Antifungal Activity of Natural Compounds vs. Candida spp.: A Mixture of Cinnamaldehyde and Eugenol Shows Promising In Vitro Results

Candida spp. are commensal organisms of the skin, mucous membranes, gastrointestinal tract, blood, and vagina of animals and humans. In recent decades, the incidence of human fungal infections has increased, with Candida spp. (mainly C. albicans) infections being the most frequent, and the treatment of fungal infections is still a clinical challenge. Colonization of the human gastrointestinal tract by Candida spp. is significant because infections (e.g., candidemia and vulvovaginal candidiasis) frequently arise from commensal microorganisms. The aim of this study was to test in vitro the antifungal activity and the eventual synergistic effect of five pure components of essential oils: cinnamaldehyde, α-pinene, limonene, eucalyptol, and eugenol. These compounds were tested on 18 Candida strains (15 C. albicans, 2 C. glabrata, and 1 C. lusitaniae) derived from a culture collection of vaginal clinical strains. Methods: Fungistatic activity was evaluated using the disk diffusion method. For fungicidal activity, microdilution and time–kill curve protocols were set up. The checkerboard method was chosen to evaluate a possible synergistic effect of these compounds when mixed. Results: Cinnamaldehyde and eugenol gave the best results, inhibiting all the Candida strains and showing a highly additive effect (FICI 0.625). The cinnamaldehyde inhibition zone (IZ), MIC, and MFC means were 69 mm, 50.05 mg/L, and 109.26 mg/L respectively. Cinnamaldehyde led to the total loss of viable Candida cells within 4 h. Eugenol IZ, MIC, and MFC means were 35.2 mm, 455.42 mg/L, and 690.09 mg/L, respectively. Eugenol led to the total loss of viable fungal cells within 1 h. Treatment with α-pinene inhibited 88.9% of Candida strains, with an IZ mean of 21.2 mm, a MIC mean of 195.41 mg/L, and a MFC mean of 251.27 mg/L; this compound led to the total loss of viable fungal cells only after 24 h. Limonene inhibited only 33.3% of the tested strains and eucalyptol did not produce an inhibition halo, so these compounds were not tested further. Conclusions: These characteristics, together with the well-known safety of cinnamaldehyde and eugenol for human use, make these two natural compounds the perfect candidates for the treatment of candidiasis. This was a pilot study, the purpose of which was to evaluate the best composition of a mixture to be used against intestinal and vulvovaginal candidiasis; in vivo studies are needed to confirm these very encouraging results.

Dynamic resistance and total loss in a three-tape REBCO stack carrying DC currents in perpendicular AC magnetic fields at 77 K

In many high-temperature superconducting (HTS) applications, HTS coated conductors carry a DC current under an external AC magnetic field. In such operating conditions, dynamic resistance will occur when the traversing magnetic flux across the HTS conductors. Consequently, AC loss within the superconductors is composed of the dynamic loss component arising from dynamic resistance and the magnetization loss component due to the AC external magnetic field. In this work, the dynamic resistance and the total loss in a three-tape HTS coated conductor stack were measured at 77 K under perpendicular AC magnetic fields up to 80 mT and DC currents (Idc) up to the critical current (Ic). The stack was assembled from three serial-connected 4 mm wide Superpower wires. The measured dynamic resistance results for the stack were well supported by the results from 2D H-formulation finite element modelling (FEM) and broadly agree with the analytical values for stacks. The FEM analysis shows asymmetric transport DC current profiles in the central region of the superconductor. We attribute the result to the superposition of DC currents and the induced subcritical currents which explains why the measured magnetization loss values increase with DC current levels at low magnetic field. The onset of dynamic loss for the stack for low i (Idc/ Ic) values is much slower when compared to that of the single tape and hence the contribution of the dynamic loss component to the total loss in the stack is much smaller than that of the single tape. Dynamic loss in the stack becomes comparable to the magnetization loss at i = 0.5 and becomes greater than the magnetization loss at i = 0.7. Both magnetization loss and dynamic loss in the stack are smaller than those of the single tape due to shielding effects.

Evaluation of Suppressiveness of chernozem upon the intake of organic fertilizers under the conditions of a model experiment

The problem of maintaining the sanitary function of soils of agroecosystems is one of the main ones, since it determines the danger for reproduction of various types of microorganisms, including human and animal pathogens. Within the study, the authors assessed the number of bacteria (Salmonella enterica and Escherichia coli) in samples of chernozem with introduction of organic fertilizers. The dynamics of the number of Salmonella enterica shows that organic matter in soils contributes to a sharp decrease in their number at the initial stages of biological pollution, and in the long term it contributes to total loss. By the 60th day, Salmonella was found only in the control option of the experiment, but continuation of the experiment showed their total loss on the 80th day. Introduction of organic ameliorants into the chernozem samples led to a decrease in the number of E. coli by the 80th day, but their total loss was not noted.

YEARNING – HOMELAND – ROWAN... (ATTEMPT OF INTERPRETATION M. TSVETAEVA’S POEM “HOMESICKNESS...”)

The article is an attempt of interpretation of M. Tsvetaeva’s poem “Homesickness! Long ago…”. The aim of the article is to justify homesickness as the fundamental spiritual attunement to the world and the core of life activity. The author concludes that, the poet yearns for the fullness of being, for the true, full-blown in each moment life that reaches not only this world, but also the other one. In the act of poeticizing the poet falls out of impersonal and indifferent daily routine into a value-meaningful, personal hourly, minuteby-minute existence. Poeticizing is a cardinal linguistic shift, determined by the inner experience: distancing from any national language, or a cardinal defamiliarization of the language in the constitutive centres of its conventional symbolic coordination, recognizing it every time and, accordingly, recognizing, renaming, defamiliarizing of the world. It presupposes selfimmersion, solitude, concentrating, gathering oneself, finding the inner home. The poet’s true homeland expands into the infinite universe where each thing is present in its own unique meaning. Staying outside the homeland and homeland-speaking milieu does not mean a total loss of homeland and a meaningless destruction in a foreign land, but serves as an indispensable basis for regaining of the homeland in spirit. More than anybody else poets are immersed into the word, in search for the names, in giving meanings to things; they constantly have an inner yearning to language as the House of Being, the dwelling of all things. That is the field where the desired homeland is found.

Maximum Work Rate Extractable from Energy Fluxes

A general formalism is developed to evaluate the amount of work extractable from energy fluxes. It covers nonequilibrium cases when the concept of exergy is not relevant. The rate of work deficiency, which has been previously introduced as the total loss of exergy, is defined here as the total loss of work, which would have resulted if all the work were lost to the environment. New performance indicators are proposed. First, the work content factor gives the proportion of extractable work in a given amount of energy. Second, the work deficiency factor is a measure of the potential of improvement for the operation of energy conversion systems. Previous results reported in literature are particular cases of the general results obtained here. The formalism is used to evaluate the work rate extractable from the solar energy flux. Results are shown in cases where solar radiation interacts with materials without energy bandgap (metals) and with energy bandgaps (semiconductors), respectively.

First Oman Implementation of Pressurized Mud-Cap Drilling Improves Drilling Efficiency and Sustainability

Drilling with a gas cap over the Natih formation in Oman often results in excessive flat time. Using the current dynamic fill equipment to deal with kick and loss scenarios leads to extensive nonproductive time on the rig. Managed pressure drilling (MPD) is a well-established drilling technology, and diverse variants exist to suit different requirements. All those variants use the rotating control device (RCD) as a common piece of equipment, but their procedures are different. The pressurized mud-cap drilling (PMCD) technique in the Natih formation replaces the need for traditional dynamic filling technology. The PMCD application enhances the drilling and completion processes by reducing flat time when total downhole losses are experienced. This paper elaborates on PMCD as a proven drilling technique in total loss scenarios when drilling with it for the first time in the Natih formation in Oman. It describes the PMCD process, the associated equipment, and the results of the inaugural application in the Qalah field.

Success Implementation of Pressurized Mud Cap Drilling in Offshore East Java Prospect, Avoid Rig Flat Time During Loss Circulation and Continue Drilling with 400psi in the Annulus to Reach Target Depth Through Fractured Carbonate Formation in 2 Days

The offshore East Java laid numerous carbonate formation, where depending on area, carbonate formation is exercised as the reservoir. The carbonate exploration drilling campaign, which is naturally fractured, risks the operation not just from safety aspect but also deliverability of well objective to explore uncovered reserve in the area. In this well, total loss circulation was experienced while drilling, despite no record of similar event from offset wells data. The field operator determined to call out Rotating Control Device (RCD) and installed prior to drilling 12.25in. hole section. The Pressurized Mud Cap Drilling (PMCD) method is prepared in advance as mitigation plan to overcome the exploration uncertainties. PMCD is one of the Managed Pressure Drilling (MPD) variants used in oil and gas wells that experience severe to total loss circulation. PMCD method involves drilling with closing flowline valve completely while using RCD system to seal the annulus. While drilling the 12.25in section, absence of return fluid observed as drill string penetrates the carbonate reservoir section (target formation). Activation of the annulus flooding system enables to pumps seawater through annulus, continued with pulling out the string to last casing shoe, and then installation of RCD bearing assembly to convert drilling strategy into PMCD method. As the PMCD components required such as RCD and drill string Non-Return Valve already equipped and all associated procedures prepared in advance, swift transition to PMCD mode results to lesser drilling flat time. After reaching target depth, the PMCD setup also assists in the deployment of open hole logging operation by installing RCD logging adaptor. With the successful PMCD implementation, the field operator managed to reduce drilling risks, reach exploration target successfully, reduce flat times and increase in ROP. This paper present success story of PMCD well drilled and lessons learned as the operator evolves to improve PMCD execution further.

Forest Fire Mapping using Normalized Burned Ratio and Cloud Computing to Calculate the Losses Incurred in Mount Lawu, Magetan Regency

Forest and land fires in Indonesia are one of the most common disasters. Over time, Indonesia’s forests have experienced a decline, one of which is the result of forest and land fires. Forest and land fires can occur due to temperatures in the dry season that continue to increase. Utilization of remote sensing technology can be used for mapping forest and fire areas, and can also be used as a reference for the government to carry out reforestation or reforestation processes in fire areas. The use of Multispectral Sensors in Sentinel 2 satellite imagery can be used to produce this research. This research takes a case study on Mount Lawu, Magetan Regency. Mount Lawu is one of the climbing tourist destinations that almost every year experiences forest and land fires. And the use of the Google Earth Engine platform that supports cloud computing to facilitate this research in accessing high data sources to process large geospatial data sets. For processing satellite images using the Normalized Burned Ratio (NBR) vegetation index processing algorithm. This research was conducted in 2018 and 2019. By using the Random Forest method, which is one of the applications of Machine Learning, it will produce several accurate results from the calculation results. The results of the calculation of the area of fire in 2018 were 284.88 hectares with a total loss of Rp 42,732,000.00 and in 2019 it was 146.03 hectares with a total loss of Rp 21,904,500. The results of this study are displayed on GEE Apps so that users can directly access the resulting data.

Risk Assessment of Urban Floods Based on a SWMM-MIKE21-Coupled Model Using GF-2 Data

Global climate change and rapid urbanization have caused increases in urban floods. Urban flood risk assessment is a vital method for preventing and controlling such disasters. This paper takes the central region of Cangzhou city in Hebei Province as an example. Detailed topographical information, such as the buildings and roads in the study area, was extracted from GF-2 data. By coupling the two models, the SWMM and MIKE21, the spatial distribution of the inundation region, and the water depth in the study area under different return periods, were simulated in detail. The results showed that, for the different return periods, the inundation region was generally consistent. However, there was a large increase in the mean inundation depth within a 10-to-30-year return period, and the increase in the maximum inundation depth and inundation area remained steady. The comprehensive runoff coefficient in all of the scenarios exceeded 0.8, indicating that the drainage system in the study area is insufficient and has a higher flood risk. The flood risk of the study area was evaluated based on the damage curve, which was obtained from field investigations. The results demonstrate that the loss per unit area was less than CNY 250/m2 in each return period in the majority of the damaged areas. Additionally, the total loss was mainly influenced by the damaged area, but, in commercial areas, the total loss was highly sensitive to the inundation depth.