Stress transfer law in laboratory hydraulic fracturing experiments.

During the true triaxial hydraulic fracturing experiments, the compression stress applied to the specimen surface cannot be transferred to the interior immediately, resulting in inconsistency with in-situ stress conditions. To quantitatively analyze the stress transfer process from the surface to the interior of the specimen, an experimental method for monitoring the inside stress was proposed based on Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensing technique, based on which the true triaxial stress loading experiments were conducted on a concrete-like specimen of 30 cm × 30 cm × 30 cm. The results show that the stresses inside the specimen require a certain loading time to reach the uniform state.

Dynamic Pore Network Modeling of Imbibition in Real Porous Media with Corner Film Flow.

Wetting films can develop in the corners of pore structures during imbibition in a strongly wetting porous medium, which may significantly influence the two-phase flow dynamics. Due to the large difference in scales between main meniscus and corner film, accurate and efficient modeling of the dynamics of corner film remains elusive. In this work, we develop a novel two-pressure dynamic pore network model incorporating the interacting capillary bundle model to analyze the competition between the main meniscus and corner film flow in real porous media.

Apparent Treatment-Resistant Hypertension in the First Year Associated With Cardiovascular Mortality in Peritoneal Dialysis Patients.

Background: Few reports have focused on the association between apparent treatment-resistant hypertension (aTRH) and cardiovascular (CV) mortality in peritoneal dialysis (PD) population, thus we conducted this retrospective cohort to explore it.

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study conducted from January 2011 to January 2020 with PD patients in 4 Chinese dialysis centers. aTRH was defined according to the American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association guidelines.

Analysis of TiO Nanolubricant Influence in Micro Deep Drawing of Stainless Steel SUS301.

To improve the quality of products produced from microforming, various nanolubricants have been applied in the field of micromanufacturing in recent years. In this paper, the effects of glycerol-based lubricant containing TiO NPs (NPs) on micro deep drawing (MDD) of austenitic stainless steel (ASS) SUS301 were studied, and the lubrication mechanism involved was discussed. The MDD experiments were conducted with the SUS301 foils under dry, 1, 2, and 4 wt% TiO NP lubrication conditions.

Current apparent treatment-resistant hypertension in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis: A multi-center cross-sectional study.

Apparent treatment-resistant hypertension (aTRH) is the most commonly used term to report resistant hypertension (RH) and is considered as a common problem in dialysis population. However, few reports have focused on peritoneal dialysis (PD) hypertensive patients. The authors conducted a multi-center cross-sectional study involving 1789 PD patients from nine centers in Guangdong, China.

Predictive value of neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio on acute kidney injury after on-pump coronary artery bypass: a retrospective, single-center study.

Objective: To investigate the predictive value of preoperative neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) on acute kidney injury (AKI) after on-pump coronary artery bypass (ONCAB).

Methods: Patients who underwent elective ONCAB for coronary heart disease were included. NLR was calculated according to the results of preoperative routine blood test, patients were divided into non-AKI and AKI groups, and the differences in clinical baseline data between the two groups were compared.

Degree and duration of hypokalemia associated with peritonitis in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis.

Background: Hypokalemia (LK) was associated with peritonitis in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients, while the role of its degree and duration have not been fully established. Here, we conducted a retrospective cohort study to identify the relationships of LK degree and duration with peritonitis in PD patients.

Methods: A total of 602 PD patients in our department from Jan 1st, 2009 to Dec 31st, 2019 entered the last analysis.

Directional culture of petroleum hydrocarbon degrading bacteria for enhancing crude oil recovery.

An oxygen-constrained system of crude oil reservoir environment was constructed to stimulate the growth of indigenous microbes, such as petroleum hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria. Addition of nitrogen and phosphorus sources was investigated for the growth of petroleum hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria. The results show that nitrates and phosphates stimulated the growth of the bacteria and promoted the biodegradation of crude oil as the sole carbon source in this process.

Efficacy of empowerment strategies for patients with hypertension: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Cardiovascular disease has caused heavy health care burdens in many countries, and hypertension (HTN) is a well-known independent cardiovascular risk factor.

Objective: To assess the efficacy of empowerment strategies that affect systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), body mass index (BMI), quality of life, and self-management behaviours for patients with hypertension.

Methods: A literature search of the Cochrane Library, PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, and several Chinese medical databases was performed.

Zinc removal from basic oxygen steelmaking (BOS) filter cake by sintering.

Zinc removal from basic oxygen steelmaking filter cake was studied by tablet testing and in a millipot under different conditions. The results from tablet testing show that coke and metallic iron in filter cake play the role of reductants to remove zinc during sintering. Zinc removal increased with increasing temperature and decreasing partial pressure of oxygen.

Cd(II) enhanced fluorescence and Zn(II) quenched fluorescence with phenylenevinylene terpyridine: A theoretical investigation.

Phenylenevinylene terpyridine (mepvpt) shows chelation enhanced fluorescence (CHEF) with Cd(II) and chelation quenched fluorescence (CHQF) with Zn(II), respectively. To understand the behaviors, we studied their intrinsic optical properties using DFT/TDDFT methods. The results show that fluorescence quantum yields (FQY) of mepvpt, mepvpt-Cd and mepvpt-Zn are low due to high ISC rates from higher excited states rather than the S excited state.

Crocetin attenuates spared nerve injury-induced neuropathic pain in mice.

Crocetin is the main component of saffron and exhibits anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects. Neuroinflammation and oxidative stress have been recognized to play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of neuropathic pain. We investigated the effect of crocetin in a mouse model with neuropathic pain induced by spared nerve injury (SNI).

Unexpected viscoelastic deformation of tight sandstone: Insights and predictions from the fractional Maxwell model.

Tight gas is one important unconventional hydrocarbon resource that is stored in tight sandstone, whose mechanical property greatly influences the tight gas production process and is commonly believed to be simply elastic when designing the stimulation plan. However, the experimental evidence provided in this work surprisingly shows that tight sandstone can deform in a viscoelastic way. Such an unexpected observation poses a challenge in accurately modelling the deformation process.

A high-efficiency denitrification bioreactor for the treatment of acrylonitrile wastewater using waterborne polyurethane immobilized activated sludge.

The performance of a laboratory-scale, high-efficiency denitrification bioreactor (15L) using activated sludge immobilized by waterborne polyurethane in treating acrylonitrile wastewater with high concentration of nitrate nitrogen (249mg/L) was investigated. The bioreactor was operated at 30°C for 220days. Batch denitrification experiments showed that the optimal operation parameters were C/NO-N molar ratio of 2.

Rhamnolipids Produced by Indigenous from Petroleum Reservoir and its Potential in Enhanced Oil Recovery.

Biosurfactant producers are crucial for incremental oil production in microbial enhanced oil recovery (MEOR) processes. The isolation of biosurfactant-producing bacteria from oil reservoirs is important because they are considered suitable for the extreme conditions of the reservoir. In this work, a novel biosurfactant-producing strain BD was isolated from a reservoir to reduce surface tension and emulsify crude oil.

The Effects of Iontophoretic Injections of Salvia miltiorrhiza on the Maturation of the Arteriovenous Fistula: A Randomized, Controlled Trial.

Context • For patients undergoing hemodialysis, the native arteriovenous fistula (AVF) is the primary approach to vascular access (VA). VA failure is the main cause of morbidity and mortality in hemodialysis patients. It has been reported in recent studies that the primary failure rate can be as high as 50%.

Analysis of bacterial diversity in two oil blocks from two low-permeability reservoirs with high salinities.

The community diversities of two oil reservoirs with low permeability of 1.81 × 10(-3) and 2.29 × 10(-3) μm(2) in Changqing, China, were investigated using a high throughput sequencing technique to analyze the influence of biostimulation with a nutrient activator on the bacterial communities.

A field pilot-scale study of biological treatment of heavy oil-produced water by biological filter with airlift aeration and hydrolytic acidification system.

Heavy oil-produced water (HOPW) is a by-product during heavy oil exploitation and can cause serious environmental pollution if discharged without adequate treatment. Commercial biochemical treatment units are important parts of HOPW treatment processes, but many are not in stable operation because of the toxic and refractory substances, salt, present. Therefore, pilot-scale experiments were conducted to evaluate the performance of hydrolytic acidification-biological filter with airlift aeration (HA-BFAA), a novel HOPW treatment system.

Reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the Short Musculoskeletal Function Assessment questionnaire in patients with skeletal muscle injury of the upper or lower extremities.

Background: The Short Musculoskeletal Function Assessment (SMFA) questionnaire is one of the most commonly used scales to evaluate functional status and quality of life (QOL) of patients with a broad range of musculoskeletal disorders. However, a Chinese version of the SMFA questionnaire for the psychometric properties of skeletal muscle injury patients in China is still lacking. The current study translated the SMFA into Chinese and assessed its reliability and validity among Chinese patients with skeletal muscle injury of the upper or lower extremities.

Combined hydrolysis acidification and bio-contact oxidation system with air-lift tubes and activated carbon bioreactor for oilfield wastewater treatment.

This paper investigated the enhancement of the COD reduction of an oilfield wastewater treatment process by installing air-lift tubes and adding an activated carbon bioreactor (ACB) to form a combined hydrolysis acidification and bio-contact oxidation system with air-lift tubes (HA/air-lift BCO) and an ACB. Three heat-resistant bacterial strains were cultivated and subsequently applied in above pilot plant test. Installing air-lift tubes in aerobic tanks reduced the necessary air to water ratio from 20 to 5.

Bacterial community diversity in a low-permeability oil reservoir and its potential for enhancing oil recovery.

The diversity of indigenous bacterial community and the functional species in the water samples from three production wells of a low permeability oil reservoir was investigated by high-throughput sequencing technology. The potential of application of indigenous bacteria for enhancing oil recovery was evaluated by examination of the effect of bacterial stimulation on the formation water-oil-rock surface interactions and micromodel test. The results showed that production well 88-122 had the most diverse bacterial community and functional species.

Genetic diversity of kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus) evaluated by inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR).

Understanding genetic diversity is very useful for scientific utilization for breeding. In this study, we estimated the genetic distances in a panel of 84 kenaf accessions collected from 26 countries and regions using ISSR markers. The results of UPGMA analysis showed that kenaf germplasm had abundant genetic variation, with genetic dissimilarity coefficients ranging from 0.

Generation of patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes as a cellular model of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy.

Aims: Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is a primary heart muscle disorder associated with sudden cardiac death. Its pathophysiology is still poorly understood. We aimed to produce an in vitro cellular model of ARVC using patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived cardiomyocytes and determine whether the model could recapitulate key features of the disease phenotype.