bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fast Reservoir Parameter Estimation by Using Effect of Principal Components Sensitivities and Discrete Cosine Transform
Authors: Dadashpour M. , Rwechungura R. , Kleppe J.
Published: February 2011

Estimation of reservoir parameters such as porosity and permeability from production history and time-lapse seismic data is still challenging. When the object is a large hydrocarbon reservoir with a large number of unknown parameters, the problem will be even more difficult and needs to have geologically realistic solutions especially in adjoint-free gradient-based methods.

Replacing the original set of unknown parameters with a lower dimension group that captures the most important features of the field will be a proper procedure to speed-up the optimization procedure. This work proposes a method for parameter reduction by using sensitivity of principal components (PC's) to the observation data and combination of principal component analysis (PCA) and discrete cosine transform (DCT).

DCT is a robust, fast and efficient method that does not require heavy computing. However, the difficulty of including geological as well as bound constraints in some optimization algorithms can lead to solutions that are geologically unacceptable. PCA has the facility to implement both types of constraints. Then it can reduce the number of parameters and geologically acceptable results may be ensured. Reduction of the number of parameters will be done in two steps, first by PCA and then by DCT. Resulting in much fewer parameters and still provide solutions with the high number of accuracy from a geological point of view.

This paper evaluates the performance and advantages of combining these methods and choosing most sensitive components for parameter reduction in parameter estimation. The methodology is applied in noise-free and noisy semi-synthetic models inspired by real field data, based on data from the Norne Field offshore Norway. The results show that using most sensitive principal components to the observation data and combining it with DCT can be a useful tool for speeding-up this type of optimization routines.
Optimal Well Placement under Uncertainty using a Retrospective Optimization Framework
Authors: Wang Honggang , Ciaurri David Echeverría , Durlofsky Louis J. , Cominelli Alberto
Published: February 2011

Subsurface geology is highly uncertain, and it is necessary to account for this uncertainty when optimizing the location of new wells. This can be accomplished by evaluating reservoir performance, for a particular well configuration, over multiple realizations of the reservoir and then optimizing based on, for example, expected net present value or expected cumulative oil production. A direct (exhaustive) procedure for such an optimization would entail the simulation of all realizations at each iteration of the optimization algorithm. This could be prohibitively expensive when it is necessary to use a large number of realizations to capture geological uncertainty. In this work we apply a procedure that is new within the context of reservoir management, retrospective optimization (RO), to address this problem. RO solves a sequence of optimization subproblems that contain increasing numbers of realizations. We introduce the use of k-means clustering for selecting these realizations. Three example cases are presented that demonstrate the performance of the RO procedure. These examples use particle swarm optimization and simplex linear interpolation based line search as the core optimizers (the RO framework can be used with any underlying optimization algorithm, either stochastic or deterministic). In the first example, we achieve essentially the same optimum using RO as we do using an exhaustive optimization approach, but RO requires an order of magnitude fewer simulations. The results clearly demonstrate the advantages of cluster-based sampling over random sampling for the examples considered. Taken in total, our findings indicate that RO using cluster sampling represents a very promising approach for optimizing well locations under geological uncertainty.
Accurate and Efficient Simulation of Multiphase Flow in a Heterogeneous Reservoir by Using Error Estimate and Control in the Multiscale Finite-Volume Framework
Authors: Hajibeygi H. , Lunati I. , Lee S. H.
Published: February 2011

The Multiscale Finite-Volume (MSFV) method is designed to reduce the computational cost by splitting the original global problem into a set of localized problems (with approximate local boundary conditions) coupled by a coarse global problem. The MSFV error can be reduced iteratively (i-MSFV) using an improved (smoothed) multiscale solution to enhance the localization conditions or by using a Krylov subspace method (e.g. GMRES) preconditioned by the MSFV system. In a multiphase flow system, a balance between accuracy and computational efficiency should be achieved by finding a minimum number of i-MSFV iterations (on pressure) that are necessary to achieve the desired accuracy of the saturation solution.

In this work, we extend the i-MSFV method to sequential implicit simulations of time dependent problems. To control the error of the coupled saturation-pressure system, we analyze the transport error due to approximate flux fields. We then propose a-priori error estimate based on the residual of the pressure equation. At the beginning of the simulation we iterate until the specified pressure accuracy is achieved. To minimize the required iterations in time-dependent multiphase flow problems, this initial solution is also utilized to improve the localization assumption at later time steps. Additional iterations are employed only when the residual becomes larger than a specified threshold value. The saturation equation error in presence of an approximate conservative MSFV velocity field is anlayzed. Finally, a saturation error expression is derived, and a residual based strategy is introduced to control numerical errors. Numerical results show that the proposed strategy results in efficient and accurate simulation of multiphase flow in heterogeneous porous media.
Feedback Control of Polymer Flooding Process Considering Geologic Uncertainty
Authors: Mantilla Cesar A. , Srinivasan Sanjay
Published: February 2011

Polymer flooding is economically successful in reservoirs where the water flood mobility ratio is high, and/or the reservoir heterogeneity is adverse, because of the improved sweep resulting from mobility-controlled oil displacement. The performance of a polymer flood can be further improved if the process is dynamically controlled using updated reservoir models and by implementing a closed-loop production optimization scheme. However, the formulation of an optimal production strategy should be based on uncertain production forecasts resulting from uncertainty in for example spatial representation of reservoir heterogeneity, geologic scenarios, inaccurate modeling, scaling, and other factors. Assessing the uncertainty in reservoir modeling and transferring it to uncertainty in production forecasts is crucial for efficiently controlling the process. This paper presents a feedback control framework that (1) assesses uncertainty in reservoir modeling and production forecasts, (2) updates the prior uncertainty in reservoir models by integrating continuously monitored production data, and (3) formulates optimal injection/production rates for the updated reservoir models. This approach focuses on assessing uncertainty in reservoir modeling and production forecasts originated mainly by uncertain geologic scenarios and heterogeneity. This uncertainty is mapped in a metric space created by comparing multiple reservoir models and measuring differences in effective heterogeneity related to well connectivity and well responses characteristic of polymer flooding.

Continuously monitored production data are used to refine the prior uncertainty scores using a Bayesian inversion algorithm. In contrast to classical approach of history matching by model perturbation, a model selection problem is implemented where highly probable reservoir models are selected to represent the posterior uncertainty in production forecasts. The model selection procedure yields the posterior uncertainty associated with the reservoir model. The production optimization problem is solved using the posterior models and using a proxy model of polymer flooding to rapidly evaluate the objective function and response surfaces to represent the relationship between well controls and an economic objective function. The value of the feedback control framework is demonstrated with a synthetic example of polymer flooding where the economic performance was maximized.
A Sparse Basis POD for Model Reduction of Multiphase Compressible Flow
Authors: Krogstad S.
Published: February 2011

We develop a sparse basis model-order reduction technique for approximation of flux/pressure fields based on local proper orthogonal decompositions (PODs) glued together using the Multiscale Mixed FEM (MsMFEM) framework on a coarse grid. Based on snapshots from one or more simulation run, we perform singular value decompositions (SVDs) for the flux distribution over coarse grid interfaces and use the singular vectors corresponding the largest singular values as boundary conditions for the multiscale flux basis functions. The span of these basis functions matches (to prescribed accuracy) the span of the snapshots over coarse grid faces. Accordingly, the complementary span (what's left) can be approximated by local PODs on each coarse block giving a second set of local/sparse basis functions. The reduced system unknowns corresponding to the second set of basis functions can be eliminated to keep the system size low.

To assess the accuracy, we apply the methodology to two test problems (including compressibility and gravity) and compare to results obtained from full order simulations. The methodology produces accurate results for a large variation of coarse grids, but we do observe that a large number of basis vectors are needed where the flow is strongly dominated by gravity.

Compared to standard POD, the suggested sparse version results in a larger number of basis functions, but requires overall less storage. Also the sparse POD appears to be more process independent. An additional benefit is that SVDs are performed on multiple small matrices rather than on one big.
Counter-Current Relative Permeability and CO2 Injection into Saline Aquifers
Authors: Javaheri Mohammad , Jessen Kristian
Published: February 2011

Carbon dioxide (CO2) injection into saline aquifers is one of the promising options to sequester large amounts of CO2 in geological formations. During as well as after injection of CO2 into an aquifer, CO2 migrates towards the top of the formation due to density differences between the formation brine and the injected CO2. The timescales of CO2 migration towards the top of an aquifer and the fraction of CO2 that is trapped as residual gas depends strongly on the driving forces acting on the injected CO2.

When CO2 migrates to the top of an aquifer, brine may be displaced downwards in a counter-current flow setting particularly during the injection period. A majority of the published work on counter-current flow settings have reported significant reductions in the associated relative permeability functions as compared to co-current measurements. However, this phenomenon has not yet been considered in the simulation of CO2 storage into saline aquifers.

In this paper we study the impact of changes in mobility for the two-phase brine/CO2 system as a result of transitions between co- and counter-current flow settings. We have included this effect in a simulator and studied the impact of the related mobility reduction on the saturation distribution and residual saturation of CO2 in aquifers over relevant time scales. We demonstrate that the reduction in relative permeability in the vertical direction changes the plume migration pattern and has an impact on the amount of gas that is trapped as a function of time. This is to our best knowledge the first attempt to integrate counter-current relative permeability into the simulation of injection and subsequent migration of CO2 in aquifers. The results and analysis presented in this paper are directly relevant to all ongoing activities related to the design of large-scale CO2 storage in saline aquifers.
Subsurface Application of Manures Slurries for Conservation Tillage and Pasture Soils and Their Impact on the Nitrogen Balance
Authors: Dell Curtis J. , Meisinger John J. , Beegle Douglas B.
Published: February 2011

Injection of cattle and swine slurries can provide soil incorporation in no‐till and perennial forage production. Injection is expected to substantially reduce N loss due to ammonia (NH3) volatilization, but a portion of that N conservation may be offset by greater denitrification and leaching losses. This paper reviews our current knowledge of the impacts of subsurface application of cattle and swine slurries on the N balance and outlines areas where a greater understanding is needed. Several publications have shown that liquid manure injection using disk openers, chisels, or tines can be expected to reduce NH3 emissions by at least 40%, and often by 90% or more, relative to broadcast application. However, the limited number of studies that have also measured denitrification losses have shown that increased denitrification with subsurface application can offset as much as half of the N conserved by reducing NH3 emissions. Because the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N2O) is one product of denitrification, the possible increases in N2O emission with injection require further consideration. Subsurface manure application generally does not appear to increase leaching potential when manure is applied at recommended rates. Plant utilization of conserved N was shown in only a portion of the published studies, indicating that further work is needed to better synchronize manure N availability and crop uptake. At this time in the United States, the economic and environmental benefits from reducing losses of N as NH3 are expected to outweigh potential liability from increases in denitrification with subsurface manure application. To fully evaluate the trade‐offs among manure application methods, a detailed environmental and agricultural economic assessment is needed to estimate the true costs of potential increases in N2O emissions with manure injection.
Influence of Aeration Implements, Phosphorus Fertilizers, and Soil Taxa on Phosphorus Losses from Grasslands
Authors: Franklin D. H. , Butler D. M. , Cabrera M. L. , Calvert V. H. , West L. T. , Rema J. A.
Published: February 2011

Attenuation of rainfall within the solum may help to move contaminants and nutrients into the soil to be better sequestered or utilized by crops. Surface application of phosphorus (P) amendments to grasslands may lead to elevated concentrations of P in surface runoff and eutrophication of surface waters. Aeration of grasslands has been proposed as a treatment to reduce losses of applied P. Here, results from two small‐plot aeration studies and two field‐scale, paired‐watershed studies are supplemented with previously unpublished soil P data and synthesized. The overall objective of these studies was to determine the impact of aeration on soil P, runoff volume, and runoff P losses from mixed tall fescue [Lolium arundinaceum (Schreb.) Darbysh.]–bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon L.) grasslands fertilized with P. Small‐scale rainfall simulations were conducted on two soil taxa using three types of aeration implements: spikes, disks, and cores. The‐field scale study was conducted on four soil taxa with slit and knife aeration. Small‐plot studies showed that core aeration reduced loads of total P and dissolved reactive P (DRP) in runoff from plots fertilized with broiler litter and that aeration was effective in reducing P export when it increased soil P in the upper 5 cm. In the field‐scale study, slit aeration reduced DRP losses by 35% in fields with well‐drained soils but not in poorly drained soils. Flow‐weighted concentrations of DRP in aerated fields were related to water‐soluble P applied in amendments and soil test P in the upper 5 cm. These studies show that the overall effectiveness of mechanical soil aeration on runoff volume and P losses is controlled by the interaction of soil characteristics such as internal drainage and compaction, soil P, type of surface‐applied manure, and type of aeration implement.
Physical and Chemical Evidence for Pore‐Scale Dual‐Domain Flow in the Vadose Zone
Authors: Rimon Yaara , Nativ Ronit , Dahan Ofer
Published: February 2011

Water percolation and solute transport through an unsaturated sandy formation were investigated using a vadose‐zone monitoring system that enables in situ, continuous, real‐time monitoring of the percolating water. Measurements of the temporal variations in vadose‐zone water content as well as continuous monitoring of the vadose‐zone pore water allowed detailed tracking of the propagation velocities of the wetting front and determination of the flow patterns governing solute transport. It has been shown that the chemical composition of mobile flowing water along the vadose zone is not in equilibrium with the total soluble solute potential of the sediment. This phenomenon is usually attributed to a flow mechanism controlled by preferential flow. Wetting‐front propagation patterns, as monitored continuously during four rainy seasons throughout the entire vadose zone, as well as a tracer experiment, showed relatively uniform wetting‐front propagation with no direct evidence for significant preferential flow. Contradictory observations of matrix and preferential flow as governing mechanisms led to conceptualization of the percolation process as pore‐scale dual‐domain flow.
Density‐Corrected Models for Gas Diffusivity and Air Permeability in Unsaturated Soil
Authors: Deepagoda T.K.K. Chamindu , Moldrup Per , Schjønning Per , de Jonge Lis Wollesen , Kawamoto Ken , Komatsu Toshiko
Published: February 2011

Accurate prediction of gas diffusivity (Dp/Do) and air permeability (ka) and their variations with air‐filled porosity (ε) in soil is critical for simulating subsurface migration and emission of climate gases and organic vapors. Gas diffusivity and air permeability measurements from Danish soil profile data (total of 150 undisturbed soil samples) were used to investigate soil type and density effects on the gas transport parameters and for model development. The measurements were within a given range of matric potentials (−10 to −500 cm H2O) typically representing natural field conditions in subsurface soil. The data were regrouped into four categories based on compaction (total porosity Φ <0.4 or >0.4 m3 m−3) and soil texture (volume‐based content of clay, silt, and organic matter <15 or >15%). The results suggested that soil compaction more than soil type was the major control on gas diffusivity and to some extent also on air permeability. We developed a density‐corrected (D‐C) Dp(ε)/Do model as a generalized form of a previous model for Dp/Do at −100 cm H2O of matric potential (Dp,100/Do). The D‐C model performed well across soil types and density levels compared with existing models. Also, a power‐law ka model with exponent 1.5 (derived from analogy with a previous gas diffusivity model) used in combination with the D‐C approach for ka,100 (reference point) seemed promising for ka(ε) predictions, with good accuracy and minimum parameter requirements. Finally, the new D‐C model concept for gas diffusivity was extended to bimodal (aggregated) media and performed well against data for uncompacted and compacted volcanic ash soil.
Salinity Distribution in Heterogeneous Coastal Aquifers Mapped by Airborne Electromagnetics
Authors: Kirkegaard Casper , Sonnenborg Torben O. , Auken Esben , Jørgensen Flemming
Published: February 2011

Understanding the hydrologic setting of any given area is a challenging task, especially considering that the amount of available information is often very sparse relative to the size of the area and the complexity of the problem. We used geophysical transient electromagnetic (TEM) data from an airborne SkyTEM instrument to investigate discharge of freshwater from a river catchment into a coastal lagoon area, in support of large‐scale hydrologic mapping of the HOBE hydrology research center. Existing hydrologic data indicate possible outflow from the catchment underneath the survey area, a hypothesis that was indeed backed up by our geophysical results. The results revealed a stratified geologic setting frequently incised by buried valleys beneath the lagoon. They also showed that the valleys are saturated with sea water, unlike the layers at the same depth that are probably saturated with brackish water. The salinity decreases with depth in large parts of the lagoon. The salinity distribution in the setting indicates the presence of intricate flow systems beneath the coastal area and the lagoon, and we propose that it is governed by the heterogeneity in the geologic setting. We also demonstrated how water depth as well as salinity can be accurately mapped using SkyTEM in combination with a robust and flexible inversion scheme.
HOBE: A Hydrological Observatory
Authors: Jensen Karsten H. , Illangasekare Tissa H.
Published: February 2011

In this paper a short introduction is given to the Danish hydrological observatory—HOBE. We describe characteristics of the catchment, which is subject to experimental and modeling investigations. An overview is given of the research reported in this special section of the journal, which includes 11 papers of original research covering precipitation, evapotranspiration, emission of greenhouse gasses, unsaturated flow, groundwater–surface water interaction, and climate change impacts on hydrology.
Radar-rainfall estimation algorithms of Hydro-NEXRAD
Authors: Seo Bong-Chul , Krajewski Witold F. , Kruger Anton , Domaszczynski Piotr , Smith James A. , Steiner Matthias
Published: February 2011

Hydro-NEXRAD is a prototype software system that provides hydrology and water resource communities with ready access to the vast data archives of the U.S. weather radar network known as NEXRAD (Next Generation Weather Radar). This paper describes radar-rainfall estimation algorithms and their modular components used in the Hydro-NEXRAD system to generate rainfall products to be delivered to users. A variety of customized modules implemented in Hydro-NEXRAD perform radar-reflectivity data processing, produce radar-rainfall maps with user-requested space and time resolution, and combine multiple radar data for basins covered by multiple radars. System users can select rainfall estimation algorithms that range from simple (‘Quick Look’) to complex and computing-intensive (‘Hi-Fi’). The ‘Pseudo NWS PPS’ option allows close comparison with the algorithm used operationally by the US National Weather Service. The ‘Custom’ algorithm enables expert users to specify values for many of the parameters in the algorithm modules according to their experience and expectations. The Hydro-NEXRAD system, with its rainfall-estimation algorithms, can be used by both novice and expert users who need rainfall estimates as references or as input to their hydrologic modelling and forecasting applications
Hydroinformatics advances for operational river forecasting: using graphs for drainage network descriptions
Authors: Cui Zhengtao , Koren Victor , Cajina Neftali , Voellmy Andreas , Moreda Fekadu
Published: February 2011

Distributed hydrologic models provide accurate river streamflow forecasts and a multitude of spatially varied products on basin scales. The distributed elements of the basins are pieced together using drainage networks. An efficient representation of drainage networks in computer code is necessary. Graph theory has long been applied in many engineering areas to solve network problems. In this paper we demonstrate that adjacent list graph is the most efficient way of presenting the drainage network in terms of development and execution. The authors have implemented drainage networks using the adjacency-list structure in both the research and operational versions of the US National Weather Service (NWS) distributed model. A parallel routing algorithm based on Dijsktra's shortest path algorithm was also developed using the MPI library, which was tested on a cluster using the Oklahoma Illinois River basin dataset. Theoretical analysis and test results show that inter-processor communication and unbalanced workload among the processors limit the scalability of the parallel algorithm. The parallel algorithm is more applicable to computers with high inter-processor bandwidth, and to basins where the number of grid cells is large and the maximum distance of the grid cells to the outlet is short.
Identification of suitable copulas for bivariate frequency analysis of flood peak and flood volume data
Authors: Chowdhary Hemant , Escobar Luis A. , Singh Vijay P.
Published: February 2011

Multivariate flood frequency analysis, involving flood peak flow, volume and duration, has been traditionally accomplished by employing available functional bivariate and multivariate frequency distributions that have a restriction on the marginals to be from the same family of distributions. The copula concept overcomes this restriction by allowing a combination of arbitrarily chosen marginal types. It also provides a wider choice of admissible dependence structure as compared to the conventional approach. The availability of a vast variety of copula types makes the selection of an appropriate copula family for different hydrological applications a non-trivial task. Graphical and analytic goodness-of-fit tests for testing the suitability of copulas are beginning to evolve and are being developed; there is limited experience of their usage at present, especially in the hydrological field. This paper provides a step-wise procedure for copula selection and illustrates its application to bivariate flood frequency analysis, involving flood peak flow and volume data. Several graphical procedures, tail dependence characteristics, and formal goodness-of-fit tests involving a parametric bootstrap-based technique are considered while investigating the relative applicability of six copula families. The Clayton copula has been identified as a valid model for the particular flood peak flow and volume data set considered in the study.
Psychometric Properties of the Hypoglycemia Fear Survey-II for Adults With Type 1 Diabetes
Authors: Gonder-Frederick Linda A. , Schmidt Karen M. , Vajda Karen A. , Greear Megan L. , Singh Harsimran , Shepard Jaclyn A. , Cox Daniel J.
Published: February 2011

OBJECTIVE

To perform the first comprehensive psychometric evaluation of the Hypoglycemia Fear Survey-II (HFS-II), a measure of the behavioral and affective dimensions of fear of hypoglycemia, using modern test-theory methods, including item-response theory (IRT).

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Surveys completed in four previous studies by 777 adults with type 1 diabetes were aggregated for analysis, with 289 subjects completing both subscales of the HFS-II and 488 subjects completing only the Worry subscale. The aggregated sample (53.3% female, 44.4% using insulin pumps) had a mean age of 41.9 years, diabetes duration of 23.8 years, HbA1c value of 7.7%, and 1.4 severe hypoglycemic episodes in the past year. Data analysis included exploratory factor analysis using polychoric correlations and IRT. Factors were analyzed for fit, trait-level locations, point-measure correlations, and separation values.

RESULTS

Internal and test-retest reliability was good, as well as convergent validity, as demonstrated by significant correlations with other measures of psychological distress. Scores were significantly higher in subjects who had experienced severe hypoglycemia in the past year. Factor analyses validated the two subscales of the HFS-II. Item analyses showed that 12 of 15 items on the Behavior subscale, and all of the items on the Worry subscale had good-fit statistics.

CONCLUSIONS

The HFS-II is a reliable and valid measure of the fear of hypoglycemia in adults with type 1 diabetes, and factor analyses and IRT support the two separate subscales of the survey.
Metabolic Syndrome and Onset of Depressive Symptoms in the Elderly
Authors: Akbaraly Tasnime N. , Ancelin Marie-Laure , Jaussent Isabelle , Ritchie Craig , Barberger-Gateau Pascale , Dufouil Carole , Kivimaki Mika , Berr Claudine , Ritchie Karen
Published: February 2011

OBJECTIVE

Given the increasing prevalence of both metabolic syndrome (MetS) and depressive symptoms during old age, we aimed to examine prospectively the association between MetS and the onset of depressive symptoms according to different age-groups in a large, general elderly population.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

This was a prospective cohort study of 4,446 men and women aged 65–91 years who were free of depression or depressive symptoms at baseline (the Three-City Study, France). MetS was defined using the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III criteria. New onset of depressive symptoms (the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale score ≥16 and use of antidepressant treatment) was assessed at 2- and 4-year follow-ups.

RESULTS

After adjusting for a large range of potential confounders, we observed MetS to be associated with 1.73-fold (95% CI 1.02–2.95) odds for new-onset depressive symptoms in the youngest age-group (65–70 years at baseline), independently of cardiovascular diseases. No such association was seen in older age-groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that the link between MetS and depressive symptoms evidenced until now in middle-aged people can be extended to older adults but not to the oldest ones. Additional research is needed to examine if a better management of MetS prevents depressive symptoms in people aged 65–70 years.
The Chorionic Sculpture of the Eggs of Some Xyleninae (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae)
Authors: Dolinskaya I.
Published: February 2011

The Chorionic Sculpture of the Eggs of Some Xyleninae (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae)

Eggs of sixteen species of fifteen genera of the subfamily Xyleninae occurring in Ukraine are described and illustrated with scanning electron microphotographs. The diagnostic characters of the genera and species are se-lected.
A Myrmecophilous Mite Myrmozercon Tauricus Sp. N. of the Family Laelapidae (Acari, Mesostigmata) from Ukraine
Authors: Trach V. , Khaustov A.
Published: February 2011

A Myrmecophilous Mite Myrmozercon Tauricus Sp. N. of the Family Laelapidae (Acari, Mesostigmata) from Ukraine

A laelapid mite Myrmozercon tauricus Trach et Khaustov, sp. n. collected from nests of ants Crematogaster schmidti (Mayr, 1853) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Crimea (Ukraine) is described. The genus Myrmozercon Berlese, 1902 is recorded in Ukraine for the first time.
Results of the Winter Bat Census in Two Sites of the Central Podolia (Ukraine)
Authors: Godlevska O. , Ghazali M. , Tyshchenko V. , Drebet M. , Martynjuk V.
Published: February 2011

Results of the Winter Bat Census in Two Sites of the Central Podolia (Ukraine)

In February 2009 a full bat census in GMN- and IVK-mines (Khmelnytsky Oblast) was done. In total, 4801 individuals of 10 species were counted: 2438 of 7 sp. in GMN-mines and 2364 of 9 sp. in IVK-mines. The carried work is the first experience of a full bat census in considerable by length underground systems (29 and 11 km correspondingly) in Ukraine. Examination of GMN-mines took 77,5 man-hours; IVK-mines, ca. 50 man-hours. The obtained results will be at a base of the further bat monitoring in these two sites.
The Relationship Between Teachers' Evaluations and Students' Learning Outcomes Using Multimedia Drills in Primary Education
Authors: Luik Piret
Published: February 2011

The Relationship Between Teachers' Evaluations and Students' Learning Outcomes Using Multimedia Drills in Primary Education

The present study highlights the implementation of information and communication technology (ICT) in education via the use of many educational software programs from the Internet, which every teacher can use with their students. Some learning materials are produced by individuals who are not aware of the pedagogical principles and do not know how to produce effective educational software. Therefore, the question arises: Are the teachers competent in choosing multimedia learning materials? And if they compose multimedia learning materials by themselves, are they aware of the features of multimedia which are effective or which hinder learning? The study was carried out to seek answers to these questions and find out the relationships between the teachers' evaluation of software used and the learning outcomes by students in primary education. The results are based on a correlation study where 34 multimedia drills and practice materials were used for learning. Each multimedia drill was evaluated by ten primary teachers, who had used these drills with their students and saw how the students managed with each particular drill. The evaluations by the teachers were gathered by means of questionnaires, using a 10-point scale covering 17 aspects of the drills. Each drill was used by 80 students of the 3rdform from the same schools. The learning outcomes provided by the students were evaluated by pre- and post-tests. The results of the study imply that the teachers were not able to recognise efficient multimedia learning materials.
Maltese Youth and the Environment: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Mifsud Mark
Published: February 2011

Maltese Youth and the Environment: A Qualitative Study

The present study attempted to highlight the main processes of the acquisition and development of various environmental perspectives and puts forward suggestions on how youth can be better addressed in the light of the research findings. The present paper involved the use of a number of focus groups and a contextual study that examined the development of environmental education on the Maltese islands, considered the main local environmental issues and subsequently analysed the main causes and mechanisms that have shaped the development of the local environment and the Maltese people. The present research identifies a number of geographic and socio economic trends which have a strong impact on young people's knowledge. The results indicate relatively low positive behaviour towards the environment, and the main issue appears to be what is seen as the ‘costs’ involved in performing such pro-environmental actions. A pervasive sense of futility in environmental actions emerged with issues relating to the Maltese government and politics being the main reasons for this feeling. An environmental perspectives model was designed employing the technique of graphical display. The model illustrates how young people perceive the future of the Maltese environment through three Cartesian axes.
Analysis of knowledge-based economy impact on economic development in the European Union countries
Authors: Dworak Edyta
Published: February 2011

Directions of changes in the world economy occurring in recent years show the transition from industrial era economy to knowledge-based economy. Increasing investments in fixed assets is no longer a sufficient way of ensuring permanent economic growth. Research-development activity, innovation and human capital become decisive factors of development. As an essential determinant of the innovativeness level of individual economies are considered expenditures on research and development designed to conduct basic, applied research and development activities as well as effects of these research appearing in the form of innovations. The objective of the article is to analyze correlative connections between the two main variables describing knowledge-based economy, that is between the share of R&D expenditures in GDP and R&D expenditures per capita, and the remaining characteristics of knowledge - based economy. Another aim of the article is to assess the impact of these two variables on the basic macroeconomic indicators in the European Union countries, and, connected with them, to analyze the impact of knowledge-based economy on economic development of these countries.
Soil development and soil biology on King George Island, Maritime Antarctic
Authors: Bölter Manfred
Published: February 2011

Soil development and soil biology on King George Island, Maritime Antarctic

This review covers aspects of soil science and soil biology of Antarctica with special focus on King George Island, South Shetlands, the martitime Antarctic. New approaches in soil descriptions and soil taxonomy show a great variety of soil types, related to different parent material, mainly volcanic origin, as well as on influences by soil biological processes. The spread of higher rooting plants attract microorganisms, nematodes and collemboles which in turn build new organic material and change the environment for further successors. Microbial communities are drivers with respect to metabolic and physiological properties indicating a great potential in a changing environment. The literature review also shows a lack of investigations on processes of carbon and nitrogen turnover, despite wide knowledge on its standing stock in different environments. Further, only few reports were found on the processes of humification. Only few data are available which can be regarded as long term monitorings, hence, such projects need to be established in order to follow ecological changes.
`My Dear Nephew': letters to a student priest
Authors: Curry Lisa
Published: February 2011

The following compilation of letters date from between 1845 and 1854; they form part of a larger collection of papers relating to Christina Gordon and her descendants, which are currently in the author's possession.1 The bulk of the letters included in this article were written by a Scottish priest, Donald Carmichael, to his great-nephew and namesake whilst the latter was a seminarian in Europe and are full of kindly advice and news from home for the young student.2 also offer a fascinating snapshot of Scottish religious and social history in the 1840s and 1850s. The correspondence is fundamentally a personal and family based one, reflecting as it does the mentoring relationship of great-uncle to his protégé. However, there is also much to interest historians in the post-emancipation but pre-reestablishment of the Scottish Catholic hierarchy era.
Archibald Campbell's Enquiry into the Original of Moral Virtue, Presbyterian Orthodoxy, and the Scottish Enlightenment
Authors: SKOCZYLAS ANNE
Published: February 2011

The moral framework to the Scottish ‘science of man’ is part of the broader picture of how enlightened thinkers adapted common ideas to their particular cultures. The work of Rev. Archibald Campbell (1691–1756) is an illustration both of the Christian nature of the Scottish enlightenment, and of the stresses that this could engender. Campbell wrote about moral virtue in a commercial society, interpreting human motivation in a surprisingly liberal manner for a Presbyterian minister. His approach to luxury in a Calvinist context may not have been entirely new, but his views represented a radical reappraisal of ethical standards for many of his countrymen. Since Campbell was professor of Ecclesiastical History at St. Andrews, many conservatives felt that he represented a threat to his students. In the 1735 General Assembly his clerical opponents attacked the description of the nature of self love and the ideas about human happiness published in the Enquiry into the Original of Moral Virtue. They also found the Discourse proving that the Apostles were no Enthusiasts to be blasphemous in its description of Christ's followers as ordinary men in their response to the Crucifixion. Campbell defended himself successfully, and continued to teach until his death. He consistently argued that natural law and reason were clear guides to moral behaviour and to religious belief. He helped to formulate an eighteenth-century Scots perception of virtue which was grounded in Christian ethics, but which acknowledged the importance of reason, and accepted the reality of life in a commercial society.
‘A Very Dangerous Place’?: Radicalism in Perth in the 1790s
Authors: HONEYMAN VAL
Published: February 2011

This article argues that the political radicalism which developed in Perth, in the 1790s, had its roots predominantly in earlier opposition to local social and political conditions. It highlights the continuity of support for reform across three decades, and it explores why a political opposition emerged in Perth and how it manifested itself. Perth radicals drew on what they had learnt by their involvement in the campaigns against Catholic relief and in support of burgh reform, demonstrating significant involvement in both issues. It also argues that the pre-1790 reform movement encompassed a broad class base emphasising the fact that reform agitation did not suddenly erupt with the French Revolution. It considers the connections between developments in Scotland and England, highlighting important differences which affected the reform movement after 1795, it provides evidence supporting the contention that the authorities’ concerns about stability were justified, and adds to the growing body of work which challenges the view that Scottish society in the 1790s was overwhelmingly stable.
Excavations at Macewen's Castle, Argyll, in 1968–69
Authors: Marshall Dorothy N
Published: February 2011

Summary

The site is a fortified promontory on the W shore of Loch Fyne. Traces of a wooden palisade and huts were found under the rubble-cored stone rampart. The rampart, for which a C-14 date in the 16th century ad was obtained, was fired and partly vitrified, suggesting that it had been strengthened internally with timber. After a period of abandonment the wall was re-fortified, then abandoned again. Later dwellings may have been inhabited as late as the 17th century. A 12th century crucifix is the most important find and will be described in a later article.
Trial excavations on Pictish and Viking settlements at Saevar Howe, Birsay, Orkney
Authors: Hedges J W
Published: February 2011

SUMMARY

This mound was excavated by James Farrer in 1862 and 1867 and, although many finds were recovered, the primitive methods employed did not allow a satisfactory interpretation of the site to be formed. A long cist cemetery was discovered, and an iron bell recovered from it. Fresh excavations took place in 1977 and, although not completed, showed, with the help of stratigraphy and radiocarbon dates, that a Viking settlement overlay a Pictish one. The cemetery found in the 19th century is assigned to the Viking period. The finds from all the excavations are catalogued and described, and analyses of the faunal, floral and mineral remains presented.
Excavations at Glasgow Cathedral: A Preliminary Report on the Archaeological Discoveries made in 1992-93
Authors: Driscoll Stephen T.
Published: February 2011

Summary

Extensive archaeological excavations were conducted in advance of the installation of a new healing and electrical system for the Cathedral. Trenches were located where new ducts were to be installed below the floor in the Nave, the Choir, the Crypt and the Session Room. These trenches produced evidence for both of the documented 12th century cathedrals which preceded the existing building. The early cathedrals were represented by in situ masonry and decorated fragments of masonry which had been re-used in the thirteenth century works. Traces of activity pre-dating the 13th century were discovered in the west end of the Nave and structural evidence for the internal divisions of the post-Reformation use of the Nave was also recovered.

Burials and stray human bones were found in the trenches dug in the Crypt and the Nave. In total 77 burials were excavated, most of which can be reasonably well dated. In the Nave, evidence for burial pre-dating the 12th century cathedral was recovered and it could be seen thai burials were made at sporadic intervals until the 19th century.

Apart from the architectural fragments and coffin fittings, finds were scarce. The most significant artefactual discovery consisted of two massive medieval bronze mortars and an iron pestle which had been deposited in a pit in the Crypt, probably during the Reformation.
The excavation of a disused military road at Buchlyvie, Central Region.
Authors: Page R. , Page C.
Published: February 2011

Summary

Excavation of a road suspected to be Roman revealed a massive foundation surmounted by a flimsy upper road that had been little used except for cart traffic. The road was apparently part of the Stirling to Dumbarton military road, constructed between 1771 and 1780, one ofthe last military roads built in Scotland.
Miller's Gardeners dictionary and its abridgement
Authors: STEARN WILLIAM T.
Published: February 2011

SYNOPSIS

Philip Miller's Gardeners dictionary abridged, fourth edition (published 28 January 1754) remains nomenclaturally important for its valid publication of numerous pre-Linnaean generic names suppressed by Linnaeus in 1753 but now accepted. Miller's generic concept was derived from Tournefort, who, as he explained in 1700, recognized genera of first rank based on floral and fruiting characters and genera of second rank based on vegetative characters, whereas Linnaeus recognized only first rank genera and hence had a much broader generic concept than Tournefort and Miller, who was much more conservative in outlook.

At the age of 77 Miller at last adopted consistent Linnaean binomial nomenclature for species. In his Gardeners dictionary, 8th edition (published 16 April 1768), the first edition with binomial nomenclature, he named many species from Europe, South Africa, Central America, and the West Indies unknown to Linnaeus or not distinguished by him. The following paper deals with the history and purpose of Miller's works and lists many names to be attributed to him. Herbarium material from plants grown in the Chelsea Physic Garden in Miller's time and typifying some of these names is preserved in the British Museum (Natural History), London. From Miller's Dictionary there arose in direct succession a series of encyclopaedic horticultural works culminating in the Royal Horticultural Society's Dictionary of gardening (1951), of which the history is here summarised.
John Woodward, Hans Sloane, and Johann Gaspar Scheuchzer: some further information
Authors: TJADEN W. L.
Published: February 2011

SUMMARY

A letter written by Johann Jakob Scheuchzer (1672-1733) to William Sherard (1659-1728) recommending his son, and letters by John Henry Ott (1693-1743) to the son, are added to the account by Melvin Jahn (J. Soc. Biblphy nat. Hist. (1974) 7 (1): 19-27).