An Unsupervised Learning Approach for Wayside Train Wheel Flat Detection.

One of the most common types of wheel damage is flats which can cause high maintenance costs and enhance the probability of failure and damage to the track components. This study aims to compare the performance of four feature extraction methods, namely, auto-regressive (AR), auto-regressive exogenous (ARX), principal component analysis (PCA), and continuous wavelet transform (CWT) capable of automatically distinguishing a defective wheel from a healthy one. The rail acceleration for the passage of freight vehicles is used as a reference measurement to perform this study which comprises four steps: (i) feature extraction from acquired responses using the specific feature extraction methods; (ii) feature normalization based on a latent variable method; (iii) data fusion to enhance the sensitivity to recognize defective wheels; and (iv) damage detection by performing an outlier analysis. The results of this research show that AR and ARX extraction methods are more efficient techniques than CWT and PCA for wheel flat damage detection. Furthermore, in almost every feature, a single sensor on the rail is sufficient to identify a defective wheel. Additionally, AR and ARX methods demonstrated the potential to distinguish a defective wheel on the left and right sides. Lastly, the ARX method demonstrated robustness to detect the wheel flat with accelerometers placed only in the sleepers.

Association between Different Types of Edible Oils and Anthropometric Indices Mood, and Appetite among Women.

Introduction: The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between consumption of dietary oils and anthropometric indices, mood, and appetite among women staff of Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Methods: A cross-sectional study design was used, and 245 women staff of Tehran University of Medical Sciences participated. A 168-item food frequency questionnaire was used to evaluate dietary and nutrient intake. The association between liquid vegetable oils, hydrogenated vegetable oil, and animal fat intake and anthropometric indices, appetite, and mood was evaluated. The Profile of Mood States (POMS) questionnaire was used to assess mood. A Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) was used to evaluate appetite status. The tape measure was used to measure the waist circumference and height. SPSS was used to compute body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR). Results: In the present study, sunflower and frying oil were the most consumed liquid oils (n = 135/245 participants). Participants with a moderate intake of MUFA had greater odds ratio (OR: 3.47; 95% CI: 1.20-10.7; P trend = 0.025) of a high appetite compared to those with a low intake of MUFA. However, the study found no evidence of an association between consumption of edible oils (vegetable oils, animal fat oils, and other fatty acid sources) and mood, anthropometric indices, or appetite. Conclusions: In the current research, we noticed a significant connection between moderate intake of MUFA and a large appetite and no association between consumption of edible oils and other outcomes. In conclusion, a balanced diet low in fast meals, processed foods, cakes, cookies, and sweets is suggested to limit the consumption of artificial trans-fatty acids.

The effects of necrostatin-1 on the in vitro development and function of young porcine islets over 14-day prolonged tissue culture.

BACKGROUND: Necrostatin-1 (Nec-1) supplementation to tissue culture media on day 3 has recently been shown to augment the insulin content, endocrine cellular composition, and insulin release of pre-weaned porcine islets (PPIs); however, its effects were only examined for the first 7 days of tissue culture. The present study examined whether the addition of Nec-1 on day 3 could further enhance the in vitro development and function of PPIs after 14 days of tissue culture. METHODS: PPIs were isolated from 8- to 15-day-old, pre-weaned Yorkshire piglets and cultured in an islet maturation media supplemented with Nec-1 on day 3. The recovery, viability, insulin content, endocrine cellular composition, GLUT2 expression in beta cells, differentiation and proliferation potential, and glucose-stimulated insulin secretion of PPIs were assessed on days 3, 7, and 14 of tissue culture (n = 5 on each day). RESULTS: Compared with day 7 of tissue culture, islets on day 14 had a lower recovery, GLUT2 expression in beta cells, proliferation capacity of endocrine cells, and glucose-induced insulin stimulation index. Prolonging the culture time to 14 days did not affect islet viability, insulin content, proportion of endocrine cells, and differentiation potential. CONCLUSION: The growth-inducing effects of Nec-1 on PPIs were most effective on day 7 of tissue culture when added on day 3. Our findings support existing evidence that the in vitro activities of Nec-1 are short-lived and encourage future studies to explore the use of other novel growth factors during prolonged islet tissue culture.

Resveratrol adjunct to methylphenidate improves symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial.

Current pharmacological approaches have failed to provide complete remission for patients with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of resveratrol (that have been shown to have antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic effects) as an adjunct to methylphenidate in pharmacologic treatment of ADHD. This 8-week, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial randomized 66 participants to receive either 500 mg/day resveratrol or matched placebo in addition to methylphenidate. ADHD symptoms were evaluated in the patients using the Parent and Teacher versions of ADHD-Rating Scale (ADHD-RS) at three measurement points with time intervals of 4 weeks. Furthermore, the tolerability of the treatment strategies was systematically compared. Repeated measures analysis demonstrated a significant effect for time-treatment interaction on all three subscales of the Parent ADHD-RS during the trial period (total: p = 0.015; inattention: p = 0.032; hyperactivity/impulsivity: p = 0.036). Nevertheless, the effect for time-treatment interaction was not significant for the Teacher version of ADHD-RS (total: F = 0.81, df = 1.33, p = 0.401; inattention: F = 0.57, df = 1.37, p = 0.507; hyperactivity/impulsivity: F = 0.65, df = 1.34, p = 0.466). The frequencies of complications in the treatment groups were similar. Resveratrol administration for a duration of 8 weeks improved characteristic symptoms in patients with ADHD according to their parents. Further investigations containing larger sample sizes, longer supplementation periods, and dose-response evaluations are required to replicate these findings in ADHD children more confidently.

Necrostatin-1 Supplementation to Islet Tissue Culture Enhances the In-Vitro Development and Graft Function of Young Porcine Islets.

Pre-weaned porcine islets (PPIs) represent an unlimited source for islet transplantation but are functionally immature. We previously showed that necrostatin-1 (Nec-1) immediately after islet isolation enhanced the in vitro development of PPIs. Here, we examined the impact of Nec-1 on the in vivo function of PPIs after transplantation in diabetic mice. PPIs were isolated from pancreata of 8-15-day-old, pre-weaned pigs and cultured in media alone, or supplemented with Nec-1 (100 µM) on day 0 or on day 3 of culture (n = 5 for each group). On day 7, islet recovery, viability, oxygen consumption rate, insulin content, cellular composition, insulin secretion capacity, and transplant outcomes were evaluated. While islet viability and oxygen consumption rate remained high throughout 7-day tissue culture, Nec-1 supplementation on day 3 significantly improved islet recovery, insulin content, endocrine composition, GLUT2 expression, differentiation potential, proliferation capacity of endocrine cells, and insulin secretion. Adding Nec-1 on day 3 of tissue culture enhanced the islet recovery, proportion of delta cells, beta-cell differentiation and proliferation, and stimulation index. In vivo, this leads to shorter times to normoglycemia, better glycemic control, and higher circulating insulin. Our findings identify the novel time-dependent effects of Nec-1 supplementation on porcine islet quantity and quality prior to transplantation.

Efficacy and safety of tipepidine as adjunctive therapy in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial.

AIM: This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of tipepidine as an add-on to methylphenidate in the drug treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). METHODS: This study was an 8-week, randomized, parallel group, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial recruiting 53 ADHD-diagnosed children. Patients were randomly divided to receive methylphenidate + tipepidine or methylphenidate + placebo for 8 weeks. Participants were assessed using the parent version of ADHD Rating Scale-IV and the Clinical Global Impression scale at baseline, at week 4, and at the end of the trial. Moreover, the safety and tolerability of the treatment strategies were compared. RESULTS: On general linear model repeated measures analysis a significant effect was seen for time × treatment interaction on the total and hyperactivity-impulsivity subscales of the Parent ADHD Rating Scale-IV during the trial period (Greenhouse-Geisser corrected: F = 3.45, d.f. = 1.52, P = 0.049, and F = 5.17, d.f. = 1.52, P = 0.014, respectively). The effect for time × treatment interaction, however, was not significant on Clinical Global Impression-Severity scale (Greenhouse-Geisser corrected: F = 1.79, d.f. = 1.43, P = 0.182). The frequencies of adverse events were similar between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Eight weeks of treatment with tipepidine, as a supplementary medication, resulted in satisfactory efficacy and safety of the adjuvant therapy in management of patients with ADHD. Rigorous investigations, however, involving larger sample sizes, more extended treatment periods, and dose responses should be considered.

Baclofen as an adjuvant therapy for autism: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Increasing evidence suggests that the function of the GABAergic system is abnormally low in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Baclofen, which functions as a selective agonist for GABAB receptors, does appear promising for the treatment of ASD. We conducted a 10-week randomized-controlled study aimed at evaluating the potential of baclofen as an adjuvant therapy to enhance the effect of risperidone in children with ASD. Sixty-four children (3-12 years) with moderate-to-severe irritability symptoms of ASD were included. We used the Aberrant Behavior Checklist-Community Edition (ABC-C) for the outcome measures on each of the follow-up visits (weeks 0, 5, and 10). Analysis of the combined data revealed significant improvement for all the ABC subscales (irritability: F = 51.644, df = 1.66, p < 0.001, lethargy: F = 39.734, df = 1.38, p < 0.001, stereotypic behavior: F = 25.495, df = 1.56, p < 0.001, hyperactivity: F = 54.135, df = 1.35, p < 0.001, and inappropriate speech: F = 19.277, df = 1.47, p = 0.004). Combined treatment with baclofen and risperidone exerted a greater effect on improvement of hyperactivity symptoms at both midpoint [Cohen's d, 95% confidence interval (CI) = - 3.14, - 5.56 to - 0.72] and endpoint (d, 95% CI = - 4.45, - 8.74 to - 0.16) when compared with treatment with placebo plus risperidone. The two treatments achieved comparable results for other outcome measures. Our data support safety and efficacy of baclofen as an adjuvant to risperidone for improvement of hyperactivity symptoms in children with ASD.

Mechanical properties and in vitro cellular behavior of zinc-containing nano-bioactive glass doped biphasic calcium phosphate bone substitutes.

In the present study, different amounts (0.5-5 wt%) of a sol gel-derived zinc-containing nano-bioactive glass (NBG-Zn) powder were added to biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP). The mixtures were sintered at 1,100-1,300 °C and physical characteristics, mechanical properties, phase composition and morphology of them were studied. The samples were also soaked in human blood plasma for 15 days to evaluate variations in their surface morphologies. Rat calvarium-derived osteoblastic cells were seeded on tops of various samples and cell adhesion, proliferation, and alkaline phosphatase activity were evaluated at different culturing periods. The maximum bending strength (62 MPa) was obtained for BCP containing 0.5 wt% NBG-Zn at temperature 1,200 °C. This value was approximately 80% higher than that of pure BCP. The bending strength failed when both sintering temperature and amount of added NBG-Zn increased. At 1,100 °C, NBG-Zn additive did not change the phase composition of BCP. At temperatures 1,200 and 1,300 °C, both alpha-tricalcium calcium phosphate (α-TCP) and beta-tricalcium phosphate (ß-TCP and) phases were detected. However, adding higher amount of NBG-Zn to BCP resulted in elevation of ß-TCP at 1,200 °C and progression of α-TCP at 1,300 °C. Based on the microscopic observations, adding 0.5 wt% NBG-Zn to BCP led to disappearance of grain boundaries, reduction of micropores and formation of a monolithic microstructure. No calcium phosphate precipitation was observed on sample surfaces after soaking in blood plasma, but some pores were produced by phase dissolution. The size and volume of these pores were directly proportional to NBG-Zn content. Based on the cell studies, both BCP and NBG-Zn-added BCP samples supported attachment and proliferation of osteoblasts, but higher alkaline phosphatase enzyme was synthesized within the cells cultured on NBG-Zn-added BCP. Overall, biphasic calcium phosphate materials with improved mechanical and biological properties can be produced by using small quantity of zinc-containing bioactive glass particles.

"I love you more than I can stand!" - romantic love, symptoms of depression and anxiety, and sleep complaints are related among young adults.

BACKGROUND: Falling in love is a universal human behavior. Studies indicate that both adolescents and adults experience romantic love (RL) and emotional states of joy and happiness. However, there is evidence that among adolescents RL is also associated with symptoms of depression and anxiety, but no data on these associations are available for adults. The aim of the present study was therefore to explore the associations between RL, symptoms of depression, anxiety, hypomania, and sleep among a sample of Iranian adults. METHODS: One hundred adults (mean age: 26 years; 53% males) took part in the study. They completed a series of questionnaires related to RL, symptoms of depression, anxiety, hypomania, and sleep. RESULTS: An increased state of RL was associated with the bright side of hypomania, stronger symptoms of depression and state anxiety, and better sleep quality. There was no relation to sleep duration. CONCLUSIONS: Unlike psychobiological studies assessing highly selected samples of adults happily in love, the present pattern of results shows that in adults, RL is not entirely a joyful and happy period of life. Rather, data suggest that for young adults, falling in love might be a critical life event also associated with uncertainty and unpleasant feelings.

Little associations exist between the three commonly used functional screening tests in collegiate athletes.

Although an abundant number of studies have investigated the predictability of the commonly used functional screening tests and despite their popularity and applicability, the relationships between these tests have rarely been studied and have not been well established. This study aimed to examine the potential association between the Functional Movement Screen (FMS), Y Balance Test (YBT), and Landing Error Scoring System (LESS). Six hundred twenty-seven Iranian collegiate athletes (347 males, age = 22.63 ± 4.07, weight = 75.98 ± 13.79, height = 181.99 ± 10.15, BMI = 22.84 ± 3.16; and 280 females, age = 22.22 ± 3.37, weight = 60.63 ± 9.58, height = 166.55 ± 6.49, BMI = 21.81 ± 2.84) participated in this study. Following a 5-min warm-up, each participant underwent a standardized screening battery including the FMS, YBT, and LESS, and the scores were recorded and live coded for the statistical analysis, except for the LESS. The LESS tests were video recorded and scored by one expert examiner using an open-source 2D video analysis software (Kinovea- version 0.9.5), afterwards. The Spearman correlation was utilized as a measure for the correlation, and the Mann‒Whitney U test with a significance level of 0.05 was used to check the differences between male and female athletes. The statistical analysis was performed with RStudio 2023.03.0 using R 4.3.1. A small correlation (0.364) was observed between the FMS composite score and the YBT in male athletes. All other pairwise correlations were negligible among male and female athletes, ranging from - 0.096 to 0.294. Reducing the FMS to the component scores targeting the lower extremities did not alter the correlation to the other screening scores. The median FMS composite score in female athletes was significantly higher than that in males (p < 0.001). Negligible correlations exist between the FMS, LESS, and YBT; they do not measure the same values and therefore are irreplaceable with one another. A combination of these tests as a standardized screening battery may potentially better identify injury-predisposed athletes than the application of each test as a stand-alone screening test. Females outperformed males in the FMS test significantly, so sex must be considered a key variable in the FMS studies. Males had slightly higher LESS scores (median difference = 0.5) than females, but this difference is not clinically meaningful. Future research should continue to explore the relationships between various functional screening tests and identify the most effective combinations for comprehensive assessment in different populations and sports disciplines.

Memantine as adjunctive treatment to risperidone in children with autistic disorder: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that causes significant impairment in socialization and communication. It is also associated with ritualistic and stereotypical behaviour. Recent studies propose both hyper-and hypoglutamatergic ideologies for autism. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of memantine plus risperidone in the treatment of children with autism. Children with autism were randomly allocated to risperidone plus memantine or placebo plus risperidone for a 10-wk, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. The dose of risperidone was titrated up to 3 mg/d and memantine was titrated to 20 mg/d. Children were assessed at baseline and after 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 wk of starting medication protocol. The primary outcome measure was the irritability subscale of Aberrant Behavior Checklist-Community (ABC-C). Difference between the two treatment arms was significant as the group that received memantine had greater reduction in ABC-C subscale scores for irritability, stereotypic behaviour and hyperactivity. Eight side-effects were observed over the trial, out of the 25 side-effects that the checklist included. The difference between the two groups in the frequency of side-effects was not significant. The present study suggests that memantine may be a potential adjunctive treatment strategy for autism and it was generally well tolerated. This trial is registered with the Iranian Clinical Trials Registry (IRCT1138901151556N10; www.irct.ir).

In Iranian female and male adolescents, romantic love is related to hypomania and low depressive symptoms, but also to higher state anxiety.

BACKGROUND: Experiencing romantic love is important in individual development. Little is known about romantic love among adolescents in non-Western countries. The aim of the present study was to explore romantic love among Iranian male and female adolescents. METHOD: A total of 201 adolescents (mean age: 17.73 years) took part in the study; of these, 81 indicated they were experiencing romantic love at the time of survey, and 120 indicated they were not in love. Participants answered questionnaires related to affective states (hypomania, depressive symptoms, state and trait anxiety) and exercise, and completed a sleep log for seven consecutive nights. RESULTS: Compared to controls, participants in love displayed favourable hypomania scores, fewer depressive symptoms and increased concentration during the day. However, participants in love also had higher state anxiety scores. Moreover, hypomanic-like stages increased with duration of relationship in female, but not in male participants. CONCLUSIONS: The pattern of results suggests a favourable association between being currently in love and emotional and cognitive processes. Sleep, however, seemed unrelated to this specific state.

Analysis of EEG brain connectivity of children with ADHD using graph theory and directional information transfer.

Research shows that Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is related to a disorder in brain networks. The purpose of this study is to use an effective connectivity measure and graph theory to examine the impairments of brain connectivity in ADHD. Weighted directed graphs based on electroencephalography (EEG) signals of 61 children with ADHD and 60 healthy children were constructed. The edges between two nodes (electrodes) were calculated by Phase Transfer Entropy (PTE). PTE is calculated for five frequency bands: delta, theta, alpha, beta, and gamma. The graph theory measures were divided into two categories: global and local. Statistical analysis with global measures indicates that in children with ADHD, the segregation of brain connectivity increases while the integration of the brain connectivity decreases compared to healthy children. These brain network differences were identified in the delta and theta frequency bands. The classification accuracy of 89.4% is obtained for both in-degree and strength measures in the theta band. Our result indicated local graph measures classified ADHD and healthy subjects with accuracy of 91.2 and 90% in theta and delta bands, respectively. Our analysis may provide a new understanding of the differences in the EEG brain network of children with ADHD and healthy children.

An experimental study of the effects of bacteria on asphaltene adsorption and wettability alteration of dolomite and quartz.

The adsorption of asphaltene on the rock surface and the changes in its wettability are very relevant issues in flow assurance and oil recovery studies, and for carbonate reservoirs, they are even more important. During microbial enhanced oil recovery (MEOR) processes, wettability alteration is considered a crucial mechanism leading to improved oil recovery. Therefore, it is essential to understand the mechanisms of surface wettability changes by bacteria and biosurfactants and find new and reliable methods to prevent asphaltene adsorption. Hence, the main aim of this research was to investigate the effect of a mixture of thiobacillus thiooxidans and thiobacillus ferooxidans microorganisms with an optimum effective temperature of around 30 °C (referred to as mesophilic bacteria), as well as a mixture of two moderate thermophiles Sulfobacillus thermosulfidooxidans for operating temperatures around 50 °C (referred to as moderately thermophilic bacteria) on the adsorption of asphaltene samples isolated from two different crude oils onto main reservoir minerals (i.e., quartz and dolomite). The results indicated that after two weeks of mineral aging in moderate thermophilic bacteria, the adsorption of asphaltene on both minerals increased between 180 and 290%. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis for quartz and dolomite samples demonstrated that after aging in bacterial solution, bonds related to the adsorption of bacterial cells and biosurfactant production appear, which are the main factors of change in wettability. Alteration in wettability towards hydrophilicity expands hydrogen bonds on the surface, thus improving asphaltene adsorption due to polar interaction. Asphaltene 1 changed the contact angle of dolomite from 53.85° to 90.51° and asphaltene 2 from 53.85° to 100.41°. However, both strains of bacteria caused a strong water-wetting effect on the dolomite rock samples. The influence of moderate thermophilic bacteria on surface wettability is more significant than that of mesophilic bacteria, which may be caused by the high protein content of these bacteria, which expands hydrogen bonding with the surface. Adsorption of asphaltenes on dolomite rocks previously aged with bacteria showed that the wetted rock samples retained their water-wet state. This study highlights the dual impact of the used microorganisms. On one hand, they significantly reduce contact angles and shift wettability towards a strongly water-wet condition, a crucial positive factor for MEOR. On the other hand, these microorganisms can elevate the adsorption of asphaltenes on reservoir rock minerals, posing a potential challenge in the form of formation damage, particularly in low-permeability reservoirs.

Cilostazol as adjunctive therapy in treatment of children with autism spectrum disorders: a double-blind and placebo-controlled randomized trial.

We aimed to evaluate cilostazol therapeutic effects on aberrant behaviors of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) children and its safety profile in a double-blind, randomized clinical trial. Sixty-six children with confirmed ASD were allocated to receive either daily 50-mg cilostazol (increased to 100 mg/day after 2 weeks) or matched placebo in addition to risperidone. The Aberrant Behavior Checklist-Community Edition (ABC-C) scale and a checklist of probable adverse effects were used to assess the behavioral outcomes and safety profile at weeks 0, 5, and 10 of the study. Sixty-one participants, with comparable baseline characteristics, completed the trial. Unlike other ABC-C subscales, repeated-measures analysis showed significant effect for time × treatment interaction in the hyperactivity subscale ( P = 0.047; partial eta squared = 0.06). We used the median value for the baseline score hyperactivity subscale [median (interquartile range) = 31 (24-37)] to stratify participants to higher hyperactivity and lower hyperactivity subgroups and found that only participants with higher hyperactivity benefit from cilostazol adjunctive therapy ( P = 0.028; partial eta squared = 0.14). Cilostazol could be considered as a safe agent with beneficial effects on hyperactivity in children with ASD and higher levels of hyperactivity.

Mechanisms of Foreign Body Giant Cell Formation in Response to Implantable Biomaterials.

Long term function of implantable biomaterials are determined by their integration with the host's body. Immune reactions against these implants could impair the function and integration of the implants. Some biomaterial-based implants lead to macrophage fusion and the formation of multinucleated giant cells, also known as foreign body giant cells (FBGCs). FBGCs may compromise the biomaterial performance and may lead to implant rejection and adverse events in some cases. Despite their critical role in response to implants, there is a limited understanding of cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in forming FBGCs. Here, we focused on better understanding the steps and mechanisms triggering macrophage fusion and FBGCs formation, specifically in response to biomaterials. These steps included macrophage adhesion to the biomaterial surface, fusion competency, mechanosensing and mechanotransduction-mediated migration, and the final fusion. We also described some of the key biomarkers and biomolecules involved in these steps. Understanding these steps on a molecular level would lead to enhance biomaterials design and improve their function in the context of cell transplantation, tissue engineering, and drug delivery.

Identification of TSGA10 and GGNBP2 splicing variants in 5' untranslated region with distinct expression profiles in brain tumor samples.

Introduction: Brain tumors (BTs) are perceived as one of the most common malignancies among children. The specific regulation of each gene can play a critical role in cancer progression. The present study aimed to determine the transcripts of the TSGA10 and GGNBP2 genes, considering the alternative 5'UTR region, and investigating the expression of these different transcripts in BTs. Material and methods: Public data on brain tumor microarray datasets in GEO were analyzed with R software to evaluate the expression levels of TSGA10 and GGNBP2 genes (the Pheatmap package in R was also used to plot DEGs in a heat map). In addition, to validate our in-silico data analysis, RT-PCR was performed to determine the splicing variants of TSGA10 and GGNBP2 genes in testis and brain tumor samples. The expression levels of splice variants of these genes were analyzed in 30 brain tumor samples and two testicular tissue samples as a positive control. Results: In silico results show that the differential expression levels of TSGA10 and GGNBP2 were significant in the GEO datasets of BTs compared to normal samples (with adjusted p-value<0.05 and log fold change > 1). This study's experimental results showed that the TSGA10 gene produces four different transcripts with two distinct promoter regions and splicing exon 4. The relative mRNA expression of transcripts without exon 4 was higher than transcripts with exon 4 in BT samples (p-value<001). In GGNBP2, exon 2 in the 5'UTR region and exon 6 in the coding sequence were spliced. The expression analysis results showed that the relative mRNA expression of transcript variants without exon 2 was higher than other transcript variants with exon 2 in BT samples (p-value<001). Conclusion: The decreased expression levels of transcripts with longer 5'UTR in BT samples than in testicular or low-grade brain tumor samples may decrease their translation efficiency. Therefore, decreased amounts of TSGA10 and GGNBP2 as potential tumor suppressor proteins, especially in high-grade brain tumors, may cause cancer development by angiogenesis and metastasis.

Modeling interfacial tension of surfactant-hydrocarbon systems using robust tree-based machine learning algorithms.

Interfacial tension (IFT) between surfactants and hydrocarbon is one of the important parameters in petroleum engineering to have a successful enhanced oil recovery (EOR) operation. Measuring IFT in the laboratory is time-consuming and costly. Since, the accurate estimation of IFT is of paramount significance, modeling with advanced intelligent techniques has been used as a proper alternative in recent years. In this study, the IFT values between surfactants and hydrocarbon were predicted using tree-based machine learning algorithms. Decision tree (DT), extra trees (ET), and gradient boosted regression trees (GBRT) were used to predict this parameter. For this purpose, 390 experimental data collected from previous studies were used to implement intelligent models. Temperature, normal alkane molecular weight, surfactant concentration, hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB), and phase inversion temperature (PIT) were selected as inputs of models and independent variables. Also, the IFT between the surfactant solution and normal alkanes was selected as the output of the models and the dependent variable. Moreover, the implemented models were evaluated using statistical analyses and applied graphical methods. The results showed that DT, ET, and GBRT could predict the data with average absolute relative error values of 4.12%, 3.52%, and 2.71%, respectively. The R-squared of all implementation models is higher than 0.98, and for the best model, GBRT, it is 0.9939. Furthermore, sensitivity analysis using the Pearson approach was utilized to detect correlation coefficients of the input parameters. Based on this technique, the results of sensitivity analysis demonstrated that PIT, surfactant concentration, and HLB had the greatest effect on IFT, respectively. Finally, GBRT was statistically credited by the Leverage approach.

Modeling crude oil pyrolysis process using advanced white-box and black-box machine learning techniques.

Accurate prediction of fuel deposition during crude oil pyrolysis is pivotal for sustaining the combustion front and ensuring the effectiveness of in-situ combustion enhanced oil recovery (ISC EOR). Employing 2071 experimental TGA datasets from 13 diverse crude oil samples extracted from the literature, this study sought to precisely model crude oil pyrolysis. A suite of robust machine learning techniques, encompassing three black-box approaches (Categorical Gradient Boosting-CatBoost, Gaussian Process Regression-GPR, Extreme Gradient Boosting-XGBoost), and a white-box approach (Genetic Programming-GP), was employed to estimate crude oil residue at varying temperature intervals during TGA runs. Notably, the XGBoost model emerged as the most accurate, boasting a mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of 0.7796% and a determination coefficient (R2) of 0.9999. Subsequently, the GPR, CatBoost, and GP models demonstrated commendable performance. The GP model, while displaying slightly higher error in comparison to the black-box models, yielded acceptable results and proved suitable for swift estimation of crude oil residue during pyrolysis. Furthermore, a sensitivity analysis was conducted to reveal the varying influence of input parameters on residual crude oil during pyrolysis. Among the inputs, temperature and asphaltenes were identified as the most influential factors in the crude oil pyrolysis process. Higher temperatures and oil °API gravity were associated with a negative impact, leading to a decrease in fuel deposition. On the other hand, increased values of asphaltenes, resins, and heating rates showed a positive impact, resulting in an increase in fuel deposition. These findings underscore the importance of precise modeling for fuel deposition during crude oil pyrolysis, offering insights that can significantly benefit ISC EOR practices.

Experimental measurement and modeling of asphaltene adsorption onto iron oxide and lime nanoparticles in the presence and absence of water.

Asphaltene precipitation and its adsorption on different surfaces are challenging topics in the upstream and downstream of the oil industries and the environment. In this research, the phenomenon of asphaltenes adsorption in the presence and absence of water on the surface of magnetite, hematite, calcite, and dolomite nanoparticles (NPs) was investigated. Five asphaltenes of different origins, four NPs as adsorbents and Persian Gulf water were used for three-phase (asphaltene/toluene solution + NPs + water) experiments. Characterization of asphaltenes and NPs was performed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic (FTIR), dynamic light scattering (DLS), elemental analysis, and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). Adsorption experiments were performed in two- (asphaltene/toluene solution + NPs) and three-phase systems. The results showed that the most effective parameters for asphaltene adsorption onto these NPs are the asphaltene composition, namely nitrogen content, and the aromaticity of asphaltenes. The significant effects of these parameters were also confirmed by the relevancy factor function as a sensitivity analysis. In the competition of asphaltene adsorption capacity by NPs, iron oxide NPs had the highest adsorption (Magnetite NPs > Hematite NPs > Calcite NPs > Dolomite NPs). From the results of the experiments in the presence of water phase, it could be pointed out that the asphaltenes adsorption onto the NPs was accompanied by a decrease compared to the experiments in the absence of water. The modeling also showed that physical adsorption has a significant contribution to the asphaltenes adsorption on the surface of iron oxides and lime NPs. The results of this research can assist in a better understanding of the asphaltene adsorption phenomenon and the role of iron oxide and lime NPs in solving this problem.