Changes of Soluble CD40 Ligand in the Progression of Acute Myocardial Infarction Associate to Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase Polymorphisms and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor But Not to Platelet CD62P Expression

Reported in vitro data implicated soluble CD40 ligand (sCD40L) in endothelial dysfunction and angiogenesis. However, whether sCD40L could exert that influence in endothelial dysfunction and angiogenesis after injury in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients remains unclear. In the present study, we evaluated the association of sCD40L with markers of platelet activation, endothelial, and vascular function during a recovery period early after AMI. To achieve this goal, the time changes of soluble, platelet-bound, and microparticle-bound CD40L levels over 1 month were assessed in AMI patients and correlated with endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) polymorphisms, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) concentrations, and platelet expression of P-selectin (CD62P). The association of soluble form, platelet-bound, and microparticle-bound CD40L with CD62P expression on platelets, a marker of platelet activation, was also assessed to evaluate the role of CD40L in the thrombosis, whereas the association with eNOS and VEGF was to evaluate the role of CD40L in vascular dysfunction. This work shows for the first time that time changes of sCD40L over 1 month after myocardial infarct onset were associated with G894T eNOS polymorphism and with the VEGF concentrations, but not to the platelet CD62P expression. These results indicate that, in terms of AMI pathophysiology, the sCD40L cannot be consider just as being involved in thrombosis and inflammation but also as having a relevant role in vascular and endothelial dysfunction.

Sistema supervisor inteligente para procesos de producción de petróleo

Maximizar la producción de pozos de crudo pesado y extra pesado es el principal beneficio que se desea obtener de los sistemas de control que están corrientemente operativos en empresas de petróleo. Dada la naturaleza compleja y cambiante con el tiempo de los métodos existentes de levantamiento artificial para extracción de crudo, se dificulta el cumplimiento de las especificaciones pre establecidas para el procesamiento del crudo por parte de los lazos de control regulatorios. Tomando esto en cuenta, en éste trabajo se propone un sistema de supervisión inteligente que permite detectar cambios en las condiciones de operación del proceso productivo y realizar ajustes automáticos de sus consignas. Además, el sistema supervisor propuesto tiene la capacidad de detectar fallas en los sensores involucrados en los lazos de control, garantizando de esta manera una operación confiable del proceso. La propuesta fue probada en un pozo de petróleo real obteniéndose resultados que superaron las expectativas iniciales.

Análise do comportamento reológico de pastas de cimento contendo resíduos de pneu para poços de petróleo

The low tenacity presented by the Portland cement pastes used in the oil wells cementation has been motivating several researches with attention focused on alternative materials. Additives have been developed to generate flexible pastes with mechanical resistance capable to support the expansions and retractions of the metallic covering of the wells that submit to the steam injection, technique very used to increase the recovery factor in oil reservoirs with high viscosity. A fresh paste with inadequate rheological behavior may commit the cementation process seriously, involving flaws that affect the performance of the paste substantially in the hardened state. This work proposes the elaboration and the rheological analysis of Portland cement pastes with addition of residues of rubber tire in several proportions, with the aim of minimizing the damages provoked in the hem cementing of these wells. By thermogravimetric analysis, the particles of eraser that go by the sieve of 0,5mm (35 mesh) opening and treated superficially with NaOH solution of 1 mol/L presented appropriate thermal resistance for wells that submit to thermal cyclic. The evaluation of the study based on the results of the rheological analysis of the pastes, complemented by the mechanical analysis, thickening, stability, tenor of free water and filtrate loss, being used as parameter a paste reference, without rubber addition. The results showed satisfactory rheology, passive of few corrections; considerable loss of mechanical resistance (traction and compression), compensated by earnings of tenacity, however with established limits for its application in oil wells; satisfactory stability, free water and thickening time

Predição não-linear de curvas de produção de petróleo via redes neurais recursivas

One of the main activities in the petroleum engineering is to estimate the oil production in the existing oil reserves. The calculation of these reserves is crucial to determine the economical feasibility of your explotation. Currently, the petroleum industry is facing problems to analyze production due to the exponentially increasing amount of data provided by the production facilities. Conventional reservoir modeling techniques like numerical reservoir simulation and visualization were well developed and are available. This work proposes intelligent methods, like artificial neural networks, to predict the oil production and compare the results with the ones obtained by the numerical simulation, method quite a lot used in the practice to realization of the oil production prediction behavior. The artificial neural networks will be used due your learning, adaptation and interpolation capabilities

Simulador de dano à formação, aplicado ao Projeto e à execução da perfuração de poços de petróleo

With the high oil price variability, the petroleum and the reservoir engineers are usually face to face on how they can evaluate the well performance and productivity. They can improve high productivity from the well construction to the secondary recoveries, but they have never tried a measurement in the drilling operations about the lower productivity index. As a rule, frequently the drilling operations hear from the reservoir engineering and geology that, if there is a formation damage, probably some drilling operations practices were not done properly or the good practice in petroleum engineering or mud engineering were not observed. The study in this working search is an attempt of how to measure a formation damage just from the project drilling to the drilling operations, with datum from the fields in Brazilian northeast and putting into practice a Simulator developed from the modeling on the theory offered by different experts and sources in formation damage

Modelagem e previsão da perda de injetividade em poços canhoneados

Waterflooding is a technique largely applied in the oil industry. The injected water displaces oil to the producer wells and avoid reservoir pressure decline. However, suspended particles in the injected water may cause plugging of pore throats causing formation damage (permeability reduction) and injectivity decline during waterflooding. When injectivity decline occurs it is necessary to increase the injection pressure in order to maintain water flow injection. Therefore, a reliable prediction of injectivity decline is essential in waterflooding projects. In this dissertation, a simulator based on the traditional porous medium filtration model (including deep bed filtration and external filter cake formation) was developed and applied to predict injectivity decline in perforated wells (this prediction was made from history data). Experimental modeling and injectivity decline in open-hole wells is also discussed. The injectivity of modeling showed good agreement with field data, which can be used to support plan stimulation injection wells

Caracterização batimétrica e fisicooceanográfica do canal de acesso ao porto de Cabedelo/PB: uma análise ambiental ao derrame de óleo

The State of Paraíba is one of the most dynamic states of Brazil, strategically located in the northeast, is notable for the excellent potential for integration of different transportation modes forming the states of Rio Grande do Norte, Pernambuco and Alagoas. The dynamic that occurs with port activity causes changes in the space where it is installed. And the elements of this space are always more than suffering direct or indirect influences as the flow in the port is expanded. Therefore, this region became subject to the accidental spillage of oil, because it presents a heavy traffic of ships of various sizes that can run aground or collide with oil causing accidental events. The study of geomorphological and sedimentological compositions of seafloor becomes important as more is known about the relationships between these parameters and associated fauna, and can identify their preferred habitats. The database background, acoustically collected along the proposed study area, is a wealth of information, which were duly examined, cataloged and made available. Such information can serve as an important tool, providing a geomorphological survey of the sedimentary area studied, and come to subsidize, in a flexible, future decision making. With the study area Port of Cabedelo, Paraíba - Brazil, this research aimed to evaluate the influence of the tidal surface and background in modeling the seabed, including the acquisition of information about the location of submerged rocky bodies and the depth of these bodies may turn out to be natural traps for the trapping of oil in case of leaks, and obtain the relationship between types of bed and the hydrodynamic conditions present in the region. In this context, for this study were collected bathymetric data (depth) and physical oceanographic (height of water column, water temperature, intensity and direction of currents, waves and turbidity), meteorological (rainfall, air temperature, humidity, winds and barometric pressure) of the access channel to the Port of Cabedelo / PB and its basin evolution (where the cruise ships dock), and includes tools of remote sensing (Landsat 7 ETM +, 2001), so that images and the results are integrated into Geographic Information Systems and used in the elaboration of measures aimed at environmental protection areas under the influence of this scale facilities, serving as a grant to prepare a contingency plan in case of oil spills in the region. The main findings highlight the techniques of using hydroacoustic data acquisition together bathymetric surveys of high and low frequency. From there, five were prepared in bathymetric pattern of Directorate of Hydrography and Navigation - DHN, with the depth in meters, on a scale of 1:2500 (Channel and Basin Evolution of Access to Port of Cabedelo), where there is a large extent possible beachrocks that hinder the movement of vessels in the port area, which can cause collisions, running aground and leaking oil. From the scatter diagram of the vectors of currents, it can be seen as the tidal stream and undergoes a channeling effect caused by the bidirectional effect of the tide (ebb and flood) in the basin of the Port of Cabedelo evolution in NW-direction SE and the highest speed of the currents occurs at low tide. The characterization weather for the period from 28/02 to 04/07/2010 values was within the expected average for the region of study. The multidisciplinary integration of products (digital maps and remote sensing images), proved to be efficient for the characterization of underwater geomorphological study area, reaching the aim to discriminate and enhance submerged structures, previously not visible in the images

Estudos hidroquímicos da água produzida de um determinado campo de petróleo da bacia potiguar

Waste generated during the exploration and production of oil, water stands out due to various factors including the volume generated, the salt content, the presence of oil and chemicals and the water associated with oil is called produced water. The chemical composition of water is complex and depends strongly on the field generator, because it was in contact with the geological formation for thousands of years. This work aims to characterize the hydrochemical water produced in different areas of a field located in the Potiguar Basin. We collected 27 samples from 06 zones (400, 600, 400/600, 400/450/500, 350/400, A) the producing field called S and measured 50 required parameter divided between physical and chemical parameters, cations and anions. In hydrochemical characterization was used as tools of reasons ionic calculations, diagrams and they hydrochemical classification diagram Piper and Stiff diagram and also the statistic that helped in the identification of signature patterns for each production area including the area that supplies water injected this field for secondary oil recovery. The ionic balance error was calculated to assess the quality of the results of the analysis that was considered good, because 89% of the samples were below 5% error. Hydrochemical diagrams classified the waters as sodium chloride, with the exception of samples from Area A, from the injection well, which were classified as sodium bicarbonate. Through descriptive analysis and discriminant analysis was possible to obtain a function that differs chemically production areas, this function had a good hit rate of classification was 85%

A SCR Model based on Reactor and Engine Experimental Studies for a Cu-zeolite Catalyst

A NOx reduction efficiency higher than 95% with NH3 slip less than 30 ppm is desirable for heavy-duty diesel (HDD) engines using selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems to meet the US EPA 2010 NOx standard and the 2014-2018 fuel consumption regulation. The SCR performance needs to be improved through experimental and modeling studies. In this research, a high fidelity global kinetic 1-dimensional 2-site SCR model with mass transfer, heat transfer and global reaction mechanisms was developed for a Cu-zeolite catalyst. The model simulates the SCR performance for the engine exhaust conditions with NH3 maldistribution and aging effects, and the details are presented. SCR experimental data were collected for the model development, calibration and validation from a reactor at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and an engine experimental setup at Michigan Technological University (MTU) with a Cummins 2010 ISB engine. The model was calibrated separately to the reactor and engine data. The experimental setup, test procedures including a surrogate HD-FTP cycle developed for transient studies and the model calibration process are described. Differences in the model parameters were determined between the calibrations developed from the reactor and the engine data. It was determined that the SCR inlet NH3 maldistribution is one of the reasons causing the differences. The model calibrated to the engine data served as a basis for developing a reduced order SCR estimator model. The effect of the SCR inlet NO2/NOx ratio on the SCR performance was studied through simulations using the surrogate HD-FTP cycle. The cumulative outlet NOx and the overall NOx conversion efficiency of the cycle are highest with a NO2/NOx ratio of 0.5. The outlet NH3 is lowest for the NO2/NOx ratio greater than 0.6. A combined engine experimental and simulation study was performed to quantify the NH3 maldistribution at the SCR inlet and its effects on the SCR performance and kinetics. The uniformity index (UI) of the SCR inlet NH3 and NH3/NOx ratio (ANR) was determined to be below 0.8 for the production system. The UI was improved to 0.9 after installation of a swirl mixer into the SCR inlet cone. A multi-channel model was developed to simulate the maldistribution effects. The results showed that reducing the UI of the inlet ANR from 1.0 to 0.7 caused a 5-10% decrease in NOx reduction efficiency and 10-20 ppm increase in the NH3 slip. The simulations of the steady-state engine data with the multi-channel model showed that the NH3 maldistribution is a factor causing the differences in the calibrations developed from the engine and the reactor data. The Reactor experiments were performed at ORNL using a Spaci-IR technique to study the thermal aging effects. The test results showed that the thermal aging (at 800°C for 16 hours) caused a 30% reduction in the NH3 stored on the catalyst under NH3 saturation conditions and different axial concentration profiles under SCR reaction conditions. The kinetics analysis showed that the thermal aging caused a reduction in total NH3 storage capacity (94.6 compared to 138 gmol/m3), different NH3 adsorption/desorption properties and a decrease in activation energy and the pre-exponential factor for NH3 oxidation, standard and fast SCR reactions. Both reduction in the storage capability and the change in kinetics of the major reactions contributed to the change in the axial storage and concentration profiles observed from the experiments.

El agua como factor reordenador del territorio en el caso de las inundaciones de la Universidad de la Sabana en 2011

El objetivo de este estudio de caso es analizar el agua como factor reordenador del territorio, en el caso específico de las inundaciones sucedidas en el 2011 en el territorio de la Universidad de la Sabana. Durante la ola invernal del 2011 todo el país sufrió las consecuencias de los errores en la planeación de los asentamientos humanos. La no inclusión de la gestión del riesgo dentro del Ordenamiento Territorial, sumado la falta de comprensión de las dinámicas del territorio y del rol del agua como factor ordenador del territorio, causaron inundaciones y desastres naturales que afectaron la vida de miles de ciudadanos, entre eso los estudiantes, profesores y demás afectados por las inundaciones de la Universidad de la Sabana.

La exploración y producción de hidrocarburos en yacimientos no convencionales, frente a los principios de prevención, precaución y desarrollo sostenible

El presente trabajo de grado busca exponer el panorama actual de la exploración y producción de hidrocarburos en Yacimientos No Convencionales, realizada utilizando el fracturamiento hidráulico – Fracking – cómo método para lograr mejores condiciones físicas en el reservorio que permitan la extracción del recurso. El método mencionado es estudiado a la luz de los principios de prevención, precaución y desarrollo sostenible, que rigen la política ambiental en Colombia, con el objetivo de analizar los posibles impactos ambientales y sociales que se puedan generar por el desarrollo de la actividad extractiva de hidrocarburos en Yacimientos No Convencionales. Para finalmente mostrar que el Fracking como actividad está legalmente permitida en Colombia, y la legislación vigente responde a los principios mencionados previamente.

Las empresas energéticas y la gran estrategia estadounidense hacia Irak : una reflexión sobre el rol de Exxon Mobil y Chevron como grupos económicos y de presión (2001- 2011)

La monografía pretende explicar el rol desempeñado por Exxon Mobil y Chevron en la formulación de la Gran Estrategia del gobierno Bush hacia Irak. Especialmente, se sostiene que las dos compañías multinacionales mencionadas lograron que la intervención militar en Irak, fuera pensada como un objetivo fundamental de la política energética del gobierno Bush. Para lograr este objetivo, Chevron y Exxon aprovecharon principalmente su posición en la economía nacional estadounidense. De hecho, lograron celebrar contratos a largo plazo para la extracción del crudo y de gas en Irak. Fundamentándose en un análisis documental, estas compañías son analizadas como grupos de presión empresarial y grupos económicos, cuyos beneficios derivados de la invasión en Irak pueden encontrarse incluso durante el gobierno Obama.

Waste Heat Recovery Systems: Numerical and Experimental Analysis of organic Rankine Cycle Solutions

This thesis aims to present the ORC technology, its advantages and related problems. In particular, it provides an analysis of ORC waste heat recovery system in different and innovative scenarios, focusing on cases from the biggest to the lowest scale. Both industrial and residential ORC applications are considered. In both applications, the installation of a subcritical and recuperated ORC system is examined. Moreover, heat recovery is considered in absence of an intermediate heat transfer circuit. This solution allow to improve the recovery efficiency, but requiring safety precautions. Possible integrations of ORC systems with renewable sources are also presented and investigated to improve the non-programmable source exploitation. In particular, the offshore oil and gas sector has been selected as a promising industrial large-scale ORC application. From the design of ORC systems coupled with Gas Turbines (GTs) as topper systems, the dynamic behavior of the GT+ORC innovative combined cycles has been analyzed by developing a dynamic model of all the considered components. The dynamic behavior is caused by integration with a wind farm. The electric and thermal aspects have been examined to identify the advantages related to the waste heat recovery system installation. Moreover, an experimental test rig has been realized to test the performance of a micro-scale ORC prototype. The prototype recovers heat from a low temperature water stream, available for instance in industrial or residential waste heat. In the test bench, various sensors have been installed, an acquisitions system developed in Labview environment to completely analyze the ORC behavior. Data collected in real time and corresponding to the system dynamic behavior have been used to evaluate the system performance based on selected indexes. Moreover, various operational steady-state conditions are identified and operation maps are realized for a completely characterization of the system and to detect the optimal operating conditions.

Chemical Composition And Free Radical-scavenging, Anticancer And Anti-inflammatory Activities Of The Essential Oil From Ocimum Kilimandscharicum.

The essential oil from the leaves of Ocimum kilimandscharicum (EOOK), collected in Dourados-MS, was investigated for anticancer, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity and chemical composition. The essential oil was extracted by hydrodistillation, and the chemical composition was performed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The essential oil was evaluated for free radical-scavenging activity using the DPPH assay and was tested in an anticancer assay against ten human cancer cell lines. The response parameter (GI50) was calculated for the cell lines tested. The anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated using carrageenan-induced pleurisy in mice. The chemical composition showed 45 components with a predominance of monoterpenes, such as camphor (51.81%), 1,8 cineole (20.13%) and limonene (11.23%). The EOOK exhibited potent free radical-scavenging activity by the DPPH assay with a GI50 of 8.31 μg/ml. The major constituents, pure camphor (IC50=12.56 μg/ml) and mixture of the limonene: 1, 8 cineole (IC50=23.25 μg/ml) displayed a potent activity. The oral administration of EOOK (at 30 and 100 mg kg(-1)), as well as the pure camphor or a mixture of 1,8 cineole with limonene, significantly inhibited the carrageenan (Cg) induced pleurisy, reducing the migration of total leukocytes in mice by 82 ± 4% (30 mg kg(-1) of EOOK), 95 ± 4% (100 mg kg(-1) of EOOK), 83 ± 9% (camphor) and 80 ± 5% (mixture of 1,8 cineole:limonene 1:1). In vitro cytotoxicity screening against a human ovarian cancer cell line displayed high selectivity and potent anticancer activity with GI50=31.90 mg ml(-1). This work describes the anti-inflammatory, anticancer and antioxidant effects of EOOK for the first time. The essential oil exhibited marked anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anticancer effects, an effect that can be attributed the presence of majorital compounds, and the response profiles from chemical composition differed from other oils collected in different locales.

Surfactina: propriedades químicas, tecnológicas e funcionais para aplicações em alimentos

Surfactin, a lipopeptide produced by strains of Bacillus subtilis, has been proved to be a suitable biosurfactant in several applications. For many years, it has been investigated mainly for oil recovery and environmental usage. Its chemical, technological and functional characteristics turn surfactin into an attractive compound for several utilizations. In this review we emphasize some aspects of surfactin as a new food ingredient and its potential pharmaceutical and health applications.