scholarly journals Direct Visualization of Ultrasonication Induced Asphaltenes Removal in Carbonate Rock Using Confocal Imaging

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Confocal Microscopy ◽  
Petroleum Industry ◽  
Primary Objective ◽  
Ultrasonic Waves ◽  
Confocal Imaging ◽  
Hydrocarbon Recovery ◽  
Core Samples ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Series Of Experiments ◽  
Indiana Limestone

Asphaltenes deposition is a major issue in the petroleum industry as it can have a detrimental impact on hydrocarbon recovery efficiency. Therefore, it is imperative to study the fundamental mechanisms controlling the asphaltenes flocculation and deposition in reservoirs allowing us to prevent and possibly eliminate such problem. Hitherto many studies have highlighted ultrasonication as a potential remediation technique but no investigation has been able to provide direct visual evidence of the phenomena. The primary objective of this study is to visualize the deposition of asphaltenes and their subsequent removal by ultrasonication in Indiana Limestone using state of the art confocal microscopy. To do so, we performed a comprehensive series of experiments by flooding Indiana Limestone core samples with crude oil and later passing ultrasonic waves through the flooded sample. Four core samples of Indiana Limestone each displaying different permeability were used, these are referred to as A2, B2, C4, and D4. At each stage of experiment series of images were captured by confocal microscopy depicting asphaltenes deposition and it’s post-sonication distribution. The images were further segmented allowing us to compute changes in the asphaltenes content before and after sonication. The comparison of confocal scans reveals that the ultrasonic irradiation is highly efficient in removing asphaltenes from the low permeability core samples, whereas in the case of highly permeable cores, rather than preventing it promoted the asphaltenes flocculation. Surprisingly, an increase in asphaltenes content was observed after ultrasonication in high permeability core samples.

scholarly journals 1787. The Effects of a Systemwide Diagnostic Stewardship Change on West Nile Virus Disease Ordering Practices

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. S658-S658
Author(s):  
Andrew H Karaba ◽  
Paul W Blair ◽  
Kevin M Martin ◽  
Mustapha O Saheed ◽  
Karen C Carroll ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
West Nile Virus ◽  
Virus Disease ◽  
Case Fatality ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Primary Objective ◽  
Neurological Deficits ◽  
West Nile ◽  
Hospital System ◽  
Elisa Testing ◽  
Before And After

Abstract Background Neuroinvasive West Nile Virus (WNV) often leads to prolonged neurological deficits and carries a high case fatality rate. The CSF IgM (MAC-ELISA) is preferred over the CSF nucleic acid-based test (NAAT) by the CDC due to its higher sensitivity. However, our hospital system was observed to have an over-utilization of NAAT testing compared with MAC-ELISA testing. The primary objective was to compare the number of MAC-ELISA and NAAT WNV tests ordered before and after a diagnostic stewardship intervention. The secondary objectives were to determine whether this change to lead to any cost savings and increased detection of probable cases of WNV-ND. Methods In an effort to increase the use of the MAC-ELISA and to decrease unnecessary NAAT testing, the NAAT test was removed in April 2018 from the test menu in the electronic health record of a health system comprising five hospitals in the Maryland and Washington, D.C. area. NAAT testing remained possible via a paper order form. This study was a retrospective review of WNV testing done on CSF samples from July 2016 through December 2018. The seasonal and yearly number of total tests, positive tests, and total costs were determined from the period of July, 2017 to April, 2018 and were compared with May, 2018 to January, 2019. A paired t-test was performed to evaluate for differences in total testing, total positives, and total costs during non-winter months before and after the intervention. Results A total of 12.59 MAC-ELISA tests/month (95% CI: 10.29, 14.89) increased to 41 tests/month (95% CI: 34.35, 47.65) which was significantly different (P < 0.001). In contrast, there were 46.23 NAAT tests/month (95% CI: 39.55, 52.91) which decreased to 0 NAAT tests/month after the intervention (P < 0.001). This resulted in an average decrease in WNV test spending from $7200 per month to $471 per month (P < 0.001). Preceding the intervention in test ordering, 0.23% of WNV CSF tests were positive (NAAT+MAC-ELISA) while 2.44% WNV CSF tests were positive after the intervention (P = 0.03). Conclusion Elimination of electronic WNV NAAT ordering is an effective way of decreasing inappropriate WNV NAAT testing, decreasing associated costs, and may lead to improved diagnosis of WNV-ND. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.

scholarly journals Management of chronic periodontitis: an interdisciplinary approach

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 65
Author(s):  
Sneha Dani ◽  
Savitha A.N ◽  
Kenneth Tan ◽  
Anand Naik ◽  
Charan Chhatrala ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Interest ◽  
Orthodontic Treatment ◽  
Interdisciplinary Approach ◽  
Primary Objective ◽  
Periodontal Therapy ◽  
The Other ◽  
Periodontal Health ◽  
Orthodontic Therapy ◽  
Single Tooth ◽  
Before And After

Objective: In recent years, advances in technique as well as a growing public interest in developing and maintaining a healthy and attractive smile, has resulted in a greater understanding of the interrelationships between periodontics and orthodontics. The primary objective of periodontal therapy is to restore and maintain the health and integrity of the attachment apparatus of teeth. In adults, the loss of teeth or periodontal support can result in pathological teeth migration involving either a single tooth or a group of teeth. This may result in the development of a diastema, incisal proclination, rotation with collapse of the posterior occlusion.Materials and methods: This case report is of a 32 year old female patient who reported with swollen gums, generalized spacing between the teeth and extruded upper anterior tooth. Periodontal therapy followed by fixed orthodontic therapy was planned.Results: At the end of 2 years a stable healthy periodontium was established that was both functional and esthetic.Conclusion: Adjunctive orthodontic therapy is often necessary for successful restoration of periodontal health. On the other hand, successful orthodontic treatment will depend on the periodontal preparation before and after treatment and the maintenance of periodontal health throughout all phases of mechano-therapy.

Eco-Friendly Dye-free Coloration Technology for Wool Based on Fenton Reagent Pretreatment

2011 ◽  
Vol 239-242 ◽  
pp. 3327-3330 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yan Ling Sui ◽  
Yong Zhu Cui
Keyword(s):  
Nitric Acid ◽  
Emission Reduction ◽  
Optimal Conditions ◽  
Fenton Reagent ◽  
Saving Energy ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Series Of Experiments

The wool was pretreated with Fenton reagent in this paper, on this basis, 4-hydroxy benzaldehyde and concentrated nitric acid were used to discuss the dye-free coloration deeply. It was analyzed comparatively through a series of experiments on the wool before and after Fenton reagent pretreatment, and the effects of concentrations, temperature and time on the coloration were further discussed. The experiment indicated that, compared with untreated wool, the color of wool with Fenton reagent pretreatment was deeper and the coloration rate was quicker. It realized good coloration at lower temperatures, which achieved the goal of saving energy and emission reduction. The optimal conditions were that concentrations of 4-hydroxy benzaldehyde and concentrated nitric acid were 2.5% and 3% respectively, reacting time was 90min, and reacting temperature was 70°C.

Cavitation Erosion of HVOF Coatings

1996 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Schwetzke ◽  
H. Kreye
Keyword(s):  
Erosion Rate ◽  
Cavitation Erosion ◽  
Metallic Alloys ◽  
Erosion Mechanism ◽  
Hvof Coatings ◽  
Coating Composition ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Series Of Experiments ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Scanning Electron

Abstract The proposed paper reports a series of experiments to investigate the cavitation erosion mechanism of HVOF coatings. Vibratory cavitation erosion tests according to ASTM G 32 have been carried out with several HVOF coatings including cermets, oxides and metallic alloys. The steady state erosion rate for each coating was determined and the effect of coating composition and microstructure on the erosion rate was investigated. The morphology and microstructure of the various coatings before and after cavitation testing were analyzed by means of light optical and scanning electron microscopy in order to study the erosion mechanism. The results demonstrate that HVOF coatings of NiCrFeBSi, WC-17Co, Cr3C2-25NiCr and Cr2O3 can exhibit a rather high resistance against cavitation erosion and should be considered for application as a protective surface layer against cavitation. Furthermore, it is shown that cavitation testing can provide a useful tool to study and characterize the bond strength between individual splats as well as the brittleness of the individual phases present in the coating.

scholarly journals Effect of voice therapy in sulcus vocalis: A single case study

2016 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Rajasudhakar
Keyword(s):  
Single Case ◽  
Voice Quality ◽  
Severity Index ◽  
Primary Objective ◽  
Voice Therapy ◽  
Breath Holding ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Secondary Objective ◽  
Sulcus Vocalis ◽  
Push And Pull

Background: Sulcus vocalis is a structural deformity of the vocal ligament. It is the focal invagination of the epithelium deeply attaching to the vocal ligament. There is a dearth of literature on the outcome of voice therapy in sulcus vocalis condition.Objective: The primary objective of this study was to document voice characteristics of sulcus vocalis and the secondary objective was to establish the efficacy of voice therapy in a patient with sulcus vocalis.Method: A trial of voice therapy was given to the client who was diagnosed as having sulcus vocalis. Boon’s facilitation techniques were used in voice therapy along with other techniques such as breath holding and push and pull approach prior to surgery. Acoustic, aerodynamic, perceptual, quantitative measures of voice quality and self-rating measurements were performed before and after voice therapy.Results: Improvement was noticed in 10/10 acoustic, 4/4 aerodynamic, perceptual, dysphonia severity index and voice handicap index scores, which hinted that voice therapy can be an option critically for clients with sulcus vocalis in the initial stage.Conclusion: Voice therapy showed promising improvement in the study and it must be recommended as the initial treatment option before any surgical management.

scholarly journals A New Empirical Model for Bulk Foam Rheology

2017 ◽  
Vol 140 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aboozar Soleymanzadeh ◽  
Hamid Reza Erfani Gahrooei ◽  
Vahid Joekar-Niasar
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Data ◽  
Empirical Model ◽  
Apparent Viscosity ◽  
Petroleum Industry ◽  
Spherical Particles ◽  
Hydrocarbon Recovery ◽  
Suspension Systems ◽  
Underbalanced Drilling ◽  
Proposed Model ◽  
Foam Rheology

Foam fluids are widely used in petroleum industry such as foam-enhanced hydrocarbon recovery, underbalanced drilling, and as proppant carrying fluid in hydraulic fracturing. The most important issue to be considered in foam behavior is foam rheology and specifically, apparent viscosity. Various models have been used in order to predict foam apparent viscosity; most of these equations are originally developed for suspension systems, containing rigid spherical particles, and therefore, they are unable to predict foam apparent viscosity with acceptable accuracy. In addition, the lack of a comprehensive model with usage in all foam qualities is still tangible in the literature. In this research, a new general empirical model with application in all foam qualities is proposed and validated against experimental data available in the literature. Despite the simplicity, results have near-unity correlation of determination (R2), which shows good agreement of the proposed model with experimental data. Additionally, a new definition for foam quality is presented, to be more representative of the foam texture.

scholarly journals Day Hospital and Then…follow-up Two and a Half Years After the Hospitalization

2009 ◽  
Vol 24 (S1) ◽  
pp. 1-1
Author(s):  
R. Pedrosa ◽  
V. Teixeira de Sousa ◽  
J. Marques ◽  
A. Martins ◽  
I. Domingues ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wide Spectrum ◽  
Health Resources ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Primary Objective ◽  
Day Hospital ◽  
Inpatient Hospitalization ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Day Hospitals

Psychiatry Day Hospitals deal with a wide spectrum of disorders, being responsible for a psychosocial intervention that intends to improve patient's quality of life. The Psychiatry Day Hospital Department of Hospital de São João has thirty-eight years of activity, and has been one of the first in Portugal. The aim of this Psychiatry Unit, composed by a multidisciplinary team, is to prevent relapses and rehospitalisations, promoting the patients’ social rehabilitation, building a bridge between inpatient hospitalization and their re-entry into the community.The primary objective of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate important aspects of service's quality, such as the use of health resources and results in functional terms. The authors made the follow-up of the patients that had been admitted in 2005 (Jan 2005 - Dez 2005; n= 77). For this purpose, it was assessed the number of attendances to the Emergency Department and hospitalizations two and a half years before and after the treatment in Day Hospital. It was also compared their current employment situation to that which preceded the Day Hospital care.This study was performed in clinical setting among a reduced sample, with the inherent limitations. It would be appealing to replicate this investigation in a larger population and including some other variables.

Preliminary investigations on reducing the high radiation risk level of TENORM scale waste from petroleum industry

2018 ◽  
Vol 106 (9) ◽  
pp. 793-800 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed F. Attallah ◽  
Moustafa A. Hilal ◽  
Yasser T. Mohamed
Keyword(s):  
Radiation Risk ◽  
Petroleum Industry ◽  
Physicochemical Characteristics ◽  
Pilot Scale ◽  
Total Radioactivity ◽  
Risk Level ◽  
High Radiation ◽  
Economic Process ◽  
Before And After

Abstract The main objective of this study is directed to remove 226Ra, 228Ra radionuclides from TENORM scale waste without seriously degradation the physicochemical characteristics of soils or generating waste. It was found that 82, 87% removal of total radioactivity using successive washing by commercial and TX-100 solutions, respectively, after seven cycles. Some radiation risk before and after treatment with surfactants were determined. It is a promising and efficient as well as economic process. Our results from this task could provide a useful information for defining the establishing and operating on a pilot-scale plant for efficient and economic TENORM treatment.

scholarly journals Effect of Added Sugar on the Consumption of A Lipid-Based Nutrient Supplement Among 7–24-Month-Old Children

Nutrients ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 3069
Author(s):  
Harriet Okronipa ◽  
Amado D. Quezada-Sánchez ◽  
Susan L. Johnson ◽  
Cloe Rawlinson ◽  
Selene Pacheco-Miranda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Exposure Period ◽  
Primary Objective ◽  
Health Centers ◽  
Double Burden ◽  
Added Sugar ◽  
Initial Exposure ◽  
Nutrient Supplements ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Study Population ◽  
Food Mixture

Small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements (SQ-LNS) could help prevent malnutrition. Our primary objective was to examine the acceptability and consumption of sweetened and unsweetened versions of SQ-LNS before and after 14-days of repeated exposure. A total of 78 mother-infant dyads recruited from health centers in Morelos, Mexico, were randomized to two groups of SQ-LNS (sweetened, LNS-S; unsweetened, LNS-U). During the study, infants were fed SQ-LNS (20 g) mixed with 30 g of complementary food of the caregiver’s choice. The amount of supplement-food mixture consumed was measured before, during and after a 14-day home exposure period. We defined acceptability as consumption of at least 50% of the offered food mixture. At initial exposure, LNS-U consumption was on average 44.0% (95% CI: 31.4, 58.5) and LNS-S 34.8% (25.3, 44.0); at final exposure, LNS-U and LNS-S consumption were 38.5% (27.8, 54.0) and 31.5% (21.6, 43.0). The average change in consumption did not differ between the groups (2.2 p.p. (−17.2, 24.4)). We conclude that the acceptability of sweetened and unsweetened SQ-LNS was low in this study population. Since consumption did not differ between supplement versions, we encourage the use of the unsweetened version given the potential effects that added sugar may have on weight gain especially in regions facing the double burden of malnutrition.

NEW SIMPLIFIED SCREENING METHOD FOR POSTPRANDIAL HYPOTENSION IN OLDER PEOPLE

2018 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
R. ABBAS ◽  
A. TANGUY ◽  
D. BONNET-ZAMPONI ◽  
R. DJEDID ◽  
A. LOUNIS ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Diagnostic Method ◽  
Screening Method ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Primary Objective ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Postprandial Hypotension ◽  
Receiver Operating Characteristic Curves ◽  
Diagnostic Threshold ◽  
Before And After

Background: Postprandial hypotension (PPH) is an important disorder in the older people that remain underdiagnosed. The reference PPH diagnostic method is too demanding, because blood pressure (BP) needs to be measured 8 times in 2 hours. Objectives: Our primary objective was to define a new simplified PPH diagnostic method and to evaluate its performances. Design: We conducted a cross-sectional study. Setting: Two geriatric rehabilitation units in France. Participants: 104 patients (70 women, 34 men) with high risk of PPH were included. Measurements: BP was measured twice before the midday meal in seated position at the table, and every 15 minutes for 90 minutes after the end of the meal. Receiver Operating Characteristic curves were plotted for each postprandial BP measure to determine the best postprandial measure in terms of sensitivity and specificity. The optimal diagnostic threshold was calculated with Youden’s index according to BP difference before and after the meal. Results: A new simplified diagnostic method is proposed: a decrease of at least 10 mmHg systolic BP between BP measures before the meal and 75 minutes after the end of the meal. This new method had a sensitivity of 82% (95%CI 66 – 92) and a specificity of 91% (95%CI 81 – 97). Conclusion: This new diagnostic method is fast, efficient and suitable for everyday use. It could improve PPH diagnosis in older people. Larger studies are needed to validate it.

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