Improving Oil Recovery Efficiency Using Corn starch as a Local Polymer for Enhanced Oil Recovery Processes

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Polymer flooding is a chemical enhanced oil recovery method that improves the recovery of oil by controlling the mobility of water to oil phase. It uses polymer solutions to increase the viscosity of the displacing water thereby decreasing water/oil mobility ratio (Speight, 2013). The volumetric and displacement sweep efficiencies are positively affected by polymer flooding. The viscosity of the aqueous phase is increased due to the molecular size and structure of the polymer used. The main objective of this research was to study the ability of cornstarch (local polymer) to recover additional oil after conventional water flooding. The objective was successfully achieved by injecting four different unconsolidated samples (sand pack) with cornstarch solution at varying concentration of 500ppm, 1000ppm, 3000ppm, and 9000ppm. From the results of the experiment conducted, it was deduced that Cornstarch has the ability to recover an additional volume of oil about half the volume of oil recovered during conventional water flooding (i.e. if 50% of oil initially in place was recovered during water flooding, cornstarch can recover an additional 25% of the residual oil after water flooding). Also, higher concentrations of cornstarch reduce the recovery factor due to polymer adsorption on the rock surfaces which alters the rock wettability. To reduce the adsorption effect of Cornstarch, it is recommended that the concentration of Cornstarch be measured after the flooding experiments for a better understanding of the adsorption mechanism of cornstarch.

Inventory Management Practices of Micro, Small and Medium Grocery Stores in Daet, Camarines Norte

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Sourcing, storing and selling are the three very significant processes in the practice of inventory management.
These processes are the focus of assessment of this research to a group of selected MSM grocery stores in Daet, Camarines Norte. Specifically, it sought answers to the following questions: 1) What is the profile of the MSM grocery stores in Daet, Camarines
Norte in terms of length of the business operation, current capitalization; and total number of inventory management personnel? 2) What are the existing inventory management practices of grocery stores and their assessment of the level of effectiveness in terms of sourcing, storing, and selling? and, 3) Is there a significant relationship between the profile of the MSM grocery stores and the assessment of the level of effectiveness of the inventory management practices of grocery stores?
The study covered 150 respondents composed of MSM grocery stores. Descriptive-correlational method and F-test (One Factor Analysis of Variance) were used in the gathering and treatment of data. Frequency count and percentage were employed to determine the number of respondents characterized by each of the items in the profile. Weighted mean and adjectival ratings were utilized in marking the inventory management practices as well as the challenges encountered by MSM grocery stores. Pearson’s Product-Moment Correlation and the Somers’s Delta using the SPSS software was used in determining the significant relationship between the level of effectiveness of the inventory management practices of MSM grocery stores and their profile.
The findings of the study revealed that majority or 38 percent of the MSM grocery stores are already existing for 4 to 6 years with less than Php 3,000,000 current capitalization and most of them admitted that they had no particular employee assigned as inventory management personnel. The existing inventory management practices along the sourcing and storing process were all absolutely effective with ABC Classification System being the highest indicator. Moreover, findings showed that the inventory management practices for selling were 50 percent absolutely effective and 50 percent highly effective, where Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) was the highest indicator. In the correlation analysis conducted, it was found out that the length of business operation and the level of effectiveness of inventory management practices of MSM Grocery stores along sourcing and storing are not significantly related unlike selling as an inventory management process which resulted to a significant correlation. Further, all other profiles such as current capitalization and the number of inventory management personnel have no significant relationship to the effectiveness of the inventory management practices of the respondents.

The Capability in Pronouncing the English Final Consonant Clusters by the English Department Students, Faculty of Humanities, Udayana University

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This study attempts to describe the ability of the English Department students, Faculty of Humanities, Udayana University in pronouncing English final consonant clusters. Consonant clusters are groups of consonants that can occur initia lly (onset) and finally (coda) in the syllable structure. The features of consonant clusters in each language are highly dependent on the language itself. In English, the number of consonants at the beginning of a syllable can be up to three such as: structure /strʌktʃə/, spring /sprIŋ/, while the number of consonants that forms a cluster in the coda can be up to four as in sixths /siksθs/, texts /teksθs/. While, Consonant clusters in Indonesian and Balinese as the mother tongue of students are very limited in number and only exist initially in the words. This difference, obviously, creates problems for students in pronouncing English words containing these consonant clusters
The knowledge of the English sound system is taught in the English phonetic and phonemic course in the fifth semester at the English Department, Faculty of Humanities, Udayana University. This study examined the ability to pronounce consonant clusters by the second semester students who have not taken English Phonetic and Phonemic courses to be compared with student s who have taken the course, so that it can be seen to what extent the course can change students’ performance in pronouncing the consonant clusters.
This research is descriptive qualitative research, supported by quantitative data. The research population was 20 second semester students and 20 sixth semester students randomly taken. The research instrument was a list of English words containing consonant clusters and questionnaires. The data collection technique was done through recording, and the data were analyzed descriptive qualitatively and presented formally and informally.

Nitrogen and Chicken Manure Effect on Corn Growth and Yield in Double Row Cropping Patterns

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Corn (Zea mays L.) is a common food and feed product in the community since it is commonly used as rice substitution as food staple. Fertilizer application is required to attain crop high yields. Plants can receive nutrients from synthetic nitrogen fertilizers (NF) during their growth cycle. However, excessive use of NF might harm the environment. Organic chicken manure (CM), on the other hand, can minimize the harmful impact of NF. Chicken manure benefits to improve the soil’s physical, chemical, and biological properties. To boost maize plant growth and productivity, might employ CM and NF. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of NF and CM on corn growth and yield. This research was conducted in Kembang Seri, Central Bengkulu, Indonesia from November 2019 to February 2020 using Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with two factors and three replications. The first factor was NF doses (100, 125, and 150 %), and the second-factor consisted of CM doses (0, 10, and 20 tons/ha). Data were analyzed using ANOVA F-5%. On shoot dry weight of corn cultivated in a double row cropping pattern, there was an interaction between the dose of N and chicken manure. At 0 tons/ha, the optimum N fertilizer dose for chicken manure is 135.96 %, or 407.86 kg urea/ha. At a dose of 20 tons/ha, the optimum N fertilizer dose for chicken manure is 141.22 %, or 423.65 kg urea/ha. In a double row cropping pattern, different nitrogen fertilizer doses had no effect on corn growth and yield. The optimal dose of chicken manure was 16.65 tons/ha for plant height, 17.35 tons/ha for stem diameter, 18.89 tons/ha for leaf greenness, 17.35 tons/ha for cob length, 15.01 tons/ha for cob weight, 18.87 tons/ha for dry seed weight/plant, and 19.74 tons/ha for dry seed weight/plot.

Atherosclerosis [Dhamani Pratichaya] in View of Ayurved

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Atherosclerosis is a disease condition leading to serious consequences such as ischemic heart disease and stroke. Diet and lifestyle changes are most important for the management of this condition. In this review Ayurvedic understanding of this condition is reported. It is termed as Dhamani pratichay by Charak Samhita and Ashtang Sangraha, as a disease of kapha dosha. Appropriate use of a suitable treatment regimen of kapha dosha is helpful to prevent and combat this disease. Nidanparivarjan [discontinuation of causative food and lifestyle] is necessary to prevent blockages. The specific Ayurvedic etiological factors [hetu], early interventions to prevent the condition have been reviewed in this paper. In severe cases, integrative approach must be used.

Paradigm Shift towards E-Learning in Nigeria

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In almost every place in the world, the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic is pushing societies, cultures and civilizations into uncharted territories. Social systems, economic structures and to an extent, political realities are being disrupted on a scale unprecedented in human recorded history. Educational systems are no exception, with more than 1.6 billion learners forced out of traditional schooling since the beginning of the pandemic. E-learning platforms and models are thus taking the center stage, leaping out from the shadows of traditional classroom-based learning with such force that many have argued it is indeed the future of learning. This paper examines the realities of such a paradigm shift within the Nigerian context, with particular spotlight on its advantages to the educational sector, as well as challenges that may hinder the realization of these advantages and nullify potential positive impacts.

Are The Independent Area of Beef Cattle Development Ready for Big Data to Reduce the Volume of Imports?

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Stakeholders find it difficult to make decisions for both breeders and supporting sectors due to unorganized agribusiness data on beef cattle, it seems very limited information on it. The activities related to this business have not been recorded well, from male selection, feed management, cultivation, as well as marketing and traceability—these factors have caused price disparities in meat to become commonplace. Thus, a model of breeder empowerment is needed through big data maturity. Data play a crucial role in the planning and development of agriculture and agribusiness. The results of the analysis on efforts to digitalize and integrate data on beef cattle business confirm that the progress stops at the Nascent phase. Data digitalization at the Agency for Agriculture Extension of Kediri is at the Nascent phase, while at the Department of Food Security and Livestock Service is in between the Nascent and pre-adoption phase. Data integration in other agencies, such as the Regional Central Bureau of Statistics of Kediri, the Regional Information and Communication Office of Kediri, and the Directorate General of Livestock, fall into the corporate adoption and mature phase. As can be seen, data have not been well-integrated within one interconnected system. The availability of such a model of data integration will be a good alternative in empowering breeders of beef cattle and the public sector, it will also find communication easier with the existence of the model. The government eventually will be able to better improve performance based on the digital data available.

Role of TNF-α in Periodontal Disease & Its Implication on Systemic Health

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Periodontal disease is a polymicrobial infection, characterized by gingival inflammation, pocket formation, loss of connective tissue attachment and supporting alveolar bone. Though the etiology of periodontal disease has been established and micro-organisms have been implicated, pathology of these inflammatory lesions have been attributed not only to bacterial products, that have adverse effects on the tissues, but also to chemical mediators released by the host cells, as a result of inflammatory and immune reactions. Oral micro- organisms trigger the endogenous pathways of tissue degradation by activating host cells to produce and release inflammatory mediators and cytokines. These inflammatory mediators and cytokines manifest potent pro-inflammatory and catabolic activity and may play a key role in local amplification of the immune response as well as in periodontal tissue breakdown
Apart from playing an important role in periodontal destruction, systemic elevation of TNF-α levels is extremely toxic to the host and hence has been termed as the “Suicide hormone”. TNF-α, has been postulated to mediate wasting during chronic infections. This review aims to explore the role of TNF-α in periodontal disease & its implication on systemic health.

Identification and Conformation of Bromadiolone Using HPLC and Molecular Dynamics Simulations

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Rodenticides of warfarin group are mainly consisting of bromadiolone(3-(3-(4′-bromobiphenyl-4-yl)-3-hydroxy-1-phenylpropyl)-4-hydroxycoumarin), 3-bromofuran, zinc phosphide etc., having different chemical composition which are frequently used for attempting suicide, perpetrating homicide, accidental inhalation of human being while baiting rats, birds, rabbits in agricultural fields. Bromadiolone, strong and long-acting rodenticide, having anticoagulant properties and also acting as antagonist by disrupting the normal blood clotting mechanisms to vitamin-K, required for blood clotting, and increasing the bleeding tendency in rodents has been taken for finding its reaction mechanisms with different solvent media. The main symptoms of the bromadiolone rodenticides are dizziness, unsteady gait, and abnormal behavior. In the present study, we focused to determine the presence of Bromadiolone in ppm level using HPLC, the reaction mechanism of functional groups (ketone, alcohol, phenol) present in the bromadiolone under the solvent media such as H2O and HCl. The software, Avogadro, has been used to dynamically simulate the Bromadiolone for calculating its optimum energy and to conform the molecular structure under the influence of the water molecule. The reaction mechanism of functional groups in the bromadiolonecombined with the MD simulations may through light to reveal the enzymes activity in damaging the central nervous system which led to fatal.

Mediation Role of Consumer Satisfaction, Consumer Experience, Price Perception, Quality of Service and Brand Image on Repurchasing Interest (Study at Empal Gentong Restaurant H. Apud Cirebon)

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The purpose of this study was to analyze the role of consumer satisfaction in mediating consumer experience, price perception, service quality and brand image on repurchase intention (case study of Empal Gentong H. Apud). The study involved 151 consumers of empal gentong H. Apud who had bought at least once in three months and were in the Cirebon area. Researchers used Partial Least Square (PLS) as a technique used to analyze measurements and structural models. This type of research is descriptive quantitative with the method used is a direct survey and using google form and the results of this study indicate that three variables have a positive and significant effect while the other five variables have a positive and insignificant effect and the last one has a negative and insignificant effect.