Greater Recovery Research Articles

Rational Design Dithieno[3,2-f:2',3'-h]quinoxaline-Based Polymers with Optimized Molecular Configuration and Charge Transfer for High-Performance All-Polymer Solar Cells.

Due to poor planarity and weak intermolecular interactions of acceptor units which have two-dimensional configuration, the development of related polymers is slow. In this work, we synthesized a dithieno[3,2-f:2',3'-h]quinoxaline-based unit substituted with fluorinated thiophene, which can effectively expand the area of the acceptor unit. Then, it paired with three different benzodithiophene-based donor units, and three new polymers of PQTF-BT, PQTF-BTCl and PQTF-DTCl were obtained. PQTF-BT with thiophene side chain exhibits appropriate aggregation and crystallization performance, and the PQTF-BT:PY-IT all-polymer solar cells exhibit high device efficiency of 15.54%. Meanwhile, PQTF-BTCl with chlorination strategy on thiophene side chain further enhances the open-circuit voltage of related devices. However, it has negative impact on the miscibility and charge transfer of the material, leading to a poor efficiency of 8.71% in the PQTF-BTCl:PY-IT device. To reinforce miscibility, PQTF-DTCl with expanded backbone planarity was further studied. However, the big dihedral angles of the donor side chains disrupted the effective stacking of the molecules, resulting in great recovery of device performance to 13.42%. This work provides research ideas for the design of polymers with two-dimensional configuration side chain and match selection of donor units.

Impairment of microvascular endothelial Kir2.1 channels contributes to endothelial dysfunction in human hypertension.

Hypertension is associated with decreased endothelial function through reduced contributions of nitric oxide (NO). We previously discovered that flow-induced NO production in resistance arteries of mice and humans critically depends on endothelial inwardly rectifying K+ (Kir2.1) channels. The goal of this study was to establish whether these channels contribute to the impairment of endothelial function, measured by flow-induced vasodilation (FIV) in peripheral resistance arteries of humans with hypertension. We measured FIV in vessels isolated from subcutaneous fat biopsies from 32 subjects: normotensive [n = 19; 30.6 ± 9.8 yr old; systolic blood pressure (SBP): 115.2 ± 7 mmHg; diastolic blood pressure (DBP): 75.3 ± 5.7 mmHg] and hypertensive (n = 13; 45.3 ± 15.3 yr old; SBP: 146.1 ± 15.2 mmHg; DBP: 94.4 ± 6.9 mmHg). Consistent with previous studies, we find that FIV is impaired in hypertensive adults as demonstrated by a significant reduction in FIV when compared with the normotensive adults. Furthermore, our data suggest that the impairment of FIV in hypertensive adults is partially attributed to a reduction in Kir2.1-dependent vasodilation. Specifically, we show that blocking Kir2.1 with ML133 or functionally downregulating Kir2.1 with endothelial-specific adenoviral vector containing dominant-negative Kir2.1 (dnKir2.1) result in a significant reduction in FIV in normotensive subjects but with a smaller effect in hypertensive adults. The Kir2.1-dependent vasodilation was negatively correlated to both SBP and DBP, indicating that the Kir2.1 contribution to FIV decreases as blood pressure increases. In addition, we show that exposing vessels from normotensive adults to acute high-pressure results in loss of Kir2.1 contribution, as high pressure impairs vasodilation. No effect is seen when these vessels were incubated with dnKir2.1. Overexpressing wtKir2.1 in the endothelium resulted in some improvement in vasodilation in arteries from all participants, with a greater recovery in hypertensive adults. Our data suggest that hypertension-induced suppression of Kir2.1 is an important mechanism underlying endothelial dysfunction in hypertension.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Impairment of endothelial function under high blood pressure is linked to the loss of inwardly rectifying K+ (Kir2.1) channels activity in human resistance arteries, leading to a reduction in flow-induced vasodilation and possibly leading to a vicious cycle between elevation of blood pressure, and further impairment of Kir2.1 function and flow-induced vasodilation.

The mediating role of flow state between recovery and energy levels: An experience sampling method study.

This study uses a resource perspective that combines theories used commonly to explore recovery experiences as a theoretical framework and investigate the effects of recovery at the beginning of the workday on exhaustion and vigour at the end of the workday, with workflow in the morning as a mediator. An experience sampling method was used to collect data from 84 fulltime employees. Participants received three survey links each workday over a 2-week period, resulting in 837days-level and 2517 data points. Hierarchical linear regression was used to test hypotheses, with results suggesting that greater recovery at the beginning of the workday correlated negatively with exhaustion and positively with vigour at the end of the workday. Recovery at the beginning correlated positively with flow state in the morning, and flow state correlated positively with vigour at the end of the workday. Flow state in the morning mediated the relationship between recovery level at the beginning and vigour at the end of the workday. These findings suggest the importance of recovery and the effects of flow state on employees' vigour.

Fe3O4/Au@SiO2 nanocomposites with recyclable and wide spectral photo-thermal conversion for a direct absorption solar collector

The Fe3O4-based photothermal materials have been widely applied for the recycling of heavy metal nanoparticles to avoid secondary pollution in the utilization of solar energy owing to excellent magnetic properties. However, the narrow absorption band of Fe3O4 or metal nanoparticles limits their capacity for solar energy harvesting. In this paper, a recyclable and wide spectral photo-thermal conversion system (Fe3O4/Au@SiO2) based on Fe3O4 nanospheres and SiO2-modified Au nanorods (NRs) is prepared. Owing to the strong coupling effect between Fe3O4 and different Au NRs, the wide and strong absorption band from 400 nm to 1100 nm is obtained. Under the influence of magnetic field, the temperature change of nanofluids (NFs) at different positions can be controlled. When the concentration is 0.0467 vol%, the solar energy absorption fraction reaches 96.50 %. Besides, the photothermal performance of Fe3O4/Au@SiO2 NFs at different flow rates is investigated and the results show that temperature rise decreases as increasing flow rate. Finally, a water evaporator device based Fe3O4/Au@SiO2 NFs is developed. The maximum water evaporation rate of 2.6 kg m−2 h−1 can be reached and the movement of evaporator on water can be operated using magnetic field, showing great photothermal conversion performance and recovery potential in practical applications.

PFC/M1 activation and excitability: a longitudinal cohort study on fatigue symptoms in healthcare workers post-COVID-19

BackgroundFatigue is one of the most common neurological symptoms reported post coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. In order to establish effective early intervention strategies, more emphasis should be placed on the correlation between fatigue and cortical neurophysiological changes, especially in healthcare workers, who are at a heightened risk of COVID-19 infection.MethodsA prospective cohort study was conducted involving 29 COVID-19 medical workers and 24 healthy controls. The assessment included fatigue, sleep and health quality, psychological status, and physical capacity. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) was employed to detect activation of brain regions. Bilateral primary motor cortex (M1) excitabilities were measured using single- and paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation. Outcomes were assessed at 1, 3, and 6 months into the disease course.ResultsAt 1-month post-COVID-19 infection, 37.9% of patients experienced severe fatigue symptoms, dropping to 10.3% at 3 months. Interestingly, the remarkable decreased activation/excitability of bilateral prefrontal lobe (PFC) and M1 were closely linked to fatigue symptoms after COVID-19. Notably, greater increase in M1 region excitability correlated with more significant fatigue improvement. Re-infected patients exhibited lower levels of brain activation and excitability compared to single-infection patients.ConclusionsBoth single infection and reinfection of COVID-19 lead to decreased activation and excitability of the PFC and M1. The degree of excitability improvement in the M1 region correlates with a greater recovery in fatigue. Based on these findings, targeted interventions to enhance and regulate the excitability of M1 may represent a novel strategy for COVID-19 early rehabilitation. Trial registration: The Ethics Review Committee of Xijing Hospital, No. KY20232051-F-1; www.chictr.org.cn, ChiCTR2300068444.

Label free and ultrasensitive electrochemical detection of carcinoembryonic antigen using a disposable aptasensor based on Pd and graphene

We prepared an electrochemical aptasensor for label-free analysis of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). Herein, PdNPs were synthesized on the surface of graphene-modified screen-printed carbon electrodes (Pd-GN/SPCE) via electrochemical method for immobilisation of CEA aptamer as a bio-recognition element. The morphological characterizations of the fabricated Pd-GN/SPCE were performed using SEM, EDX, and elemental mapping that confirmed the successful electrochemical deposition of PdNPs. A disposable aptasensor for ultrasensitive electrochemical measurement of CEA was proposed by immobilising CEA aptamer on Pd-GN/SPCE. The electrochemical measurements were performed using 5 mM [Fe(CN)6]3-/4- as a redox probe. The electrochemical deposition of PdNPs improved the electrical conductivity resulting in enhanced current response for the redox probe. When CEA antigen interacts with CEA aptamer, it reduces the oxidation and reduction current of [Fe(CN)6]3-/4- due to the attachment of biomolecules to the electrode surfaces that hinders the electron transfer. The current changes of the redox species before and after CEA binding were measured using DPV. The developed aptasensor possessed a wide calibration range of 0.002–200 ng/mL and detection limit of 1.0 pg/mL. The aptamer-immobilised electrode provides an exceptional selectivity, reproducibility, and sensitive measurement of CEA. Moreover, the effective sensing of CEA in human serum samples with great recoveries (99.4––106 %) demonstrated its capability for clinical analysis.

Detection and quantification of selected cannabinoids in oral fluid samples by protein precipitation and LC-MS/MS

Cannabis is the most widely consumed illicit drug worldwide. As consumption rates increase, partially due to the decriminalization of its use for medicinal and recreational purposes, analytical methods for monitoring different cannabinoids in several biological matrices have been developed. Herein, a simple and fast extraction procedure to extract natural cannabinoids from oral fluid (OF) samples was developed and fully validated according to the ANSI/ASB 2019 Standard Practices for Method Validation in Forensic Toxicology. Using only 0.2 mL of neat OF, the analytes [Δ9-tetrahidrocannabinol (THC), 11-hydroxy-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC-OH), 11-nor-9-carboxy-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC-COOH), cannabinol (CBN) and cannabidiol (CBD)] were extracted by protein precipitation with a mixture of methanol:acetonitrile (80:20, v/v); the extracts were centrifuged, evaporated to dryness and reconstituted in 100 µL of methanol. Analysis was performed by liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). The developed methodology produced linear results for all compounds, with working ranges of 0.1–50 ng/mL for THC, 0.5–50 ng/mL for THC-OH, CBN and CBD, and 0.05–1 ng/mL for THC-COOH. Ion suppression was observed for THC, CBN and CBD, which did not impair sensitivity considering the low limits of quantification (LOQs) and limits of detection (LODs) obtained (which varied between 0.05 and 0.5 ng/mL). The extraction procedure produced great recoveries, and the compounds were stable. No interferences were found, and the method proved to be extremely fast, selective, precise, and accurate for use in routine analysis. The method was successfully applied to authentic samples.

Microwave-assisted Facile Synthesized Carbon Dots as "on-off-on" Fluorescence Probes for Mercury and Iodine Ions in Bio-samples and Cell Imaging.

A kind of nitrogen and sulfur co-doped CDs (N, S-CDs) was facilely synthesized using thiourea and citric acid as precursors, which established an "on-off-on" fluorescence probe to sequential detecting mercury and iodine ions inside water and biology samples. Under 360nm excitation, CDs emit blue fluorescence with an optimal emission peak of 425nm (on). The fluorescence of CDs experiences a significant quenching effect upon interaction with Hg2+ ions due to the electron transfer between CDs and Hg2+. This quenching effect is subsequently recovered upon the addition of I- owing to the formation of complexes between Hg2+ and I-. The probe exhibits high selectivity and sensitivity toward Hg2+ and I- with broad linearity in the range of 5-50μM and 15-60μM, respectively, and a low detection limit of 14.336nM and 38.213nM, respectively. The constructed fluorescence probe N, S-CDs has been successfully applied to the detection of Hg2+ and I- in water and biological samples with great recoveries. More importantly, the bioimaging study demonstrated that N, S-CDs are suitable for live monitoring in biological imaging scenarios of Hg2+ and I- in living cells.

Neural Reinforcement Learning Signals Predict Recovery From Impulse Control Disorder Symptoms in Parkinson’s Disease

BackgroundImpulse control disorders (ICDs) in Parkinson’s disease are associated with a heavy burden on patients and caretakers. While recovery can occur, ICDs persist in many patients despite optimal management. The basis for this interindividual variability in recovery is unclear and poses a major challenge to personalized health care. MethodsWe adopted a computational psychiatry approach and leveraged the longitudinal, prospective Personalized Parkinson Project (136 people with Parkinson’s disease, within 5 years of diagnosis) to combine dopaminergic learning theory–informed functional magnetic resonance imaging with machine learning (at baseline) to predict ICD symptom recovery after 2 years of follow-up. We focused on change in Questionnaire for Impulsive-Compulsive Disorders in Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale scores in the entire sample regardless of an ICD diagnosis. ResultsGreater reinforcement learning signals during gain trials but not loss trials at baseline, including those in the ventral striatum and medial prefrontal cortex, and the behavioral accuracy score measured while on medication were associated with greater recovery from impulse control symptoms 2 years later. These signals accounted for a unique proportion of the relevant variability over and above that explained by other known factors, such as decreases in dopamine agonist use. ConclusionsOur results provide a proof of principle for combining generative model–based inference of latent learning processes with machine learning–based predictive modeling of variability in clinical symptom recovery trajectories. We showed that reinforcement learning modeling parameters predicted recovery from ICD symptoms in Parkinson’s disease.

A sensitive CRISPR/Cas12a-assisted fluorescent aptasensor for rapid detection of food allergens

Food allergens elicit abnormal immune system responses among allergic individuals and sensitive detection for allergenic ingredient is greatly significant. To address this need, a novel fluorescent aptasensor, assisted by Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR), have been developed for food allergens. In this study, aptamer offers distinctive recognition capabilities in binding specific targets, while CRISPR-associated-12a protein (Cas12a) holds precise cis-cleavage for cutting fluorescent signal probes. Notably, the utilization of Cas12a cis-cleavage activity, rather than trans-cleavage, eliminates the necessity for additional fluorescent probes, thus reducing interference between substances and enhancing sensitivity. Throughout the process, complementary DNA (cDNA) plays a crucial dual role in target recognition conversion and signal presentation, representing a key challenge and innovative aspect of this study. To evaluate the performance of the aptasensor, lysozyme (LYS) is employed as a representative model target of food allergens. Under optimal conditions, the developed aptasensor could achieve an exceptional low limit of detection (LOD) of 6.10 pM with a dynamic detection range of 10 pM-320 pM. The aptasensor demonstrates high selectivity and great recovery rates. This strategy yields promising outcomes, holding the potential to serve as a valuable reference for various food allergens detection.

Ti4+ functionalized zirconium metal-organic frameworks with polymer brushes for specific identification of phosphopeptides in human serum and skimmed milk.

In the present study, click chemistry and Schiff base reactions were simultaneously applied to prepare polymer brush (PEG)-functionalized MOF materials (UiO-66-NH2) and immobilized with Ti4+ (MOF-Brush-THBA-Ti4+) for phosphopeptide analysis. The material has a detection limit of 0.5 fmol, a selectivity of 2000:1, and a loading capacity of 133 mg/g for phosphopeptides. It also demonstrated great repeatability (10 cycles) and recovery rate (96.7 ± 1.4%). During the analysis of bio-samples, 4 specific phosphopeptides were identified in endogenous breast cancer serum, while 11 phosphopeptides were identified in skimmed milk. Moreover, 47 phosphopeptides correlated with 29 phosphorylated proteins were selectively identified from normal control serum, and 66 phosphopeptides correlated with 26 phosphorylated proteins were identified from breast cancer serum. Further analysis of gene ontology (GO) revealed that the detected phosphorylated proteins associated with breast cancer included positive regulation of receptor-mediated endocytosis, proteolysis, extracellular exosome, heparin binding, and chaperone binding. These findings suggest that these associated pathways might contribute to the etiology of breast cancer. Overall, this application exhibits enormous potential in the identification of phosphorylated peptides within bio-samples.

Effect of κ-carrageenan on physicochemical and 3D printing properties of walnut protein-stabilized emulsion gel

Walnut protein (WP)-stabilized oil-in-water (O/W) emulsion gel can be used to produce food through 3D printing, but there was a problem of poor printing accuracy. We added κ-carrageenan (KG) to enhance the shape retention of corresponding printed products. In this study, the effect of KG on various physicochemical properties of the WP-stabilized O/W emulsion gel was investigated. The rheology results showed that adding KG significantly enhanced the mechanical strength and the viscosity of the produced WP-KG emulsion gel. The Lissajous curves indicated that the response of all samples under 10% low strain was mainly elastic, and the gels with 0.2, 0.3 and 0.4 (w/w) KG had great shear recovery performance against deformation. The increased KG content in the gel reduced the number of pores, promoted emulsions droplet aggregation, reduced crystallinity, and decreased the water-binding ability of the gel. Adding KG to the gel significantly increased its hardness, resilience, and gumminess while reducing its springiness. Various emulsion gels with different KG contents were further used as the bioink for 3D printing. The result suggested that KG improved the printing accuracy and self-supporting ability of 3D-printed products. However, excessive KG (>0.4%, w/w) caused uneven extruded filaments, reduced the adherence between printed layers and decreased printing accuracy. Among various WP-KG emulsion gels, WP-KG0.3 was most appropriate for the 3D printing application.

Comparison study of three universal methods for the recovery and purification of valuable heavy metals from electroplating sludge

The large amount of heavy metals from waste electroplating sludge has great recovery and treatment value, which is of great significance for environmental protection, resource recycling and sustainable development. In actual process, metals were relatively easy to be extracted from sludge, but the separation process was more complex. In this study, three universal methods for extracting low-grade and complex heavy metals from electroplating sludge (actual solid waste sample from Zhejiang Province, China) in terms of Selective ammonia treatment process (SAP), efficient acid treatment process (EAP) and roasting-acid treatment process (RAP) were investigated. In comparison, EAP was more advanced in extracting heavy metals from actual samples than SAP and RAP. It was noticed, by optimizing the separation and purification process, when the acid concentration was 5 % and the liquid–solid ratio was 10:1 with the assistance of effective extractants of Lix984N and P507, the purity and recovery rates for both copper and zinc products could reach to over 90 %, meanwhile, more than 80 % recovery rates of nickel products could be obtained. And compared with some existing related studies, the research process has the advantages of simpler operation mode and better separation effect, which offers the valuable insights into efficient separation and recovery of heavy metal resources from electroplating sludge. The methodology employed in this work can be easily applied to other solid/hazardous waste extraction processes.

Self-Healing Polyurethane Elastomers with Superior Tensile Strength and Elastic Recovery Based on Dynamic Oxime-Carbamate and Hydrogen Bond Interactions.

The preparation of self-healing polyurethane elastomers (PUEs) incorporating dynamic bonds is of considerable practical significance. However, developing a PUE with outstanding mechanical properties and high self-healing efficiency poses a significant challenge. Herein, this work has successfully developed a series of self-healing PUEs with various outstanding properties through rational molecular design. These PUEs incorporate m-xylylene diisocyanate and reversible dimethylglyoxime as hard segment, along with polytetramethylene ether glycol as soft segment. A significant amount of dynamic oxime-carbamate and hydrogen bonds are formed in hard segment. The microphase separated structure of the PUEs enables them to be colorless with a transparency of >90%. Owing to the chemical composition and multiple dynamic interactions, the PUEs are endowed with ultra-high tensile strength of 34.5MPa, satisfactory toughness of 53.9MJ m-3, and great elastic recovery both at low and high strains. The movement of polymer molecular chains and the dynamic reversible interactions render a self-healing efficiency of 101% at 70°C. In addition, this self-healing polyurethane could still maintain high mechanical properties after recycling. This study provides a design strategy for the preparation of a comprehensive polyurethane with superior overall performance, which holds wide application prospects in the fields of flexible displays and solar cells.

Flexible porous nanofibrous sponge with antioxidant and antibacterial characteristics for promoting diabetic wound healing

Excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) and bacterial burden delay diabetic wound healing. Although antioxidants and antibacterials have the potential to mitigate excessive ROS and bacterial burden, their efficacy is compromised by the presence of abundant exudate. In this study, a porous chitosan/polyvinyl alcohol nanofibrous sponge immobilized with protocatechualdehyde (CPNS-PA) is developed as a flexible dressing. The CPNS-PA exhibits favorable liquid management ability, high liquid absorption capacity (3867.73 %), superior air permeability (281.1 mm/s), and great compressive recovery at a strain of 50 %. Immobilizing protocatechualdehyde endows CPNS-PA with improved antioxidant and antibacterial properties. Besides, to enhance the stability of CPNS-PA in an aqueous environment, heat treatment is employed instead of toxic chemical agents, thereby preserving its excellent cytocompatibility. The experiments conducted on a diabetic mouse wound model demonstrate that CPNS-PA effectively promotes diabetic wound healing, indicating its promising potential for clinical applications in diabetic wound healing.

Implementation of the Recovery Model and Its Outcomes in Patients with Severe Mental Disorder.

The recovery model assumes that the patient can experience personal growth even while maintaining symptoms of a mental disorder. In order to achieve this recovery, the practices of professionals must also change. However, in our setting, there are limited data on the implementation of practices based on the recovery model and their effect on personal recovery. To describe the association between professionals' practices and patients' personal recovery. An observational and cross-sectional study in which the Recovery Self-Assessment (RSA) was used to assess the degree of implementation of the different practices and the Recovery Assessment Scale (RAS) was used to assess the personal recovery of 307 patients with severe mental disorders. Patients attended by professionals who followed the recovery model obtained a greater personal recovery (p < 0.001, d = 1.10). The dimension associated with greater recovery was that of working toward life goals. The least implemented dimensions had to do with offering treatment options and patient participation in decision-making. This study was conducted in accordance with STROBE (STrengthening the Reporting of OBservational studies in Epidemiology). Although this is a cross-sectional study that does not allow us to establish causal relationships, it shows that the model with which mental health professionals work is associated with patients' chances of recovery. We therefore consider that it is important to foster the implementation of practices based on the recovery model within mental health care.

Prototyping a wearable and stretchable graphene-on-PDMS sensor for strain detection on human body physiological and joint movements.

In the era of wearable electronic devices, which are quite popular nowadays, our research is focused on flexible as well as stretchable strain sensors, which are gaining humongous popularity because of recent advances in nanocomposites and their microstructures. Sensors that are stretchable and flexible based on graphene can be a prospective 'gateway' over the considerable biomedical speciality. The scientific community still faces a great problem in developing versatile and user-friendly graphene-based wearable strain sensors that satisfy the prerequisites of susceptible, ample range of sensing, and recoverable structural deformations. In this paper, we report the fabrication, development, detailed experimental analysis and electronic interfacing of a robust but simple PDMS/graphene/PDMS (PGP) multilayer strain sensor by drop casting conductive graphene ink as the sensing material onto a PDMS substrate. Electrochemical exfoliation of graphite leads to the production of abundant, fast and economical graphene. The PGP sensor selective to strain has a broad strain range of ⁓60%, with a maximum gauge factor of 850, detection of human physiological motion and personalized health monitoring, and the versatility to detect stretching with great sensitivity, recovery and repeatability. Additionally, recoverable structural deformation is demonstrated by the PGP strain sensors, and the sensor response is quite rapid for various ranges of frequency disturbances. The structural designation of graphene's overlap and crack structure is responsible for the resistance variations that give rise to the remarkable strain detection properties of this sensor. The comprehensive detection of resistance change resulting from different human body joints and physiological movements demonstrates that the PGP strain sensor is an effective choice for advanced biomedical and therapeutic electronic device utility.

Study Explores Challenges, Potential of Superlaterals in the Vaca Muerta

_ This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights of paper URTeC 3968851, “Breaking the 5-km Barrier: Superlaterals Delivery Challenges—Are They Feasible in Vaca Muerta?” by Julio Palacio, SPE, Walid Ben Ismail, and Richard Walker, K&amp;M Technology Group, et al. The paper has not been peer reviewed. _ Driven by increased production rewards, multiple operators in the United States have been improving their unconventional wells by increasing lateral length. Several “superlaterals” with lengths greater than 23,000 ft have been drilled successfully in several US basins. The complete paper describes the technical challenges faced in drilling and running casing in superlaterals and the difficulties in implementing them in the Vaca Muerta unconventional play. Introduction In 2012–2015, many operators began to drill longer laterals. Because production did not appear to decline with increasing lateral length, one operator drilled 11 superlaterals in 2017 in the Utica shale, reporting critical cost reductions and a greater recovery per foot. This operator used the term “superlateral” to describe a lateral length of 15,000 ft or greater. At the time of writing, several wells have exceeded a lateral length of 23,000 ft and can be categorized as extreme-reach wells. Typically, any well in the extended-reach region requires a large focus on operational practices and may require important design changes and special technologies or techniques to achieve its goals. Geomechanics Challenges The Vaca Muerta/Quintuco system is a late Jurassic to early Cretaceous play with a depth of more than 8,200 ft true vertical depth (TVD). Pore pressure in Quintuco can vary between 14.2 and 18.8 lbm/gal. Fractures connecting different zones and depths lead to discontinuity and important uncertainties in both pore pressure and fracture gradient. Historically, Quintuco was isolated by running casing before entering the Vaca Muerta. However, several operators drill Quintuco and Vaca Muerta in the same section to reduce the well cost. Using this approach, Quintuco pressure uncertainties effectively limit the maximum lateral length. To reduce this uncertainty effect, managed pressure drilling (MPD) has been used successfully in current laterals. Bedding-plane instability limited early development of unconventional horizontal wells. Its effect is not commonly perceived while drilling but can affect bit trips and casing runs catastrophically. Higher mud weight (MW) has helped mitigate, but not eliminate, bedding-plane instability in unconventional plays around the world. However, higher MW can constrain more than the MW window requirements in the Quintuco/Vaca Muerta system. As the lateral progresses in length, the annular pressure increases proportionally. Given that the TVD remains almost constant in horizontal wells, the equivalent circulating density (ECD) change will increase proportionally to the lateral length. Because of this ECD behavior in horizontal wells, MPD cannot be used to manage the wellbore-stability (WBS) margin reduction in longer laterals or to eliminate pressure fluctuations during connections. In very long laterals, the only way to better manage the WBS margin, bedding-planes issue, and induced wellbore instability can be a well-design change to increase the annular clearance after performing extensive modeling. MPD and surface-parameter control can marginally help to control the problem.

O252: Studying the neuronal regenerative response to in-vitro laser axotomy

Abstract Aims Outcomes of peripheral nerve injury (PNI) remain suboptimal, and the intrinsic mechanisms directing regeneration of injured peripheral neurons are not completely understood. To study the cellular response to injury, it is critical to deploy a model that facilitates a precise and controlled transection. We aim to recreate clinical outcomes at a micrometer level and analyse the impact of injury parameters, such as the proximity of injury to the cell body, on neuronal survival and regeneration. Methods We cultured adult rat dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons and transected individual neurites with a high-precision laser at 25um and 125um from the cell body. We monitored for 24 hours using time-lapse microscopy and analysed cell survival and neurite regeneration, comparing between two distance groups. Results Following laser transection at 25um from the cell body, 56% (n=25) of neurons survived for 24 hours and 33.3% (n=12) regenerated. When laser-transected at 125um, 75% (n=40) of neurons survived and 73.1% (n=26) regenerated. The mean regenerative distance was 19.9um (n=4) when injured at 25um and 173.9um (n=19) at 125um. Discussion Our laser axotomy method facilitated efficient and precise transection of individual neurites. Distal injuries generated significantly higher survival rates and regenerative length and rates compared to proximal injuries. These findings mimic clinical outcomes where distal injuries have greater recovery than proximal injuries, thereby demonstrating the efficacy of this model for investigating cellular mechanisms directing peripheral neuron regeneration. We envisage that this model will facilitate future studies aiming to accelerate peripheral neuron regeneration in a clinical context.

Instrumentation for measurement: A case study on conceptual versus problem-solving knowledge

The problem under analysis looks at the overall comparison of about 1300 students’ performance considering separately their conceptual and problem-solving knowledge over 7 academic years of the course of Instrumentation for Measurement within the Mechanical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto . This course gives the relevant background for later content courses on Automation, Control, Mechatronics, Smart Factories, etc., in that Mechanical Engineering master's degree. It is important to note that such content deals with basic concepts in different science and technology topics, incorporating today's cyber systems and the Internet of Things (IoT). This content includes fundamental principles spanning traditional topics as physics, statistics, mechanical, dynamics, design, and electrical, foundational, technical, and technological knowledge, and informatics. Together, they permit access to very small changes in physical quantities making possible their measurement, interpreting them, and providing data in the cloud. Also, aspects related to a variety of specific prepared questions to motivate students to improve and enhance their comprehension instead of a pure sequence of memorization activities for a perfect “how-to-respond” are explained. The work describes details on the instructional course design, and the actions used to improve the difference in both performances, from the point of view of pedagogical strategies and their sequence of results. The main outcomes of the analysis performed on data from those 7-course editions indicate large differences between the scores of conceptual (/theoretical) and problem-solving components; steady improvement in student performance in conceptual knowledge over the years; stable performance concerning the problem-solving component; clear disruption in conceptual performance in the academic year disturbed by the pandemic situation, followed by great recovery in the following academic year. The results are discussed in the framework of the regulations and conditions in which the instruction takes place and the pedagogical strategies employed to balance conceptual and problem-solving knowledge. Finally, some suggestions are put forward to investigate further possible reasons behind the large gap in theoretical and problem-solving results. The authors hope to contribute with some helpful discussion and outcomes and to foster later feedback from the community.