Mechanism of shaping membrane nanostructures of endoplasmic reticulum

Recent advances in super-resolution microscopy revealed the previously unknown nanoscopic level of organization of endoplasmic reticulum (ER), one of the most vital intracellular organelles. Membrane nanostructures of 10- to 100-nm intrinsic length scales, which include ER tubular matrices, ER sheet nanoholes, internal membranes of ER exit sites (ERES), and ER transport intermediates, were discovered and imaged in considerable detail, but the physical factors determining their unique geometrical features remained unknown. Here, we proposed and computationally substantiated a common concept for mechanisms of all ER nanostructures based on the membrane intrinsic curvature as a primary factor shaping the membrane and ultra-low membrane tensions as modulators of the membrane configurations. We computationally revealed a common structural motif underlying most of the nanostructures. We predicted the existence of a discrete series of equilibrium configurations of ER tubular matrices and recovered the one corresponding to the observations and favored by ultra-low tensions. We modeled the nanohole formation as resulting from a spontaneous collapse of elements of the ER tubular network adjacent to the ER sheet edge and calculated the nanohole dimensions. We proposed the ERES membrane to have a shape of a super flexible membrane bead chain, which acquires random walk configurations unless an ultra-low tension converts it into a straight conformation of a transport intermediate. The adequacy of the proposed concept is supported by a close qualitative and quantitative similarity between the predicted and observed configurations of all four ER nanostructures.

Development of the Surfactant-Based Chemical EOR Formula for Low Permeability Reservoirs

Based on the results of the foam flooding for our low permeability reservoirs, we have explored the possibility of using low interfacial tension (IFT) surfactants to improve oil recovery. The objective of this work is to develop a robust low-tension surfactant formula through lab experiments to investigate several key factors for surfactant-based chemical flooding. Microemulsion phase behavior and aqueous solubility experiments at reservoir temperature were performed to develop the surfactant formula. After reviewing surfactant processes in literature and evaluating over 200 formulas using commercially available surfactants, we found that we may have long ignored the challenges of achieving aqueous stability and optimal microemulsion phase behavior for surfactant formulations in low salinity environments. A surfactant formula with a low IFT does not always result in a good microemulsion phase behavior. Therefore, a novel synergistic blend with two surfactants in the formulation was developed with a cost-effective nonionic surfactant. The formula exhibits an increased aqueous solubility, a lower optimum salinity, and an ultra-low IFT in the range of 10-4 mN/m. There were challenges of using a spinning drop tensiometer to measure the IFT of the black crude oil and the injection water at reservoir conditions. We managed the process and studied the IFTs of formulas with good Winsor type III phase behavior results. Several microemulsion phase behavior test methods were investigated, and a practical and rapid test method is proposed to be used in the field under operational conditions. Reservoir core flooding experiments including SP (surfactant-polymer) and LTG (low-tension-gas) were conducted to evaluate the oil recovery. SP flooding with a selected polymer for mobility control and a co-solvent recovered 76% of the waterflood residual oil. Furthermore, 98% residual crude oil recovery was achieved by LTG flooding through using an additional foaming agent and nitrogen. These results demonstrate a favorable mobilization and displacement of the residual oil for low permeability reservoirs. In summary, microemulsion phase behavior and aqueous solubility tests were used to develop coreflood formulations for low salinity, low temperature conditions. The formulation achieved significant oil recovery for both SP flooding and LTG flooding. Key factors for the low-tension surfactant-based chemical flooding are good microemulsion phase behavior, a reasonably aqueous stability, and a decent low IFT.

Analysis Utilizing AI Techniques for Optimum Performance At The Low Tension And The High Tension Line In BESS

It has been a requisite for humanity to live since the electricity invented around an early 1900s. According to the electrical energy sector's economic constraints, power must be employed as quickly as practical after it is generated. Because storing large amounts of electrical energy is prohibitively expensive. However, as energy storage material becomes more accessible, dispersed production becomes more viable, especially with the Smart Grid concept.In this paper, we use the MATLAB - SIMULINK platform to investigate a battery energy storage system (BESS). We used an effective algorithm, which is really a part of artificial intelligence (AI), to develop a controller for a converter system.The research focused on the low tension line (regional loads) and the high tension line (HV) after the grid connection, where the framework also compels the electrical desire and reactive loads.

Effects of Surfactant Partitioning Coefficient and Interfacial Tension on the Oil Displacement in Low-Tension Polymer Flooding

Complex surfactant formulations have been applied to generate an ultra-low interfacial tension (IFT) (e.g., 10-3 dyne/cm) between the displacing water phase and the displaced oil phase in chemical enhanced oil recovery (CEOR), where the residual oil after waterflooding can be largely recovered as an oil bank. This paper is concerned with a simpler, lower-cost CEOR, in which a sole additive of surface active solvent (SAS) makes low-tension displacement fronts in polymer flooding (e.g., 10-2 dyne/cm) without involving ultra-low IFT microemulsion phase behavior. The main objective of this research is to technically verify such low-tension polymer (LTP) flooding for a secondary-mode oil displacement through a sandpack of 9.5 Darcy. Previous research found that 2-ethylhexanol-7PO-15EO (2-EH-7PO-15EO, or "7-15") as SAS was able to reduce the IFT between polymer solution and the reservoir oil from 15.8 dyne/cm to 0.025 dyne/cm. In this research, the effect of SAS partition coefficient on LTP flooding was studied as an additional factor for SAS optimization. In particular, the comparison between two SAS species, 2-EH-4PO-15EO (4-15) and 2-EH-7PO-25EO (7-25), was important, because they had similar IFT values, but markedly different partition coefficients. The IFT was 0.18 dyne/cm with 4-15 and 0.20 dynes/cm with 7-25; and the partition coefficients were 1.61 with 4-15 and 0.68 with 7-25 at the experimental temperature, 61°C. These two SAS species were compared in secondary-mode LTP flooding with a slug of 0.5 wt% SAS for 0.5 pore-volumes injected (PVI). The oil recovery factor at 1.0 PVI was 65% with 4-15 and 67% with 7-25. At 5.0 PVI, it was 74% with 4-15 and 84% with 7-25. Although these two SAS species gave comparable IFT values, their oil-displacement efficiencies were quite different because 7-25 propagated more efficiently in the sandpack with the smaller partition coefficient. The smaller partition coefficient helped the SAS flow more efficiently in the aqueous phase with less retention in the remaining oil. Optimization of SAS likely requires taking a balance between lowering the partition coefficient and lowering the IFT. The SAS recovery at the effluent was 61% for the 4-15 SAS and 78% for the 7-25 SAS. The propagation of the 4-15 SAS was retarded approximately by 1.0 PVI in comparison to that of the 7-25 SAS. The adsorption of the 4-15 and 7-25 SAS were 0.019 mg/g sandpack and 0.020 mg/g sandpack. With a similar IFT reduction, the SAS with a smaller partition coefficient (i.e., 7-25) resulted in less retention, less retardation, and more oil production for a given amount of injection.

AI Based system Performance Enhancement Fed by BESS with grid Integration

The electric lattice should have the generation ability to satisfy the needs of power consumers. The point of this examination is to research how the force limit and situation of a battery energy stockpiling framework influence the force quality in a frail force lattice with variable loads. The system performance is expected to be improved by designing a compensator in line with the variable loads and whose control system is guided by artificial intelligence (AI) based techniques and algorithms. The grid performance enhancement shall be done in terms of power factor and active power improvement with stable outputs. The analysis has been focused on the low tension line (local loads) after the grid connection where the system is also driving the electric drive and reactive loads at the high tension line. The effect has been studied on of 400V phase to phase load line. The infers that the BESS framework is made effective for driving the heaps having improved dynamic force yield at its terminal. The voltage accessible has been made less mutilated to 3.07% and the THD level in current yield has also come down to 2.93%.

Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist use is associated with reduced risk for glaucoma

Background/aimsGlucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonists regulate blood glucose and are commonly used to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus. Recent work showed that treatment with the GLP-1R agonist NLY01 decreased retinal neuroinflammation and glial activation to rescue retinal ganglion cells in a mouse model of glaucoma. In this study, we used an insurance claims database (Clinformatics Data Mart) to examine whether GLP-1R agonist exposure impacts glaucoma risk.MethodsA retrospective cohort of patients who initiated a new GLP-1R agonist was 1:3 age, gender, race, classes of active diabetes medications and year of index date matched to patients who initiated a different class of oral diabetic medication. Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) was used within a multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression model to test the association between GLP-1R agonist exposure and a new diagnosis of primary open-angle glaucoma, glaucoma suspect or low-tension glaucoma.ResultsCohorts were comprised of 1961 new users of GLP-1R agonists matched to 4371 unexposed controls. After IPTW, all variables were balanced (standard mean deviation <|0.1|) between cohorts. Ten (0.51%) new diagnoses of glaucoma were present in the GLP-1R agonist cohort compared with 58 (1.33%) in the unexposed controls. After adjustment, GLP-1R exposure conferred a reduced hazard of 0.56 (95% CI: 0.36 to 0.89, p=0.01), suggesting that GLP-1R agonists decrease the risk for glaucoma.ConclusionsGLP-1R agonist use was associated with a statistically significant hazard reduction for a new diagnosis of glaucoma. Our findings support further investigations into the use of GLP-1R agonists in glaucoma prevention.

GLAUCOMA DE PRESSÃO NORMAL: UMA REVISÃO INTEGRATIVA E SEUS TRATAMENTOS

INTRODUÇÃO: O glaucoma de pressão normal (GPN) é uma neuropatia óptica progressiva que possui a pressão intraocular (PIO) dentro da faixa de normalidade (≤ 21 mmHg). Na prática clínica, a base do tratamento do GPN é a redução da PIO, entretanto, aproximadamente 50% dos pacientes ainda apresentam perda de campo visual apesar de baixos valores da PIO. METODOLOGIA: Pesquisa de coletas de dados de artigos e ensaios clínicos randomizados na plataforma PubMed, utilizando os descritores: “Glaucoma” e “Low Tension Glaucoma”. RESULTADOS: Houve eficácia de medidas terapêuticas farmacológicas ou não sobre a redução da PIO (18 estudos). Todos que abordaram a cirurgia concordam que esta reduz a PIO. Sobre terapia farmacológica, todos confirmam que os fármacos estudados reduzem a PIO. CONCLUSÃO: As medidas farmacológicas, quanto as cirurgias anti-glaucomatosas são eficazes em reduzir a PIO.