bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A literature review of beach nourishment impacts on marine turtles
Authors: Reine Kevin
Published: March 2022

This Technical Report was developed by the U. S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center-Environmental Laboratory (ERDC-EL), to summarize the known impacts to nesting sea turtles along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts resulting from beach nourishment. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is responsible for maintaining the nation’s infrastructure to include ports and harbors through dredging of Federal navigation channels as well as shoreline stabilization. Shoreline stabilization through beach nourishment activities can provide opportunities for reductions in storm surge, flood control, and provide opportunities for residential growth, recreational activities, and coastal habitat restoration (Guilfoyle et al. 2019). Beach nourishment is an effective method for protection and enhancement of coastal development projects but may have detrimental impacts on marine life (e.g., nesting sea turtles and shorebirds). The objective of this Technical Report is to examine all elements of the beach nourishment process to include, active beach construction, entrainment of marine turtles in hopper dredges, beach protection and hard structures, beach profile features, compaction and shear resistance, artificial lighting, marine turtle nest relocation, and nesting habitat factors. Recommendations for mitigating and minimizing these impacts are provided.
'Legends of Power and Weakness': The Construction of Relationships Between Adults and Children in Jacob Have I Loved and Dear Nobody
Authors: Mayers Rhona
Published: March 2022

See article
Guest Editorial: Will the Omicron Variant Lead to the Collapse of Oil Prices?
Authors: Nibbelink Mark
Published: March 2022

With the Omicron variant continuing to spread around the world, will a drop in oil prices follow? Maybe, but probably only in the short term.

Equity markets tanked Friday, 26 November 2021, on fears that the Omicron variant, first identified in South Africa, would sharply impact worldwide economic output. The nearly 1,000-point loss in the Dow wiped nearly $90 billion of value in Dow equities. Oil prices were particularly hit hard, dropping nearly 10% from Thursday’s close.

That drop, however, was minor compared to what happened to prices in early 2020, when at the end of April oil prices had dropped nearly 70% in value. This was frightening and was a combined pessimistic response to fears of demand destruction due to the coronavirus and the price war initiated by OPEC and Russia to counter rising production from US shale oil producers.

As a world economy, we had not faced a major health crisis since 2014 when Ebola fears gripped the world and in 2009 when H1N1 flu sickened 60.8 million and killed 12,469 in the US, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

If we go back to the 1918 Spanish flu, Fig. 1 shows the gross US demographic impact of these pandemics.

The 1918 Spanish flu infected about 28% of the US population but did not impact oil prices to any great degree. COVID-19 has infected about 15% of our fellow citizens but has caused nearly 125,000 more deaths because our population is about three times larger than it was in 1918.

In our current COVID-19 pandemic, images of first responders desperately improvising to save lives, stories of grief-stricken children, and partners forced to provide remote comfort to isolated and suffering elders tested our confidence that there would ever be a “normal” American life in the future.

How Did Oil Markets React?

The pre-COVID price of oil (CLF) in late 2019 dropped by 73% to its low in April 2020. Fears of demand destruction due to COVID dropped the price from $63/bbl to around $40/bbl—a 36% drop (Fig. 2).

Price pressure was further exacerbated by OPEC’s price war with Russia, with OPEC increasing its output by a factor of four during a short window going into and lasting through April 2020. This dropped the price of oil another 40–50%.

Once OPEC ended its price war, the baseline price of oil was around $40/bbl.

When Moderna and Pfizer announced their vaccines, and the CDC authorized their emergency use, prices recovered until late July 2021 when the US entered its third wave of increasing case counts and rising death counts.
Robo-Labs, Mysterious Bakken Scale, and New Nano-Detectors All Highlight the Innovative Thinking in Oilfield Chemistry
Authors: Jacobs Trent
Published: March 2022

When you think about robots in the oil and gas industry today, the first images that might come to mind are drones, automated drilling rigs, or maybe a robotic inspection dog called Spot.

Next time, you may think about robots that toil around the clock to create a chemical package destined for an oil well or pipeline. That’s not the future but the new reality inside the laboratories at Clariant Oil Services in The Woodlands, Texas.

The recent adoption of lab robotics was the focus of one of the published technical papers from the 2021 International Conference on Oilfield Chemistry held in November in the Houston area.

Two other papers presented at the conference also helped highlight the innovative thinking that is shaping the industry’s chemical sector.

Authors from ChampionX and Hess Corp. shared their apparently successful attempt to unravel a “mysterious case of severe Bakken brine incompatibility.” The problem addressed in their paper was severe enough to force hundreds of Bakken wells to temporarily shut in over the past 3 years.

Another paper from Baker Hughes addressed the more widely shared problem of knowing when to add production chemicals to a well and the quantity of those chemicals.

The common thread between each of these new papers is that they address some aspect of the industry’s complications with corrosion inhibitors.
Talos Eyes Big Carbon Capture Role in the US and Beyond
Authors: Wright Blake
Published: March 2022

The energy transition momentum currently sweeping through the oil patch has prompted corporate rebranding, heightened investment in renewables and a genuine sense of responsibility over the amount of harmful gases that industries release into the air. Beyond emission reductions, carbon capture and storage (CCS), viewed as a novelty by some just a few short decades ago, has leaped to the forefront of greenhouse-gas management solutions, with big players committing big money to projects aimed at ensnaring, transporting, and burying the waste deep underground.

Last April, ExxonMobil unveiled plans for a $100-billion CCS hub for the Port of Houston. Dubbed the CCS Innovation Zone, it is expected to be a public-private partnership that will attract participation and funding from companies and government entities. In September, the supermajor went on a buying spree in the shallow-water US Gulf of Mexico (GOM) as part of federal Lease Sale 257. It was the apparent high bidder on 94 tracts to the tune of just under $15 million. While these are presently structured as hydrocarbon leases and the company has kept mum on its motivations, the move was almost certainly to gain access to coast acreage that could potentially serve as subsurface storage locations for the proposed Houston hub.

Following the lease sale, Spanish operator Repsol said it had partnered with US independent Cox Oil to jointly explore CCS opportunities on the private operator’s shallow-water GOM acreage. Under the terms of the agreement, the consortium will share technical knowledge and resources to evaluate potential projects that would combine the offshore expertise and operations of Cox Oil with Repsol’s technical knowledge and global experience with CCS projects.

Then there is Talos Energy. The Houston-based independent has jumped feet first into the CCS pool, announcing a pair of US-based projects with designs on making carbon capture a steady revenue contributor over the coming years.

Early in 2021, the company evaluated various green businesses where it could make a difference—and a dollar—including carbon capture, but also wind and wave energy. At that time, CCS was more of a peripheral discussion, but as the company took a closer look it became apparent that its skill set and investment profile lined up best with a role in carbon capture. By April, the company was presented with the opportunity to propose a CCS solution solicited by the State of Texas’ General Land Office (GLO).
Case Study: Drill-Cuttings Treatment Alternatives—A Comparative Emissions Assessment
Authors: Innes Gareth , Eia Jan Thore , Nesse Steinar
Published: March 2022

The offshore oil and gas industry has always been cognizant of its impact on the marine environment. The choices that operators make in how they operate, including the disposal of drill cuttings, must address an increasing number of environmental and climate targets in addition to those related to health, safety, and cost. As a typical well will produce approximately 1000 metric tons of oil-based drill cuttings, quantifying greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions associated with the disposal and treatment of drill cuttings has become an essential step to achieving net-zero ambitions.

Since 1991 (1993 for fields in production), strict regulations relating to the discharge of oil-based drill cuttings have been in force under the OSPAR (Oslo/Paris) Convention. Those regulations banned the practice of discharge to sea of untreated oil-based drill cuttings and led to a situation where they were generally shipped to shore for treatment and disposal.

In 2020, TWMA engaged DNV, the independent energy expert and assurance provider, to undertake a comparative study between the company’s offshore thermal drill-cuttings treatment solution and conventional alternatives including “skip and ship,” bulk transfer, and cuttings reinjection (CRI) used on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS). It is the first paper to show a direct emissions comparison between offshore processing and alternative methods implemented.

The study assessed the carbon dioxide (CO2) footprint and nitrogen dioxide (NOx) emissions for each of the different alternatives. The values were then used to create an interactive emissions calculator that can easily be applied to specific projects to clarify the actual potential for emissions reduction within the drilling waste management process.

Background

Technological improvements, as well as cost focus on existing solutions, have meant that offshore thermal drill-cuttings treatment has been widely adopted in many offshore basins as one of the safest and most cost-effective approaches. In Norway, which was the subject of the study, adoption of the technology has been slower than in other countries, with onshore thermal treatment of oil-based cuttings applied as the predominant technique, while some fields use offshore slurrification and injection into dedicated disposal wells.

However, the cost of drilling new disposal wells and the track record of successful offshore thermal projects in other countries have improved the frame conditions for the use of offshore thermal treatment of cuttings on the NCS. It has also been demonstrated, in an earlier independent comparative study by Carbon Zero (SPE 207519), that the carbon footprint of skip and ship to shore of drill cuttings is 53% higher than that of drill-cuttings treatment at the wellsite (SPE 202639).
Study Explores Cost-Effective, Ecologically Sound Fluid-Disposal Methods
Authors: Carpenter Chris
Published: March 2022

This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights of paper SPE 202917, “Cost-Effective and Ecologically Sound Fluid Disposal During Well Cleanup and Post-Fracturing Flowback Operations,” by Yakov Shumakov, Florian Hollaender, SPE, and Bertrand Theuveny, SPE, Schlumberger. The paper has not been peer reviewed.

The complete paper summarizes the results and lessons learned from the application of different methods used for fluid disposal in a wide range of well-testing operations around the globe. These were used to determine that economical and environmentally responsible solutions exist for fluid disposal during these operations. The complete paper also details a field-proven and cost-effective fluid-storage solution using a shuttle tanker during well-test and flowback operations offshore.

Fluid-Disposal System

Ecologically sound and safe fluid disposal during well testing and cleanup is one of the primary objectives, from an operational standpoint, of any temporary surface well-test package. Each fluid-disposal system is designed and sized for each operation according to the expected operating conditions. Typical fluid-disposal systems include the following.

Water-Filtration System. In this system, produced water is first separated from hydrocarbons at the surface by using the well-test separator included in the temporary surface package; then, it is treated to remove as much oil as possible before discharge overboard. Even after effective treatment, however, produced water still contains traces of oil at parts-per-million levels. Overboard discharge of any kind is controlled strictly by environmental regulators and legislation.

The primary pollutants of concern are hydrocarbons and grease; therefore, most treatment technology for water produced offshore is geared toward removing these contaminants.

Mobile water-treatment systems are ideal for fast-response or urgent situations, as well as supplemental or temporary operations such as completions, workovers, or well testing. They are often used to assist during plant startup and maintenance outages when the water-treatment system is unavailable or cannot meet water-production requirements.

Temporary Fluid Storage. Provisional storage of produced hydrocarbons has been used successfully in the past and is still considered an optimal solution for operations with a relatively small volume of liquid hydrocarbons produced. In offshore operations, one important factor beyond the space on the deck of offshore rigs is the limit on the volume of live crude that can be stored permanently on the rig. The limitation in recoverable liquid volume applies a significant constraint on the duration of the test; thus, this disposal technique is applicable mainly on gas wells and in environmentally sensitive areas.
Technology Focus: Formation Evaluation (February 2022)
Authors: Dastidar Rahul
Published: March 2022

This marks the first of two Formation Evaluation features for 2022. The COVID-19 pandemic naturally has affected SPE meetings, causing many to be rescheduled or postponed indefinitely, but SPE papers continue to be a crucial source of technical knowledge. The selected papers explore simple and complex innovative approaches toward reservoir characterization to work around the absence of certain data.

Paper SPE 203903 addresses issues related to safe and optimal operation of geoenergy applications related to induced seismicity as a result of pore-pressure fluctuations. The authors developed a finite-volume method with a multipoint approximation of fluxes for geomechanics and poromechanics that will cope with discontinuities in displacements, as occur in faults, on the level of discretization.

The next paper demonstrates local calibration of a simple rock physics model that can provide valuable insights into the elastic properties, which then can be combined with seismic data for quantitative reservoir characterization away from the wellbore. The key, according to the author of paper OTC 30359, is the use of the Hashin-Shtrikman effective medium model with absolute upper and lower bounds for compressional and shear velocities of media that are composed of multiple constituents.

The third paper explores the challenges of identifying and quantifying hydrocarbon sections because of little resistivity contrast between reservoirs and water zones in the absence of radioactive tools. The authors of paper SPE 202420 develop a work flow that integrates nuclear magnetic resonance with azimuthal resistivity to overcome the uncertainty of fluid typing and optimal wellbore placement.

Despite the challenges our industry continues to face, authors of SPE conference papers continue to provide an important source of knowledge and experience. I hope you enjoy these papers and encourage you to visit OnePetro to find similar works that may deepen your interests and enhance your skills.

Recommended additional reading at OnePetro: www.onepetro.org.

SPE 203130 - Managing Sanding Risk in Sandstone Reservoir Through a New Constitutive Model by Surej Kumar Subbiah, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia and Schlumberger, et al.

SPE 201672 - Estimating Reservoir and Fracture Properties From Stage-by-Stage Pressure-Decline Analysis in Horizontal Wells by HanYi Wang, The University of Texas at Austin, et al.

SPE 202248 A Digital Core Laboratory Characterizing Oil/Water Transition Zones by Graeme Morrison, Woodside Energy
Rheological Properties of the Water-Based Muds Composed of Silica Nanoparticle Under High Pressure and High Temperature
Authors: Martin C. , Babaie M. , Nourian A. , Nasr G. G.
Published: March 2022

Research currently has shown two contradicting conclusions about silica nanoparticle (SNP) application in mud fluid. While different studies have concluded that adding SNPs reduces the rheological properties, others have found that this is not the case. Therefore, this work was carried out to add to the literature and research that has already been done by different scholars on the performance of SNPs in water-based muds (WBMs). The synthesis of SNPs was performed by the sol-gel process based on the Stöber method in a mixture of a catalyst ammonium hydroxide containing tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS), ethanol, and water. The distribution of particle dispersion, size, and zeta potential of SNP analysis was obtained using the dynamic light scattering analysis. Rheological analysis indicated good rheology at different temperatures with 0.5 wt% and 1.0 wt% silica concentration. Furthermore, viscosity and yield point (YP) were stabilized with nanoparticles (NPs at elevated temperatures (up to 176°C) as well as the reference mud maintained rheology (up to 121°C) and above that temperature, there was a drastic change indicating failure. Aging at temperatures above 121°C for 16 hours showed that NP WBMs remained stable with minor changes in rheology. Using bigger sized SNPs than previously used resulted to enhancement in the rheology of WBMs. Previous studies had used SNPs in sizes of 20–40 nm which negatively affected mud rheology. In this study, SNP of a bigger size resulted in rheological property enhancement. It is believed that particle size with other dynamics and mechanisms that still need to be investigated, for example, zeta potential, repulsive and attractive forces are some of the factors in play that affect nanoparticle performance in mud fluids. The obtained rheological data for different NP muds were matched to the traditional drilling mud rheological models to ascertain the best fit model that would be applied to an efficient design and the data fitted the Herschel-Bulkley model. Filtration tests at high pressure and high temperature (HPHT) conditions also indicated that synthesized SNPs used in the mud fluid resulted in a slightly low permeable thin mudcake and a low API gravity filtration loss which have great advantages when drilling through highly permeable formations. Filtrate loss was reduced by 7.5, 9.1, 15.4, and 6.7% when temperature increased to 100, 121, 149, and 176 °C at 1 wt% silica concentration, respectively. The mudcake was also improved and thickness reduced by 30 and 25% at 0.5 wt% silica concentration when temperatures increased from 149 and 176°C, respectively, compared to the reference mud (R) under HPHT conditions.

The research results provide a comprehensive evaluation of an enhanced WBM using SNPs for HPHT applications. The investigated NP has the potential to improve drilling mud properties which may led to less formation damage and efficient drilling operations.
Improving Decision-Making Process in Oil and Gas Development by a Context-Based Capital Value Process
Authors: Yananto H. , Putro U. S. , Sunitiyoso Y.
Published: March 2022

This paper demonstrates the application of a combination of action research-based soft system methodologies (SSM) and system dynamics (SD) to improve the decision-making process for oilfield development in state-owned enterprises (SOEs). The long dynamic investment phases often result in the delay of long-term oil and gas development projects, leading to loss of early production opportunities and increased capital investment. The existing decision-making process may not adequately value the initiative of an oilfield development, which results in uncertainty and leads to the rejection of investment decisions. Hence, it was assessed whether the decision-making process was differentiated based on the criteria and complexity of the proposed development project as compared to the existing project. A new context-based and scalable stage-gate model was developed for the oil and gas industry based on the stage-gate theory of new product development. The results indicate that the number of review cycles in the decision-making process reduced significantly based on the project’s complexity, ensuring the allocation of essential and scarce resources to the project, and reducing the total time for completion. In contrast, some bottlenecks still exist at the middle and higher levels of the decision-making process. A significant implication of this finding is that management decision-making will be better off if they consider delegating authorities for decision-making at every stage.
Removing user fees and providing knowledge can improve utilization of FANC services, findings from a cross-sectional study in rural Kenya
Authors: Wambui Elizabeth , Echoka Elizabeth , Wekesa Frederick Murunga , Langat Nelson , Makokha Anselimo
Published: March 2022

BackgroundFocused antenatal care was recommended by the World Health Organization to mitigate negative pregnancy and birth outcomes. It requires that a woman seeks medical care at least four times in the course of her pregnancy if there are no complications. However, in the low income settings, women are not able to attend ANC early and for all the schedules because of the costs involved including medical fees. In 2017, Kenya included antenatal care in the package of free maternal services provided by the government. We aimed to examine the uptake of free antenatal care (FANC) services by women in a rural community.MethodsA cross-sectional design employing mixed methods was conducted among 400 pregnant women who attended antenatal services in eight health facilities in Siaya sub-county following the introduction of FANC in these facilities. The women were interviewed on services received the timing of these antenatal visits, the number of visits in the course of the pregnancy and the challenges to attending antenatal services. Participants’ characteristics were described using means and proportions. Uptake of FANC defined by the number of women who sought FANC, the timing of the visits and how frequently they attended was described using percentages/frequencies. Log-binomial regression model was used to identify socio-demographic factors associated with uptake of FANC among the women. In this analysis, attendance to ANC four times or more was the outcome variable.ResultsOur findings showed an increase in the uptake of FANC compared to published rates of uptake. Overall, 76.4% (n=400) of the women reported attending ANC four times or more. Over half (61.7%), of the women had their first ANC visit in the second and third trimester. Women who were not married were 1.5 times (PR=1.50; CI=1.16-1.93) more likely to complete 4+ FANC visits when compared to women who were married. Women who attended ANC for the first time in their second and third trimester were 41% (PR=0.59; CI=0.49-0.72) and 90% (PR=0.10; CI=0.03-0.37) respectively, less likely to complete the 4+ FANC visits, when compared to those who started ANC in the first trimester.Conclusion The findings indicate that when women do not have to pay for antenatal services, their attendance and compliance to the scheduled visits improves. Therefore, strategies aimed at optimizing maternal pregnancy outcomes should also invest in providing free maternal services. Other implications of the study are discussed.
Evaluation of a web-based resource to improve menstrual health literacy and self-management in young women
Authors: Armour Mike , Parry Kelly , Curry Christina , Ferfolja Tania , Parker Melissa , Farooqi Toobah , MacMillan Freya , Smith Caroline A , Holmes Kathryn
Published: March 2022

Objective: Menstrual cycle-related conditions, such as dysmenorrhea and heavy bleeding, are common amongst those under 25 years. Despite having significant impact on work, education, and social activities, most do not seek medical advice, preferring to self-manage their symptoms. We aimed to determine if access to a web-based resource could improve health literacy, reduce menstrual symptoms, and encourage health-seeking behavior in those at risk of conditions, such as endometriosis. Methods: People were eligible to participate if they were currently living in Australia, aged 14-25 years, and had menstruated for at least 12 months. Access to the resource, comprising evidence-based information on the menstrual cycle, the Period ImPact and Pain Assessment (PIPPA) tool, and guidance on self-care options, was provided for three menstrual cycles. Results: Seventy-five participants with a mean age of 20.4 years enrolled to use the web-based resource. Forty-three percent visited their doctor regarding their menstrual symptoms during the study period, with 84% indicating that they made the appointment due to the resource; over half (56%) who visited their doctor received a referral to a gynecologist. There were clinically relevant improvements in health literacy reflecting improved confidence of participants regarding having both adequate information and skills to manage their symptoms. Almost half (48.8%) said the resource had changed what they thought was a ‘normal’ period, and 94% could now identify symptoms of endometriosis. Conclusion: A low-cost, web-based resource can improve health literacy, provide effective options for self-management of menstrual cycle-related conditions, and motivate young people to seek medical advice.
Synthesis of acrylamide-copper oxide hybrid structure via radiation-induced polymerization as innovative photocatalyst for visible-light driven desulfurization of petroleum diesel fuel
Authors: elnagar ahmed , metwally Usama , elmoshedy Asmaa , soliman Emad , Hashem ahmed , El-Sattar Nour E. A. Abd
Published: March 2022

The removal or extreme reduction of sulfur compounds in diesel fuels is a crucial stage, during their production, in terms of protecting the environment from harmful emissions. Additionally, the use of a cost-effective process, for such a purpose, is strongly favorable from economic perspectives. Thus, this research paper aims to produce low-sulfur diesel fuel through a photocatalytic route under the effect of visible light. Hybrid structures made of combining organic and inorganic compounds are presented as novel photocatalysts during this study. Such combination was meant to enhance the overall photocatalytic performances of these structures as well as to increase their capability toward the adsorption of sulfur compounds. It had been noticed that the usage of aliphatic chains, attached to function groups, and increment of electron donor atoms, in the organic part of photocatalyst, could increase the desulfurization percentage. Moreover, the introduction of this structure in its polymerized state had significantly enhanced the desulfurization percentage. Particularly, a diesel fuel of a reduced sulfur content exactly: 2500 ppm, which is corresponding to 20 Wt. % of the original feedstock: 12500 ppm, could be obtained. This content of sulfur compounds was further reduced to 440 ppm referring to a total sulfur removal of 96.5 % via applying three successive photocatalytic stages.
Concurrent intrathecal and intravenous nivolumab for metastatic melanoma patients with leptomeningeal disease.
Authors: Oliva Isabella Glitza , Ferguson Sherise , Bassett Roland , Foster Alexandra , John Ida , Hennegan Tarin , Rohlfs Michelle , Richard Jessie , Iqbal Masood , Dett Tina , Lacey Carol , Jackson Natalie , Rodgers Theresa , Phillips Suzanne , Duncan Sheila , Haydu Lauren , Amaria Rodabe , Wong Michael , Diab Adi , Yee Cassian , Patel Sapna , McQuade Jennifer , Fischer Grant , McCutcheon Ian , O'Brien Barbara , Tummala Sudhakar , Debnam Matthew , Guha-Thakurta Nandita , Wargo Jennifer , Burton Elizabeth , Tawbi Hussein , Davies Michael
Published: March 2022

There is a critical need for effective treatments for leptomeningeal disease (LMD). We conducted a single-arm, first-in-human phase I/Ib study of concurrent intrathecal (IT) and intravenous (IV) nivolumab in melanoma patients with LMD. The primary endpoints were determination of safety and the recommended IT nivolumab dose. The secondary objective was overall survival (OS). Patients were treated with IT nivolumab alone in cycle 1; IV nivolumab 240 mg was included in subsequent cycles, which were administered every two weeks. The dose escalation portion evaluated 5, 10, 20, and 50 mg of IT nivolumab. Twenty-five patients were enrolled and treated (twenty-one previously treated with anti-PD1): 2 with 5 mg, 3 with 10 mg, 14 with 20 mg, and 6 with 50 mg of IT nivolumab. There were no dose-limiting toxicities at any dose level; 10 patients experienced grade 1 or 2 toxicities, possibly related to IT nivolumab. The recommended IT dose of nivolumab was 50 mg (with IV nivolumab 240 mg) every 2 weeks. The median OS was 4.9 months, with 44% and 26% OS rates at 26 and 52 weeks, respectively. Concurrent IT and IV nivolumab is safe, feasible and appears to have a preliminary efficacy signal in patients with melanoma LMD, including in patients with previous anti-PD1 therapy.
Importance of urban green areas connectivity for the conservation of pollinators
Authors: Graffigna Sofia , González-Vaquero Rocío A. , Torretta Juan P. , Marrero Hugo J.
Published: March 2022

Urbanization is one of the main processes generating most of changes on the earth's surface. The remaining green spaces within cities can be of utmost importance for pollinator conservation. Through a meta-analytical study, we evaluate how the position, connectivity and abundance of urban green areas (parks, gardens, squares, among others) in different cities can affect the richness and abundance of pollinators. We developed a connectivity metric using satellite images corresponding to 241 urban green areas obtained from 20 published works. The green areas were classified in Urban, Peri-urban and Non-urban according to their percentage of impervious surface estimated in each image. The metric relates the connectivity of green areas contained within images with a radius of 500 meters immersed within a city. Our study show the richness and abundance of pollinators is positively related to the connectivity of green areas in sites with different degrees of urbanization. Our results emphasize the importance of green spaces to maintain the ecosystem service of pollination in cities.
Transcriptional Regulation of Proanthocyanidin Biosynthesis Pathway Genes and Transcription factors in Indigofera stachyodes Lindl. Roots.
Authors: Wang Chongmin , Li Jun , Zhou Tao , Zhang Yongping , Jin Haijun , Liu Xiaoqing
Published: March 2022

Background
Proanthocyanidins (PAs) have always been considered as important medicinal value component. In order to gain insights into the proanthocyanidin biosynthesis regulatory network in I. stachyodes roots, we analyzed the transcriptome of the I. stachyodes in leaf, stem and root at two sequential developmental stages.
Results
In this study, a total of 110,779 non-redundant unigenes were obtained, of which 63,863 could be functionally annotated. Simultaneously, 75 structural genes that regulate PA biosynthesis were identified, of these 9 pathway genes (IsF3′H1, IsANR2, IsLAR2, IsUGT72L1-2, IsUGT72L1-3, IsUGT72L1-4, IsUGT72L1-8, IsMATE2, IsMATE3) play an extremely important role in the synthesis of PAs in I. stachyodes roots. Furthermore, co-expression network analysis revealed 34 IsMYBs, 18 IsbHLHs, 15 IsWRKYs, 9 IsMADSs, 3 IsWIPs hub TFs potential regulators for PA accumulation. Among them, IsMYB24 and IsMYB79 may be closely involved in the PA biosynthesis in I. stachyodes roots.
Conclusions
The biosynthesis of PAs in I. stachyodes roots is initiated from the precursor, phenylalanine, and mainly produced by the subsequent pathway of cyanidin. Our work provides new insights into the molecular pathways underlying PA accumulation and enhances our global understanding of transcriptome dynamics throughout different tissues and root development.
Optimal target blood pressure in critically ill adult patients with vasodilatory shock: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Yoshimoto Hidero , Fukui Satoshi , Higashio Koki , Endo Akira , Takasu Akira , Yamakawa Kazuma
Published: March 2022

While the Surviving Sepsis Campaign guidelines recommend an initial target value of 65 mmHg of mean arterial pressure (MAP) in patients with septic shock, the optimal MAP target for improving outcomes remains controversial. A meta-analysis to evaluate the optimal MAP for patients with vasodilatory shock, which included 3 randomized controlled trials and recruited 3,357 patients. Between the lower (60-70 mmHg) and the higher (over 70 mmHg) MAP target groups, there was no significant difference in all-cause mortality (RR, 1.06; 95% CI, 0.98 to 1.16) also similar in patients with chronic hypertension (RR, 1.10; 95% CI, 0.98 to 1.24) and patients aged ≥ 65 years (RR, 1.10; 95% CI, 0.99 to 1.21). No significant difference in adverse events was observed between the different groups (RR, 1.04; 95% CI, 0.87 1.24), but supraventricular arrhythmia was significantly higher in the higher MAP group (RR, 1.73; 95% CI, 1.15 to 2.60). Renal replacement therapy was reduced in the higher MAP group of patients with chronic hypertension (RR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.71 0.98). Though the higher MAP control did not improve the mortality rate, it may be beneficial in reducing renal replacement therapy for patients with chronic hypertension.Systematic review registration: UMIN Clinical Trials Registry, UMIN000042624
Inheritance of Resistance to Race 5 of Powdery Mildew fungus Podosphaera xanthii in Melon and development of Race 5-Specific High Resolution Melting Markers
Authors: Hong Jeong-Eui , Hossain Mohammad Rashed , Jung Hee-Jeong , Nou Ill-Sup
Published: March 2022

Powdery mildew (PM), caused by the biotrophic fungus Podosphaera xanthii, drastically reduces the yield and quality of melon (Cucumis melo L.). Knowledge on the genetic control and high throughput molecular markers linked with resistance against this disease are essential for breeding programs. The bioassay study of the F1 and F2 populations derived from the parents, ‘PMR 5’ (♂) and ‘SCNU1154’ (♀) revealed a monogenic dominant nature of resistance to the devastating race, race 5. Besides, we developed three SNP based high resolution melting markers, PMm-HRM-1, PMm-HRM-2, and PMm-HRM-3 based on the previously identified SNPs on chromosome 12 and validated those using 10 melon lines and 137 F2 population. Among these, the SNP of marker PMm-HRM-1 causes a missense mutation (Lysine → Glutamic acid) in the LRR region of MELO3C002393 and were able to distinguish the resistant vs susceptible genotypes from 10 diverse melon population and the segregating F2 population with more than 90% genotyping efficiency. Other two markers were based on intergenic SNPs and had more than 80% genotyping efficiency F2 population. These markers will be helpful to melon breeders to develop melon cultivars resistant to P. xanthii race 5 via marker assisted breeding programs.
Evolutionary analyses of Georgian Rabies Lyssavirus strains and their genetically most closely related conspecifics from elsewhere provide evidence suggesting risks for dog-to-cattle rabies transmission as well as this disease coinfections and transborder transmission
Authors: Tabatadze Leila , Gabashvili Ekaterine , Kobakhidze Saba , Lomidze George , Loladze Jimsher , Tsitskishvili Levan , Kotetishvili Mamuka
Published: March 2022

Genetic relationships between Rabies Virus (RABV) isolates recovered from dog, jackal, and cattle in Georgia, and their genetically most closely related conspecifics from elsewhere, were determined, using the DNA analysis of nucleoprotein (N) gene loci. Multiple isolates from dogs and cattle were found to share the same sequence types (STs), being suggestive of the risks of dog-to-cattle rabies transmission in Georgia. Exhibiting population selective sweeps and expansion, as well as genetic recombination, the evolutionary analyses of Georgian RABV strains and their conspecifics from Russia, Turkey, Iran, and elsewhere, provided further evidence for rabies coinfections and its transborder transmission.
Exploring pain interference and self-perceived health status in children with Osteogenesis Imperfecta - A cross-sectional study
Authors: Provenzano Anna Hallin , Åström Eva , Löwing Kristina
Published: March 2022

Purpose
To explore presence of chronic pain, pain interference in daily life, and self-perceived health status in children with Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI).
Methods
Children with OI, aged 6–18 years, were recruited consecutively to this cross-sectional study. Participants answered a standardised interview including five pre-structured questions, Numerical Rating Scale (NRS), the Pain Interference Index, and the PROMIS-25.
Results
Twenty-eight children (median: 11 years, IQR 6) with OI type I, III, or IV participated. Pain was present in 27 of 28 children, and interfered in their everyday life regardless of OI-type, sex, and age. The median NRS for average pain intensity was 4 (IQR 2), the median for pain frequency was 2–3 times/week, and the median frequency of school absence due to pain was 2–3 times per month. Pain in the feet was more frequently reported in children with type I (p = 0.032), and pain in the hip was more often reported in children ≥ 13 years (p = 0.011). Self-perceived health status for mobility was lower than the general population, and lowest for children with type III (p = 0.016). Pain interference was associated with children’s self-perceived health status (rs=0.84, p < 0.001).
Conclusion
Almost all children experienced pain, which interfered in children’s everyday lives, affected participation in various activities and was associated with reduced self-perceived health status. If children avoid physical activities because of pain, it might cause a vicious circle of inactivity, which further decreases bone density and increase the risk of fractures. The results emphasize the importance to offer adequate pain reducing interventions.
Poor disease knowledge is associated with higher healthcare service use and costs among patients with cirrhosis: an exploratory study
Authors: Valery Patricia , Bernardes Christina , Hayward Kelly , Hartel Gunter , Haynes Katelin , Gordon Louisa , Stuart Katherine , Wright Penny , Johnson Amy , Powell Elizabeth
Published: March 2022

Background: Optimal management of cirrhosis is complex, and patients often lack knowledge and skills, which can affect self-management. We assessed patient knowledge about cirrhosis and examined whether knowledge was associated with clinical outcomes, healthcare service use, and healthcare costs. A cross-sectional ‘knowledge survey’ was conducted during 2018-2We assessed patient knowledge about cirrhosis and explore whether knowledge was associated with clinical outcomes, healthcare service use, and costs. METHODS: Patients with cirrhosis (n=123) completed a ‘knowledge survey’. We calculated the proportion of correct answers to eight questions deemed to be “key knowledge” about cirrhosis by an expert panel, and dichotomized patients as ‘good knowledge’/‘poor knowledge’. Clinical data, healthcare costs, and health-related quality of life (SF-36) were available. RESULTS: 58.5% of patients had ‘good knowledge’ about cirrhosis. Higher education level was associated with higher odds of having ‘good knowledge’ about cirrhosis (adjusted-OR=5.55, 95%CI 2.40-12.84). Compared to patients with ‘poor knowledge’, those with ‘good knowledge’ had a higher health status in the SF-36 physical functioning domain (p=0.011), fewer cirrhosis-related admissions (adjusted incidence rate ratio [IRR]=0.59, 95%CI 0.35-0.99) and emergency presentations (adj-IRR=0.34, 95%CI 0.16-0.72), and more planned one-day cirrhosis admissions (adj-IRR=3.96, 95%CI 1.46-10.74). The total cost of cirrhosis admissions was lower for patients with ‘good knowledge’ (adj-IRR=0.30, 95%CI 0.29-0.30).Conclusion: Poor disease knowledge is associated with increased use and total cost of healthcare services. Targeted educational interventions to improve patient knowledge may be an effective strategy to promote a more cost-effective use of healthcare services.
Pharmacophore Generation, 3D-QSAR study, and Molecular Docking of pyrazoline derivatives for antiamoebic activity against HM1: IMSS strain of E. histolytica.
Authors: Bouacha Samir
Published: March 2022

Activity against HM1: IMSS strain of E. histolytica has been carried out through the PHASE program (Schrodinger-USA). The best pharmacophore model generated consisted of five features DHHHR-4: three Hydrophobic (H), one aromatic ring (R), and one H-bond donor (D). Field-Based 3D-QSAR model studies were applied on a series (60 compounds) of pyrazoline derivatives. The best prediction was obtained with a gaussian field combined steric, electrostatic, hydrophobic, hydrogen bond donor, and acceptor fields (r2=0.837, q2= 0.766). The contour maps resulting from the best field-based QSAR model were exploited to discover the structural properties related to the biological activity of this series of analogous molecules. Structure-based docking studies were performed to elucidate the intermolecular interaction between pyrazoline derivatives and the 5ZFE receptor. Active ligands 35 and 36 have the highest activity and the best docking scores. The insilico ADMET screening of these active ligands was also performed and the values of all the properties are within the recommended values. The information obtained from pharmacophore, 3D QSAR model, molecular docking, and ADMET screening can be used to discover pyrazoline derivatives that increase antiamoebic activity.
Multi-Objective Entropy FCSVD: Contextual Spectrum Analysis for Prototyping Recommender Systems
Authors: Mirabedini Seyed Javad , Rodpysh Keyvan Vahidy , Banirostam Touraj
Published: March 2022

In recent years explosive increase and variety of information due to the progress of the internet. Therefore, decision making in different fields has faced different challenges. Recommender systems provide personalized services to users by identifying users' interests, filtering information, and managing information, especially contextual information. Similarity criteria based on contextual information is a way to reduce the challenge of starting a cold. We argue that similarity is a vague concept, and we more realistic results in recommender systems using fuzzy logic. Applying fuzzy logic to contextual information can be an effective way to identify ambiguities and uncertainties in measuring the similarity of items and users. In this paper, we present a new multilevel contextual fuzzy similarity criterion with SVD matrix for recommending systems called FCSVD Which is based on a combination of similarity criteria PSS, fuzzy rules and contextual information. The results show an improvement in the accuracy of the method recommendations FVSVD compared to the CACF, CTLSVD, MF-LOD and CFSVD methods according to evaluation measure Precision, Recall, F1-score.
Usage of campaign to encourage travel and personal infection prevention behaviors in Japan: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Shimoda Hayato , Nagata Tomohisa , Ishimaru Tomohiro , Hino Ayako , Ando Hajime , Muramatsu Keiji , Tateishi Seiichiro , Tsuji Mayumi , Mori Koji
Published: March 2022

Background: The Go To Travel campaign in Japan was launched to subsidize travel and accommodation costs for tourists through vouchers that could be used at domestic destinations. We examined the relationship between using Go To Travel and infection prevention behaviors.Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 26,637 workers who responded to a large-scale questionnaire survey about COVID-19 under the pandemic in Japan. We undertook logistic regression analysis.Results: Among the 26,637 participants, 7,959 (30%) used Go To Travel. Compared with non-Go To Travel users, we observed statistically significant differences in multivariate analysis with Go To travel users for the following: gargling (odds ratio [OR], 0.91; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.87–0.97; P = .001); room ventilation (OR, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.88–0.99; P = .017); and washing hands (OR, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.89–1.00; P = .036).Conclusions: We observed the tendency for Go To Travel users not to implement some infection prevention behaviors. It is necessary to continue the encouragement of applying infection prevention behaviors: implementing such travel support policies as Go To Travel during COVID-19 could spread the risk of infection.Trial registration: Not applicable
Association of age, sex, nutritional risk, serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D, serum uric acid, and exercise capacity with bone mineral density in elderly and very elderly inpatients: a cross-sectional study.
Authors: Li Han , Han Dongmei , Gong Weiwei , Mao  , Gan  , Shu  , Zhou  , Xu Lei , Hou  , Cai  , Zhou Mingcheng , Lai Xueli
Published: March 2022

Objective: Risk factors for osteoporosis may vary according to different populations. Much remains unknown in elderly, especially very elder patients. We aim to investigate the association of age, sex, nutritional risk, serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D, serum uric acid, and physical function with bone mineral density in elderly and very elderly patients. Methods: Elderly hospitalized patients at the First Rehabilitation Hospital of Shanghai, China, from December 2019 to December 2020 who were older than 60 years old were selected. Combined with an activities of daily living (ADL) scale and nutritional assessment, the causes of BMD reductions in elderly and elderly patients were analysed. Results: A total of 94 patients (aged 63-98 years at baseline, with an average age of 83.56 ± 8.37 years) were enrolled. With increasing age, the BMD of the lumbar spine, femoral neck, and femoral shaft of elderly patients significantly decreased, and the incidence of osteoporosis (OP) significantly increased. The BMD of the lumbar spine was negatively correlated with female sex and positively correlated with serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels, the difference between actual body weight and ideal body weight, and blood uric acid levels; the BMD of the femoral neck was negatively correlated with age and female sex and positively correlated with height and geriatric nutrition risk index (GNRI) score; the BMD of the femoral shaft was negatively correlated with female sex and positively correlated with exercise capacity (ADL score). Conclusion: With increasing age, the BMD of the lumbar spine and the femoral shaft significantly decreased, and the incidence of OP significantly increased in elderly and very elderly patients. Aric acid may protect bone health in elder patients. Early attention to the nutritional status, exercise capacity, 25-hydroxyvitamin D level, and blood uric acid level in the elderly population can help identify high-risk elderly patients with OP.