Influence of polar solvents on the enhancement of light-ends in heavy crude oil distillation

Crude oil ‘micelle’ can be dispersed into fuels, oil and resin/asphalthene components using some hydrocarbon solvents. This can be adapted towards influencing/enhancing its product slates during the processing of crude oils. This research was carried out to investigate the effect of polar solvents (ethanol and acetone) in the enhancement of the light-ends in the True Boiling Point (TBP) distillation of Venezuela heavy crude oil. The oil was procured from Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company, Nigeria Ltd, Kaduna, Nigeria. Different concentrations of ethanol with crude oil blends were prepared using 2.5 wt.%, 5 wt.%, 7.5 wt.%, and 10 wt.%. Their spectro photometric analysis was carried out to determine their micelle diameter. The graphs of the micelle diameter of the blends against the various concentrations of the ethanol were plotted from which the minimum and maximum obtained, were 26.322×10-9m and 28.312×10-9m corresponding to 2.5 wt.% and 5 wt.% ethanol concentrations respectively. The same procedure was also repeated for acetone and the values for the minimum and maximum were 24.31×10-9m and 31.798×10-9m respectively. These concentrations were blended with 400g of the oil and their TBP distillations were carried out. From the data generated, 2.5% and 5% ethanol were respectively found to enhance the light ends recovery by 6.133% and 9.008% for fractions between IBP-360oC for ethanol and 9.500% and 11.693 % for 5% and 2.5% acetone concentration. The authors are of the opinion that this work can be adapted to enhance light ends recovery in the atmospheric/vacuum distillation units (ADU/VDU) of the Crude Oil Refineries.  http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/njt.v35i4.2

The promoters of human cell cycle genes integrate signals from two tumor suppressive pathways during cellular transformation

Deciphering regulatory events that drive malignant transformation represents a major challenge for systems biology. Here we analyzed genome-wide transcription profiling of an in-vitro transformation process. We focused on a cluster of genes whose expression levels increased as a function of p53 and p16INK4A tumor suppressors inactivation. This cluster predominantly consists of cell cycle genes and constitutes a signature of a diversity of cancers. By linking expression profiles of the genes in the cluster with the dynamic behavior of p53 and p16INK4A, we identified a promoter architecture that integrates signals from the two tumor suppressive channels and that maps their activity onto distinct levels of expression of the cell cycle genes, which in turn, correspond to different cellular proliferation rates. Taking components of the mitotic spindle as an example, we experimentally verified our predictions that p53-mediated transcriptional repression of several of these novel targets is dependent on the activities of p21, NFY and E2F. Our study demonstrates how a well-controlled transformation process allows linking between gene expression, promoter architecture and activity of upstream signaling molecules.Comment: To appear in Molecular Systems Biolog

Assessment of Forest Degradation Indices in Mokwa Forest Reserve, Niger State, Nigeria

Forest degradation has become a major concern in many countries around the world as it has become one of the most debilitating land use crisis in tropical ecosystems. Hence, this study assessed the forest degradation indices in Mokwa forest reserve. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and field reconnaissance survey. Five settlements were selected in and around the forest reserve namely Mokwa, Jangi, Epa, Kpataki and Tswanle. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results showed that farming (41.7%) was the main occupation of the people, artisan works (18.8%) and studentship had the least (4.2%). Briquetting of charcoal (20.8%) was the highest causes of forest degradation; commercial farming (18.8%), overgrazing (16.7%) and population increase was the least (4.2%).Global warming (22.9%) was the major effect of degradation in the study area, soil erosion (20.8%) and the least was low rainfall (9.4%). Agroforestry practices (27.1%) were recorded as the main mitigation measure for reducing degradation in the area. This was followed by Afforestation and enrichment planting (22.9%), tree planting campaign (18.8%) and the least was forest conservation and management (6.3%). The stepwise multiple regression analysis of the causes with other variables showed that briquetting of charcoal had the highest R2 (0.88), followed by commercial farming R2 (0.84), while population increase had the least R2 (0.57). Nevertheless, sustainable empowerment programs are recommended to boost the livelihood of the rural populace and to reduce the overdependence of the people on the forest reserve

Heritability enrichment implicates microglia in Parkinson's disease pathogenesis

OBJECTIVE: Understanding how different parts of the immune system contribute to pathogenesis in Parkinson's disease is a burning challenge with important therapeutic implications. We studied enrichment of common variant heritability for Parkinson's disease stratified by immune and brain cell types. METHODS: We used summary statistics from the most recent meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies in Parkinson's disease and partitioned heritability using linkage disequilibrium score regression, stratified for specific cell types as defined by open chromatin regions. We also validated enrichment results using a polygenic risk score approach and intersected disease-associated variants with epigenetic data and expression quantitative loci to nominate and explore a putative microglial locus. RESULTS: We found significant enrichment of Parkinson's disease risk heritability in open chromatin regions of microglia and monocytes. Genomic annotations overlapped substantially between these two cell types, and only the enrichment signal for microglia remained significant in a joint model. We present evidence suggesting P2RY12, a key microglial gene and target for the anti-thrombotic agent clopidogrel, as the likely driver of a significant Parkinson's disease association signal on chromosome 3. INTERPRETATION: Our results provide further support for the importance of immune mechanisms in PD pathogenesis, highlight microglial dysregulation as a contributing etiological factor and nominate a targetable microglial gene candidate as a pathogenic player. Immune processes can be modulated by therapy, with potentially important clinical implications for future treatment in Parkinson's disease

Comparative cytogenetics of three species of Dichotomius (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae)

Meiotic and mitotic chromosomes of Dichotomius nisus, D. semisquamosus and D. sericeus were analyzed after conventional staining, C-banding and silver nitrate staining. In addition, Dichotomius nisus and D. semisquamosus chromosomes were also analyzed after fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) with an rDNA probe. The species analyzed had an asymmetrical karyotype with 2n = 18 and meta-submetacentric chromosomes. The sex determination mechanism was of the Xyp type in D. nisus and D. semisquamosus and of the Xy r type in D. sericeus. C-banding revealed the presence of pericentromeric blocks of constitutive heterochromatin (CH) in all the chromosomes of the three species. After silver staining, the nucleolar organizer regions (NORs) were located in autosomes of D. semisquamosus and D. sericeus and in the sexual bivalent of D. nisus. FISH with an rDNA probe confirmed NORs location in D. semisquamosus and in D. nisus. Our results suggest that chromosome inversions and fusions occurred during the evolution of the group

A cost-effectiveness analysis of a hydration response technology dressing in the treatment of venous leg ulcers in the UK

Introduction: Venous leg ulceration causes significant pain and suffering for patients, additionally it places considerable financial and service burden on the National Health Service (NHS). A large proportion of venous leg ulceration do not heal within the standard time frames of 16 – 24 weeks, resulting in static wounds which commonly have issues with increasing exudate production. Static wounds can have significant negative impact on the patients quality of life, the wound bed and periwound skin, increased risk of infection all of which results in delayed wound healing and increased health service costs. As the NHS continues to face times of austerity, services need to find solutions to be able to reduce cost and release nursing time whilst maintaining standards of care. Cutimed® Sorbion® Sachet S is a treatment option for the management of patients with a venous leg ulceration. The objective of this study was to provide an update of the health economic analysis of Cutimed® Sorbion® Sachet S in comparison to relevant comparators in the UK with current cost data. Methods: Cutimed® Sorbion® Sachet S was compared against Zetuvit Plus, DryMax extra, KerraMax Care and Eclypse from a cost effectiveness perspective. Clinical data were derived from literature and expert opinion. Cost input was utilized based on publicly available data and literature. The average patient in the model is assumed to be 65 years with a diagnosed venous leg ulcer. It is assumed that patients in the different treatment arms have the same background mortality, hence the endpoint mortality is not included in the model. The analysis is based on a deterministic Markov model derived from Harding et al. with weekly cycles. The following assumptions are made: First, all patients start in a static health state with a non-healed but non-progressing venous leg ulcer. It is assumed in the model that patients can transition to a deteriorating health state where a wound is improving or the wound could progress. Additionally, venous leg ulcers could be healed from a progressed wound (i.e. improved wound), they could develop into a severe wound with complications (infections) to be treated in hospitals. The time frame for the analysis was fixed for one year and no re-occurence after healing was assumed to happen. Results: The cost-effectiveness analysis demonstrates health economic dominance of Cutimed® Sorbion® Sachet S being more effective and cost-saving against all analysed comparators. When using literature-based input values the incrementally higher healing rates for Cutimed® Sorbion® Sachet S are 11.04 months (versus Zetuvit Plus), 29.04 months (versus DryMax extra), 1.68 months (versus KerraMax Care) and 11.04 months (versus Eclypse). Cost savings per patient were 37.60£ (versus Zetuvit Plus), 171.68£ (versus DryMax extra), 3.13£ (versus KerraMax Care) and 43.63£ (versus Eclypse). Clinical benefits and cost savings are increasing when real life practice assumptions based on expert opinion are included. Conclusions: Based on the underlying health economic model, Cutimed® Sorbion® Sachet S is more effective and less costly than other comparative products in venous leg ulcers in the UK

Phenotypic microarrays suggest Escherichia coli ST131 is not a metabolically distinct lineage of extra-intestinal pathogenic E. coli

Extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC) are the major aetiological agent of urinary tract infections (UTIs) in humans. The emergence of the CTX-M producing clone E. coli ST131 represents a major challenge to public health worldwide. A recent study on the metabolic potential of E. coli isolates demonstrated an association between the E. coli ST131 clone and enhanced utilisation of a panel of metabolic substrates. The studies presented here investigated the metabolic potential of ST131 and other major ExPEC ST isolates using 120 API test reagents and found that ST131 isolates demonstrated a lower metabolic activity for 5 of 120 biochemical tests in comparison to non-ST131 ExPEC isolates. Furthermore, comparative phenotypic microarray analysis showed a lack of specific metabolic profile for ST131 isolates countering the suggestion that these bacteria are metabolically fitter and therefore more successful human pathogens