bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis of Diesel Particulate Matter Health Risk Disparities in Selected US Harbor Areas
Authors: Rosenbaum Arlene , Hartley Seth , Holder Chris
Published: August 2011

Objectives. People near major transportation emissions sources experience higher exposure to hazardous pollutants. We present population size and demographic composition estimates for exposure to diesel particulate matter (DPM) exhaust from US harbor activities.

Methods. We examined 43 US marine harbor areas to determine outdoor, ambient concentrations from port-related DPM emissions and then determined intake fractions of those emissions in each harbor area. We estimated the distribution of health risk by combining ambient concentrations with exposure and carcinogenic risk factors. We assessed demographic differences by stratifying the health risks by race/ethnicity and income.

Results. Intake fractions for 42 of the harbor areas ranged from 0.02 × 10−6 to 3.66 × 10−6. A DPM-affected population of more than 4 million has a risk level greater than 100 per million; a population of 41 million, a risk level greater than 10 per million. Most exposures occur in a small number of marine harbor areas. Low-income households and both Hispanics and non-Hispanic Blacks are overrepresented in the affected populations.

Conclusions. The most important factor for predicting DPM intake fractions for harbor activities is the proximate population density. The largest uncertainty in predicting DPM carcinogenic health risk is the carcinogenic inhalation unit risk factor.
Particulate Air Pollution and Socioeconomic Position in Rural and Urban Areas of the Northeastern United States
Authors: Brochu Paul J. , Yanosky Jeff D. , Paciorek Christopher J. , Schwartz Joel , Chen Jarvis T. , Herrick Robert F. , Suh Helen H.
Published: August 2011

Objectives. Although differential exposure by socioeconomic position (SEP) to hazardous waste and lead is well demonstrated, there is less evidence for particulate air pollution (PM), which is associated with risk of death and illness. This study determined the relationship of ambient PM and SEP across several spatial scales.

Methods. Geographic information system-based, spatio-temporal models were used to predict PM in the Northeastern United States. Predicted concentrations were related to census tract SEP and racial composition using generalized additive models.

Results. Lower SEP was associated with small, significant increases in PM. Annual PM10 decreased between 0.09 and 0.93 micrograms per cubic meter and PM2.5 between 0.02 and 0.94 micrograms per cubic meter for interquartile range increases in income. Decrements in PM with SEP increased with spatial scale, indicating that between-city spatial gradients were greater than within-city differences. The PM–SEP relation in urban tracts was not substantially modified by racial composition.

Conclusions. Lower compared with higher SEP populations were exposed to higher ambient PM in the Northeastern United States. Given the small percentage change in annual PM2.5 and PM10, SEP was not likely a major source of confounding in epidemiological studies of PM, especially those conducted within a single urban/metropolitan area.
Evaluation of Two-Phase-Flow Correlations and Mechanistic Models for Small-Diameter Pipelines at Slightly Inclined Downward Flow
Authors: Yuan Hong , Zhou Desheng
Published: August 2011

In this study, two-phase-flow pressure-prediction correlations and mechanistic models for pipelines commonly used in the petroleum industry are evaluated against experimental data.

Downward two-phase flow occurs in hilly-terrain pipelines, in steam-injection wells, and in offshore oil- and gas-production systems. During pipeline design and simulation, experimental data are usually unavailable to calibrate against correlations and models. Sometimes, it is difficult to determine which correlation or model to use in predicting pressure gradient in inclined downward flow because very few correlations and models were developed specifically for downward pipe flow.

Experimental data used in this study are from published papers (Kokal and Stanislav 1989a, 1989b). Experimental data were gathered from 1-, 2-, and 3-in. pipes with seven inclination angles. Oil and air were used as testing fluids. During the experiment, superficial-liquid velocities (SLVs) range from 1.2 to 10 ft/sec and superficial-gas velocities (SGVs) range from 0.76 to 85 ft/sec. The experimental results were plotted as pressure gradient vs. SGV for each SLV.

Beggs-Brill (BB), Dukler-Eaton-Flanigan (DEF), Dukler-Flani- gan (DF), Dukler, Eaton, and Eaton-Flanigan (EF) correlations and the Xiao mechanistic model are evaluated in this study.

The results of this study can be used as guidelines in choosing two-phase-flow pressure-prediction correlations and models in designing and analyzing downward two-phase-flow pipelines.
Waterflooding Performance in Inclined Communicating Stratified Reservoirs
Authors: El-Khatib Noaman A.F.
Published: August 2011

A mathematical model is developed for performance prediction of waterflooding performance in communicating stratified reservoirs with a dip angle from the horizontal. The effect of the gravitational force is reflected by a dimensionless gravity number in the fractional flow formula. The gravity number accounts for the dip angle and the density difference between the displacing and displaced fluids. The developed fractional flow formula is used to estimate the fractional oil recovery, the dimensionless time, and the injectivity ratio at times of water breakthrough in the successive layers. The developed model allows for each layer to have its own porosity, endpoint saturations, and endpoint relative permeabilities.

Solutions for the waterflooding performance in inclined communicating stratified systems with log-normal permeability distribution were obtained and compared with that of the horizontal systems. The effects of the gravity number, the mobility ratio, and the Dykstra-Parsons permeability-variation coefficient VDP on the performance were investigated.

The obtained results showed that the gravity effect of the dip angle enhances the performance in terms of delayed water breakthrough, higher fractional oil recovery, and lower water cut. This improved performance is more significant in the cases of unfavorable mobility ratio and of highly heterogeneous reservoirs. Reservoir dipping does not affect the pseudorelative permeability functions but results in a decrease in the injectivity ratio.
Application of Multirate Tests to Scale Management: Part 1—Interpretation of Produced-Water Analyses
Authors: McCartney Ross , Tjomsland Tore , Sandøy Bernt , Fadnes Finn Hallstein
Published: August 2011

Several multirate separator tests (MRTs) have been undertaken on wells in the Veslefrikk field that are on commingled production from the Brent Group and Intra Dunlin Sand. During these tests, produced-water samples were also collected. Integrated analysis of the results of interpretion of the produced-water analyses and the MRT results have provided a range of information for each production zone including the nature and composition of the produced water, seawater fraction of these produced waters, fraction of total water flow being produced, pressure, productivity index, oil and water rates, and water cut. This information can reduce the need for deploying production-logging tools (PLTs), allows the scaling potential between the deeper and the shallower zones to be evaluated, aids squeeze-treatment design, is beneficial for predicting formation damage from crossflow, and aids water-shutoff decisions.

In this paper, the methods of interpreting the produced-water analyses are presented through the use of a field example. To aid interpretation, interpretation of other produced-water analyses from the field and reactive-transport modeling have been undertaken to better understand reactions occurring in the reservoir as a result of seawater injection and the effects of these reactions on produced-water compositions. In an accompanying paper (Tjomsland et al. 2011), the integrated MRT-analysis techniques are described and the results and applications of additional field examples are presented.
The Effects of Filter-Cake Buildup and Time-Dependent Properties on the Stability of Inclined Wellbores
Authors: Tran Minh H. , Abousleiman Younane N. , Nguyen Vinh X.
Published: August 2011

The effects of filter-cake buildup and/or filter-cake-property variation with time on wellbore stability have been plaguing the industry. The increasing use of lost-circulation materials (LCMs) in recent years for wellbore strengthening in weak and/or depleted formations necessitates models that can predict these effects. However, the complexities of effective-stress and pore-pressure evolution around the borehole while drilling, coupled with the transient variation of mud-filtration properties, have delayed such modeling efforts. In this paper, the analytical solutions for the time-dependent effects of mudcake buildup and mudcake properties on the wellbore stresses and formation pore pressure, and thus the safe-drilling-mud-weight window, are derived. The transient effects of mudcake buildup and mudcake buildup coupled with its permeability reduction during filtration on the safe-drilling-mudweight window are illustrated through numerical examples. The results showed that the safe-mudweight windows were greatly affected by the buildup of filter cake and its permeability variation. For example, the analysis for filter-cake buildup with cake permeability of 10–2 md showed that the safe-mudweight window was widened by 0.5 g/cc after 2.5 hours post-excavation when compared to the case of a wellbore without mudcake. On the other hand, a lower mudcake permeability of 10–3 md widened the mudweight window by as much as 1 g/cc. Last but not least, the analyses revealed that even for mudcake permeability as low as 10–3 md, neglecting the permeable nature of the mudcake can result in overestimation of the safe-drilling-mudweight window.
Environmental Impacts of NORM Disposal—With Emphasis on Discharges to Sea
Authors: Valeur Jens Rosendal
Published: August 2011

Waste of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) poses a challenge to operators and authorities alike.

This paper reviews legislation and practices regarding NORM waste management in the North Sea countries, with emphasis on the potential environmental impacts. The paper gives an overview of mechanisms causing NORM in the oil and gas industry, the various disposal methods, the legal regime, and the fate and effects in the external environment.

NORM in produced water mainly consists of two forms of radium (RA), Ra-226 and Ra-228, which have been dissolved from the geological materials of the reservoir. Parts of the dissolved Ra precipitate as RaSO4 in the process equipment onboard the installation (mainly in the separation systems), associated with precipitation of BaSO4 and SrSO4. If discharged to the sea, the vast majority of the dissolved Ra precipitates as RaSO4 or adsorbs to fine-grained particles and particulate organic matter. When assessing the fate and effects of NORM in the external environment, it is therefore essential to analyze both the fine-grained-sediment-transport pathways and the uptake mechanisms of marine life.

The strong particle association of Ra must be taken into account when evaluating the possible environmental impacts of solid-NORM waste disposal (e.g., from maintenance of equipment, decommissioning of installations). Reinjection of NORM into the geological reservoir can be seen as an optimal way of disposing of NORM waste, but the approach taken by different countries varies, depending on how the London Convention and the OSPAR Radioactive Substances Strategy are interpreted and implemented.

It is concluded that the NORM waste issue is not handled optimally in all cases with respect to health, safety, and environmental (HSE) impacts, partly because of the constellation of international conventions and national practices that is applied with significant variation from country to country.
Flow-Rate Behavior and Imbibition in Shale
Authors: Wang Dongmei , Butler Raymond , Liu Hong , Ahmed Salowah
Published: August 2011

As part of our investigations of a new chemical imbibition idea (using surfactant or brine formulations) to stimulate oil recovery from shale, we are studying oil flow through and, especially, brine intake into shale to displace oil. Our first studies in this area focused on an outcrop shale, specifically the Odanah member of Pierre shale in North Dakota, USA. We studied porosity, permeability to oil, permeability to water, and spontaneous brine intake for the Pierre shale. We found that porosities for Pierre shale cores were relatively high—from 25 to 35%. Porosities for our measurements of Bakken cores averaged less than 3%. Bakken oil imbibed into dry Pierre shale cores (up to 5 mm in thickness) to the same extent as could be achieved by forced injection of oil (i.e., achieving the same oil saturations for both processes). Permeability to a clean mineral oil (Soltrol 130™) was higher than for Bakken oil—apparently because of deposition of wax/asphaltenes/particulates on the Pierre core faces when injecting Bakken oil. Permeability to oil for Pierre shale cores (with no water present) ranged from 3.32×10–5 to 2.19×10–4 md when injecting Bakken oil and from 4.85×10–4 to 2.34×10–3 md when injecting Soltrol 130. Permeability to Bakken oil for a Bakken core (with no water present) averaged 4.84×10–4 md. In Pierre shale and Bakken cores with thicknesses ranging from 0.65 to 5 mm, permeabilities were basically independent of flow rate, in agreement with expectations from the Darcy equation. Saline brine spontaneously entered into oil-saturated Pierre cores, yielding recovery values up to 41% of original oil in place (OOIP). During exposure to brine, our results indicated an increase in permeability—presumably by mineral dissolution during forced brine injection and by cracking (possibly caused by clay swelling) during spontaneous brine intake. This result is encouraging for the application of imbibition to enhance oil recovery from shale. Before these studies, we feared that exposure to brine might reduce shale permeability because of clay swelling. The laboratory results will help during a current study of surfactant and brine imbibition in the Bakken formation.
Determining Effective Fluid Saturation, Relative Permeability, Heterogeneity and Displacement Efficiency in Drainage Zones of Oil Wells Producing Under Waterdrive
Authors: Toth Janos , Bodi Tibor , Szucs Peter , Civan Faruk
Published: August 2011

A convenient, practical method is applied for rapid analysis and interpretation of after-water-breakthrough history of oil wells producing under waterdrive for determination of effective fluid saturation, relative permeability, heterogeneity and displacement efficiency. Formulation and methodology are presented for the characterization of parameters of radial unsteady-state flow of oil and water through producing-well drainage regions in oil reservoirs. Validity and capabilities of this approach for diagnosis of conditions in production-well drainage zones in waterdrive reservoirs are confirmed by analysis of typical oil field case scenarios. The present approach is proven to yield significant information of practical importance that can be used for effective selection of potential enhanced oil recovery (EOR)/improved oil recovery (IOR) methods for oil reservoirs.
History Matching a Field Case Using the Ensemble Kalman Filter With Covariance Localization
Authors: Emerick Alexandre A. , Reynolds Albert C.
Published: August 2011

Because of its ease of implementation, computational efficiency, and the fact that it generates multiple history-matched models, which conceptually allows one to characterize the uncertainty in reservoir description and future performance predictions, the ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) provides a highly attractive technique for history matching production data. In this work, we apply EnKF with a recently proposed method of covariance localization to history match production data from a real field to generate multiple realizations of the permeability field. A single manually history-matched model is available for comparisons. Only 7.6 years of the 10 years of history were matched, with the remaining 2.4 years of history used to assess the predictive capability of the history-matched models. For this field case, covariance localization was necessary to avoid the propagation of spurious correlations and loss of variance and also resulted in better data matches and predictions than were obtained with EnKF without localization. EnKF with covariance localization also gave better data matches, more-accurate "future" predictions, and far more geologically realistic models than were obtained by manually matching production data. We also present results obtained using half-iteration EnKF (HI-EnKF) with covariance localization. For this field case, HI-EnKF gave a significant further improvement in the data match and predictions. However, because HI-EnKF requires rerunning the ensemble from time zero at every data-assimilation step, it leads to a considerable increase in the computational time. The results for this field case indicate that we can reduce the computational cost of HI-EnKF, without compromising the quality of the results, by rerunning the ensemble from time zero only when "large" changes in the state vector occur.
Lloydminster, Saskatchewan Vertical Well SAGD Field Test Results
Authors: Miller Karl A. , Xiao Yi
Published: August 2011

Husky Energy's Pikes Peak steam project has been highly successful using CSS and follow-up steam drive for vertical and directional wells located on the bottomwater-free structural high inside the oil/water contact of the Waseca channel sand reservoir(1). In some areas, recoveries of up to 90% have been achieved with a cumulative steam/oil ratio (SOR) of less than 3.0.

Use of CSS with follow-up drive has not been successful where bottomwater is present outside the oil/water contact. Some improvement in performance was achieved using large CSS slugs and high-steam injection rates, but in some locations CSS performances were still poor and conversion from CSS to drive has not been successful in any location.

In 2008 Husky initiated a field test of a single vertical well SAGD configuration in an area outside the oil/water contact to evaluate an alternate process in which the "conventional" CSS performance of 10 wells was poor from the second or third stimulation onward. The results from the first single vertical SAGD well pilot demonstrated that a single vertical well SAGD configuration could be successfully completed and operated.

The field data are being evaluated using empirical and numerical modelling methods to develop completion and operating strategies that optimize future produced oil rates and SORs.

Another benefit of the field test was its demonstration of a low-cost and rapid method to help determine if a reservoir has sufficient vertical permeability for horizontal well SAGD to work.
History Matching Channelized Reservoirs Using the Ensemble Kalman Filter
Authors: Lorentzen Rolf J. , Flornes Kristin M. , Nævdal Geir
Published: August 2011

Even though the ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) is widely used, history matching reservoirs with facies description has proven to be a major challenge. A preferred technique for estimating large scale facies fields within the petroleum industry is still missing. In this paper, we present a new approach to this problem. Instead of applying the EnKF directly to facies realizations, the approach applies a transformation of facies fields to a specific level set function, representing distances between facies types. This ensures better agreement with the EnKF Gaussianity assumptions, and the method always returns facies realizations with geological authenticity. The method also offers large flexibility in generating the initial ensemble, which can be performed using any geostatistical tool. Furthermore, no modifications of the standard EnKF equations are needed.

The methodology is evaluated on two synthetic examples with increasing complexity. In both examples, we consider reservoirs with channel structure. The results presented show that the updated models give large improvements in matching the measurements, and the uncertainty of the models is decreased. Further, recovery of the true petrophysical parameters is highly dependent on sufficient information in the measurements, but in one of the examples considered we are able to completely recover the true channel structure. Additional improvements in the quality of the updated facies fields are obtained by proper handling of the distances close to the reservoir boundaries, and by conditioning on specific statistical measures to better preserve prior information about channel properties.
Field Application of Chelatants in the Handling of ASP-Flooding Produced Fluid
Authors: Jiecheng Cheng , Di Wu , Wenjie Liu , Xiangchun Meng , Fuxiang Sun , Fengling Zhao , Qiushi Zhao , Neng Jiang
Published: August 2011

Suspended-solid (SS) particles in the produced water of the X2M alkaline/surfactant/polymer (ASP) flooding project were separated by membrane filtration and identified to consist mainly of alkali-earth-metal carbonates and silica precipitates. A compound formulation of chelatants was developed to stabilize the water phase of ASP-flooding produced fluid and prevent or reduce precipitation of both alkali-earth-metal carbonates and silica. The compound chelatant was put into a limited field trial in the surface production system of the X2M ASP-flooding project to evaluate its effects on the quality of treated produced water. The average SS content of treated ASP-flooding produced water was decreased to below the 20-ppm SS specification limit for reinjection by a dosage of chelatant at 480 ppm or higher. Scale-removal performance of the compound chelatant was also observed during the field trial.
Comparing Usage of Temperature Control and Composition Control for Reactive Distillation Column in Methyl Ester Production
Authors: Prasertsit Kulchanat , Tongurai Chakrit , Mueanmas Chokchai
Published: August 2011

The temperature control and the composition control for the production process was used to evaluated a method to control the quality of methyl ester production in a reactive distillation column. The optimum condition at steady state was selected as the base case condition for the control study by using Aspen Dynamic Simulation. In this work, two controller settings for PID controller of each control loop were based on the Zeigler-Nichol and the Tyreus-Luyben tuning formulae. The controllability and performance of both control structures were compared. The result shows that the control loop using the Ziegler-Nichols setting gave better control performance than the other using the Tyreus-Luyben setting. It also found that the control structure based on temperature control gives the same control performance as the other based on composition control, but less expensive and less complicated to implement.
Decomposing the Relationship between Macroeconomic Conditions and Fatal Car Crashes during the Great Recession: Alcohol- and Non-Alcohol-Related Accidents
Authors: Cotti Chad , Tefft Nathan
Published: August 2011

This paper investigates to what extent and in what ways conditions related to the 2007-2008 recession reduced fatal crashes. It hypothesizes that the reduction in fatal automobile accidents operates through both the quantity of driving and changes in behaviors associated with driving. Using state-by-quarter fixed effects models, the study shows that unemployment rate increases significantly reduce fatal accidents. Decomposing the fatal accident rate into accidents per mile traveled and miles traveled per capita reveals that higher unemployment is significantly associated with fewer accidents per mile, and also reveals that fatal accidents associated with alcohol are more responsive to unemployment rate changes than are accidents overall. These results suggest that the recession’s “lost” fatal accidents occurred in areas hit harder by the recession and were in the form of fewer alcohol-related accidents per mile traveled rather than fewer miles traveled overall.
Effect of 3-Month Yoga on Oxidative Stress in Type 2 Diabetes With or Without Complications
Authors: Hegde Shreelaxmi V. , Adhikari Prabha , Kotian Shashidhar , Pinto Veena J. , D’Souza Sydney , D’Souza Vivian
Published: August 2011

OBJECTIVE

To assess the effect of yoga on anthropometry, blood pressure, glycemic control, and oxidative stress in type 2 diabetic patients on standard care in comparison with standard care alone.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

The study involved 123 patients stratified according to groups with microvascular complications, macrovascular complications, and peripheral neuropathy and without complications and assigned to receive either standard care or standard care along with additional yoga for 3 months.

RESULTS

In comparison with standard care alone, yoga resulted in significant reduction in BMI, glycemic control, and malondialdehyde and increase in glutathione and vitamin C. There were no differences in waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, blood pressure, vitamin E, or superoxide dismutase in the yoga group at follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

Yoga can be used as an effective therapy in reducing oxidative stress in type 2 diabetes. Yoga in addition to standard care helps reduce BMI and improve glycemic control in type 2 diabetic patients.
Depressive Symptoms and Quality of Life in Adolescents With Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Anderson Barbara J. , Edelstein Sharon , Abramson Natalie Walders , Katz Lorraine E. Levitt , Yasuda Patrice M. , Lavietes Sylvia J. , Trief Paula M. , Tollefsen Sherida E. , McKay Siripoom Vudhipoom , Kringas Patricia , Casey Terri Lynn , Marcus Marsha D.
Published: August 2011

OBJECTIVE

The study objective was to examine the prevalence of depressive symptoms and relationships to quality of life and demographics in the Treatment Options for Type 2 Diabetes in Adolescents and Youth (TODAY) study’s large, ethnically diverse youth with type 2 diabetes.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

A total of 704 youth with type 2 diabetes <2 years’ duration, aged 10–17 years, and BMI ≥85th percentile completed depressive symptoms and quality of life measures.

RESULTS

Some 14.8% reported clinically significant depressive symptoms, and older girls had significantly higher rates than older boys.

CONCLUSIONS

Rates of significant depressive symptoms were similar to those of healthy adolescents and lower than those of teens with type 1 diabetes. Elevated depressive symptoms, particularly in older girls, suggest clinicians assess vulnerability.
Can Common Clinical Parameters Be Used to Identify Patients Who Will Need Insulin Treatment in Gestational Diabetes Mellitus?
Authors: Pertot Tania , Molyneaux Lynda , Tan Kris , Ross Glynis P. , Yue Dennis K. , Wong Jencia
Published: August 2011

OBJECTIVE

To identify patients with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) who will need antenatal insulin treatment (AIT) by using a risk-prediction tool based on maternal clinical and biochemical characteristics at diagnosis.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Data from 3,009 women attending the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital GDM Clinic, Australia, between 1995 and 2010 were studied. A risk engine was developed from significant factors identified for AIT using a logistic regression model.

RESULTS

A total of 51% of GDM patients required AIT. Ethnicity, gestation at diagnosis, HbA1c, fasting and 60-min glucose at oral glucose tolerance test, BMI, and diabetes family history were significant independent determinants of AIT. Notably, only 9% of the attributable risk for AIT can be explained by the clinical factors studied. A modeled risk-scoring system was therefore a poor predictor of AIT.

CONCLUSIONS

Baseline maternal characteristics including HbA1c alone cannot predict the need for AIT in GDM. Lifestyle, compliance, or as yet unmeasured influences play a greater role in determining AIT.
Impact of Physical Inactivity on Adipose Tissue Low-Grade Inflammation in First-Degree Relatives of Type 2 Diabetic Patients
Authors: Højbjerre Lise , Sonne Mette Paulli , Alibegovic Amra Ciric , Nielsen Ninna Bo , Dela Flemming , Vaag Allan , Bruun Jens Meldgaard , Stallknecht Bente
Published: August 2011

OBJECTIVE

First-degree relatives (FDRs) of patients with type 2 diabetes may exhibit a disproportionately elevated risk of developing insulin resistance, obesity, and type 2 diabetes when exposed to physical inactivity, which to some unknown extent may involve low-grade inflammation. We investigated whether subjects who are nonobese FDRs show signs of low-grade inflammation before or after exposure to short-term physical inactivity.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

We studied 13 healthy FDR subjects and 20 control (CON) subjects matched for age, sex, and BMI before and after 10 days of bed rest (BR). Insulin sensitivity was measured by the hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp. Key low-grade inflammation mediators were measured in arterial blood and microdialysate from subcutaneous abdominal (SCAAT) and femoral adipose tissue. Adipokine mRNA expression was determined in SCAAT.

RESULTS

Before BR, FDR subjects displayed insulin resistance, elevated plasma C-reactive protein, leptin, and monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1, high interleukin (IL)-6, and MCP-1 expressions, as well as low adiponectin and leptin expressions. FDR subjects responded to BR by decreasing plasma adiponectin and IL-10 expression and increasing plasma expression of IL-10 and tumor necrosis factor-α. In contrast, CON subjects responded to BR by increasing plasma adiponectin and adiponectin expression and by decreasing SCAAT microdialysate leptin.

CONCLUSIONS

Young and nonobese FDR of patients with type 2 diabetes exhibit low-grade inflammation, which is further and disproportionately aggravated when exposed to physical inactivity. The study provides support for the notion that people at increased risk of type 2 diabetes should avoid even short periods of physical inactivity.
Relationships of Cotinine and Self-Reported Cigarette Smoking With Hemoglobin A1c in the U.S.
Authors: Clair Carole , Bitton Asaf , Meigs James B. , Rigotti Nancy A.
Published: August 2011

OBJECTIVE

Whether nicotine leads to a persistent increase in blood glucose levels is not clear. Our objective was to assess the relationship between cotinine, a nicotine metabolite, and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), an index of recent glycemia.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

We used cross-sectional data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 1999 to 2008. We limited our analysis to 17,287 adults without diabetes. We created three cotinine categories: <0.05 ng/mL, 0.05–2.99 ng/mL, and ≥3 ng/mL.

RESULTS

Using self-report, 25% of the sample were current smokers, 24% were former smokers, and 51% were nonsmokers. Smokers had a higher mean HbA1c (5.36% ± 0.01 SE) compared with never smokers (5.31% ± 0.01) and former smokers (5.31% ± 0.01). In a similar manner, mean HbA1c was higher among participants with cotinine ≥3 ng/mL (5.35% ± 0.01) and participants with cotinine 0.05–2.99 ng/mL (5.34% ± 0.01) compared with participants with cotinine <0.05 ng/mL (5.29% ± 0.01). In multivariable-adjusted analysis, we found that both a cotinine ≥3 ng/mL and self-reported smoking were associated with higher HbA1c compared with a cotinine <0.05 ng/mL or not smoking. People with a cotinine level ≥3 ng/mL had a relative 5% increase in HbA1c compared with people with a cotinine level <0.05 ng/mL, and smokers had a relative 7% increase in HbA1c compared with never smokers.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study suggests that cotinine is associated with increased HbA1c in a representative sample of the U.S. population without diabetes.
Changes in Insulin Secretion and Action in Adults With Familial Risk for Type 2 Diabetes Who Curtail Their Sleep
Authors: Darukhanavala Amy , Booth John N. , Bromley Lindsay , Whitmore Harry , Imperial Jacqueline , Penev Plamen D.
Published: August 2011

OBJECTIVE

Experimental sleep deprivation is accompanied by changes in glucose regulation. However, the effects of chronic sleep insufficiency on insulin secretion and action in populations at high risk for type 2 diabetes are not known. This study examined the relationship between objectively documented habitual sleep curtailment and measures of insulin sensitivity, insulin secretion, and oral glucose tolerance in free-living adults with parental history of type 2 diabetes.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

A total of 47 healthy participants with parental history of type 2 diabetes (26 female/21 male, mean [SD] age 26 [4] years and BMI 23.8 [2.5] kg/m2) completed 13 (SD = 2) days of sleep and physical activity monitoring by wrist actigraphy and waist accelerometry while following their usual lifestyle at home. Laboratory polysomnography was used to screen for sleep disorders. Indices of diabetes risk based on oral glucose tolerance tests were compared between participants with habitual short sleep and those with usual sleep duration >6 h/day.

RESULTS

Consistent with a behavioral pattern of habitual sleep curtailment, short sleepers obtained an average of 1.5 h less sleep per night and showed signs of increased sleep pressure. Participants who habitually curtailed their sleep had considerably higher indices of insulin resistance and increased insulin secretion but maintained normal glucose tolerance similar to that of subjects who slept more.

CONCLUSIONS

Young lean adults with parental history of type 2 diabetes who habitually curtail their sleep have increased insulin resistance and compensatory hyperinsulinemia—a pattern that has been associated with higher risk of developing diabetes in such susceptible individuals.
Effectiveness of Lifestyle Interventions for Individuals With Severe Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Unick Jessica L. , Beavers Daniel , Jakicic John M. , Kitabchi Abbas E. , Knowler William C. , Wadden Thomas A. , Wing Rena R. ,   for the Look AHEAD Research Group
Published: August 2011

OBJECTIVE

Rates of severe obesity (BMI ≥40 kg/m2) are on the rise, and effective treatment options are needed. We examined the effect of an intensive lifestyle intervention (ILI) on weight loss, cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, and program adherence in participants with type 2 diabetes who were severely obese compared with overweight (BMI 25 to <30 kg/m2), class I (BMI 30 to <35 kg/m2), and class II (BMI 35 to <40 kg/m2) obese participants.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Participants in the Action for Health in Diabetes (Look AHEAD) trial were randomly assigned to ILI or diabetes support and education (DSE). DSE participants received a less intense educational intervention, whereas ILI participants received an intensive behavioral treatment to increase physical activity (PA) and reduce caloric intake. This article focuses on the 2,503 ILI participants (age 58.6 ± 6.8 years).

RESULTS

At 1 year, severely obese participants in the ILI group lost −9.04 ± 7.6% of initial body weight, which was significantly greater (P < 0.05) than ILI participants who were overweight (−7.43 ± 5.6%) and comparable to class I (−8.72 ± 6.4%) and class II obese (−8.64 ± 7.4%) participants. All BMI groups had comparable improvements in fitness, PA, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, fasting glucose, and HbA1c at 1 year. ILI treatment session attendance was excellent and did not differ among weight categories (severe obese 80% vs. others 83%; P = 0.43).

CONCLUSIONS

Severely obese participants in the ILI group had similar adherence, percentage of weight loss, and improvement in CVD risk compared with less obese participants. Behavioral weight loss programs should be considered an effective option for this population.
Assessment of gadolinium calcium oxoborate (GdCOB) for laser applications
Authors: Bajor A. , Kisielewski J. , Kłos A. , Kopczyński K. , Łukasiewicz T. , Mierczyk J. , Młyńczak J.
Published: August 2011

Increasing demand for growing high quality laser crystals puts a question about their most important parameters that one should concentrate on to get a desired product which will exhibit best properties in practical use. And by no means, this is a simple question. Apart of the usual lasing properties associated with a special dopant in the host material itself, one needs to consider another two lasing phenomena, namely second (SHG) and higher harmonic generation, and self-frequency doubling (SFD). Not necessarily all of these three can meet altogether in the same host material to yield in its best appearance in every case. We have made a review of basic properties of gadolinium oxoborate GdCa4O(BO3)3 (GdCOB) crystal and came to the conclusion that, currently, as a host material this is probably the best in all of its lasing applications. Although GdCOB has low thermal conductivity, which requires a suitable cooling, on the other hand it has got small thermo-optic coefficients which govern good operation in SHG and SFD experiments.

Two inch dia. Nd-doped crystals were grown by the Czochralski technique. Since a large discrepancy in the literature exists on exact values of nonlinear coefficients, one is never sure about this whether theoretically predicted phase-matching angles (PMA) are those that are really optimal. Besides, none has yet measured the values of nonlinear coefficients as a function of doping concentration. Therefore we have not decided to cut numerous differently oriented samples for generation of different wavelengths in SHG and SFD, but rather tried to generate different wavelengths from the same samples. We have also not paid special attention to get highest possible conversion efficiencies. However, we have concentrated our attention on potential use of the core region in laser technique. Unlike in YAG crystals, when the core is by all means a parasitic structure, we discovered that the core region in GdCOB, that majority of investigators are even not aware of its presence in the crystal, can be also useful in laser technique. According to our best knowledge, a SHG of red light in this work is the second reported case in the world-wide literature.
Photonic structures with grating couplers based on ZnO
Authors: Struk P. , Pustelny T. , Gołaszewska K. , Kamińska E. , Borysiewicz M. , Ekielski M. , Piotrowska A.
Published: August 2011

The paper presents investigations concerning the design and realization of photonic structures with grating couplers. The first part of the paper deals with basic theoretical information on photonic structures with grating couplers and their application in optoelectronics. The further part presents the results of numerical investigations on photonic structures with grating couplers and shows the influence of geometrical parameters on the effectiveness of the input and output of optic power into and out of this photonic structure. The paper also provides the results of experimental investigations on a wideband gap semiconductor, viz. zinc oxide ZnO, as well as its application in planar waveguide structures and photonic structures with grating couplers.
Comparison of cw laser generation in Er3+, Yb3+: glass microchip lasers with different types of glasses
Authors: Młyńczak J. , Kopczyński K. , Mierczyk Z. , Malinowska M. , Osiwiański P.
Published: August 2011

The paper describes comparison of laser generation of concentrated and SELG glasses developed at the General Physics Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow and most recent EAT14 glass worked out by the CLaser Photonics Company in Shanghai. The laser generation was carried out using 976-nm pump wavelength in cw and quasi-cw regimes. Comparison of efficiencies and thresholds as well as of dissipative losses was made with a view to choose the best glass for “eye-safe” microchip laser range-finder. The generated wavelengths by each sample were measured.
Security devices based on liquid crystals doped with a colour dye
Authors: Carrasco-Vela C. , Quintana X. , Otón E. , Geday M. , Otón J.
Published: August 2011

Liquid crystal properties make them useful for the development of security devices in applications of authentication and detection of fakes. Induced orientation of liquid crystal molecules and birefringence are the two main properties used in security devices.

Employing liquid crystal and dichroic colorants, we have developed devices that show, with the aid of a polarizer, multiple images on each side of the device. Rubbed polyimide is used as alignment layer on each substrate of the LC cell. By rubbing the polyimide in different directions in each substrate it is possible to create any kind of symbols, drawings or motifs with a greyscale; the more complex the created device is, the more difficult is to fake it.

To identify the motifs it is necessary to use polarized light. Depending on whether the polarizer is located in front of the LC cell or behind it, different motifs from one or the other substrate are shown. The effect arises from the dopant colour dye added to the liquid crystal, the induced orientation and the twist structure. In practice, a grazing reflection on a dielectric surface is polarized enough to see the effect. Any LC flat panel display can obviously be used as backlight as well.
Psychological Factors in Chronic Pelvic Pain in Women: Relevance and Application of the Fear-Avoidance Model of Pain
Authors: Alappattu Meryl J. , Bishop Mark D.
Published: August 2011

Chronic pelvic pain in women is a debilitating, costly condition often treated by physical therapists. The etiology of this condition is multifactorial and poorly understood, given the complex interplay of muscles, bones, and soft tissue that comprise the pelvis. There are few guidelines directing treatment interventions for this condition. In the last decade, several investigators have highlighted the role of psychological variables in conditions such as vulvodynia and painful bladder syndrome. Pain-related fear is the focus of the fear-avoidance model (FAM) of pain, which theorizes that some people are more likely to develop and maintain pain after an injury because of their emotional and behavioral responses to pain. The FAM groups people into 2 classes on the basis of how they respond to pain: people who have low fear, confront pain, and recover from injury and people who catastrophize pain—a response that leads to avoidance/escape behaviors, disuse, and disability. Given the presence of pain-related cognitions in women with chronic pelvic pain, including hypervigilance, catastrophizing, and anxiety, research directed toward the application of the FAM to guide therapeutic interventions is warranted. Isolated segments of the FAM have been studied to theorize why traditional approaches (ie, medications and surgery) may not lead to successful outcomes. However, the explicit application of the FAM to guide physical therapy interventions for women with chronic pelvic pain is not routine. Integrating the FAM might direct physical therapists' clinical decision making on the basis of the pain-related cognitions and behaviors of patients. The aims of this article are to provide information about the FAM of musculoskeletal pain and to provide evidence for the relevance of the FAM to chronic pelvic pain in women.
Dealing in Black and White: The Diefenbaker Government and the Cold War in South Asia 1957–1963
Authors: Touhey Ryan M.
Published: August 2011

Abstract:

This article examines how religious and cultural stereotypes of India and Pakistan affected the perceptions and attitudes of Canadian policy-makers and the Diefenbaker government from 1957 to 1963. Canadian policy-makers initially believed that India's elites shared numerous commonalities with the West that were rooted in a shared language and a similar judicial and democratic parliamentary system. Through these ‘commonalities’ officials believed that India would align with the West as the Cold War intensified. Such assumptions proved to be ill-considered. The Indian government practised a doctrine of non-alignment in the 1950s, and senior Canadian officials regarded this as hypocritical and even anti-Western. By contrast, Pakistan aligned with the West and raised its anti-communist rhetoric. A growing pool of Canadian officials looked to Islam, Hinduism, and cultural stereotypes to explain why Pakistan differed from India and perceived the threat of communism in the same way as the West. These officials also re-evaluated the importance Ottawa placed on ties with New Delhi. The election of Prime Minister John Diefenbaker in June 1957 hastened this trend. Diefenbaker viewed communism in binary terms and concluded that, unlike India, Pakistan was on the ‘right side’ in the Cold War. The Diefenbaker era saw Ottawa relegate India to the periphery of its foreign policy interests and bilateral relations with Pakistan at their apogee.
Management of large vestibular schwannoma. Part I. Planned subtotal resection followed by Gamma Knife surgery: radiological and clinical aspects
Authors: van de Langenberg Rick , Hanssens Patrick E. J. , van Overbeeke Jacobus J. , Verheul Jeroen B. , Nelemans Patty J. , de Bondt Bert-Jan , Stokroos Robert J.
Published: August 2011

Object

In large vestibular schwannoma (VS), microsurgery is the main treatment option, and complete resection is considered the primary goal. However, previous studies have documented suboptimal facial nerve outcomes in patients who undergo complete resection of large VSs. Subtotal resection is likely to reduce the risk of facial nerve injury but increases the risk of lesion regrowth. Gamma Knife surgery (GKS) can be performed to achieve long-term growth control of residual VS after incomplete resection. In this study the authors report on the results in patients treated using planned subtotal resection followed by GKS with special attention to volumetric growth, control rate, and symptoms.

Methods

Fifty consecutive patients who underwent the combined treatment strategy of subtotal microsurgical removal and GKS for large VSs between 2002 and 2009 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients with neurofibromatosis Type 2 were excluded. Patient charts were reviewed for clinical symptoms. Audiograms were evaluated to classify hearing pre- and postoperatively. Preoperative and follow-up contrast-enhanced T1-weighted MR images were analyzed using volume-measuring software.

Results

Surgery was performed via a translabyrinthine (25 patients) or retrosigmoid (25 patients) approach. The median follow-up was 33.8 months. Clinical control was achieved in 92% of the cases and radiological control in 90%. One year after radiosurgery, facial nerve function was good (House-Brackmann Grade I or II) in 94% of the patients. One of the two patients who underwent surgery to preserve hearing maintained serviceable hearing after resection followed by GKS.

Conclusions

Considering the good tumor growth control and facial nerve function preservation as well as the possibility of preserving serviceable hearing and the low number of complications, subtotal resection followed by GKS can be the treatment option of choice for large VSs.