bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influence of the dispersity and molar mass distribution of conjugated polymers on the aggregation type and subsequent chiral expression
Authors: Van Oosten Annelien , Verduyckt Cynthia , De Winter Julien , Gerbaux Pascal , Koeckelberghs Guy
Published: May 2023

This study aims to determine the influence of the dispersity on the aggregation of conjugated polymers and their subsequent chiral expression.
Modelling the effect of particle arrangement on the magnetoelectric response of a polymer multiferroic film
Authors: Stolbov Oleg V. , Ignatov Artyom A. , Rodionova Valeria V. , Raikher Yuriy L.
Published: May 2023

A mesoscopic model of the polymer film filled with a mixture of piezoelectric and ferromagnetic particles is presented. It enables one to evaluate the magnetoelectric efficiency of the film depending on the spatial pattern in which the particles of both types are positioned.
Wearable electrochromic materials and devices: from visible to infrared modulation
Authors: Fan Hongwei , Wei Wei , Hou Chengyi , Zhang Qinghong , Li Yaogang , Li Kerui , Wang Hongzhi
Published: May 2023

This review systematically introduces and discusses the recent advances and progress in wearable electrochromic devices with optical modulation from the visible to infrared range.
GAN‐LSTM‐3D: An efficient method for lung tumour 3D reconstruction enhanced by attention‐based LSTM
Authors: Hong Lu , Modirrousta Mohammad Hossein , Hossein Nasirpour Mohammad , Mirshekari Chargari Mohammadreza , Mohammadi Fardin , Moravvej Seyed Vahid , Rezvanishad Leila , Rezvanishad Mohammadreza , Bakhshayeshi Ivan , Alizadehsani Roohallah , Razzak Imran , Alinejad‐Rokny Hamid , Nahavandi Saeid
Published: May 2023

Three‐dimensional (3D) image reconstruction of tumours can visualise their structures with precision and high resolution. In this article, GAN‐LSTM‐3D method is proposed for 3D reconstruction of lung cancer tumours from 2D CT images. Our method consists of three phases: lung segmentation, tumour segmentation, and tumour 3D reconstruction. Lung segmentation is done using snake optimisation followed by tumour segmentation using Gustafson‐Kessel (GK) clustering method. The outputs of GK (2D lung cancer images) are fed to a pre‐trained Visual Geometry Group (VGG) for feature extraction. The VGG outputs are used as input for an attention‐based LSTM which performs feature unpacking. The output of LSTM units is given to generator network of a Generative Adversarial Networks (GAN) model to carry out 3D reconstruction of (normal/cancerous) images with high quality. During training, the discriminator network of the GAN is used to judge the generator outputs. The authors to the best of their knowledge were the first to use GAN for 3D reconstruction of lung cancer tumours which is the primary contribution of this article. Moreover, existing studies are mostly focused on brain tumours and are not suitable for lung tumour reconstruction. Focusing on lung tumours is the second contribution of this article. Evaluation on LUNA data collection against existing methods like MC, MC + fairing etc. reveals the superiority of our method in terms of Hamming and Euclidean distance metrics. Additionally, the computational complexity of the proposed method is lower compared to evaluated methods.
Design and 3D printing of porous cavity insulation structure for ultra‐high electrical withstanding capability
Authors: Yang Xiong , Sun Guangyu , Song Baipeng , Han Wenhu , Wang Chao , Li Wendong , Zhang Shu , Song Falun , Zou Fangzheng , Zhang Guanjun
Published: May 2023

Vacuum‐dielectric interface is the most vulnerable part of vacuum insulation systems where surface electrical breakdown is prone to happen, hence severely restricts the development of advanced electro‐vacuum devices with large capacity and its miniaturisation. Generally, a direct and effective way to improve vacuum surface insulation is to alleviate the initiation and development of multipactor phenomena. Inspired by this approach, the authors report a 3D‐printed insulation structure designed with a millimetre‐scale surface cavity covered by periodic through‐pore array via stereolithography, exhibiting remarkable multipactor suppression and flashover threshold improvement, well outperforming the conventional flashover mitigation strategies. Experiments and simulations demonstrate that electrons in the multipactor region pass through‐pores and are unlikely to escape from the cavity, hence no longer participate in the above‐surface multipactor process, and eventually improve flashover threshold. The proposed approach provides new inspiration for the design of advanced insulators featuring ultra‐high electrical withstanding capability and brings up new insight into pertinent industrial applications.
An intelligent radar signal classification and deinterleaving method with unified residual recurrent neural network
Authors: Al‐Malahi Abdulrahman , Farhan Abobaker , Feng HanCong , Almaqtari Omar , Tang Bin
Published: May 2023

The accuracy of radar emitter signal sorting nowadays deteriorates due to the high flexibility and complexity of modern radar pulse streams and the density of crowded electromagnetic environment. In modern radar signal sorting based on pulse repetition interval, conventional methods usually fail to achieve acceptable accuracy and lack stable performance for two main reasons: (1) Conventional methods require a large number of pulses in the stream, which is not practical in many applications. (2) These methods are sensitive to pulse loss and random noise pulses. These two reasons are the main problem that is addressed in this paper. Our proposed model is a machine learning architecture called Unified Residual Recurrent Neural Network (URRNN). In this architecture, residual neural network and recurrent neural network are combined and modified to alleviate the forementioned shortcomings of traditional approaches and enhance the model performance in both classification and deinterleaving tasks. This aim is achieved due to the fact that URRNN extracts both spatial and temporal features, which means more information about processed stream that is exploited to enhance model performance. Three different architectural combinations of URRNN, which show high accuracy and reasonable processing time, are built and trained. The structural and functional description are provided for each architecture. Simulation demonstrates high accuracy and reliable performance of the proposed methods in different circumstances. The results are compared with the results obtained by other conventional machine learning techniques.
Effect of Microbial Community on Iron Release under Low Velocity in Drinking Water Supply Pipes
Authors: Shentu Huabin , Wei Jun , Lin Xiaohu , Zhou Hua , Wang Shaoyi , Liu Jingqing
Published: May 2023

Iron release from water supply network affects water quality safety. To investigate the change of microbial community structure and its effect on iron release in water supply pipes under leakage condition, the research was carried out based on the pilot platform used in actual water supply system. Microbial community structure was analyzed using high-throughput sequencing and the total iron index was measured by atomic flame absorption spectroscopy. The results showed that Proteobacteria had a large competitive advantage in the laminar flow rate, the average relative content increased more than 60%. At the level of class, the relative content of Alphaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria increased larger than others. When the velocity was close to the critical flow rate, the microbial community was gradually stabilized. The total iron concentration decreased with the increase of flow rates, when the flow rate was 40% of the critical flow rate, the total iron concentration tended to be stable, and the promotion of total iron release was mainly iron-oxidizing bacteria and sulfate reducing bacteria, and the inhibition effect was mainly nitrate reducing bacteria. It has important reference significance for further controlling the microbial community and iron release in the water at the end of the pipe network.
Study on the Mechanism of Coptis Chinensis in the Treatment of Diabetic Nephropathy Based on Network Pharmacology
Authors: Yu Cheng , Qian Liting , Chen Ying , Guan Jing , Jiang Shuang , Song Danning
Published: May 2023

To investigate the therapeutic effects of Coptis chinensis on diabetic nephropathy using systematic pharmacological techniques. The TCMSP database was used to search the main components and related targets of Coptis chinensis; the GeneCards and CTD databases were used to screen the disease targets of diabetic nephropathy, and the intersection of the targets and disease targets was taken and plotted in Venn diagram; the target protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed from STRING database; the DAVID 6.8 online tool was used to GO and KEGG enrichment analyses were performed using DAVID 6.8 online tool to obtain the key signaling pathways of Coptis chinensis acting in diabetic nephropathy. Fourteen effective components of Coptis chinensis and 186 targets were obtained from the TCMSP database, and 3358 diabetic nephropathy targets were obtained from the summary of two databases, GeneCards and CTD. 118 intersecting targets of Coptis chinensis components and diabetic nephropathy diseases were obtained, and the core targets were TP53, MAPK1, AKT1, RELA, TNF, CAV1, RXRA, which may act on MAPK signaling pathway and PI3K-Akt signaling pathway to regulate the inflammatory response and oxidative stress generated by diabetic nephropathy process, thus reducing the disease symptoms. Coptis chinensis can exert its mechanism of action for the treatment of diabetic nephropathy through multiple components with multiple targets and pathways.
Aging Effects on the Tactile Spatial Sensitivity of Orientation Discrimination by the JVP Domes
Authors: Guo Ting , Xu Zhihan , Jin Rongrong
Published: May 2023

The JVP domes were widely used to detect the tactile sensitivity reported by participants, which declined with the influence of aging. However, it is still unknown how the decline of tactile spatial sensitivity can influence orientation discrimination. In the current study, we used JVP domes to test the orientation discrimination of older participants (n = 22, age 63 – 77, means = 69.9). Our results found that the accuracy of the wider grating of JVP domes was higher than the narrow grating. Moreover, it is easier for our participants to discriminate vertical and horizontal orientation than left and right. The current study evaluated the decline of tactile ability for older participants and further expanded the application of JVP domes.
Research on Pricing Decision of Fresh Agricultural Products Supply Chain Based on Consumers’ Green Consumption Preference
Authors: Li Fuchang , Feng Xuan
Published: May 2023

Based on the background of the optimal pricing of the supply chain of graduate fresh agricultural products, this paper constructs the Stackelberg game model that maximizes the profit function of suppliers and retailers, and discusses the optimal pricing decisions of suppliers and retailers under the condition of comprehensively considering consumers’ green consumption preferences and other influencing factors. Green consumers’ green spending preferences are positively correlated with the profits of supply chain manufacturers and retailers. Numerical experiments verify the verification results of this paper, and finally summarize the relevant conclusions, green consumption preference is conducive to the overall profit improvement of the supply chain.
Die Rechtsfrage: Praktikum während der Ausbildung in einer Praxis möglich?
Authors: Hahn Erik
Published: May 2023

„Wir verhandeln in Sachsen-Anhalt aktuell mit dem Ministerium über Einrichtungen, an denen Auszubildende der Physiotherapie ihre Praktika absolvieren dürfen. Dabei treibt uns vor allem die Frage um, ob physiotherapeutische Praxen als „andere 4zur praktischen Ausbildung] geeignete medizinische Einrichtungen“ gelten, wie es § 9 Abs. 1 S. 3 des MPhG vorgibt.”

Ausbildungskoordinatorin aus Sachsen-Anhalt
Improving Detection Rates for Primary Aldosteronism
Authors: Libianto Renata , Stowasser Michael , Russell Grant , Fuller Peter J , Yang Jun
Published: May 2023

Primary aldosteronism (PA), once considered a rare disease, is being increasingly
recognized as an important cause of hypertension. It is associated with higher
rates of cardiovascular complications compared to blood pressure-matched
essential hypertension. Targeted treatments are available which can mitigate the
excess cardiovascular risks and, in some cases, cure hypertension. Making a
timely diagnosis of PA is, therefore, highly beneficial for patients.
Furthermore, numerous studies from different parts of the world have found PA to
be a relatively common disease that can affect patients in any stage of
hypertension, regardless of their age or potassium levels. Despite this
well-established data, the current rate of PA detection is appallingly low, much
below its actual prevalence. This review explores the challenges that clinicians
often face in diagnosing PA and offers strategies that may improve the detection
of this potentially curable form of hypertension.
Effektivität eines körperlichen Trainings zur
Reduktion niedrig-traumatischer und osteoporotischer Hauptfrakturen in
Erwachsenen. Systematische Übersichtsarbeit und
Meta-Analyse
Authors: Shojaa Mahdieh , Hoffmann Isabelle , Kohl Matthias , von Stengel Simon , Becker Clemens , Gosch Markus , Jakob Franz , Kerschan-Schindl Katharina , Kladny Bernd , Lange Uwe , Peters Stefan , Schöne Daniel , Sieber Cornel , Thomasius Friederike , Uder Michael , Kemmler Wolfgang
Published: May 2023

Ziel dieses systematischen Reviews mit Metaanalyse war es den Effekt
körperlichen Trainings auf die Frakturinzidenz niedrig-traumatischer
Gesamt- und osteoporotischer Hauptfrakturen zu erfassen. Eine systematische
Literaturrecherche in sechs Literaturdatenbanken gemäß der
PRISMA-Leitlinie wurde bis zum 22. Mai 2021 durchgeführt. Eingeschlossen
wurden klinische Trainingsstudien mit (a) Personen≥45 Jahren, (b)
Kohorten ohne relevante pharmakologische Therapie oder Behandlung mit Einfluss
auf Knochenstoffwechsel oder Sturz, (c) einer Interventionsdauer von≥3
Monaten und (d) einer Erfassung der Anzahl niedrig-traumatischer Frakturen, die
getrennt für die Trainings- (TG) und Kontrollgruppe (KG)
aufgeführt wurden. Die Untersuchung wurde in PROSPERO registriert (ID:
CRD42021250467). Für die Analyse wurde ein bedingtes
Poisson-Regressionsmodell mit gemischten Effekten verwendet. Zwanzig
Interventionsstudien mit 21 TG versus 20 KG und insgesamt 11,836
Teilnehmerjahren in der TG und 11,275 Teilnehmerjahren in der KG wurden
eingeschlossen. Es zeigten sich statistisch signifikante Effekte für die
Gesamtfraktur- (Inzidenzrate: 0.67, 95%-Konfidenz-Intervall:
0.51–0.87) und osteoporotischen Hauptfraktur-Rate (IR: 0.69,
95%-KI: 0.52–0.92). Die Heterogenität der
Studienergebnisse (I2=40 und
I2<1%) sowie wie die Evidenz eines
Publikations-/small-study „Bias“ lag in einem insgesamt
niedrig-moderaten Bereich. Trotz einiger biometrischer Limitationen zeigt die
Arbeit die hohe Relevanz körperlichen Trainings im Rahmen der
Frakturprophylaxe selbstständig lebender Menschen in mittleren-hohen
Lebensalter deutlich auf. Die vorgelegten Daten für niedrig-traumatische
Gesamt- und osteoporotischen Hauptfrakturen liegen dabei im Bereich moderner
pharmakologischer Therapie.
Extracting Pain Care Quality Indicators from U.S. Veterans Health Administration Chiropractic Care Using Natural Language Processing
Authors: C. Coleman Brian , Finch Dezon , Wang Rixin , L. Luther Stephen , Heapy Alicia , Brandt Cynthia , J. Lisi Anthony
Published: May 2023

Background Musculoskeletal pain is common in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), and there is growing national use of chiropractic services within the VHA. Rapid expansion requires scalable and autonomous solutions, such as natural language processing (NLP), to monitor care quality. Previous work has defined indicators of pain care quality that represent essential elements of guideline-concordant, comprehensive pain assessment, treatment planning, and reassessment.

Objective Our purpose was to identify pain care quality indicators and assess patterns across different clinic visit types using NLP on VHA chiropractic clinic documentation.

Methods Notes from ambulatory or in-hospital chiropractic care visits from October 1, 2018 to September 30, 2019 for patients in the Women Veterans Cohort Study were included in the corpus, with visits identified as consultation visits and/or evaluation and management (E&M) visits. Descriptive statistics of pain care quality indicator classes were calculated and compared across visit types.

Results There were 11,752 patients who received any chiropractic care during FY2019, with 63,812 notes included in the corpus. Consultation notes had more than twice the total number of annotations per note (87.9) as follow-up visit notes (34.7). The mean number of total classes documented per note across the entire corpus was 9.4 (standard deviation [SD]  =  1.5). More total indicator classes were documented during consultation visits with (mean  =  14.8, SD  =  0.9) or without E&M (mean  =  13.9, SD  =  1.2) compared to follow-up visits with (mean  =  9.1, SD  =  1.4) or without E&M (mean  =  8.6, SD  =  1.5). Co-occurrence of pain care quality indicators describing pain assessment was high.

Conclusion VHA chiropractors frequently document pain care quality indicators, identifiable using NLP, with variability across different visit types.
Ideal Nasal Preferences: A Quantitative Investigation with 3D Imaging in the Iranian Population
Authors: Tavakoli Kiarash , Sazgar Amir K. , Hasanzade Arman , Sazgar Amir A.
Published: May 2023

Background Though in facial plastic surgery, the ideal nasal characteristics are defined by average European-American facial features known as neoclassical cannons, many ethnicities do not perceive these characteristics as suitable.

Methods To investigate the preferences for nasofrontal angle, nasolabial angle, dorsal height, alar width, and nasal tip projection, manipulated pictures of one male and one female model were shown to 203 volunteer patients from a tertiary university hospital's facial plastic clinic.

Results The most esthetically preferred nasofrontal angles were 137.64 ± 4.20 degrees for males and 133.55 ± 4.53 degrees for females. Acute nasofrontal angles were more desirable in participants aged 25 to 44. The most preferred nasolabial angles were 107.56 ± 5.20 degrees and 98.92 ± 4.88 degrees, respectively. Volunteers aged 19 to 24 preferred more acute male nasolabial angles. A straight dorsum was the most desirable in both genders (0.03 ± 0.78 and 0.26 ± 0.75 mm, respectively). The ideal male and female alar widths were –0.51 ± 2.26 and –1.09 ± 2.18 mm, respectively. More 45- to 64-year-old volunteers preferred alar widths equal to intercanthal distance. The ideal female and male tip projections were 0.57 ± 0.01 and 0.56 ± 0.01, respectively.

Conclusion Results indicate that the general Iranian patients prefer thinner female noses with wider nasofrontal angles for both genders. However, the ideal nasolabial angles, dorsal heights, and tip projections were consistent with the neoclassical cannons. Besides ethnic differences, the trend of nasal beauty is also affected by gender, age, and prior history of esthetic surgery.
Temperature-Controlled Diastereoselective Doebner/Ugi Tandem Reaction
Authors: Sakhno Yana , Chebanov Valentyn , Radchenko Oleksandr , Saraev Vyacheslav , Shliapkina Yuliia , Kaidash Mariia , Shyshkina Mariia , Shishkina Svitlana , Musatov Vladimir , Desenko Sergey
Published: May 2023

Novel peptidomimetics containing a pyrrolone fragment were synthesized by a tandem combination of Doebner and Ugi type multicomponent reactions with controlled diastereoselectivity. This approach represents a convenient synthesis in the temperature range from 25 to 45 °C. In most cases, the new method allowed each diastereomer to be isolated separately.
First Clinical Report of Two RAB3GAP1 Pathogenic Variant in Warburg Micro Syndrome
Authors: Akkuş Nejmiye , Duman Tuğba Akın
Published: May 2023

Warburg micro (WARBM) syndrome is an autosomal recessive disease characterized by severe brain and eye abnormalities. Loss-of-function mutations in RAB18, RAB3GAP2, RAB3GAP1, or TBC1D20 can lead to this disease. Here, we present two unrelated WARBM syndrome patients who had an RAB3GAP1 c.559 C > T, (p.Arg187Ter) and c.520 C > T (p.Arg174Ter) homozygous state. Both patients had microcephaly, microphthalmia, microcornea, bilateral congenital cataracts, severe intellectual disability, and congenital hypotonia. Using the method of next-generation sequencing and sanger sequencing, we found two nonsense variations at the splice site in exon 7 of RAB3GAP1 in the WARBM syndrome patients. The mutations were predicted to cause the syndrome due to the early stop codon, and the patients had the WARBM1 syndrome. We present the first clinical report of two different unreported variants with RAB3GAP1 mutation in the literature.
Ethnic discrimination in Scandinavia: evidence from a field experiment in women’s amateur soccer
Authors: Storm Rasmus K. , Nesseler Cornel , Holum Marthe , Nygaard Andreas , Jakobsen Tor Georg
Published: May 2023

In this paper, we examine ethnic discrimination using sport as a laboratory. Applying a field experiment in the three Scandinavian countries—Sweden, Norway, and Denmark—we test whether foreign female minority groups experience greater rejection rates when seeking inclusion in amateur soccer clubs. Soccer coaches were contacted by e-mail using native and foreign-sounding names from selected groups, requesting to participate in trial practice. Previous findings show persistent discrimination of foreign minority groups in the labour market, and recent work suggests that discrimination also occurs in the context of soccer. Our findings from Scandinavia show that Sweden is the only country that shows statistically significant signs of discriminatory patterns, and the probability of experiencing discrimination increases with cultural distance. However, cultural distance appears to have no influence in Norway and Denmark. We further investigate whether male or female coaches demonstrate different discriminatory behaviour when being contacted, but our analysis shows almost no gender differences. Findings suggest that how men and women differ in their discriminatory behaviour is context specific. The differences identified across nations and previous studies are discussed to better understand the mechanisms of discrimination.
Copper-based intersectional nanofabrication of optical nanoantennas for volatile organic compound sensing
Authors: Li Meng , Huang Yan , Sun Lipeng , Zheng Zhaoqiang , Ma Churong , Li Xiangping , Guan Bai-Ou , Chen Kai
Published: May 2023

Plasmonic sensors leverage the enhanced near-fields associated with the constituent optical nanoantennas to achieve better sensing performance. The design and fabrication of these optical nanoantennas, especially metallic ones, are thus becoming critical steps to advance this thriving and important field. Low-cost and high-throughput nanofabrication techniques are greatly desirable. In this work, we demonstrate a cost-effective nanofabrication method derived from conventional colloidal lithography. With polystyrene nanospheres and subsequently formed copper (Cu) nanoholes as consecutive deposition masks, disk nanoantennas can be produced in a large-scale fashion with no dry etching required. Furthermore, the nanodisks can be readily tuned via thermal heating of the sacrificial Cu nanohole layers. Finally, we combined the fabricated Au nanodisks with the metal-organic framework material zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 and demonstrated highly sensitive detection of volatile organic compounds. We believe that this nanofabrication method could be readily implemented in a variety of plasmonic sensors.
Engineering tools for quantifying and manipulating forces in epithelia
Authors: Dow Liam P. , Parmar Toshi , Marchetti M. Cristina , Pruitt Beth L.
Published: May 2023

The integrity of epithelia is maintained within dynamic mechanical environments during tissue development and homeostasis. Understanding how epithelial cells mechanosignal and respond collectively or individually is critical to providing insight into developmental and (patho)physiological processes. Yet, inferring or mimicking mechanical forces and downstream mechanical signaling as they occur in epithelia presents unique challenges. A variety of in vitro approaches have been used to dissect the role of mechanics in regulating epithelia organization. Here, we review approaches and results from research into how epithelial cells communicate through mechanical cues to maintain tissue organization and integrity. We summarize the unique advantages and disadvantages of various reduced-order model systems to guide researchers in choosing appropriate experimental systems. These model systems include 3D, 2D, and 1D micromanipulation methods, single cell studies, and noninvasive force inference and measurement techniques. We also highlight a number of in silico biophysical models that are informed by in vitro and in vivo observations. Together, a combination of theoretical and experimental models will aid future experiment designs and provide predictive insight into mechanically driven behaviors of epithelial dynamics.
Australian winter 2022: how did we get here? Assessing the energy market conditions in Australia
Authors: Stabler Joshua
Published: May 2023

Electricity and gas prices in the Australian east coast markets reached unprecedented levels from April to July 2022. The following report will investigate the root cause of the market prices with consideration of (a) reference to the international energy market scarcity, (b) government intervention, (c) assessment of availability and behaviour of coal generators and (d) role of gas generators in the east coast of Australia.
Petrophysical interpretation and reservoir characterisation on Proterozoic shales in National Drilling Initiative Carrara 1, Northern Territory
Authors: Wang Liuqi , Bailey Adam H. E. , Grosjean Emmanuelle , Carson Chris , Carr Lidena K. , Butcher Grace , Boreham Christopher J. , Dewhurst Dave , Esteban Lionel , Southby Chris , Henson Paul A.
Published: May 2023

The Proterozoic succession in the National Drilling Initiative Carrara 1 drill hole, Northern Territory, is dominated by tight shales, siltstones and calcareous clastic rocks. As part of Geoscience Australia’s Exploring for the Future program, this study aimed to improve the Proterozoic shale gas reservoir characterisation by derivation of porosity, permeability and gas content from laboratory testing and machine learning approaches to wireline log interpretation. The Proterozoic Lawn Hill Formation is divided into four chemostratigraphic packages. The middle two packages are further divided into seven internal units according to principal component analysis and self-organising map clustering on well logs and inorganic geochemical properties. Artificial neural networks were then applied to interpret the mineral compositions, porosity and permeability from well logs, density and neutron-density crossplot interpretations. Gas content was estimated from the interpreted porosity, gas saturation, total organic carbon and clay contents. Petrophysical interpretation results are summarised for all chemostratigraphic packages and units. P2 (1126.3–1430.1 m) has the highest potential among the four chemostratigraphic packages. P2U1 (1126.3–1271 m) and P2U3 (1335.5–1430.1 m) units have the most favourable petrophysical properties for organic-rich shales, with average total gas contents of 1.213 and 1.315 cm3/g, geometric mean permeability of 6.6 and 25.31 µD and net shale thickness of 53.5 and 83.3 m, respectively. P3U4 (687.9–697.9 m) has high gas content and permeability, with a net shale thickness of 35.9 m. The tight non-organic-rich siltstone and shale reservoirs in package P1 (below 1430.1 m) have an average gas saturation of 17.4% and a geometric mean permeability of 0.48 µD.
National Decommissioning Research Initiative (NDRI) phase 2 determining outcomes to inform offshore decommissioning options
Authors: Schmidt Cassandra , Smith Luke
Published: May 2023

The Australian offshore oil and gas (O&G) industry is facing a significant decommissioning portfolio over the next few decades. In response to this, in 2019, eight Australian oil and gas operators and the National Energy Resources Australia (NERA) established the National Decommissioning Research Initiative (NDRI) with the aim to fill key knowledge gaps on the potential environmental impacts, risks and benefits of different decommissioning options in Australia’s offshore environment. In phase 1, seven research projects were undertaken covering the interaction that occurs between the environment and O&G infrastructure in Australia’s oceans. Phase 2 of the NDRI has now commenced with a focus on developing an ecological risk assessment guidance document for O&G titleholders to be able to undertake environmental risk assessments to determine if the level of contamination associated with different offshore decommissioning options is environmentally acceptable. The paper would describe the pathway to produce guidance on science-based acceptability criteria for contamination associated with O&G infrastructure: Research needed for the development of screening values to identify if a site-specific ecological risk assessment is required. Research plans are to be developed to identify the lines of evidence that can be used to determine if impacts and risks of any contamination are of an acceptable level. Ongoing engagement of regulators, researchers and other stakeholders is a critical component on the pathway forward.
Development of a novel Passive Fire Protection system – Humidur Char
Authors: Brameld Michael , Baensch Travis
Published: May 2023

Passive Fire Protection (PFP) is a key risk reduction measure used to protect people on hazardous facilities by maintaining structural integrity in the event of a fire scenario. Epoxy intumescent PFP products currently available in industry, have high-cost surface preparation requirements, need specialist craft labour and are multi-coat systems. With PFP refurbishment projects planned for major offshore and onshore facilities, Woodside Technology embarked on a program to develop a new PFP with the following attributes: single coat, simple and versatile application; reduced surface preparation; and comply with all relevant fire and corrosion testing criteria. Woodside engaged Acotec NV, Belgium to develop a new PFP which incorporated the proven surface-tolerant and corrosion-resistance properties of Humidur FP. Throughout 2019, over 100 candidate formulations were tested for strength, intumescent and thermal insulation properties with the highest performing product being selected for fire and corrosion testing. A comprehensive international test program was completed and the new PFP, Humidur Char, is now available. It has been third-party certified by DNV as meeting all performance requirements of the latest international fire test standards and design verification reports are in place for all heritage Woodside assets. Third-party verified NORMS have been developed to compare application of Humidur Char with an equivalent epoxy PFP system widely used in the industry and showed that Humidur Char could be applied up to 5 times faster. Feedback from the offshore refurbishment program confirms the use of Humidur Char has resulted in a 30% reduction in execution hours when compared to the previously used product. Similar significant cost reductions are expected for the onshore PFP program.
Modelling of hydrogen gas generation from overmature organic matter in the Cooper Basin, Australia
Authors: Boreham Christopher J. , Edwards Dianne S. , Feitz Andrew J. , Murray Andrew P. , Mahlstedt Nicolaj , Horsfield Brian
Published: May 2023

A significant portion of planned energy and mineral resource investment into Australia is now for hydrogen (H2). Whether from fossil fuels with carbon capture and storage or from electrolysis of water using renewable energy, there is a price premium for manufactured hydrogen. The production of H2 from geological sources (geologic H2) could be more cost-effective. The majority of sources for geologic H2 are abiotic and their resource potential is largely unknown. Biogenic (microbial and thermogenic) sources also exist. The focus for this study is on a thermogenic source where chemical kinetics of H2 generation from the thermal breakdown of land-plant-derived organic matter has been applied within a petroleum system modelling framework for the Cooper Basin. Modelling of mid-Patchawarra Formation coals and shales, the main source rocks for petroleum, indicate that free H2 is available at maturities >3.5% vitrinite reflectance and that a large volume of free H2 is predicted to occur in a ‘sweet spot’ deep within the Nappamerri Trough. In-situ free H2 concentrations deep within the Nappamerri Trough are predicted to be comparable to methane concentrations in productive unconventional shale gas plays. Nevertheless, exploration drilling within the Cooper Basin’s depocentre is sparse and a deep H2 system remains largely untested.
Optimising the transition from CO2 EOR-EGR towards CCS for a mature oil and gas reservoir
Authors: Rakotondrazaka Ilaina H. , Johnson Raymond L. , Li Xiaoling , Bracho Andres
Published: May 2023

This study evaluates carbon dioxide enhanced oil recovery (CO2 EOR) for enhanced oil recovery (EOR), enhanced gas recovery (EGR) and carbon capture and storage (CCS) purposes in the mature Mereenie Oil and Gas Field (‘Mereenie’). Mereenie consists of a rim oil and gas cap reservoir with low aquifer activity. We evaluate the microscopic and macroscopic displacement efficiencies of CO2 EOR techniques after determining the minimum miscibility pressure of the CO2 and reservoir oil system. Investigations on EOR, EGR and CCS are then conducted on a sector model containing the main pay zones. The CO2 flood, water alternating gas (CO2 WAG) and Huff ‘n’ Puff methods are evaluated within three strategies: unstructured well placement, five-spot pattern configuration and gravity-assisted flood. The sector model shows performance of an immiscible process in oil and gas recovery and CO2 storage potential. The CO2 flood is efficient in oil recovery but less efficient in CO2 utilisation, making it a good option for a half oil recovery–half CO2 storage objective. The CO2 Huff ‘n’ Puff is more efficient for oil recovery at early stages of operation, and also very efficient for gas recovery. The CO2 Huff ‘n’ Puff technique is not a good option for the CO2 storage objective. The CO2 WAG could be a good technique for oil recovery and CO2 storage with proper CO2 slug size and WAG ratio. The five-spot pattern configuration enhances sweep efficiency. The gravity-assisted flood strategy can be appropriate for the rim oil reservoir with gas cap in Mereenie.
Mercury management during decommissioning: predicting accumulation and mitigating risk of release
Authors: Ellery Luke , Crafts Peter , Sturgeon Andrew , Rajani Amit
Published: May 2023

In 2021, Australia ratified the Minamata Convention on mercury, an international treaty that seeks to protect human health and the environment from anthropogenic emissions and releases of mercury and mercury compounds. Mercury is a highly toxic metal with damaging effects even at extremely low concentrations. Decommissioning of pipelines and topside equipment that have processed fluids containing even trace quantities of mercury may create significant hazards to personnel and the environment. This paper considers the various mechanisms by which mercury accumulates in process systems and addresses important considerations, to mitigate the risks of mercury release during decommissioning. Where production fluids contain trace quantities of hydrogen sulfide, in addition to mercury, then mercury can react with compounds in scale layers to form mercury sulfide deposits, incorporated within the scale. In addition, mercury may also physically adsorb onto steel surfaces and within porous scale layers, and if mercury condensation occurs then amalgams may form with susceptible metals. Where pipelines are coated or clad, mercury can still be physically or chemically adsorbed onto the pipeline at weld joints. Production fluids containing mercury may also permeate through spiral-wound metal carcass layers of flexible flowlines. Mercury trapped in the carcass voids may be retained after flushing, to be released later during recovery operations, presenting a risk to personnel and the environment. Estimating the quantity, forms and areas contaminated with mercury compounds supports future decommissioning strategy development and select mitigation measures that reduce risks to personnel and the environment to as low as reasonably practicable.
The global status of carbon capture and storage: ambition to action
Authors: Raji Nabeela , Consoli Chris , Steyn Matt , Havercroft Ian
Published: May 2023

As the global response to climate change advances from ambition to action, the past few years have witnessed unprecedented levels of investments in carbon capture and storage (CCS), with the pipeline of commercial facilities continuing to grow as the technology becomes increasingly competitive and commercial in many countries. Key trends underpinning this momentum include the rise of the network project model enabling the use of shared infrastructure, the incorporation of CCS in private sector investment strategies, ESG (environmental, social and governance) considerations, green taxonomies and the industrial-scale production of hydrogen to meet demand. With CCS receiving increased awareness in international climate policy negotiations, a renewed focus on developing supportive policy, legal and regulatory mechanisms by national governments are also driving CCS deployment. Established leaders and early-movers in CCS-relevant policy, such as the United States, European Union and the UK, continue to maintain or strengthen their positions by allocating significant levels of funding for tax credits, subsidies and grants. Similarly, countries in the Asia-Pacific region, notably China, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, are also advancing policies to incentivise deployment, including through the establishment of CCS-specific legal and regulatory frameworks. The outlook for CCS is optimistic, however, current deployment rates fall far short of what is required to keep global warming below 1.5 or even 2 degrees. Further action is needed to unlock the full potential of CCS and realise the Paris climate goals.
The complexity of identifying and quantifying natural and anthropogenic influences on surface movement in coal seam gas producing regions within the Surat Basin, Queensland
Authors: Brennand Sarah , Hayes Phil , Leonardi Christopher
Published: May 2023

Coal seam gas (CSG) production can cause surface movement through the compaction of coal seams and adjacent geological units and may cause subtle changes in the topographic gradients that have been alleged to cause impacts on agriculture. Since surface movement can result from both natural and anthropogenic processes, the determination of which processes, and the magnitudes of their contributions, are important challenges in the management of impacts. Differential interferometric synthetic aperture radar (D-InSAR) is a proven remote sensing technique used to monitor large-scale surface movement via radar satellite imagery. It is currently used by major CSG producers to conduct monitoring over their tenements. As D-InSAR can only deduce total observed movement, integration with other datasets is required to deconvolve the influences within observations. This paper provides an overview of the range of processes that influence surface movement. A case study using a D-InSAR time-series dataset (2016–2022) reveals the surface movement in the Surat Basin. Velocity measurements show that surface movement in the vicinity of CSG wells ranges between −18 and +9 mm/year. Analysis of any correlations between landscape characteristics and surface movement is provided, along with preliminary findings on some key observations. This work aids in refining calculations on what proportion of surface movement may be attributable to gas extraction.
Integrated team approach to decommissioning Environment Plan development
Authors: Harvey Jessica
Published: May 2023

The offshore oil and gas industry is facing a significant transition period in the coming decades due to the evolving energy market and aging oil and gas infrastructure. Industry has over 1000 offshore wells to plug and abandon, 57 fixed facilities and over 8000 km of subsea lines to decommission over the coming decades. Most of this significant portfolio is regulated by NOPSEMA (National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority) with the expectation that decommissioning involves the full removal of equipment as per Section 572 of the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2006 (Cth) (OPGGS Act). However, other options may be considered if the titleholder can demonstrate that an alternative decommissioning approach delivers equal or better environmental and safety outcomes compared to complete removal. Integration of environment and engineering functions primarily occurs during the process of developing an Environment Plan (EP) and, specifically, the process of identifying environmental hazards (Environmental Hazards Identification, ENVID) and mitigation measures. This paper proposes that improved stakeholder, regulatory, cost and environmental outcomes could be achieved through an earlier integrated approach to planning decommissioning activities. Specifically, co-designing an approach to decommissioning at the earliest stages would inform, for example, approvals strategy and equipment selection. This would ultimately result in improved outcomes without the application of mitigating control measures. The paper will discuss some of the current challenges and outline the value of early identification and understanding of key environmental values and sensitivities to ensure site-specific information is considered during planning stages, later streamlining EP development. A multi-disciplinary decommissioning team in the early stages of project development enhances problem-solving capabilities and ultimately improves environmental and safety outcomes.
Maximising gas production from late-life assets: a case study from the Snapper Field, Gippsland Basin
Authors: Burgin Hugo B. , Bagheri Mohammad , Ryan Melanie , Anderson Stewart , Wang Jianlin , Trump Kieran
Published: May 2023

Discovered in 1968 and developed in 1981, the Snapper Field has supplied oil and gas to Australia’s eastern seaboard for over 40 years. The field consists of a broad northeast–southwest trending faulted anticline within the Eocene and Paleocene sands of the Latrobe Group. Reserves in 2023 are within the shallowest reservoir interval – the N-1 – which had an original gas in place of approximately 3.8 Tcf. Pressure and wireline log data acquired during exploration and development suggested that the Snapper Field was horizontally and vertically well connected, and it was expected that individual intervals within the N-1 reservoir would water-out sequentially from the bottom to the top of the reservoir during production. As a result, the risk of water over-running gas, and bypassed gas was considered to be low. Production and logging results in 2017 proved otherwise, prompting a period of renewed study from 2019 to 2022. This paper focusses on the culmination of this work effort: construction of a new static geological model and dynamic simulation model, which was built upon and expanded previous models completed prior to 2019. The insights from this study have demonstrated the importance of ongoing and regular reservoir surveillance and the significant value that the construction of new static and dynamic models can add to late-life oil and gas fields. This study showed a later end of field life than previous estimates and an increase in reserves by up to ~20% through the optimisation of future work-over programs. The Snapper Field is owned by ExxonMobil (50%) and Woodside Energy (50%) and is operated by ExxonMobil.
Integrating Sustainability into your value stream
Authors: Kydd Richard , Wall Tim
Published: May 2023

The year 2030, when the first regulatory climate targets will likely be required to be implemented in Australia, is less than eight years away. Increased shareholder focus along with regulatory and societal pressures means that whilst most Oil and Gas producers have introduced emissions-related targets, implementation has proven more difficult – let alone harnessing this evolution holistically across existing and new energy assets. Given the embryonic nature and ambiguity of Sustainability in many organisations, there is a need to identify how Sustainability-related activities and targets intersect with the current and future value chain of the business. Establishing a clear understanding of the broader organisation’s perception of Sustainability allows for the design and implementation of an integrated roadmap, which combines the technical projects associated with emissions reduction along with critical enabling activities to embed Sustainability as a value driver, rather than a discrete function. The audience will gain insights on how to de-risk the achievement of 2030 regulatory climate targets by adopting an integrated approach to Sustainability and our lessons learnt on how to ready the organisation and deploy this approach.
Do we know enough to make future-proofed decisions about contaminants when decommissioning offshore oil and gas infrastructure?
Authors: Koppel Darren J. , Gissi Francesca , Oluwoye Ibukun , Cresswell Tom
Published: May 2023

Offshore oil and gas infrastructure must be decommissioned at the end of its operational life. The base case approach for decommissioning under Australia’s regulatory framework is the complete removal of all infrastructure. However, alternative decommissioning approaches, such as leaving some infrastructure in situ, may deliver better environmental, economic, and health and safety outcomes. Derogation from complete removal requirements is possible if alternative approaches have acceptable environment impacts and deliver equal or better environmental outcomes. Potential environmental contaminants are present in all offshore infrastructure and if decommissioned in situ could pose unacceptable risks to marine ecosystems. Contaminants may accumulate in infrastructure as a result of oil and gas production, such as scales of mercury and naturally occurring radioactive materials, or arise from the degradation of infrastructure itself, such as plastics and steel corrosion products. The unique behaviour and interactions of contaminants with local ecosystems makes assessing their potential impacts challenging. This presentation reports on the contaminants likely to be present in offshore oil and gas infrastructure proposed to be decommissioned in situ. The expected behaviour of these contaminants in the marine environment is discussed to give context to measures of their potential hazards (i.e. guideline values). This paper is intended to start a conversation and serve as a useful guide for titleholders and regulators about some data needs to assess potential contaminant impacts from in-situ decommissioning.