Injection Of Agent Research Articles

Effects of water injection on reaction temperature and hydrogen production in horizontal co-axial underground coal gasification

Underground coal gasification (UCG) is process of directly recovering energy as combustible gases such as hydrogen and carbon monoxide by combusting unmined coal resources in situ. During UCG process, the temperature in the gasification zone can exceed 1,300 °C, raising concerns about the potential melting of the steel pipe for oxidant injection. To control the temperature in the gasification zone, the use of water injection as an injection agent can be an option. Injecting water during UCG process serves two purposes: it decreases the temperature in the reaction zone by the endothermic effect of water, and it enhances the production of H2 by the reduction reaction of water. However, injecting excessive amounts of water may lead to a significant decrease in the temperature in the reaction zone, consequently cannot maintain the temperature range required for the UCG reaction. This study discusses the effects of water injection on the temperature of the gasification zone and the product gas by developing a chemical reaction model of UCG using COMSOL Multiphysics® software. The model was developed based on the temperature and produced gas results obtained from laboratory-scale artificial coal seam UCG experiments. Our findings reveal that water injection significantly influences the gasification process, controlling temperature in the reaction zone and promoting H2 production through steam gasification and water-gas shift reactions. Moreover, under the experiment and analysis conditions of this study, it is revealed that water injection up to an H2O/O2 molar ratio of 3.9 can effectively control the temperature of the gasification zone with enhancing H2 production.

Carbon dioxide injection into the Achimov formations using reinjection technology by the example of Ach3-4 formation in the Novo-Urengoy area of the Urengoy field

The prerequisites for the study are the calculation results for the cycling process, where carbon dioxide is proposed as the injection agent into the Achimov formations instead of dry gas, with the goal of increasing the condensate recovery factor. The work is focused on the efficiency assessment of carbon dioxide reinjection technology and reducing carbon footprint at a late stage of field development. The research object is the Аch3-4 formation within the Novo-Urengoy license area of the Urengoy field. The leading method to identify this problem is the results of the full-scale composite dynamic model in the ECLIPSE 300 format. The model takes into account the history of field development on depletion. The articles deals with two schemes for injecting carbon dioxide into the formation. In the first scheme, pure carbon dioxide is injected in a closed-loop system, but carbon neutrality through storage is not achieved. In the second scheme, carbon dioxide is injected using reinjection technology. Once injection begins, gas production stops. Only the condensate separated from the formation gas during low-temperature separation is sold and sent for further processing. After allocation of the condensate, the mixture of natural gas and carbon dioxide, in a specific proportion, is sent to the compressor station for reinjection into the formation in a gaseous state. Injecting pure carbon dioxide achieves a condensate recovery factor similar to that of gas injection with a 30 % carbon dioxide mixture. However, this option is less economically viable compared to the base and other scenarios due to high capital costs for upgrading the existing gas processing equipment (requiring the construction of an amine treatment unit). With carbon dioxide injection using reinjection technology, in addition to recovering extra condensate that had condensed during natural depletion, a reduction in the carbon footprint is also achieved. To maximize the condensate recovery factor, the optimal concentration of carbon dioxide in the injection mixture has been determined. The optimal timing for the start of injection was identified to maximize gas recovery. Economic efficiency is expected from the additional recovery of condensate trapped in the reservoir and from achieving carbon neutrality through the monetization and storage of carbon dioxide.

Microfluidic-Generated Injectable Bulking Agents with Biocompatible Surfaces and Their Mid-term Outcomes in a Rat Model with Anal Sphincter Injury

Microfluidic-Generated Injectable Bulking Agents with Biocompatible Surfaces and Their Mid-term Outcomes in a Rat Model with Anal Sphincter Injury

Optimized emamectin benzoate trunk injection: addressing temperature limitations for pine wilt disease control.

Pine wilt disease (PWD), caused by the pinewood nematode Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, poses a significant threat to global forestry, resulting in extensive economic and ecological damage. Traditional trunk injection agents (TIAs) are limited by environmental factors, such as high winter temperatures and vigorous resin flow, particularly in southern China. This study aimed to develop an ordinary temperature trunk injection agent (OTTIA) for year-round application and to evaluate its performance under high-temperature conditions in comparison to commercial TIAs. Extensive laboratory and field tests identified N,N-Dimethylformamide (DMF) and benzyl acetate as optimal solvents and Tween-40 as an effective emulsifier for the OTTIA formulation. The new agent was fully absorbed by Pinus massoniana within 3 h at temperatures exceeding 30 °C, outperforming existing commercial agents. Treated trees maintained comparable emamectin benzoate (EB) levels but achieved lower LC90 lethal concentration values (27.65 mg L-1), indicating greater efficacy. The OTTIA provided protection against PWD for ≤360 days postinjection. The development of OTTIA marks a significant advancement in PWD management, offering an effective solution for high-temperature regions and potentially transforming year-round treatment strategies. The results highlight the critical role of optimizing solvent and emulsifier combinations to enhance the efficacy and application of trunk injection agents, contributing to sustainable forest management and improved protection against PWD. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Expanding Treatment Opportunities: Reviewing the Current State of Injectable Antiretrovirals for Treatment of HIV.

Antiretroviral therapy has evolved significantly over the last 20-30years, from requiring multiple tablets multiple times per day to single-tablet regimens and most recently, in 2021, long-acting injectable antiretrovirals. These long-acting antiretrovirals have expanded the treatment options for individuals with HIV who may have difficulty adhering to daily oral medications, difficulty taking oral medications, and/or individuals with multidrug-resistant HIV. This article reviews the currently available long-acting injectable antiretrovirals, including cabotegravir/rilpivirine, lenacapavir, and ibalizumab. The available data supporting these agents and current place in therapy will be discussed. Data supporting the use of additional long-acting injectable agents, broadly neutralizing antibodies, currently in the pipeline will be reviewed as well.

New calcimimetics for secondary hyperparathyroidism in CKD G5D: do they offer advantages?

Secondary hyperparathyroidism is one of the most frequent metabolic abnormalities found in patients with chronic kidney disease. The calcium-sensing receptor senses extracellular calcium and is the principal regulator of parathyroid hormone secretion. Cloning of the calcium-sensing receptor led to the development of calcimimetics, drugs that decrease parathyroid hormone secretion through the positive allosteric modulation of this receptor. Cinacalcet was the first oral calcimimetic approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2004 for the treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism in adult patients on dialysis. Although cinacalcet has demonstrated safety and effectiveness, it has two main problems: gastrointestinal side effects that result in poor adherence, and the inhibitory action on CYP2D6 with the possibility of interactions with commonly used medications. To address the problem of oral compliance, Etelcalcetide, a small synthetic polycationic peptide IV calcimimetic was introduced in 2017. This drug showed a 10% greater decrease in serum parathyroid hormone values compared to cinacalcet but no better gastrointestinal tolerance, with greater risk of hypocalcemia. Several structural modifications were introduced in cinacalcet to produce a new compound called evocalcet. This drug, which was introduced in Japan in 2018, has considerably enhanced bioavailability and decreased both the inhibitory effect on CYP2D6 and half of the gastrointestinal side effects of cinacalcet. Finally, a novel non-peptidic injectable calcimimetic agent, upacicalcet, became available in Japan in 2021. This agent has greater clearance by hemodialysis and shows no effect on gastric emptying. More studies are needed comparing the old calcimimetics to the new ones to establish their future role in the treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism in chronic kidney disease (CKD) G5D.

Serial intravitreal injections in age-related macular degeneration patients from the dry eye disease perspective: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundTo evaluate the effects of serial intravitreal injections (IVI) on the ocular surface and meibomian glands in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD).MethodsPatients receiving anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) agent injections for unilateral nAMD were included. Untreated fellow eyes served as the control group. All participants followed a pre-IVI asepsis protocol with povidone-iodine (PI). Ocular surface diseases index (OSDI) questionnaire scores, first and average non-invasive tear break-up time (fNITBUT and avgNITBUT), Schirmer-1 test results, corneal staining score (according to Oxford scale), meibomian gland (MG) loss rates of lower and upper eyelids were recorded four weeks after the last IVI.ResultsForty-two nAMD patients with a mean age of 63.3 ± 19.4 were included in the study. The mean OSDI score was 20.3 and the median of IVI number was 9 (6–22). There were no statistically significant difference between treated and untreated fellow eyes regarding fNITBUT (5.6 vs. 4.5, p = 0.872), avgNITBUT (6.2 vs. 7.2, p = 0.968), Shirmer-1 results (7 vs. 7, p = 0.854), corneal staining (0.3 vs. 0.2, p = 0.341), lower and upper MG loss rate (29.3 vs. 28.4, p = 0.162, and 27.1 vs. 26.9, p = 0.476, respectively). Only significant correlation was observed between age with lower and upper MG loss rate (r:0.396, p = 0.042, and r:0.365, p = 0.047).ConclusionThe results of the present study demonstrated that serial IVI of anti-VEGF agents with PI asepsis is well tolerated by nAMD patients in terms of ocular surface, MG loss and DED measurements.

Free-breathing 3D cardiac extracellular volume (ECV) mapping using a linear tangent space alignment (LTSA) model.

To develop a new method for free-breathing 3D extracellular volume (ECV) mapping of the whole heart at 3 T. A free-breathing 3D cardiac ECV mapping method was developed at 3 T. T1 mapping was performed before and after contrast agent injection using a free-breathing electrocardiogram-gated inversion recovery sequence with spoiled gradient echo readout. A linear tangent space alignment model-based method was used to reconstruct high-frame-rate dynamic images from (k,t)-space data sparsely sampled along a random stack-of-stars trajectory. Joint T1 and transmit B1 estimation were performed voxel-by-voxel for pre- and post-contrast T1 mapping. To account for the time-varying T1 after contrast agent injection, a linearly time-varying T1 model was introduced for post-contrast T1 mapping. ECV maps were generated by aligning pre- and post-contrast T1 maps through affine transformation. The feasibility of the proposed method was demonstrated using in vivo studies with six healthy volunteers at 3 T. We obtained 3D ECV maps at a spatial resolution of 1.9 × 1.9 × 4.5 mm3 and a FOV of 308 × 308 × 144 mm3, with a scan time of 10.1 ± 1.4 and 10.6 ± 1.6 min before and after contrast agent injection, respectively. The ECV maps and the pre- and post-contrast T1 maps obtained by the proposed method were in good agreement with the 2D MOLLI method both qualitatively and quantitatively. The proposed method allows for free-breathing 3D ECV mapping of the whole heart within a practically feasible imaging time. The estimated ECV values from the proposed method were comparable to those from the existing method.

Wood fibers with natural blowing agents for extrusion and injection molding of polypropylene

ABSTRACT This paper presents a new two-step approach of foaming polypropylene (PP) containing wood fibers (WF) with tri-sodium citrate dihydrate as the low-temperature chemical blowing agent (CBA) and sucrose as the high-temperature CBA. The first CBA was intentionally selected to thermally degrade during extrusion (lower temperature range), whereas the second CBA during the injection molding (higher temperature range). The CBAs were dissolved in water, and WF were soaked in these solutions, afterward dried, ground, and then mixed with PP and extruded. The extruded granules were then injection molded to produce dumbbell-shaped samples. The porosity, thermal degradation, PP crystallization, mechanical and thermomechanical properties of the wood-polymer composites (WPCs), as well as their susceptibility to acoustic damping, were determined. It was shown that sucrose can be an effective CBA for injection-molded WPC samples. However, the effectiveness of this additive is improved by the addition of tri-sodium citrate dihydrate, which decomposed during extrusion.

Self-gated free-running 5D whole-heart MRI using blind source separation for automated cardiac motion extraction.

To compare two blind source separation (BSS) techniques to principal component analysis and the electrocardiogram for the identification of cardiac triggers in self-gated free-running 5D whole-heart MRI. To ascertain the precision and robustness of the techniques, they were compared in three different noise and contrast regimes. The repeated superior-inferior (SI) projections of a 3D radial trajectory were used to extract the physiological signals in three cardiac MRI cohorts: (1) 9 healthy volunteers without contrast agent injection at 1.5T, (2) 30 ferumoxytol-injected congenital heart disease patients at 1.5T, and (3) 12 gadobutrol-injected patients with suspected coronary artery disease at 3T. Self-gated cardiac triggers were extracted with the three algorithms (principal component analysis [PCA], second-order blind identification [SOBI], and independent component analysis [ICA]) and the difference with the electrocardiogram triggers was calculated. PCA and SOBI triggers were retained for image reconstruction. The image sharpness was ascertained on whole-heart 5D images obtained with PCA and SOBI and compared among the three cohorts. SOBI resulted in smaller trigger differences in Cohorts 1 and 3 compared to PCA (p < 0.01) and in all cohorts compared to ICA (p < 0.04). In Cohorts 1 and 3, the sharpness increased significantly in the reconstructed images when using SOBI instead of PCA (p < 0.03), but not in Cohort 2 (p = 0.4). We have shown that SOBI results in more precisely extracted self-gated triggers than PCA and ICA. The validation across three diverse cohorts demonstrates the robustness of the method against acquisition variability.

Modeling and Visualization of Coolant Flow in a Fuel Rod Bundle of a Small Modular Reactor

This article presents the results of an experimental study of the coolant flow in a fuel rod bundle of a nuclear reactor fuel assembly of a small modular reactor for a small ground-based nuclear power plant. The aim of the work is to experimentally determine the hydrodynamic characteristics of the coolant flow in a fuel rod bundle of a fuel assembly. For this purpose, experimental studies were conducted in an aerodynamic model that included simulators of fuel elements, burnable absorber rods, spacer grids, a central displacer, and stiffening corners. During the experiments, the water coolant flow was modeled using airflow based on the theory of hydrodynamic similarity. The studies were conducted using the pneumometric method and the contrast agent injection method. The flow structure was visualized by contour plots of axial and tangential velocity, as well as the distribution of the contrast agent. During the experiments, the features of the axial flow were identified, and the structure of the cross-flows of the coolant was determined. The database obtained during the experiments can be used to validate CFD programs, refine the methods of thermal-hydraulic calculation of nuclear reactor cores, and also to justify the design of fuel assemblies.

A Brief Review on Adult-Onset Coats' Disease.

Adult-onset Coats disease is an uncommon and vision-threatening disease characterized by the development of abnormal blood vessels in the retina. Coats' disease commonly affects children in the first decade of life, but very rarely manifests in adults after the third decade of life, or who characteristically present with unilateral vision loss. Despite being a sight-threatening disease, the etiology remains inconclusive and various genetic and vascular abnormalities are implicated. Diagnosis relies on ophthalmologic examination, fundus photography, fluorescein angiography, and optical coherence tomography. Treatment modalities include laser photocoagulation, intravitreal injections of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor agents, and, in advanced cases, surgical interventions are needed and the treatment is aimed at avoiding complications like retinal detachment and neovascular glaucoma, which were comparatively rare in adult-onset Coats' disease. Despite therapeutic advancements, the prognosis varies, with some patients experiencing significant visual impairment. This review outlines the clinical features, diagnosis, management, and prognosis of adult-onset Coats' disease, underscoring the importance of early detection and intervention in optimizing visual outcomes.

Cervical Cytological and Colposcopic Findings in Cases Associated with Prolonged Use of Intrauterine Devices versus Long Acting Injectable Contraceptive Agents

Cervical Cytological and Colposcopic Findings in Cases Associated with Prolonged Use of Intrauterine Devices versus Long Acting Injectable Contraceptive Agents

Isolation and focal treatment of brain aneurysms using interfacial fluid trapping.

Current approaches for localized intravascular treatments rely on using solid implants, such as metallic coils for embolizing aneurysms, or on direct injection of a therapeutic agent that can disperse from the required site of action. Here, we present a fluid-based strategy for localizing intravascular therapeutics that leverages surface tension and immiscible fluid interactions, to allow confined and focal treatment at brain aneurysm sites. We first show, computationally and experimentally, that an immiscible phase can be robustly positioned at the neck of human aneurysm models to seal and isolate the aneurysm's cavity for further treatment, including in wide-neck aneurysms. We then demonstrate localized delivery and confined treatment, by selective staining of cell nuclei within the aneurysm cavity as well as by hydrogel-based embolization in patient-specific aneurysm models. Altogether, our interfacial flow-driven strategy offers a potential approach for intravascular localized treatment of cardiovascular and other diseases.

Field Demonstration of In Situ Slow-Release Oxygen Chemicals Coupled with Microbial Agents for Injection to Remediate BTEX Contamination

Field Demonstration of In Situ Slow-Release Oxygen Chemicals Coupled with Microbial Agents for Injection to Remediate BTEX Contamination

The Predictive Value of SII Combined with UHR for Contrast-Induced Acute Kidney Injury in Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

Contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) refers to the acute renal dysfunction caused by the injection of contrast agents. CI-AKI is currently a common complication after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). To investigate the predictive value of the combined systemic inflammatory index (SII) and urate/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (UHR) for CI-AKI after PCI in patients with AMI. A total of 1222 patients with AMI who underwent PCI were randomly divided into a training group and a validation group in an 8:2 ratio. According to the definition of CI-AKI diagnostic criteria, the training group was divided into CI-AKI group and non-CI-AKI group. Collect patient's blood and biochemical data, then calculate SII and UHR. The risk factors for CI-AKI were identified using LASSO and multivariate logistic regression analyses. A predictive column was created by using R language.Evaluate the predictive value of SII, UHR and their combination for CI-AKI after PCI using the area under the ROC curve (AUC). Diabetes, Cystatin C, Diuretics, UHR, and LnSII were independent risk factors for CI-AKI in AMI patients after PCI. The ROC curve showed that the AUC of UHR and SII combined for predicting CI-AKI in AMI patients after PCI was 0.761 (95% CI: 0.709-0.812), with a sensitivity of 65.20% and a specificity of 76.70%, which was better than the prediction by either factor alone. High SII and high UHR are risk factors for AMI, and their combination can improve the accuracy of predicting CI-AKI in AMI patients after PCI.The prognosis of CI-AKI in AMI patients is worse than in the general population.

Determining the gross tumor volume for hepatocellular carcinoma radiotherapy based on multi-phase contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging

PurposeThe aim of this study was to quantitatively analyze of the differences in determining the gross tumor volume (GTV) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) radiotherapy using multi-phase contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (CE-MRI) and provide a reference for determining the GTV for radiotherapy of HCC. MethodsThis retrospective study analyzed 99 HCC patients (145 lesions) who underwent MR simulation. T1-weighted imaging (T1WI), contrast-enhanced T1WI (CE-T1WI) at 15 s, 45 s, 75 s, 150 s, and 20 min after contrast agent injection were performed, comprising a total of six imaging sequences. The GTVs identified on different sequences were grouped and fused in various combinations. The internal GTV (IGTV), which was the reference structure, was obtained by the fusion of all six sequences. Mean signal intensity (SI), volume, shape, and fibrous capsule (FC) thickness among GTVs were compared. Results(1) The mean SI value of GTV-T1WI, GTV-15s-GTV-20min in patients with transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) was lower by 14.09 % (GTV-T1WI) to 31.31 % (GTV-15s) compared with that in patients without TACE. Except for GTV-T1WI, the differences in SI values between the two groups for other GTVs were statistically significant (p < 0.05). (2) The volumes of GTV-T1WI, GTV-15s-GTV-20min ranged from 32.66-34.99 cm3. The volume differences between GTV-45s and the other GTVs were statistically significant (p < 0.05), excluding the GTV-T1WI. (3) Compared with the IGTV, the change trend of GTV volume reduction rate is consistent with that of dice similarity coefficients (DSC). (4) In the CE-T1WI sequences (except for CE-T1WI-15s), FC measurement was possible in 39.31 % of lesions (57/145), with the largest mean thickness observed at 75 s. ConclusionAlthough single-phase CE-MRI introduces uncertainty in HCC GTV determination, combining different phases CE-MRI can enhance accuracy. The CE-T1WI-45s should be routinely included as a necessary scanning sequence

Oral agents for lowering lipoprotein(a).

To review the development of oral agents to lower Lp(a) levels as an approach to reducing cardiovascular risk, with a focus on recent advances in the field. Extensive evidence implicates Lp(a) in the causal pathway of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and calcific aortic stenosis. There are currently no therapies approved for lowering of Lp(a). The majority of recent therapeutic advances have focused on development of injectable agents that target RNA and inhibit synthesis of apo(a). Muvalaplin is the first, orally administered, small molecule inhibitor of Lp(a), which acts by disrupting binding of apo(a) and apoB, in clinical development. Nonhuman primate and early human studies have demonstrated the ability of muvalaplin to produce dose-dependent lowering of Lp(a). Ongoing clinical trials will evaluate the impact of muvalaplin in high cardiovascular risk and will ultimately need to determine whether this strategy lowers the rate of cardiovascular events. Muvalaplin is the first oral agent, developed to lower Lp(a) levels. The ability of muvalaplin to reduce cardiovascular risk remains to be investigated, in order to determine whether it will be a useful agent for the prevention of cardiovascular disease.

Different Glymphatic Kinetics in Spontaneous Intracranial Hypotension.

The glymphatic (glia-lymphatic) system is a paravascular pathway for the clearance of waste metabolites including amyloid β from the brain. Serial T1 relaxation time measurements after the intrathecal injection of gadolinium-based contrast agents facilitate the analysis of the temporal dynamics that may be different in patients with spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH) and those without SIH. 3D T1-weighted magnetization-prepared 2 rapid gradient echo sequences were acquired in 4 patients with SIH with proved CSF leaks and 12 patients without SIH before, 2-4, 6-8, and 24-48 hours after intrathecal gadobutrol injection. MR scans were warped to the Montreal Neurological Institute space and serial scans were coregistered. T1 relaxation times were measured in predefined ROIs including the subarachnoid space, cortex, white matter, and cervical lymph nodes. In the subarachnoid space and cortex, T1 relaxation times decreased after 2-4 and 6-8 hours before they increased again. In contrast, in the white matter of the temporal lobe T1 relaxation time still decreased after 24-48 hours. There was a striking difference in patients with SIH who did not show a clear contrast distribution within the brain parenchyma. T1 relaxation time curves are compatible with a convective flow driven by arterial pulsations via paravascular spaces surrounding penetrating arteries into the brain's interstitial fluid in the deep white matter. Different curves in patients with SIH and those without SIH indicate that the CSF pressure also impacts the temporal kinetics of the glymphatic system.

Amino polycarboxylic acids-modified abiraterone derivatives as potential injectable anti-prostate cancer agents

Abiraterone (Abi), an effective cytochrome oxidase P450 C17 (CYP17) inhibitor, inhibits androgen synthesis in testes, adrenal glands, and prostate tumors. However, their low bioavailability and dissolution rate due to their poor solubility and toxic side effects have hindered their clinical applications. In this study, water-soluble and injectable Abi derivatives were developed by introducing amino polycarboxylic acids into Abi, and their antiproliferation effects in vitro, mechanism of action, antitumor activities in vivo, pharmacokinetics, and toxicity were investigated. Compared to Abi, the water-soluble derivative Abi-DTPA exhibited excellent antitumor activity in vitro and in vivo. It decreased cell migration, invasion, and mitochondrial membrane potential. A mechanistic study revealed that it still targeted the CYP17 enzyme and increased the expression levels of apoptosis-related proteins, including cleaved caspase 9, cleaved PARP, and cleaved caspase 3. Abi-DTPA was the main form in the plasma and exhibited lower toxicity after intravenous administration. These findings suggest that Abi-DTPA can be used as a novel injectable anti-prostate cancer agent.