bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Refracturing: A Second Chance To Get It Right Through Diagnostics
Authors: Carpenter Chris
Published: December 2016

This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights of paper SPE 174979, “Refracturing—Diagnostics Provide a Second Chance To Get It Right,” by R.S. Leonard, SPE, C.P. Moore, SPE, R.A. Woodroof, SPE, and C.W. Senters, SPE, Core Laboratories, prepared for the 2015 SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, Houston, 28–30 September. The paper has not been peer reviewed.

The surge in unconventional completions has created a substantial accumulation of previously hydraulically fractured wells that are candidates for hydraulic refracturing. Completion diagnostics are a valuable tool in determining the most cost-effective stimulation and completion parameters, part of the refracturing optimization process. Refracturing allows the operator to capitalize on this continuous improvement in stimulation design. It also provides an excellent opportunity to add incremental production.

Introduction

The primary purpose of refracturing is to increase production from an existing wellbore through stimulation of new rock and the re-establishing of conductive pathways between the reservoir and wellbore. This paper analyzes diagnostic results for a variety of wells in restimulated formations around the country (data for all 69 wells restimulated in 11 formations are provided in the complete paper). This analysis process illustrates that all formations are unique and need to be evaluated independently. What works well in one area often does not apply in other areas because of reservoir differences along with pressure and temperature variances.

Diagnostics

Proppant Tracers. The primary diagnostic technique discussed in this paper is proppant tracing, using three distinct low-level gamma-emitting tracers: iridium-192, scandium-46, and antimony-124. The tracers are pumped primarily throughout the proppant-laden portion of the stimulation. A spectral gamma ray logging tool is run to identify near- wellbore proppant placement of each individual tracer. The proppant tracers are ceramic beads, typically 40/70 mesh. The specific isotopes fall in a sweet-spot of half-lives that make them ideal for this application. Through the years, production-log data have shown an excellent correlation with near-wellbore proppant placement, and this same strong correlation exists with traced refracturing.
Technology Focus: Well Integrity
Authors: Alcantara Santos Otto Luiz
Published: December 2016

Technology Focus

The tragic blowout of Macondo has triggered many technical and managerial developments in the field of well integrity since its occurrence in April 2010. Acting as a catalyzer since then, this event has demanded from all industry players a huge amount of effort to mitigate the risk of well-integrity problems.

Originally, these efforts were aimed at deepwater drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, but, with time, they were disseminated throughout the oil industry, where well integrity is a must. Undoubtedly, significant progress has been made in enhancing safety during all phases of the well life cycle, mainly in the areas of well-control equipment and reliability, subsea well control and containment, documentation, training and competency assurance, and well-integrity management systems and processes.

Here, I address important headway made in two areas in which I have been deeply involved during my professional career, mainly after Macondo: well-integrity documentation and well-control training and competency assurance.

One of the first actions in response to the blowout was the formation of four joint-industry taskforces. Two of them provided recommendations on operating procedures and equipment that resulted in the revision of some American Petroleum Institute standards and the development of new ones. Some other standardization organizations also have been making contributions, elaborating and revising well-integrity-related standards (such as NORSOK D-010 and ISO 16530-2). Many operator companies (including mine) and drilling contractors have been reviewing and updating their well-integrity procedures and practices, especially those related to deepwater operations.

Concerning well-control training and competency assurance, following the recommendation of Report 476 of the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers, the certifying bodies executed changes in the contents of the courses to stress important subjects such as barrier management, risk management, well influx detection, and immediate response and to adapt the training to well operation, rig category, and responsibility of the people involved with all types of operations. Thus, the crew members are now trained and assessed better according to their roles on the rigs. More class hours are now dedicated to simulator exercises. Arguably, this move is making the well-control- certification systems more reliable and more standardized among all training institutions. JPT

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

SPE 175523 Searching for Well-Integrity Issues—Automated Generation of Annulus- Pressure Trends by Remco Donders, Total E&P UK, et al.

OTC 25256 Enhancing Well Control Through Managed-Pressure Drilling by Oscar Gabaldon, Blade Energy Partners, et al.

SPE/IADC 173822 Field Trial of Well- Control Solutions With a Dual-Gradient Drilling System by John H. Cohen, Enhanced Drilling, et al.
Miniaturized Coiled-Tubing System Reduces Costs During Pipeline Decommissioning
Authors: Wilson Adam
Published: December 2016

This article, written by Special Publications Editor Adam Wilson, contains highlights of paper SPE 175487, “Cost-Reducing Pipeline-Decommissioning Technology,” by Hugh MacKenzie and Callum Jones, Paradigm Flow Services, prepared for the 2015 SPE Offshore Europe Conference and Exhibition, Aberdeen, 8–11 September. The paper has not been peer reviewed.

This paper presents the challenges and obstacles faced in the use of a new technology for the plugging and deoiling of sections of unpiggable flowlines before decommissioning. The solution used an ultralightweight, miniaturized coiled-tubing system that was deployable from the platform lower decks with minimal laydown area required. The system had the ability to traverse multiple bends, deoil the line, and deliver an expandable cement to plug the pipeline in a single operation.

Introduction

First production in the Murchison field began in 1980, and the field has now reached the end of its life. As part of the decommissioning project, one of the subsea wells was seen to be still connected to the Murchison platform by two flowlines contained within a subsea bundle (PL123), with these flowlines having 4-in. outer diameters. These lines were installed to provide early production for the first year until all the infrastructure was put in place. The control lines and pressure-monitoring system had been disconnected at the platform sometime in the past (Fig. 1).

The bundle was inspected on the platform, and a hot tap was performed to identify any pressure in the lines and to identify the line contents. It was found that one of the two flowlines contained crude at a pressure of 122 bar. The pressure was reduced to zero, and the bleed line was closed with a gauge installed to monitor the pressure. It was noted that the pressure increased slowly over time. To continue with the decommissioning of the platform before the plugging and abandonment of the subsea well (211/19-2), PL123 had to be flushed of contents and a barrier had to be installed between the subsea well and the Murchison platform.
Evaluating Water Erosion Prediction Project Model Using Cesium‐137‐Derived Spatial Soil Redistribution Data
Authors: (John) Zhang X.C.
Published: December 2016

Core Ideas

Lack of spatial erosion data restricts model improvement and application.

Spatially distributed erosion data along a hillslope were derived using 137Cs.

For the first time, WEPP‐predicted spatial erosion rate was rigorously evaluated.

Rill spacing is a key input parameter for simulating erosion on a hillslope.

The lack of spatial soil erosion data has been a major constraint on the refinement and application of physically based erosion models. Spatially distributed models can only be thoroughly validated with distributed erosion data. Fallout 137Cs has been widely used to generate spatial soil redistribution data. The objectives of this study were to compare the soil redistribution patterns predicted using the 137Cs technique and the Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) model and to diagnose potential shortcomings in the configuration, functionality, and application of the WEPP model, if any. An experimental hillslope (80 m wide by 200 m long with 1–4% slope) was used. The plot was sampled in a 10‐m grid for 137Cs measurement. Measured rainfall, runoff, soil loss, and crop management were used to calibrate WEPP. Soil redistribution patterns predicted by the two methods were vastly different on the study hillslope. Compared with 137Cs, the average soil loss rates predicted by WEPP were overly sensitive to slope lengths exceeding 100 m if the 1‐m default rill spacing was used. The spatial erosion patterns were well matched if different rill spacings along the hillslope were used. This study shows that rill spacing is a key input parameter for correctly simulating soil redistribution patterns with WEPP. Knowledge of rill distribution along a hillslope is critical to satisfactorily predicting rates of soil erosion and sediment deposition on a hillslope. The conclusion needs further testing on more hillslopes having different gradients and shapes.
Modelling water requirements of greenhouse spinach for irrigation management purposes
Authors: Bianchi Andrea , Masseroni Daniele , Facchi Arianna
Published: December 2016

Estimating water requirements of plants cultivated in greenhouse environments is crucial, both for the design of greenhouse irrigation systems and the improvement of irrigation scheduling. Spinach is one of the main vegetables sold as ‘ready-to-eat’ bagged produce; it is very sensitive to water stress and thus requires accurate irrigation. In this work, a water balance model simulating the daily irrigation need for greenhouse crops based on the FAO-56 ‘single crop coefficient’ method was designed and applied (FAO-56-GH). Two experiments were conducted on two spinach varieties grown in pots in different periods. For each experiment, four nitrogen treatments were considered. Irrigation was managed weighing the pots every day, and restoring soil water to field capacity. Crop coefficient (Kc) values were calibrated using data of the first experiment, the model was successively validated using the second dataset. Results showed a good model performance both in the validation and calibration periods (R2 = 0.80 and 0.84, root mean square error (RMSE) = 0.41 and 0.21 mm day−1, Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) = 0.78 and 0.83). Analysis of variance (ANOVA) test revealed a scarce dependence of irrigation needs to nitrogen treatments. This study suggests the possibility of adopting the FAO-56-GH model with site-specific Kc to improve irrigation management and planning in greenhouse environments.
Evaluation of hydrological response to extreme climate variability using SWAT model: application to the Fuhe basin of Poyang Lake watershed, China
Authors: Lu Jianzhong , Cui Xiaolin , Chen Xiaoling , Sauvage Sabine , Sanchez Perez José-Miguel
Published: December 2016

Differences between simulated and observed data often occur when the watershed model is applied under extreme climate. It is necessary to assess the stability of hydrological models in a wide range of climate variation. A case study was conducted in Fuhe basin of Poyang Lake, China using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model, which was calibrated under different climates in average years, dry and wet years, high and low temperature years, respectively. The model was first calibrated with dataset in average years, and the validation in the whole period showed results agreed well with the observed stream flow. The well-parameterized model calibrated under extreme climate was used to simulate hydrological responses in different climate years. All simulations generated results closely matching observed data with R2 and ENS greater than 0.88, although the model was likely to slightly overestimate stream flow in average and dry years, and underestimate in wet years and high temperature years. In addition, each simulation was independent to other simulations with different parameters calibrated in different climate periods tested by Student's T-test. Therefore, the model has the potential probability to accommodate a large range of climate variation to predict hydrological responses to climate change.
Applicability of a physically based soil water model (SWMOD) in design flood estimation in eastern Australia
Authors: Loveridge Melanie , Rahman Ataur , Hill Peter
Published: December 2016

Event-based rainfall–runoff models are useful tools for hydrologic design. Of the many loss models, the ‘initial loss-continuing loss’ model is widely adopted in practice. Some of the key limitations with these types of loss models include the arbitrary selection of initial moisture (IM) conditions and lack of physically meaningful parameters. This paper investigates the applicability of a physically based soil water balance model (SWMOD) with distributed IM conditions for flood modelling. Four catchments from the east coast of New South Wales, Australia, are modelled. The IM content in SWMOD represents the antecedent moisture condition. A quasi-Monte Carlo simulation framework is adopted, where the IM is stochastically varied according to a lognormal probability distribution. In calibration, it is found that the adopted modelling framework is able to simulate the majority of the observed flood hydrographs with a higher degree of accuracy; however, in a design context, when compared to the results of conventional flood frequency analysis, discrepancies are noted for a range of annual exceedance probabilities. The quasi-Monte Carlo simulation framework proved to be useful in assessing the effect of the IM content on design flood estimates.
Investigating the interactions of decentralized and centralized wastewater heat recovery systems
Authors: Sitzenfrei Robert , Hillebrand Sebastian , Rauch Wolfgang
Published: December 2016

In the urban water cycle there are different sources for extracting energy. In addition to potential and chemical energy in the wastewater, thermal energy can also be recovered. Heat can be recovered from the wastewater with heat exchangers that are located decentralized and/or centralized at several locations throughout the system. It can be recovered directly at the source (e.g. in the showers and bathrooms), at building block level (e.g. warm water tanks collecting all grey water), in sewers or at the wastewater treatment plant. However, an uncoordinated installation of systems on such different levels can lead to competing technologies. To investigate these interactions, a modelling environment is set up, tested and calibrated based on continuous sewer temperature and flow measurements. With that approach different heat recovery scenarios on a household level (decentralized) and of in-sewer heat recovery (centralized) are investigated. A maximum performance drop of 40% for a centralized energy recovery system was estimated when all bathrooms are equipped with decentralized recovery systems. Therefore, the proposed modelling approach is suitable for testing different future conditions and to identify robust strategies for heat recovery systems from wastewater.
Seed Source Effect on Quality and Morphology of Turkish Red Pine (Pinus brutia Ten.) Seedlings
Authors: Cercioglu Mahmut , Bilir Nebi
Published: December 2016

This study was carried out to compare quality and morphology in 1+0 year containerized seedlings of Turkish red pine (Pinus brutia Ten.) originating from a seed stand and a seed orchard based on height and root-collar diameter. Averages of seedling height and root-collar diameter were 13.8 cm and 2.63 mm in orchard seedlings, while they were 14.8 cm and 4.56 mm in stand seedlings, respectively. There were significant differences (pâ‰¤0.05) between seed sources for the characters according to result of ANOVA. Stand seedlings were better quality than that of orchard seedlings according to quality classification of Turkish Standard Institute. Positive and significant (pâ‰¤0.05) relations were found between the characters in both seed sources based on results of correlation analysis. Results of the study were discussed for nursery practices, plantation forestry, and genetic-breeding of the species.
Floristic Composition of the Weeds and Efficacy of PRE Herbicides in a Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) Nursery
Authors: Pacanoski Zvonko , Kolevska Dana Dina , Nikolovska Sonja
Published: December 2016

Field trials were conducted in 2010 and 2011 to evaluate floristic composition ofÂ  weeds and the efficacy of pre herbicides in black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) nurseries. The weed population in both years was consisted mainly of annual spring and summer weeds, and some perennial weeds. The weediness in both years was relatively high. Weed density in the untreated control plots was 106.5 plants per m2 in 2010 and 87.4 plants per m2 in 2011. The most dominant weeds were Chenopodium album, Polygonum aviculare and Amaranthus retroflexus in 2010 and Polygonum aviculare, Tribolus terestris and Cynodon dactilon in 2011. By taxonomic aspect, the weed flora was distributed in 11 families. 15 weed species were dicotyledons and 2 weed species were monocotyledons. Terophytes were the dominant life form weed category in black locust nurseries. Efficacy of herbicides 28 days after treatment (DAT) ranged from 91.0% (pendimethalin) to 95.3% (linuron) in 2010, and 74.5% (linuron) to 88.0% (pendimethalin) in 2011, respectively. Efficacy of herbicides 56 DAT ranged from 93.6% (pendimethalin) to 98.3% (linuron) in 2010, and from 74.8% (linuron) to 83.1% (pendimethalin) in 2011, respectively. Prevailing weed control by herbicides was not consistent over the years. However, efficacy of herbicides in control of prevailing weeds 28 and 56 DAT ranged from 88% to 100% in 2010 and 7% to 86% in 2011, respectively. Lower herbicide efficacy in 2011 was most likely due to high precipitation occurred immediately after herbicide application and domination of perennial weeds, particularly Cynodon dactilon.
In situ conservation of black poplar (Populus nigra L.) gene pool in the protected area "Great War Island"
Authors: Maksimović Zoran , Šijačić-Nikolić Mirjana
Published: December 2016

The conducted research that involved the assessment of the census size of the black poplar population on The Great War Island, its viability and health status, levels of genetic diversity and recent changes in population served as the basis for defining the measures of in situ conservation of the available gene pool. A network of in situ conservation habitats, labeled A, B and C, were formed. The area of conservation habitat A is 27.90 ha and includes 455 individual trees of black poplar. Conservation habitat B spreads over an area of 7.84 ha and includes 192 individual trees of black poplar. Conservation site C spreads over an area of 21.25 ha and includes 260 individual trees of black poplar. Potential new areas suitable for natural regeneration have been identified in the vicinity of the conservation habitats. Their total area amounts to 16.50 ha and they are surrounded by reproductively mature black poplar trees and thus, seeds can easily be transferred to these areas. The suggested measures of in situ conservation are aimed at the maintenance and conservation of existing black poplar population in the area of Great War Island.
Conversion from coppice to high stand increase soil erosion in steep forestland of European beech
Authors: Montagnoli Antonio , Terzaghi Mattia , Magatti Giacomo , Scippa Stefania Gabriella , Chiatante Donato
Published: December 2016

In forestlands on steep slopes, where the shallow soil can be considered a non-renewable resource, erosion is of special concern. The vegetation covers, at both soil and canopy level, provides essential protection to the soil against the rainfall erosivity and reduces considerably the water erosion rate. Consequently vegetation management may affect soil erosion. We focused our attention on old coppice beech forest growing on a steep slope (28-32Â°) and subjected to conversion to high stand. With the aim of obtaining information on surface water flow and the mineral soil loss, three runoff-erosion plots (10 m long Â´ 3 m wide) were installed in catchments in Lombardy Alps (Intelvi Valley, Como) at three stands: a coppice 40 years old (CpS 1968) and two conversions from coppice to high forest respectively cut in 1994 (CvS 1994) and 2004 (CvS 2004). Water run-off and sediment losses were collected from June to October 2008 and from May to October 2009 together with stand characteristics, LAI, soil surface cover, canopy cover and fine-root traits. Our results showed that the conversion practices significantly affect the water runoff and soil erosion with the younger conversion CvS 2004 showing the highest erosivity. This was due to the lower values of tree density, canopy cover, soil surface cover and fine-root biomass and length. The old coppice stand (CpS 1968) together with the older conversion stand (CvS 1994) showed comparable values of soil erosion. Therefore, the major role in protecting soil from erosion played by old coppice stand is recovered by the conversion stand after a number of years since harvesting. Our study highlights that abandoned old coppice stand plays an important role in protecting soil from erosion and claims consideration in forest management of steep forestland stands.
Optimization of Therapeutic Measurements in Rotavirus Infection in Infants with Perinatal Exposure to HIV
Authors: Trotskyy Hryhoriy
Published: December 2016

The features of the clinical course of rotavirus infection in infants with perinatal exposure to HIV were studied. Serum level of procalcitonin as a marker of inflammatory activity and the need for antimicrobial therapy was determined. The efficiency of the proposed additions to basic treatment (low-lactose mixture for two months, antibiotic therapy in case of elevated procalcitonin level) was demonstrated.
BUSINESS SUSTAINABILITY: ESSENTIALS FOR BUSINESS
Authors: . Sudiyanti
Published: December 2016

A book review on business sustainability that is essentials for business.
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT IN ISLAMIC BANKS
Authors: Bangsa Adjengdia Bunga
Published: December 2016

This is a book review on product development in Islamic banks.
Remodeling Capacity of Femoral Bone Defect by POP-CHA Bone Substitute: A Study in Rats’ Osteoclast (First Series of POP-based Bone Graft Improvement)
Authors: Kumar Steven , Dewi Anne Handrini , Listyarifah Dyah , Ana Ika Dewi
Published: December 2016

Reconstruction of large bone defects caused by trauma, excision of tumors, and congenital malformations can be very difficult to perform. Bone engineering offers an option to improve bone reconstruction procedures. This interdisciplinary field applies the principles of biology and engineering to the development of functional substitutes for damaged bone. Our research aimed to find the ideal scaffold for bone regeneration, focusing on Calcium and Phosphate combination. In this study, Plaster of Paris (POP) was combined with CHA and implanted in femoral condyles of rats. According to the experimental result, it can be concluded that there was no significant difference in response to the implantation of POP and POP-CHA in Sprague Dawley rat femur condyle (p<0.05). It can be stated that both POP-CHA and POP shows similar trait in bone healing.
The Newly Bone Formation with Carbonate Apatite-Chitosan Bone Substitute in the Rat Tibia
Authors: Dewi Anne Handrini , Triawan Andi
Published: December 2016

Large bone defect still represent a major problem in orthopedics. A tissue engineering approach has been proposed where osteogenic cells, bioceramic scaffolds and growth factors can play in a role to the bone repair. Bone consist a mineral phase such as carbonate apatite and an organic phase such as collagen. Synthetic carbonate apatite ceramics are considered as promising alloplastic materials for bone substitute. Chitin is the organic matrix of the hard parts of exoskeleton of insect, crustacean and present in a small amounts in mushrooms. It is an insoluble, similar to cellulose and composed of N-acetylglucosamine unit. Partial deacetylation from chitin result in the formation of chitosan. Chitin’s properties as a flexible and strong material make it favourable as surgical thread. It has novel properties such as biocompatibility, biodegradability, anti bacterial, wound healing activity, tissue regeneration and hemostatic activitities. The composit from carbonate apatite and chitosan may have a great impact on human health care system as bioresorbable bone substitute. The aim of the study was to evaluate the newly bone formation on the bone healing of defect tibia treated with carbonate apatite-chitosan bone substitute. Eighteen Sprague Dawley rats, male, 3 months, weighing 250-300g used in this study. Bilateral defect were created in each tibia rat. The defects were filled with carbonate-apatite chitosan bone substitute. The rats were sacrificed after respectively 1, 2 and 3 weeks. The result of this study showed that carbonate apatite-chitosan significantly increased a number of osteoblast (p<0.05). Carbonate apatite-chitosan group showed that matrix deposition faster than the other groups and have a good interface with the old bone. These data indicate that carbonate apatite-chitosan are potential candidate for bone substitute
Expression of MRP8/MRP14 mRNA in Monocytes of Periodontitis: Comparison between Diabetic and Non Diabetic Patients
Authors: Syaify Ahmad , Barunawati Sri Budi , Suryono Suryono , HNES Marsetyawan
Published: December 2016

The severity of periodontitis on patients with type 2 Diabetes Mellitus patients was strongly thought caused by decreasing of leukocytes function such as monoctyes and neutrophils. In our previous research it was found that calprotectin (MRP8/MRP14) level in leukocytes of periodontitis patients with type 2 DM was higher than periodontitis in non DM. The aim of this study was to determine calprotectin (MRP8/MRP14)mRNA expression in human monocytes of periodontitis patients with type 2 DM and without DM. Monocytes were isolated from the peripheral blood of periodontitis patients with uncontrolled type 2 DM, controlled type 2 DM, and non DM. The expression of total RNA calprotectin (MRP8 and MRP14) were detected by RTPCR using GAPDH as the innate control. It was observed that the value of MRP8/MRP14 mRNA expression DM patients were higher than non DM, and the highly significant increase expression (p<0.05) was on the uncontrolled type 2 DM. The basal level of MRP8/MRP14 expression increased in monocyte of periodontitis and type 2 DM patients compared with non diabetes subjects. It was suggested that high basal level MRP8/MRP14 has role in the regulation of severity periodontitis with diabetes mellitus.
The Prevalence of Fibroma in Oral Mucosa Among Patient Attending USM Dental Clinic Year 2006-2010
Authors: Halim Daddy Suradi , Pohchi Abdullah , Yi Pang EE
Published: December 2016

The purpose of this preliminary retrospective study was to determine the prevalence of fibroma in oral mucosa among patients attending USM dental clinic from 1/6/2006-1/6/2010. Fibroma of the oral mucosa is the most common benign tumor of the oral cavity. It is a reactive hyperplasia of fibrous connective tissue in response to local irritation or trauma. A lesion on any part of the oral mucosa have a broad differential diagnosisranging from traumatic lesions (mucocele), neurogenic lesions (neurofibromatosis), lipoma , epithelial tumors (squamous papilloma) and inflammatory/reactive hyperplasia of soft tissue (pulp polyp). A total number of 192 patients (82 male and 110 female) who are registered in the Oral Medicine and Oral Pathology Log Book were included in this study regardless of their age, 16 % of them were diagnosed to have fibroma and out of that, 29% of them were male and 79% female. The peak incidence of the lesion was in the 3rd decade of life. The lesions occurred in the tongue, lip mucosa, sulcus region and buccal mucosa were each to be 12.9%, 12.9% , 32.2 % and 41.9%. This study shows that fibroma is one of the common oral mucosal lesion and it occurred mostly in the 3rd decade of life where the prevalence is higher in female patients.
Serious Illness Conversations in ESRD
Authors: Mandel Ernest I. , Bernacki Rachelle E. , Block Susan D.
Published: December 2016

Dialysis-dependent ESRD is a serious illness with high disease burden, morbidity, and mortality. Mortality in the first year on dialysis for individuals over age 75 years old approaches 40%, and even those with better prognoses face multiple hospitalizations and declining functional status. In the last month of life, patients on dialysis over age 65 years old experience higher rates of hospitalization, intensive care unit admission, procedures, and death in hospital than patients with cancer or heart failure, while using hospice services less. This high intensity of care is often inconsistent with the wishes of patients on dialysis but persists due to failure to explore or discuss patient goals, values, and preferences in the context of their serious illness. Fewer than 10% of patients on dialysis report having had a conversation about goals, values, and preferences with their nephrologist, although nearly 90% report wanting this conversation. Many nephrologists shy away from these conversations, because they do not wish to upset their patients, feel that there is too much uncertainty in their ability to predict prognosis, are insecure in their skills at broaching the topic, or have difficulty incorporating the conversations into their clinical workflow. In multiple studies, timely discussions about serious illness care goals, however, have been associated with enhanced goal-consistent care, improved quality of life, and positive family outcomes without an increase in patient distress or anxiety. In this special feature article, we will (1) identify the barriers to serious illness conversations in the dialysis population, (2) review best practices in and specific approaches to conducting serious illness conversations, and (3) offer solutions to overcome barriers as well as practical advice, including specific language and tools, to implement serious illness conversations in the dialysis population.
An Overview on Anti Diabetic Drugs and Development
Authors:   Department of Chemistry, School of Physical Sciences, Mizoram University, Aizawl–796004, Mizoram, India, Singh Ved Prakash
Published: December 2016

Diabetes mellitus is one of the world’s major diseases and is the third leading cause of death in the United States after heart disease and cancer. In the India, about 2–6% population suffer from diabetes or related complication. Anti-diabetic drugs treat diabetes mellitus by lowering glucose levels in the blood. Mostly anti-diabetic drugs are administered orally except the insulin, exenatide, and pramlintide. There are different types of anti-diabetic drugs, and their selection depends on the nature of the diabetes, age and situation of the person, and many other factors. Treatments include the agents which increase the amount of insulin secreted by the pancreas, or increase the sensitivity of target organs to insulin, and agents which decrease the rate at which glucose is absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. People are mainly focused on insulin, insulin analogues, oral hypoglycemic agents and various other complementary and alternate medicines to control the blood glucose levels in diabetes. The present review summarizes in brief about the drugs used for treatment of diabetes mellitus.
Automatic Speech Recognition System: A Survey Report
Authors:   Dibrugarh University Institute of Engineering and Technology, Assam, India, Singh Moirangthem Tiken
Published: December 2016

This paper presents a report on an Automatic Speech Recognition System (ASR) for different Indian language under different accent. The paper is a comparative study of the performance of system developed which uses Hidden Markov Model (HMM) as the classifier and Mel-Frequency Cepstral Coefficients (MFCC) as speech features.
Hybrid Multimodal and Intermodal Transport Simulation: Case Study on Large-Scale Evacuation Planning
Authors: Lämmel Gregor , Chraibi Mohcine , Wagoum Armel Ulrich Kemloh , Steffen Bernhard
Published: December 2016

Transport simulation models exist on multiple scales, from the simulated evacuation of a nightclub with a few hundred guests to that of a transport hub such as a large train station to the simulated evacuation of a megalopolis in case of a tsunami. Depending on precision and complexity requirements, continuous (e.g., force-based, velocity obstacle–based), spatiotemporal discrete (e.g., cellular automata), or queue models are applied. In general, the finer the spatiotemporal resolution, the more precise are the interactions captured between travelers (e.g., pedestrians or vehicles), but the computational burden increases. The obvious approach to achieve higher computational speeds is to reduce the physical complexity (e.g., by using a queue model), which in turn reduces the precision. One way to increase the computational speed while retaining sufficient precision to make a reliable prognosis is to combine models of different scale in a hybrid manner, in which a finer model is applied where needed and a coarser model where plausible. This paper discusses an application of a hybrid simulation approach in the context of a large-scale multimodal and intermodal evacuation scenario. The presented case study investigates the feasibility of an evacuation of parts of the city of Hamburg, Germany, in case of a storm surge.
Effects of Autonomous Vehicle Behavior on Arterial and Freeway Networks
Authors: Patel Rahul , Levin Michael W. , Boyles Stephen D.
Published: December 2016

Autonomous vehicles offer new traffic behaviors that could revolutionize transportation. Examples include reservation-based intersection control and reduced reaction times that result in greater road capacity. Most studies have used microsimulation models of those new technologies to study their impacts more realistically. However, microsimulation is not tractable for larger networks. Recent developments in simulating reservation-based controls and multiclass cell transmission models for autonomous vehicles in dynamic traffic assignment have allowed studies of larger networks. This paper presents analyses of several highly congested arterial and freeway networks to quantify how reservations and reduced reaction times affect travel times and congestion. Reservations were observed to improve over signals in most situations. However, signals outperformed reservations in a congested network with several close local road and arterial intersections because the capacity allocations of signals were more optimized for the network. Reservations also were less efficient than were traditional merges and diverges for on- and off-ramps. However, the increased capacity from reduced following headways resulted in significant improvements for both freeway and arterial networks. Finally, the authors studied a downtown network, including freeway, arterial, and local roads, and found that the combination of reservations and reduced following headways resulted in a 78% reduction in travel time.
Generalized Adaptive Smoothing Method for State Estimation of Generic Two-Dimensional Flows
Authors: Yuan Yufei , Hoogendoorn Serge
Published: December 2016

In big cities, the proportion of slow-mode (such as pedestrian) flows in total trip demand is steadily growing every year. Along with this trend, many concerns arise about accessibility and safety. The monitoring and the management of pedestrians serve as a potential solution to maintain the resilience of the transport network. Monitoring and state estimation of pedestrian flows are crucial as a foundation for a successful crowd management support system. This paper focuses on the development of pedestrian state estimation. A two-dimensional (2-D) generalized adaptive smoothing method (2D-GASM) is presented to estimate the full state of an area on the basis of an increasing amount of available pedestrian observations in practice. The 2D-GASM method was developed on the basis of similar concepts in the adaptive smoothing method for motorway traffic, which was based on the characteristic that traffic travels forward in free flow and backward in congestion. The same mechanism is assumed for pedestrian flows. This extension accommodates the 2-D nature of the pedestrian flow and allows for the fusion and filtering of multisource data (e.g., data from counting cameras, data from wireless fidelity sensors, and GPS samples). Although focused on pedestrian flow, the approach is applicable to any generic 2-D flows, including bicyclist or mixed flows. This newly developed method is validated on the basis of trajectory data from a walking experiment at a narrow bottleneck. The test results present promising estimation performance, and possible extensions for future applications are suggested.
Macroscopic Directional Analysis of Pedestrian Flow
Authors: Mjahed Lama Bou , Mahmassani Hani S. , Talebpour Alireza
Published: December 2016

Incidents at mass gatherings all over the world continue to raise concern about pedestrian safety. This rising concern calls for researchers to understand the underlying dynamics behind pedestrian and mass movements. The literature offers several approaches that reproduce reality to varying degrees, simulate it, and model it under different circumstances. Across these approaches, limited effort has been invested in looking at the projection of flow measures along different directions of travel (e.g., longitudinal versus lateral movement in omnidirectional environments) at the macroscopic level. To address this gap, this paper looks at directional flows and speeds and how they relate to each other at the macroscopic level. The results from analysis of experimental three-dimensional trajectory data show that a macroscopic analysis of directional travel, particularly of lateral travel, helps explain when and to what extent sidestepping occurs in the corridor. An increase in areawide density results in a decrease in flow in the direction of travel but increases the lateral direction flow. Furthermore, the relationship between speed and density in the lateral direction delineates two regimes in the corridor, whereby pedestrians do not increase their speed in the lateral direction until areawide density levels reach magnitudes that cause an areawide capacity drop in the system. The work in this paper therefore suggests that there is useful insight to be gained by complementing nondirectional flow analysis with directional flow analysis.
Insights Toward Characteristics of Merging Streams of Pedestrian Crowds Based on Experiments with Panicked Ants
Authors: Shahhoseini Zahra , Sarvi Majid , Saberi Meead
Published: December 2016

Geometric design of egress and ingress configurations affects collective movement of pedestrians. Merging streams of pedestrian crowds is, in particular, one of the frequently observed features in public infrastructures and mass gatherings. However, few qualitative and quantitative studies have addressed this phenomenon in emergency situations because of the scarcity of data on human panic conditions. This paper studies the underlying geometric factors that affect dynamics and flow characteristics of merging streams in panic conditions through the use of nonhuman entities. Many experiments with panicked ants were performed in different angles and geometric characteristics. Flow rates, headway distributions, and escape speed of merging streams were studied. Results suggest that merging layouts can lead to the creation of stop-and-go phenomena and cause significant variation in the velocities of the joining paths over time. The authors also found that setups with tributary merging paths, in which a deviated stream joins a main branch, performed poorly compared with equivalent symmetrical setups. In addition, results show a dependency between traffic flow characteristics of the merged flow and the merging angle. Analyses also suggest nonexistence of a monotonic relation (or trend) between the merging angle and the merging throughput. This outcome specifically highlights the possibility of the presence of certain merging angles below and above which the overall flow performance is poorer (i.e., optimal angles). The findings provide a better understanding of the macroscopic characteristics of escaping flows in merging sections.
Car-Following and Lane-Changing Behavior Involving Heavy Vehicles:
Authors: Chen Danjue , Ahn Soyoung , Bang Soohyuk , Noyce David
Published: December 2016

This paper presents empirical findings on car-following and lane-changing behavior involving heavy vehicles; trajectory data from the next generation simulation program were used in the study. It was found that when following passenger cars, heavy vehicles tended to reduce speed variations caused by traffic disturbances and thereby dampened traffic oscillations. In contrast, passenger cars following heavy vehicles tended to amplify traffic disturbances, although with lower probability and magnitude compared with the dampening effect. Moreover, heavy vehicles tended to discourage lane changes, especially behind them. This finding has convoluted implications: although reduced lane changes can improve traffic stability by preventing or reducing disturbances, large gaps can persist behind heavy vehicles and contribute to underutilization of road capacity.
Model-Based Versus Data-Driven Approach for Road Safety Analysis: Do More Data Help?
Authors: Thakali Lalita , Fu Liping , Chen Tao
Published: December 2016

Crash data for road safety analysis and modeling are growing steadily in size and completeness because of the latest advancement in information technologies. This increased availability of large data sets has generated resurgent interest in applying a data-driven nonparametric approach as an alternative to the traditional parametric models for crash risk prediction. This paper investigates the question of how the relative performance of these two alternative approaches changes as crash data grow. Two popular techniques from the two approaches are compared: negative binomial models for the parametric approach and kernel regression for the nonparametric counterpart. Two large crash data sets are used to investigate the performance of these two methods as a function of the amount of training data. A rigorous bootstrapping validation process shows that the two approaches have strikingly different patterns, especially in sensitivity to data size. The kernel regression method outperforms the model-based approach—that is, negative binomial—for predictive performance, and that performance advantage increases noticeably as data available for calibration grow. With the arrival of the big data era and the added benefits of enabling automated road safety analysis and improved responsiveness to current safety issues, nonparametric techniques (especially those of modern machine approaches) can be counted as an important tool in road safety studies.
Impact of Speed Limit Change on Driving Speed and Road Safety on Interurban Roads: Meta-Analysis
Authors: Musicant Oren , Bar-Gera Hillel , Schechtman Edna
Published: December 2016

A meta-analysis was conducted to study the effect of a change in the speed limit on mean driving speed and safety on interurban roads. Information from 108 research results—documented in a database collected by Elvik et al. in 2004—was analyzed. The link between accident ratio (after–before) and the mean driving speed ratio was studied by estimating the power parameter in the Nilsson power model. A modified power model was applied to estimate the link between speed limit (rather than mean driving speed) ratio and accidents ratio. When the speed limit was raised, the mean driving speed ratio (mean driving speed after to mean driving speed before) was on average 1.04 (SD = 0.04), significantly higher than 1 but smaller than the speed limit ratio (average = 1.17; SD = 0.05). The power parameters in Nilsson’s power model and in its modified version were 3.73 (SD = 2.61) and 0.99 (SD = 0.46), respectively. When speed limit was reduced, the mean driving speed ratio was 0.93 (SD = 0.04), significantly smaller than 1 but larger than the speed limit ratio (average = 0.82; SD = 0.04). The corresponding power parameters were 2.81 (SD = 0.65) and 1.24 (SD = 0.44). This paper summarizes research on the link between changes in speed limit, driving speed, and safety. It was found that the average speed changed in the same direction as the speed limit, but the magnitude of the change was smaller. As a result, the power parameters in the second version of the power model were lower than those in the original Nilsson’s model, and so the average change in safety is nearly proportional to the change in speed limit.
Comprehensive Analysis of Wrong-Way Driving Crashes on Alabama Interstates
Authors: Pour-Rouholamin Mahdi , Zhou Huaguo , Zhang Beijia , Turochy Rod E.
Published: December 2016

Crash data on Alabama Interstates were collected for a 5-year period from 2009 to 2013. True wrong-way driving (WWD) crashes were identified from the hard copy of crash reports and existing maps. The crash data contained 18 explanatory variables representing the driver, the temporal, vehicle, and environmental information. A Firth’s penalized likelihood logistic regression model was developed to examine the influence of the explanatory variable on the dichotomous dependent variable (type of crash, i.e., WWD versus non-WWD). This model was an appropriate tool for controlling the influence of all confounding variables on the probability of WWD crashes while considering the rareness of the event (i.e., WWD). A separate model that used the standard binary logistic regression was also developed. Two information criteria (the Akaike information criterion and the Bayesian information criterion) obtained from both developed models indicated that for this database, Firth’s model outperformed the standard binary logistic model and provided more reliable results. With Firth’s model, explanatory variables including month of the year, time of day, driver’s age, driver’s mental and physical condition, driver’s residency distance, vehicle age, vehicle damage, towing condition, airbag deployment status, and roadway condition were found to characterize WWD crashes. Using the obtained odds ratio, this paper discusses the various effects of the identified variables and recommends several countermeasures policy makers can use to address the WWD issue on Alabama Interstates.
Introducing Latent Psychological Constructs in Injury Severity Modeling: Multivehicle and Multioccupant Approach
Authors: Lavieri Patrícia S. , Bhat Chandra R. , Pendyala Ram M. , Garikapati Venu M.
Published: December 2016

This paper presents a comprehensive model of injury severity that accounts for unmeasured driver behavior attributes. The results of the model have important implications for the design of safety interventions and advanced vehicular features and technologies. Engineering designs that accommodate the diminished capabilities of older drivers, that include rear-seat safety features, and that alert drivers to potential frontal collisions before they occur (collision warning systems and automated braking systems) would contribute to substantial reductions in injury severity for occupants of vehicles.