bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cobertura de vacunación en adultos y adultos mayores en México
Authors: Cruz-Hervert Luis Pablo , Ferreira-Guerrero Elizabeth , Díaz-Ortega José Luis
Published: June 2017

Objetivo. Estimar la cobertura y el porcentaje de vacunación en adultos mayores de 20 años. Material y métodos. Análisis de datos obtenidos de la Encuesta Nacional de Salud y Nutrición 2011-2012. Resultados. En adultos de 20 a 59 años las coberturas de esquema completo, vacuna doble viral (SR) y vacuna antitetánica y antidiftérica (Td) fue de 44.7, 49.0 y 67.3%, respectivamente. En los esquemas evaluados, tanto la cobertura como el porcentaje de vacunación fueron significativamente mayores en mujeres que en hombres. En las mujeres de 20 a 49 años, la cobertura de esquema completo, SR y Td fue de 48.3, 53.2 y 69.8%, respectivamente. En el caso de los adultos de 60 a 64 años de edad, la cobertura de esquema completo, Td y anti-influenza fue de 46.5, 66.2 y 56.0%, respectivamente. Las coberturas para los adultos de los 65 años o más fueron para esquema completo, Td, anti-influenza y antineumococo con 44.0, 69.0, 63.3 y 62.0% , respectivamente. Conclusión. Las coberturas de vacunación en adultos están por debajo de los valores óptimos aunque es posible que estén subestimadas. Se proponen recomendaciones para mejorarlas.
Conocimiento sobre el consumo de agua simple en adultos de nivel socioeconómico bajo de la ciudad de Cuernavaca, México
Authors: Espinosa-Montero Juan , Aguilar-Tamayo Manuel Francisco , Monterrubio-Flores Eric Alejandro
Published: June 2017

Objetivo. Describir los conocimientos cotidianos acerca del consumo de agua simple en adultos “pequeños bebedores” y “grandes bebedores” de agua simple.  Material y métodos. Estudio cualitativo realizado entre abril y agosto de 2010 en México. Se conformaron ocho grupos focales con informantes clave adultos de nivel socioeconómico bajo; la mitad de los grupos se conformaron con hombres y la mitad con mujeres. El análisis de datos fue realizado mediante: a) codificación y categorización de acuerdo con literatura revisada acerca de hidratación, y b) mapeo conceptual, reconociendo proposiciones y afirmaciones hechas por los participantes. Resultados. Pequeños y grandes bebedores tienen conocimientos cotidianos similares sobre el agua simple; utilizan los mismos ejes epistemológicos para explicar la ingesta de agua simple en función de lo que “el cuerpo necesite”. Ambos grupos tienen la noción de que el agua simple y el refresco “pueden ser dañinos” si se beben en exceso. Conclusiones. El conocimiento cotidiano sobre el agua se relaciona con el refresco, bebida que sirve para comparación y como sustituto. Los conceptos sobre el agua y el refresco se construyen con base en la experiencia personal y en las nociones sobre el efecto de ambos en el cuerpo y en la mente. Estas representaciones se utilizan para valorar la ingesta de líquidos y pueden constituirse como barreras para el consumo de agua simple.
Editorial
Authors: Castañeda Xóchitl
Published: June 2017

On behalf of the editorial committee of this special edition of the Migration and Health Research Program (Programa de Investigación en Migración y Salud or PIMSA, for its Spanish acronym), the Mexico´s Ministry of Health (SSa), the National Council of Science and Technology of Mexico (Conacyt), the Health Initiative of the Americas (HIA) at the School of Public Health of the University of California at Berkeley, and The University of Texas at El Paso, we are pleased to introduce this special publication on migration and health between Mexico and the United States...
Introduction
Authors: Castañeda Xóchitl , Rangel Gudelia , Humberto-Fabila Luis , B Ferreira-Pinto João
Published: June 2017

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimates that there are over 200 million individuals worldwide living outside their countries of birth, also referred as transnational migrants. Issues concerning migration are thus at the top of political agendas around the world. As this volume goes to press, politicians in the United States are proposing reforms to the nation’s immigration laws. Since certain immigrant groups in the US do not qualify for care under the nation’s health system, from both a public health perspective and humanitarian perspective, any new immigration reform must consider questions of health service delivery and access to care for all immigrants...
Aceptabilidad de la circuncisión masculina para la prevención del VIH por parte de migrantes mexicanos
Authors: Parrini-Roses Rodrigo , Amuchástegui-Herrera Ana , Carrillo Héctor , Ojeda-Sánchez Azucena
Published: June 2017

Objetivos. Explorar factores culturales que inciden en la aceptabilidad de la circuncisión masculina como estrategia de prevención del VIH en comunidades de migrantes en México. Material y métodos. Estudio cualitativo mediante entrevistas a profundidad a 20 varones, a 5 mujeres parejas de migrantes y a 5 profesionistas de la salud, en dos comunidades rurales de Michoacán. Resultados. Aunque los varones aceptarían la circuncisión en caso de prescripción médica, existe un desconocimiento casi total del procedimiento, lo cual genera reacciones de temor y desconfianza. Esto sugiere una distancia entre aceptar y llevar a cabo dicho método. El personal médico consideró ambigua su promoción en comunidades rurales ante el desconocimiento sobre su efectividad y por falta de consentimiento informado. Conclusión. No existe antecedente cultural que pueda alojar la circuncisión masculina para prevención del VIH de manera positiva en la experiencia de los entrevistados.
Guest Editorial: Are You Ready for the Oilfield Recovery?
Authors: Gawick Don
Published: June 2017

Guest editorial

Through the past 2-plus years, the petroleum industry has experienced its deepest downturn since the late 1980s. It feels like, in the words of baseball legend Yogi Berra, “It’s déja vu all over again.” Like other market cycle downturns, a dramatic drop in the price of oil leading to sharp cuts in investment in exploration and production has affected the entire industry and the people who work in it. Also, as in past downturns, company after company laid off high percentages of their employees across the board and, in many cases, also enacted hiring freezes.

Since the steep drop in oil prices, an estimated 250,000 workers directly involved in the petroleum industry have lost their jobs. From field personnel to executives, the toll has been high. Many of these laid off workers have moved on to find employment in other industries, often with more comfortable and predictable working conditions than is the norm in the oil field. It will be difficult for our industry to attract a large percentage of these workers to return. Add to this scenario “the great crew change” created by the retirement of many senior level people who joined the industry in the boom of the late 1970s and early 1980s, and it is conceivable that the industry may be headed for an all-time low in the availability of qualified personnel. Midcareer professionals are in short supply, and few qualified candidates are left to replace the retiring senior management. For the industry, this loss of expertise will be difficult to replace when the next boom comes. At the same time, enrollment in petroleum engineering degree programs across the US is falling, making the talent shortage even more acute.

After Bust Comes Recovery

If history is any guide, after every oil bust comes a recovery. Currently, there is rising confidence in the industry that crude oil could strengthen and stabilize at higher levels later this year. While the recovery has been slow, the industry is seeing encouraging signs that the rebound has begun. Two indicators are the increase in oil and natural gas drilling and production activity in Oklahoma and in the Permian Basin of west Texas and southeast New Mexico. With activity picking up, the US oil industry will need to hire tens of thousands of new workers as oil prices recover and drillers stand up rigs.
New Automated Hydraulic Fracturing Tech Cuts Time and Workforce Needs
Authors: Jacobs Trent
Published: June 2017

Introduced earlier this year by Schlumberger, a trio of hydraulic fracturing systems represents one of the latest steps toward a more automated oil field.

This new hardware is already working in the North American unconventional sector where the world’s largest service company says the growing intensity of horizontal well programs demands that the next wave of fracturing technology come loaded to bear with sensors and real-time data streaming capabilities.

Dubbed an “automated stimulation delivery system,” its three main pieces are a vertical silo system for sand or proppant management, a process trailer for blending and hydration, and a missile manifold that channels pressurized fracturing fluids into the wellhead. Prototypes of each system spent a year in the field before entering commercial service, and during that time, helped send almost a billion pounds of sand down horizontal wells.

This new product line will form part of the recently announced joint venture between Schlumberger and Weatherford that combines their fracturing fleets. And notably, it rolls out just months ahead of the expected launch date of Schlumberger’s first automated land drilling rig.

The large extent to which automation technologies will assist in the operation of these advanced assets means oil and gas producers using them will need fewer people and less time to drill and complete their wells.

By the company’s calculation, the automated features of the missile manifold trim up to 15 minutes from the job times of each fracturing stage. That may not sound like precious time, but because today’s horizontal wells average more than two dozen stages each, the company reports that those minutes could add up to 2 days a month.  

Terence Goettsch, an equipment portfolio manager of well services at Schlumberger, explained that such gains exemplify what the company was aiming for when it launched an effort 4 years ago to identify inefficiencies in its field operations.

That work involved examining “every single minute or second that’s spent on location, and understanding why we’re not being productive at any point in time,” he said. “What we found out was that the vast majority of issues that we started seeing in 2012 and 2013 were centered around the backside of the equipment.”
India Asks Big Oil Companies “Where Do You Want To Drill?”
Authors: Rassenfoss Stephen
Published: June 2017

India is putting its aggressive program to sharply reduce oil and gas imports over the next 5 years to the test with an upcoming bidding round aimed at winning back international oil companies with the skills and money to make major discoveries.

Last year’s discovered small fields auction by state oil firm ONGC attracted strong bidding from smaller Indian players, many new to the business. But “this is much more ambitious,” said Atanu Chakraborty, director general of India’s Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH).

The country is trying to reach the goal set by India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reduce oil and gas imports by 10% by 2022.

To increase the odds of getting bids, operators have been asked to choose the blocks they want included in the bid-ding round to be held later this year. The contracts are based on revamped energy policies designed to eliminate the regulation that limited international interest in the past.

“The government is not in the business of trying to micromanage production,” said Dharmendra Pradhan, the minister in charge of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, India, during a presentation at the recent IHS Markit CERAWeek conference in Houston. At the conference, the government announced the bidding round at a meeting drawing top executives from international companies.

Indian energy officials need the exploration help as domestic production falls further behind the exploding level of demand. The percentage of imported oil has risen from nearly 77% about 3 years ago to 82% in the current fiscal year, Pradhan said, according to a recent report.

Given the time needed for large exploration and production (E&P) projects, a 10% reduction in 5 years is a stretch. Adding to the difficultly is rapid demand growth due to the 7%-plus annual increase in India’s gross domestic product.

“There is skyrocketing demand in almost every energy sector,” said Charles Ebinger, senior fellow at the global energy center of the Atlantic Council, during a panel session at the conference.

There is oil and gas potential there. DGH estimates it has produced only 3% of its proven natural gas reserves and around 5% of its proven oil reserves. While it is not a big oil and gas producer, the 115 drilling rigs working there in mid-February were just behind the 120 rigs drilling in Saudi Arabia, according to the Baker Hughes rig count.

E&P is dominated by the national oil company ONGC, with other government-owned companies and some local independents working as well. But in a country with more than 3 million km2 of sedimentary basins, where gas discoveries have been more common, it imports 50% of its gas.
SPE Board Announces Nominees 2019 President and 2018 Directors
Authors: Parshall Joel
Published: June 2017

Sami Al-Neaim is the nominee for 2019 SPE President. He and eight others make up the slate of nominees recommended for positions open on the SPE Board of Directors.

Sami Al-Neaim has been with Saudi Aramco for 30 years, where he has worked in reservoir engineering, production engineering, research and development, and at the upstream computer center. He currently serves as manager, Petroleum Engineering Application Services, where he has full responsibility for providing technical information technology support to all upstream operations, including exploration, drilling, production, reservoir engineering, and facility design. A current area of focus is reservoir simulation of giga cells and giga models using Saudi Aramco’s GigaPOWERS simulator.

Al-Neaim has a long history of service to SPE and is currently a member of the SPE Middle East Board of Directors. He has won several local, regional, and international awards, including the SPE Regional Service Award for the Middle East in 2010 and the SPE Distinguished Service Award and SPE Distinguished Member in 2011. He currently serves on the society’s DeGolyer, Rand, and McConnell Awards Committee and the 2017 SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition Executive Advisory Committee.

He has published a number of technical papers, holds several patents related to well performance, and teaches petroleum engineering at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM). Al-Neaim serves on the petroleum engineering departments’ advisory boards at KFUPM and King Saud University. He is a key figure in the Saudi and Middle Eastern energy and media sectors, having published more than 300 articles on oil and gas and energy in Saudi newspapers.

Al-Neaim obtained BS and MS degrees from KFUPM, and a PhD degree from the University of Texas at Austin, all in petroleum engineering. He completed the Wharton Executive Management program at the University of Pennsylvania and the Advanced Asian Business and Culture Program from the Center for Global Business Studies at Pennsylvania State University.
Technology Focus: Deepwater Projects
Authors: Iversen Morten
Published: June 2017

Technology Focus

The oil-price downturn has dominated the news cycle during the past 18 months and is expected to dictate the fate of many deepwater developments. In addition, the prices have challenged the economic viability of many future deepwater projects, resulting in cancellations and deferred sanctioning.

Optimism about a possible recovery of oil prices has picked up recently in the offshore energy industry, but I believe that 2017 and 2018 are going to be complicated and that this optimism may be premature.

Despite near-term concerns, the long-term fundamentals for deepwater activity remain strong.

The need to offset declining production from mature basins, as well as the ability of international oil companies to access larger reserves with the use of new exploration-and-production technology, will continue to drive deepwater expenditure.

Deepwater exploration-and-production activities are driven by a variety of supply- and demand-side factors:

The need to offset declining production from onshore and shallow-water basins

The potential discovery of large hydrocarbon reserves, with East Africa a clear example

Economic viability of deepwater developments

Despite the prolonged low oil prices, there are some fast-track development plans for large deepwater fields such as Eni’s Zohr gas discovery in the Mediterranean offshore Egypt and ExxonMobil’s Liza discovery off Guyana, which are capital-intensive but provide large potential returns on investment.

In line with this growing trend, Royal Dutch Shell has categorized deep water as one of its growth priorities for the next 5 years.

From now until 2020, growth in the deepwater market is expected to be constrained as low oil prices increase pressure on project economics. Operators, subsea manufacturers, and rig owners are likely to find the next few years to be difficult as project delays continue through the forecast period.

However, decreasing drilling and equipment costs may provide a limited upside for sanctioning.

Recommended additional reading at OnePetro: www.onepetro.org.

OTC 27161 Floater and SURF Combined and Optimized Solutions by Blaise Seguin, Subsea 7, et al.

OTC 27260 Progress in the Development of Test Methods and Flexible Composite Risers for 3000-m Water Depths by T.A. Anderson, GE, et al.

SPE 179056 Deepwater Riserless Operations With Coiled Tubing in the Gulf of Mexico: An Innovative, Safe, and Efficient Plug-and-Abandonment Technique by Renny Ottolina, Coil Tubing Services, et al.
Technology Focus: Intelligent Fields Technology (May 2017)
Authors: Hudson John
Published: June 2017

Technology Focus

In the early days of intelligent fields, we tended to see the game as more data, more control, more models, and more integration. All these aspects, of course, are still key components to the system solutions that are now emerging. However, the most-competitive emerging systems blend artificial intelligence to bring better efficiency to the human work that results in good business decisions. As a result, we waste less time and fewer resources finding and manipulating data and focus more on complex engineering judgment and building richness into the bases of our decisions.

When Deep Blue beat Kasparov, it was a watershed event, but the timing of the event was the only surprise. That a computer could beat the best human chess player at some point was certain long before it happened.

As with most industries, the oil industry is ripe for automation of the type that is likely to trivialize much of what consumes our days as engineers today—which might seem threatening if you are a Kasparov. Unlike chess players, we have a much larger endgame, and our effective mastery of these technologies can help us sustain and deliver in an environment of intense competitive pressures. The body of knowledge and practice in this area is large and growing quickly, and some of the recommended articles in this section are examples of the current state of the art.

Recommended additional reading at OnePetro: www.onepetro.org.

OTC 26509 Limitations of Using Smart Wells To Achieve Waterflood Conformance in Stacked Heterogeneous Reservoirs: Case Study From Piltun Field by Harsimran Khural, Shell, et al.

SPE 180165 DAS/DTS/DSS/DPS/DxS—Do We Measure What Adds Value? by Kousha Gohari, Baker Hughes, et al.

SPE 181110 Optimal Field Development and Control Yield Accelerated, More-Reliable Production: A North Sea Case Study by M. Haghighat Sefat, Heriot-Watt University, et al.

SPE 181435 Machine-Learning Approach for Irregularity Detection in Dynamic Operating Conditions by Mohamed Sidahmed, BP, et al.
Technology Focus: Cementing/Zonal Isolation (May 2017)
Authors: DeBruijn Gunnar
Published: June 2017

Technology Focus

The terms “cement” and “isolation” are used interchangeably in the oil field. Stating the obvious, cement is a material that is mixed as a slurry, pumped into place, and then predictably turns into an impermeable (very low permeability) solid. Despite cement’s remarkable properties, the search continues for enhancements in the areas of cost and isolation performance. Several themes are evident throughout the sessions and papers that were presented at SPE events this year. Efficiencies and enhancements have been explored even to the point of replacing cement with other materials. Along with each improvement, verification of zonal isolation has been investigated.

Replacements for cement systems, such as geopolymers and resins, are investigated in a number of papers.  Geopolymers have promising long-term strength and bonding properties. Resins also have desirable performance characteristics, especially related to strength and flexibility. However, we have yet to find a system that exceeds both the economic and the technical performance of cement in today’s wells for zonal isolation. As we continue to search for new isolation systems, we also continue to enhance our existing processes and materials.

Enhancing performance in cementing is a necessary component of challenging, and improving, the costs of drilling a well. New components, updates to additives, and specifically designed cement systems are enablers to providing zonal isolation in increasingly challenging environments, including deeper water, long-reach wells, and wells subjected to large temperature and pressure cycles throughout the life of the well. Every geographic location presents unique challenges.

As engineers in the drilling industry, we also continue to look for verification that isolation has been achieved. Programs, laboratory tests, real-time monitoring, and post-job documentation all contribute to a holistic approach to cementing and barrier verification. The featured papers, along with the additional reading, explore new materials, improved techniques, and optimized performance for zonal isolation.

Recommended additional reading at OnePetro: www.onepetro.org.

SPE/IADC 184672 High Assurance on Barrier Placement and Evaluation for Deepwater Wells in Brazil by V. Reveth, Schlumberger, et al.

SPE 180344 Relating Cement-Additive Performance to Mix-Water Composition for Deepwater and Salt-Zone Applications by B.R. Reddy, Aramco, et al.

SPE/IADC 184675 True Self-Healing Geopolymer Cements for Improved Zonal Isolation and Well Abandonment by Xiangyu Liu, The University of Texas at Austin, et al.
Cement Placement With Tubing Left in Hole During Plug-and-Abandonment Operations
Authors: Wilson Adam
Published: June 2017

This article, written by Special Publications Editor Adam Wilson, contains highlights of paper IADC/SPE 178840, “Cement Placement With Tubing Left in Hole During Plug-and-Abandonment Operations,” by Bjarne Aas, Jostein Sørbø, and Sigmund Stokka, SPE, IRIS/DrillWell; Arild Saasen, SPE, Det Norske Oljeselskap; Rune Godøy, SPE, Statoil; øyvind Lunde, ConocoPhillips; and Torbjørn Vrålstad, SPE, SINTEF Petroleum Research/DrillWell, prepared for the 2016 IADC/SPE Drilling Conference and Exhibition, Fort Worth, Texas, USA, 1–3 March. The paper has not been peer reviewed.

One way to reduce costs during plugging and abandonment is to leave most of the production tubing in the well. A major concern with such an approach, however, is whether the cement will displace the original fluid improperly because of lack of tubing centralization and possible unfavorable flow dynamics in the annulus. This paper presents full-scale tests that show it is possible to obtain good cement placement when the tubing is left in the hole.

Introduction

The fundamental goal of plugging and abandonment is to restore caprock functionality to maintain well integrity permanently. Normally, these operations are conducted by removing completion equipment and placing a series of cement plugs. One way to reduce costs is to leave most of the production tubing in the well, which would save significant rig time. A major concern with such an approach, however, is whether the cement has displaced the original fluid properly in the annulus outside the tubing where the plug is planned. Poor cement quality there may result from designing the original cement job with insufficient cement slurry, from a lack of tubing centralization, or from unfavorable flow dynamics in the annulus. Regardless of the equipment used for the operation, the most economical way is to leave as much of the tubing as possible in the well. If tubing can be left in hole in a way that satisfies long-term abandonment criteria, a significant restriction to cost-efficient plugging and abandonment is overcome.

This paper presents full-scale tests that confirm the possibility of obtaining good cement placement when the tubing is left in the hole. This is the case both with and without control lines attached to the tubing.

Experimental Equipment and Methods

Full-scale tests, with several assemblies of 7-in. tubing cemented in 9 5/8-in. casing, were performed to determine the sealing ability of annulus cement when tubing is left in hole. Tests were performed with both conventional cement and expandable cement, and with and without control lines present.

The quality of the cement placement was determined by pressure tests with water—where leakage rates and pressure drops over the test sections were recorded—and by visual inspection after cutting the test assemblies at different places.
Effect of Novel Chelating Agent Seawater Based System on the Integrity of Sandstone Rocks
Authors: Ahmed Abdulazeem , Mohamed Mahmoud , Elkatatny Salaheldin , Barri Assad , Muhammadain Abdulrahim
Published: June 2017

The objective of sandstone acidizing the objective is to reduce the skin around the wellbore. This process may affect the stability of the formation and may decrease the efficiency of the stimulation job. One of the main problems related to rock integrity is sand production. Sand causes erosion of surface and down hole equipment. The objective of this work is to introduce DTPA (diethylene tri-amine pentaacetic acid) to sandstone acidizing. Moreover, use mechanical properties estimated based on acoustic measurements to address the impact of the new formulation on the integrity of Bandera and Berea sandstone cores after stimulation.

In this study, DTPA and EDTA (ethylene di-amine tetra-acetic acid) chelating agents at high pH diluted with seawater combined with potassium carbonate were used to acidize Bandera and Berea sandstone cores. Core flooding system was used to acidize the sandstone samples. Non-destructive tests were conducted to evaluate the effect of injected solution volume on the rock integrity. The samples were scanned using Computed Tomography (CT) to detect any precipitations after using the seawater based chelating agents.

The results showed that DTPA and EDTA chelating agents at pH of 11 diluted using sea water injected at rate of 5 cm3/min into 2-inch Bandera and Berea sandstone cores at temperature of 250°F enhanced the permeability ratio. Furthermore, increasing the fluid injected pore volumes raised the permeability improvement ratio of the sandstone cores. CT-number of the treated samples decreased which means no precipitations formed inside the cores. Elastic moduli of the cores after the acidizing showed that the integrity of the samples was not affected and no sand production is expected under the flooding conditions. The obtained results of this work will provide the engineers with sandstone acidizing seawater based fluids that will not affect the rock integrity after stimulation.
Evaluating the Effect of Surface Tension on Two-Phase Flow in Horizontal Pipes
Authors: Ba geri Ali S. , Gajbhiye Rahul , Abdulraheem Abdulazeez
Published: June 2017

Two phase gas/liquid flow in pipes is common occurrence in the petroleum, chemical, nuclear and geothermal industry. In the petroleum industry, it is encountered in the production, transportation and processing of hydrocarbon from oil and gas field. In designing these systems, accurate prediction of pressure drop is imperative which is determine from flow pattern and flow regime map. Unfortunately, most of the flow regime maps were developed for air-water system and widely used for the oil/gas system. In spite of the practical importance the general applicability of these maps is not addressed. In order to improve generality of flow regime maps it is necessary to evaluate the effect of surface tension which differ by great magnitude (air/water = 72 dyne/cm and gas/oil = 35 dyne/cm) on flow regime map. Thus, this study aims to evaluate the effect of surface tension on the flow regime map and address its application.

A number of flow regime maps in the area of gas-liquid flow in horizontal pipes have been developed. Further, to formulate the flow regime maps, some mapping parameters and dimensionless groups are used as coordinates. To generalize the applicability of the flow regime maps, combination of parameters and dimensionless number are used. Therefore, to generate these maps lots of experimental data is required and usually it is not feasible to evaluate the effect of each individual parameter (density, viscosity, surface tension, pipe size or geometry) on the flow regime map.

The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of surface tension on flow regimes in horizontal pipe for air water system. The experiments were carried out with two phase water-air system to evaluate the effect of surface tension. The effect of surface tension has been introduced by reducing the surface tension with the aid of surfactant. The experimental data was utilized to generate flow pattern map and the effect of surface tension was evaluated based on the variation in the boundaries of different flow patterns. Four different concentrations (0.01, 0.05 0.1, 0.5%) of a surfactant have been selected to evaluate the effect of the surface on the boundaries of different flow patterns.
Metabolic Engineering to Increase the Corn Seed Storage Lipid Quantity and Change Its Compositional Quality
Authors: Alameldin Hussien , Izadi-Darbandi Ali , Smith Scott A. , Balan Venkatesh , Jones A. Daniel , Ebru Orhun Gul , Sticklen Mariam
Published: June 2017

Given limited global food supplies and the fact that the global population is expected to double by 2050, there is an urgent need for the development of high‐calorie foods, including culinary oils. The seeds of oil crops contain high‐energy density oil composed of triacylglycerides (TAGs) at up to 80% by dry mass. However, maize (Zea mays L.) seeds are relatively poor in calorie and nutritional values. Therefore, in this report, we address this constraint via metabolic engineering to improve maize seed lipids including TAG and seed TAG nutritional values by overexpression of three major genes, including: (i) the Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. diacylglycerol acyltransferase 1 (AtDGAT1), a gene that catalyzes the TAG biosynthesis final step prior to packaging of TAGs into oil bodies; (ii) the transcription factor WRINKLED 1 (WRI1), which promotes the regulation of the expression of genes involved in fatty acid biosynthesis; and (i) the A. thaliana oleosin (AtOleosin) gene, a gene coding for a protein that protects TAGs from degradation. The overexpression of the above three genes, and probably certain unintentional in vitro culture genetic variabilities, resulted in 117% increase of seed TAGs and 25% increase in total oil contents when compared with the wild‐type control corn seeds. In addition, the above genetic modifications led to major shifts in the fatty acid profiles in favor of human health.
Identifying Elite Families and Determining Optimum Family Selection Rates in Sugarcane Breeding
Authors: Mbuma Ntombokulunga W. , Zhou Marvellous M. , van der Merwe Rouxlene
Published: June 2017

Family selection in sugarcane (Saccharum spp. hybrids) increases genetic gains for quantitative traits such as cane yield compared with individual genotype selection because families can be replicated to account for environmental effects. However, optimum family selection rates and trait dynamics among populations are not known. The objectives of this study were to identify elite families for estimated cane yield, determine optimum family selection rates, and identify optimum trait combinations for high yield. Data for stalk number, stalk height, and stalk diameter were measured on the first 20 individual genotypes from each replicated family plot and used to calculate cane yield. Results showed highly significant differences (P < 0.0001) among family and families within yield groups for all traits, indicating that families with high‐yield progenies could be identified. The highly significant differences (P < 0.0001) observed for family within group effects for diameter indicated large variability among families within the different yield groups. Principal component analysis indicated that selection for stalk number and stalk height, rather than stalk diameter, would lead to an increase in estimated cane yield, highlighting the need to determine optimum traits for yield in populations. The humic soil populations produced a significantly (P < 0.05) higher proportion of elite families than the sandy soil populations. The optimum selection rate for humic soil populations was 30%, whereas that for sandy soils was 25%, indicating that family selection rates vary among breeding populations. Knowledge on optimum selection rates and optimum trait combinations is expected to increase selection efficiency and ultimately genetic gains for cane yield in sugarcane breeding.
Evaluation of a Probe-Based PCR-ELISA System for Simultaneous Semi Quantitative Detection and Genotyping of Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV) Infection in Clinical Specimens
Authors: Talkhabifard Majid , Javid Naeme , Moradi Abdolvahab , Ghaemi Amir , Tabarraei Alijan
Published: June 2017

Background:

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a common opportunistic pathogen that causes serious complications in immunosuppressed patients and infected newborns. In this study, PCR-ELISA was optimized for semi-quantitative detection of infection in clinical specimens and simultaneous genotyping of glycoprotein B for 4 major genotypes, due to its significance.

Method:

During DIG-labeling PCR, a pair of primers amplifies a fragment of variable region of the glycoprotein B encoding sequence. Under optimized conditions, labeled Target amplicons hybridize to biotinated specific probes and are detected in an ELISA system.

Results:

PCR-ELISA system showed specific performance with detection limit of approximately 100 copies of CMV DNA. The linear correlation was observed between the PCR-ELISA results (OD) and logarithmic scale of CMV (r=0.979). Repeatability of PCR-ELISA detection system for intra-assay and inter-assay was evaluated for negative and positive samples. In optimized conditions of hybridization, differentiation between genotypes of glycoprotein B was feasible using genotype-specific probes in PCR-ELISA genotyping system.

In comparison with sequencing method, genotyping system was confirmed with kappa index of 1.

Conclusion:

PCR-ELISA is proposed as an applicable and reliable technique for semi-quantitative diagnosis and typing of the infection. This technique is flexible to apply in a variety of molecular fields.
Effectiveness of Exercise and Local Steroid Injections for the Thoracolumbar Junction Syndrome (The Maigne’s Syndrome) Treatment
Authors: Alptekin Kerem , Örnek Nurettin Irem , Aydın Tuğba , Alkan Mirsad , Toprak Mehmet , A. Balcı Leyla , Öncü Alptekin Jülide
Published: June 2017

Purpose:

Patients diagnosed as thoracolumbar junction syndrome were divided into 3 treatment groups and the results of each modality were compared.

Materials and Method:

30 Patients were included in the study with the definitive diagnosis of Maigne’s Syndrome. The first group received exercise therapy, the second group was treated with local steroid injections and the third group was the combination therapy group of both injection and exercise.

Findings:

30 Patients were divided into 3 groups. Each group had 10 patients. The average age of the groups was detected to be 23.43 ± 3.75. A flattening was detected in 4 patients of the first group (40%), 6 patients of the second group (60%) and 4 patients of the third group (40%) during the lumbar lordosis. While the average difference of the VAS values was (2.80) as the lowest for the injection group before and after treatment at rest, the highest value (3.30) was observed in the combined treatment group. The results shown on the Oswestry scale of the first month difference (16.10), and the third month difference (22.40) were statistically better than the other groups in the combined treatment group.

Results:

As a result of this study, while in all three treatment groups in the Oswestry scale, VAS scores at rest or at movement during the regular controls before and after the treatment showed statistically significant difference; the best results were obtained in the group administered to the combined injection and exercise therapy.
O estabelecimento de relações de causalidade sob a perspetiva da sociolinguística variacionista
Authors: Aguiar Joana
Published: June 2017

O presente trabalho insere-se no domínio da variação sintática e tem como objetivo promover a discussão em torno da importância das variáveis sociais na interpretação dos dados linguísticos. Partindo do pressuposto de que a mesma relação semântica pode ser estabelecida através de diferentes estruturas sintáticas, são analisados os mecanismos de conexão frásica que permitem o estabelecimento da relação de causalidade. Seguindo as propostas de Schiffrin (1987), Sweetser (1990), Paiva e Braga (2010), propõe-se a tripartição da noção de causalidade em: causa real, causa explicativa, e causa interacional. Esta divisão é motivada por três fatores: tipologia de ato de fala envolvido (assertivo / não assertivo), tipologia de relação estabelecida (asserida ou pressuposta), e domínio de atuação (domínio do conteúdo, domínio epistémico e domínio ilocutório/interacional). Os resultados da análise revelam que as relações de causa explicativa são as mais frequentes, independentemente do corpus em análise. Quando observamos os dados para o cruzamento das variáveis sociais, constata-se que a variável grau de escolaridade influencia a ocorrência da relação de causalidade: informantes com mais anos de escolaridade tendem a estabelecer mais frequentemente relações de causa explicativa.
REVISIÓN DEL CONCEPTO DE ESTRATEGIA EN EL PROCESO DE ADQUISICIÓN Y APRENDIZAJE DE SEGUNDAS LENGUAS A LA LUZ DE LAS NUEVAS INVESTIGACIONES
Authors: Álvarez Ana María Cea
Published: June 2017

Este artículo pone de relieve los esfuerzos realizados en el área de la adquisición de segundas lenguas para describir los mecanismos psicolingüísticos que el aprendiz de lenguas pone en práctica en el momento del aprendizaje. Esos mecanismos, identificados inicialmente como estrategias, fueron objeto de estudio por varios investigadores debido a la importancia que la competencia estratégica representa en el desarrollo de la competencia comunicativa del aprendiz. En coherencia con lo anterior, desde una perspectiva diacrónica, se describe cómo se ha ido confor- mando la noción de estrategia, sus diferentes tipologías y su importancia en el marco de una pedagogía para la autonomía, en la que el desarrollo de la autorregu- lación resulta esencial en el proceso de aprendizaje de una segunda lengua.
PROFILS ET INTELLIGENCES MULTIPLES OU LE SOUCI DIDACTIQUE DANS L’ENSEIGNEMENT D’UNE LANGUE ÉTRANGÈRE
Authors: Domingues João
Published: June 2017

Partant du principe du bien-fondé du dialogue entre les sciences cognitives et l'éducation, notre réflexion n'a pas pour but d'être originale ni d'avancer des perspectives absolument innovantes. Elle vise plutôt à mettre en rapport de consé- quence les méthodes d’enseignement avec les savoirs du domaine de la psycholo- gie cognitive, notamment sur un bon modèle mental du cerveau de l’apprenant, et sur les principes fondamentaux du rapport entre la plasticité cérébrale et le proces- sus d’apprentissage.
Delivering Cognitive Behavior Therapy to Young Adults With Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety Using a Fully Automated Conversational Agent (Woebot): A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Fitzpatrick Kathleen Kara , Darcy Alison , Vierhile Molly
Published: June 2017

Background

Web-based cognitive-behavioral therapeutic (CBT) apps have demonstrated efficacy but are characterized by poor adherence. Conversational agents may offer a convenient, engaging way of getting support at any time.

Objective

The objective of the study was to determine the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a fully automated conversational agent to deliver a self-help program for college students who self-identify as having symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Methods

In an unblinded trial, 70 individuals age 18-28 years were recruited online from a university community social media site and were randomized to receive either 2 weeks (up to 20 sessions) of self-help content derived from CBT principles in a conversational format with a text-based conversational agent (Woebot) (n=34) or were directed to the National Institute of Mental Health ebook, “Depression in College Students,” as an information-only control group (n=36). All participants completed Web-based versions of the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7), and the Positive and Negative Affect Scale at baseline and 2-3 weeks later (T2).

Results

Participants were on average 22.2 years old (SD 2.33), 67% female (47/70), mostly non-Hispanic (93%, 54/58), and Caucasian (79%, 46/58). Participants in the Woebot group engaged with the conversational agent an average of 12.14 (SD 2.23) times over the study period. No significant differences existed between the groups at baseline, and 83% (58/70) of participants provided data at T2 (17% attrition). Intent-to-treat univariate analysis of covariance revealed a significant group difference on depression such that those in the Woebot group significantly reduced their symptoms of depression over the study period as measured by the PHQ-9 (F=6.47; P=.01) while those in the information control group did not. In an analysis of completers, participants in both groups significantly reduced anxiety as measured by the GAD-7 (F1,54= 9.24; P=.004). Participants’ comments suggest that process factors were more influential on their acceptability of the program than content factors mirroring traditional therapy.

Conclusions

Conversational agents appear to be a feasible, engaging, and effective way to deliver CBT.
Evaluasi Kinerja KKIP Dalam Kerjasama Republik Indonesia-Korea Selatan Pada Pembangunan Kapal Selam Untuk Mendukung Ketahanan Alutsista TNI Angkatan Laut
Authors: Prasetyo Tunggul , Armawi Armaidy , Salim Dafri Agus
Published: June 2017

ABSTRACTThis study was aimed to knew and analyzed the implementation of the cooperation between Republik Indonesia and South Korea in the construction of submarines ,to the Navy defense equipment resilience. The method used by the researchers in this study was a qualitative descriptive method. Data collection techniques used three techniques, in-depth interviews, observation, library and documentation. Objects in this study that the parties involved in the cooperation Indonesia South Korea in the construction of submarines, especially the executive team officials Defence Industry Policy Committee (KKIP). The results showed that in the implementation of cooperation Indonesia South Korea in the construction of the submarine still lacks the strength of its bargaining Indonesian government, especially KKIP and Defense industry involved in this cooperation program. This was indicated by the presence of the technology transfer process was still below of 85 % as a basis for accelerating the revitalization of the defense industry in achieving the navy defense resilienceABSTRAKPenelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui dan menganalisis pelaksanaan kerjasama yang dilaksanakan indonesia-Korea Selatan dalam Pembangunan Kapal Selam dan mengevaluasi kerjasama Indonesia Korea selatan dalam pembangunan kapal selam terhadap ketahanan alutsista TNI AL. Metode yang digunakan dalam penelitian adalah metode deskriptif kualitatif. Teknik pengumpulan data menggunakan tiga teknik, yaitu wawancara mendalam, observasi, kepustakaan, serta studi dokumentasi. Objek dalam penelitian ini yaitu para pihak yang terlibat dalam kerjasama Indonesia Korea selatan dalam pembangunan kapal selam, khususnya para pejabat tim pelaksana Komite Kebijakan Industri Pertahanan (KKIP). Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa dalam pelaksanaan kerjasama indonesia Korea selatan dalam pembangunan kapal selam memiliki kekurangan berupa kekuatan tawar menawar pemerintahan Indonesia, khususnya KKIP maupun Industri Pertahanan yang terlibat dalam program kerjasama tersebut Hal ini ditunjukkan dengan terlaksananya proses alih teknologi yang masih kurang dari angka 85% sebagai salah satu dasar bagi percepatan revitalisasi industri pertahanan dalam mencapai ketahanan alutsista Angkatan Laut
Komparasi Efektivitas dan Model Governance Inkubator Bisnis Digital antara Pengelola Pemerintah, BUMN, Swasta, Komunitas, dan Universitas
Authors: Yuana Suci Lestari , Azizah Nur , Apriliyanti Indri Dwi
Published: June 2017

The growing number of incubator business and coworking spaces for digital business in Indonesia has raised critical question on its correlation with Indonesian competitiveness in IT industry. This paper attempts to analyze internal factors of each incubator model that drives innovation as well as to identify power relations of actors in IT ecosystem. In the context of Global Value Chain governance, Indonesian incubation model showed tendencies toward relational governance. The type of relation was complex and interdependent. This condition has pushed the emergence of Godfather actor who had specific competences that sustain innovation.
SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF A NOVEL MUCOADHESIVE DERIVATIVE OF PSYLLIUM SEED POLYSACCHARIDE
Authors: Rao Monica R.p. , Gaikwad Snehal R. , Shevate Prachi M.
Published: June 2017

Objective: In the present study, thiol-functionalization of psyllium seed polysaccharide (PSY) was cross-linked with thioglycolic acid by esterification in an attempt to reveal the mucoadhesive properties of thiolated psyllium seed polysaccharide (TPSY).Methods: The crosslinking was carried out by the microwave-assisted method. A simplex centroid design was employed to systematically study the mucoadhesive strength, mucoadhesive retention time and drug release profile. Comparative evaluation of carbopol-based ciprofloxacin hydrochloride (HCl) tablets containing PSY and TPSY was carried out. Acute oral toxicity studies and repeated oral toxicity for TPSY were also conducted.Results: Thiol-functionalization was confirmed by-SH stretch in Fourier Transform infra-red spectra at 2353 cm-1. Thiolation was observed in thiolated PSY (TPSY) by a change in the surface morphology of psyllium from fibrous to granular and resulted in 82 %swelling in deionized water. TPSY was found to contain 102.35 mmol of thiol groups/g as determined by the Ellman’s method. The percent increase in mucoadhesive strength of TPSY was found to be 50.31 % as compared to PSY and 128.30 % as compared to carbopol. The percent increase in mucoadhesive retention time of TPSY was found to be 110 % as compared to PSY and 50 % as compared to carbopol.Conclusion: Mucoadhesion strength and mucoadhesive retention time were greater of tablets containing a higher amount of TPSY. Further, the acute oral toxicity studies and repeated oral toxicity for TPSY proved it as non-toxic and hence safe for human use.