bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A New Algorithm for Multiphase Fluid Characterization for Solvent Injection
Authors: Kumar Ashutosh , Okuno Ryosuke
Published: September 2015

Compositional simulation of solvent injection requires reliable characterization of reservoir fluids using an equation of state (EOS). Under the uncertainty associated with non-identifiable components, reservoir fluids are conventionally characterized on an ad-hoc basis in the absence of universal methodology. This is true even for relatively simple fluids involving only the gaseous (V) and oleic (L1) phases. No systematic method has been presented for characterization of more complex fluids, exhibiting three hydrocarbon phases: the V, L1, and solvent-rich liquid (L2) phases.

This paper presents a new algorithm for systematic characterization of multiphase behavior for solvent injection simulation. The reliability of the method comes mainly from the binary interaction parameters (BIPs) newly developed for the Peng-Robinson (PR) EOS to represent three-phase behavior, including critical endpoints, for n-alkane and CO2/n-alkane binaries. The regression part in fluid characterization broadly follows the concept of perturbation from n-alkanes, which was successfully applied for simpler two-phase fluids in our prior research. The algorithm, in its simplest form, uses only the saturation pressure and liquid density at a given composition and reservoir temperature.

Case studies are presented to demonstrate the reliability of the algorithm for 90 reservoir fluids and their mixtures with solvents. Predictions are compared with experimental data for up to three phases. Results show that the simple algorithm developed in this research enables the PR EOS to predict multiphase behavior in spite of the limited data used in the regression. It is straightforward to implement the algorithm in existing software that uses the PR EOS.
Forecasting of Steamflood Performance in a Heavy Oil Field
Authors: Rubin Eugene , Izgec Omer
Published: September 2015

Low oil recovery reached after more than 60 years of production in a rather deep heavy oil (9.5-11 °API) field in South America encourages looking for a thermal method (steamflood) which potentially promises a tenfold increase in the recovery factor.

Steamflood forecasting for such a large field is highly challenging. Direct thermal reservoir simulation seems impractical because of the size of the model (about 120 million grid-blocks). A recently developed correlation-based probabilistic technique has met the forecasting challenge. First, a relatively small set of thermal reservoir simulation runs with sector models provided a basis for production/injection correlations between key rates as well as cumulative quantities and the models' geologic and engineering input. All the runs included pressure depletion and steamflood stages. Next, about 350 forecasting elements (1 sq. km each) covered the entire Northern part of the field, which was subject of the forecasting; every element received probabilistic distributions of the key geologic parameters involved in correlations. Then, the Monte-Carlo simulation united the correlations with the distributions and allowed selecting combinations of the parameters corresponding to P10-P50-P90 probabilities of the dynamic performance. Reconstruction of oil and water production as well as steam injection P10-P50-P90 time-profiles completed preparation of the forecasting elements.

Reservoir depth and quality cut-offs restricted the area of the potential future steamflood application. For several sets of the cut-offs, wells were placed within the areas in accordance with inverted 7-spot patterns at either 8 or 24 acres/pattern. Every well adopted production or injection profiles from its forecasting element-host. Drilling timetable controlled the wells coming on primary production. Steamflood started in a 100-pattern cluster after 4-5 years of primary production. Heat management governed time-profile of steam injection into the cluster. On reaching a steam-oil-ratio cut-off, steam injection shifted to the next 100-pattern cluster. Summarizing individual well production or injection time-profiles, arranged in accordance with the drilling schedule, generated field P10-P50-P90 forecasts for several cases of interest.
Using Embedded Discrete Fracture Model (EDFM) and Microseismic Monitoring Data to Characterize the Complex Hydraulic Fracture Networks
Authors: Shakiba Mahmood , Sepehrnoori Kamy
Published: September 2015

Microseismic monitoring is widely used in petroleum industry to image the created hydraulic fracture networks. In this technology, the recorded seismic information during hydraulic stimulation is analyzed to locate the rock deformation and to characterize the failure mechanism. Over the last few years, various approaches have been proposed to calibrate the corresponding discrete hydraulic fracture networks (DFN) with the measured microseismic pattern to study long-term reservoir production. However, due to complexity of the problem and the limitations of reservoir simulators, the direct application of such complex DFNs has been highly restricted. Instead, the spatial extent of microseismic cloud has been often used as a direct measure to assess the efficiency of the treatment. Such interpretation techniques without further modeling and simulations of hydrocarbon production and pressure drainage fail to represent an accurate view of connectivity and complexity of the fracture system.

In this paper, we present a recently developed Embedded Discrete Fracture Model (EDFM) to capture the realistic geometry of fractures. In EDFM, each fracture plane is embedded inside the matrix gird and is discretized by the cell boundaries. Using EDFM, we study a series of reservoir simulation examples, in which the complex hydraulic fracture networks calibrated by microseismic monitoring are considered. We investigate different DFN realizations in both planar and complex fracture configurations. We explore the impact of network geometry and fractures properties on the overall performance of the reservoir.

The simulation results indicate that the efficiency of well treatment is strongly controlled by fractures connectivity and the distribution of conductivity within the network. When the spatial extent of microseismic cloud is fixed, by changing the degree of connectivity, a wide range of production response is observed. For instance, when the interconnection between the fracture planes is weak, the observed drainage volume is much smaller compared to the one predicted by microseismic monitoring. On the other hand, taking into account the role of aseismic deformations (such as tensile openings) improves the cumulative production. Even in the case of bi-wing hydraulic fracture planes, it is displayed that neglecting the effect of small-scale fissure openings may lead to underestimation of stimulation efficiency.

Although the microseismic monitoring depicts a preliminary view of the induced fracture network, more information can be obtained through numerical simulation of fluid transport inside the facture system. Modeling the complex DFNs shows that an accurate production forecast can be achieved using simulation models rather than direct application of total stimulated reservoir volume. Integrating the Embedded Discrete Fracture Model (EDFM) and the microseismic data provides a robust and efficient approach to investigate different DFN realizations.
Thermodynamic Analysis of Solvent Assisted Steam Injection
Authors: Memarzadeh Arash , Rahnema Hamid
Published: September 2015

The use of steam injection for high viscosity oil fields is popular in the petroleum industry due to its success in increasing bitumen recovery rates. Recent studies in the past decade, including simulations, experiments and pilot tests suggest that the co-injection of hydrocarbon solvents can further increase production rates over steam alone. However, the immiscibility and equations of state (EOS) discontinuity between hydrocarbon solvents and water makes predictions for thermodynamic property changes difficult. As a result, the selection criteria for finding the optimum molecular weight of the co-injecting solvent is often based on a “guess and check” approach through both reservoir simulators and laboratory testing.

In order to properly determine a beneficiary solvent for co-injection with steam, the thermodynamic principles and physical interactions between the separate phases of the injected fluids must be fully understood. Unfortunately, commercial thermal simulators do not accurately determine compositional changes within a thermal setting as such programs utilize K factor compositional equations which is far more error prone EOS based compositional equations. This research demonstrates the thermodynamic mechanisms occurring between the different phases of water and solvent through a thermodynamic simulation program. This program couples EOS with saturated water correlations to mechanistically model the characteristics of all fluids and phases individually while still considering their interactions. The composition and phase changes of the system during the heat transfer process are also identified, enabling EOS calculations to be updated with more accurate fluid data.

Through detailed calculations of thermodynamic processes, an explanation is given to exactly why temperature changes are observed in steam when in the presence of a light hydrocarbon. This allows for the fundamental understanding of the physical interactions that occur within the injected fluids of a solvent assisted steam injection, particularly in a controlled setting such as an experimental reservoir model. However the program may still be used independently from any experimentation to gain a conceptual understanding of the thermodynamic interactions between steam and solvent during a condensation process.
Performance of Fiberglass Casing and Tubing in Highly Corrosive Environments
Authors: Rauf Ahmed Abdul
Published: September 2015

The UER formation in the Dukhan Field, Qatar has an aquifer associated with it. Since the 1950's the UER aquifer has been used for water-flood source water, produced water disposal, and is a loss circulation zone for drilling purposes. Over a period of years the carryover-oil and bacterial contamination from drill cuttings have soured the formation which has led to many corrosion related problems such as surface casing failure, resulting in a well lifetime of 3-10 years. The conductor pipe in the Dukhan field suffers from tidal oxidation-corrosion and will not usually last longer than 5-8 years. These field results are confirmed by casing-inspection logs.

Our research proposal was to replace these with fiberglass casing and tubing. Any casing that is replaced would need to withstand similar reservoir conditions as the original steel, and fulfill the same collapse and burst pressure functions. Despite plenty of mechanical testing data available on fiberglass as a material, there is very little existing research on cementing fiberglass casing in sour environments. Therefore, a field-specific, quantative and mechanical test on fiberglass casing and tubingwas performed. Before conducting physical research, we compiled industrial advantages of fiberglass through fiberglass-manufacturerguarentees and product ratings. In the laboratory, we re-established the high resistance to corrosion of fiberglass, and demonstrated comparable compressive and shear strengths of fiberglass piping to that of steel.

Our research revealed that latex cement would bond to the fiberglass casing as good as the expensive resin-based cement. The cement bonded very well and held even after until the piping had failed under compression. Surface casing and conductors made of fiberglass would not only be cheaper to transport and install, but also more resistant to all forms of corrosion, lighter to handle and easier to push into deviated or horizontal wells. (Williams 1987). Overtime, there will be a lower cost of corrosion-control and casing remediation. Indeed, fiberglass casing and tubing can be employed in the place of steel not only in the UER formation, but in a large number of highly corrosive environments, both downhole and in surface facilities.
Conceptualizing a Novel Method of Perpetual Energy Source from Gas Hydrates
Authors: Steffones K
Published: September 2015

Methane Gas Hydrates comprise of a single CH4 molecule enclosed in a cage of H2O molecules. These ice-like materials which represent the largest reserves of unconventional natural gas are formed under low temperatures and high pressure generally in the permafrost and the ocean floor region. Out of the many methods under development for production of methane from natural gas hydrates, one of the most promising methods involves the injection of a CO2 into a gas reservoir. By exposing the CH4 hydrate structure to a thermodynamically preferred hydrate former, CO2, it has been observed that a spontaneous displacement and conversion from methane hydrate to CO2 hydrate takes place. Many experiments have proved that large cavities of hydrates prefer occupation by CO2, giving out CH4. This study aims to evaluate the possibility of converting a CO2 hydrate formed in the recovery of CH4 back into CH4 and increasing the recovery & thus improving the efficiency of the methane recovery from CH4 hydrates. If the conditions in the reservoir prevails well then the CH4 formed can be converted to CH4 hydrate hence forming a ‘Perpetual Energy Source’. Microbial agents (psychrophilic methanogens) will be used for the in-situ conversion of CO2 to CH4 (requiring the presence of H2). This conversion process reduces CO2 emission and thus protects the environment. Further this study will develop and evaluate a conceptual model for stated the cyclic process. Development of such system which would combine the advantages of the two processes which will create a form of perpetual energy source and would substantially increase the production of natural gas from hydrate reservoirs and will act as form of Carbon-capture and sequestration(CCS). As conventional energy sources are fast depleting, energy requirements and the menace of global warming are rising the corner, it is about time we shift our attention to new and emerging sources like gas hydrates that provide the solution to satisfying the future's needs. This system will provide reliable and affordable energy so that economies of the world can prosper.
Palm oil mill effluent treatment and utilization to ensure the sustainability of palm oil industries
Authors: Hasanudin U. , Sugiharto R. , Haryanto A. , Setiadi T. , Fujie K.
Published: September 2015

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the current condition of palm oil mill effluent (POME) treatment and utilization and to propose alternative scenarios to improve the sustainability of palm oil industries. The research was conducted through field survey at some palm oil mills in Indonesia, in which different waste management systems were used. Laboratory experiment was also carried out using a 5 m3 pilot-scale wet anaerobic digester. Currently, POME is treated through anaerobic digestion without or with methane capture followed by utilization of treated POME as liquid fertilizer or further treatment (aerobic process) to fulfill the wastewater quality standard. A methane capturing system was estimated to successfully produce renewable energy of about 25.4–40.7 kWh/ton of fresh fruit bunches (FFBs) and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by about 109.41–175.35 kgCO2e/tonFFB (CO2e: carbon dioxide equivalent). Utilization of treated POME as liquid fertilizer increased FFB production by about 13%. A palm oil mill with 45 ton FFB/hour capacity has potential to generate about 0.95–1.52 MW of electricity. Coupling the POME-based biogas digester and anaerobic co-composting of empty fruit bunches (EFBs) is capable of adding another 0.93 MW. The utilization of POME and EFB not only increases the added value of POME and EFB by producing renewable energy, compost, and liquid fertilizer, but also lowers environmental burden.
Transition of fertilizer application and agricultural pollution loads: a case study in the Nhue-Day River basin
Authors: Giang P. H. , Harada H. , Fujii S. , Lien N. P. H. , Hai H. T. , Anh P. N. , Tanaka S.
Published: September 2015

Rapid socio-economic development in suburban areas of developing countries has induced changes in agricultural waste and nutrient management, resulting in water pollution. The study aimed at estimating agricultural nutrient cycles and their contribution to the water environment. A material flow model of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) was developed focusing on agricultural activities from 1980 to 2010 in Trai hamlet, an agricultural watershed in Nhue-Day River basin, Vietnam. The model focused on the change in household management of human excreta and livestock excreta, and chemical fertilizer consumption. The results showed that the proportion of nutrients from compost/manure applied to paddy fields decreased from 85 to 41% for both N and P between 1980 and 2010. The nutrient inputs derived from chemical fertilizer decreased 6% between 1980 and 2000 for both N and P. Then, these nutrients increased 1.4 times for N and 1.2 times for P from 2000 to 2010. As of 2010, the total inputs to paddy fields have amounted to 435 kg-N/ha/year and 90 kg-P/ha/year. Of these nutrient inputs, 40% of N and 65% of P were derived from chemical fertilizer. Thirty per cent (30%) of total N input was discharged to the water bodies through agricultural runoff and 47% of total P input accumulated in soil.
Effect of magnesium dose on amount of pharmaceuticals in struvite recovered from urine
Authors: Kemacheevakul Patiya , Chuangchote Surawut , Otani Sosuke , Matsuda Tomonari , Shimizu Yoshihisa
Published: September 2015

Phosphorus (P) recovery was carried out through struvite precipitation from urines. Human urine, however, contains not only high nutrients for plants, such as P and nitrogen, but also pharmaceuticals and hormones. In this work, effects of magnesium (Mg) dose (in terms of Mg:P ratio) on P recovery efficiency and pharmaceutical amounts contained in struvite were investigated. Batch-scale experiments of synthetic and human urines revealed that struvite precipitation formed more X-shaped crystals with an increased molar ratio of Mg:P, while the amount of pharmaceuticals (tetracycline, demeclocycline, and oxytetracycline) in struvite decreased with an increased molar ratio of Mg:P. The lowest pharmaceutical amounts in struvite were found at the Mg:P ratio of 2:1 from both samples. Moreover, the maximum P recovery efficiency, quantity and purity of struvite were found in the range of 1.21 to 2:1. It indicated that the molar ratio of Mg:P has a significant impact on struvite precipitation in terms of pharmaceutical amounts in struvite; morphology, quantity and purity of struvite; and P recovery.
Research and Analysis of Damping Control Technology in Civil Engineering Construction Process
Authors: Bao Yonggang , Meng Qingwei , Seo Ki Bae
Published: September 2015

With the rapid development of society and the economy, people's life and property safety importance is also
more and more high. Especially the occurrence of the Wenchuan earthquake, people on whether the application of civil
engineering construction damping scientific and rational approach was questioned. How to ensure the quality of civil engineering
construction, to avoid in the event of earthquakes and other natural disasters, the emergence floor crash event, is
an issue for all engineering designers and builders focus on. Because of the relationship with all life safety, so how to use
rational scientific method damping to the construction of civil engineering structures is very important and necessary. This
study from the passive control, active control, semi-active control and hybrid control methods start with four damping research
and analysis, combining their research status. The Benchmark problem of structure control has carried on the simple
introduction. Focusing on civil engineering structure vibration control method of systematic review, so as to the future
of civil engineering structure suspension construction provides the certain reference function
The Application of the Grey Neural Network in the Deflection Control of PC Rigid Frame Continuous Box Girder Bridges
Authors: Wang Lifeng , Jiang Hongwei , He Dongpo
Published: September 2015

Deflection control is the crucial procedure in construction control of cantilever prestressed concrete continuous
girder bridge. This paper summarizes the advantages of Grey theory’s poor information processing and abilities of Neural
Network’s self-learning and adaption, and the combinational algorithm of grey Neural Network is applied to the prestressed
concrete bridge cantilever construction control process. Firstly, GM (1, 1) model and BP artificial Neural Network
algorithm to predict the elevation of construction process are introduced respectively. In addition, the elevation prediction
model of rigid-framed-continuous girder bridge is established. By practicing in the construction control project of
LongHua Bridge, the method is testified to be feasible. The results indicate that, the combinational algorithm of Gray
Neural Network to predict the construction elevation has higher reliability and accuracy which can be an effective tool of
construction control for the same type bridges.
Quality Control and Evaluation Methods of Concrete Engineering and Its Reliability Analysis
Authors: Wang Xiaojian , Jiang Kaiyu
Published: September 2015

Ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) and rebound hammer (RH) tests are often used for assessing the quality of
concrete and estimation of its compressive strength. Several parameters influence the property of concrete, such as the
type and size of aggregates, cement content and the implementation of concrete. To account for these factors, both of the
two tests are combined and their measurements are calibrated with the results of mechanical tests on cylindrical specimens
cast on site. In this study, the two tests cited above have been used to determine the concrete quality by applying regression
analysis models between compressive strength of in situ concrete on existing structure and the nondestructive tests
values. With the combined method, equations are derived using statistical analysis (simple and multiple regression) to estimate
compressive strength of concrete on site. Besides, this paper presents the reliability analysis to nonlinear reinforced
concrete beams. A First Order Reliability Method (FORM) is used, and the results are compared to the ones given by
Monte Carlo simulation.
Groundwater Vulnerability Assessment in Karst Areas Based on Analytic Hierarchy Process- A Case Study in Weining County, China
Authors: Li Bo
Published: September 2015

Strong karstlize effect forming surface and underground double-space structure in karst area, what resulting
groundwater systems are extremely sensitive to outside interference. This article mainly focuses on the vulnerability assessment
of karst groundwater, proposing that the vulnerability assessment of karst groundwater should be considered
from three perspectives: the inherent vulnerability of groundwater, the vulnerability of the ecological environment and
water resources carrying capacity, and selecting 19 indicators based on it, establishing the index system and evaluation
method of groundwater vulnerability assessment in karst area combines with Analytic Hierarchy Process. The article apply
the evaluation method to evaluate groundwater vulnerability of typical karst area—Weining county, China. The study
can provide certain reference for the groundwater vulnerability assessment in similar karst area.
Research on the Impact Assessment of Public Service Facilities on Land Use Intensity: the Case of Regulatory Planning of Shangmaying of Baoji
Authors: Quanhua Hou , Jie Li , Xinyi Liu
Published: September 2015

To further study the effects of public service facilities on the land use intensity at regulatory planning level and
enhance the scientific determination of land use intensity, this paper expounds the influence mechanism and factors of the
public service facilities on land use intensity in regulatory planning, and conducts quantitative evaluation of the influence
factors through theoretical analysis, mathematical analysis and analytic hierarchy process etc. The results show that the influence
mechanism of public service facilities on the land use intensity goes throughout all three levels of regulatory planning.
Different characteristics of public service facilities on each level determine their different influence factors and take
effect on the land use intensity index of the corresponding level, thus affecting the determination of the block floor area
ratio. Based on this, this paper proposes a method to determine the land use intensity in regulatory planning under the restriction
of public service facilities and completes the test in practice, which may provide a reference for determining the
land use intensity in regulatory planning.
A Study on the Reclamation and Ecological Restoration in Subsidence Land in Chinese Coal Mine Area
Authors: Yue Hui , Liu Ying
Published: September 2015

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) technology of bioremediation becomes one of the most hotspots in the research
on coal-mining subsidence land. This article based on amorpha fruiticosa planting in the mining subsidence of
Shendong mining area as a study object, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi was vaccinated on amorpha fruiticosa after different
monitor time, respectively measures are used to analyze its effect on the growth of plant and on rhizosphere soil
physical properties. The correlation between hyphae density and Olsen-P of rhizosphere is analyzed. By using regression
analysis, we found that in different monitoring time, hyphae density and effective phosphorus in September had better linear
fitting than that in June, which is closely associated with development time of mycorrhizal. With the time passing by,
the correlation of vaccination between hyphae density and effective phosphorus content is gradually decreased; however,
the positive correlation of un-vaccinated is gradually emerged. The results of mycorrhizal bioremediation on mining subsidence
in Shendong mining area prove that vaccination not only could effectively promote growth and development of
amorpha fruiticosa in macroscopic, but also could improve the growth matrix conditions in microscopic.
Reliability Estimation of Existing Concrete Bridge Based on Bayesian
Dynamic Model
Authors: Chen Shuangrui , Yan Quansheng
Published: September 2015

It is of great significance to timely and accurately forecast the safety state of the bridge as far as the
maintenance is concerned. Bayesian forecasting is a method of deriving posterior distribution in accord with the sampling
information and prior information, where real time online forecasting is realized by means of recursive algorithm and the
stationary assumption. Bayesian dynamic linear model is created to forecast the reliability of the bridge on the basis of the
observed stress information of a bridge structure. According to the observed information, the model created is a
superposition of constant mean model and seasonal effect model. The analysis of a practical example illustrates that
Bayesian dynamic linear modes can provide an accurate real time forecast of the reliability of the bridge
Investigation of gene pool and genealogical links between sheep breeds of southern Russia by blood groups and DNA microsatellites
Authors: Zinovieva Natalia , Selionova Marina , Gladyr Elena , Petrovic Milan , Caro-Petrovic Violeta , Ruzic-Muslic Dragana , Petrovic Milan
Published: September 2015

To study the gene pool and the establishment of genealogical relationships
between breeds of sheep of different directions productivity bred in Russia,
were used two classes of genetic markers - blood and DNA microsatellites. The
included sample sheep are fine-wool Merino breeds: Grozny (GR), Caucasian
(CA), Manychskij merino (MM), the Soviet Merino (SM), Stavropol (ST) and
coarse wool breeds: Edilbaevskaya (ED), Karakul (CR) and Romanov (RO). For
the study of erythrocyte, were selected antigens (blood group) in 1159
samples from 11 breeding farms. For microsatellite DNA study - 598 from 10
breeding farms. Microsatellite analysis revealed that the most polymorphic
were Stavropol breed sheep that have identified an average of 18.27 alleles
per locus were relatively conservative Romanov breed sheep - 9.7 alleles per
locus. The minimum genetic distances established between Grozny and Soviet
Merino - 0.0569 (for microsatellites) and 0.0741 (blood groups - later in the
same sequence). The rocks of the Stavropol - Grozny were 0.0861 and 0, 0810.
Whereas Stavropol and Soviet Merino 0.0861 and 0.1094. Also relatively close
between Grozny - Edilbaevskoy , Grozny - Karakul, Edilbaevskoy - Karakul:
0.1364 and 0.0851, respectively; 0.1620 and 0.1208; 0.1875 and 0.1192. The
highest genetic distances were between Stavropol and Karakul - 0.2664 and
0.1804, as well as between the Romanov and all studied species - 0.2491 ...
0.3211 and 0.1734 ... 0.2235.
Establishment and in-house validation of stem-loop RT PCR method for MicroRNA398 expression analysis
Authors: Timotijevic Gordana , Milisavljevic Mira , Nikolic Dragana , Milovanovic Bosko , Nikolic Dragana , Nikolic Miroslav , Samardzic Jelena
Published: September 2015

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) belong to the class of small non-coding RNAs which have
important roles throughout development as well as in plant response to
diverse environmental stresses. Some of plant miRNAs are essential for
regulation and maintenance of nutritive homeostasis when nutrients are in
excess or shortage comparing to optimal concentration for certain plant
species. Better understanding of miRNAs functions implies development of
efficient technology for profiling their gene expression. We set out to
establish validate the methodology for miRNA gene expression analysis in
cucumber grown under suboptimal mineral nutrient regimes, including iron
deficiency. Reverse transcription by ?stem-loop? primers in combination with
Real time PCR method is one of potential approaches for quantification of
miRNA gene expression. In this paper we presented a method for ?stem loop?
primer design specific for miR398, as well as reaction optimization and
determination of Real time PCR efficiency. Proving the accuracy of this
method was imperative as ?stem loop? RT which consider separate transcription
of target and endogenous control. The method was verified by comparison of
the obtained data with results of miR398 expression achieved using a
commercial kit based on simultaneous conversion of all RNAs in cDNAs.
The C20068T gene variant in the 3` end of the prothrombin gene and recurrent pregnancy loss: A pilot study
Authors: Pruner Iva , Djordjevic Valentina , Gvozdenov Maja , Tomic Branko , Kovac Mirjana , Miljic Predrag , Radojkovic Dragica
Published: September 2015

Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) is a health problem affecting up to 5% of
women of reproductive age. Several thrombophilic risk factors might
contribute to RPL.To investigate relationship between a novel C20068T gene
variant in the 3` end of prothrombin gene and RPL, we tested 153 women with
RPL and 111 controls for the presence of this gene variant. In patients, we
have detected four heterozygous (2.61%) and no homozygous carriers. In
controls, no carriers were detected. Our results indicate higher prevalence
of C20068T gene variant in women with RPL but this difference was not
statistically significant. However, in patients who suffered 5 or more RPL,
frequency of C20068T gene variant was significantly increased compared to
controls (12.5% vs. 0%, P=0.02). This is the first study which points out a
possible role of C20068T gene variant in etiology of RPL, but larger studies
should be carried out to confirm our findings.
Assessment of single nucleotide polymorphisms in screening 52 DNA repair and cell cycle control genes in Fanconi anemia patients
Authors: Petrovic Sandra , Leskovac Andreja , Joksic Ivana , Vujic Dragana , Sobot Ana , Filipovic Jelena , Joksic Gordana
Published: September 2015

Fanconi anemia (FA) is a rare genetically heterogeneous disorder associated
with bone marrow failure, birth defects and cancer susceptibility. Apart from
the disease- causing mutations in FANC genes, the identification of specific
DNA variations, such as single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), in other
candidate genes may lead to a better clinical description of this condition
enabling individualized treatment with improvement of the prognosis. In this
study, we have assessed 95 SNPs located in 52 key genes involved in base
excision repair (BER), nucleotide excision repair (NER), mismatch repair
(MMR), double strand break (DSB) repair and cell cycle control using a DNA
repair chip (Asper Biotech, Estonia) which includes most of the common
variants for the candidate genes. The SNP genotyping was performed in five
FA-D2 patients and in one FA-A patient. The polymorphisms studied were
synonymous (n=10), nonsynonymous (missense) (n=52) and in non-coding regions
of the genome (introns and 5 ?and 3? untranslated regions (UTR)) (n=33).
Polymorphisms found at the homozygous state are selected for further
analysis. Our results have shown a significant inter-individual variability
among patients in the type and the frequency of SNPs and also elucidate the
need for further studies of polymorphisms located in ATM, APEX APE 1, XRCC1,
ERCC2, MSH3, PARP4, NBS1, BARD1, CDKN1B, TP53 and TP53BP1 which may be of
great importance for better clinical description of FA. In addition, the
present report recommends the use of SNPs as predictive and prognostic
genetic markers to individualize therapy of FA patients.
A 13-Year-Old Girl in Trigeminy During Anesthesia for Outpatient Dental Surgery: A Case Report
Authors: Waxman Bryan Neil
Published: September 2015

A 13-year-old girl presented to a private office for dental rehabilitation under general anesthesia. The patient had a previous uneventful anesthetic 5 years prior in the same office by another dental anesthesiologist. The patient was highly anxious and would not allow monitors placed prior to induction. After an uneventful mask induction with sevoflurane, nitrous oxide, and oxygen, monitors were placed and a 22-gauge intravenous cannula inserted. The initial rhythm on the electrocardiogram was trigeminy interspersed with normal sinus rhythm. The volatile anesthetic sevoflurane was discontinued immediately, and intravenous anesthesia was started but still the patient was consistently entering trigeminy. The patient was always hemodynamically stable and never hypoxic. An in-depth discussion of the case and discussion of ventricular dysrhythmias is presented.
Oral Sedation Postdischarge Adverse Events in Pediatric Dental Patients
Authors: Huang Annie , Tanbonliong Thomas
Published: September 2015

The study investigated patient discharge parameters and postdischarge adverse events after discharge among children who received oral conscious sedation for dental treatment. This prospective study involved 51 patients needing dental treatment under oral conscious sedation. Each patient received one of various regimens involving combinations of a narcotic (ie, morphine or meperidine), a sedative-hypnotic (ie, chloral hydrate), a benzodiazepine (ie, midazolam or diazepam), and/or an antihistamine (ie, hydroxyzine HCl). Nitrous oxide and local anesthesia were used in conjunction with all regimens. After written informed consent was obtained, each guardian was contacted by phone with specific questions in regard to adverse events following the dental appointment. Out of 51 sedation visits, 46 were utilized for analysis including 23 boys and 23 girls ranging from 2 years 2 months to 10 years old (mean 5.8 years). 60.1% of patients slept in the car on the way home, while 21.4% of that group was difficult to awaken upon reaching home. At home, 76.1% of patients slept; furthermore, 85.7% of patients who napped following the dental visit slept longer than usual. After the appointment, 19.6% exhibited nausea, 10.1% vomited, and 7.0% experienced a fever. A return to normal behavior was reported as follows: 17.4% in <2 hours, 39.1% in 2–6 hours, 28.3% in 6–10 hours, and 15.2% in >10 hours. Postdischarge excessive somnolence, nausea, and emesis were frequent complications. The time to normality ranged until the following morning demonstrating the importance of careful postdischarge adult supervision.
Nepal Earthquake: Need to Quantify Impact on Forest Ecosystem
Authors: Editor The
Published: September 2015

Not available.Banko Janakari, Vol. 25, No. 1Page: 1-2
Population structure and distribution of Abies spectabilis (D. Don) in Central Nepal Himalaya: A comparison with the total woody vegetation of the forests at the three different elevation ranges in Manang District
Authors: Kharal D. K. , Bhuju D. R. , Gaire N. P. , Rayamajhi S. , Meilby H. , Chaudhary A.
Published: September 2015

Population structure and distribution of vegetation are often affected by elevation induced climate variation in the Himalaya. This research aims at assessing the population structure and distribution of Abies spectabilis in three different elevation sites within the forests areas in Manang District of central Nepal. Vegetation sampling was conducted during Sept-Oct 2012 and the population information of all the woody vegetation from a total of 59 concentric circular sampling plots of 10 m radii along the transect line were collected. The middle elevation site was characterized by the highest density of seedlings (15,044/ha), saplings (1,629/ha), poles (272/ha) and trees (179/ha) of all woody vegetation. In this elevation, the highest proportion was contributed by A. spectabilis (54%) at combined-level in spite of the lack of large-sized stems (dbh > 70 cm). The proportion of A. spectabilis stem was nearly one-fourth of all the woody vegetation while its lowest proportion (15.5%) was found at the lower elevation at combined-level. On the contrary, its basal area proportion was nearly the half of all the woody vegetation at the lower elevation site, nearly one-third at the middle elevation site and less than 10% at the upper elevation site. There was a significant variation in mean density and basal areas of all stem categories among the sampled sites except the seedling density of all the woody vegetation between the lower and the middle elevations. The stem distribution of all the woody vegetation including A. spectabilis demonstrated the characteristics of normal (sustainable) forest in Manang District. The presence of only small-sized trees with good recent regeneration of A. spectabilis in the upper treeline ecotone revealed stand densification as well as its potential for upward migration in response to environmental change including climate change in future.Banko Janakari; A Journal of Forestry Information for Nepal Vol. 25, No. 1Page: 3-14
Evaluation of Matrix Metalloproteinases-2 (MMP-2) and Tissue Inhibitors of Metalloproteinases-2 (TIMP-2) in Oral Submucous Fibrosis and Their Correlation With Disease Severity
Authors: Shrestha A , Carnelio S
Published: September 2015

Background Oral submucous fibrosis (OSF), a potentially malignant oral lesion, is a form of pathological fibrosis affecting the oral mucosa. It results from an imbalance in equilibrium of the normal process of synthesis and degradation of extra cellular matrix. Matrix metalloproteinases and its inhibitors play important role in remodeling of the extra cellular matrix which are important in progression and pathogenesis of potentially malignant lesions to malignancy.Objectives To evaluate the expression and distribution of Matrix metalloproteinases-2 (MMP- 2) and Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-2 (TIMP-2) in different grades of Oral Submucous Fibrosis(OSF).Method Immunohistochemical analysis for MMP-2 and its TIMP-2 was performed in 30 histopathologically confirmed, formalin fixed, paraffin embedded specimens of OSF. A semi-quantitative analysis was done to assess the expression, distribution and comparison of these in various stages of this disease.Result All moderately advanced cases and 64.2% for MMP-2 and 78.5% for TIMP-2 of early stage cases showed positivity. Between two stages of OSF, statistically significant differences were noted in expression of TIMP-2 in lamina propria, deep connective tissue and supra basal layers (p<0.05) and basal and supra basal layers for MMP-2 (p<0.05).Conclusion The simultaneous increase in expression of MMP-2 and TIMP-2 with advancing stages of OSF can provide a basis for considering the proteases as important mediators in the pathogenesis and progression of OSF which could aid in identifying the aggressiveness of the condition and elucidate its role in its malignant transformation.Kathmandu Univ Med J 2013; 11(4): 274-281
Review of Cesarean Section on Maternal Request in a Tertiary Care Institute; Scenario in Developing Country
Authors: Panda S , Jha V , Singh AS
Published: September 2015

Mother requesting of caesarean reflects a belief among society that elective caesarean safer than vaginal delivery in term of fetus and mother. Although the study data neglecting the facts other skewed part in this issue is consideration of resources, as in developing countries, where maternal mortality is still high due to lack of adequate resources. Mother coming to obstetrician with mother’s request should individualize in every case considering mother’s argument, society and evidence base guideline.Kathmandu Univ Med J 2013; 11(4): 349-354
A business analytics capability framework
Authors: Cosic Ranko , Shanks Graeme , Maynard Sean B
Published: September 2015

Business analytics (BA) capabilities can potentially provide value and lead to better organisational performance. This paper develops a holistic, theoretically-grounded and practically relevant business analytics capability framework (BACF) that specifies, defines and ranks the capabilities that constitute an organisational BA initiative. The BACF was developed in two phases. First, an a priori conceptual framework was developed based on the Resource-Based View theory of the firm and a thematic content analysis of the BA literature. Second, the conceptual framework was further developed and refined using a three round Delphi study involving 16 BA experts. Changes from the Delphi study resulted in a refined and confirmed framework including detailed capability definitions, together with a ranking of the capabilities based on importance. The BACF will help academic researchers and industry practitioners to better understand the capabilities that constitute an organisational BA initiative and their relative importance. In future work, the capabilities in the BACF will be operationalised to measure their as-is status, thus enabling organisations to identify key areas of strength and weakness and prioritise future capability improvement efforts.
Two-tiered Clustering Classification Experiments for Market Segmentation of EFTPOS Retailers
Authors: Rumantir Grace W , Singh Ashishkumar
Published: September 2015

This paper proposes the application of clustering and classification techniques on finding groupings of retailers who use the Electronic Funds Transfer at Point Of Sale (EFTPOS) facilities of a major bank in Australia. The RFM (Recency, Frequency, Monetary) analysis on each retailer is used to reduce the large data set of customer purchases through the EFTPOS network for the purpose of the retailer clustering. We then incorporate attributes of the EFTPOS transaction data in addition to the derived RFM attributes to build a decision tree to facilitate the extraction of business rules that explain the characteristics of the retailer clusters.
Fair Representation of Transportation Research Record Impacts
Authors: Han Lee D. , Nambisan Shashi S. , Lemons Ebony L. , Cherry Chris R. , Overton Ryan
Published: September 2015

This paper presents results of a qualitative survey and a quantitative assessment of the relative impacts of transportation journals. The survey involved 80 research university professors, government employees, and practitioners randomly chosen to rate a list of peer-reviewed transportation journals. The quantitative assessment consisted of an extensive examination of the impact factor (IF), a widely used metric for comparing scholarly publications, of 30 major transportation journals. Although the Transportation Research Record (TRR) was ranked by far as the most “useful and important” to the work of all those surveyed in the field of transportation, the TRR's IF is lower than those of most other transportation journals. However, compared with other transportation journals, the TRR publishes the most scholarly papers and receives the most citations annually. It is also the most widely accessed by practitioners. This paper explores key factors that affect IF calculations and identifies strategies to enhance the TRR's IF with nominal and major changes to the current process and procedures. These strategies focus on increasing exposure time of papers published in the TRR and increasing timely access to TRR issues, as well as exploring the potential to subdivide the TRR into several thematic sections, which would lead to substantial increases in the IFs of several of the parts.
Developing a Framework for Financial Achievability of Department of Transportation Research and Development Projects
Authors: Born Patricia H. , Dumm Randy E. , Eger Robert J.
Published: September 2015

A financial analysis framework was developed to allow departments of transportation to assess research projects better. The framework recognizes that the research process contains multiple stages of decision making, and the framework details the information needed at each stage. The framework is described as it applies to each step in the research process: identifying potential research projects, evaluating research proposals, monitoring ongoing research projects, and evaluating final research reports. The framework also considers the decision to implement the research and its potential effects on employees. The application of the framework is illustrated with several Florida Department of Transportation research projects that involve the development of a multipurpose survey vehicle for evaluation of Florida roadways. This illustration allows for an explanation of each step in the framework with actual data from research reports and other internal or external sources. Although the framework is flexible and can be adapted for use in evaluating different types of projects, some judgment will be required when the specific inputs to the model are considered. Successful implementation of the framework will require focused data collection with emphasis on identifying the potential net benefits of research projects.
Opportunities for Enhancing Construction Education and Student Internships with Multimedia Tools
Authors: Lavrenz Steven , Bullock Darcy M.
Published: September 2015

Construction education has long been challenged with integrating meaningful classroom education activities with field internships. This paper describes a case study in which educational material was developed with use of time-lapse photography collected by student-deployed cameras on a large, fast-moving construction project. Several distinct construction activities were identified for time-lapse documentation, and corresponding engineering material quantities were computed to show the progression of work. These quantitative estimates were combined with the time-lapse footage in a series of educational video modules, which will be disseminated and archived online for long-term access by students and the public. The video modules were designed to educate students on the various steps involved in a major roadway rehabilitation project and provide them with a more relatable context for the various bid item quantities that they would encounter in their work as student interns and professional engineers. These methods can also be scaled across a variety of educational settings for different types of horizontal and vertical construction projects and thus, result in a more targeted and effective student learning experience.