bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Comprehensive Real-Time Multiphase Hydrodynamic Model for Kick Control While Managed Pressure Drilling and the Monitoring System
Authors: Zhou H. , Niu X. , Wang G. , Fan H. , Liu J. , Ma D.
Published: October 2015

Managed pressure drilling (MPD) technique can stop and remove a kick without shutting the well in while a kick was detected. But the key for a successful kick removal operation depend on accurate, real-time knowledge of downhole hydraulics. This paper proposed a comprehensive real-time multiphase hydrodynamic model for calculating hydraulics to be used to stop a kick during MPD on basis of logging equipment, PWD and Controler data and real-time control parameters. It can conduct a real-time calculating and monitoring hydraulic parameters using in the process of MPD.

First, according to the problem of non-unified data units and the mode of data sharing, transmission during the well logging PWD and Controler data transmission, an integrated new well site software module was developed, which combined the functions of data acquisition, transportation and simulation from different devices. This module puts the variability of the real-time data collection equipment, complicity of I/O ports, and specialty of transmission protocol outside the real-time computation module which is efficient and simple. Second, a real-time multiphase hydrodynamic model was established hydraulic calculation method was established, in which the flow channel both in pipe and annuli was divided into several sections, through which the different diameter of the channels were considered. And in each section the temperature and pressure dependent properties of multiphase fluid were taken into account. A series of system software were developed to predicted flow patterns, circulating pressures, gas top, bottomhole hydraulics and the related control parameters for control the kick while MPD.

The application of this system in Zhongyuan Oilfield of China show it can exactly monitoring multiphase hydraulics and the control parameters for control the kick while MPD. And it runs smoothly with convenient operation. Therefore it can be seen this system can be applied to provide more convenient fast and precise dynamic parameters monitoring for control kick while MPD.
Comparison of Pressure Transient Response in Intensely and Sparsely Fractured Reservoirs
Authors: Johns R. T. , Jalali-Yazdi Y.
Published: October 2015

A comprehensive analytical model is presented to study the pressure transient behavior of a naturally fractured reservoir with a continuous matrix block size distribution. Geologically realistic probability density functions of matrix block size are used to represent reservoirs of varying fracture intensity and uniformity. Transient interporosity flow is assumed and interporosity skin is incorporated.

Drawdown and interference pressure transient tests are investigated. The results show distinctions in the pressure response from intensely and sparsely fractured reservoirs in the absence of interporosity skin. Also, uniformly and nonuniformly fractured reservoirs exhibit distinct responses, irrespective of the degree of fracture intensity. The pressure response in a nonuniformly fractured reservoir with large block size variability, approaches a nonfractured (homogeneous) reservoir response. Type curves are developed to estimate matrix block size variability and the degree of fracture intensity from drawdown and interference well tests.
Injection Time Effects on Falloff Responses From Composite Reservoirs
Authors: Ambastha A. K. , Ramey H. J.
Published: October 2015

A radial, composite reservoir idealization is used to analyze falloff tests from enhanced oil recovery projects such as thermal recovery, and CO2 flooding. Swept volume (or front radius) is a primary parameter to monitor the progress of a project. A falloff test is an inexpensive way to obtain an estimate of swept volume (or front radius). Either deviation time from a semi-log line corresponding to the inner region mobility, or a short duration pseudosteady state behavior corresponding to the inner region swept volume, or type-curve matching may be used to analyze the data. Any of these methods would produce an inaccurate estimate for swept volume (or front radius), if injection time is short. To the best of our knowledge, injection time effects on falloff responses for a well in a composite reservoir have not been presented in the literature.

Using an analytical solution, this study establishes dimensionless injection time based on front radius as a correlating parameter for falloff responses for all front radii. Effects of short injection time on the accuracy of the methods to estimate swept volume (or front radius) are discussed. If injection time effects are ignored, the pseudosteady state method may overestimate swept volume by an order of magnitude. For short injection times, model selection (a two-region vs. a three-region model) for type-curve matching can be difficult. Finally, a correlation is presented for the magnitude of injection time to analyze falloff data using an injectivity type-curve.
Effects of Pipe Roughness on Friction Pressures of Fracturing Fluids
Authors: Shah S. N.
Published: October 2015

During hydraulic fracturing treatments, fracturing fluid is pumped down the well in turbulent flow through commercially available rough iron pipes. Pipe roughness contributes largely to friction loss or friction pressure in turbulent flow. Methods have previously been presented to estimate friction loss of fracturing gels (non-Newtonian) in turbulent flow in smooth pipes, but not for rough pipes.

In this study the effects of pipe roughness on friction pressures of uncrosslinked as well as crosslinked fracturing gels are reported from flow data gathered in smooth and rough pipes. It is found that pipe roughness effects are very significant when estimating friction pressures of fracturing fluids. These effects are more pronounced with less viscous fluids than with more viscous fluids, and are also more pronounced at higher rates with both fluids. From the data gathered with fluids tested in this study, correlations to estimate friction pressures of fracturing gels in turbulent flow in rough pipes are also presented. Though not ideal, these correlations allow better estimates of friction pressures in rough tubular conductors than do existing methods.
An Analytical Model for History Matching Naturally Fractured Reservoir Production Data
Authors: Watson A. T. , Gatens J. M. , Lee W. J. , Rahim Z.
Published: October 2015

A method to estimate reservoir properties and predict future performance using production data for naturally fractured reservoirs is presented. The method uses an analytical solution describing dual-porosity reservoirs with constant bottomhole pressure production in both infinite-acting and finite reservoirs. The solution is rigorous for slightly compressible liquid flow, and it is modified using a normalized time to model gas flow in finite reservoirs.

A method is presented for analyzing production data. The method includes procedures for validating the dual-porosity model with production data, determining the suitability of simpler reservoir models, and determining the "best" parameter estimates for the selected model. Example applications using field data from naturally fractured reservoirs are presented.
The Analysis of Pressure Transient Data From Underbalanced Perforating
Authors: Garrett J. C. , Shealy R. A. , Centanni R. J. , Ruiz S. J. , Chacon E. A.
Published: October 2015

Determination of reservoir characteristics from formation pressure created by underbalanced perforating may enable an operator to decide whether a well is commercially productive prior to permanent completion. With the use of several existing techniques, it is possible to analyze such data.

With closed chamber testing techniques, wellhead pressures are used to calculate variable sandface rates during and shortly after the well is underbalance perforated. Superposition is employed to create a rate-time function for plotting with bottom hole pressure data. The straight-line portion of the pressure versus ratetime function plot can be fitted using linear regression to solve the radial flow equation. Calculated parameters include effective permeability, skin effects and initial reservoir pressure.

Also presented, is a method proposed by Soliman to analyze short producing time data. Delta pressure versus total time data is plotted on a Log-Log graph where the time axis combines producing time with build up time. A negative one (−1) slope on this plot indicates the existence of radial flow, from which reservoir characteristics can be calculated if the flow regime is known. A cartesian plot can be used to estimate initial reservoir pressure.

This paper illustrates the use of the aforementioned techniques on data collected from a multi-well project in the Gulf of Mexico. Analyses of oil wells were investigated. The results of these analysis methods for oil cases are compared with buildups performed after the wells were completed.

These analysis techniques have also been applied to formation back surge data with similar results.
Clay Stabilization in Low-Permeability Formations
Authors: Himes R. E. , Vinson E. F. , Simon D. E.
Published: October 2015

Clay stabilizers have been used in various forms in oil well treating solutions for over 30 years. Cationic organic polymers have been the most popular type stabilizer in use recently because of their resistance to wash-off and chemical attack, ease of application, and effectiveness in moderate to high permeability formations. Recent studies investigating the effectiveness of such stabilizers in very low to low permeability sandstones have shown them to be less than 100% effective in stabilizing clays to prevent swelling and migration. Results indicate that higher molecular weight polymers can create permeability impairment when injected into these formations. These findings indicated the need for further research into clay stabilizers. This research led to the development of a novel clay stabilizing chemical for low, as well as high, permeability formations. This low permeability clay stabilizer also offers additional benefits in treating low permeability formations by enhancing fluid recovery after fracturing, and preventing the detrimental effects of fracturing fluid gel adsorption onto formation surfaces.
Analysis of the Influence of Lunar Cycle on the Frequency of Spontaneous Deliveries: A Single-centre Retrospective Study
Authors: Laganà AS , Burgio MA , Retto G , Pizzo A , Sturlese E , Granese R , Chiofalo B , Ciacimino L , Triolo O
Published: October 2015

Background Man, since ancient times, has been convinced of, and has researched scientific evidence that the barometric and gravitational forces play an important role in structural and biological variation of the planets, influencing the various forms of life. In particular, the synergistic relationships between variations in atmospheric pressure and gravitational forces on human gestation period have been the subject of rigorous observations and statistical calculations, which have not led to a universal conclusion in literature.Objectives The aim of our work was to check whether there is a higher incidence of spontaneous deliveries, during the periods of full Moon than during the other phases of the Moon.Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of 327 non-induced vaginal deliveries in a year, divided by month. We subsequently analyzed the incidence of these deliveries during periods of full Moon Vs other lunar phases.Results We evidenced a statistically significant difference between the annual total spontaneous deliveries happened in full Moon periods Vs all other Moon phases (T= 2,3946; p=0,0256). However, we reported a discordant trend of deliveries in full Moon period, depending on each considered month.Conclusion Since these differences were found both in increase and decrease, it is unacceptable the assumption of a linear correlation between periods of full Moon and increased frequency of spontaneous deliveries. For this reason, our data allow us to conclude that there is no need to increase the number of doctors and midwives in obstetric units during these periods.Kathmandu University Medical Journal Vol.12(4) 2014; 233-237
Practical Aspects in Topical PUVAsol in Dermatology: An Experience in a Teaching Hospital
Authors: KC S , Karn D
Published: October 2015

Kathmandu University Medical Journal Vol.12(4) 2014; 306-307
Early Outcome of Liver Resections in Octogenarians
Authors: Bhandari RS , Riddiough G , Muralidharan V , Christophi C
Published: October 2015

Background Reports on safety and feasibility of liver resection in patients 80 years and older are very limited.Objective Here, we intend to analyze the perioperative outcomes of liver resections in octogenarians performed at a single tertiary level teaching hospital over a ten years period.Method Retrospective review of the medical records (between 2004 to 2014) of patients of the defined age group was performed. Clinicopathological features, indications, extent of resections, intraoperative parameters, postoperative complications and final outcome were analyzed. Findings were compared with similar studies published in literature.Result Total 19 (11 male, 8 female, maximum age 85 years) patients of the study group underwent liver resection during the defined period. Commonest indication was colorectal liver metastasis (9 patients). One patient had pancreaticodudenectomy for periampullary malignancy four years prior to present with liver metastasis and subsequently had liver resection for recurrence of disease. Except one, all had open surgery. Types of resection ranged from sub segmental to major right (8 patients) and left (1 patient) hepatectomy. Total 3 (27%) out of 11 patients on whom drain was not placed required radiological drainage of abdominal collection. One patient developed liver abscess postoperatively and was also successfully drained under radiological guidance. Only 2 (10.5%) had prolonged Intensive Care Unit (ICU) stay and remaining patients were discharged to ward after 24 hrs of observation in high dependency/Intensive care unit. Median hospital stay was 11 days. Postoperative complications were 3 of grade II, 4 of grade IIIa, 1 of IIIb and 2 of IVa. Total 9 patients were discharged to rehabilitation centers and remaining 10 could be discharged home. There was 0% mortality.Conclusion In appropriately selected cases, when performed in specialized tertiary centers excellent perioperative outcomes of liver resections can be achieved even in patients of 80 years of age and above.Kathmandu University Medical Journal Vol.13(1) 2015; 19-23
Vitamin D and Other Risk Factors among Stroke Patients
Authors: Pokharel BR , Kharel G , Thapa LJ , Rana PVS
Published: October 2015

Background Stroke is common neurological problems in Nepal. The common risk factors for stroke are age, hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia and atrial fibrillation. Vitamin D is an emerging risk factors for cardio-cerebrovascular disease.Objective This study is to find out Vitamin D and risk factors in stroke patient in Nepalese population.Method We reviewed the record of 281 stroke patients, admitted to Neurology ward of College of Medical Sciences, Bharatpur, Nepal from 1st January to 31st December 2013. The records were analyzed on the basis of age, sex, hypertension (HTN), body mass index (BMI), smoking habits, hemoglobin(Hb), diabetes mellitus(DM), Lipid profile, Atrial fibrillation(AF) and vascular territory with clinical and radiological evidences. The vitamin D analysis was done all stroke patients.Result Total patient were 281, with male 161 and age range from 18 - 87. Ischemic stroke was noted in 86.8% and hemorrhagic stroke was noted in 13.2% of patients. Middle cerebral artery (MCA) ischemia was noted in 51.5% of patients and anterior cerebral artery (ACA) ischemia was noted in 3% of patients. Multiple infarcts were noted in 12.90% of patients. About half of them were smoker, hypertension 47.40%, Diabetes mellitus 24.20% and 14.1% had atrial fibrillation. 174 (61.92%) of the stroke had less than sufficient Vitamin D.Conclusion The common risk factors for stroke patients like smoking, hypertension, diabetes mellitus and atrial fibrillations are present in Nepalese population. The level of vitamin D was also low in stroke patients.Kathmandu University Medical Journal Vol.13(1) 2015; 71-73
Anomalous Facial Nerve: An Unusual Cause of Obstruction of Middle Ear Ventilation
Authors: Das S , Tuli IP
Published: October 2015

Numerous anomalies and variations of facial nerve anatomy leading to iatrogenic injury are described. However, there are no reports of facial nerve dehiscence near its second genu causing a hump and obstructing middle ear ventilation pathway, as found in our case.This particular anomaly of facial nerve is being reported to highlight its uniqueness and that a dehiscent facial nerve may be a rare but dangerous cause of obstruction of the attic ventilation. One has to be aware of this unusual anomaly to prevent inadvertent damage to the facial nerve while clearing aditus block in persistent otitis media.Kathmandu University Medical Journal Vol.13(1) 2015; 74-76
Point-of-care Ultrasonography in Critically Ill Patients
Authors: Shrestha GS
Published: October 2015

Point-of-care ultrasonography has been used frequently by the physicians involved in managing critically ill patients. It allows direct visualization of pathology or abnormal physiological state at the bed side. The examination may be safely and effectively repeated as needed to follow the evolution of illness and the response to therapy. It is helpful to guide the therapy in patients with undifferentiated shock and for bedside diagnosis of common pathological conditions in acute care setting. It can facilitate common bedside procedures and interventions.Kathmandu University Medical Journal Vol.13(1) 2015; 83-87
HIV/AIDS: A Persistent Health Issue for Women and Children in Mid and Far Western Nepal
Authors: Awasthi KR , Adefemi K , Tamrakar M
Published: October 2015

This article reviews the effect of male migration on the spread of HIV infections in mid and far-western Nepal. It explains the link between male mobility and HIV in women and children. Materials were collected by a systematic search of the databases and the websites of national and international agencies. HIV infection amongst male migrants was found to be high. Their risk behaviors such as unprotected sex with multiple partners and sex workers increase the risk of HIV infection. Substance abuse, loneliness, separation from families, peer pressure, long working hours and poor living conditions are factors that promote unsafe sex. Literacy and awareness about HIV is a key measure to decrease the prevalence of the disease and reduce social stigma among people affected. HIV is a major public health issue especially in Nepal with migration playing a major role in its spread. Negligence to sexual health and lack of comprehensive knowledge on the disease among male migrants are the major obstacles that have exacerbated the disease. There is a need for further research on the existing HIV cases affecting women and children of these two regions to get a clear picture of the gravity of the disease.Kathmandu University Medical Journal Vol.13(1) 2015; 88-93
Impact of a Housing First intervention on homeless Veterans with mental illness: a Canadian multisite randomized controlled trial
Authors: Bourque Jimmy , VanTil Linda , Gibbons Caroline , LeBlanc Stefanie Renee , Landry Liette-Andrée , LeBlanc Jacinthe , Sareen Jitender , Darte Kathy , Kopp Brianna , More Faye
Published: October 2015

Introduction: A large proportion of homeless Veterans live with severe mental health problems. We examine the impact of a Housing First program that included recovery-oriented initiatives (assertive community treatment or intensive case management) among those homeless Veterans who participated in a multisite demonstration project on homelessness and mental health. Methods: The data come from a Canadian multisite randomized trial (ISRCTN42520374), At Home/Chez Soi, with a volunteer sample of 2,285 homeless or precariously housed individuals living with mental health problems. Of this sample, 98 individuals reported being Veterans, of whom 57 were randomized to the intervention group and 41 to the control group. The data come from self-reported measures administered at baseline and after 6, 12, 18, and 24 months from Fall 2009 to Spring 2013. Data were analyzed by fitting a mixed model for each outcome variable, and special attention was given to the event × treatment × Veteran status interaction term. Results: The Housing First approach was effective in improving housing stability, social functioning, and quality of life in homeless Veterans with mental health problems. These results are consistent with the intervention’s effectiveness with other homeless Canadians with mental health problems. Discussion: These results are consistent with those of previous US studies and suggest that a Housing First approach that includes recovery-oriented support would effectively contribute to reducing homelessness in the Canadian Veteran population.
Villages and Village Life Observed, Remembered, and Imagined
Authors: Sloan Barry
Published: October 2015

This article examines some of the ways in which villages and village life are represented in a selection of English and Irish texts published between 1812 and 1912. It focuses on the village as a key site of complex emotions, psychological states, and ideological values and tensions, and considers the significance of changing economic circumstances and increasing social mobility in the shifting perceptions of villages. The discussion includes Maria Edgeworth's The Absentee, Mary Mitford's Our Village, Richard Jefferies’ ‘My Old Village’, George Moore's ‘Home Sickness’, and George Sturt's Change in the Village.
Co-Movement Analysis of Italian and Greek Electricity Market Wholesale Prices by Using a Wavelet Approach
Authors: Papaioannou George , Dikaiakos Christos , Evangelidis George , Papaioannou Panagiotis , Georgiadis Dionysios
Published: October 2015

We study the co-evolution of the dynamics or co-movement of two electricity markets, the Italian and Greek, by studying the dynamics of their wholesale day-ahead prices, simultaneously in the time-frequency domain. Co-movement is alternatively referred as market integration in financial economics and markets are internationally integrated if the reward for risk is identical regardless the market one trades in. The innovation of this work is the application of wavelet analysis and more specifically the wavelet coherence to estimate the dynamic interaction between these two prices. Our method is compared to other generic econometric tools used in Economics and Finance namely the dynamic correlation and coherence analysis, to study the co-movement of variables of the type related to these two fields. Our study reveals valuable information that we believe will be extremely useful to the authorities as well as other agents participating in these markets to better prepare the national markets towards the European target model, a framework in which the two markets will be coupled.
Investigation of Legionella Contamination in Bath Water Samples by Culture, Amoebic Co-Culture, and Real-Time Quantitative PCR Methods
Authors: Edagawa Akiko , Kimura Akio , Kawabuchi-Kurata Takako , Adachi Shinichi , Furuhata Katsunori , Miyamoto Hiroshi
Published: October 2015

We investigated Legionella contamination in bath water samples, collected from 68 bathing facilities in Japan, by culture, culture with amoebic co-culture, real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR), and real-time qPCR with amoebic co-culture. Using the conventional culture method, Legionella pneumophila was detected in 11 samples (11/68, 16.2%). Contrary to our expectation, the culture method with the amoebic co-culture technique did not increase the detection rate of Legionella (4/68, 5.9%). In contrast, a combination of the amoebic co-culture technique followed by qPCR successfully increased the detection rate (57/68, 83.8%) compared with real-time qPCR alone (46/68, 67.6%). Using real-time qPCR after culture with amoebic co-culture, more than 10-fold higher bacterial numbers were observed in 30 samples (30/68, 44.1%) compared with the same samples without co-culture. On the other hand, higher bacterial numbers were not observed after propagation by amoebae in 32 samples (32/68, 47.1%). Legionella was not detected in the remaining six samples (6/68, 8.8%), irrespective of the method. These results suggest that application of the amoebic co-culture technique prior to real-time qPCR may be useful for the sensitive detection of Legionella from bath water samples. Furthermore, a combination of amoebic co-culture and real-time qPCR might be useful to detect viable and virulent Legionella because their ability to invade and multiply within free-living amoebae is considered to correlate with their pathogenicity for humans. This is the first report evaluating the efficacy of the amoebic co-culture technique for detecting Legionella in bath water samples.
Bitumen on Water: Charred Hay as a PFD (Petroleum Flotation Device)
Authors: Jahan Nusrat , Fawcett Jason , King Thomas , McPherson Alexander , Robertson Katherine , Werner-Zwanziger Ulrike , Clyburne Jason
Published: October 2015

Global demand for petroleum keeps increasing while traditional supplies decline. One alternative to the use of conventional crude oils is the utilization of Canadian bitumen. Raw bitumen is a dense, viscous, semi-liquid that is diluted with lighter crude oil to permit its transport through pipelines to terminals where it can then be shipped to global markets. When spilled, it naturally weathers to its original form and becomes dense enough to sink in aquatic systems. This severely limits oil spill recovery and remediation options. Here we report on the application of charred hay as a method for modifying the surface behavior of bitumen in aquatic environments. Waste or surplus hay is abundant in North America. Its surface can easily be modified through charring and/or chemical treatment. We have characterized the modified and charred hay using solid-state NMR, contact angle measurements and infrared spectroscopy. Tests of these materials to treat spilled bitumen in model aquatic systems have been undertaken. Our results indicate that bitumen spills on water will retain their buoyancy for longer periods after treatment with charred hay, or charred hay coated with calcium oxide, improving recovery options.
Has Screening Mammography Become Obsolete?
Authors: Costanza M.E.
Published: October 2015

With so much debate about the value of screening mammography and with the emergence of newer technologies, it seems reasonable to ask whether screening mammography, as we know it, has become obsolete. [...]
Éloge de la flexibilité des leaders
Authors: Baron Louis
Published: October 2015

Il est de bon ton de dire que le gestionnaire et l’entrepreneur vivent sur des planètes différentes 1 . Mais qu’en est-il du gestionnaire et du leader ? Et s’il était possible pour une personne d’assumer ces deux rôles avec harmonie et efficacité ? Les gestionnaires désireux de mieux comprendre les multiples paradoxes associés à leur rôle devraient explorer la notion de « leadership flexible ».
La fonction RH : superflue ou essentielle ?
Authors: Weidmann Jean , Sabourin Francine
Published: October 2015

Longtemps reconnu comme un élément clé des organisations, le service des Ressources Humaines (RH) est aujourd’hui dans la mire de plusieurs réflexions, dont celle présentée par le professeur Jean Weidmann. Que font les RH à part gérer le processus de la paie et les contrats d’embauche ? Quelle est la valeur ajoutée de ce service ? Voilà des questions auxquelles la direction de l’ordre des conseillers en ressources humaines offre bien des réponses. Le débat est ouvert !
L’inadéquation du mobile
Authors: Dussart Christian
Published: October 2015

La course à la technologie est telle que bon nombre d’experts y voient la solution miracle à tous les problèmes que nous rencontrons, quels que soient les domaines. Toutefois, cela pose problème : cette vision est non seulement péremptoire mais aussi biaisée puisqu’elle est centrée sur ses seuls bienfaits possibles. Nous en oublions que ce qui fait marcher le monde de l’économie et du social, ce sont les réactions qu’elle suscite chez les êtres humains. Si nous recentrons alors la réflexion de départ sur eux, nous nous rendons compte que les choses ne sont pas aussi simples et encore moins aussi évidentes qu’elles en ont l’air : c’est le revers de la médaille. C’est l’inadéquation du mobile.
3D Modeling for Environmental Informatics
Authors: Zhang Xiaozheng , Gao Yongsheng
Published: October 2015

3D modeling plays an important role in the field of computer vision and image processing. It provides a convenient tool set for many environmental informatics tasks, such as taxonomy and species identification. This chapter discusses a novel way of building the 3D models of objects from their varying 2D views. The appearance of a 3D object depends on both the viewing directions and illumination conditions. What is the set of images of an object under all viewing directions? In this chapter, a novel image representation is proposed, which transforms any n-pixel image of a 3D object to a vector in a 2n-dimensional pose space. In such a pose space, it is proven that the transformed images of a 3D object under all viewing directions form a parametric manifold in a 6-dimensional linear subspace. With in-depth rotations along a single axis in particular, this manifold is an ellipse. Furthermore, it is shown that this parametric pose manifold of a convex object can be estimated from a few images in different poses and used to predict object's appearances under unseen viewing directions. These results immediately suggest a number of approaches to object recognition, scene detection, and 3D modeling, applicable to environmental informatics. Experiments on both synthetic data and real images were reported, which demonstrates the validity of the proposed representation.
An Overview of Tree Species Identification from T-LiDAR Data
Authors: Othmani Alice Ahlem
Published: October 2015

Due to the increasing use of the Terrestrial LiDAR Scanning (TLS also called T-LiDAR) technology in the forestry domain, many researchers and forest management organizations have developed several algorithms for the automatic measurement of forest inventory attributes. However, to the best of our knowledge not much has been done regarding single tree species recognition based on T-LiDAR data despite its importance for the assessment of the forestry resource. In this paper, we propose to put the light on the few works reported in the literature. The various algorithms presented in this paper uses the bark texture criteria and can be categorized into three families of approaches: those how combine T-LiDAR technology and photogrammetry, those based on depth images generated from T-LiDAR data and those based on raw 3D point cloud.
Managing Students' Attendance using NFC-Enabled Mobile Phones
Authors: Ayu Media Anugerah , Ahmad Barroon Ismaeel , Mantoro Teddy
Published: October 2015

Attendance management for educational institutions is very important; it gives clear picture of students who regularly attend classes. Participating in academic activities such as lectures, laboratory experiments by students affects their academic performance. However, the conventional way of attendance registration is time consuming and prone to proxy attendance. The process involves the lecturer passing a paper to the students in a class to write their names and sign, or find their names in the paper to sign along their names. Several technologies like Biometric, RFID, NFC, etc can be used to simplify and improve the attendance system, since user identification is the most important aspect that needs to be handled cautiously in this type of applications. In this work we propose a smart attendance system using NFC that will simplify the attendance process, by simply touching a poster or the lecturer's NFC based mobile device in the class.
Mobile Water Meter System in Android Environment
Authors: Windihastuty Wiwin , Mantoro Teddy , Ayu Media Anugerah
Published: October 2015

Water meter reader is an essential tool for water company, which is responsible for the distribution of clean water to the public and monitor its customer's water consumption. Theoretically water meter should collect water consumption data in accurate and accountable manners. The problem is, in practice, sometimes the record is inaccurate and makes the customers feel uncertain of the water bill that they have to pay. Several factors contributed to this problem, including the officers made mistake in recording the number from water meter or sometimes the officer did not visit the customers and reporting based on the estimation of the water consumption. This chapter proposed a framework to record the water meter data by capturing images in a small mobile device. A prototype, as a proof of concept, of water meter mobile apps was developed to allow the water meter data to read and collected easily to make the billing processed in a more accurate manner but less hassle.
Automated Scoring in Assessment Systems
Authors: Bunch Michael B. , Vaughn David , Miel Shayne
Published: October 2015

Automated scoring of essays is founded upon the pioneer work of Dr. Ellis B. Page. His creation of Project Essay Grade (PEG) sparked the growth of a field that now includes universities and major corporations whose computer programs are capable of analyzing not only essays but short-answer responses to content-based questions. This chapter provides a brief history of automated scoring, describes in general terms how the programs work, outlines some of the current uses as well as challenges, and offers a glimpse of the future of automated scoring.
Exploring Prospective EFL Teachers' Beliefs about Teachers and Teaching through Metaphor Analysis
Authors: Rakicioglu-Soylemez Anil , Soylemez Ayse Selmin , Yesilbursa Amanda
Published: October 2015

This study aimed to explore prospective EFL teachers' metaphors of “teachers, teaching” and “being a prospective EFL teacher” at the beginning and end of a ten-week practicum course. A total of 110 Turkish prospective EFL teachers voluntarily participated in the study. Data were collected by means of semi-structured interviews and metaphor-elicitation forms. Results lead to three major conclusions. First, the participants' prior beliefs about the role of an EFL teacher and teaching were affected by their previous experiences as language learners. Second, although the content analysis of the metaphors revealed a limited change throughout the practicum experience, the analysis of the interviews showed the dynamic nature of beliefs held by the prospective teachers. Finally, data analysis of the interviews showed that the variation in beliefs and practices mainly derived from individual experiences with the mentoring practices of the cooperating teachers and the socio-professional context of the practicum school.
Red Meat and Health
Authors: Marsh Kate , Saunders Angela , Zeuschner Carol
Published: October 2015

Despite its nutritional benefits, there is an increasing body of evidence to suggest that regular consumption of red meat may negatively impact health and disease risk, including the risk of most common chronic diseases. This chapter reviews the current evidence linking red and processed meat intakes with chronic disease, obesity and mortality risks and discusses possible mechanisms to explain these associations. Research on the health benefits of diets low in red meat, including vegetarian, vegan, Mediterranean and other plant-based diets, is also reviewed.
Feasting From the Federal Trough
Authors: Shapiro Paul
Published: October 2015

The animal agribusiness industries often proclaim a libertarian mantra when asked to accept rules for their conduct in regard to animal welfare, the environment, and food safety. However, in this chapter, the author explores how when these industries suffer from lack of demand, their clamor toward socialism is stark. They consistently come to the US Congress and the United States Department of Agriculture with outstretched arms and cupped palms, seeking to defy the normal laws of economics that other businesses must navigate. In fact, the meat, egg, and dairy industries are enormous beneficiaries of generous federal subsidies, research and development, and even surplus buy-ups of unwanted product. Such a reliance on federal handouts by animal agribusiness calls into question their proclamation of libertarianism and free market principles.
Sustainable Food Consumption
Authors: Hossain Amzad
Published: October 2015

It is difficult to separate western consumerism from excessive meat consumption and through globalization this culture is spreading through the planet to traditional places, such as Bangladesh and the Indian subcontinent. The chapter argues that the socio-economic and planetary cost of increasing meat consumption is clearly untenable and initiating a process that restores natural resources is imperative. A major objective of this chapter is to raise awareness about the consequences from unsustainable meat production and consumption and the negative implication from a Western type of diet. Drawing on the spiritual messages from the Baul philosophers, it makes the case that preserving traditional flexitarianism, defined here as meat in the absence of any other food options or rare ceremonial meat consumption, is essential for the health of the planet and its inhabitants.
Queue Based Q-Learning for Efficient Resource Provisioning in Cloud Data Centers
Authors: Meera A. , Swamynathan S.
Published: October 2015

Cloud Computing is a novel paradigm that offers virtual resources on demand through internet. Due to rapid demand to cloud resources, it is difficult to estimate the user's demand. As a result, the complexity of resource provisioning increases, which leads to the requirement of an adaptive resource provisioning. In this paper, the authors address the problem of efficient resource provisioning through Queue based Q-learning algorithm using reinforcement learning agent. Reinforcement learning has been proved in various domains for automatic control and resource provisioning. In the absence of complete environment model, reinforcement learning can be used to define optimal allocation policies. The proposed Queue based Q-learning agent analyses the CPU utilization of all active Virtual Machines (VMs) and detects the least loaded virtual machine for resource provisioning. It detects the least loaded virtual machines through Inter Quartile Range. Using the queue size of virtual machines it looks ahead by one time step to find the optimal virtual machine for provisioning.
Fairly Sharing the Network for Multitier Applications in Clouds
Authors: Xu Xiaolin , Wu Song , Jin Hai , Yan Chuxiong
Published: October 2015

A significant trend caused by cloud computing is to aggregate applications for sharing resources. Thus, it is necessary to provide fair resources and performance among applications, especially for the network, which is provided in the best-effort manner in current clouds. Although many studies have made efforts for provisioning fair bandwidth, they are not sufficient for network fairness. In fact, for interactive applications, response time is more sensitive than bandwidth, and users expect a fair response time not just bandwidth. In this study, the authors want to investigate whether the traditional methods of sharing bandwidth can help the fairness of response time. They show that: (1) bandwidth has little relationship to response time, and adjusting bandwidth hardly affects response time in most cases. Thus, the traditional methods cannot help the fairness of response time much; and (2) the fairness between components is different from the one between transactions, and many prior studies only consider the former while ignoring the latter. Thus, the authors cannot help much for multitier applications consisting of multiple transactions either. As a result, they construct a model with two metrics to evaluate the fairness status of the network sharing, while considering the applications' characteristics on both the response time and throughput. Based on the model, they also propose a mechanism to improve the fairness status. The evaluation results show that the authors' mechanism improves the fairness status by 26.5%–52.8%, and avoids performance degradation compared to some practical mechanisms.
Thermally-Activated Al(OH)3: Phase Transformations and Porosity
Authors: Savel'eva Anna , Bugrova Tatiana , Petrov Andrey , Dutov Valeriy , Mamontov Grigory
Published: October 2015

Thermochemically activated aluminum trihydroxide (Al (OH)3) is an important intermediate for ceramics, construction materials, catalysts, etc. Functional properties of materials based on Al (OH)3 depend on its phase composition and porosity. A series of thermochemically activated Al (OH)3 calcined at temperatures from 120 to 800 °C were studied by low-temperature N2 sorption, XRD and thermal analysis. It was shown that transformation of gibbsite to boehmite occurs below 300 °C and is accompanied by increasing of specific surface area and pore volume. Transformation of boehmite to γ-Al2O3 proceeds above 400 °C. The sample calcined at 500 °C was shown to consist of monophase γ-Al2O3 with specific surface area of 206 m2/g and pore volume of 0.55 cm3/g.
Influence of the Catalyst Preparation on Properties of Chromium-Magnesium Catalysts for Freon 125 Synthesis
Authors: Zirka Aleksandr , Simonova Ludmila , Kosova Natalia , Kurzina Irina , Reshetnikov Sergey
Published: October 2015

The effect of the chromium-magnesium precursor preparation techniques on physicochemical properties (BET surface area, total pore volume, mean pore diameter) and catalysts activity in the gas-phase hydrofluorination of perchloroethylene to pentafluoroethane (Freon 125) was studied. Kinetics of the catalytic reactions was studied for the most active catalyst. Based on the experimental data, the pathway of perchloroethylene fluorination with HF was suggested.
Determination of Antioxidant Composition in Berry Juices Using Solid Phase Extraction with Copper Phthalocyanine
Authors: Faustova Zhanna V. , Slizhov Yurii G. , Gavrilenko Mikhail A. , Gavrilenko Nataliya A. , Terentiev Roman A.
Published: October 2015

The paper studies selective extraction of organic fractions with antioxidant activity from plant raw materials on the new sorbent with surface layer of phthalocyanine metal complexes and further HPLC determination. The possibility of sorption concentration of the antioxidant substances amount, which include mostly vitamin B groups, on the layer of copper phthalocyanine on polymer sorbent Polysorb-2. We determined antioxidant composition of honeysuckle, huckleberry and cowberry juice, namely, gallus, gentisinic, chlorogenic, caffeic, cumaric and p-methoxybenzoic acids; epicatechin and quercetine. Detection limit of this technique is 5 mg/l using copper phthalocyanine in the concentrator.
The Influence of Manganese Amount in Oxyhydroxide of Aluminium – Precursor of MnOx-Al2O3 Catalysts on Catalytic Activity in Reaction of Oxidation of C1-C3 of Hydrocarbons
Authors: Sidorova Olga I. , Galanov Sergey , Gryaznova Elena N. , Shiyan Ludmila N.
Published: October 2015

The authors have synthesized nanofibrous aluminum oxyhydroxide (AlOOH), modified with different amounts of manganese ions (II), which is the precursor for methane deep oxidation catalysts. It was shown that the catalytic activity of the manganese-based system obtained depends on manganese amount and thermal activation conditions. It is approved that as the catalyst for deep oxidation of hydrocarbons the system with manganese content of 10.5 wt. % is the most perspective despite the fact that the oxidation rate of methane is lower in it than in the catalyst with Mn content of 5.7 wt. %. As opposed to the catalyst with Mn content of 5.7 wt. %., where the aluminium oxide is in metastable form (s-Al2O3), the catalyst with manganese content of 10.5 wt. % contains in its structure a thermodynamically and thermally stable α-Al2O3 phase.
Acid-Base Properties of the Surface SnO
Authors: Pichugina Аlina A. , Kuznetsova Svetlana A. , Tsyro Larisa V.
Published: October 2015

The article demonstrates how acid-base properties of the surface of tin (II) oxide powders influence its photocatalytic activity in reaction of photodegradation of methylene blue. The experiment shows that the photocatalytic activity of the tin (II) oxide depends on the number and the strength of surface acid centers of the Lewis.
The Mutual Solubility of Salts of Rare Earth Elements
Authors: Batyreva Vera A. , Grigor’eva Larisa S.
Published: October 2015

Relevance of the work caused by necessity of expanding the database of the mutual solubility of salts of rare earth elements to create technologies for producing them in pure form for high-tech industries. The main aim of the study: was to investigate reciprocal solubility of lanthanum and erbium bromates and trichloroacetates in the water and the and to determine the conditions of solid solutions formation and the possibility of obtaining concentrates of lanthanum and erbium.
Numerical Investigations Of The Thermal Characteristics Of A Flip-Chip BGA Package With And Without Heat Sink
Authors: Wang Meng-Jen , Lin Chao-An
Published: October 2015

The thermal characteristics of a flip-chip BGA package on board are numerically investigated under both natural and forced convection conditions. The possible heat transfer enhancement strategy using heat sink is also addressed. Heat generated at the junction could transfer in the upward and downward (through PCB) directions of the package, and then be dissipated to the ambient by both convection and radiation. For the cases without heat sink, the amount of the heat dissipated through the PCB comprises 90% and 75% of the power generated for the natural and forced convection regimes, respectively. With the proper heat sink attached the rate of the upward heat transfer increases and can reach 50% of the power dissipated under the forced convection condition. Detailed analysis is presented regarding the effects of the cross flow velocity, the number of fins and the height of the heat sink on the thermal resistance of the flip-chip BGA package.
Evaluation of Forced-Air Cooling Capability affected by the Exhausted Air Flow from Subracks
Authors: Sugiura Nobuaki
Published: October 2015

The cooling capability of a cabinet, which is affected by the air flow induced by the fan mounted on the subrack, is evaluated. The chimney effect has a relationship with the space, H0 to the 2nd power and this effect is in turn affected by the holed pattern of the front door. The concept of an effective coefficient for cooling capability affected by the exhausted air flow from the subrack is introduced, and a rough estimation of temperature rise is made possible by using this new coefficient and the physical parameters of a cabinet, subracks, and a fan.