Application nonparametric criteria in the analysis of oil fields development

Waterflood or pressure maintenance project is considered one of several methods of enhanced oil recovery, which is widely being used in oil fields. Water injection efficiency analysis is very important for operation future plan and finds out if any opportunity is available to improve project performance. The conventional methods beside nonparametric criteria have been applied in this research in order to evaluate water injection operation. Gini coefficient analysis has been used to illustrate the water injection impact in terms of oil and water production trends over the time of injection operation.     

Analysis of color shift on butterfly wings by Fourier transform of images from atomic force microscopy

Butterfly wings have complex structure lending it several interesting properties. Coloration of the wing is one of the first things to encounter and the overall visual effect is in fact influenced by several factors. Chemical pigments set the base color of the wing, topographical structures on the wing scales cause color shift by interference and their arrangement into diffraction grating causes iridescence. The thin film interference can be attributed to microscopic ridges covering wing scales. Observation and calculation of the color shift on wings of Euploea mulciber species using Fourier transform of images obtained by atomic force microscopy is the focus of this article.     

Lumen degradation effect on fluorescent-to-LED switching: techno-economic viability for a lecture room

Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy - Efficient illumination of classrooms is one of many technologies that can help in constructing a cleaner future and have a positive environmental...     

Extracellular Vesicles from Mesenchymal Stromal Cells for the Treatment of Inflammation-Related Conditions

Over the past two decades, mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have demonstrated great potential in the treatment of inflammation-related conditions. Numerous early stage clinical trials have suggested that this treatment strategy has potential to lead to significant improvements in clinical outcomes. While promising, there remain substantial regulatory hurdles, safety concerns, and logistical issues that need to be addressed before cell-based treatments can have widespread clinical impact. These drawbacks, along with research aimed at elucidating the mechanisms by which MSCs exert their therapeutic effects, have inspired the development of extracellular vesicles (EVs) as anti-inflammatory therapeutic agents. The use of MSC-derived EVs for treating inflammation-related conditions has shown therapeutic potential in both in vitro and small animal studies. This review will explore the current research landscape pertaining to the use of MSC-derived EVs as anti-inflammatory and pro-regenerative agents in a range of inflammation-related conditions: osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, cardiovascular disease, and preeclampsia. Along with this, the mechanisms by which MSC-derived EVs exert their beneficial effects on the damaged or degenerative tissues will be reviewed, giving insight into their therapeutic potential. Challenges and future perspectives on the use of MSC-derived EVs for the treatment of inflammation-related conditions will be discussed.     

Stereometric Analysis of Effects of Heat Stressing on Micromorphology of Si Single Crystals

Silicon - The purpose of this work is study of silicon single crystal wafer thermal stability in correlation with three-dimensional (3D) surface characterization using atomic force microscopy...     

Rapid pressure-less and spark plasma sintering of (Ba0.85Ca0.15Zr0.1T0.9)O3 lead-free piezoelectric ceramics

This work shows for the first time the possibility to sinter BCZT powder compacts by rapid heating rates within one hour of sintering, while achieving good piezoelectric properties. The sintering was performed by rapid (heating rates 100 and 200 °C/min) pressure-less sintering (PLS) at 1550 °C/5-60 min and by SPS sintering (100 °C/min, 1450 °C/5?60 min and 1500 °C/15?45 min). The rapid PLS samples reached a relative density up to 94 % and grain sizes of 17–36 μm acquiring d₃₃ up to 414 pC/N. Although the SPS samples reached full density at 1450 °C, their piezoelectric properties worsened due to smaller grains (10?15 μm) as well as formation of cracks at dwell times > 30 min. At elevated SPS temperature of 1500 °C/30 min, the d₃₃ increased to 360 pC/N sustaining full density. Even higher increase in d₃₃ (424 pC/N) of SPS samples was achieved by post-rapid PLS at 1550 °C/60 min resulting from further expansion in grain size.     

What proverb understanding reveals about how people think.

The ability to understand proverbial sayings, such as a rolling stone gathers no moss has been of great interest to researchers in many areas of psychology. Most psychologists assume that understanding the figurative meanings of proverbs requires various kinds of higher order cognitive abilities. The authors review the findings on proverb interpretation to examine the question of what proverb use and understanding reveals about the ways normal and dysfunctional individuals think. The widely held idea that failure to provide a figurative interpretation of a proverb necessarily reflects a deficit in specialized abstract thinking is rejected. Moreover, the ability to correctly explain what a proverb means does not necessarily imply that an individual can think abstractly. Various empirical evidence, nonetheless, suggests that the ability to understand many proverbs reveals the presence of metaphorical schemes that are ubiquitous in everyday thought. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Design and Synthesis of Waterborne Polyurethanes

Waterborne polyurethanes (WBPUs) have attracted increasing attention in a wide range of industrial applications because of their versatile properties as well as ecofriendly nature. Although extensive research has been carried out on WBPU synthesis, the roles of some of the key synthesis components remain unclear. In this study, through systematically controlling and fine tuning the precursor compositions and reaction conditions, over 300 WBPUs are synthesized. This research enables the roles of several key components that govern WBPU physicochemical properties and ultimately the potential WBPU applications to be identified. Using hair styling as an example, it is demonstrated that only the WBPUs with an optimal range of properties (e.g., Young's modulus >150 MPa, elongation at break: 15–300%, moisture uptake <10%) can achieve strong styling performance. To further improve the natural‐feel sensory benefits in the final styling products, a number of fatty acids with different carbon chain lengths or unsaturation levels are incorporated into WBPUs. Among the ten fatty acids studied, linoleic acid is identified as the most preferred additive. Both in vitro and in vivo testing demonstrate that WBPUs with optimal properties are promising materials for developing strong, long‐lasting styling products with natural feel.     

Multiferroic behavior of the functionalized surface of a flexible substrate by deposition of Bi2O3 and Fe2O3

Thin films of bismuth and iron oxides were obtained by atomic layer deposition (ALD) on the surface of a flexible substrate poly(4,4′-oxydiphenylene-pyromellitimide) (Kapton) at a temperature of 250°C. The layer thickness was 50 nm. The samples were examined by secondary-ion mass spectrometry, and uniform distribution of elements in the film layer was observed. Surface morphology, electrical polarization, and mechanical properties were investigated by atomic force microscope, piezoelectric force microscopy, and force modulation microscopy. The values of current in the near-surface layer varied in the range of ±80 pA when a potential of 5 V was applied. Chemical analysis was performed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, where the formation of Bi₂O₃ and Fe₂O₃ phases, as well as intermediate phases in the Bi–Fe–O system, was observed. Magnetic measurements were carried out by a vibrating sample magnetometer that showed a ferromagnetic response. The low-temperature method of functionalization of the Kapton surface with bismuth and iron oxides will make it possible to adapt the Bi–Fe–O system to flexible electronics.