Computed microtomography of reservoir core samples

X-ray computed tomography (CT) is often utilized to evaluate and characterize structural characteristics within reservoir core material systems. Generally, medical CT scanners have been employed because of their availability and ease of use. Of interest lately has been the acquisition of three-dimensional, high resolution descriptions of rock and pore structures for characterization of the porous media and for modeling of single and multiphase transport processes. The spatial resolution of current medical CT scanners is too coarse for pore level imaging of most core samples. Recently developed high resolution computed microtomography (CMT) using synchrotron X-ray sources is analogous to conventional medical CT scanning and provides the ability to obtain three-dimensional images of specimens with a spatial resolution on the order of micrometers. Application of this technique to the study of core samples provides two- and three-dimensional high resolution description of pore structure and mineral distributions. Pore space and interconnectivity is accurately characterized and visualized. Computed microtomography data can serve as input into pore-level simulation techniques. A generalized explanation of the technique is provided, with comparison to conventional CT scanning techniques and results. Computed microtomographic results of several sandstone samples are presented and discussed. Bulk porosity values and mineralogical identification were obtained from the microtomograms and compared with gas porosity and scanning electron microscope results on tandem samples

Long-term culture captures injury-repair cycles of colonic stem cells

The colonic epithelium can undergo multiple rounds of damage and repair, often in response to excessive inflammation. The responsive stem cell that mediates this process is unclear, in part because of a lack of in vitro models that recapitulate key epithelial changes that occur in vivo during damage and repair. Here, we identify a Hop

Pore level imaging of fluid transport using synchrotron x-ray microtomography

Recently developed high resolution computed microtomography (CMI) using synchrotron X-ray sources is analogous to conventional medical Cr scanning and provides the ability to obtain three-dimensional images of specimens with a spatial resolution on the order of micrometers. Application of this technique to the study of core samples has previously been shown to provide excellent two- and three-dimensional high resolution descriptions of pore structure and mineral distributions of core material. Recently, computed microtomographic endpoint saturation images of a fluid filled sandstone core sample were obtained using a microtomographic apparatus and a high energy X-ray beam produced by a superconducting wiggler at the National Synchrotron Light Source at Brookhaven National Laboratory. Images of a 6 mm subsection of the one inch diameter core sample were obtained prior and subsequent to flooding to residual oil. Both oil and brine phases were observable within the imaged rock matrix. The rock matrix image data was used as input to a fluid transport simulator and the results compared with the end point saturation images and data. These high resolution images of the fluid filled pore space have not been previously available to researchers and will provide valuable insight to fluid flow, and provide data as input into and validation of high resolution porous media flow simulators, such as percolation-network and Lattice Boltzmann models

Economic Aspects of Sanitation in Developing Countries

Improved sanitation has been shown to have great impacts on people's health and economy. However, the progress of achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on halving the proportion of people without access to clean water and basic sanitation by 2015 has thus far been delayed. One of the reasons for the slow progress is that policy makers, as well as the general public, have not fully understood the importance of the improved sanitation solutions. This paper, by gathering relevant research findings, aims to report and discuss currently available evidence on the economic aspects of sanitation, including the economic impacts of unimproved sanitation and the costs and economic benefits of some common improved sanitation options in developing countries.; DATA USED IN THIS PAPER WERE OBTAINED FROM DIFFERENT INFORMATION SOURCES: international and national journal articles and reports, web-based statistics, and fact sheets. We used both online search and hand search methods to gather the information.; Scientific evidence has demonstrated that the economic cost associated with poor sanitation is substantial. At the global level, failure to meet the MDG water and sanitation target would have ramifications in the area of US$38 billion, and sanitation accounts for 92$142 billion (US$year 2005). This translates to a per capita spending of US$28 for sanitation. Annually, this translates to roughly US$14 million. The evidence complied in this paper demonstrates that investing in sanitation is socially and economically worthwhile. For every US$1 invested, achieving the sanitation MDG target and universal sanitation access in the non-OECD countries would result in a global return of US$9.1 and US$11.2, respectively.; Given the current state of knowledge, sanitation is undeniably a profitable investment. It is clear that achieving the MDG sanitation target not only saves lives but also provides a foundation for economic growth

Microbial community dynamics and stability during an ammonia-induced shift to syntrophic acetate oxidation

Anaerobic digesters rely on the diversity and distribution of parallel metabolic pathways mediated by complex syntrophic microbial communities to maintain robust and optimal performance. Using mesophilic swine waste digesters, we experimented with increased ammonia loading to induce a shift from aceticlastic methanogenesis to an alternative acetate-consuming pathway of syntrophic acetate oxidation. In comparison with control digesters, we observed shifts in bacterial 16S rRNA gene content and in functional gene repertoires over the course of the digesters' 3-year operating period. During the first year, under identical startup conditions, all bioreactors mirrored each other closely in terms of bacterial phylotype content, phylogenetic structure, and evenness. When we perturbed the digesters by increasing the ammonia concentration or temperature, the distribution of bacterial phylotypes became more uneven, followed by a return to more even communities once syntrophic acetate oxidation had allowed the experimental bioreactors to regain stable operation. The emergence of syntrophic acetate oxidation coincided with a partial shift from aceticlastic to hydrogenotrophic methanogens. Our 16S rRNA gene analysis also revealed that acetate-fed enrichment experiments resulted in communities that did not represent the bioreactor community. Analysis of shotgun sequencing of community DNA suggests that syntrophic acetate oxidation was carried out by a heterogeneous community rather than by a specific keystone population with representatives of enriched cultures with this metabolic capacity

Recognition and Degradation of Plant Cell Wall Polysaccharides by Two Human Gut Symbionts

Competition for nutrients contained in diverse types of plant cell wall-associated polysaccharides may explain the evolution of substrate-specific catabolic gene modules in common bacterial members of the human gut microbiota

Knowledge-based energy functions for computational studies of proteins

This chapter discusses theoretical framework and methods for developing knowledge-based potential functions essential for protein structure prediction, protein-protein interaction, and protein sequence design. We discuss in some details about the Miyazawa-Jernigan contact statistical potential, distance-dependent statistical potentials, as well as geometric statistical potentials. We also describe a geometric model for developing both linear and non-linear potential functions by optimization. Applications of knowledge-based potential functions in protein-decoy discrimination, in protein-protein interactions, and in protein design are then described. Several issues of knowledge-based potential functions are finally discussed.Comment: 57 pages, 6 figures. To be published in a book by Springe

Human Intestinal Cells Modulate Conjugational Transfer of Multidrug Resistance Plasmids between Clinical Escherichia coli Isolates.

Bacterial conjugation in the human gut microbiota is believed to play a major role in the dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes and virulence plasmids. However, the modulation of bacterial conjugation by the human host remains poorly understood and there is a need for controlled systems to study this process. We established an in vitro co-culture system to study the interaction between human intestinal cells and bacteria. We show that the conjugation efficiency of a plasmid encoding an extended spectrum beta-lactamase is reduced when clinical isolates of Escherichia coli are co-cultured with human intestinal cells. We show that filtered media from co-cultures contain a factor that reduces conjugation efficiency. Protease treatment of the filtered media eliminates this inhibition of conjugation. This data suggests that a peptide or protein based factor is secreted on the apical side of the intestinal cells exposed to bacteria leading to a two-fold reduction in conjugation efficiency. These results show that human gut epithelial cells can modulate bacterial conjugation and may have relevance to gene exchange in the gut