Evaluating the Effectiveness of Red Onion Skin Extract Derivatives as Oilfield Scale Inhibitors

With growing awareness of the environmental impact of some conventional production chemicals and concerns about the depletion of non-renewable natural resources, increased efforts are being made to use renewable and non-toxic materials in the oilfield. In this study, a potential green scale inhibitor was developed from the skin of red onions and evaluated for calcium sulphate, calcium carbonate and barium scale inhibition. Based on the different extraction processes utilized, two products were obtained and characterized using FTIR and SEM and evaluated using a static jar test procedure. The FTIR results confirmed the bands that make up the major constituents (quercetin) and other important compounds, which supports the present study. Laboratory evaluation show that ROSE can efficiently inhibit calcium sulphate scale and barium sulphate scales with a good inhibition rate of greater than 75% at an optimum dosage. Effect of temperature and dosage on inhibition performance revealed that ROSE is stable at higher temperatures and can effectively inhibit calcium and barium sulphate scales at nearly the same rate without degradation but requires additional dosage to produce same result for calcium carbonate scale. Also, the effect of time reveals that scale inhibitor performs a continuous CaSO4 and CaCO3 inhibition. Not only does ROSE perform excellently in the laboratory condition as a green scale inhibitor, but it also show a relatively close performance rate when compared to an existing commercial inhibitor which indicate that ROSE has a high potential for use in the oil industry.

Establishing Correlations Between Normal Pancreatic and Submandibular Gland Ducts

BACKGROUND. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the relationship between ductal morphometry and ramification patterns in the submandibular gland and pancreas in order to validate their common fractal dimension. METHODS. X-ray ductography with software-aided morphometry were obtained by injecting barium sulphate in the ducts of post-mortem submandibular gland and pancreas specimens harvested from 42 adult individuals. RESULTS. Three cases were excluded from the study because of underlying pathology. There was a significant correlation between the length of the main pancreatic duct (MPD) and the intraglandular portion of the right submandibular duct (SMD) (r = 0.3616; p=0.028), and left SMD (r = 0.595; p<0.01), respectively, but their maximal diameters did not correlate (r = 0.139 - 0.311; p>0.05). Both dimensions of the SMD showed a significant right-left correlation (p<0.05). The number of MPD side branches (mean=37) correlated with the number of side branches of left SMD, but not with the right one (mean = 9). Tortuosity was observed in 54% of the MPD, 32% of the right SMD, and 24% of the left SMD, with mutual association only between the two salivary glands. CONCLUSIONS. Although the length of intraglandular SMD and MPD correlate, other morphometric ductal features do not, thus suggesting a more complex relationship between the two digestive glands.

Refining the mandibular osteoradionecrosis rat model by in vivo longitudinal µCT analysis

Osteoradionecrosis (ORN) is one of the most feared side effects of radiotherapy following cancers of the upper aero-digestive tract and leading to severe functional defects in patients. Today, our lack of knowledge about the physiopathology restricts the development of new treatments. In this study, we refined the ORN rat model and quantitatively studied the progression of the disease. We tested the impact of radiation doses from 20 to 40 Gy, delivered with incident 4MV X-ray beams on the left mandible of the inbred Lewis Rat. We used micro-computed tomography (µCT) to obtain in vivo images for longitudinal bone imaging and ex vivo images after animal perfusion with barium sulphate contrast agent for vessel imaging. We compared quantification methods by analyzing 3D images and 2D measurements to determine the most appropriate and precise method according to the degree of damage. We defined 25 Gy as the minimum irradiation dose combined with the median molar extraction necessary to develop non-regenerative bone necrosis. µCT image analyses were correlated with clinical and histological analyses. This refined model and accurate methods for bone and vessel quantification will improve our knowledge of the progression of ORN pathology and allow us to test the efficacy of new regenerative medicine procedures.

Non-Surgical Management of Iatrogenic Extrusion of Calcium Hydroxide Based Intracanal Medicament in Clinical Endodontics – A Case Report

Calcium hydroxide is used as an intracanal medicament in endodontics as it reduces intracanal microbial load and exudate discharge from infected teeth. Reports have shown that extrusion of calcium hydroxide periapically leads to an increased incidence of swelling, delayed periapical healing, nerve paraesthesia and other complications. Teeth with immature apex or those undergoing apical resorption are prone to higher chances of periapical medicament extrusion, especially under high pressure delivery systems. This case report discusses nonsurgical management of periapically extruded non-setting calcium hydroxide by an innovative technique which is less invasive and comfortable both for the clinician and the patient. Calcium hydroxide is widely used as an intracanal medicament for the treatment of pulpal and periapical diseases.1 The intracanal placement of calcium hydroxide can be done with a lentulospiral or a syringe-based delivery system.2 If extruded periapically, there is an increased incidence of swelling, delayed periapical healing, nerve paraesthesia and other complications.3 Case reports in the past have suggested surgical management of periapically extruded calcium hydroxide. The purpose of this case report is to discuss an orthograde nonsurgical management of periapically extruded calcium hydroxide based intracanal medicament containing barium sulphate during endodontic treatment.

Characterization and Analysis of the Carbonation Process of a Lime Mortar Obtained from Phosphogypsum Waste

This work addresses the reuse of waste products as a raw material for lime putties, which are one of the components of mortar. 1:3 Lime/sand mortars very similar to conventional construction mortars were prepared using a lime putty obtained from the treatment of phosphogypsum with sodium hydroxide. The physical, rheological and mechanical properties of this phosphogypsum-derived mortar have been studied, as well as the mineralogical composition, microstructure by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and curing process by monitoring carbonation and ultrasonic propagation velocity. Considering the negative influence of sulphates on the hardened material, the behaviour of the material after sulphates precipitation by adding barium sulphate was additionally tested. Carbonation progressed from the outside to the inside of the specimen through the porous system by Liesegang rings patterns for mortars with soluble sulphates, while the carbonation with precipitated sulphates was controlled by diffusion-precipitation. Overall, the negative influence of low-sulphate contents on the mechanical properties of mortars was verified. It must be highlighted the importance of their precipitation to obtain adequate performance.