bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Impact of Clay Type on the Asphaltene Deposition during Bitumen Extraction with Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage
Authors: Unal Yasin , Kar Taniya , Mukhametshina Albina , Hascakir Berna
Published: April 2015

The interactions of bitumen with clays are known to cause asphaltene deposition. However, the role of clay type on this interaction remains uncertain. We study this interaction for two clay types at steam temperature. Two Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) experiments at identical experimental conditions are conducted. The reservoir rock for the first experiment (SAGD1) is prepared with sand (85 wt%) and kaolinite (15 wt%) mixture and the second experiment (SAGD2) with sand (85 wt%), kaolinite (13.5 wt%), and illite (1.5 wt%). The effectiveness of the steam chamber growth does not change with the clay type, however, 15 wt% less oil is recovered with SAGD2. The possible reasons are investigated through the contact angle, particle size, zeta potential, and interfacial tension measurements on produced oil, produced water, and spent rock. The spent rock samples are analyzed by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) analyses. The contact angle measurements on the spent rock sample display the higher oil-wetness for SAGD2 than SAGD1. However, the water-wetness of illite is known to be higher than kaolinite. This unexpected result is explained by the interaction of illite and the asphaltenes from SAGD2. The asphaltenes both from produced oil and residual oil separated and qualitative analyses are conducted with Fourier Transform InfraRed (FTIR). FTIR results confirm the presence of clay in the produced oil asphaltenes of SAGD2. The particle size measurements along with SEM images on postmortem samples reveal that illite containing clay exhibits cementation behavior at steam temperature, hence, reduces the permeability of the system. According to the experimental results, we developed hypotheses to understand the bitumen-illite and bitumen-kaolinite interactions for SAGD. Due to the high water-wetness of illite, illite particles first interact with steam. This interaction results in cementation and forms illite lumps with sand. And then, illite lumps continue to interact more vigorously with the polar molecules (water, asphaltenes, and resins). Clay migration and production occur in both clay types, however, while kaolinite is produced in the water phase, illite containing clay due to its interaction with asphaltenes produced in the oil phase.
Surfactant-Enhanced Oil Recovery from Fractured Oil-wet Carbonates: Effects of Low IFT and Wettability Alteration
Authors: Chen Peila , Mohanty Kishore K.
Published: April 2015

The performance of surfactant-enhanced oil recovery (EOR) in fractured carbonates relies on spontaneous imbibition or low IFT-aided gravity drainage. This work investigated the synergism between wettability effects and IFT reduction mediated by a variety of surfactants through experiments and numerical simulation studies. Experiments have shown that oil can be recovered from oil-wet Silurian dolomite fracture blocks either by capillarity driven imbibition, gravity-driven imbibition or low tension-aided gravity drainage. The mixture of wettability alteration (WA) surfacant with IFT reduction surfactant exhibits the synergistic effect on the imbibition oil recovery from oil-wet carbonate rocks. It was found that divalent ion scavengers help the wettability altertion capability of some sulfonate surfactants in hard brine, which leads to the high oil recovery up to 70% OOIP (IFT+WA), compared with oil recovery of 30-50% OOIP by sulfonate surfactant only (only IFT reduction). We proposed a mechanism that the presence of a sufficient amount of divalent ion scavengers in the anionic surfactant formulation reduces the free divalent cations in hard brine, which then promotes the release of surfactant monomers from the micelles and enhances wettability alteration by surfactant adsorption. The UTCHEM simulation results confirmed the existence of synergism between IFT reduction and WA in spontaneous imbibition processes. According to the capillary desaturation curve (CDC), that residual oil saturation after gravity drainage is approximately 10% to 20% higher than gravity-driven spontaneous imbibition when two processes have the similar trapping numbers, confirming that the wettability alteration contributes to the ultimate oil recovery.
High Active Aqueous-Based Pour Point Depressants and Wax Inhibitors
Authors: Potisek Stephanie , Capaldo Kevin , Dermody Dan , Moglia Robert , Ender Kacee
Published: April 2015

Paraffins are linear and branched aliphatic molecules (>C18) present within crude oil. As crude oil cools upon exiting a well, the paraffins can gel or precipitate and ultimately cause pipelines to plug. The result is costly downtime in production as the pipelines are cleaned or repaired. One solution to address this challenge is chemical prevention, namely the use of wax inhibitors and pour point depressants.

Traditionally wax inhibitors and pour point depressants are organic solvent-based materials that contain a low concentration of active inhibitor (approximately 5% active in a solvent such as toluene). In this work, newly developed high concentration (>30% active) aqueous-based wax inhibitors and pour point depressants will be discussed.

These formulations are stable dispersions of active copolymers in water and can be freeze-protected to −40°C, enabling their use in arctic environments. There is also an advantage of reduced logistics costs, decreased storage space and the absence of flammable solvents. Additionally, the replacement of organic solvent with water makes these materials more environmentally friendly and less expensive to dilute during application. The physical properties and stability of these materials throughout a broad temperature range from −40°C to 125°C will be discussed. The performance of these innovative materials on various crude oils will also be presented. Up to a 30°C reduction in the pour point temperature was observed. This unique combination of properties and significant reduction in pour point temperatures is a novel advancement in flow assurance technology.
A Novel Method to Evaluate Cement-Shale Bond Strength
Authors: Liu Xiangyu , Nair Sriramya D. , Cowan Mike , van Oort Eric
Published: April 2015

The incompatibility of cement and shale and the subsequent failure of primary cementing jobs is a very significant concern in the oil & gas industry. On wells ranging from hydraulically fractured shale land wells to deepwater wells, this incompatibility leads to an increased risk in failing to isolate zones, which could possibly present a well control hazard and can lead to sustained casing pressure. The cement-shale interface presents a weak link that often becomes compromised by the loads incurred either during drilling, completion/stimulation or production phases.

To formulate cements for effective zonal isolation, it is crucial to evaluate the bond strength of the cement-shale interface. Although several studies have focused on the interactions between cement and sandstone, very few studies have addressed the bonding behavior of cement with shale. The conventional push-out test protocol used to measure cement-to-sandstone shear bond strength has proven to be difficult to apply to shale due to its laminated and/or brittle nature that complicates sample preparation and can lead to shale or cement matrix failure instead of failure at the interface. In this paper, we present a novel, simple and versatile laboratory test procedure to measure the shear bond strength between cement and shale.

The new procedure was used to develop cement formulations to improve the cement-to-shale bond. Various types of surfactants were added to cement slurry to evaluate their effects on cement bonding property. Our results indicate that bond strength of cement with shale can be enhanced by incorporating particular surfactants in cement slurries.
Use of Fly Ash as Soil Amendment to Offset Anion Exclusion Effect on Nitrate Transport
Authors: Medina Ricardo , Menezes G.B. , Khachikian C.S. , Ellis A.
Published: April 2015

This study investigated the direct effect of fly ash used as a soil amendment on anion exclusion in NO3− transport in a variably saturated soil. A sandy clay soil was amended with Class F fly ash (FA) at four levels: 0, 2, 10, and 20% FA. The soils were placed in a small soil column and kept at constant saturation using a steady‐state centrifugation unsaturated flow apparatus. Three saturation ranges were investigated, 0.75 to 0.9, 0.4 to 0.45, and 0.27 to 0.29, designated as high, medium, and low saturation, respectively. Ammonium nitrate (0.7 mmol L−1) solution was passed through the soil sample, and the leachate was collected at predetermined intervals up to a total volume equivalent to 12 effective pore volumes. The leachate samples were analyzed for NO3− concentration using ion chromatography, and breakthrough curves were constructed. Experimental and modeling results showed that the amount of fly ash and saturation level had a significant effect on the hydraulic properties of the soil, reducing the hydraulic conductivity and increasing water retention. Furthermore, it was shown that the fly ash treatment slowed the transport of NO3−, especially at low saturation levels, when the effect of anion exclusion is thought to be stronger.
Assimilation of satellite data to 3D hydrodynamic model of Lake Säkylän Pyhäjärvi
Authors: Mano Akiko , Malve Olli , Koponen Sampsa , Kallio Kari , Taskinen Antti , Ropponen Janne , Juntunen Janne , Liukko Ninni
Published: April 2015

To analyze the applicability of direct insertion of total suspended matter (TSM) concentration field based on turbidity derived from satellite data to numerical simulation, dispersion studies of suspended matter in Lake Säkylän Pyhäjärvi (lake area 154 km2; mean depth 5.4 m) were conducted using the 3D COHERENS simulation model. To evaluate the practicality of direct insertion, five cases with different initialization frequencies were conducted: (1) every time, when satellite data were available; (2) every 10 days; (3) 20 days; (4) 30 days; and (5) control run without repeated initialization. To determine the effectiveness of initialization frequency, three methods of comparison were used: simple spatial differences of TSM concentration without biomass in the lake surface layer; averaged spatial differences between initialization data and the forecasts; and time series of TSM concentration and observation data at 1 m depth at the deepest point of the lake. Results showed that direct insertion improves the forecast significantly, even if it is applied less often.
Comparison of denitrification performances using PLA/starch with different mass ratios as carbon source
Authors: Wu Chuanfu , Tang Danqi , Wang Qunhui , Wang Juan , Liu Jianguo , Guo Yan , Liu Shu
Published: April 2015

A suitable carbon source is significant for biological nitrate removal from groundwater. In this study, slow-release carbon sources containing polylactic acid (PLA) and starch at 8:2, 7:3, 6:4, 5:5, 4:6, and 3:7 ratios were prepared using a blending and fusing technique. The PLA/starch blend was then used as a solid carbon source for biological nitrate removal. The carbon release rate of PLA/starch was found to increase with increased starch content in leaching experiments. PLA/starch at 5:5 mass ratio was found to have the highest denitrification performance and organic carbon consumption efficiency in semi-continuous denitrification experiments, and was also revealed to support complete denitrification at 50 mg-N/L influent nitrate concentration in continuous experiments. The effluent nitrate concentration was <2 mg NO3–-N/L, which met the national standard (GB 14848-93) for groundwater. Scanning electron microscopy results further showed that the surface roughness of PLA/starch increased with prolonged experimental time, which may be conducive to microorganism attachment. Therefore, PLA/starch was a suitable carbon source and biofilm carrier for groundwater remediation.
Aerobic granular sludge technology and nitrogen removal for domestic wastewater treatment
Authors: Wagner J. , Guimarães L. B. , Akaboci T. R. V. , Costa R. H. R.
Published: April 2015

This study evaluated aerobic granulation and nitrogen removal via assimilation, nitrification, and denitrification of a system fed with real domestic wastewater. The granulation process was complete after 160 days of operation. The mature granules had an almost spherical structure, an average size of 473.0 μm, and a good settling ability (SVI30 of 75.6 mL g−1). Ammonium assimilation for cell growth varied between 3.5 and 64.6% during reactor start-up. After granule formation, assimilation accounted for less than 5% and nitrogen was mainly removed by partial nitrification up to nitrite, followed by denitrification via nitrite. Average efficiencies of 86.6% for nitrification, 59.5% for denitrification, and 60.5% for total nitrogen were obtained in this period. The assimilation ability of the mature granules grown on domestic wastewater was lower than the commonly reported results obtained for synthetic granules.
Integrated side-stream reactor for biological nutrient removal and minimization of sludge production
Authors: Coma M. , Rovira S. , Canals J. , Colprim J.
Published: April 2015

Integrated processes to reduce in situ the sludge production in wastewater treatment plants are gaining attention in order to facilitate excess sludge management. In contrast to post-treatments, such as anaerobic digestion which is placed between the activated sludge system and dewatering processes, integrated technologies are placed in the sludge return line. This study evaluates the application of an anoxic side-stream reactor (SSR) which creates a physiological shock and uncouples the biomass metabolism and diverts the activity from assimilation for biosynthesis to non-growth activities. The effect of this system in biological nutrient removal for both nitrogen and phosphorus was evaluated for the anaerobic, anoxic and aerobic reactors. The RedOx potential within the SSR was maintained at −150 mV while the sludge loading rate was modified by increasing the percentage of recycled activated sludge feed to the SSR (0 and 40% at laboratory scale and 0, 10, 50 and 100% at pilot scale). The use of the SSR presented a slight reduction of phosphorus removal but maintained the effluent quality to the required discharge values. Nitrogen removal efficiency increased from 75 to 86% while reducing the sludge production rate by 18.3%.
Application of the environmental Gini coefficient in allocating water governance responsibilities: a case study in Taihu Lake Basin, China
Authors: Zhou Shenbei , Du Amin , Bai Minghao
Published: April 2015

The equitable allocation of water governance responsibilities is very important yet difficult to achieve, particularly for a basin which involves many stakeholders and policymakers. In this study, the environmental Gini coefficient model was applied to evaluate the inequality of water governance responsibility allocation, and an environmental Gini coefficient optimisation model was built to achieve an optimal adjustment. To illustrate the application of the environmental Gini coefficient, the heavily polluted transboundary Taihu Lake Basin in China, was chosen as a case study. The results show that the original environmental Gini coefficient of the chemical oxygen demand (COD) was greater than 0.2, indicating that the allocation of water governance responsibilities in Taihu Lake Basin was unequal. Of seven decision-making units, three were found to be inequality factors and were adjusted to reduce the water pollutant emissions and to increase the water governance inputs. After the adjustment, the environmental Gini coefficient of the COD was less than 0.2 and the reduction rate was 27.63%. The adjustment process provides clear guidance for policymakers to develop appropriate policies and improve the equality of water governance responsibility allocation.
Integrating activated sludge floc size information in MBR fouling modeling
Authors: Cao T. A. , Van De Staey G. , Smets I. Y.
Published: April 2015

Although studied extensively, modeling fouling phenomena in membrane bioreactors (MBRs) remains challenging. It has been well established that cake layer formation and pore blocking have a strong impact on the filtration performance but how to capture that in comprehensive models is not fully defined yet. Since it has been shown that bioflocculation characteristics of activated sludge have a clear link with (the extent of) membrane fouling, this study integrates activated sludge floc size (i.e., particle size distribution) information in the model for pore blocking and cake layer formation with a focus on constant flux operated MBRs. Based on these floc size distributions, a three-dimensional modeling and visualization of the cake layer is envisaged which can then provide the required input information (e.g., the porosity of the cake layer) for the fouling model. The model is calibrated and validated on the basis of experimental data from Hwang et al. (2012) in ‘Membrane bioreactor: TMP rise and characterization of biocake structure using CLSM-image analysis’ (see J. Membr. Sci. 419–420, 33–41).
Autotrophic denitrification with anaerobic Fe2+ oxidation by a novel Pseudomonas sp. W1
Authors: Zhang Huining , Wang Hongyu , Yang Kai , Chang Qing , Sun Yuchong , Tian Jun , Long Chengli
Published: April 2015

In the present study, a novel Pseudomonas sp. W1 was characterized in terms of its ability to perform nitrate removal coupled with anaerobic Fe2+ oxidation under autotrophic growth condition. The effects of operating parameters with respect to the initial solution pH, temperature and initial Fe2+ concentration on nitrate removal were investigated by central composite design. Based on the results of response surface methodology, the maximal nitrate removal efficiency was achieved under the following conditions: pH 7.0, temperature 30 °C and initial Fe2+ concentration 1,100 mg L−1. Under this optimal condition and with an initial NO3−-N concentration of 55 mg L−1, this strain could remove NO3−-N with 90% reduction of NO3−-N, corresponding to oxidizing Fe2+ with 71% oxidation of Fe2+ after 7 days of incubation. The result of kinetic evaluation indicated that this bacterium showed significant substrate affinity to both NO3−-N and Fe2+.
Pilot-scale study of vertical flow constructed wetland combined with trickling filter and ferric chloride coagulation: influence of irregular operational conditions
Authors: Kim B. , Gautier M. , Olvera Palma G. , Molle P. , Michel P. , Gourdon R.
Published: April 2015

The aim of this study was to characterize the efficiency of an intensified process of vertical flow constructed wetland having the following particularities: (i) biological pretreatment by trickling filter, (ii) FeCl3 injection for dissolved phosphorus removal and (iii) succession of different levels of redox conditions along the process line. A pilot-scale set-up designed to simulate a real-scale plant was constructed and operated using real wastewater. The influences of FeCl3 injection and water saturation level within the vertical flow constructed wetland stage on treatment performances were studied. Three different water saturation levels were compared by monitoring: suspended solids (SS), total phosphorus (TP), dissolved chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammonium, nitrate, phosphate, iron, and manganese. The results confirmed the good overall efficiency of the process and the contribution of the trickling filter pretreatment to COD removal and nitrification. The effects of water saturation level and FeCl3 injection on phosphorus removal were evaluated by analysis of the correlations between the variables. Under unsaturated conditions, good nitrification and no denitrification were observed. Under partly saturated conditions, both nitrification and denitrification were obtained, along with a good retention of SSs. Finally, under saturated conditions, the performance was decreased for almost all parameters.
Morphology based statistical analysis of nanosecond pulsed laser texturing of the multicrystalline silicon
Authors: Aghayan Mehrnegar , Narayanswamy Sivakumar
Published: April 2015

In this paper, we investigate the surface morphology of the textured multicrystalline silicon with nanosecond (ns) Nd: YVO4 laser (wavelength of 1064 nm, repetition rate of 10 KHz, and pulse duration of 14 ns). Various surface topographies have been achieved with different laser as well as irradiation parameters. The textured area average roughness and depth have been statistically analyzed through ANOVA test, which could evaluate the significance and effectiveness of the adopted design of experiment. This research work is based on three control factors: Laser fluence, laser pulse overlap percentage, and number of irradiations. The statistical assessments were conducted based on roughness and depth values measured by optical interferometry. The effect of roughness and depth on solar weighted reflectance (SWR) was analyzed and significant reduction in SWR with increase in Ra was observed. In addition, time and energy consumption, which are highly significant in the industrial applications, have been investigated.
Les lacs dans le cycle physique et anthropique de l'eau : essai de typologie (Lakes in the physical and anthropical water cycle : an attempt of typology)
Authors: Touchart Laurent
Published: April 2015

Résumé. - Le drainage est l'élément essentiel du bilan hydrique des lacs. Il différencie lacs exoréiques, lacs endoréiques, avec ou sans émissaire, et lacs à drainage réversible. Dans le cycle de l'eau, l'homme intervient quantitativement et qualitativement au niveau des lacs. Le principal problème des lacs exoréiques est celui de la pollution au sens large, celui des lacs endoréiques sans émissaire est l'assèchement. Dans les lacs endoréiques à émissaire, il faut veiller à la conservation d'une eau douce. Le problème des lacs à drainage réversible est l'excès d'eau.
Les milieux humides littoraux de la zone inter-tropicale : spécificités et éléments de différenciation régionale (Coastal wetlands in the intertropical zone : specificities and regionalization principles)
Authors: Bertrand Frederic
Published: April 2015

Résumé. - Le caractère avantageux des bilans hydrologique et sédimentaire des littoraux intertropicaux rend compte de l'extension privilégiée de terres basses, inondées ou engorgées, répondant à l'appellation de marais maritimes ou de zones humides côtières. Les adaptations originales de la végétation aux conditions sélectives du milieu et la stratification marquée des eaux continentales et marines influencent fortement le fonctionnement et la physionomie de ces milieux de transition. L'expression de ces composantes zonales selon un gradient d'éloignement des rivages varie suivant les excédents pluviométriques disponibles et les modalités de leur stockage à l'interface terre-mer. Mais seule l'articulation des niveaux de structuration fonctionnelle et physiographique semble en mesure de définir l'originalité et la cohérence de géosystèmes humides côtiers, à l'échelle régionale.
Les zones humides : une nouvelle vitrine pour l'environnement (Wetlands : a new showcase for environment)
Authors: Sajaloli Bertrand
Published: April 2015

Résumé. - Ignorées voire détruites jusqu'aux années 1990, les zones humides sont devenues aujourd'hui un des enjeux majeurs des différentes politiques environnementales aux échelons national et international. Ce changement brutal de perception, véritablement unique dans l'aménagement des différents milieux, doit être explicité. Issu de la reconnaissance des fonctions des zones humides dans la gestion des hydrosystèmes, reconnaissance exprimée dans leur statut actuel d'« infrastructures naturelles», ce nouveau regard porté sur elles ne peut également être dissocié de l'histoire de leurs représentations.
Certitudes et incertitudes du « Global Change » (Certitude and incertitude of « Global change »)
Authors: Demangeot Jean
Published: April 2015

Résumé. L'auteur considère que les preuves sur la réalité du réchauffement actuel de la planète et, a fortiori, sur la responsabilité des émissions anthropiques de gaz à effet de serre, ne sont pas toutes convaincantes. Il demande aux spécialistes des précisions sur la cause du relèvement du niveau de la mer, sur la fusion des inlandsis, sur la fiabilité des observations météorologiques, sur la réelle nocivité des gaz à effet de serre et du trou de l'ozone, sur le rôle de la déforestation, sur l'inertie thermique, mécanique et biologique des paramètres impliqués, donc sur leurs interférences, sur les rétroactions dans les systèmes, sur la valeur des modélisations.
Bilan radiatif, nébulosité et climat : le programme ScaRaB (Radiative budget, cloudiness and climate : ScaRaB)
Authors: Kandel Robert
Published: April 2015

Abstract. - We recall the fundamental role of the Earth radiation budget (ERB) in climat, emphasizing the importance of cloud-radiation interactions and feedback for assessing climate sensitivity to perturbations, in particular to the increasing abundance of greenhouse gases. We review the problems of methodology for determination of ERB components from space observations, with a survey of the different American missions (from Nimbus to ERBE to CERES), and of the initiation of the ScaRaB program. We describe the ScaRaB instrument, its ground and onboard calibration systems, and the algorithms used in ground datât processing. We provide preliminary results from Flight Model 1 data, and conclude with a presentation of the perspectives for continuation of the program.
Orbitographie et échantillonnage temporel : le logiciel IXION (Orbitography and temporal sampling : the IXION software)
Authors: Capdérou Michel
Published: April 2015

Abstract. - Spatial agencies provide position of satellites with a great accuracy. But user of satellite data has no information about temporal sampling : when and how a location on the Earth is seen by satellite, during a given duration ?

The IXION software, which we developed for application to any satellite, provides orbitography and temporal sampling : the time of each overpass is given, together with the positions of the satellite and the Sun (at the same moment), expressed as zenith and azimuth angles.
Environnement et « global change » : une recherche pluridisciplinaire, multi-échelles et multimédia (Environment and global change : a multidisciplinary, multimedia and multiscale research)
Authors: Bardinet Claude
Published: April 2015

Résumé. - La recherche sur les évolutions climatiques et leur explication en tant que phénomène naturel cyclique ou comme conséquence de l'action de l'homme sur les milieux géographiques et sur l'environnement, suppose une observation à différents niveaux thématiques et chronologiques, et à différentes échelles géographiques. Cette recherche met en relation, à toutes échelles, les faits de géographie physique et ceux résultants de la transformation des milieux naturels par les sociétés humaines.

Elle utilise pour ce faire les moyens informatiques les plus complets. La croissance rapide des bases de données satellitaires et thématiques entraîne l'utilisation la plus large des outils nouveaux de l'analyse des données. L'émergence des technologies multimédia favorise la circulation de l'information scientifique et technique. Les sciences de l'environnement doivent utiliser les réseaux de type InterNet en contrôlant la qualité et la mise à jour de l'information, et en s'assurant que les bonnes informations sont accessibles pour la recherche scientifique et pour les acteurs du développement économique et social.
La littoralisation au Liban et en Syrie (Littoralization processes in Lebanon and Syria)
Authors: Davie Michael F.
Published: April 2015

Résumé. - Deux cas de littoralisation sont analysés : l'un affecte les versants occidentaux du Mont Liban et englobe Beyrouth ; l'autre, en Syrie, touche les versants du Jabal Ansahyeh et concerne les villes de Lattaquieh, Tartoûs et Baniâs. Au Liban, la littoralisation est l'aboutissement d'un long processus culminant par les effets de la guerre (1975-1990) ; en Syrie, la littoralisation est plus récente et a été la conséquence de l'application, par l'Etat, de plans d'aménagement de l'espace.
La pénurie d'eau au Proche-Orient : le problème de l'arbitrage entre besoins urbains et agricoles en Jordanie (Water shortage on the Near-East : the arbitration problem between urban and agricultural needs in Jordan)
Authors: Lavergne Marc
Published: April 2015

Abstract. - The arab-israeli conflict entails a major hydraulic dimension, first of all concerning the Jordan river basin. Jordan faces a worrisome water shortage, its urban needs competing with its hydro-agricultural projects. The October 1994 peace treaty with Israël gives only a temporary relief, and the various protagonists will have to reduce at the same path the water consumption for agriculture.
La Lybie entre clientélisme et régionalisme tribal (Lybia between clientelism and tribal regionalism)
Authors: Bisson Jean
Published: April 2015

Avec une population urbanisée à 85%, la Libye n'est pas le pays à «population bédouine» pratiquant le «nomadisme agro- pastoral» complaisamment décrit. En revanche, le tribalisme que n'a cessé de renforcer l'histoire du siècle écoulé s'est mué en un clientélisme fortement réactivé par la distribution de la rente pétrolière. Il en découle un régionalisme urbain centré sur la ville-tribu, d'où la juxtaposition de blocs d'intérêt ayant à leur tête quelque notable chargé d'assurer accès à la manne pétolière et protection pour des activités spéculatives. Dans ces conditions, la distinction régionale classique - Tripolitaine, Cyrénaïque, Fezzan - a t-elle encore valeur opérationnelle pour qui veut saisir le fonctionnement de l'espace libyen ?
Nationalismes au Pays Basque (Nationalisms in Basque country)
Authors: Loyer Barbara
Published: April 2015

Résumé. - L'existence de mouvements nationalistes catalan, basque et galicien contredit la représentation d'une nation espagnole unitaire et ouvre un débat sur l'avenir politique et institutionnel de l'Espagne. Si l'on étudie néanmoins le cas du Pays basque, on ne peut opposer globalement un centre et une périphérie, car ce débat a lieu au cœur même de cette région dans laquelle s'opposent des Basques nationalistes basques et des Basques nationalistes espagnols.
Pouvoir et territoire : le cas des Länder de la République Fédérale d'Allemagne (Power and territory : the case of the Länder in the Federal Republic of Germany)
Authors: Sur Étienne
Published: April 2015

Résumé. - L'analyse géopolitique des Länder de la République fédérale d'Allemagne montre que ceux-ci sont la marque de relations complexes entre pouvoirs et territoires. Les Länder sont issus d'une décision originelle de pouvoir, qui, dans l'esprit des Alliés, visait avant tout à démembrer la Prusse. Mais c'est l'essence même du fédéralisme qu'ils soient aussi sujets de pouvoir. Incarnant une forme territoriale faisant contrepoids au pouvoir central, les Länder sont fortement associés, dans les représentations géopolitiques allemandes, à la démocratie. Faut-il parler à leur propos d'une territorialisation de la démocratie en Allemagne ? De nouveaux enjeux sont apparus depuis la réunification dans la problématique du fédéralisme allemand. Les cinq nouveaux Länder d'Allemagne orientale pouvaient se prévaloir chacun d'arguments de nature différente pour justifier leur reconstitution. Mais c'est la volonté de ne pas surcharger le processus avec une réforme du fédéralisme qui a été décisive dans les choix opérés. Qu'il s'agisse de revendications sur de petits territoires, ou des rapports entre fédération et Etats fédérés, les Länder restent l'objet de rivalités de pouvoirs.
La crise des élevages est-allemand et tchèque, facteur d'une nouvelle géographie de l'agriculture centre-européenne (The breeding activities crisis in Czech Republic and former GDR and the new agricultural geography of Central Europe)
Authors: Gerbaud Florent , Zrinscak Georgette
Published: April 2015

Résumé. La République tchèque et l'ex-RDA ont subi une sévère crise de leurs élevages après 1989. L'analyse du secteur laitier permet d'expliquer la diminution du troupeau par l'adoption des règles du marché, le rythme plus brutal de la baisse dans les Lander allemands étant dû au fait qu'ils font désormais partie de l'Union européenne. Mais dans les deux cas, l'ensemble du système de production est remis en cause. La privatisation des exploitations aboutit à la diminution de leur superficie moyenne et à une spécialisation fréquente. Les orientations de production les moins exigeantes en investissements sont privilégiées : dès lors, malgré des efforts de modernisation, l'élevage laisse souvent place aux productions végétales ou s'inscrit dans une conception moins productiviste de l'agriculture. Cette mutation structurelle provoque une baisse plus importante de l'élevage laitier dans les régions fertiles des Borde, des plaines de l'Elbe, de l'Ohre et du sillon morave, qui se spécialisent dans la grande culture ; il se maintient en revanche dans les hautes terres et les moyennes montagnes sous une forme plus extensive.
Human Umbilical Cord Blood Cells Induce Neuroprotective Change in Gene Expression Profile in Neurons after Ischemia through Activation of Akt Pathway
Authors: Shahaduzzaman M. D. , Mehta Vijay , Golden Jason E. , Rowe Derrick D. , Green Suzanne , Tadinada Ramya , Foran Elspeth A. , Sanberg Paul R. , Pennypacker Keith R. , Willing Alison E.
Published: April 2015

Human umbilical cord blood (HUCB) cell therapies have shown promising results in reducing brain infarct volume and most importantly in improving neurobehavioral function in rat permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion, a model of stroke. In this study, we examined the gene expression profile in neurons subjected to oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) with or without HUCB treatment and identified signaling pathways (Akt/MAPK) important in eliciting HUCB-mediated neuroprotective responses. Gene chip microarray analysis was performed using RNA samples extracted from the neuronal cell cultures from four experimental groups: normoxia, normoxia + HUCB, OGD, and OGD + HUCB. Both quantitative RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry were carried out to verify the microarray results. Using the Genomatix software program, promoter regions of selected genes were compared to reveal common transcription factor-binding sites and, subsequently, signal transduction pathways. Under OGD condition, HUCB cells significantly reduced neuronal loss from 68% to 44% [one-way ANOVA, F(3, 16) = 11, p = 0.0003]. Microarray analysis identified mRNA expression of Prdx5, Vcam1, CCL20, Alcam, and Pax6 as being significantly altered by HUCB cell treatment. Inhibition of the Akt pathway significantly abolished the neuroprotective effect of HUCB cells [one-way ANOVA, F(3, 11) = 8.663, p = 0.0031]. Our observations show that HUCB neuroprotection is dependent on the activation of the Akt signaling pathway that increases transcription of the Prdx5 gene. We concluded that HUCB cell therapy would be a promising treatment for stroke and other forms of brain injury by modifying acute gene expression to promote neural cell protection.
No Pain, No Gain: Lack of Exercise Obstructs Neurogenesis
Authors: Watson Nate , Ji Xunming , Yasuhara Takao , Date Isao , Kaneko Yuji , Tajiri Naoki , Borlongan Cesar V.
Published: April 2015

Bedridden patients develop atrophied muscles, their daily activities greatly reduced, and some display a depressive mood. Patients who are able to receive physical rehabilitation sometimes show surprising clinical improvements, including reduced depression and attenuation of other stress-related behaviors. Regenerative medicine has advanced two major stem cell-based therapies for CNS disorders, namely, transplantation of exogenous stem cells and amplification of endogenous neurogenesis. The latter strategy embraces a natural way of reinnervating the damaged brain and correcting the neurological impairments. In this study, we discussed how immobilization-induced disuse atrophy, using the hindlimb suspension model, affects neurogenesis in rats. The overarching hypothesis is that immobilization suppresses neurogenesis by reducing the circulating growth or trophic factors, such as vascular endothelial growth factor or brain-derived neurotrophic factor. That immobilization alters neurogenesis and stem cell differentiation in the CNS requires characterization of the stem cell microenvironment by examining the trophic and growth factors, as well as stress-related proteins that have been implicated in exercise-induced neurogenesis. Although accumulating evidence has revealed the contribution of “increased ” exercise on neurogenesis, the reverse paradigm involving “lack of exercise, ” which mimics pathological states (e.g., stroke patients are often immobile), remains underexplored. This novel paradigm will enable us to examine the effects on neurogenesis by a nonpermissive stem cell microenvironment likely produced by lack of exercise. BrdU labeling of proliferative cells, biochemical assays of serum, cerebrospinal fluid and brain levels of trophic factors, growth factors, and stress-related proteins are proposed as indices of neurogenesis, while quantitative measurements of spontaneous movements will reveal psychomotor components of immobilization. Studies designed to reveal how in vivo stimulation, or lack thereof, alters the stem cell microenvironment are needed to begin to develop treatment strategies for enhancing neurogenesis in bedridden patients.
Simulation tool for assessing the release and environmental distribution of nanomaterials
Authors: Liu Haoyang Haven , Bilal Muhammad , Lazareva Anastasiya , Keller Arturo , Cohen Yoram
Published: April 2015

An integrated simulation tool was developed for assessing the potential release and environmental distribution of nanomaterials (RedNano) based on a life cycle assessment approach and multimedia compartmental modeling coupled with mechanistic intermedia transport processes. The RedNano simulation tool and its web-based software implementation enables rapid “what-if?” scenario analysis, in order to assess the response of an environmental system to various release scenarios of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs). It also allows for the investigation of the impact of geographical and meteorological parameters on ENM distribution in the environment, comparison of the impact of ENM production and potential releases on different regions, and estimation of source release rates based on monitored ENM concentrations. Moreover, the RedNano simulation tool is suitable for research, academic, and regulatory purposes. Specifically, it has been used in environmental multimedia impact assessment courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. The RedNano simulation tool can also serve as a decision support tool to rapidly and critically assess the potential environmental implications of ENMs and thus ensure that nanotechnology is developed in a productive and environmentally responsible manner.
Marketing Communications in the Islamic Perspective
Authors: Ramzy Omar , Eldahan Omar H.
Published: April 2015

Because the Muslim market is so large, its potential has become a focus of many studies. However, few companies have managed to crack into this huge and lucrative market. This chapter attempts to define the problems and obstacles faced by companies attempting to cover this market and understand where they have failed. Furthermore, the chapter then provides guidelines towards avoiding and overcoming these obstacles while simultaneously turning them into opportunities. In this chapter, it was found that the mistakes commonly made are due to the coding of the messages, the lack of trust of companies, as well as an overuse and degrading of the Halal brand. It also finds that by establishing trust and relationship with the Muslim consumers, as well as by spreading awareness of the Muslim needs and culture among the employees of the company, these issues can be successfully tackled.
Marketing Financial Services and Products in Different Cultural Environments
Authors: Mertzanis Charilaos
Published: April 2015

In this chapter, an analysis is presented of the conditions for effective marketing of financial services/products in different cultural environments. It is argued that financial services/products are not like other conventional goods and services/products: they exhibit special characteristics (i.e. intangible and risky). Thus, they should not be marketed to all financial consumers alike for they incur risks that are unsuitable for all consumers. Any associated capital loss may lead not only to consumer reaction but also might impair the normal operation of the financial market as a whole. Marketing efforts owe to take into consideration these characteristics and risks and effectively integrate marketing strategies with the carefully regulated issuance and distribution of financial products/services. Effective marketing of financial services requires a concerted effort on behalf of governments and financial service/product providers. Finally, marketing efforts must take into consideration the cultural environment within which marketing takes place.
The Perspectives of E-Commerce in Arab Region
Authors: Hoq Mohammad Ziaul , Shmailan Abdulwahab
Published: April 2015

E-commerce is the technology of realizing business transactions via electronic media. The Internet has presented this media to the degree that business is being more and more made through it. This chapter examined issues such as the scenarios, employment, and recognition of e-commerce, etc. in the Arab Region. Moreover, an extensive literature review has been conducted towards various features of e-commerce. The outcomes of the research, which are presented in this chapter, may shed light to better appreciate the present day e-commerce expansion issues in the Arab Region, which may be beneficial for both practitioners and scholars.
STRESS
Authors: Abderrahim Naziha , Benslimane Sidi Mohamed
Published: April 2015

Recommender systems help users find relevant Web service based on peers' previous experiences dealing with Web services (WSs). However, with the proliferation of WSs, recommendation has become “questionable”. Social computing seems offering innovative solutions to improve the quality of recommendations. Social computing is at the crossroad of computer sciences and social sciences disciplines by looking into ways of improving application design and development using elements that people encounter daily such as collegiality, friendship and trust. In this paper, the authors propose a social trust-aware system for recommending WS based on social qualities of WSs that they exhibit towards peers at run-time, and trustworthiness of the users who provide feedback on their overall experience using WSs. A set of experiments to assess the fairness and accuracy of the proposed system are reported in the paper, showing promising results.
An Emotional Scene Retrieval Framework for Lifelog Videos Using Ensemble Clustering
Authors: Nomiya Hiroki , Morikuni Atsushi , Hochin Teruhisa
Published: April 2015

A lifelog video retrieval framework is proposed for the better utilization of a large amount of lifelog video data. The proposed method retrieves emotional scenes such as the scenes in which a person in the video is smiling, considering that a certain important event could happen in most of emotional scenes. The emotional scene is detected on the basis of facial expression recognition using a wide variety of facial features. The authors adopt an unsupervised learning approach called ensemble clustering in order to recognize the facial expressions because supervised learning approaches require sufficient training data, which make it quite troublesome to apply to large-scale video databases. The retrieval performance of the proposed method is evaluated by means of an emotional scene detection experiment from the viewpoints of accuracy and efficiency. In addition, a prototype retrieval system is implemented based on the proposed emotional scene detection method.
To Prevent Reverse-Enginnering Tools by Shuffling the Stack Status with Hook Mechanism
Authors: Fukuda Kazumasa , Tamada Haruaki
Published: April 2015

In this paper, we propose an obfuscation method to shuffle the stack status for preventing illegal analysis from crackers. Generally, crackers tries building a call flow graph of a program to clarify its behaviors. The call flow graph represents relations among methods, and helps comprehension of a program. On the other hand, a callee is fixed by a method name and the stack status in object oriented languages. Then, changing a stack status causes changing a callee when the callee is overloaded. Therefore, we focus on a hook mechanism to change a callee at runtime by changing the stack status. The program applied our method makes a fake call flow graph (CFG) from reverse-engineering tools, and the fake CFG leads misunderstanding of the program. We conducted two experiments to evaluate the proposed method. First is to evaluate the tolerance against existing reverse-engineering tools: Soot, Jad, Procyon, and Krakatau. The Procyon only succeeded decompilation, the others crashed. Second is to evaluate understandability of the program obfuscated by our method. Only one subject in the nine subjects answered the correct value. The experiments show the proposed method leads misunderstanding even if the target program is tiny and simple.
Developing Forward and Reverse e-Auction with Alert Support in a Web Service Environment
Authors: Man Chan Mandel Wai , Chiu Dickson K.W. , Chung Ada Chi Wai
Published: April 2015

Auction is a common competitive business-to-business (B2B) procurement procedure for supplying products and services, which are solicited, received, and evaluated. Currently, most auction portals support only forward auctions with interactive Web portals, while large companies usually construct their own reverse auction Websites. To provide a unified and more comprehensive solution, the authors develop an E-Auction System (EAS) to provide both forward and reverse auction support in a Web services environment. Buyer and sellers can post their requests via automated Web services for better Enterprise Information System (EIS) integration. Alternatively, they can manually browse the portal with a browser to post requests or submit their bid prices. Their EAS also provides an auction-matching function that automatically matches forward and reverse auction records to help completing business processes effectively. Further, their EAS's CRM system can capture and analyze user bidding behavior and posting to provide personalized Webpages. Besides, alert services provide notification of auction and bid statuses to customers for efficiency.
Screening of β-Thalassemia Trait among Pregnant Women with NESTROFT
Authors: Sarda Hitesh , Niveditha Shankaran Rukmini , Shivlingaiah Nirmala
Published: April 2015

The morbidity of β-thalassemia major has forced medical professionals to formulate screening tests to effectively screen β-thalassemia trait (BTT) of which naked eye single tube osmotic fragility test (NESTROFT) is the most cost effective test. Optimal time to screen for BTT appears to be during pregnancy, as at risk couples can be offered prenatal diagnosis. We screened 55 pregnant women attending antenatal clinic in a medical college hospital at Bangalore, with NESTROFT. Twelve (21.89%) were NESTROFT positive with mean hemoglobin of 11.2 mg % and packed cell volume of 32.6%. Catering predominantly to Vokkaliga community in whom literature reports increased prevalence of BTT, addition of a cost effective test like NESTROFT in the antenatal panel, appears promising.