Cyanobacteria—From the Oceans to the Potential Biotechnological and Biomedical Applications

Cyanobacteria are photosynthetic prokaryotic organisms which represent a significantsource of novel, bioactive, secondary metabolites, and they are also considered an abundant source ofbioactive compounds/drugs, such as dolastatin, cryptophycin 1, curacin toyocamycin, phytoalexin,cyanovirin-N and phycocyanin. Some of these compounds have displayed promising results insuccessful Phase I, II, III and IV clinical trials. Additionally, the cyanobacterial compounds applied tomedical research have demonstrated an exciting future with great potential to be developed into newmedicines. Most of these compounds have exhibited strong pharmacological activities, includingneurotoxicity, cytotoxicity and antiviral activity against HCMV, HSV-1, HHV-6 and HIV-1, so thesemetabolites could be promising candidates for COVID-19 treatment. Therefore, the effective large-scale production of natural marine products through synthesis is important for resolving the existingissues associated with chemical isolation, including small yields, and may be necessary to betterinvestigate their biological activities. Herein, we highlight the total synthesized and stereochemicaldeterminations of the cyanobacterial bioactive compounds. Furthermore, this review primarilyfocuses on the biotechnological applications of cyanobacteria, including applications as cosmetics,food supplements, and the nanobiotechnological applications of cyanobacterial bioactive compoundsin potential medicinal applications for various human diseases are discussed.Stockholm UniversityPeer Reviewe

Assessing the application of miscible CO2 flooding in oil reservoirs: a case study from Pakistan

Miscible carbon dioxide (CO2) flooding has been recognized as a promising approach to enhance the recovery of oil reservoirs. However, depending on the injection strategy and rock/fluid characteristics, efficiency of the miscible CO2flooding varies from reservoir to reservoir. Although, many studies have been carried out to evaluate the performance of the miscible CO2flooding, a specific strategy which can be strictly followed for a hydrocarbon reservoir has not been established yet. The aim of this study is to assess one of Pakistan’s oil reservoirs for miscible CO2flooding by applying a modified screening criterion and numerical modeling. As such, the most recent miscible CO2screening criteria were modified, and a numerical modeling was applied on the prospective reservoir. Based on the results obtained, South oil reservoir (S3) is chosen for a detailed assessment of miscible CO2flooding. It was also found that implementation of CO2water-alternating gas (CO2-WAG) injection at early stages of production can increase the production life of the reservoir

Cervical spondylosis with spinal cord encroachment: should preventive surgery be recommended?

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>It has been stated that individuals who have spondylotic encroachment on the cervical spinal cord without myelopathy are at increased risk of spinal cord injury if they experience minor trauma. Preventive decompression surgery has been recommended for these individuals. The purpose of this paper is to provide the non-surgical spine specialist with information upon which to base advice to patients. The evidence behind claims of increased risk is investigated as well as the evidence regarding the risk of decompression surgery.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A literature search was conducted on the risk of spinal cord injury in individuals with asymptomatic cord encroachment and the risk and benefit of preventive decompression surgery.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Three studies on the risk of spinal cord injury in this population met the inclusion criteria. All reported increased risk. However, none were prospective cohort studies or case-control studies, so the designs did not allow firm conclusions to be drawn. A number of studies and reviews of the risks and benefits of decompression surgery in patients with cervical myelopathy were found, but no studies were found that addressed surgery in asymptomatic individuals thought to be at risk. The complications of decompression surgery range from transient hoarseness to spinal cord injury, with rates ranging from 0.3% to 60%.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>There is insufficient evidence that individuals with spondylotic spinal cord encroachment are at increased risk of spinal cord injury from minor trauma. Prospective cohort or case-control studies are needed to assess this risk. There is no evidence that prophylactic decompression surgery is helpful in this patient population. Decompression surgery appears to be helpful in patients with cervical myelopathy, but the significant risks may outweigh the unknown benefit in asymptomatic individuals. Thus, broad recommendations for decompression surgery in suspected at-risk individuals cannot be made. Recommendations to individual patients must consider possible unique circumstances.</p

Experimental Investigations of CO2 Solubility and Variations in Petrophysical Properties due to CO2 Storage in Carbonate Reservoir Rocks

[abstract not available

Experimental investigation of load distribution in a composite girder bridge at elastic versus inelastic states

Bridge design and evaluation involve the determination of the internal forces and moments that each bridge element must resist. In slab-on-girder bridges, the moment and shear caused by traffic loads are normally determined using load distribution factors. These factors are derived based on results of analytical models, numerical analyses, as well as actual loading tests, but there appears to be scant experimental data to gauge their accuracy, particularly beyond the elastic limit state. To address the scarcity of the experimental data and to understand how the distribution characteristics of concrete slab on steel girder composite bridges change with the advent of yielding and inelasticity, a 1/3 scale model of a hypothetical composite bridge was tested to failure in this study.Extensive measurements were taken during the test to allow better understanding of the response of slab-on-girder bridges as well as their live load distribution characteristics at all stages of loading up to failure. The experimentally determined distribution factors for the tested bridge model are compared with the calculated values based on the Canadian Highway Bridge Design Standard, and the code values are found to overestimate the maximum moment in the interior loaded girder by about 22% and 33% at the elastic and the inelastic states, respectively. \ua9 2012 Elsevier Ltd.Peer reviewed: YesNRC publication: Ye

A New Strategy to Explore Tight Oil / Gas Reservoirs Fit for Purpose Acid Fracturing

[abstract not available

Nonlinear behaviour of steel-concrete composite bridges: Finite element modelling and experimental verification

To ensure public safety, existing bridges are often evaluated for their load-bearing capacity. Realistic evaluation must take into account the actual nonlinear stress-strain characteristics of the bridge materials and the interaction among its structural components at all stages of loading up to failure. The finite element method is particularly suitable for this type of analysis, but nonlinear finite element formulations involve many assumptions that must be verified before any practical application. In this study, the accuracy of a nonlinear finite element program developed by the authors for the analysis of composite steel-concrete bridges is checked by comparing its results with experimental data from simply supported and continuous beams tested by others and from a 1/3 scale multi-girder composite bridge tested by the authors. Good agreement is observed between the measured and the computed load-deflection responses and strains at all stages of loading up to the maximum load, which demonstrates the accuracy of the finite element formulation and the validity of its assumptions.Peer reviewed: YesNRC publication: Ye