Paleoenvironments and Hydrocarbon Potential of Upper Cretaceous Shales in Agbabu-1 Well, Dahomey Basin SW Nigeria

Upper Cretaceous shales partially exposed in the northern fringes of the Dahomey Basin are well developed in the subsurface in Southwestern part of the basin where Agbau-1 well is sited. These shales were evaluated in respect to their paleoenvironments and potentials for hydrocarbon using foraminiferal assemblages, biomarkers and Rock Eval pyrolysis studies. The dominance of benthonic foraminifera species suggests a shallow marine environment and high percentage of calcareous to arenaceous benthic www.eujournal.org 195foraminifera indicate high water salinity and hypersline environment. Dysoxic oxygen condition is also prevalent probably because most of the benthic foraminifera recovered are epifauna that live in a reduced oxygen condition. 1.90 wt%, 244 mgHC/gTOC and 429℃ average values of total organic carbon, hydrogen index and Tmax reveal that the Upper Cretaceous shales have relatively fair to good organic matter, predominantly Type II-III kerogen and currently immature. Though three is a trend of an increase in maturity down the hole. All the steranes have uniform distributions (C27>C28>C29), suggesting a relatively higher input from the marine red algae and a low level of land plant contribution to the source organic matter. Pristane/phytane ratios and C29/C27 steranes confirmed the organic matter type to be a Type II/III and anoxic source rock depositional condition as well as a reducing diagenetic system in the sediment water column. The Upper Cretaceous shales in Dahomey Basin can be targeted for exploration as an unconventional petroleum resource.

Light And Oxygen Impelling Rubrivivax Gelatinosus Directly Used Food Processing Wastewater To Accumulate Poly-β-Hydroxybutyrate, 5-Aminolevulinic Acid, Pigment

Background: Rubrivivax gelatinosus have the advantage of using wastewater to realize biomass recovery. However, they still cannot be large-scale applied because they cannot directly treat the wastewater containing macromolecular organics. Thus, this paper investigated the effect of light-oxygen condition on Rubrivivax gelatinosus (R. gelatinosus) directly recycling wastewater containing macromolecular organics to produce biomass, poly-β-hydroxybutyrate (PHB), 5-Aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA), pigment.Results: R. gelatinosus directly treated the macromolecules organic (soybean protein and starch) wastewaters and achieved biomass recovery under light-anaerobic and light-micro oxygen in six conditions. COD, protein, starch removals for two wastewaters all reached above 70%. Renewable bio-resource such as biomass, PHB, 5-ALA, pigment productions were 10 times of initial content. Theoretical analysis indicated that light activated two component signal pathway by stimulating its first hk gene expression, which regulated synthesis of protease and amylase. However, oxygen concentration decided the level of gene expression and the amount of enzymes. When oxygen was at micro-oxygen or anaerobic, above these expression and synthesis were conducted. Conclusion: In summary, this study expanded the view point ignored by traditional theory. It was realized that PNSB directly treated wastewater and accumulated nutrients (biomass, PHB, pigment and 5-ALA) for recycling, which reduced the secondary pollution of excess sludge to the environment.

HIF in Nephrotoxicity during Cisplatin Chemotherapy: Regulation, Function and Therapeutic Potential

Cisplatin is a highly effective, broad-spectrum chemotherapeutic drug, yet its clinical use and efficacy are limited by its side effects. Particularly, cancer patients receiving cisplatin chemotherapy have high incidence of kidney problems. Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) is the “master” transcription factor that is induced under hypoxia to trans-activate various genes for adaptation to the low oxygen condition. Numerous studies have reported that HIF activation protects against AKI and promotes kidney recovery in experimental models of cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury (AKI). In contrast, little is known about the effects of HIF on chronic kidney problems following cisplatin chemotherapy. Prolyl hydroxylase (PHD) inhibitors are potent HIF inducers that recently entered clinical use. By inducing HIF, PHD inhibitors may protect kidneys during cisplatin chemotherapy. However, HIF activation by PHD inhibitors may reduce the anti-cancer effect of cisplatin in tumors. Future studies should test PHD inhibitors in tumor-bearing animal models to verify their effects in kidneys and tumors.

Foraminiferal biostratigraphy and paleoenvironmental analysis of the sediments penetrated by Sahaiawei-1 well in the Northern Delta Depobelt, Niger Delta Basin

Foraminifera biostratigraphy and paleoenvironmental analysis of the sediments penetrated by Sahaiawei-1 Well in the Northern Delta Depobelt, Niger Delta Basin was carried out in order to determine the foraminifera biozonation, age, paleobathymetry, depositional environment and paleo-oxygen condition of the well. The total foraminifera population recovered was two thousand, three hundred and sixty five (2365), with planktic foraminifera constituting one hundred and fifty four (154) forms, while calcareous benthic and agglutinated benthic foraminifera recovered accounted for two thousand, one hundred and sixty two (2162) and fourty nine (49) of the total foraminifera population respectively. The total foraminifera species recovered was fifty nine (59); planktic accounted for twenty (20) foraminifera species, while calcareous and agglutinated benthic foraminifera accounted for thirty one (31) and eight (8) foraminifera species respectively. Five benthic foramineferabiozones were identified: lumped P7-P13, P5-P6/P7, lumped P3-P4, lumped P1-P2 and M18 Zones of Blow (1969, 1979). The result of the analysis indicates that the entire analysed interval (1800ft – 10680ft) was deposited during the Late Maastrichtian to Late Eocene epoch. The depositional environments of the Well varied from littoral, marginal, shallow and deep marine environments. Keywords: Biozonation, Calcareous, Arenaceous, Agglutinated, Hyposaline Marshes, Hyposaline Shelf Sea

Impaired Layer Specific Retinal Vascular Reactivity Among Diabetic Subjects

PurposeTo investigate layer specific retinal vascular reactivity (RVR) in capillaries of diabetic subjects with no or mild non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR).MethodsA previously described nonrebreathing apparatus was used to deliver room air, 5% CO2, or 100% O2 to 41 controls and 22 diabetic subjects (with mild or no NPDR) while simultaneously acquiring fovea-centered 3×3mm2 Swept-Source Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography. Vessel skeleton density (VSD) and vessel diameter index (VDI) were calculated for each gas condition for the superficial retinal layer (SRL) and deep retinal layer (DRL). The superficial layer analysis excluded regions of arterioles and venules. Data analysis was performed using mixed factorial analysis of covariance stratified by diabetic status. All models were adjusted for age, gender, and hypertension.ResultsAmong controls, there was a significant difference in capillary VSD between all gas conditions (p<0.001). This difference was present in both the SRL and DRL. Among diabetics, there was no significant difference in response to CO2 conditions in the SRL (p=0.072), and a blunted response to both CO2 and O2 in the DRL. A significant gas effect was detected in the capillary VDI in the SRL of controls (p=0.001), which was driven by higher VDI in the oxygen condition compared to that of carbon dioxide.ConclusionsImpairment in RVR in diabetic subjects is driven largely by a decrease in the magnitude of the capillary response to O2 in the DRL as well as almost complete attenuation of capillary CO2 response in all layers. These layer and gas specific impairments in diabetics seem to occur early in the disease and to be driven primarily at the capillary level.

Corrosion Behavior for Casing in Producing Well with Water Injection Technology during Long-Term Service

Corrosion leakage became serious due to cyclic sewage injection and continuous increase in water injection pressure. Corrosion behavior for N80 casing was studied during long-term service, using corrosion reaction kettle and weight loss method. The morphology and composition were characterized with laser confocal microscopy (LCM), scan electron microscopy (SEM) and energy disperse spectroscopy (EDS). These results showed that corrosion rate remained constantly at initial stage, and increased gradually, then sharply reached to 0.327mm/a at later stage, accompanying with inflection point under oxygen condition. Meanwhile, corrosion rate decreased significantly from 0.028mm/a to 0.020mm/a under oxygen-free condition. The corrosion of N80 steel was dominated by dissolved oxygen, and accelerated by chloridion. The micro-mechanism was suggested to be the transition of defect structure from crack with micron range to etch pit with millimeter range.

Targeting hypoxia in tumor: a new promising therapeutic strategy

Low oxygen condition (hypoxia) is considered a hallmark of rapidly growing solid tumors. The presence of hypoxia renders tumor cells resistant to conventional chemo- and radio-therapy, selecting a more malignant and invasive phenotype and playing a negative role in patient prognosis. This commentary wishes to recognize the 2019 Nobel Prize in Medicine awarded to three physicians-scientists, Prof. William G. Kaelin Jr., Prof. Sir Peter J. Ratcliffe, and Prof. Gregg L. Semenza, for their discovery of the mechanisms mediating cell ability to sense and adapt to changes in oxygen availability. Their studies established the basis for our understanding of the role of hypoxia in a variety of diseases, including anemia, renal failure, cardiovascular disease, metabolic diseases, and cancer, paving the way for new promising therapeutic strategies through the development of drugs that can either activate or block the oxygen-sensing machinery.