Browse publications by year: 2023

Effects of an educational intervention on Nigerian midwives' intention to provide planned home birth care

Muhammed A, Shariff-Ghazali S, Md Said S, Hassan M, Lee K

Birth, 2023 Sep;50(3):587-595.
PMID: 36226886 DOI: 10.1111/birt.12681

BACKGROUND: The majority of women in Sokoto, Nigeria prefer homebirths, but midwives are reluctant to provide care in the home setting. As such, many women continue to give birth at home alone or assisted by untrained attendants, which is associated with an increased risk for maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality.
METHODS: A randomized controlled trial was conducted among 226 midwives from 10 health care facilities. The intervention group received an educational program on home birth. A validated questionnaire that evaluated knowledge, attitudes, norms, perceived control, and intention to provide planned home birth care was given at baseline, immediately after the intervention, and at three-months follow-up. Data were analyzed using linear mixed-effect model statistics.
RESULTS: Following the intervention, the intervention group demonstrated higher knowledge and more positive attitudes, norms, perceived control, and intention to provide planned home birth care compared with the control group (P 0.05).
DISCUSSION: Educating midwives on planned home birth increases their willingness to provide planned home birth care. Health system administrators, policymakers, and researchers may use similar interventions to promote skilled home birth attendance by midwives. Increasing the number of midwives who are willing to attend planned home births provides women at low risk for medical complications with safer options for labor, delivery, and postpartum care.

MeSH terms: Female; Home Childbirth*; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Labor, Obstetric*; Midwifery*; Nigeria; Pregnancy; Intention
Fulltext Clinical care pathway to detect advanced liver disease in patients with type 2 diabetes through automated fibrosis score calculation and electronic reminder messages: a randomised controlled trial

Zhang X, Yip TC, Wong GL, Leow WX, Liang LY, Lim LL, et al.

Gut, 2023 Nov 24;72(12):2364-2371.
PMID: 37549979 DOI: 10.1136/gutjnl-2023-330269

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to test the hypothesis that automated fibrosis score calculation and electronic reminder messages could increase the detection of advanced liver disease in patients with type 2 diabetes.
DESIGN: In this pragmatic randomised controlled trial at five general medical or diabetes clinics in Hong Kong and Malaysia, we randomly assigned patients in a 1:1 ratio to the intervention group with Fibrosis-4 index and aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index automatically calculated based on routine blood tests, followed by electronic reminder messages to alert clinicians of abnormal results, or the control group with usual care. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients with increased fibrosis scores who received appropriate care (referred for hepatology care or specific fibrosis assessment) within 1 year.
RESULTS: Between May 2020 and Oct 2021, 1379 patients were screened, of whom 533 and 528 were assigned to the intervention and control groups, respectively. A total of 55 out of 165 (33.3%) patients with increased fibrosis scores in the intervention group received appropriate care, compared with 4 of 131 (3.1%) patients in the control group (difference 30.2% (95% CI 22.4% to 38%); p<0.001). Overall, 11 out of 533 (2.1%) patients in the intervention group and 1 out of 528 (0.2%) patients in the control group were confirmed to have advanced liver disease (difference 1.9% (95% CI 0.61% to 3.5%); p=0.006).
CONCLUSION: Automated fibrosis score calculation and electronic reminders can increase referral of patients with type 2 diabetes and abnormal fibrosis scores at non-hepatology settings.
TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT04241575.
Fulltext Iodide-Induced Severe Encephalopathy: A Case Report and Literature Review

Razuan NA, Mun OK, Ghauth S, Toong LY

Ear Nose Throat J, 2023 Aug 08.
PMID: 37551681 DOI: 10.1177/01455613231189047

A physically independent and mentally competent 61-year-old gentleman was diagnosed with left upper alveolar spindle cell carcinoma. He underwent left infrastructure maxillectomy with reconstruction and had bismuth iodoform paraffin paste packed in the post-operative cavities. The patient subsequently exhibited labile emotions and acute delirium. Further investigation showed that his urine iodine level was highly elevated. He eventually made a full recovery and returned home.
A comprehensive review of Bifidobacterium spp: as a probiotic, application in the food and therapeutic, and forthcoming trends

Abdul Kalam Saleena L, Chang SK, Simarani K, Arunachalam KD, Thammakulkrajang R, How YH, et al.

Crit Rev Microbiol, 2023 Aug 08.
PMID: 37551693 DOI: 10.1080/1040841X.2023.2243617

Recently, more consumers are interested in purchasing probiotic food and beverage products that may improve their immune health. The market for functional foods and beverages that include Bifidobacterium is expanding because of their potential uses in both food and therapeutic applications. However, maintaining Bifidobacterium's viability during food processing and storage remains a challenge. Microencapsulation technique has been explored to improve the viability of Bifidobacterium. Despite the technical, microbiological, and economic challenges, the market potential for immune-supporting functional foods and beverages is significant. Additionally, there is a shift toward postbiotics as a solution for product innovation, a promising postbiotic product that can be incorporated into various food and beverage formats is also introduced in this review. As consumers become more health-conscious, future developments in the functional food and beverage market discussed in this review could serve as a reference for researchers and industrialist.
Fulltext A data-driven machine learning approach for discovering potent LasR inhibitors

Koh CMM, Ping LSY, Xuan CHH, Theng LB, San HS, Palombo EA, et al.

Bioengineered, 2023 Dec;14(1):2243416.
PMID: 37552115 DOI: 10.1080/21655979.2023.2243416

The rampant spread of multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains severely threatens global health. This severity is compounded against the backdrop of a stagnating antibiotics development pipeline. Moreover, with many promising therapeutics falling short of expectations in clinical trials, targeting the las quorum sensing (QS) system remains an attractive therapeutic strategy to combat P. aeruginosa infection. Thus, our primary goal was to develop a drug prediction algorithm using machine learning to identify potent LasR inhibitors. In this work, we demonstrated using a Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) algorithm boosted with AdaBoostM1 to discriminate between active and inactive LasR inhibitors. The optimal model performance was evaluated using 5-fold cross-validation and test sets. Our best model achieved a 90.7% accuracy in distinguishing active from inactive LasR inhibitors, an area under the Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve value of 0.95, and a Matthews correlation coefficient value of 0.81 when evaluated using test sets. Subsequently, we deployed the model against the Enamine database. The top-ranked compounds were further evaluated for their target engagement activity using molecular docking studies, Molecular Dynamics simulations, MM-GBSA analysis, and Free Energy Landscape analysis. Our data indicate that several of our chosen top hits showed better ligand-binding affinities than naringenin, a competitive LasR inhibitor. Among the six top hits, five of these compounds were predicted to be LasR inhibitors that could be used to treat P. aeruginosa-associated infections. To our knowledge, this study provides the first assessment of using an MLP-based QSAR model for discovering potent LasR inhibitors to attenuate P. aeruginosa infections.

MeSH terms: Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Trans-Activators*; Quorum Sensing; Molecular Docking Simulation
Fulltext Association of Prepregnancy Risk Factors With Racial Differences in Preterm Birth Rates

Mehta PM, Wang MC, Cameron NA, Freaney PM, Perak AM, Shah NS, et al.

Am J Prev Med, 2023 Dec;65(6):1184-1186.
PMID: 37552145 DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2023.07.007
MeSH terms: Female; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Preconception Care
Plumeria alba flower extract-mediated synthesis of recyclable chitosan-coated cadmium nanoparticles for pest control and dye degradation

Suriyakala G, Sathiyaraj S, Balasundaram M, Murugan K, Babujanarthanam R, Gandhi AD

Bioprocess Biosyst Eng, 2023 Oct;46(10):1483-1498.
PMID: 37552312 DOI: 10.1007/s00449-023-02915-z

In the current scenario, many synthetic chemicals have used long-term to control pests and mosquitoes, leading to the resistance of strains and toxicity effect on human beings. To overcome the adverse problem in recent advances, the scientific community is looking into nanofabricated pesticides and mosquitoes. This study aims to synthesize the recyclable chitosan-coated cadmium nanoparticles (Ch-CdNps) using Plumeria alba flower extract, which was further applied for insecticidal and mosquitocidal activities. The synthesized Ch-CdNps were confirmed by UV spectroscopy and FTIR analysis. The XRD, TEM, and DLS results confirmed the crystallinity with a spherical shape at 80-100 nm. The insecticidal activity proves that Ch-CdNps inhibited Helicoverpa armigera and Spodoptera litura at 100 ppm. In mosquitocidal, LC50 values of larvicidal of 1st instar were 4.116, 4.33, and 4.564 µg/mL, and the remaining three stages of instars, pupicidal, adulticidal, longevity, fecundity, and ovicidal assays inhibit the Anopheles stephensi followed by Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus. Further, the first-order kinetics of photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue and methyl orange was confirmed. Based on the obtained results, Ch-CdNps can inhibit the pest, mosquitoes, and photocatalytic degradation.

MeSH terms: Aedes*; Animals; Cadmium; Humans; Larva; Pest Control; Plant Extracts/chemistry; Plant Leaves/chemistry; Apocynaceae*; Flowers
Research advances in citrus polyphenols: green extraction technologies, gut homeostasis regulation, and nano-targeted delivery system application

Liu Y, Yan N, Chen Q, Dong L, Li Y, Weng P, et al.

Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr, 2023 Aug 08.
PMID: 37552798 DOI: 10.1080/10408398.2023.2239350

Citrus polyphenols can modulate gut microbiota and such bi-directional interaction that can yield metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) to aid in gut homeostasis. Such interaction provides citrus polyphenols with powerful prebiotic potential, contributing to guts' health status and metabolic regulation. Citrus polyphenols encompass unique polymethoxy flavonoids imparting non-polar nature that improve their bioactivities and ability to penetrate the blood-brain barrier. Green extraction technology targeting recovery of these polyphenols has received increasing attention due to its advantages of high extraction yield, short extraction time, low solvent consumption, and environmental friendliness. However, the low bioavailability of citrus polyphenols limits their applications in extraction from citrus by-products. Meanwhile, nano-encapsulation technology may serve as a promising approach to improve citrus polyphenols' bioavailability. As citrus polyphenols encompass multiple hydroxyl groups, they are potential to interact with bio-macromolecules such as proteins and polysaccharides in nano-encapsulated systems that can improve their bioavailability. This multifaceted review provides a research basis for the green and efficient extraction techniques of citrus polyphenols, as well as integrated mechanisms for its anti-inflammation, alleviating metabolic syndrome, and regulating gut homeostasis, which is more capitalized upon using nano-delivery systems as discussed in that review to maximize their health and food applications.
Fulltext Infection of bats with Histoplasma species

Gugnani HC, Denning DW

Med Mycol, 2023 Aug 02;61(8).
PMID: 37553137 DOI: 10.1093/mmy/myad080

Histoplasma species infect humans and animals, notably bats. Histoplasma species are thermally dimorphic fungi existing in mycelial form in the natural environment and in yeast form in infected tissues. In this narrative literature review, we summarize the occurrence of Histoplasma spp. in different species of bat tissues (n = 49) and in soil admixed with bat guano where the species of bat dwelling nearby has been identified (an additional 18 species likely infected) to provide an up-to-date summary of data. Most positive isolations are from the Americas and Caribbean, with some studies from Thailand, Malaysia, Nigeria, Slovenia, France, and Australia. We also summarize some of the early experimental work to elucidate pathogenicity, latency, immune response, and faecal excretion in bats. Given the recent recognition of the global extent of histoplasmosis, thermal dimorphism in Histoplasma spp., and global heating, additional work on understanding the complex relationship between Histoplasma and bats is desirable.

MeSH terms: Animals; Environment; Histoplasma/physiology; Humans; Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Fulltext Multi-proxy evidence for sea level fall at the onset of the Eocene-Oligocene transition

De Lira Mota MA, Dunkley Jones T, Sulaiman N, Edgar KM, Yamaguchi T, Leng MJ, et al.

Nat Commun, 2023 Aug 08;14(1):4748.
PMID: 37553323 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39806-6

Continental-scale expansion of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet during the Eocene-Oligocene Transition (EOT) is one of the largest non-linear events in Earth's climate history. Declining atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations and orbital variability triggered glacial expansion and strong feedbacks in the climate system. Prominent among these feedbacks was the repartitioning of biogeochemical cycles between the continental shelves and the deep ocean with falling sea level. Here we present multiple proxies from a shallow shelf location that identify a marked regression and an elevated flux of continental-derived organic matter at the earliest stage of the EOT, a time of deep ocean carbonate dissolution and the extinction of oligotrophic phytoplankton groups. We link these observations using an Earth System model, whereby this first regression delivers a pulse of organic carbon to the oceans that could drive the observed patterns of deep ocean dissolution and acts as a transient negative feedback to climate cooling.
Sympatric primate seed dispersers and predators jointly contribute to plant diversity in a subtropical forest

Chen Y, McConkey KR, Fan P

Oecologia, 2023 Aug;202(4):715-727.
PMID: 37553533 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-023-05430-w

Mutualistic and antagonistic plant-animal interactions differentially contribute to the maintenance of species diversity in ecological communities. Although both seed dispersal and predation by fruit-eating animals are recognized as important drivers of plant population dynamics, the mechanisms underlying how seed dispersers and predators jointly affect plant diversity remain largely unexplored. Based on mediating roles of seed size and species abundance, we investigated the effects of seed dispersal and predation by two sympatric primates (Nomascus concolor and Trachypithecus crepusculus) on local plant recruitment in a subtropical forest of China. Over a 26 month period, we confirmed that these primates were functionally distinct: gibbons were legitimate seed dispersers who dispersed seeds of 44 plant species, while langurs were primarily seed predators who destroyed seeds of 48 plant species. Gibbons dispersed medium-seeded species more effectively than small- and large-seeded species, and dispersed more seeds of rare species than common and dominant species. Langurs showed a similar predation rate across different sizes of seeds, but destroyed a large number of seeds from common species. Due to gut passage effects, gibbons significantly shortened the duration of seed germination for 58% of the dispersed species; however, for 54% of species, seed germination rates were reduced significantly. Our study underlined the contrasting contributions of two primate species to local plant recruitment processes. By dispersing rare species and destroying the seeds of common species, both primates might jointly maintain plant species diversity. To maintain healthy ecosystems, the conservation of mammals that play critical functional roles needs to receive further attention.

MeSH terms: Animals; Feeding Behavior; Hylobates; Mammals; Plants; Seeds; Ecosystem; Seed Dispersal*; Forests
Does intraoperative fluoroscopy improve acetabular component positioning and limb-length discrepancy during direct anterior total hip arthroplasty? A meta-analysis

Sun C, Lee WG, Ma Q, Zhang X, Zhao Z, Cai X

J Orthop Surg Res, 2023 Aug 08;18(1):586.
PMID: 37553600 DOI: 10.1186/s13018-023-04023-w

BACKGROUND: The positioning of implant components for total hip arthroplasty (THA) is essential for joint stability, polyethylene liner wear, and range of motion. One potential benefit of the direct anterior approach (DAA) for THA is the ability to use intraoperative fluoroscopy for acetabular cup positioning and limb-length evaluation. Previous studies comparing intraoperative fluoroscopy with no fluoroscopy during DAA have reported conflicting results. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate whether intraoperative fluoroscopy improves component positioning compared to no fluoroscopy during direct anterior total hip arthroplasty.
METHODS: A systematic review following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines was conducted. We searched Web of Science, EMBASE, PubMed, Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, Cochrane Library, Highwire, CBM, CNKI, VIP, and Wanfang database in May 2023 to identify studies involving intraoperative fluoroscopy versus no fluoroscopy during direct anterior total hip arthroplasty. Finally, we identified 1262 hips assessed in seven studies.
RESULTS: There were no significant differences in terms of acetabular cup inclination angle (ACIA, P = 0.21), ACIA within safe zone rate (P = 0.97), acetabular cup anteversion angle (ACAA, P = 0.26); ACAA within safe zone rate (P = 0.07), combined safe zone rate (P = 0.33), and limb-length discrepancy (LLD, P = 0.21) between two groups.
CONCLUSION: Even though intraoperative fluoroscopy was not related to an improvement in cup location or LDD. With fewer experienced surgeons, the benefit of intraoperative fluoroscopy might become more evident. More adequately powered and well-designed long-term follow-up studies were required to determine whether the application of the intraoperative fluoroscopy for direct anterior total hip arthroplasty will have clinical benefits and improve the survival of prostheses.

MeSH terms: Acetabulum/surgery; Hip Joint/surgery; Hip Prosthesis*; Retrospective Studies
Fulltext Hope on the horizon: Wharton's jelly mesenchymal stem cells in the fight against COVID-19

Gupta G, Hussain MS, Thapa R, Dahiya R, Mahapatra DK, Bhat AA, et al.

Regen Med, 2023 Sep;18(9):675-678.
PMID: 37554111 DOI: 10.2217/rme-2023-0077
MeSH terms: Cell Differentiation; Humans; Umbilical Cord; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells*; Wharton Jelly*
Fulltext Aptamer-Based Strategies to Address Challenges in COVID-19 Diagnosis and Treatments

Chang ZY, Alhamami FAMS, Chin KL

Interdiscip Perspect Infect Dis, 2023;2023:9224815.
PMID: 37554129 DOI: 10.1155/2023/9224815

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), a highly contagious and rapidly spreading disease with significant fatality in the elderly population, has swept across the world since 2019. Since its first appearance, the causative agent, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has undergone multiple mutations, with Omicron as the predominant circulating variant of concern at the moment. The gold standard for diagnosis of COVID-19 by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to detect the virus is laborious and requires well-trained personnel to perform sophisticated procedures. Also, the genetic variants of SARS-CoV-2 that arise regularly could result in false-negative detection. Meanwhile, the current COVID-19 treatments such as conventional medicine, complementary and alternative medicine, passive antibody therapy, and respiratory therapy are associated with adverse effects. Thus, there is an urgent need to discover novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches against SARS-CoV-2 and its variants. Over the past 30 years, nucleic acid-based aptamers have gained increasing attention and serve as a promising alternative to the antibodies in the diagnostic and therapeutic fields with their uniqueness of being small, nonimmunogenicity, and thermally stable. Aptamer targeting the SARS-CoV-2 structural proteins or the host receptor proteins represent a powerful tool to control COVID-19 infection. In this review, challenges faced by currently available diagnostic and therapeutic tools for COVID-19 are underscored, along with how aptamers can shed a light on the current COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on the critical factors affecting the discovery of high-affinity aptamers and their potential applications to control COVID-19 infection.
Fulltext Cryptocarya chinensis from the Upper Pleistocene of South China and its biogeographic and paleoecological implications

Huang LL, Li SF, Huang WY, Jin JH, Oskolski AA

iScience, 2023 Aug 18;26(8):107313.
PMID: 37554461 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107313

Anatomical structure of mummified wood of Cryptocarya (Lauraceae) from the Upper Pleistocene of Maoming, South China and the woods of 15 extant species of Cryptocarya from China and Malaysia were examined. The fossil wood has been convincingly attributed to extant species Cryptocarya chinensis (Hance) Hemsl. This is the first reliable fossil record of Cryptocarya in Asia. The finding combined with the results of Biomod2 species distribution modeling suggest that the range of C. chinensis in the Late Pleistocene in South China and North Vietnam was very restricted due to increased continental aridity and enhanced temperature seasonality in this region. Thus, modern populations of C. chinensis in Maoming can be considered as glacial relicts. The mines (larval tunnels) produced by the larvae of flies from the genus Phytobia Lioy (Agromyzidae, Diptera) were observed in fossil wood under study. These cambial miners have never been reported in Cryptocarya.
Fulltext Banana biomass waste: A prospective nanocellulose source and its potential application in food industry - A review

Zaini HM, Saallah S, Roslan J, Sulaiman NS, Munsu E, Wahab NA, et al.

Heliyon, 2023 Aug;9(8):e18734.
PMID: 37554779 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e18734

Bananas are among the most produced and consumed fruit all over the world. However, a vast amount of banana biomass is generated because banana trees bear fruit only once in their lifetime. This massive amount of biomass waste is either disposed of in agricultural fields, combusted, or dumped at plantations, thus posing environmental concerns. Nanocellulose (NC) extraction from this source can be one approach to improve the value of banana biomass. Owing to its superb properties, such as high surface area and aspect ratio, good tensile strength, and high thermal stability, this has facilitated nanocellulose application in the food industry either as a functional ingredient, an additive or in food packaging. In this review, two different applications of banana biomass NC were identified: (i) food packaging and (ii) food stabilizers. Relevant publications were reviewed, focusing on the nanocellulose extraction from several banana biomass applications as food additives, as well as on the safety and regulatory aspects. Ultimately, further research is required to prompt a perspicuous conclusion about banana biomass NC safety, its potential hazards in food applications, as well as its validated standards for future commercialization.
Fulltext Analysis of urban heat islands with landsat satellite images and GIS in Kuala Lumpur Metropolitan City

Kasniza Jumari NAS, Ahmed AN, Huang YF, Ng JL, Koo CH, Chong KL, et al.

Heliyon, 2023 Aug;9(8):e18424.
PMID: 37554814 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e18424

Cities are growing geographically in response to the enormous increase in urban population; consequently, comprehending growth and environmental changes is critical for long-term planning. Urbanization transforms naturally permeable surfaces into impermeable surfaces, causing an increase in urban land surface temperature, leading to the phenomenon known as urban heat islands. The urban heat islands are noticeable across Malaysia's rural communities and villages, particularly in Kuala Lumpur. These effects must be addressed to slow, if not halt, climate change and meet the Paris Agreement's 2030 goal. The study posits an application of thermal remote sensing utilizing a space-borne satellite-based technique to demonstrate urban evolution for urban heat island analysis and its relationship to land surface temperature. The urban heat island (UHI) was analyzed by converting infrared radiation into visible thermal images utilizing thermal imaging from remote sensing techniques. The heat island is validated by reference to the characteristics of the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), which define the land surface temperature (LST) of distinct locations. Based on the digital information from the satellite, the highest temperature difference between urban and rural regions for a few chosen cities in 2013 varied from 10.8 to 25.5 °C, while in 2021, it ranged from 16.1 to 26.73 °C, highlighting crucial temperature changes. The results from ANOVA test has substantially strengthened the credibility of the significant temperature changes. Some notable reveals are as follows: The Sungai Batu area, due to its rapid development and industry growth, was more vulnerable to elevated urban heat due to reduced vegetation cover; therefore, higher relative vulnerability. Contrary, the Bukit Ketumbar area, which region lies in the woodland region, experienced the lowest, with urban heat islands reading from 2013 at -0.3044 and 0.0154 in 2021. It shows that despite having urban heat islands increase two-fold from 2013 to 2021, increasing the amount of vegetation coverage is a simple and effective way of reducing the urban heat island effect, as evidenced by the low urban heat islands in the Bukit Ketumbar woodland region. The study findings are critical for advising municipal officials and urban planners to decrease urban heat islands by investing in open green spaces.
Fulltext A machine learning-based comparative analysis of surrogate models for design optimisation in computational fluid dynamics

Mukhtar A, Yasir ASHM, Nasir MFM

Heliyon, 2023 Aug;9(8):e18674.
PMID: 37554836 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e18674

Complex computer codes are frequently used in engineering to generate outputs based on inputs, which can make it difficult for designers to understand the relationship between inputs and outputs and to determine the best input values. One solution to this issue is to use design of experiments (DOE) in combination with surrogate models. However, there is a lack of guidance on how to select the appropriate model for a given data set. This study compares two surrogate modelling techniques, polynomial regression (PR) and kriging-based models, and analyses critical issues in design optimisation, such as DOE selection, design sensitivity, and model adequacy. The study concludes that PR is more efficient for model generation, while kriging-based models are better for assessing max-min search results due to their ability to predict a broader range of objective values. The number and location of design points can affect the performance of the model, and the error of kriging-based models is lower than that of PR. Furthermore, design sensitivity information is important for improving surrogate model efficiency, and PR is better suited to determining the design variable with the greatest impact on response. The findings of this study will be valuable to engineering simulation practitioners and researchers by providing insight into the selection of appropriate surrogate models. All in all, the study demonstrates surrogate modelling techniques can be used to solve complex engineering problems effectively.
Fulltext A numerical investigation of mathematical modelling in 3D hexagonal porous prism on oil recovery using nanoflooding

Zafar M, Sakidin H, Sheremet M, Dzulkarnain I, Nazar R, Al-Yaari A, et al.

Heliyon, 2023 Aug;9(8):e18676.
PMID: 37554841 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e18676

The use of nanomaterials as a means of recovering heavy and light oil from petroleum reservoirs has increased over the preceding twenty years. Most researchers have found that injecting a nanoparticle dispersion (nanofluids) has led to good results and increased the amount of oil that can be recovered. In this research, we aim to imitate the three-dimensional hexagonal prism in the existence of SiO2 and Al2O3 nanoparticles for better oil recovery. Porosity (0.1≤φ≤0.4), mass flow rate (0.05mL/min≤Q≤0.05ml/min), nanoparticle concentration (0.01≤ψ≤0.04), and the effect of relative permeability (kr) on oil and water saturation in the presence of gravity under different time durations are all investigated. The result obtained for the model is verified with existing experimental data. The results indicated that the infulence of nanoparticle volume fraction (VF) is significant in enhancing the oil recovery rate. It is also observed that at low porosity values the oil recovery is maximum. The maximum oil recovery is attained at low values of mass flow rate in the 3D hexagonal prism in the presence of silicon and aluminium nanoparticles It is also observed that the use of SiO2 gives a better oil recovery rate than Al2O3. It is also observed that maximum oil recovery is obtained at 99% at a flow rate of 0.05 mL/min in the presence of silicon injection.
Fulltext The impact of natural disasters on healthcare and surgical services in low- and middle-income countries

Salam A, Wireko AA, Jiffry R, Ng JC, Patel H, Zahid MJ, et al.

Ann Med Surg (Lond), 2023 Aug;85(8):3774-3777.
PMID: 37554857 DOI: 10.1097/MS9.0000000000001041

External Links