Depositional Environments and Reservoir Evaluation of Otuma Oil Field, Niger - Delta basin, Nigeria

This study was carried out by using well logs to evaluate the depositional environments and hydrocarbon reservoirs in the Otuma oil field, Niger Delta basin. The gamma motif/model within- study interval in the drilled well shows blocky, symmetrical, and serrated shapes which suggest a deltaic front with mouth bar to a regressive - transgressive shoreface delta respectively. A correlation was done on the well logs across the wells and the ten well logs were used to evaluate the petrophysical characteristics of the reservoirs. The reservoirs showed highly porous and permeable channels where the wells were used for the characterization. The ten reservoirs were mapped at a depth range of 2395 m to 2919 m with thicknesses varying from 4m to 135m. The petrophysical results of the field showed that the porosity of the reservoirs ranges between 0.10 to 0.30, and permeability from 48 md to 290 md; the water saturation ranges from 0.39 to 0.52, and hydrocarbon saturation from the field 0.48 to 0.61. The By-passed hydrocarbons identified in low resistivity pay sands D4 and D3 at depth 2649 m to 2919 m, respectively were also evaluated and will be put to production in the field.

Dynamical Mechanisms for Gene Regulation Mediated by Two Noncoding RNAs in Long-Term Memory Formation

Noncoding RNAs such as miRNAs and piRNAs have long-lasting effects on the regulation of gene expression involved in long-term synaptic changes. To characterize gene regulation mediated by small noncoding RNAs associated with long-term memory in Aplysia, we consider two noncoding RNAs stimulated by 5-HT into a gene regulatory network motif model, including miR-124 that binds to and inhibits the mRNA of CREB1 and piR-F that facilitates serotonin-dependent DNA methylation to lead to repression of CREB2. Codimension-1 and -2 bifurcation analyses of 5-HT regulating both miR-124 and piR-F and a negative feedback strength for oscillation reveal rich dynamical properties of bistability and oscillations robust to variations in all other parameters. More importantly, we verify three stimulus protocols of 5-HT in experiments by our model and find that application of five pulses of 5-HT leads to a transient decrease of miR-124 but increase of piR-F concentrations, which matters sustained high level of CREB1 concentration associated with long-term memory. Furthermore, we perform bifurcation analyses for the concentrations of miR-124 and piR-F as two parameters to explore dynamical mechanisms underlying the epigenetic regulation in long-term memory formation. This study provides insights into revealing regulatory roles of epigenetic changes in gene expression involving noncoding RNAs associated with synaptic plasticity.

Мотив «богатырский поединок (сражение)» и его вариативный ряд в эпосах монгольских народов

Introduction. The article examines the motif of heroic duel (combat) as an important segment of the epic plot, and our comparative analysis of the nuclear basis of the motif and its variation list proves instrumental in delineating a structural-meaningful model motif invariant inherent to the epic of Mongolic peoples and depicting military conflicts. The issue has never been dealt with in this perspective. Goals. The work seeks to determine a variation row of the invariant motif in national epic traditions of Buryats, Kalmyks, Mongols, and Oirats. Materials. The variation row to be extracted from Mongolic epic narratives, namely: Buryat uligers of Abai Geser (Ungin version of P. Petrov) and Abai Geser Khubun (Ekhirit-Bulagat version of M. Emegenov), Baga Dorbet and Eelyan Ovla’s cycles of the Kalmyk Epic of Jangar, Xinjiang Oirat version of the Jangar, Oirat Mongolian tuuli texts titled Daini Kyurel and Khan Kharangui, and a Khalkha tuuli titled Agiyin Ulan Khan. Methods. To identify the typology and variable interpretations of the motif, the study uses elements of the comparative-typological and comparative-historical methods. The ‘heroic duel (combat)’ motif model is viewed as an element that hypothetically can act as the most important lever within the plot development mechanism, e.g., evolving from a motif ― a ‘simplest narrative unit’ ― to a plot, and vice versa. When it comes to identify the motif, its dualistic nature, variety of its properties and features noted by Russian and foreign scientists are taken into account. Results. The comparative insight into the motif of heroic duel (combat) makes it possible to single out the motif as an essential constructive and meaningful element of the plot, examine the degree of productivity and mobility of the motif in genetically related though stadially differing epics, as well as in ones belonging to various taletelling traditions, observe heroic confrontation patterns in epics of Mongolic peoples. Conclusions. The study concludes that motif invariants tend to form a plot basis, while motif variants express certain features (stadial, national, local) of each epic tradition.

KEBERAGAMAN MOTIF DALAM CERITA RAKYAT ULAR RENGGIONG DAN PUTRI GUNUNG LABU DARI BELITUNG TIMUR: ANALISIS MOTIF MODEL STITH THOMPSON

Kabupaten Belitung Timur yang masuk ke wilayah Provinsi Kepulauan Bangka Belitung me miliki kekayaan budaya sastra lisan, khususnya cerita rakyat yang belum banyak dikaji. Selain cerita rakyat, wilayah ini juga kaya akan pantun, syair, mantra, juga peribahasa. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mendeskripsikan keberagaman motif cerita rakyat dalam dua legenda, yakni “Ular Renggiong” dan “Putri Gunung Labu” berdasarkan klasifikasi Motif Indeks Stith Thompson. Kajian ini termasuk ke dalam jenis penelitian kualitatif. Metode yang digunakan adalah metode deskriptif analisis. Kedua cerita menggambarkan kondisi sosial budaya masyarakat Melayu Belitung yang masih sangat kental menjaga tradisi dan adat dalam kehidupan. Setelah dianalisis, didapatkan hasil cerita “Ular Renggiong” memiliki sembilan motif, sementara “Putri Gunung Labu” memiliki 15 motif. Hal ini menandakan keberagaman motif cerita rakyat yang ada di wilayah Belitung Timur. East Belitung Regency in Bangka Belitung Province has it cultural richness includes diversity in anything that has to do with how people live. This region has it oral literary culture, especially folklore like folktale, pantun, syair, mantras, as well as proverbs. This study is focused on the motifs in the folktale. This research aimed to describe the motifs of the folktale "Ular Renggiong" and "Putri Gunung Labu" based on Thompson motif index classification. This research is a qualitative research using descriptive analysis method. Both folktale showed the socio-cultural conditions of the Belitung’s people who are still very strong in maintaining traditions and customs in life. The story of "Ular Renggiong" has 9 motives while "Putri Gunung Labu" has 15 motifs based on the Thompson Index Motif theory. This indicates the diversity of folktale motifs in the East Belitung region.

Quantitative understanding of molecular competition as a hidden layer of gene regulatory network

Molecular competition is ubiquitous, essential and multifunctional throughout diverse biological processes. Competition brings about trade-offs of shared limited resources among the cellular components, and it thus introduce a hidden layer of regulatory mechanism by connecting components even without direct physical interactions. By abstracting the analogous competition mechanism behind diverse molecular systems, we built a unified coarse-grained competition motif model to systematically compare experimental evidences in these processes and analyzed general properties shared behind them. We could predict in what molecular environments competition would reveal threshold behavior or display a negative linear dependence. We quantified how competition can shape regulator-target dose-response curve, modulate dynamic response speed, control target expression noise, and introduce correlated fluctuations between targets. This work uncovered the complexity and generality of molecular competition effect, which might act as a hidden regulatory mechanism with multiple functions throughout biological networks in both natural and synthetic systems.

Generalized structural motif model for studying the thermodynamic stability of fullerenes: from C60to graphene passing through giant fullerenes

A generalized motif model to describe the stability of neutral fullerenes, covering the full range of cage sizes, starting from C60, going through giant fullerenes, and ultimately leading to graphene.

Detection of New Motifs Properties in Biodata

Biodata are rich of information. Knowing the properties of biological sequence can be valuable in analyzing data and making appropriate conclusions. This research applied naturalistic methodology to investigate the structural properties of biological sequences (i.e., DNA). The research implemented in the field of motif finding. Two new motifs properties were discovered named identical neighbors and adjacent neighbors. The analysis is done in different situations of background frequency and motif model, using distinctive real data set of varied data size. The analysis demonstrated the strong existence of the properties. Exploiting of these properties considers significant steps towards developing powerful algorithms in molecular biology.

Negative feedback self-regulation contributes to robust and high-fidelity transmembrane signal transduction

We present a minimal motif model for transmembrane cell signalling. The model assumes signalling events taking place in spatially distributed nanoclusters regulated by a birth/death dynamics. The combination of these spatio-temporal aspects can be modulated to provide a robust and high-fidelity response behaviour without invoking sophisticated modelling of the signalling process as a sequence of cascade reactions and fine-tuned parameters. Our results show that the fact that the distributed signalling events take place in nanoclusters with a finite lifetime regulated by local production is sufficient to obtain a robust and high-fidelity response.