High Specific Gravity Research Articles

Hydraulic conductivity and calcium carbonate content of biocemented heavy-metal contaminated mine waste soil

It is not uncommon for mining activity to generate wastes associated with negative engineering impacts include susceptibility to runoff due to the absence of vegetation, erosion, and sinkhole. Due to their high degree of permeability, movement of heavy metal contaminants in waste soils and aquifers occurs actively along with the hydrogeological parameters, and research on using biocementation methods such as enzyme induced calcite precipitation (EICP) to reduce the hydraulic conductivity is therefore beneficial. Mine waste soil collected from a copper mine in Lohan Dam, Sabah is characterized physically, morphologically, and chemically then treated with EICP under different operational parameters include curing duration (1,3,7 days), curing temperatures (5, 10, and 25 oC ), and relative density (70 and 80 %). The hydraulic conductivity was then tested using a constant head permeability test and the calcium carbonate content (%) is determined using the HCL washing method. Properties of the Lohan Dam wastes are found to be predominantly coarse grain soil of low plasticity, high specific gravity, high permeability, acidic in nature, and low organic content. Morphologically, they are composed of powdered and hardened particles with dark brown color with high amount of irregular-shaped particles. Mineralogical, Lohan Dam soil wastes contain a high level of heavy metals beyond the safety level of the Department of Environmental Malaysia. EICP treatment had to change the degree of permeability from ‘high and medium’ to ‘low’ with a 94-97% reduction in hydraulic conductivity corresponding to the amount of calcium carbonate content produced ranging 6.94-9.63%. In conclusion, relative density shows the marginal effect, curing duration, and temperature shows a more significant impact on the treatment effectiveness.

Comparative Analysis of the Effect of Barite and Hematite on the Rheology of Water-Based Drilling Mud

High demand for oil and gas has led to exploration of more petroleum resources even at remote areas. The petroleum resources are found in deeper subsurface formations and drilling into such formations requires a well-designed drilling mud with suitable rheological properties in order to avoid or reduce associated drilling problems. This is because rheological properties of drilling muds have considerable effect on the drilling operation and cleaning of the wellbore. Mud engineers therefore use mud additives to influence the properties and functions of the drilling fluid to obtain the desired drilling mud properties especially rheological properties. This study investigated and compared the impact of barite and hematite as weighting agents for water-based drilling muds and their influence on the rheology. Water-based muds of different concentrations of weighting agents (5%, 10%, 15% and 20% of the total weight of the drilling mud) were prepared and their rheological properties determined at an ambient temperature of 24ᵒC to check their impact on drilling operation. The results found hematite to produce higher mud density, plastic viscosity, gel strength and yield point when compared to barite at the same weighting concentrations. The higher performance of the hematite-based muds might be attributed to it having higher specific gravity, better particle distribution and lower particle attrition rate and more importantly being free from contaminants. The water-based muds with hematite will therefore be more promising drilling muds with higher drilling and hole cleaning efficiency than those having barite.

Effects of Blended NPSB Fertilizer on Yield and Yield Related Traits of Potato (<i>Solanum tuberosum</i> L.) Varieties in Oda Bultum District, Eastern Ethiopia

Potato is an important food and cash crop in eastern Ethiopia including Oda Bultum District. However, there is no information on the role of blended NPSB fertilizer required to produce tuber yield and tuber quality traits. A field experiment was conducted in Oda Bultum District, under rainfed during 2018 cropping season, with the objectives of assessing the effects of blended NPSB fertilizer rates on yield-related traits and tuber yield of potato varieties and to estimate the cost-benefit of the application of blended NPSB fertilizer in potato production. The treatments consisted of two potato varieties (Bubu and Gudanie) and six rates of NPSB (0, 100, 150, 200, 250 and 300 kg NPSB ha^-1) fertilizer. The experiment was laid out as a Randomized Complete Block Design in a 6 x 2 factorial arrangement and replicated three times. Analysis of variance revealed that the two main factors; blended NPSB and variety had a significant effect on all traits except that fertilizer and variety had a non-significant effect on days to 50% emergence. Interaction of blended NPSB fertilizer and variety had a significant effect on total tuber number/hill, average tuber weight, total and marketable tuber yields (t ha^-1). Gudanie variety emerged, flowered and matured earlier than Bubu. Early flowering of the crop was observed in a plot which did not receive fertilizer while the application of NPSB fertilizer delayed flowering and maturity of plants that received highest rates NPSB fertilizer (200, 250 and 300 kg ha^-1). The highest total tuber number hill^-1 (16.00) was obtained from Gudanie variety at the application of 200 kg ha^-1 NPSB fertilizer. The highest proportion of small size tubers were obtained from plots than received no fertilizer while the largest proportion of large size tubers were obtained from plots that received 200, 250 and 300 kg ha^-1 NPSB fertilizer. The highest total and marketable tuber yields of 30.55 and 27.22 t ha^-1, respectively were obtained from Gudanie variety with the application of 200 kg ha^-1 NPSB fertilizer. Gudanie had a significantly higher specific gravity (1.085g/cm³), tuber dry matter (21.98%) and starch content (15.82%) while plants produced tubers with highest specific gravity, tuber dry matter and starch content due to the application of 200 kg ha^-1 NPSB fertilizer. Moreover, the highest net benefit of 116,330.24 Birr ha^-1 with 4066% marginal rate of return were obtained from growing of Gudanie variety with the application of 200 kg ha^-1 NPSB plus 100 kg ha^-1 urea fertilizer that could be recommended for production of potato in the study area.

Effect of high temperatures on mechanical, radiation attenuation and microstructure properties of heavyweight geopolymer concrete

Heavyweight geopolymer concrete (HWGC) is a new concrete type that combines the benefits of geopolymer concrete (GC) and heavyweight concrete. HWGC can be used to produce particular properties such as high radiation shielding, and mass concrete elements. HWGC based on fly ash and ground granulated blast furnace slag, using electric arc furnace steel slag (EAFSS), barite and ilmenite coarse aggregates can substantially have higher specific gravities than concrete made with crushed dolomite. In the experimental work carried out on four main groups, 13 GC mixes are prepared by using heavyweight coarse aggregates (HWCAs) at volume ratios of 0%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100%. Fresh and mechanical properties, compressive and tensile strengths, and influence of high temperature on radiation are investigated for specimens subjected to high temperatures of up to 900oC for 1, 2 and 3 hours. Moreover, the internal structure of geopolymer is analyzed using scanning electron microscope and energy-dispersive X-ray. Results show a good effect of HWCAs on the properties, radiation shielding and unit weight. The density of heavyweight geopolymer mixes ranges between 2,415 and 3,480 kg/m3, and HWCA ratios contribute to an increase in all properties of GC mixtures using up to 75% of NWCAs. Heavier coarse aggregate of ilmenite dampens the effect of higher temperatures on GC strength compared with lighter aggregates. In addition, replacing crushed dolomite with heavyweight aggregates of EAFSS, barite and ilmenite increases the attenuation rate to 27%, 21% and 13%, respectively. This finding confirms that the type of aggregate used in the production of GC is important for reducing the permeability of X-ray.

ADIATION SHIELDING EFFECT OF BASALT CONCRETE; AN EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH

This paper presents an assessment of gamma radiation performance, specifically in terms of attenuation energy, of concrete containing coarse aggregate having different physical and chemical properties. Basalt being heavier and somehow having high specific gravity is likely to have a good performance against gamma radiation. Through this paper, the author has made a comparison between the concrete having different coarse aggregates, normal aggregate phase and basaltic aggregate phase by evaluating the attenuation energies of both the phases at the Institute of Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine (IRNUM) Peshawar. Also, the water to cement ratio (W/C) for both the phases was distinguished i.e. 3.5 and 5.7 to make the results more promising and enabling to make the comparison effective. The test was likely to be conducted on Molds having 10 cm by 10 cm cross-section of each W/C ratio with varying thickness of about 2cm and will lead up to 10cm. The detecting device used was a phoenix teletherapy machine operating with a former type ionization chamber having an energy of 1.25 MeV. The source of radiation was Cobalt 60. The results indicated that basalt despite having strong physical properties is insufficient to be used for Gamma shielding. The two materials vary very little, so it is negligible to be used for a specific reason.

A Study of the Replacement of Natural Coarse Aggregate by Spherically-Shaped and Crushed Waste Cathode Ray Tube Glass in Concrete

The aim of this study is to conduct an experimental investigation on the influence of complete replacement of natural coarse aggregate with spherically-shape and crushed waste cathode ray tube (CRT) glass to the aspect of workability, density, and compressive strength of the concrete. After characterizing the glass, a group of concrete mixes was prepared to contain a 40% spherical CRT glass and 60% crushed CRT glass as a complete (100%) replacement of natural coarse aggregates. From a total of 16 types of concrete mixes, the optimum proportion was selected based on its best performance. The test results showed that the use of spherical and crushed glass that possesses a smooth surface, rounded, irregular and elongated shape, and low water absorption affects the workability of concrete. Due to a higher specific gravity of crushed glass, concrete mixes containing CRT glass had a higher density compared to ordinary concrete. Despite the spherical and crushed CRT glass being stronger than gravel, the results revealed a reduction in compressive strength of the concrete. However, using a lower water to binder (w/b) ratio and a higher superplasticizer (SP) dosage, it is found to enhance the compressive strength of 60.97 MPa at 28 days that is lower by 13% than the control specimen. These findings indicate that waste CRT glass in the form of spherical and crushed could be used as an alternative of coarse aggregate that may pave the way for the disposal of hazardous e-waste.

The Effect of Particle Size Distribution and Liberation Degree on the Separation Performance of Industrial Spirals in Low-grade Chromite Processing

Spirals, the most common equipment for the separation of heavy minerals such as chromite, are greatly affected by size distribution and the liberation degree (hence the specific gravity and size) of the feed particles. In this study, the efficiency of spirals in separation of low-grade chromite particles has been investigated by studying the distribution of grade, size distribution and liberation degree of feed, concentrate, and tailings of spiral. For this purpose, mass balance constraints were applied to the spiral-containing chromite processing circuit. Afterwards, the grade variations and size distributions have been investigated. According to the results, when the feed to the spiral has a larger size distribution, the enrichment ratio of the feed is 1.32 and, with the smaller feed size, this value has increased to 1.99. When the spiral feed has a larger size distribution and higher specific gravity, the recovery of chromite increases with increasing particle size up to 250 microns, and then with increasing particle size, recovery decreases with a relatively steep slope. Evaluation of spiral efficiency with respect to particle liberation degree has also shown that despite the high degree of liberation of spiral feed in size fractions smaller than 75 microns (88.9%), the liberation degree of spiral concentrate and tail in this faction is equal to and less than that of feed, which can indicate poor spiral performance in these size fractions.

Influence of Weighting Materials on the Properties of Oil-Well Cement

The integrity of oil and gas wells is largely dependent on the cement job. Maintaining the properties of the cement layer throughout the life of a well is a difficult task, particularly in high-temperature and -pressure conditions such as those in deep wells. Cementing deep wells require slurries with high densities. Heavyweight cement systems are those designed with weighting materials. These materials have a higher specific gravity in comparison to cement. The purpose of this work is to investigate the influence of weighting materials on the properties of Class G oil-well cement and to make necessary recommendations for their use. The rheology, fluid loss, gas migration, and dynamic elastic properties of three cement slurries containing different weighting materials, namely, hematite, barite, and ilmenite, were studied. The results indicate that cement slurry designed with barite exhibits the best rheological behavior that would provide a perfect solution for deep wells where cement placement is a concern. The barite slurry had the lowest plastic viscosity. The plastic viscosity of the hematite and ilmenite-weighted systems was higher by 11.5 and 12.4%, respectively. The barite-based slurry also had the highest yield point of 84.3 lbf/100 ft2, whereas the yield points of hematite and barite cement were 37.9 and 29.5 lbf/100 ft2, respectively. Furthermore, the gel strengths of barite cement were the highest, with 10 s and 10 min gel strengths of 11.5 and 39.5 lbf/100 ft2, respectively. Ilmenite had the most positive impact on fluid loss control, which would be appropriate in high permeable formations. It had a fluid loss of 66 mL/30 min, lower than those of the hematite (80 mL/30 min) and barite (82 mL/30 min) systems. Furthermore, the best dynamic elastic properties were exhibited by the ilmenite system, with the smallest Young’s modulus (27.3 GPa) and the highest Poisson ratio (0.252). This would make the ilmenite to be very useful in developing heavyweight cement composites that could withstand severe external loads imposed on the casing and cement. The hematite cement was the most impermeable to gas migration, with a gas volume of 127.8 cm3, whereas the volume measured in the barite and ilmenite systems were 20.9 and 78% higher, respectively. This makes the hematite to be very useful in deep gas wells where gas migration control is important.

S3038 Peri-Gastric Venous Hemangioma: A Tale of Discordant Cytology and Histology on EUS-Core Biopsy

INTRODUCTION: Hemangiomas are highly vascular tumors, without known malignant potential. They are extremely rare to arise from the upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract and may present with variable symptoms. Due to low sensitivity of radiological imaging, their diagnosis in the GI tract is often challenging. We present a case of a peri-gastric hemangioma adequately diagnosed with endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided biopsy. CASE DESCRIPTION/METHODS: A 48-year old lady with hypertension and diabetes mellitus, sought care for a 3-month history of left upper quadrant (LUQ) abdominal pain, with normal hemoglobin and comprehensive metabolic panel. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) demonstrated a 7cm lobulated, exophytic LUQ mass suspected to be arising externally from the stomach, raising suspicion for gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST). She was referred to us for EUS, which revealed a 8.9 × 5.5 cm heterogeneously hypoechoic, irregularly marginated mass, thought to be exophytic and abutting the proximal portion of the stomach. Core biopsies were obtained, and sent for both cytology (in CytoLyt) and histology (in Formalin). The cytology showed proliferation of bland spindle cells concerning for spindle cell neoplasm, however, the histology demonstrated abnormal venous structures with prominent spindle cell smooth muscle walls and luminal CD34 + endothelial cells supporting the diagnosis of benign venous hemangioma. The patient remained symptomatic with LUQ discomfort and underwent surgical resection. Final post-operative pathology confirmed the diagnosis of venous hemangioma. DISCUSSION: Contrast has higher specific gravity than blood and there is slow blood flow within hemangiomas; therefore, radiographic imaging may be inconclusive as hemangiomas may appear as non-specific heterogeneous lesions. EUS can determine the anatomy of the lesion, its origin and vascularity. Tissue biopsies are challenging due to the high vascularity of these lesions and their submucosal location, but histology can provide a definitive diagnosis. A few cases of endoscopic resection of intraluminal small venous and cavernous hemangiomas have been reported, but surgical resection is the most common treatment modality for symptomatic extra-luminal GI tract venous hemangiomas. Our case educates endoscopists that histopathological evaluation with immunohistochemistry staining is more accurate than cytological analysis for diagnosis of venous hemangiomas, and hence core sample should be sent in formalin rather than for cytology alone.Figure 1.: Histology of a peri-gastric mass showing (A) abnormal venous structures with prominent spindled smooth muscle walls and luminal CD34 positive benign endothelial cells (inset). The lesion signed out as venous hemangioma. Concurrent cytology (B) showed proliferation of bland spindle cells raising concern for spindle cell neoplasm.

Physical Properties of Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) Used as Aggregate for Road Pavement Application

The amount of electronic waste (e-waste) generated globally has been increasing steadily, including in Malaysia. Utilizing the e-waste as alternative recycled materials can help to conserve natural resources as well as reduce the demand for natural resources. Furthermore, recycled materials can be used in countries with limited aggregate resources. The present study aims to compare the physical properties CRT glass e-waste used as partial replacement for natural aggregates in road pavements. The study method for laboratory work were carried out in accordance with the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) specifications. Three physical tests were carried out to determine the strength of the sample, i.e. Los Angeles abrasion test, specific gravity test and water absorption test. Result shows that CRT glass has a high value of 59.50% for the Los Angeles abrasion test, which exceed the specified requirement of 50%. The value for water absorption test shows that the CRT glass sample was able to achieve the specified requirement. The result for specific gravity test shows that the natural aggregates have a value higher than that of the CRT glass sample. Aggregates with higher specific gravity are generally stronger than those with lower specific gravity. Studies have to be carried out to identify the feasibility of using CRT e-waste glass as an alternative recycled material in the construction of road pavements.

Geotechnical and Mineralogical Appraisal of Shale and Claystone Facies of the Maastrichtian Patti Formation, Bida Basin, Nigeria

The need for construction materials in the rapidly developing areas around Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria cannot be overemphasized and this study was undertaken in line with this need. The study area, located about 60km from Abuja, is underlain predominantly by shales and claystones of the Patti Formation. These argillaceous rocks may offer locally sourced construction material if they meet certain specifications, however to date, there has not been a geotechnical study of these rocks. The geotechnical properties and the mineralogy of the shale and claystone were investigated to evaluate their suitability for civil engineering works. Particle size distribution, Atterberg limits and X-ray diffraction analyses were performed on fifteen shale and claystone samples collected from three localities (along an approximately 25km transect) for determination of their geotechnical properties and mineralogical composition. Mineralogical data obtained show the samples are dominated by kaolinite with minor amount of montmorillonite. Quartz and minor amounts of microcline, rutile and anatase dominate the non-clay mineral fraction. Particle size data indicate high proportion of fines and they are well graded. The Atterberg limits indicate that the samples have average values of liquid limit of 51%, plastic limit of 23%, plasticity index of 29% and shrinkage limit of 13%. These indicate they are of medium compressibility, low to medium shrink/swell potential, marginal expansive rating and low permeability. High bulk specific gravity (average of 2.61) suggests the samples are inorganic and this is supported by the consistency limits values. Generally, the results indicate the shale and claystone can be useful as stabilizing materials in civil engineering works. In addition, the marginally expansive nature of the shale and claystone, low permeability and intermediate to high plasticity may make them suitable as road subgrade.Keywords— activity, Bida Basin, Gerinya, Kaolinite, plasticity, Patti Formation

Role of long-term supplementation of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 on egg production and egg quality of laying hen

A study was conducted to evaluate the effect of dietary 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25OHD) on pullet and egg-laying hen growth performance, egg production, and egg quality. Three hundred and ninety 1-day-old Hy-Line W36 pullets were randomly allocated to 3 treatments with 10 replicated cages and 13 birds per cage. Dietary treatments were vitamin D3 at 2,760 IU/kg (D); vitamin D3 at 5,520 IU/kg (DD), and vitamin D3 at 2,760 IU/kg plus 25OHD at 2,760 IU (69 μg)/kg (25D). Body weight and feed intake were recorded at the end of each stage: starter 1 (0–3 wk), starter 2 (4–6 wk), grower (7–12 wk), developer (13–15 wk), prelay (15–17 wk), peaking (18–38 wk), layer 2 (39–48 wk), layer 3 (49–60 wk), layer 4 (61–75 wk), and layer 5 (76–95 wk). Egg production was recorded daily. Egg quality was evaluated every 8 wk starting from 25 wk. There was no difference in growth performance during the rearing period (0–17 wk). In the laying period (18–95 wk), DD showed lower feed intake at layer 2, but higher intake at layer 3 along with lower hen day production (HDP) from 22 to 48 wk compared to the other treatments. During the same period, the DD group laid smaller eggs with higher specific gravity and shell thickness compared with the other treatments or D alone at 40 wk, which may be partly due to the lower body weight. In contrast, 25D had better feed conversion ratio (feed intake per dozen of eggs) at layer 2, and higher overall (22–60 wk) HDP compared with DD. For the egg quality analysis, at 25 and 33 wk, both DD and 25D had higher Haugh unit compared with D. However, 25OHD has no effects on eggshell quality during the entire production period and no beneficial effects on egg production during the later laying period (after 60 wk). In summary, long-term and early supplementation of 25OHD has positive effects on egg production and egg quality, and the beneficial effects were mainly observed during the early laying stage.

Optimization of electric arc furnace aggregates replacement in dense-graded asphalt wearing courses

Electric arc furnace (EAF) aggregates, by-products of the homonymous steelmaking process, represent an ideal solution for asphalt mixtures, above all for wearing courses where skid resistance and durability are essential functional requirements. Their use, which is subordinate to the compliance of chemical specifications, finds some practical interest limits mainly related to transportation (extremely high bulk specific gravity) and placement (unsatisfactory compaction) operations. Thus, the aim of this experimental study was to determine an ideal artificial to natural aggregates replacement rate, also identifying the most suitable particle size range, for dense-graded asphalt wearing courses. The results highlighted how the best balance between compaction and mechanical performances was registered by a mix which was formulated considering a partial replacement of 54% (v/v%), distributed only in the coarsest fraction. The introduction of limestone as “excipient” in the coarse -fine and finer size ranges reduces the weight of the mixture, guaranteeing at the same time an optimum compaction degree, high levels of stiffness in the viscous-elastic region and Marshall stability and extended fatigue life.

Experimental investigation on barite sag under flowing condition and drill pipe rotation

Using drilling fluids with optimum density is one of the most important approaches to stabilize the pressure of the bottom formation and prevent blowout through the drilling process. One of the common methods for this purpose is adding some additives with high specific gravity to the drilling fluid to tune its density. Among the possible chemicals, barite and hematite with the density of 4.2 and 5.2 g/cc are the most common additives. Unfortunately, although the application of these additives is advantageous, they have some drawbacks which the most important one is separation and settlement of solid phase called barite sag. The barite sag comes from barite, or other dense materials particles deposition resulted in undesired density fluctuations in drilling fluid can lead to mud loss, well control problems, poorly cementing and even pipe sticking which occurs in severe cases. With respect to these concerns, the current investigation is concentrated to obtain the relation between the dynamic conditions such as flow rate (0.308 and 0.19 l/s) and deviation angles of 30°,45°,60° and 90° and barite sag phenomenon through a flow loop equipment. Besides, the effect of drilling string rotational speed (70 rpm) on the barite deposition is investigated. The results not only indicate that increasing the flow rate from 0.19 l/s to 0.308 l/s can reduce the deposition rate, but also increasing the deviation angle from 45 to 60 o enhance the barite deposition to its maximum value.Graphic abstract

Analysis of carbon fiber destruction by lighting current

The paper considers the unique properties of conducting carbon fiber composite: specific resistivity at different directionality of layers and critical energy of layering and destruction on the basis of experimental data. High mechanical strength and low specific gravity are noted, allowing its use in aircraft engineering to improve aircraft tactical and technical data of aerial vehicles. Strong anisotropy of electrically-conductive properties affects current spreading through carbon fiber and leads to significant destruction of the material. Theoretical analysis of lightning current spreading along anisotropic-conducting material in the form of extended plate was carried out on the basis of two proposed models of carbon fiber destruction by lightning currents. For the first continuum model an exact analytical solution to the Laplace equation with Neumann boundary conditions via the Greenberg method was found. The criteria for composite destruction was found, and the radius and depth of destruction of a conductive material by lightning current were calculated. Layer-by-layer destruction is considered on the basis of carbon fiber equivalent circuit. The strong anisotropy of the material resulting in the release of full energy in the first layer is taken into account. It is shown that the destruction of the top layer changes the distribution of currents over the remaining layers. The results of numerical modeling of layer-by-layer destruction of carbon fiber for different number of layers are given. The conclusion on the application of criteria to forecast the lightning effects and optimize lightning at the stage of aircraft design is made.

Reliability of urinalysis for identification of proteinuria is reduced in the presence of other abnormalities including high specific gravity and hematuria

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is classified according to cause, glomerular filtration rate, and proteinuria. Identification of proteinuria with urinalysis (UA) is less accurate than quantification via other methods. We investigated factors leading to discordant UA findings when compared against paired albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR) testing. Four thousand three hundred and twenty-three UAs were grouped by proteinuria level (A1-A3); concordance with ACR was examined. Classification of UA with confounding factors (UA+CF) or without (UA-CF) was based on CF that resulted in >10% increase in false-positive proteinuria readings. The presence of ≥3+ blood, ≥3+ leukocyte esterase, any ketonuria, specific gravity ≥1.020, ≥1+ urobilinogen, ≥2+ bilirubin, ≥2+ bacteria, ≥3 RBC/hpf (high powered field), ≥10 WBC/hpf, and/or ≥6 epithelial cells/hpf led to UA+CF classification. Proteinuria was determined to be present in 14.1% by UA dipstick and 24.9% by ACR. Using ACR as the standard, overall concordance was 80.4%, with 17.2% false-negatives and 2.3% false-positives by UA. UA+CF represented 55.6% of UA overall (n = 2404), and 98.0% of those false-positive for proteinuria. High specific gravity and hematuria are the strongest predictors of false positives. For A2 proteinuria (30-300 mg/g, 1+,2+,3+ on UA) UA-CF had a higher negative predictive value (NPV) (99.8%) than UA+CF (77.6%); NPV for A3 proteinuria (>300 mg/g, 4+ on UA) was 100% for UA-CF and UA+CF. Additional abnormalities were noted in >50% of outpatient UAs indicating proteinuria. Given the significant proportion of patients having a false-positive UA for proteinuria when these CFs were present, we recommend that such patients undergo ACR confirmatory testing, according to a clinical algorithm for the incorporation of UA results into the management of CKD.

Characterization of physico-chemical properties and antioxidant activity of oil from seed, leaf and stem of purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.)

Purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.) is a member of the family of portulacaceae and is a very good source of alpha-linoleic acid. Alpha-linoleic is an omega-3 fatty acid which plays an important role in human growth, development and in preventing diseases. Characterization of the physicochemical properties and antioxidant activity of oil from seeds, leaves and stems of purslane, and appraisal of its viability is the main purpose of this study. In this work, physicochemical properties of oil from seed, leaf and stem of purslane were characterized and the highest oil content was observed in seed (11.25 %) using solvent extraction method. The highest specific gravity was recorded for seed oil (1.10 w/w) followed by leaf oil (0.73 w/w) with non-significant difference. Moreover, oil extracted from purslane stem was found to be the least in oil content (2 %) and specific gravity (0.14 w/w); but the highest in acid value (13.32 w/v) and percentage free fatty acid. The peroxide value was found to be the highest for seed oil and the least for stem with significant difference. The highest ascorbic acid content was recorded for purslane seed oil (41.67 %) followed by leaf oil (32.29 %). Likewise, the highest 1, 1- diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazine activity was obtained for leaf oil (12.55 %) followed by seed oil (2.05 %). The plot for PC2 vs PC1 showed the oil content, specific gravity, peroxide value, ascorbic acid and 1, 1- diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazine having close PC1 and PC2 scores with vector angle <900 showing correlated effects. Characterizing physical and chemical properties and antioxidant activity of oil from seeds, leaves and stems of purslane is crucial in providing necessary information for the utilization of the oil content.

Analysis of the genotypes and interleukins 17A, 17F blood levels in children with allergic bronchial asthma and allergic rhinitis

Introduction. The study of genes that control the activity of cytokines is one of the important issues in revealing the pathogenetic mechanisms of allergic diseases.&#x0D; Aims. Determination of the frequency of occurrence of polymorphic gene markers genotypes and characterization of the interleukins 17A, 17F content in blood serum in children with bronchial asthma and allergic rhinitis.&#x0D; Materials and methods. A comprehensive survey of 110 children with allergic diseases of 311 years old and 60 healthy peers. The material for genetic analysis was DNA with the study of mutation points of IL-17A at position 197 (GA) and IL-17F 7488 (TC). The content of IL-17A, IL-17F interleukins was measured by enzymelinked assay. For the statistical analysis we used the Statistica 10, methods for comparing unrelated groups of genotypes distributions to expected values at HardyWeinberg equilibrium with 2.&#x0D; Results. The frequency of occurrence of genotypes in a group of healthy children was as follows: IL-17A (G197A) heterozygous GA (63,333%), homozygous GG (36,667%); IL-17F (T7488C) TT (36,667%), CT (63,333%), genotypes AA and CC werent determined. In children with allergic diseases, all genotypes were determined: IL-17A (G197A), GG (11,818%), AA (19,091%) and GA (69,091%), IL-17F (T7488C), TT (5,454%), CC (35,455%) and CT (59,091%) with the highest specific gravity of the GG genotype and TT. There were no significant differences in IL-17A, IL-17F levels in the blood serum depending on the genotype.&#x0D; Discussion. There were significant differences in the structure of the polymorphisms of the IL-17A, IL-17F genes, blood levels of IL-17A, IL-17F and the risk of the disease in allergic children and healthy peers. The frequency of allergic diseases in children with genotypes AA and TT is statistically higher, but with genotypes GG, CC is statistically lower than with other genotypes.

Synthesis of Nanosheets Containing Uniformly Dispersed PdII Ions at an Aqueous/Aqueous Interface: Development of a Highly Active Nanosheet Catalyst for Mizoroki-Heck Reaction.

A method was developed to synthesize a nanosheet at the interface of an aqueous layer of PdII ions and an aqueous layer of hydrophilic polymer bearing a metal coordination unit (HPMC). The nanosheet was synthesized through generation of an interface by the addition of an aqueous solution of PdII ions with a low specific gravity (1.03 g/cm3) to a dispersed aqueous solution of HPMC with a high specific gravity (1.50 g/cm3), resulting in rapid cross-linking at the interface. An electron probe microanalysis mapping image showed that the PdII ions were uniformly dispersed in the nanosheet. The nanosheet showed a high catalyst activity for the Mizoroki–Heck cross-coupling reaction with a turnover number (TON) and turnover frequency (TOF) greater than 3,333,333 and 138,889 h–1, respectively. These are the greatest TON and TOF values reported for heterogeneous polymeric catalysts for the Mizoroki–Heck reaction.

Prevention of hematite settling using synthetic layered silicate while drilling high-pressure wells

Hematite (Fe2O3) is used as a weighting material to increase the density of the drilling fluid. Hematite has a higher density (5.05 g/cm3) compared with barite (4.2 g/cm3). Because of the high specific gravity and particle size, hematite can separate and settle down at higher temperatures (> 250 °F). The objective of this paper is to assess the usage of laponite which is synthetic layered silicate to solve the settling of hematite particles in water-based mud (WBM). Laponite was added to the WBM in different concentrations 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1 lb./bbl. Static and dynamic sag tests were performed to determine the optimum quantity of laponite. The viscoelastic and rheology properties were evaluated to compare between WBM-blank and WBM-laponite. The filtration test was performed at 250 °F and 300-psi pressure difference to assess the effect of adding laponite on the filter cake thickness and filtration volume. The results showed that adding 1 lb./bbl of laponite was enough to eliminate the sag issue in both vertical and 45° inclination. The sag factor was reduced from 0.594 to 0.502 at the vertical condition and from 0.62 to 0.51 for the 45° inclined condition. For the dynamic sag, the viscometer sag shoe test (VSST) decreased from 2.1 to 0.21 lb./gal after adding 1 lb./bbl of laponite. It was observed that the apparent viscosity (AV) and yield point (YP) increased by 16% and 33% after adding 1 lb./bbl of the laponite respectively, while there was no change in plastic viscosity (PV) which resulted in increasing the YP/PV ratio which is a good indication of fluid stability and better hole cleaning performance. For the filtration properties, there was no significant change in filter cake thickness and filtration volume.