interfaces correspond to the synthetic addition order. This approach is generalized with 5 material sequences using a diblock polymer with persistent SDA-NP interactions (P-NP1-NP2; NPi=TiO2, Nb2O5, ZrO2). The addition of a dynamically interacting block with a bis- hydrophilic triblock terpolymer (PD-NP1-NP2) improves long-range ordering. The resulting competitive binding (P- vs D-blocks) required time for the first NP-type (NP1) to permeate the
outermost D-block prior to covalent linkage with the central P-block. Thus, the bis-interacting triblock enabled mesoporous heterostructure synthesis via self-assembly for the first time.
Mechanisms of removing terdizolamide phosphate from water by the activation of potassium peroxymonosulfate salt with CeFe2O4 biochar
Authors: Zhang Lei , Ai Tian , Dai Shujuan , Xiao Guoyong , Xiong Xiaolu , Zhang Nan , Si Jian , Wang Guanyue , Xue Wanwan , Xu Jing
Published: April 2024

Terdizolamide phosphate (TZD), a second-generation oxazolidinone antibiotic with a long half-cycle, poses a potential threat to ecosystems and humans if present in water over an extended duration. Magnetic biochar (CF-biochar) loaded with CeFe2O4, was firstly synthesized by microwave ablation-anaerobic carbonisation using corn straw as raw material and Ce(NO3)3 and Fe(NO3)3 as modifiers. These modifiers were used as activators for peroxymonosulfate (PMS) and adsorbents for removing TZD. The maximum adsorption capacity of CF-biochar was up to 3,322.74 mg g− 1, which was much higher than that of modified biochar. The CF-biochar/PMS system achieved 99.72% removal of TZD and accelerated the removal rate with good results. Results from quenching and electron spin resonance (ESR) tests showed that and played a major role in the oxidative degradation of TZD. Besides, they had a good removal effect on TZD among other co-existing anions. CF-biochar exhibited a smaller particle size, larger specific surface area, more abundant pore size, and high magnetic nature. The removal kinetics and removal isotherms were modeled to show that the adsorption of TZD by CF-biochar was a spontaneous, exothermic, physical multilayer adsorption process. Main driving force corresponded to electrostatic attraction and hydrophobic properties. Therefore, the CF-biochar/PMS system was an efficient, promising, and sustainable technology for removing TZD.
Quantitative analysis of commercial coating penetration into Fagus crenata wood using X-ray Microtomography
Authors: Ekaputri Tyana Solichah , Tanaka Takashi
Published: April 2024

Recently, coating has been used as economically friendly materials to enhance the dimensional stability and aesthetic properties of woody materials as a preservative. X-ray microtomography is a promising visualization technique for observing the coating penetration plots. The study aimed to determine the efficiency and applicability of X-ray microtomography for observing and assessing the distribution of coating materials in two- and three-dimensional visualizations. The coating assessments were investigated using X-ray images and plot profile to obtain the penetration depth. Some Japanese commercial coatings were used for the experiments. Two types of coating application such as spray and brush were performed. Each coated sample was scanned using X-ray microtomography, and the coating penetration depth was successfully visualized and quantified. The chemical content in the coating materials and its concentration have been proven to affect the coating penetration plots and amount. The X-ray images has successfully showed penetration plot and assessed the penetration value at the microscopic scale.
Role of NuMA1 in breast cancer stem cells with implications for combination therapy of PIM1 and autophagy inhibition in triple negative breast cancer
Authors: Manupati Kanakaraju , Hao Mingang , Haas Michael , Yeo Syn Kok , Guan Jun-Lin
Published: April 2024

Background: Nuclear mitotic apparatus protein 1 (NuMA1) is a cell cycle protein and upregulated in breast cancer. However, the role of NuMA1 in TNBC and its regulation in heterogenous populations remains elusive.
Methods: We performed CRISPR mediated deletion of NuMA1 in mouse TNBC cells, BF3M. FACS was utilized to isolate BCSCs, and bulk cells based on CD29 and CD61 markers. Cell viability, migration, and invasion ability of BCSCs and bulk cells was evaluated using MTT, wound healing and transwell invasion assays, respectively. In vivo mouse breast cancer and lung metastatic models were generated to evaluate the combination treatment of SMI-4a and Lys-o5 inhibitors.
Results: We identified that high expression of NuMA1 associated with poor survival of breast cancer patients. Further, human tissue microarray results depicted high expression of NuMA1 in TNBC relative to non-adjacent normal tissues. Therefore, we performed CRISPR mediated deletion of NuMA1 in a mouse mammary tumor cell line, BF3M and revealed that NuMA1 deletion reduced mammary tumorigenesis. We also showed that NuMA1 deletion reduced ALDH+ and CD29hiCD61+ breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs), indicating a role of NuMA1 in BCSCs. Further, sorted and characterized BCSCs from BF3M depicted reduced metastasis with NuMA1 KO cells. Moreover, we found that PIM1, an upstream kinase of NuMA1 plays a preferential role in maintenance of BCSCs associated phenotypes, but not in bulk cells. In contrast, PIM1 kinase inhibition in bulk cells depicted increased autophagy (FIP200). Therefore, we applied a combination treatment strategy of PIM1 and autophagy inhibition using SMI-4a and Lys05 respectively, showed higher efficacy against cell viability of both these populations and further reduced breast tumor formation and metastasis. Together, our study demonstrated NuMA1 as a potential therapeutic target and combination treatment using inhibitors for an upstream kinase PIM1 and autophagy inhibitors could be a potentially new therapeutic approach for TNBC.
Conclusions: Our study demonstrated that combination treatment of PIM1 inhibitor and autophagy inhibitor depicted reduced mammary tumorigenesis and metastasis by targeting NuMA1 in BCSCs and bulk cells of TNBC, demonstrating this combination treatment approach could be a potentially effective therapy for TNBC patients.
Lifetime trauma, mental health, alcohol and help-seeking; the phenomenological experience of veterans residing in Northern Ireland
Authors: Hitch Catherine , Toner Paul , Champion Hannah , Armour Cherie
Published: April 2024

Background
Veteran residents in Northern Ireland (NI) are an under-researched population. Little is known of their experiences of trauma and mental health management. The overall mental health of veterans living in NI may be poorer than other veteran populations, due to the challenges presented by the unique landscape. Understanding their experiences is crucial for providing appropriate, targeted support.
Method
Six male veterans, who had received a mental health diagnosis, living in NI and all aged > 40 years agreed to partake. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to explore their experiences. Semi-structured interviews, using open-ended questions, were conducted over the telephone.
Results
Two experiential themes were identified each containing three experiential statements. Statements for ‘an extreme lack of’ included: lack of mental health literacy/awareness; lack of expectations of official support; lack of a sense of perceived appreciation. Statements for ‘an extreme abundance of’ included: exacerbated exposure to a range of extreme environments; high levels of ruled-based living; high levels of engaging with informal/local level support.
Conclusions
Several experiential statements aligned with existing literature, including having poor mental health literacy and problem recognition, and heavily utilising social support versus formal help-seeking. Some novel findings were elicited, including bouncing between extreme positive and negative environments (e.g., rapidly between conflict trauma and extreme sports or partying). This could be as detrimental to mental health as experiencing conflict trauma. Heavy alcohol use was just another rule soldiers followed, with veterans reflecting alcohol autonomy only presented itself post-military. Positive help-seeking experiences failed to improve poor opinions of support organisations. Finally, poor self-perceptions connected to military status are pertinent in NI, which fuels self-marginalisation and distrust. Veterans living in NI likely have elevated levels of lifetime trauma exposure, due to their affiliation with the Troubles, other military-related traumas and general lifetime traumas. Moreover, NI veterans often demonstrate a reluctance to help-seek due to security concerns, resulting in potentially poorer mental health outcomes. Understanding how NI veterans interpret their experiences is key to providing adequate healthcare. Novel findings would benefit from further exploration.
A questionnaire-based survey of COVID-19 transmission in dental practice during the pandemic:comparison between the 1st-5th and the 6th-8th surges in Japan
Authors: Sakai Hironori , Kondo Eiji , Tanaka Hirokazu , Shibata Akinobu , Nakatani Shizuka , Kurita Hiroshi
Published: April 2024

Background: Previously, we conducted a questionnaire survey on infection control measures and infection status among practicing dentists in Nagano prefecture, Japan, between February 2020 and September 2021 (1-5th surge of COVID-19 cases in Japan) and found that the risk of COVID-19 infection spreading through dental care was very low. However, it was noted that the low number of infected patients during the survey period may have been a contributing factor. Subsequently, an explosive increase in the number of infected patients was observed, raising the possibility of nosocomial infections in dental treatment settings. Therefore, in this study, we reexamined the infection situation in dental care settings at the time of infection spread and compared the results with those of previous reports.
Materials and methods
An online questionnaire-based survey on clinical activities, infection control measures, and confirmed or probable COVID-19 cases among patients and clinical staff were conducted between February 2022 to March 2023 (6-8th surge).
Results
The number of COVID-19 positive patients increased approximately 50-fold between the study periods. There was a 3.5-fold increase in the rate of treatment for infected patients. Even with the increased likelihood of contact with COVID-19 patients, no cases of infection during dental treatment were observed.
Conclusions
The results of this study indicate that even with the possibility of contact with COVID-19 during dental treatment, the likelihood of COVID-19 clusters occurring in dental practices is low if appropriate infection prevention measures are in place.
A Crystallographic Study Unveils a Novel Magnesium Transporting Rhodopsin
Authors: Yang Chii-Shen , Ko Ling-Ning , Lim Guo Zhen , Ko Ta , Li Guan-Yi , Chen Jui-Chien
Published: April 2024

The functionally unknown Middle rhodopsin (HwMR) is microbial rhodopsin (mRho) identified in Haloquadratum walsbyi, a microbe that thrives in 2 M MgCl2 environment harmed to most microorganisms. HwMR shares conserved and functionally critical residues with both bacteriorhodopsin (BR), a proton pump, and sensory rhodopsin (SR) that function in phototaxis, even though HwMR exerts neither function. We previously reported that it uniquely associates with Mg2+. Here, we showed that HwMR was an inward magnesium regulator, evidenced by solving the atomic structures of wild-type and D84N mutant and a cell-based light-driven conductivity assay. HwMR can sense environmental Mg2+ concentration via the D84 residue according to maximum absorbance (Abs-max) and photocycle kinetics results. Furthermore, two main Mg2+ binding sites were identified in HwMR wild-type structure but not in D84N mutant. Structural analysis demonstrated that D84N induced changes in the BC-loop on the extracellular side, causing a lower hydrophobicity and disturbing resistance against external solvents. D84N also altered the local environment in solvent-excluded areas and Coulombic electrostatic potentials around the Mg2+ binding sites. On the cytoplasmic side, T216 was found to stabilize Mg2+ directly, a phenomenon also supported by optical properties experiments. Finally, a sequential model was proposed to illustrate Mg2+ transportation in HwMR.
Predictive Value of IL-8 for Mortality Risk in elderly sepsis Patients of Emergency Department
Authors: Zhang Xiangqun , Wei Bing , Zhang Ying , Li Yixuan , Long Yang , Wang Junyu , Guo Shubin
Published: April 2024

Objectives
The present study aimed to explore the mortality risk of interleukin-8 (IL-8) among elderly patients diagnosed with sepsis upon admission to the emergency department.
Methods
A total of 273 elderly patients with sepsis were admitted to the emergency department of Beijing Chaoyang Hospital from January 2022 to April 2023. In total, 220 patients were included in the present study. Serum samples were obtained within 1 hour of admission to assess serum IL-8, white blood cell (WBC), procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein (CRP), and lactic acid (LAC) levels, along with other relevant parameters. The Sequential Organ Failure Score (SOFA) and Acute Physiological and Chronic Health Assessment II (APACHE II) were recorded. Logistic regression analysis was employed to identify independent predictors of mortality within 28 days for elderly patients diagnosed with sepsis. Further, the capacity of these factors to predict 28-day mortality within this patient cohort was evaluated using Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.
Results
The levels of lactic acid (LAC), interleukin-8 (IL-8), procalcitonin (PCT), as well as the severity scores of APACHE II and SOFA, and the albumin (ALB) score, demonstrated notable and statistically significant distinctions between the non-survivor and survivor cohorts (P < 0.05). Through logistic regression analysis, it was determined that the SOFA score, APACHE II score, LAC, and IL-8 were all significant independent predictors for 28-day mortality in elderly sepsis patients (P < 0.05). The AUC of the ROC curve for IL-8 was calculated to be 0.701, indicating a moderately predictive performance. Sensitivity and specificity were reported as 74.5% and 63.4%, respectively, with a cut-off value of 14.497. In comparison, the AUC for LAC was marginally higher at 0.708, accompanied by a sensitivity of 76.5% and a specificity of 56.3%, with a corresponding cut-off value of 1.15. Further, the AUC for APACHE II was 0.761, indicating good predictive performance. The sensitivity and specificity for APACHE II were found to be 55.0% and 91.5%, with a cut-off value of 21.5. Nevertheless, the results of the statistical analysis reveal no significant difference in the predictive value between IL-8 and LAC (Z = 0.134, P = 0.894). However, IL-8 demonstrated a slightly higher specificity (63.4%) compared to LAC (56.3%). Moreover, the present findings indicate that the combined assessment of IL-8 and SOFA score (AUC 0.862, sensitivity 71.1%, specificity 93.0%; Z = 3.454, P = 0.005) demonstrated superior predictive value for mortality compared to using IL-8 alone.
Conclusions
IL-8 LAC, APACHE II, and SOFA can be considered independent predictors factors for mortality of elderly sepsis patients. Utilizing the combination of IL-8 and SOFA demonstrates a heightened predictive capability compared to using any single index alone.
Research on coal and gas outburst prediction and sensitivity analysis of influencing factors based on PCA-ICA-BP
Authors: Jia Jinzhang , Xing Yinghuan
Published: April 2024

There is a complex nonlinear mapping relationship between the phenomenon of coal and gas outburst and various influencing factors. In order to achieve accurate prediction of the danger of coal and gas outburst, traditional biomimetic algorithms have the disadvantage of easily falling into local optima and the problem of multiple correlations between the influencing factors of coal and gas outburst, This article constructs and uses Matlab to write an Imperial Competition Optimization BP Neural Network (PCA-ICA-BP) algorithm based on principal component analysis to predict the risk of coal and gas outburst. The results showed that after principal component analysis, five principal components were obtained, with a cumulative contribution rate of 89.397%; The average relative errors of PCA-ICA-BP, PCA-BP, ICA-BP, BP, PSO-BP, and GA-BP prediction models are 1.37%, 2.98%, 3.27%, 15%, 7.58%, and 8.65%, respectively. The convergence speed of PCA-ICA-BP model is 4.38 times that of BP model, and the convergence accuracy has been improved by 90.8%. The Sobol index method was used to explore the sensitivity of relevant influencing factors to coal and gas outburst. The sensitivity indicators of coal and gas outburst were sorted based on the main effect and total effect indices. The influencing factors related to gas geology have high sensitivity, and the mine is a gas dominated outburst mine. Sensitivity analysis can provide reference for the deployment of coal and gas outburst sensors in coal mines.
Determination of ammonium and nitrate in soils by digital colorimetry
Authors: Garmay A. V. , Oskolok K. V. , Monogarova O. V. , Demidov M. I.
Published: April 2024

A method of digital colorimetric determination of ammonium and nitrate in soils is proposed. The method is based on corresponding photometric techniques of ammonium and nitrate determination after potassium chloride extraction from soils samples. Ammonium is determined as an indophenol dye, and nitrate is determined as an azo dye. The original techniques were modified to overcome the lower sensitivity of the digital colorimetric method. For ammonium determination, the time required for the reaction to proceed completely was studied. Along with the use of a 96-well microplate protected from ambient light by a special frame, mathematical correction of scattered radiation using black ink and taking the images by a scanner in transmission mode without any post-processing, the resulting colorimetric techniques proved to provide accuracy and sensitivity close to those of the spectrophotometric techniques, and the overall analysis speed for tens of samples was even higher. The techniques’ validity was proven by the analysis of standard samples and by the analysis of soil samples collected in several districts of the Moscow region.
The Features Analysis of Hemoglobin Expression on Visual Information Transmission Pathway in Early Stage of Alzheimer's Disease
Authors: Li Xuehui , Tang Pan , Pang Xinping , Song Xianghu , Xiong Jing , Yu Lei , Liu Hui , Pang Chaoyang
Published: April 2024

Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized primarily by cognitive impairment. The motivation of this paper is to explore the features of the visual information transmission pathway (V-H pathway) when AD occurs. The following features were observed: 1. Hemoglobin expression on the brain regions of the V-H pathway becomes dysregulated as AD occurs. 2. V-H pathway becomes more dysfunctional. According to the features, the following conclusion was proposed: As neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) increase, more and more abnormal tau proteins penetrate the bloodstream and arrive at the brain regions of the V-H pathway. The hemoglobin molecules have a higher risk of attacking by abnormal tau proteins or other toxic substances. Under the attack of toxic substances, hemoglobin expression becomes more dysregulated, and the V-H pathway becomes dysfunctional. This dysfunction has an impact on early symptoms of AD, such as spatial recognition disorder and face recognition disorder.
A design strategy for high-performance p-type two-dimensional field effect transistors
Authors: Das Saptarshi , Das Mayukh , Sen Dipanjan , Sakib Najam U , Ravichandran Harikrishnan , Sun Yongwen , Zhang Zhiyu , Ghosh Subir , Venkatram Pranavram , Radhakrishnan Shiva Subbulakshmi , Sredensc Alexander , Yu Zhuohang , Sarkar Kalyan , Sadaf Muhtasim Ul Karim , Meganathan Kalaiarasan , Pannone Andrew , Han Ying , Somvanshi Divya , Sofer Zdenek , Terrones Mauricio , Yang Yang
Published: April 2024

Doping plays a critical role in tailoring the characteristics of semiconducting materials and electronic devices. Specifically, in the context of field-effect transistors (FETs), degenerate doping in the silicon channel beneath the source and drain regions has become essential for achieving high-performance n- and p-type devices, as well as significantly reducing contact resistance (R_C). In contrast, two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors have mainly relied on metal work-function engineering to lower R_C. While this approach has proven successful for n-type 2D FETs due to the natural tendency of the metal Fermi level to align near the conduction band edge, it has been challenging to achieve the same for p-type 2D FETs. To address this, first, we demonstrate that degenerate p-type doping can be accomplished in thick (>3 monolayers) MoSe2 and WSe2 FETs through substitutional doping of transition metal with V, Nb, and Ta. However, the degenerate doping leads to weakened electrostatic gate control, resulting in a poor on/off current ratio. Interestingly, the doping effectiveness is significantly reduced in thinner flakes (< 3 monolayers) due to strong quantum confinement effects, thereby restoring the electrostatic gate control. Based on this observation, we designed a FET structure where the channel is constructed using thinner 2D material, while the contact regions consist of degenerately doped thicker layers, allowing us to achieve both low R_C and high on/off current ratio. The doping and device design approach we propose should be just as relevant for synthetic 2D materials and n-type 2D FETs. Our insights may steer the direction of large-scale synthesis methods, prioritizing the creation of doped multilayers over monolayers to further progress in 2D FET technology.
Microenvironment Regulation Breaks the Trade-Off between the Faradaic Efficiency and the Current Density for Electrocatalytic Deuteration Using D2O
Authors: Zhang Bin , He Meng , Li Rui , Cheng Chuanqi , Liu Cuibo
Published: April 2024

The high Faradaic efficiency (FE) of the deuteration of organics with D2O at large current densities is significant for developing a feasible and promising room-temperature deuteration strategy. However, the FE and current density are the two ends of a seesaw because of the severe D2 evolution side reaction at nearly industrial current densities (− 100 mA cm− 2). Herein, we report a combined scenario of a nanotip-enhanced electric field and surfactant-modified interface microenvironment to enable electrocatalytic deuteration of arylacetonitrile in D2O with an 80% FE at − 100 mA cm− 2, which are both the best records for electrocatalytic deuteration. The increased reactant concentration with low activation energy due to the large electric field along the tips and the accelerated reactant transfer and suppressed D2 evolution by the surfactant-created deuterophobic microenvironment contribute to breaking the trade-off between high FE and current density. Furthermore, the application of our strategy in other deuteration reactions with improved FE at − 100 mA cm− 2 rationalizes the design concept.
Molecular mechanism of parental H3/H4 recycling at a replication fork
Authors: Terakawa Tsuyoshi , Nagae Fritz , Murayama Yasuto
Published: April 2024

In eukaryotic chromatin replication, faithful recycling of histones from parental DNA to replicated leading and lagging strands is essential for maintaining epigenetic information across generations. A recent experimental study has revealed that disrupting interactions between the N-terminal disordered tail of Mcm2, a subunit in DNA replication machinery, and a histone H3/H4 tetramer, a carrier of epigenetic modifications, perturbs their faithful recycling. However, the molecular pathways via which the H3/H4 tetramer attached to Mcm2 is recycled to the replicated strands have yet to be deciphered. Furthermore, the factors that regulate the ratio recycled to each strand and the destination location still need to be discovered. The elucidation requires visualization of a structural trajectory from H3/H4 bound to Mcm2 until recycled to the replicated strands. In this study, we performed molecular dynamics simulations of yeast DNA replication machinery (Mcm2-7, Cdc45, GINS, Pol ε, and RPA), an H3/H4 tetramer, and replicated DNA strands. The simulations demonstrated that histones are recycled via Cdc45-mediated and unmediated pathways even without histone chaperones, as our in vitro biochemical assays supported. Also, RPA binding to the ssDNA portion of the lagging strand regulated the ratio recycled to each strand, whereas DNA bending by Pol ε modulated the destination location. Together, the simulations in this study provided testable hypotheses, which are vital for clarifying intracellular histone recycling controlled by the cooperation of many histone chaperones.
Antitumor activity and selectivity of a unique nanostructured polyoxoniobate
Authors: Oliveira Luiz C. A. , Chagas Poliane , Heitmann Ana Pacheli , Gabriel José B. , Belchior Jadson C. , Souza Leonardo A. , Ferreira Tiago H. , Miranda Sued E. M. , Barros André L. B. , Pereira Cynthia L. M. , Bezzon Vinícius D. N. , Ferreira Fábio F. , Oliveira Cinthia C.
Published: April 2024

In vitro and in vivo experiments were carried out to evaluate the activity and antitumor selectivity of new niobium oligomers. A polyoxoniobate (PONb) and its chemical structure linked to the methylene blue dye (PONb-MB) showed promising results for some types of tumor cells. Molecular structures were determined for PONb and PONb-MB based on spectroscopic analyses with density functional theory calculations. Both caused a significant cell viability reduction in tumor cells (HeLa) with high effectiveness of 10.0% at 10 mg L-1, because of the reactivity oxygen species (ROS) generated on its chemical structure. Experimental quantitative analyzes demonstrated high selectivity for tumor cells (apoptosis 3x higher compared to MRC-5 healthy cells). Lower toxicities for healthy cells (e.g., MRC-5 and L929) confirm the selectivity of the synthesized compounds. It is noteworthy that PONb-MB and PONb-MB are physiologically soluble compounds and can be suitable for intravenous treatments. Ex vivo biodistribution studies in mice revealed a very low accumulation in organs such as the spleen, heart, liver, lungs, and kidneys. Additionally, almost no toxicity was observed in the mice post-injection, which was confirmed by biochemical analyzes.
Effect of Concentration of Electrolyte on Thermoelectric Properties of Electrodeposited Bi2Te3 Thin Films
Authors: Khairnar Vinod , Kulkarni Anil , Lonikar Vishal , Jadhav Nilesh , Patil Dipak , Gite Anil , Kumar Mirtunjay
Published: April 2024

The current thread of work focuses on tuning the properties of nano-structured Bi2Te3 films for thermoelectric applications, by optimizing electrodeposition conditions such as deposition potential, pH of electrolyte, temperature and concentration of the precursors in the solvent. In this paper, small coagulated masses of Bi2Te3 dendritic nanostructures were electrodeposited on a stainless-steel substrate under previously optimized deposition potential and pH conditions while changing the concentration of Bi3+ ions in the electrolyte (varied from 2.5 mM to 15 mM). Cyclic Voltammetry studies revealed that the material was deposited irreversibly at all concentrations. The effect of varying the concentration is indicated by a shift in the current peaks for oxidation and reduction peaks. A series of scanning electron micrographs revealed the evolution of beautiful small coagulated masses of dendritic structures as a function of the concentration of electrolyte. Thermoelectric properties such as the Seebeck coefficient up to -45.81 µV/K and power factor up to 311 µW/cmK2 have been achieved for the deposited films. The results reveal significant variation in thermoelectric properties as a function of the concentration of Bi3+ in the electrolyte through changes in the surface morphology and stoichiometry of the films. The analysis also revealed ideal concentrations of precursor ions to obtain Bi2Te3 as the dominant phase.
Non-Invasive Label-free Analysis Pipeline for In Situ Characterization of Differentiation in 3D Brain Organoid Models
Authors: Serafini Caroline Elizabeth , Charles Seleipiri , Costa Paloma Casteleiro , Niu Weibo , Cheng Brian F. , Wen Zhexing , Lu Hang , Robles Francisco E.
Published: April 2024

Brain organoids provide a unique opportunity to model organ development in a system similar to human organogenesis in vivo. Brain organoids thus hold great promise for drug screening and disease modeling. Conventional approaches to organoid characterization predominantly rely on molecular analysis methods, which are expensive, time-consuming, labor-intensive, and involve the destruction of the valuable 3D architecture of the organoids. This reliance on end-point assays makes it challenging to assess cellular and subcellular events occurring during organoid development in their 3D context. As a result, the long developmental processes are not monitored nor assessed. The ability to perform non-invasive assays is critical for longitudinally assessing features of organoid development during culture. In this paper, we demonstrate a label-free high-content imaging approach for observing changes in organoid morphology and structural changes occurring at the cellular and subcellular level. Enabled by microfluidic-based culture of 3D cell systems and a novel 3D quantitative phase imaging method, we demonstrate the ability to perform non-destructive high-resolution imaging of the organoid. The highlighted results demonstrated in this paper provide a new approach to performing live, non-destructive monitoring of organoid systems during culture.
One Case of Acute Syphilitic Posterior Placoid Chorioretinitis Complicated by Tuberculosis Infection
Authors: Yu Xiao , Zhao Yao , Zou Yuling , Mao Ziqing , You Zhipeng
Published: April 2024

Objective: This study presents a case of acute syphilitic posterior placoid chorioretinitis (ASPPC) complicated by Tuberculosis Infection.
Case Description: An individual initially diagnosed with tuberculous chorioretinitis received quadruple anti-tuberculosis therapy in conjunction with glucocorticoid medications for a 4-month period. However, the condition deteriorated abruptly following an initial improvement. Subsequent systemic assessment revealed a positive syphilis diagnosis. Following 1 month of penicillin treatment, significant improvement was observed, and the patient maintained stability throughout the 4-year follow-up period.
Conclusions: This case highlights the importance of considering the potential for dual or multiple infections in the diagnostic evaluation of uveitis.
RETRACTED: Astaxanthin-Based Drug Design: A Virtual Screening Study for COVID-19 Main Protease Inhibition
Authors: Safaei-Ghomi Javad , Lordejani Hamid Ardeshiri , Marimuthu Parthiban , Salo-Ahen Outi
Published: April 2024

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
Research and application of short-term load forecasting based on CEEMDAN-LSTM modeling
Authors: Liu Hongli , Li Zhenyu , Li Chao , Shao Lei , Li Ji
Published: April 2024

Accurate short-term load forecasts play an important role in guiding and regulating the operations of electric utilities.Using long- and short-term memory neural networks with an improved whale optimization technique, this study suggests a combination strategy for long- and short-term neural network prediction.The long-short-term memory neural network mitigates the issue of gradient vanishing and explosion, caused by the cumulative multiplication of the activation function of RNN when handling lengthy sequences.In order to address the issue of model parameter randomness, the Whale Optimization Algorithm (WOA) is introduced. The improved Whale Optimization Algorithm (IWOA) is then obtained by using the roulette method to alter the individual whale population's optimization methods in order to avoid falling into the local optimum.In this paper, the adaptive noise-complete ensemble empirical modal decomposition method CEEMDAN is introduced to solve the problem of model training efficiency caused by the nonlinear non-smoothness of the model input data, so as to construct a combined CEEMDAN-IWOA-LSTM prediction model based on CEEMDAN-IWOA-LSTM.The results show that the model's prediction accuracy reaches 99.05%, and various prediction and assessment indexes are better than other prediction models, with the best performance and effect.
RETRACTED: The effect of Octenidine dihydrochloride on the antibacterial activity of a formulated resin composite. An invitro study
Authors: mansour mahitab , salah tarek , salem haidy
Published: April 2024

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
RETRACTED: Unveilling the impact of phosphorus availability on growth, root morphological and physiological traits of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) with contrasting aluminum tolerance in acidic soils
Authors: HAO Yunfei , Wang Xiaowen , He Jin , Dhanushkodi Ramadoss , Chen Yinglong , Li Zhou , Zhao Xuechun , Chen Jihui , Gu Xinyao , Dong Rui
Published: April 2024

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
Utilization of cervical cancer screening by cytology and the burden of epithelial abnormalities: A tertiary-center 42-year study
Authors: Ezzelarab Sahar , ElHusseiny Amro , Nasreldin Magda , Ali Radwa , Nabhan Ashraf , Consortium Early Cervical Cancer Detection
Published: April 2024

Background: Cytological screening remains a high-impact practice, particularly in low-resource settings, for preventing cervical cancer. The examination of screening practices over time and the prevalence of epithelial abnormalities have not been investigated in longitudinal studies in one of the largest countries in the Middle East and Africa.
Methods: Routine healthcare data were collected from March 1981 to December 2022 at the Early Cancer Detection Unit in a tertiary referral university hospital in the Greater Cairo Region, Egypt. Cervical smears were obtained using a standardized technique and sent to the cytopathology laboratory for conventional cytology examination by expert pathologists. The data were analyzed to determine the temporal trend of the number of women screened each year and the prevalence of epithelial abnormalities.
Results: Data included the results of satisfactory smears from 95120 women. The mean age (SD) of the women at the time of screening was 38.5 (10.5). None of the included women received an HPV vaccine. Abnormal epithelial cells were reported in 5174 women (5.44%). Of these epithelial abnormalities, the majority were low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions in 4144 women (4.36%). Other abnormalities included atypical squamous cells in 378 women (0.40%), high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions in 226 women (0.24%), atypical glandular cells not otherwise specified in 184 women (0.19%), adenocarcinoma in 165 women (0.17%), squamous cell carcinoma in 70 women (0.07%), and atypical glandular cells favoring neoplasms in 7 women (0.01%). Women who were at an early age at first intercourse, those who opted for routine cervical cytology screening, and those who were older at screening were more likely to have epithelial abnormalities. The yearly number of screened women was positively associated with the detection of low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (correlation coefficient [95% CI] = 0.84 [0.72, 0.91]) and negatively associated with the detection of squamous cell carcinoma (correlation coefficient [95% CI] = -0.55 [-0.73, -0.29]).
Conclusions: The small number of annually screened Egyptian women and the temporal trend in epithelial abnormalities critically demonstrate the need for establishing and scaling up a structured population-based program to achieve the goal of eliminating cervical cancer.
Decarboxylation of acidic cannabinoids in Cannabis sativa during storage period
Authors: Kim Eun-Soo , Park Sang-Hyuck , Kinney Chad , Olejar Kenneth J , Corredor-Perilla Carolina I
Published: April 2024

This study was conducted to determine the quantity of acidic cannabinoids converted to neutral cannabinoids during the 15-day storage period. The secretory cavity contents acquired from the capitate-stalked glandular trichomes by glass microcapillaries and air-dried inflorescence were analysed by high-pressure liquid chromatography. The ratio of acidic cannabinoids to the total cannabinoids was much lower in the air-dried inflorescence samples compared to the secretory cavity samples as follows. In the secretory cavity content, the percentage of acidic cannabinoids to the total cannabinoids was measured as 86.7% cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), 1.4% cannabigerolic acid (CBGA), 4.1% cannabichromenic acid (CBCA), and 6.4% Δ 9-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (Δ 9-THCA), respectively. In the air-dried inflorescence, however, the acidic cannabinoids were detected with 42.5% CBDA, 0.4% CBGA, 1.7% CBCA, and 2.4% Δ 9-THCA, respectively. The ratio of cannabidiol (CBD) to cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) was close to 1:95 (w/w) in secretory cavity contents, however, it was roughly 1:20 (w/w) in the air-dried inflorescence. In addition, Δ 9-tetrahydrocannabivarin (Δ 9-THCV) and Δ 9-tetrahydrocannabivarinic acid (Δ 9-THCVA) were only detected in the air-dried inflorescence sample, and the ratio of Δ 9-THCV to Δ 9-THCVA was about 1:20 (w/w). Besides, cannabidivarinic acid (CBDVA) was only observed in the secretory cavity content.
Assessment of Soil Fertility and Nutrient Management Strategies in Calcareous Soils of Khuzestan Province: A Case Study Using the Nutrient Index Value Method
Authors: Abdehvand Zeinab Zaheri , Karimi Danya , Rangzan Kazem , Mousavi Seyed Roohollah
Published: April 2024

Soil fertility (SF) is crucial factor that directly impact the performance and quality of crop production. To investigate the SF status in agricultural lands under winter wheat in Khuzestan province, 811 samples were collected from the soil surface (0–25 cm) depth. Eleven soil properties i.e. electrical conductivity (EC), soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), calcium carbonate equivalent (CCE), available phosphorus (Pav), exchangeable potassium (Kex), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), and soil pH. The Nutrient Index Value (NIV) was calculated based on wheat nutritional requirements. The results indicated that 100%, 93%, and 74% of the study areas for CCE, pH, and EC fell into the low, moderate, and moderate to high NIV classes, respectively. Also, 25% of area is classified as low fertility (NIV < 1.67), 75% falls under medium fertility (1.67 < NIV value < 2.33), and none of in high fertility (NIV value > 2.33). Assessment of the mean wheat yield (AWY) and its comparison with NIV showed that the highest yield was in the Ramhormoz region (5200 Kg. ha− 1), while the lowest yield was in the Hendijan region (3000 Kg. ha− 1) with the lowest EC rate in the study area. Elevated levels of salinity and CCE in soils had the most negative impact on irrigated WY, while Pav, TN, and Mn availability showed significant effects on crop production. Therefore, implementing SF management practices is essential for both quantitative and qualitative improvement in irrigated wheat production in Khuzestan province.
Optimizing Qubit Performance through Smoothing Techniques
Authors: Malashin Ivan P. , Masich Igor S. , Tynchenko Vadim S. , Borodulin Aleksei S. , Neluyb Vladimir A.
Published: April 2024

This study explores novel approach to enhance the performance of qubits by leveraging signal smoothing algorithms to qubit chips, aiming primarily to mitigate experimental variability and enhance overall stability. This effort is intricately tied to the improvement of the Hamiltonian spectrum. By optimizing qubit operation through advanced smoothing techniques, we not only extend coherence times but also ascertain the robustness and quality of the qubit. Our findings highlight a substantial improvement in the precision of quantum information processing, indicating enhanced reliability in quantum computing experiments. Please note: Abbreviations should be introduced at the first mention in the main text – no abbreviations lists. Suggested structure of main text (not enforced) is provided below.