Condensate and liquid blockage is a serious problem in gas condensate reservoirs as it reduces gas production. There are many methods to solve this problem, however, most of them are temporary or expensive. Wettability ALTERATION of reservoir rocks from a liquid-wet state to a gas-wet state via nanoparticles is a long-lasting, cheap, and environmentally friendly solution to condensate blockage. With the aim of promoting this treatment in field scales, this review article presents a report of almost all the research carried out in this area. The results of different research teams are compared and the advantages and disadvantages of each research are detailed. Furthermore, the mechanisms and effects of gas-wetting ALTERATION are fully explained, and the existence of an optimum wettability state is discussed. We found that silica nanoparticles are the most commonly used type of nanoparticles in wettability ALTERATION towards a gas wet state due to their effectiveness and endurance. Most importantly, we present two new theories about the application of nanoparticles in the wettability ALTERATION process of condensate reservoirs. First, it may be possible to inject nanoparticles into reservoirs via foam which not only stabilizes foam but also increases the effectiveness of wettability ALTERATION treatment. Second, nanoparticles can be used to alter the wettability and prevent fines migration and sand production simultaneously. This review can be utilized as a reference in expanding the use of nanoparticles in gas-wetting ALTERATION in field scales.

Mineralogical and geochemical investigations indicate two general stages of skarnification i.e, prograde and RETROGRADE stages in the Mohammad-Abad district, south west of Yazd province. Metasomatic skarn (Prograde stage) occurred with precipitation of anhydrous calc-silicate mineral assemblages (andradite and diopside-hedenbergite) within the temperature ranges of 470 to 550oC. During the RETROGRADE stage (<470oC) considerable amounts of anhydrous calc-silicates were altered and replaced by a series of hydrous calc-silicates (epidote, tremolite–actinolite). Finally, both anhydrous and hydrous calc-silicates were altered to fine aggregates of chlorite, calcite, quartz and clay minerals at temperatures lower than 300 oC. The absence of wollastonite among the calc-silicate assemblages may suggest that andradite and hedenbergite were crystallized from metasomatizing fluids at lower than 550 oC in the Mohammad-Abad skarn. The presence of intergrowth texture and non-replacive crystal boundaries between garnets and pyroxenes suggest that they were formed contemporaneously within the temperature and fO2 ranges of 430–550oC and 10-26–10-23, respectively. Andradite converted to quartz, calcite and magnetite below 470 oC and fO2=10-24–10-21. Since, both magnetite and pyrite along with quartz and calcite are present in mineral assemblages of sub-stage III, it can be reasoned that the metasomatizing fluids probably had an approximate fS2 10-6.5 and a temperature of about 430 oC.

This technical note aims to introduce a new approach for intubation of patients with restricted mouth opening in cases that conventional and fiberoptic-assisted endotracheal intubation are not possible. The proposed technique is a modification to the previously well-established RETROGRADE intubation method. The main advantage of this new technique is the employment of fiberscope for direct visualization which eliminates the use of guide wire. The endotracheal tube enters through the nostril and is railroaded using the fiberscope as a guide. Using this new technique can prevent the complications of tracheostomy and the traditional RETROGRADE intubation in patients that anterograde intubation is not feasible. The promising result of conducting the intubation with this approach can be considered the basis for future clinical investigation.

Background: Deep sedation is essential during endoscopic RETROGRADE cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in order to achieve therapeutic goals and avoid complication. Therefore, providing a suitable sedation is critical for the patients. The most common sedation protocol includes an intravenous (IV) benzodiazepine along with an intravenous narcotic. For the difficult-to-sedate patients, like addicted patients, general anesthesia should be considered as an alternative. Meperidine is commonly used because of the traditional belief that other narcotic agents may be associated with contraction of Oddi. However, it seems that using morphine for addicted patients may cause deeper sedation without Oddi sphincter contraction.Methods: This was a clinical trial study on 88 ERCP-candidate addicted patients assigned into two groups. The case group received morphine before starting ERCP and the control group only received the routine sedation regimen. The degree of sedation, patient movements, and the status of the sphincter of Oddi were evaluated during procedure time.Findings: The data about 44 patients of the case and 40 patients of control groups were analyzed. The mean age was 58.52±1.11 years. Evaluating the degree of sedation every 15 minutes during ERCP showed significant differences between the case and control group. In case group, the degree of sedation was significantly deeper. Furthermore, Oddi sphincter showed a significantly increased contraction in case group. However, only in one patient procedure failed.Conclusion: Administration of morphine in addicted patients can make deeper sedation during ERCP, without any significant problem related to contraction of the sphincter of Oddi.

Endourologic pyeloplasty is being a substitute of open pyeloplasty in management of ureteropelvic junction obstruction. This procedure can be done in different manners like balloon dilation, cold knife and electrosurgical endoureterotomy, accucise and lasers.A 47 year old woman referred with history of previous open pyeloplasty.Hydronephrosis of right kidney with unremarkable T 1/2 was found in DTPA scan.A full-thickness lateral incision was done with holmium: YAG laser just below the right UPJ and carried through the stenotic segment until the renal pelvis was reached.Half-time of radioisotope excretion was 13 min for the right kidney in diuretic renogram 3 months following operation.

Background: Post-endoscopic RETROGRADE cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) pancreatitis (PEP) is one of the life-threatening complications of ERCP. Numerous efforts have been made to decrease the risk of PEP; however, the results were controversial. The current study aimed to assess the efficacy of local epinephrine spray on PEP reduction. Methods: 124 patients undergone ERCP were randomly divided into two groups of intervention (n = 67) and control (n = 57). The intervention group was treated with 20 ml of local epinephrine 0. 02% on papilla immediately after ERCP, and the controls with similar volume of normal saline. Demographic factors, procedure-related factors (duration of procedure, volume of contrast, times of cannulation, precut sphinctrotomy, billiary balloon dilatation, asinarization, opacification, and number of pancreatic duct cannulations), as well as amylase, lipase, and hemoglobin levels at baseline and within 24 hour after the procedure were compared between the groups. Besides, the patients were assessed in terms of pancreatitis, bleeding, and perforation incidence within 12 and 24 hours after ERCP. Findings: The two assessed groups were similar in terms of demographic and procedural-related factors (P > 0. 050). Pancreatitis occurred in 1 patient (1. 5%) in intervention and 6 ones (10. 5%) in control group (P = 0. 036). The two groups were not statistically different in terms of amylase and lipase at baseline and after ERCP. Bleeding occurred only a case (1. 75%) in the control group and no one experienced perforation. Conclusion: Based on the findings of the current study, local epinephrine spray can remarkably lead to decreased pancreatitis incidence as compared to the control group; however, it cannot significantly affect the pancreatic enzymes level and pancreatitis severity.

Ilvaite, CaFe22+Fe3+(Si2O7)O(OH), is one of the important trace minerals in the RETROGRADE ALTERATION stage of skarn deposits. In this contribution, by using microscopic evidence, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and electron microprobe analysis (EPMA), the crystallographic characteristics, crystal chemistry and thermodynamic conditions of ilvaite have been investigated in the formation of skarn deposits. The Gholamabad iron skarn deposit (1.3 Mt with an average grade of 37.2% FeO) is located 30 km SW of Dehgolan, North Sanandaj-Sirjan Zone (N-SaSZ). Skarn formation has occurred in this deposit at the contact of alkali granite porphyry (Upper Jurassic) and tuffaceous siltstone sequence (Triassic-Jurassic), which was accompanied by progressive ALTERATION of brown andradite-hedenbergite near the intrusive body and RETROGRADE ALTERATION of epidote-actinolite-calcite in the vicinity of volcanic rocks. Ilvaite with empirical formula, Ca0.90Fe2+1.88Fe3+0.98Al0.04Mn0.04Mg0.02Si2.14O8(OH), formed from the reaction of andradite, magnetite, and quartz minerals during RETROGRADE ALTERATION stage (temperature 400 to 470 °C and ∆logfO2(HM) between -4.2 and -4.0). Then, in the final stage of RETROGRADE ALTERATION, with increasing XCO2 activity (0.05 to 0.005) and decreasing oxygen content (∆logfO2(HM) < -4.5), ilvaite has been decomposed to the magnetite, calcite, and ferroactinolite assemblage at temperature 270 to 350 °C. According to the results of EPMA, the high ratio of Fe2+/ Fe3+ (avg.= 1.90) and low content of Mn2+ (<0.05 assumed six cation sum) in the ilvaite of Gholamabad deposit indicates that it belongs to Fe skarn deposits, which is different from other skarn systems. In general, although ilvaite is a trace mineral in most skarn systems, the results of this approach show that the composition and thermodynamics of ilvaite can be used to distinguish different types of skarn deposits and the evolution of geochemical-skarnification processes.

Background: Despite the advances in techniques and the improvements in surgical implants, treatment of distal femoral fractures remains a challenge in many situations. Long-term disability can still occur if inappropriate treatment is done. This study was conducted to evaluate the results of distal femoral nailing in treatment of the distal femur fractures.Methods: In this cohort study, among patients referred to Kashani hospital in Isfahan, Iran from December 2005 to December 2007, 36 patients with distal femoral fracture were enrolled in our study. Patients were treated with RETROGRADE femoral nailing. The patients' demographic information, Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) tearing, duration of surgery, volume of hemorrhage, and after-surgery complications such as stiffness, infection and rate of union was obtained and reported. Findings: The mean of time of surgery was 97.4±11.6 minutes. There were not any ACL tearing in studied patients. In first two weeks, infection was seen in 4 patients that recovered. The rate of union was 100% after 6 month. Conclusion: Regard to results, RETROGRADE nailling has very good results in treatment of distal femoral fractures.