Purification of Produced Water from a Sour Oilfield in South Kuwait. 1. Oil-Water Separation and Industrial Salt Production

Produced water from an oil extraction site in South Kuwait was sampled after primary oil – water separation had been carried out. The produced water was filtered through a mixture of activated charcoal and esterified cellulosic material gained from spent coffee grounds as a tertiary adsorption treatment. The earth-alkaline metal ions and heavy metals were separated from the de-oiled produced water by addition of either sodium or potassium hydroxide in the presence of carbon dioxide or by direct addition of solid sodium carbonate. The resulting filtrate gave salt of industrial purity upon selective crystallization on evaporation.

Purification of Produced Water from a Sour Oilfield in South Kuwait. 2. Oil-Water Separation and Crystallization of Calcium Carbonate

Oil-water separation for produced water (PW) originating from an oil extraction site in South Kuwait was carried out using bleached, esterified cellulosic material from used coffee grounds. Thereafter, earth-alkaline metal ions, specifically calcium ions, of the de-oiled PW were removed by precipitation with sodium carbonate to give access to pure sodium chloride as industrial salt from the remaining PW. While the purity of the precipitated calcium carbonate (CaCO3) depends on the precipitation conditions, CaCO3 of up to 95.48% purity can be obtained, which makes it a salable product. The precipitation of CaCO3 decreases the amount of calcium ions in PW from 11,300 ppm to 84 ppm.

Inflammation-related markers and prognosis of alpha-fetoprotein producing gastric cancer

BACKGROUND Inflammation-related markers including neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio(NLR),platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio(PLR),monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio(MLR),systemic immune-inflammation index(SII),systemic inflammation response index(SIRI)and prognostic nutritional index(PNI)could reflect tumor immune microenvironment and predict prognosis of cancers.However,it had not been explored in alpha-fetoprotein(AFP)producing gastric cancer(GC).AIM To determine the predictive value of inflammation-related peripheral blood markers including as NLR,PLR,MLR,SII,SIRI and PNI in the prognosis of AFPproducing GC(AFPGC).Besides,this study would also compare the differences in tumor immune microenvironment,clinical characteristics and prognosis between AFPGC and AFP-GC patients to improve the understanding of this disease.METHODS 573 patients enrolled were retrospectively studied.They were divided into AFP+group(AFP≥20 ng/mL)and AFP-group(AFP<20 ng/mL),comparing the levels of NLR/PLR/MLR/SII/SIRI/PNI and prognosis.In AFP+group,the impact of NLR/PLR/MLR/SII/SIRI/PNI and their dynamic changes on prognosis were further explored.RESULTS Compared with AFP-patients,AFP+patients had higher NLR/PLR/MLR/SII/-SIRI and lower PNI levels and poorer overall survival(OS).In the AFP+group,mortality was significantly lower in the lower NLR/PLR/MLR/SII/SIRI group and higher PNI group.Moreover,the dynamic increase(NLR/PLR/MLR/SII/-SIRI)or decrease(PNI)was associated with the rise of mortality within 1 year of follow-up.CONCLUSION Compared with AFP-patients,the level of inflammation-related peripheral blood markers significantly increased in AFP+patients,which was correlated with OS of AFP+patients.Also,the gradual increase of SII and SIRI was associated with the risk of death within one year in AFP+patients.AFPGC should be considered as a separate type and distinguished from AFP-GC because of the difference in tumor immune microenvironment.It requires basic experiments and large clinical samples in the future.

May ChatGPT be a tool producing medical information for common inflammatory bowel disease patients’questions?An evidencecontrolled analysis

Artificial intelligence is increasingly entering everyday healthcare.Large language model(LLM)systems such as Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer(ChatGPT)have become potentially accessible to everyone,including patients with inflammatory bowel diseases(IBD).However,significant ethical issues and pitfalls exist in innovative LLM tools.The hype generated by such systems may lead to unweighted patient trust in these systems.Therefore,it is necessary to understand whether LLMs(trendy ones,such as ChatGPT)can produce plausible medical information(MI)for patients.This review examined ChatGPT’s potential to provide MI regarding questions commonly addressed by patients with IBD to their gastroenterologists.From the review of the outputs provided by ChatGPT,this tool showed some attractive potential while having significant limitations in updating and detailing information and providing inaccurate information in some cases.Further studies and refinement of the ChatGPT,possibly aligning the outputs with the leading medical evidence provided by reliable databases,are needed.

Production Chain Length and PPI-CPI Divergence:Analysis Based on the Global Input-output Price Model

Productivity and international energy price shocks are reflected in PPI and CPI via industrial chains.China’s in-depth participation into the global value chains has increasingly lengthened its industrial production chains.The question is how the changing length of production chains will affect CPI and PPI,as well as CPI-PPI correlation?By constructing a global input-output price model,this paper offers a theoretical discussion on the impact of production chain length on the CPI-PPI divergence.Our findings suggest that the price shock of international bulk commodities has a greater impact on China’s PPI than that on CPI.The effects on both China’s PPI and CPI estimated by using the single-country input-output model are higher than the results estimated with the global input-output model.However,the difference between CPI and PPI variations estimated with the global input-output model is greater than the result estimated with the single-country input-output model,which supports the view that the lengthening of production chains,especially international production chains,leads to a divergence between CPI and PPI.Empirical results based on cross-national panel data also suggest that the lengthening of production chains has reduced the CPI-PPI correlation for countries,i.e.the lengthening of production chains has increased the PPI-CPI divergence.That is to say,policymakers should target not just CPI in maintaining price stability,but instead focus on the stability of both PPI and CPI.Efforts can be made to proactively adjust the price index system,and formulate the industrial chain price index.

Variability in Quantity and Salinity of Produced Water from an Oil Production in South Kuwait

Produced water (PW) is the largest waste stream in the oil and gas industry. Water remains trapped for millions of years in the reservoir with oil and gas. When a hydrocarbon reservoir is infiltrated by a production well, the produced fluids commonly contain water. The understanding of this water’s constituents and volumes is vital for the sustainable continuity of production operations, as PW has a number of negative impacts on the infrastructure integrity of the operation. On the other hand, PW can be an alternative source of irrigation water as well as of industrial salt. Interestingly, both the quantity as well as the quality of PW do not remain constant but can vary, both progressively and erratically, even over short periods of time. This paper discusses such a situation of variable PW in an oil and gas operation in the State of Kuwait.

Aqueous Extract of Ceiba pentandra Stimulates the Production of Fetal Hemoglobin in Sickle Cell Patients

Subsequent studies have demonstrated the reversed activity of the aqueous extract of Ceiba pentandra on the deformity of sickled red blood cells in hypoxia conditions. The observation which related to an in vitro study had given rise to hopes as to the management of sickle cell disease (SCD) by the use of this plant species. In this paper, the authors aimed to investigate the effect of the aqueous extract of C. pentandra on the production of fetal hemoglobin in SCD patients. The work carried out hemoglobin electrophoresis, for a period of six months, on blood samples from SCD patients who voluntarily undergone routine treatment, based on the medicinal recipe prepared from the bark of the trunk and branches of C. pentandra, in a hospital center of herbal medicines located in Kinshasa. The medicinal recipe called BEAT-SS is a patented product of the hospital center named Centre de Phytothérapie Moderne NIECA. Blood samples from patients under treatment were taken to evaluate the behavior of different forms of hemoglobin (hemoglobin S, hemoglobin F and hemoglobin A2). Agarose gel electrophoresis with integrated reading was used for the separation of the different forms of hemoglobin, as well as their dosage on each sample of sickle blood. A reduction in the proportion of hemoglobin S and an increase in the proportion of fetal hemoglobin were found in all sickle cell patients during the treatment period. This observation could affirm that the management of sickle cell patients using the recipe prepared from the aqueous extract of C. pentandra could increase the level of fetal hemoglobin in these patients.

Problems of Training Konni Producers in the Context of Reforming the Management of Hydroagricultural Developments: Challenges, Issues and Perspectives

Following the reform of the governance of irrigation schemes in Niger, producer cooperatives are encountering real difficulties in ensuring effective and efficient management of irrigation water, infrastructure maintenance and renewal of hydromechanical equipment. The objective of this research is to analyze the issues and challenges of capacity building for Konni producers in the context of AHA management reform in Niger. The methodological approach adopted is based on documentary research and field surveys with all the actors directly concerned with the management of the Konni irrigated perimeter. A total of 448 people were interviewed in all the localities selected. Direct observation and interview are the two field data collection techniques adopted. The data collected was processed and on the basis of the established diagnosis, the training needs were identified. The results show that there are several experiences in terms of training and capacity building of actors in charge of the management of irrigation systems at the Konni AHA level. However, the sustainability of the perimeter is threatened by various crises. The main themes that founded the first training were related to the mobilization, transport and distribution of irrigation water, operation and maintenance, and setting and collection of the fee. In view of the expectations of operators, future issues and challenges, the training modules are increasingly oriented towards social management, the integration of gender in management and environmental impacts. Even if technical progress is possible, the real lever is organizational and requires the professionalization of irrigators. This process requires a new pedagogical approach aimed at irrigators.

Phenotypic Detection of Enterobacterales Strains Susceptible of Producing OXA-48 Carbapenemase

Background: Nowadays, emergence of Carbapenemase-Producing Enterobacterales (CPE) throughout the world has become a public health problem, especially in countries with limited resources. In recent years, CPE of type OXA-48 (Ambler class D) have been identified in Dakar. The aim of this study was to evaluate the phenotypic detection of OXA-48 CPE using a temocillin disc (30 μg). Methodology: A retrospective study was carried out at Medical Biology Laboratory of Pasteur Institute in Dakar on Ertapenem-Resistant Enterobacterales (ERE) strains isolated from 2015 to 2017. These strains were then tested with a 30 μg temocillin disc. Any strain resistant to temocillin (inhibition diameter Results: Forty-one ERE isolated during the study period were tested, of which 34 (82.9%) were OXA-48 based on phenotypic detection using temocillin disc and confirmed by PCR (100%). OXA-48 CPE strains detected were composed of Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 14;41.2%), Enterobacter cloacae (n = 8;23.5%), Escherichia coli (n = 7, 20.5%), Citrobacter freundii (n = 3;8.8%), Cronobacter sakazakii (n = 1;3%) and Morganella morganii (n = 1;3%). Conclusion: Temocillin resistance has a good positive predictive value for detecting OXA-48 CPE by phenotypic method, confirmed by PCR. Temocillin is therefore a good marker for detection of OXA-48 CPE except Hafnia alvei.

Research on the Formation Mechanism for the Co-agglomeration of Producer Services and Manufacturing in the Guangdong- Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area

The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area is witnessing a surge in economic development,showcasing robust resilience in the co-agglomeration of producer services and manufacturing industries,along with the increasingly evident impact generated by such co-agglomeration.Based on the panel data collected from ten cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area(excluding Zhaoqing)spanning from 2010 to 2020,we examined the formation mechanism for industrial co-agglomeration in the area from three dimensions:industrial correlation,spatial correlation,and policy guidance.Our analysis was based on a vertical correlation model and was validated using the seemingly unrelated regressions(SUR)method.The findings are as follows:(a)There currently exists no spatial correlation between the producer services and manufacturing sectors in the area,and the correlation between the two remains limited to the former providing specialized services to the latter.(b)Policy guidance has a positive impact on the location selection of industries within the area.By implementing a comprehensive range of favorable policies,local governments can provide effective and scientifically guided recommendations regarding the location of producer services and manufacturing sectors.Therefore,it is crucial to foster the collaboration between producer services and manufacturing sectors and further enhance the co-agglomeration between the two sectors.In addition,the government authorities should also strive to enhance its economic governance capacity,thereby facilitating the formation of such co-agglomeration.

High-Order Spatial FDTD Solver of Maxwell’s Equations for Terahertz Radiation Production

We applied a spatial high-order finite-difference-time-domain (HO-FDTD) scheme to solve 2D Maxwell’s equations in order to develop a fluid model employed to study the production of terahertz radiation by the filamentation of two femtosecond lasers in air plasma. We examined the performance of the applied scheme, in this context, we implemented the developed model to study selected phenomena in terahertz radiation production, such as the excitation energy and conversion efficiency of the produced THz radiation, in addition to the influence of the pulse chirping on properties of the produced radiation. The obtained numerical results have clarified that the applied HO-FDTD scheme is precisely accurate to solve Maxwell’s equations and sufficiently valid to study the production of terahertz radiation by the filamentation of two femtosecond lasers in air plasma.

S型异质结光催化剂ZnFe_(2)O_(4)/WO_(3)的构筑及光催化还原CO_(2)性能

通过在WO_(3)纳米片表面负载ZnFe_(2)O_(4)纳米颗粒,构建了一系列S型异质结光催化剂ZnFe_(2)O_(4)/WO_(3),并研究了其光催化CO_(2)还原性能。在没有助催化剂和牺牲剂的条件下,所制备的ZnFe_(2)O_(4)/WO_(3)复合材料可对CO_(2)与水蒸汽进行光催化反应。优化后的材料光照5 h后CO_(2)还原产物CO和CH_(4)的产量分别为7.87和4.88μmol·g^(-1)。相对于单相组分,CO和CH_(4)的产量明显提高。光催化活性的提高,归因于ZnFe_(2)O_(4)和WO_(3)异质结的形成以及光生载流子的S型电荷传输模式。

Microsoft Producer自定义演示模板的编辑

本文介绍了Microsoft Producer中演示模板的自定义方法,以及最终浏览相关界面及显示内容的编辑。

基于Microsoft Producer和Windows Media技术制作和发布流媒体网络课件

详细介绍了使用Microsoft Producer制作和发布基于Windows Media技术的流媒体网络课件的方法和步骤, 较好地解决了流媒体网络课件应用中的关键问题。

2022年四川芦山M_(S)6.1地震前应力状态研究

为研究2022年6月1日四川芦山M_(S)6.1地震的孕育和发生过程,采用CAP方法反演了2013年芦山M_(S)7.0主震及M_(S)≥5.0余震的震源机制解,并基于应力张量方差与b值时空分布特征,探讨了芦山M_(S)6.1地震的力学机制和震源区的应力状态。结果表明:2022年芦山M_(S)6.1地震震源机制表现出与2013年芦山M_(S)7.0主震和5级余震相似的逆冲型破裂特征,压应力轴方位与龙门山断裂带南段区域应力场一致。2013年芦山M_(S)7.0地震后震中及附近的应力张量方差和b值长期处于低值状态,2022年芦山M_(S)6.1地震前震中及附近出现了应力张量方差和b值的低值异常,表明芦山余震区处于较高的应力水平。分析认为:巴颜喀拉块体持续东向运动受到华南块体的阻挡,震中所在区域长期受挤压逆冲作用,从而使芦山余震区长期处于应力积累的状态,芦山M_(S)6.1地震也是在这种动力学背景下发生的。

阴道卷曲乳杆菌S层蛋白多样性研究

目的:分析比较西安市女性阴道卷曲乳杆菌S层蛋白的多样性及NCBI数据库中阴道来源卷曲乳杆菌S层蛋白的多样性。方法:选取100例妇科患者的阴道分泌物标本作为研究对象,从其中10例标本中分离得到480株卷曲乳杆菌,其中两株卷曲乳杆菌S层蛋白有明显差异,对其进行全基因组测序;并从NCBI数据库中下载人阴道源的卷曲乳杆菌全基因组数据,分析并比较西安市来源与数据库来源的卷曲乳杆菌S层蛋白的多样性。结果:S层蛋白注释基因具有菌株内和菌株间的多样性,同一套基因组中有多个S层蛋白注释基因,菌株间的相似性偏差较大,通过系统发育分析发现,中国人阴道卷曲乳杆菌的S层蛋白基因与其他人种的具有系统发育相似性。结论:阴道卷曲乳杆菌S层蛋白具有菌种间和菌株间多样性的特征,不同人种的卷曲乳杆菌具有相似性。

结合主动光源和改进YOLOv5s模型的夜间柑橘检测方法

【目的】解决夜间环境下遮挡和较小柑橘难以准确识别的问题,实现采摘机器人全天候智能化作业。【方法】提出一种结合主动光源的夜间柑橘识别方法。首先,通过分析主动光源下颜色特征不同的夜间柑橘图像,选择最佳的光源色并进行图像采集。然后,提出一种夜间柑橘检测模型BI-YOLOv5s,该模型采用双向特征金字塔网络(Bi-FPN)进行多尺度交叉连接和加权特征融合,提高对遮挡和较小果实的识别能力;引入Coordinate attention(CA)注意力机制模块,进一步加强对目标位置信息的提取;采用融入Transformer结构的C3TR模块,在减少计算量的同时更好地提取全局信息。【结果】本文提出的BI-YOLOv5s模型在测试集上的精准率、召回率、平均准确率分别为93.4%、92.2%和97.1%,相比YOLOv5s模型分别提升了3.2、1.5和2.3个百分点。在所采用的光源色环境下,模型对夜间柑橘识别的正确率为95.3%,相比白光环境下提高了10.4个百分点。【结论】本文提出的方法对夜间环境下遮挡和小目标柑橘的识别具有较高的准确性,可为夜间果蔬智能化采摘的视觉精准识别提供技术支持。

献血者HBVs基因变异的生物信息学分析

目的分析HBV DNA+/HBsAg-献血者的传染性指标、S区基因序列突变情况及生物信息学特征变化。方法通过PCR方法筛查出1份HBV DNA+/HBsAg-的标本,应用酶联免疫和化学发光方法检测该标本乙肝病毒5项指标,对该标本HBVs区基因片段测序并分析变异情况,应用分析软件对所测序列进行生物信息学分析。结果该标本HBV DNA+、HBsAg-、HBsAb+、HBeAg+、HBeAb-、HBcAb+;HBVs区基因序列内发生氨基酸单位点突变(P151L),空间结构发生改变。结论HBVs区基因序列空间结构改变,可能是导致检测结果出现血清学HBsAg-/HBsAb+/HBV DNA+的原因。

在片S参数计量比对结果浅析

中国电子科技集团公司第十三研究所作为主导实验室开展了在片S参数计量比对工作,对参比实验室提交的在片S参数测量结果进行了汇总分析,并用E_n值对各参比实验室测量结果进行了评价。通过在片S参数计量比对,确保了量值传递的准确、可靠,特别是对在片S参数测量不确定度的主要来源统一了认识。同时也为业内提供了在片S参数测量一致性的比较平台。

基于Podcast Producer的讲座资源支撑平台的设计与实现——以北京大学讲座网为例

从工作流程、网络架构、功能模块和关键技术等几个方面介绍了基于Podcast Producer开发的北京大学讲座网,并探索一个可实现信息发布、讲座录制任务分配、录制进度监控和自动转码处理与讲座视频发布等功能的高度自动化的通用讲座资源支撑平台。