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The object of research is shale, which is a combination of carbonate (calcite or dolomite), and non clay minerals such as silica (quartz) and clay minerals such as kaolinite. Characterization of various minerals in shale formed in six abandoned petroleum wells was done using Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier Transformation Infra-Red (FTIR). Shale may contain a wide variety of minerals. The shale formation within the abandoned wells in the current study is at a deep of about (2600±300) meters. Three shale formation samples were collected from each of the abandoned wells. Characterizing the constituents of the clay minerals of the shale is important in the drilling and the treatment process. The analyses declared that, some shale formation samples are similar. The study was continued on three abandoned petroleum wells (I, II and III). The XRD and FTIR obtained results of shale analysis show the existence of calcite (CaCO3) and quartz (SiO2) in the shale samples. Dolomite CaMg(CO3)2 is present in well (II) and well (III), and muscovite H2KAl3Si3O12 is present in well (I). Also, Kaolinite Al2Si2O5(OH)4, and barite (BaSO4) components are detected in the FTIR results. Mg, K, Al and Ba trace elements are detected by EDX analyses and may contribute chemically. Shale technology and research development is concern with three steps: Characterization, simulation, and permeability stimulation. The present study focusing on the characterization and simulation of the shale formed in six abandoned (non-producing) petroleum wells for enhancing the productivity of carbonate reservoirs., Объектом исследования является сланец, который представляет собой комбинацию карбоната (кальцит или дололмит) и неглинистых минералов, таких как кремнезем (кварц), и глинистых минералов, таких как каолинит. Характеристика различных минералов в сланцах, образовавшихся в шести заброшенных нефтяных скважинах, была проведена с использованием энергодисперсионного рентгеновского излучения (EDX), дифракции рентгеновских лучей (XRD) и инфракрасного преобразования Фурье (FTIR). Сланец может содержать самые разные минералы. Изучаемый в данной работе сланцевый пласт находится в заброшенных скважинах на глубине около (2600±300)м. Из каждой заброшенной скважины было отобрано по три образца сланцевого пласта. Характеристики составляющих глинистых минералов сланца важны в процессе бурения и обработки. Анализы показали, что некоторые образцы сланцевых пластов схожи. Исследования были продолжены на трех заброшенных нефтяных скважинах (I, II и III). Результаты анализа сланца, полученные с помощью XRD и FTIR, показывают наличие кальцита (CaCO3) и кварца (SiO2) в образцах сланца. Доломит CaMg(CO3)2 присутствует в скважине (II) и скважине (III), а мусковит H2KAl3Si3O12 – в скважине (I). Также в результатах FTIR обнаружены компоненты каолинита Al2Si2O5(OH)4 и барита (BaSO4). Микроэлементы Mg, K, Al и Ba обнаружены с помощью EDX-анализа и могут вносить химический вклад. Сланцевые технологии и развитие исследований связаны с тремя этапами: определение характеристик, моделирование и стимуляция проницаемости. Данное исследование посвящено характеристике и моделированию сланца, образовавшегося в шести заброшенных (непроизводящих) нефтяных скважинах, для повышения продуктивности карбонатных коллекторов., Об'єктом дослідження є сланець, який являє собою комбінацію карбонату (кальцит або дололміт) і негліністих мінералів, таких як кремнезем (кварц), і глинистих мінералів, таких як каолініт. Характеристика різних мінералів в сланцях, що утворилися в шести покинутих нафтових свердловинах, була проведена з використанням енергодисперсійного рентгенівського випромінювання (EDX), дифракції рентгенівських променів (XRD) і інфрачервоного перетворення Фур'є (FTIR). Сланець може містити найрізноманітніші мінерали. Досліджуваний в даній роботі сланцевий пласт знаходиться в покинутих свердловинах на глибині близько (2600±300)м. З кожної покинутої свердловини було відібрано по три зразка сланцевого пласта. Характеристики складових глинистих мінералів сланцю важливі в процесі буріння та обробки. Аналізи показали, що деякі зразки сланцевих пластів схожі. Дослідження були продовжені на трьох покинутих нафтових свердловинах (I, II і III). Результати аналізу сланцю, отримані за допомогою XRD і FTIR, показують наявність кальциту (CaCO3) та кварцу (SiO2) в зразках сланцю. Доломіт CaMg(CO3)2 присутній в свердловині (II) та свердловині (III), а мусковит H2KAl3Si3O12 – в свердловині (I). Також в результатах FTIR виявлені компоненти каолиниту Al2Si2O5(OH)4 та бариту (BaSO4). Мікроелементи Mg, K, Al та Ba виявлені за допомогою EDX-аналізу та можуть вносити хімічний вклад. Сланцеві технології та розвиток досліджень пов'язані з трьома етапами: визначення характеристик, моделювання та стимуляція проникності. Дане дослідження присвячене характеристиці та моделюванню сланцю, що утворився в шести покинутих (невиробляючих) нафтових свердловинах, для підвищення продуктивності карбонатних колекторів.

Crack healing demonstrate as a ability of metal to repair physical damage by restructuring the carbon microstructure. High-Temperature Hydrogen Attack (HTHA) destruction happens when carbon steel equipment is exposed to hydrogen partial pressure at high temperatures. This will result in damage that severely degrades the mechanical properties of carbon steel. HTHA always happen at high-stress area in carbon steel such as a post-weld-heat-treated weldment and bending area in the form of the fissure exerted by methane gas inside the equipment. As more fissures are formed, it leads to form micro cracks and weaken the steel to cause a rupture. HTHA is difficult and challenging to inspect. In this research, the HTHA locations were identified by magnetic particle inspection (MPI) and heat treatment was performed by heating to annealing temperature and slowly cooled in the furnace. The early stages of attack with fissures or even small cracks detected are difficult to detect. When significant cracking detected, the particular point is already at higher possibilities of equipment to fail. Previous research has elucidated that there is a possibility of HTHA crack to reduce if undergoes for heat treatment. Heat treatment implies carbon diffuse into the matrix and hydrogen atoms escape. Therefore, diffusion plays an important part in the healing of HTHA crack as it plays a key role in the HTHA process. In this study, the specimen is 4-inch (10.16 cm) elbow pipe of the pipeline between distillation column and heat exchanger with a wall thickness of 1-inch (2.54 cm) had failed due to HTHA from pipelines which have been operating for 10 years. The failure occurs during operation on the pipelines between distillation column and heat exchanger. The crack length has reduced once the failed part was reheated to the annealing temperature of 850°C and slowly cooled in the furnace. The heat treatment by annealing also can be an alternative for altering the structure of the material in order to achieve desired properties and prepare the situation for further decision making by the process operation responsibilities. The conclusion for this research is to identify HTHA locations and restructure the microstructure of affected carbon steel by heat treatment. Results revealed that cracks length had reduced 3 to 10% by heating the failed pipe to annealing temperature and then slowly cooled for microstructure recover. However, the hardness had reduced and further research should be extended to overcome this problem.

Hypothesis When they are used alone, some polymers, such as polypropylene, Carnauba wax or polycarbonate allow the creation of superhydrophobic surfaces by spin coating or casting. On the other hand, some other polymers, such as polystyrene, polyvinylacetate or polychloroprene, are unable to render a superhydrophobic surface by these techniques. Using binary mixtures of these two types of polymers in a single common solvent, superhydrophobic composite surfaces can be created. We aim to show that superhydrophobicity is depending on the ratio between the two polymers in the initial blend and their intrinsic wettability. Experiments The transition towards superhydrophobicity is studied on composite surfaces made of various polymers. Surfaces are created with simple coating methods, such as casting or spin-coating, of polymer solutions and letting the solvent evaporate at ambient conditions. Findings Transitions are sharp and the amount of polypropylene in the blend to achieve superhydrophobicity decreases with the hydrophobicity of the second polymer. Topographic and wettability measurements are performed that show that both effects, topographical and chemical, interplay in the property of superhydrophobicity.

Most probiotic-based products are available in powder particles under different solid-state forms. Such diversity can affect the probiotic stability, viability, and performance at different stages of processing, storage, and use. Here, we apply complementary physical chemistry techniques to characterize the bulk and surface properties of probiotic powder particles under different forms and report quantitative results of a highly concentrated multistrain reference product. The solid particle morphology, size/shape distribution, and the powder surface wettability in the compressed disc and porous packed bed forms are successively measured by sessile drop and capillary rise techniques. A complete wettability of the disc surface is observed through equilibrium contact angle measurements for various solvents, whereas the associated capillary rise data exhibit two regimes: a power law regime for the first few moments followed by a second regime, which can be described using Darcy's law. The use of this modeling approach shows the possibility of assessing the particle-packed bed permeability and porosity. These results open a new route of the structure-activity relationship study on the impact of probiotic solid particles on their functionalities and performance in promoting health benefits, related particularly to the human and animal gut permeability. This statement also strengthens the idea of using the compressed disc technique for easily performing probiotic wettability measurements.

Research in the molecular field requires DNA with a high degree of purity. Local rice varieties of South Sumatra have different leaf texture so that in isolation process to obtain DNA with high purity level required the right method. This study aims to compare the quality and quantity of purity of local rice insulation of local rice varieties of South Sumatra with different methods of CTAB and Wizard Genomic DNA Purification System Kit from Promega. The research was conducted from August 2015 to December 2015 at the Laboratory of Microbiology and Genetics and Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Sriwijaya University. The method used is DNA isolation method Wizard Genomic DNA Purification System Kit from promega and CTAB. Based on research that has been done result of DNA visualization showed that DNA isolate CTAB method still have smears while DNA isolate method of Wizard Genomic DNA Purification System Kit from promega not. The average DNA isolate concentration of Wizard Genomic DNA Purification System Kit method is A260 / 280 = 1.853 μg / ml. The average DNA isolate concentration of CTAB method is A260 / 280 = 1,705 μg / ml. Isolation of Rice DNA of local variety of South Sumatera using DNA method of Genomic DNA Purification System Kit from promega has higher quality and quantity compared to CTAB method.

Introduction: Insulin resistance (IR) is a known complication of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). It may be an important therapeutic target in stages of chronic kidney disease. Aim: The study was conducted to evaluate the effect of short-term treatment with recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEpo) therapy on IR, serum leptin, and neuropeptide Y in ESKD patients on hemodialysis. Materials and Methods: Thirty ESKD patients were enrolled in the study and were randomly assigned into two groups. Erythropoietin (rHuEpo) group consisted of 15 patients (7 females, 8 males, mean age 47.8 ± 9.3 years) treated with rHuEpo therapy after each session of dialysis. No-rHuEpo group consisted of 15 patients (7 females, 8 males, mean age 45.5 ± 8.6 years) not treated with rHuEpo. In addition to, control group consisted of 15 healthy controls (6 females, 9 males, mean age 48.8 ± 11 years). Results: The mean fasting insulin (11 ± 4.2 mU/L) and homeostatic model assessment of IR (HOMA-IR) test (2.6 ± 1.1) were significantly higher in ESKD patients than control group (6.6 ± 1.4 mU/L and 1.5 ± 0.3, respectively). There were significant decreases in glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) (5.6 ± 1%), fasting insulin level (9.3 ± 3.1 μU/mL), HOMA-IR (2.2 ± 0.7), and serum leptin levels (17.4 ± 8.7 ng/mL) also significant increase in neuropeptide Y levels (113 ± 9.9 pg/mL) after 3 months of rHuEpo therapy, in addition to further significantly decrease fasting insulin levels (7.1 ± 2.1 μU/mL) and HOMA-IR (1.7 ± 6) after 6 months in rHuEpo group. In contrast, there were significantly increases in HbA1c% (5.9 ± 0.5%) and leptin levels (42.3 ± 25.3 ng/mL) in No-rHuEpo group throughout the study. Conclusion: IR and hyperleptinemia are improved by recombinant human erythropoietin therapy.

Instead of requiring metal catalysts, MFCs utilize bacteria that oxidize organic matter and either transfer electrons to the anode or take electrons from the cathode. These devices are thus based on a wide microbial diversity that can convert a large array of organic matter components into sustainable and renewable energy. A wide variety of explored environments were found to host electrogenic bacteria, including extreme environments. In the present review, we describe how different ecosystems host electrogenic bacteria, as well as the physicochemical, electrochemical and biological parameters that control the currents from MFCs. We also report how using new molecular techniques allowed characterization of electrochemical biofilms and identification of potentially new electrogenic species. Finally we discuss these findings in the context of future research directions.

International audience; This work assessed the role of the hyperthermophilic sulfate-reducing archaeon, Archaeoglobus fulgidus in anaerobic iron corrosion, at 70 • C, in the presence and the absence of lactate as energy source. Experiments performed with A. fulgidus planktonic cells, displayed their capacity to form a biofilm on an iron coupon and exhibited their biocorrosive activity. A. fulgidus was shown to cause indirect corrosion by producing sulfide while oxidizing lactate. Furthermore, the archaeon could grow lithotrophically by using elemental iron as a mineral energy source. Under these latter conditions, A. fulgidus formed chimneys enhancing the direct corrosion process. Moreover, physiological modifications occurred under these conditions notably highlighting the probable use of CO 2 instead of sulfate as a terminal electron acceptor to produce acetate similarly to homoacetogens. All together, these results illustrate the metabolic versatility and hence the importance of this hyperthermophilic archaeon in microbial induced corrosion (MIC).

The effects of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) and metformin single treatment have been tested against hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study aimed to assess the combination effects of EGCG and metformin on proliferation and apoptosis of HepG2cells and identified new potential molecular targets. The effect of EGCG and metformin against cell proliferation in HepG2 was determined using MTT assay. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction was applied to examine the gene expression of cyclin D1, lncRNA-AF085935, caspase-3, survivin and VEGF. The level of protein expression of glypican-3 was assessed by western blot. In HepG2 cells, EGCG and metformin combination treatment exhibited high significant effect against tumor proliferation. It significantly reduced cyclin D1, lncRNA-AF085935, glypican-3 and promoted apoptosis through increasing caspase3 and decreasing survivin compared to control cells. Moreover, EGCG and metformin treated cells showed decreased expression levels of VEGF. Our study provided new insights of the anticarcinogenic effects of EGCG and metformin on HCC through their effects on glypican-3 and lncRNA-AF085935.

A novel sulfate-reducing bacterium designated strain BE2801T was isolated from oil-polluted estuarine sediments (Berre Lagoon, France). Cells were Gram-stain-negative, motile, slightly curved or vibrioid rods. Optimal growth of strain BE2801T occurred at 30–32 °C, 0.5–1.5% NaCl (w/v) and pH 7.2–7.4. Strain BE2801T grew with C4 to C20 fatty acids or C12 to C20 n-alkenes as electron donors. Acetate and carbon dioxide were the oxidation products. The major cellular fatty acids were C16 : 0, C16 : 1ω7c and C18 : 1ω7. The DNA G+C content was 50.2 mol%. 16S rRNA and dsrAB gene sequence analysis indicated that strain BE2801T was a member of the family Desulfobacteraceae within the class Deltaproteobacteria . DNA–DNA hybridization with the most closely related taxon demonstrated 14.8 % relatedness. Based on phenotypic and phylogenetic evidence, strain BE2801T ( = DSM 25524T = JCM 18157T) is proposed to be a representative of a novel species of the genus Desulfatiferula , for which the name Desulfatiferula berrensis sp. nov. is suggested.

The thermophilic sulfate-reducing archaeon Archaeoglobus fulgidus strain VC-16 (DSM 4304), which is known to oxidize fatty acids and n-alkenes, was shown to oxidize saturated hydrocarbons (n-alkanes in the range C10-C21) with thiosulfate or sulfate as a terminal electron acceptor. The amount of n-hexadecane degradation observed was in stoichiometric agreement with the theoretically expected amount of thiosulfate reduction. One of the pathways used by anaerobic microorganisms to activate alkanes is addition to fumarate that involves alkylsuccinate synthase as a key enzyme. A search for genes encoding homologous enzymes in A. fulgidus identified the pflD gene (locus-tag AF1449) that was previously annotated as a pyruvate formate lyase. A phylogenetic analysis revealed that this gene is of bacterial origin and was likely acquired by A. fulgidus from a bacterial donor through a horizontal gene transfer. Based on three-dimensional modeling of the corresponding protein and molecular dynamic simulations, we hypothesize an alkylsuccinate synthase activity for this gene product. The pflD gene expression was upregulated during the growth of A. fulgidus on an n-alkane (C16) compared with growth on a fatty acid. Our results suggest that anaerobic alkane degradation in A. fulgidus may involve the gene pflD in alkane activation through addition to fumarate. These findings highlight the possible importance of hydrocarbon oxidation at high temperatures by A. fulgidus in hydrothermal vents and the deep biosphere.The ISME Journal advance online publication, 24 April 2014; doi:10.1038/ismej.2014.58.

Current paper is focused on transient modeling of blood flow through a tapered stenosed arteries surrounded a by solenoid under the presence of heat transfer. The oxygenated and deoxygenated blood are considered here by the Newtonian and Non-Newtonian fluid (power law and Carreau-Yasuda) models. The governing equations of bio magnetic fluid flow for an incompressible, laminar, homogeneous, non-Newtonian are solved by finite volume method with SIMPLE algorithm for structured grid. Both magnetization and electric current source terms are well thought-out in momentum and energy equations. The effects of fluid viscosity model, Hartmann number, and magnetic number on wall shear stress, shearing stress at the stenosis throat and maximum temperature of the system are investigated and are optimized. The current study results are in agreement with some of the existing findings in the literature and are useful in thermal and mechanical design of spatially varying magnets to control the drug delivery and biomagnetic fluid flows through tapered arteries.

Preliminary investigations directed towards the synthesis of the indole-diterpene mould metabolite, paspalicine 1, are described. Following the preparation of the β-pyrone ketal 7, which contains the characteristic functional group of paspalicine, the compound 25, which constitutes rings D–G of paspalicine with the correct relative stereochemistry, has been synthesised in eight steps from the monoketal 12 of the Wieland-Miescher ketone, in an overall yield of 8%.

Our hypothesis is that activation of PPARγ reduces blood pressure (BP) in obesity hypertension by decreasing expression of proximal tubule sodium transporters NHE3 and Na, K-ATPase. The aim of this...

Pectinase and cellulase enzymes were used to investigate efficacy for improving juice yield, stability and quality from prickly pear fruit. Pectinase improved the yield, stable color, color-assayed as release of anthocyanins or carotinoids and clarity of the juice. A significant increase in the effectiveness of pectinase was observed as the concentration was increased from 0.05 to 0.50% v/w. However, at concentration > 0.25% v/w they tended to impart a bitter flavor in the juice. Among three concentrations of pectinase and cellulase, pectinase at 0.50% v/w produced higher yield, a sediment-free clear juice and high-quality juice. The results indicated that depectinated clarified prickly pear juice behaves as a Newtonian fluid. It was found that the activation energy (Ea) for viscous flow was in the range of 5.02 x 10(3)-20.06 x 10(3) kJ/mol depending on the concentrations of pectinase and cellulase enzyme treatment of prickly pear juice, in contrast to 22.15 x 10(3) kJ/mol in untreated juice. Volatile compound concentrations of twelve compounds were not affected by pectinase and cellulase treatment. Overall the quality of prickly pear juice was better in pectinase-treated juice compared with untreated and cellulase-treated juice.

The synthesis of the β-pyrone ketal (an epoxynapht oxepin derivate), which constitutes rings D-G of the mould metabolite paspalicine, is described