bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A priori assessment of long‐term productivity of frac‐packed wells for producing natural gas from marine gas hydrate reservoirs
Authors: Guo Boyun , Fu Chunkai , Liu Ning 
Published: February 2021

AbstractThis work investigates the feasibility of using frac‐packing techniques to complete wells in marine gas hydrate fields. It focuses on the long‐term well productivity under pseudo‐steady state flow conditions after the gas hydrate reservoir pressure drops to below the hydrate dissociation pressure within the well drainage area. The analytical model proposed by Shan et al. (J Energy Sci Eng, 2020, 8, 1247) for cross‐flow in the fractured region was modified in this study to include the horizontal radial flow in the non‐fractured region of the well drainage area. Methods were developed to predict the fracture geometry and to design proppant size distribution for formation sand/particle control. Sensitivity analyses with the model identified the fracture radius and permeability being the key factors affecting the productivity of frac‐packed wells. Well productivity was found to increase non‐linearly with fracture radius and permeability. The benefit of increasing fracture size drops due to the choking effect near the wellbore and pressure loss inside the fracture. The benefit of increasing fracture permeability diminishes when the fracture permeability is large due to the bottleneck of low reservoir permeability. Gas hydrate wells in the Shenhu area, northern South China Sea, can be elevated to commercial levels of greater than 10 MMscf per day with a proppant injection volume of 110 cubic feet during frac‐packing. Well productivity can be further increased by injecting higher proppant volume to enlarge fracture. This work presents a simple method for assessment of frac‐packing design to improve well productivity in marine gas hydrate reservoirs.
A quantitative cross‐comparison of container networking technologies for virtualized service infrastructures in local computing environments
Authors: Aziz Shah Awais , Piro Giuseppe , Alfredo Grieco Luigi , Boggia Gennaro 
Published: February 2021

AbstractContainer networking is emerging as a game‐changer paradigm for the deployment of virtualized service infrastructures in a faster and reliable way. Nevertheless, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are still skeptical to revise their business in this direction because of the absence of deep studies showing its effectiveness in real deployments leveraging local computing environments. To bridge this gap, this article presents a quantitative cross‐comparison of cutting‐edge technologies for container networking (including Docker as a container engine, Docker Swarm and Kubernetes as orchestrators, bare‐metal and OpenStack cloud as deployment platform), properly integrated to realize a virtualized service infrastructure within a commercial workstation. Initial experimental tests are conducted to identify the most suitable combination of technologies for high‐load environments, where many clients contact the virtualized service infrastructure to download files of large size. Obtained results demonstrate that the combination of Docker and Kubernetes generally ensures better performance on the bare‐metal deployment platform, thus emerging as mature and effective solutions to be used by SMEs. Finally, the behavior of the identified virtualized service infrastructure is also evaluated in a smart farm use case, where containers are in charge of processing images provided by mobile drones for monitoring purposes. In addition, in this case, the conducted study highlights the promising capability offered by container networking in real deployments, exploiting local computing environments.
Multi‐scale simulations of the thermal degradation of thin wooden plates: Evaluation of two kinetic mechanisms
Authors: Gerandi Guillaume , Tihay‐Felicelli Virginie , Morandini Frederic , Santoni Paul‐Antoine 
Published: February 2021

SummaryThis study evaluates two kinetic mechanisms to predict, on matter‐level and material‐level scales, the thermal degradation of thin plates of oak and eucalyptus as representing vegetative fuel involved in wildfires. The lumped mechanism considers four successive steps, whereas the simplified one includes two steps. The kinetic parameters of these mechanisms were identified with thermogravimetric analysis in air for heating rates between 2 and 30 °C min−1. On the matter‐level scale, kinetic mechanisms were tested for heating rates inside and outside the parameters optimization range. The simulations of the mass loss were close to the experimental data. The lumped mechanism gave better results than the simplified one. On the material‐level scale, the mass loss and temperature recorded during thermal degradation of thin wooden plates, with a heating cone, were compared to simulations performed with GPYRO. When only the gasification stage occurred, both mechanisms predicted results close to the experimental data. When char oxidation occurred, the beginning of the gasification stage was well predicted, whereas some differences appeared during the transition between the gasification and char oxidation stages. The performance of both mechanisms indicates that a two‐step mechanism is capable of modeling the thermal degradation of thin wooden plates on a material scale.
Personalized connectivity‐guided DLPFC‐TMS for depression: Advancing computational feasibility, precision and reproducibility
Authors: Cash Robin F.H. , Cocchi Luca , Lv Jinglei , Wu Yumeng , Fitzgerald Paul B. , Zalesky Andrew 
Published: February 2021

AbstractRepetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is an established treatment for refractory depression, however, therapeutic outcomes vary. Mounting evidence suggests that clinical response relates to functional connectivity with the subgenual cingulate cortex (SGC) at the precise DLPFC stimulation site. Critically, SGC‐related network architecture shows considerable interindividual variation across the spatial extent of the DLPFC, indicating that connectivity‐based target personalization could potentially be necessary to improve treatment outcomes. However, to date accurate personalization has not appeared feasible, with recent work indicating that the intraindividual reproducibility of optimal targets is limited to 3.5 cm. Here we developed reliable and accurate methodologies to compute individualized connectivity‐guided stimulation targets. In resting‐state functional MRI scans acquired across 1,000 healthy adults, we demonstrate that, using this approach, personalized targets can be reliably and robustly pinpointed, with a median accuracy of ~2 mm between scans repeated across separate days. These targets remained highly stable, even after 1 year, with a median intraindividual distance between coordinates of only 2.7 mm. Interindividual spatial variation in personalized targets exceeded intraindividual variation by a factor of up to 6.85, suggesting that personalized targets did not trivially converge to a group‐average site. Moreover, personalized targets were heritable, suggesting that connectivity‐guided rTMS personalization is stable over time and under genetic control. This computational framework provides capacity for personalized connectivity‐guided TMS targets to be robustly computed with high precision and has the flexibly to advance research in other basic research and clinical applications.
Neural changes following equine‐assisted therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder: A longitudinal multimodal imaging study
Authors: Zhu Xi , Suarez‐Jimenez Benjamin , Zilcha‐Mano Sigal , Lazarov Amit , Arnon Shay , Lowell Ari L. , Bergman Maja , Ryba Matthew , Hamilton Allan J. , Hamilton Jane F. , Turner J. Blake , Markowitz John C. , Fisher Prudence W. , Neria Yuval 
Published: February 2021

AbstractBackgroundWhile effective treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) exist, many individuals, including military personnel and veterans fail to respond to them. Equine‐assisted therapy (EAT), a novel PTSD treatment, may complement existing PTSD interventions. This study employs longitudinal neuro‐imaging, including structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI), resting state‐fMRI (rs‐fMRI), and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), to determine mechanisms and predictors of EAT outcomes for PTSD.MethodNineteen veterans with PTSD completed eight weekly group sessions of EAT undergoing multimodal MRI assessments before and after treatment. Clinical assessments were conducted at baseline, post‐treatment and at 3‐month follow‐up.ResultsAt post‐treatment patients showed a significant increase in caudate functional connectivity (FC) and reduction in the gray matter density of the thalamus and the caudate. The increase of caudate FC was positively associated with clinical improvement seen immediately at post‐treatment and at 3‐month follow‐up. In addition, higher baseline caudate FC was associated with greater PTSD symptom reduction post‐treatment.ConclusionsThis exploratory study is the first to demonstrate that EAT can affect functional and structural changes in the brains of patients with PTSD. The findings suggest that EAT may target reward circuitry responsiveness and produce a caudate pruning effect from pre‐ to post‐treatment.
Local thermal nonequilibrium effect on nanofluid filled porous cavity subject to mixed convection heat transfer
Authors: Rajarathinam M. , Chamkha A. J. 
Published: February 2021

AbstractIn this study, a numerical study is performed to determine the significance of local thermal nonequilibrium on mixed convection heat transfer of a copper water‐based nanofluid in an inclined porous cavity. By employing the nonequilibrium hypothesis, the governing equations for nanofluid flow in a porous medium are solved by the Semi‐Implicit Method for Pressure Linked Equation (SIMPLE) algorithm. From the obtained results, the nanofluid flow and thermal characteristics are analyzed through streamlines and isothermal plots whereas the heat‐transfer rate of the system is scrutinized via the average Nusselt number.
Mixed convection flow over a vertical cone with double dispersion and chemical reaction effects
Authors: Meena Om Prakash 
Published: February 2021

AbstractThis contribution brings mixed convection flow across a vertical cone in the presence of double dispersion and chemical reaction effects. The model of the problem is designed mathematically in the forms of governing equations; it is nondimensionalized for ease of numerical computations and the gained nonsimilarity equations are solved numerically throughout the detailed numerical technique. The outcomes are summarized in graphical and numerical forms to illustrate the impacts of governing parameters Prandtl number, Schmidt number, buoyancy ratio, thermal dispersion, chemical reaction, solutal dispersion, and buoyancy parameters at various streamwise spots of velocity, temperature, and concentration profiles. Moreover, skin friction, heat, and mass transfer rates are tabulated. To establish the exactness of the adopted numerical technique, residual analysis study also portrayed; we made a comparison with prior published outcomes and found them to be in great consent.
An explorative approach to understanding individual differences in driving performance and neurocognition in long‐term benzodiazepine users
Authors: Vinckenbosch Frederick R. J. , Vermeeren Annemiek , Vuurman Eric F. P. M. , van der Sluiszen Nick N. J. J. M. , Verster Joris C. , van de Loo Aurora J.A.E. , van Dijken Joke H. , Veldstra Janet L. , Brookhuis Karel A. , De Waard Dick , Ramaekers Johannes G. 
Published: February 2021

AbstractObjectivePrevious research reported cognitive and psychomotor impairments in long‐term users of benzodiazepine receptor agonists (BZRAs). This article explores the role of acute intoxication and clinical complaints.MethodsNeurocognitive and on‐road driving performance of 19 long‐term (≥6 months) regular (≥twice weekly) BZRA users with estimated plasma concentrations, based on self‐reported use, exceeding the therapeutic threshold (CBZRA+), and 31 long‐term regular BZRA users below (CBZRA−), was compared to that of 76 controls.ResultsBZRA users performed worse on tasks of response speed, processing speed, and sustained attention. Age, but not CBZRA or self‐reported clinical complaints, was a significant covariate. Road‐tracking performance was explained by CBZRA only. The CBZRA + group exhibited increased mean standard deviation of lateral position comparable to that at blood‐alcohol concentrations of 0.5 g/L.ConclusionsFunctional impairments in long‐term BZRA users are not attributable to self‐reported clinical complaints or estimated BZRA concentrations, except for road‐tracking, which was impaired in CBZRA + users. Limitations to address are the lack of assessment of objective clinical complaints, acute task related stress, and actual BZRA plasma concentrations. In conclusion, the results confirm previous findings that demonstrate inferior performance across several psychomotor and neurocognitive domains in long‐term BZRA users.
The determinants of bank profitability of GCC: The role of bank liquidity as moderating variable—Further analysis
Authors: Al‐Matari Ebrahim Mohammed 
Published: February 2021

AbstractThe motivation of this study stems from the mixed views concerning the determinants of bank profitability and the moderating role of bank liquidity in the relationship. The study primarily aims to investigate the bank profitability determinants among GCC nations. Data are obtained from the GCC banks for the period from 2000 to 2018, and then data are analysed using ordinary least squares (OLS) regression. On the basis of the obtained findings, the size of the bank and the management of assets significantly impact the GCC banks' performance. In addition, bank liquidity has a moderating role in the relationship between capital adequacy and assets quality, and GCC banks' performance. Further analysis shows that the bank's profitability score has a positive association. In addition, bank liquidity has a positive moderate effect relationship between the bank's profitability score and the GCC bank's performance. This study provides implications for the bank profitability determinants in emerging economies, within which there is common profitability, and this is expected to assist policymakers, regulators and shareholders in discerning the banks' attractiveness towards investors.
Evaluation of risk adjusted performance of mutual funds in an emerging market
Authors: Ali Muhammad Asad , Aqil Muhammad , Alam Kazmi Syed Hasnain , Zaman Syed Imran 
Published: February 2021

AbstractThe objective of this study is to find the efficiency of an emerging‐market (Pakistan) mutual funds, with reference to different measures of risks that contradict each other. We have measured risk‐adjusted performance of open‐ended equity funds of mutual funds. The reason for selecting equity funds is that it is consistent with the proxy benchmark as 100‐index. As 100‐index is also tracked by equities and equity funds that also consist of equity investment, it will be more appropriate to select equity funds. So, this study is limited to equity funds traded in Pakistan. The novelty of this study is its introduction of the Martin or Ulcer ratio, which is rarely used in Pakistani literature. This study will also limit the period under consideration from 2011 to 2019 to exclude the years 2008 to 2011 due to the crisis faced by the financial market in 2008 after which it took about two to three years to get the market back to its normal course. The statistics and probability values did not provide sufficient evidence to reject the hypothesis of market efficiency. The values support the efficient market hypothesis that even experienced and qualified funds manager, having sound market insights, cannot earn returns above the market, that is, the average returns of market and the average returns of each fund are equal. On the other hand, the risk adjusted returns including Sharpe, Treynor, Jensen's and Ulcer measures, are all on average negative. There may be qualitative factors affecting the returns to be equal or less than the risk free and market returns. Further research can explore the qualitative factors, for example, managers' qualification, funds goodwill, political instability and macroeconomic factors affecting the returns of funds.
Corruption, business environment, and firm growth in Vietnam
Authors: Ha Phuoc Vu , Frömmel Michael 
Published: February 2021

AbstractCorruption is fought by governments in both developing and developed countries because it can harm economic development. However, it has raised the question of why it still exists at a high level in emerging markets like Vietnam. With the data from surveys of the World Bank, Vietnam Competitive Initiative, and Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, this study provides details of the impact of corruption on firm growth and the effect of business environment on corruption at the firm‐perceived level across different firm ownership identities, namely state‐owned enterprise (SOE), shareholding enterprise (SHE), and foreign‐owned enterprise (FOE), in Vietnam. We demonstrate that corruption has a negative effect on the growth of firms with SHEs, FOEs, and non‐SOEs but a positive effect in SOEs. We also document that the difference in the levels of corruption across different provinces can be influenced by the quality of the local business environment, but again, those impacts are heterogeneous in firms with different ownership identities.
Are we moving towards decarbonisation of the global economy? Lessons from the distant past to the present
Authors: Shahbaz Muhammad , Papavassiliou Vassilios G. , Lahiani Amine , Roubaud David 
Published: February 2021

AbstractThis study adds to the literature on decarbonisation of the global energy system. We employ a detailed and long dataset that covers a period of nearly two centuries for the G7 countries. We link the scale of economic activity to the notion of environmental quality and employ nonlinear Autoregressive Distributed Lag Models that take into account the presence of structural breaks in our series. Moreover, we apply linear Granger causality tests as well as the Hatemi‐J nonlinear causality test to further gauge asymmetries between economic growth and CO2 emissions. Our results are encouraging and point to the significant progress that has been made toward sustainable development. Along these lines, we identify a number of policy implications following a low‐carbon transition that result in enhanced economic growth and competitiveness of energy‐intensive industries.
Abaloparatide Real‐World Patient Experience Study
Authors: Gold Deborah T , Weiss Richard , Beckett Tammy , Deal Chad , Epstein Robert S , James Andrew L , Kernaghan Jacqueline M , Mohseni Mahshid , Spiegel Michael , Vokes Tamara , Roberts Jenna , Bailey Tom , Wang Yamei , Williams Setareh A 
Published: February 2021

ABSTRACTDespite the availability of various osteoporosis treatments, adherence remains suboptimal. One contributing factor may be patient experience with therapy. This US, multicenter, combined retrospective chart review and patient questionnaire study included postmenopausal women at high risk for fracture and is the first study to describe real‐world patient experience with abaloparatide (ABL) injection. Eight geographically diverse secondary care sites in the United States participated (n = 193). Mean ± SD age was 67.4 ±8.62 years. Most patients (86%) were satisfied with the ABL regimen, especially with ease of preparation (82%), ease of storage (87%), and storage convenience (89%), an attribute 83% of the patients thought was important. The majority of patients reported complete satisfaction with the ABL regimen allowing for their ability to conduct daily activities (85%) and convenience to fit into their daily schedule (84%). All reported taking ABL as directed, by injection in the lower abdomen, and 83% of patients reported medium or high adherence. Patients were satisfied with the needle size (76% completely satisfied), and 93% reported never deliberately missing a dose. Although injecting medication (18%) and higher out‐of‐pocket costs (17%) were deemed the most bothersome attributes, the majority (69%) noted their healthcare team understands how osteoporosis impacts their lives. In multivariable analyses, ease of preparation (OR = 2.62; 95% CI, 1.01–6.81; p = 0.048) and fracture history (OR = 1.72; 95% CI, 1.03–2.86; p = 0.037) were significantly associated with overall satisfaction. Ease of preparation was a predictor of higher satisfaction with treatment convenience (coefficient = 13.60; 95% CI, 8.08–19.12; p = 0.00). Remembering to take the medication was a significant predictor of self‐reported adherence (OR = 16.66; 95% CI, 3.30–84.24; p = 0.001). In conclusion, the majority of patients were satisfied with ABL and found it convenient/easy to prepare and store. High self‐reported adherence may be associated with positive patient experience including ease of use and adequate support from healthcare providers. © 2020 The Authors. JBMR Plus published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Thermoelectric properties of Cu‐Sb system compounds from density functional theory calculations
Authors: Yang Hailong , Record Marie‐Christine , Boulet Pascal 
Published: February 2021

AbstractIn this work, the thermoelectric properties of Cu‐Sb system compounds have been investigated to understand their relation with the electronic structures. The approach used is a theoretical one that combines the density functional theory, the Boltzmann transport theory, and the quantum theory of atoms in molecules. The results show that the Seebeck effect in metallic systems originates from the existence of various types of chemical bonds. However, this feature is not sufficient enough to generate effective thermoelectric effect. As in semi‐conducting compounds, the intrinsic driving force for thermoelectric effect remains the variation of the density of states near the Fermi level.
Changes in levels of coagulation parameters in different trimesters among Chinese pregnant women
Authors: Wang Wengong , Long Kai , Deng Fenglin , Ye Wei , Zhang Pingwei , Chen Xi , Dong Weiguo , Zheng Ping , Zhang Xinxin , Yang Tianyu , Chen Weihong , Yang Kai 
Published: February 2021

AbstractBackgroundThis article is to explore changes in levels of coagulation parameters in different trimesters among healthy pregnant women in China.MethodsA total of 760 eligible women were enrolled (first‐trimester group: n = 183, second‐trimester group: n = 183, third‐trimester group: n = 263, non‐pregnant group: n = 131). Seven parameters including prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), thrombin time (TT), fibrinogen (FIB), D‐dimer (DD), fibrinogen degradation products (FDP), and antithrombin III (ATIII), of all participants were collected. The non‐parametric 2.5th–97.5th percentiles reference intervals were calculated for each parameter.ResultsThe reference intervals for FIB, PT, APTT, TT, FDP, DD, and ATIII at first trimester were 2.11–4.32 g/L, 10.90–13.85 s, 24.60–39.28 s, 12.95–15.88 s, 0.04–2.55 μg/mL, 0.03–1.15 μg/mL, and 75.57%‐125.31%, respectively. The reference intervals at second trimester were 2.31–4.77 g/L, 9.70–12.64 s, 24.16–35.43 s, 12.95–15.88 s, 0.15–7.40 μg/mL, 0.08–2.13 μg/mL, and 74.35%‐119.28%, respectively. For the third‐trimester, the intervals were 2.39–4.96 g/L, 9.20–11.95 s, 23.90–35.51 s, 13.41–18.00 s, 0.55–13.43 μg/mL, 0.15–3.60 μg/mL, and 71.61%‐118.29%, respectively. The third‐trimester group showed decreased PT, APTT, and ATIII and increased FIB, TT, DD and FDP as compared with the other groups.ConclusionIn this study, level changes of coagulation parameters in different trimesters were observed. And the ranges for coagulation parameters were presented, which may provide some reference for clinicians to more accurately monitor the coagulation and fibrinolytic system in pregnant women.