bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dispersants for Cement and Salt Contaminated Manganese Tetraoxide High-Density Water-Based Drilling Fluids
Authors: Al Moajil Abdullah M , Nasr-El-Din Hisham A. , Kar Yusuf , Al-Bagoury Mohammed , Steele Christopher D.
Published: November 2015

The flocculation of aqueous-based drilling fluid, particularly at high temperature or in a high-salinity environment, is a common problem. The aggregation and settling of solid particles (e.g. manganese tetraoxide) causes operational problems, such as stuck pipe, well control, false bit gain, and scale problems. The flocculation of manganese tetraoxide particles becomes more severe at high density with the presence of clays such as bentonite and common fluid contaminants, such as cement and divalent salts. This affects the rheological behavior and sagging tendency of the drilling fluid adversely. Dispersants called deflocculants, thinner or dispersing agents, are used in drilling fluids to prevent solid flocculation. To minimize such flocculation problems, a thorough study was undertaken to identify aggregation of Mn3O4 particles and appropriate dispersants for water–based fluids weighted with Mn3O4.

The dispersion of Mn3O4 particles in aqueous solutions was evaluated through visual transparency testing and a PC-2200 Spectrek laser particle analyzer. A Mastersizer 2000 was used to obtain the particle size distribution and specific surface area of Mn3O4 particles. A TGA was used to assess the thermal stability. The compatibility of over 50 dispersants with aqueous solutions was examined using a variable speed mixer. Viscosity and sagging tendency were evaluated using a Fan 35A viscometer and density variation measurements. The effect of CaCl2 was considered in the experimental study. The drilling fluids were aged using a hot rolling oven up to 400°F.

Linear and other structures of particle aggregations were identified in Mn3O4-based filter cake. Dispersants examined were categorized into groups A, B, and C. Groups A and B dispersants showed settling times of 24 hours and 1–3 hours, respectively. More than 25 dispersants were assigned to groups A and B. Laser particle analysis showed that aggregation of particles was reduced in the presence of a lignosulfonate-based dispersant. Lignosulfonate and acrylate-based dispersants were compatible with water-based fluids and thermally stable up to 400°F and in the presence of CaCl2. Both dispersants reduced the sag factor and fluid loss for the drilling fluids in the presence of cement contamination. The shear stress/rate relationship and viscosity measurements showed that the rheological behavior of drilling fluids dispersed with either dispersants was improved. The dispersants chosen were non-toxic to aquatic organisms and biodegradable. The examined drilling fluids were high-density fluids up to 20 lbm/gal appropriate for deep drilling.
Development and Application of Ultra-Low Invasion All-Oil Coring Fluid: A Viable Technical Solution for Preventing Core Contamination
Authors: Mehtar Mohammed , Jeughale Ramanujam , Salman Mohamed , Al-Busafi Badar , Marinescu Pavel , Kostic Tijana
Published: November 2015

Over the last several years, improved recovery, especially in depleted reservoirs, has prompted many research projects involving operators, service companies and academicians. Recent work on rock-brine-hydrocarbon interactions has demonstrated that carefully designed low salinity water injection in carbonate reservoirs has the potential for enhancing oil recovery as much as 15% compared with conventional treated sea-water or produced water injection. The implementation of this step-changing technology requires studies carried out on in-situ condition cores. Ultra-low invasion drilling fluids must therefore be used during the coring process, to preserve the formation in its original state, without altering its fluids composition, water saturation or wettability properties. This paper outlines the philosophies and criteria brought to reservoir coring fluids design, development and application of an All-Oil synthetic-based coring fluid.

An All-Oil coring fluid with ultra-low invasion characteristics was developed after extensive lab testing. The fluid properties were optimized based on reservoir properties and challenging bottom-hole conditions, which are presented in this paper along with design criteria, fluid characteristics, fluid development methodology, benefits, benchmarks set initially and field application details. Excellent multi-segments collaboration and team work during core planning, fluid development work and on-site fluid maintenance to achieve planned parameters led to operational success and are described in the paper.

For the first time in UAE, a major offshore operator cut the cores with ultra-low invasion All-Oil Coring Fluid, which provided excellent stability to coring parameters and performance. The cores were recovered, processed and preserved in as close in-situ condition as possible, eliminating water contamination and preserving the core integrity, all of which are the basic essentials to achieve successful specialised formation flooding studies leading to the EOR Project. 520 feet of cores were cut in the reservoir section over 9 runs, with 100% recovery of high quality and uncontaminated cores. The cores were slabbed, plugged, photographed, packed, waxed and preserved successfully on site for transportation to lab for flooding studies.

The fluids' outstanding performance that helped in achieving the coring objectives in this new coring strategy are discussed in the paper and lessons learned are contrasted with conceptual design for future optimisation. Laboratory test results are also presented which formed the basis of a well planned field application.
Extending Coiled Tubing String Utilization by Real-Time Field Inspections
Authors: Gallagher P. , Kemp C. , Hudson L. , Liu Z. , Rivas O.
Published: November 2015

In volatile times, when oil prices are in a decline, efficiencies and asset utilization are critical elements to ensure sustainability in the market for both operators and service companies. However, maximizing utilization and pushing equipment to the maximum could potentially have negative repercussions and ultimately result in failures causing loss of time and other potential damages. Thus is it critical to closely monitor and evaluate the assets conditions to ensure both safe and efficient operations are performed.

In the case of coiled tubing (CT) strings, monitoring and proper evaluation can be performed by utilizing an infield nondestructive evaluation (NDE) device that employs magnetic flux leakage (MFL) to detect flaws and monitor, wall thickness, outer diameter, and various other properties. The real-time device requires no direct contact with pipe, and its compact design allows it to be run continuously throughout the life of the CT. Damage can then be detected and managed before a failure occurs. The ultimate goal is to reduce CT failures while increasing CT longevity throughout the operations.

This paper covers three specific examples of NDE inspection conducted on site that increased the utilization of the CT string without compromising the service quality delivery. It also reviews the various parameters that were monitored and evaluated on location and the decision-making process used to keep the strings in service longer than previous methods would have allowed thus safely increasing the utilization and improving the efficiency.

The first two cases are out of Texas, USA. The objective of the NDE was monitoring the pipe for corrosion or physical plastic deformation. This region regularly performs high-pressure cycling operations and in the past relied mostly on calculated fatigue models with significant derated values and safety factors to retire strings from use. Utilizing the scanning devices from after manufacturing through the strings' life allowed both the operator and the service company get more useable footage and still retire the strings after getting indications of irreversible geometric changes. They were able to plan and control the CT retirement around operational well plans to ensure no delays were seen in the field.

The third example is out of Alberta, Canada. A CT string being used on a long-term project was damaged. The NDE inspection allowed for continued use of a pipe that had visible surface damage. In the past, this string would have been immediately retired and removed from service after a mechanical defect of the same nature was observed; however, the NDE device aided in adressing the severity of the damage, by MFL, and monitored its progress while continuing to use the string. The 2.375-in. string was able to be run an additional 53,203-m [174,550-ft] in a safe and controlled manner before reaching retirement.
The Significance of Pro-active Online Monitoring with Stick-slip Mitigation
Authors: Efteland F. , Creegan A. , Jordan L. , Caraway C.
Published: November 2015

Stick-slip is recognized as a major cause of drilling inefficiency and non-productive time (NPT) due to excessive bit wear, premature tool failure, drill string fatigue, and poor rate of penetration. The drilling industry is suffering from high well construction cost and are moving slowly toward automated well manufacturing. An important strategy is to reduce NPT, improve safety, and increase efficiency. Reduction of downhole vibration addresses all these issues.

Surface based stick-slip mitigation systems have been available to the drilling industry for decades and are very effective when used correctly. However, history has shown that rig crews only use a fraction of its capability. The efficiency is trending downwards. There is potential for large performance gains with small changes to drilling practices. Real-time monitoring of selected key metrics showed to maximize the use of this tool and go beyond the limiters caused by stick-slip vibrations.

The purpose of this paper is to inform operators and contractors about the positive performance effect with a remote monitoring system. It demonstrates a vibration mitigation tool significantly improved when guided by a remote operating center and enabled the user to stretch the limiters even more. Monitoring ensured correct tuning of the mitigation tool, correct use and identified problems before the rig saw it. Once the rig crew was comfortable with the new technique, they consistently drilled smoother in a stick-slip free environment. The system allowed more weight on bit without inducing further vibrations. It is possible to drill faster, but more importantly reduce the number of expensive bit/BHA trips to replace broken tools. Five case examples are discussed.
Economic and Technical Value of Remotely Operated Services in Real Time
Authors: Saeverhagen Erland , Bouillouta Fouzi , Cranfield Adam , Hall Warren
Published: November 2015

The oil industry has experienced an unprecedented cycle of growth during recent years. Exceptional growth brings challenges such as continuous staffing and competency levels for field operations and technical support. To address these challenges a new staffing model based around re-manning has been implemented across Regions, Geo-markets and Product Lines, reducing personnel at the rig site by 30 to 50%; transforming the organization from being equipment focused to become service-centric.

Re-manning initiatives have had a direct impact on operational cost and footprint by reducing the number of personnel required to cover the different field operations. 24/7 real-time services also provides the ability to conduct existing standard drilling and MWD services remotely as well as remote support to most new product introductions to the field. 24/7 Remote Technical Support functions deliver a significant reduction in Non-Productive Time (NPT) and associated costs and customer concessions. This dedicated round-the-clock support and advisory network has increased reliability, service delivery and quality assurance.

In today's market situation with declining oil price, where all actors are being pressured from every angle to reduce cost of operation, the Re-manning initiatives are more important than ever to be more efficient e.g. better utilization of personnel pool with reduced personnel requirement and cost as a consequence. This paper will show examples from Iraq, UAE and Brazil operations.
Auto-Gas Lift and Smart Well Completion Challenges to Extend Well Life and Running Toward Cost Effective Program, Field Case Study
Authors: Elbarbary Abdalla , Mahmoud Gehad , Bahrom Abdulraman , Gebaly Mohamed El , Mohamed Zeid , Kurian Alex , Bahrom Abdul Raman , Hussain Mohamed Qassem , Kshada Ali
Published: November 2015

As known the first application experiment for lifting fluids was conducted in Germany in 1797. Then the idea was developed in 1846 utilized compressed air to lift oil from wells.

In year 1900 the lifting done by compressed air injected through the annulus or tubing where numerous patents were applied for and issued, but it took nearly 20 years before gas lift became an acceptable lifting method. In 1945 nearly 25,000 different flow conventional valves were patented. Later the pressure operated valve has practically replaced all other types of gas lift valves. The first WL retrievable gas lift valve was introduced in 1957. This pressure with the introduction of the bellows charged gas lift valve in 1940, gas lifting of low pressure wells with a controlled change in the surface injection pressure was achieved.

As all the above types is required heavily and costly facility in addition to losing energy, big oil companies such as ADCO started digging for innovative and creative ideas to overcome the disadvantage of the surface injection valves such as corrosion, well control and upstream risk. Although the conventional gas lift system still required but due to harsh environment especially in SOUR fields the Auto-Gas Lift Smart well completion become one of the innovative solutions.

Recently ADCO investigated and has successfully installed the first Auto-Gas Lift Smart completion in the UAE. The concept of this completion is to use the gas cap energy from different reservoirs to lift the heavy and high water cut wells. This will eliminate conventional gas lift approach as well as intervention cost meanwhile extends the well life. Candidate selection for this new approach was considered as the main challenge as step one to avoid the project failure. Second main challenge of Auto-Gas Lift was nonstandard completion material and accessories which required special design.

As case study this paper will introduce challenges starting from well planning, designing, material selection, and execution. This paper also will demonstrate different problems such as reservoir pressure regime, Slickline line up normal operation through high deviated hole hence it wasn't easy at a high angle to retrieve the plugs, and finally controlling the higher differential pressure of upper formation was also a big challenge. A smart well head was finally installed and tested for the integrity.
Talent Pipeline Management: Attracting, Developing, and Retaining Talents to Meet Future Drilling Challenges
Authors: Alkhalaf A. H. , Zaballero A. , Alzahmi R. A.
Published: November 2015

Oil and gas continue to be the key source of energy for the modern economy. However, workforce related issues have continued to fuel the war for talent. All over the world, organizations are struggling to find an adequate supply of qualified and talented individuals and are compelling many industries globally to change how they attract and employ talent (Wall, 2007). According to Molavi and Satterlee (2014) "industry in general and the energy sector in particular are experiencing a sharp decline in skilled and experienced workers at every level. The oil and gas industry in spite of global expansion in this area, are struggling to hire qualified staff to respond to the volume of demand for these commodities" (p. 17751). There, are two primary issues confronting the oil and gas industry: deficient supply of people with the necessary skills and the aging demographics with the high rate of retirees. Based on the literature review, the authors explored the changes and challenges in the oil and gas workforce and reviewed current practices in talent management and development. To address the various challenges and limitations that the oil and gas industry face, implementing a talent management strategy utilizing a competency-based approach to close skills gap is imperative. This approach can help fast-track talents in high demand positions and develop the capabilities necessary for sustaining talent pipeline. By identifying the right competencies, firms will be able to recruit and manage talents effectively. Based on the work of the world-renowned author Dr. William J. Rothwell, the authors will provide an overview of the Seven Pointed Star Model as an effective method that can guide talent initiatives. In addition, the authors will discuss a competency-based system as a strategy to develop and manage an effective talent pipeline.
Shell Maintenance Excellence
Authors: Jansen Michel
Published: November 2015

The main deliverables of Maintenance Excellence are

Ensuring Technical Integrity Ensuring a safe workplace Safe and reliable asset availability Optimal unit operating cost

Having safe and reliable asset availability allows operations to maximize the use of the installation in order to create value for the business. Without effective Maintenance Excellence an asset cannot be a sustainable competitor in the oil and gas industry.

The first important pillar of Maintenance Excellence is a strong asset focus on equipment and/or system reliability. More reliable equipment in general leads to increased asset availability and less unscheduled deferment. Secondly, more reliable equipment suffers fewer breakdowns which results in lower cost of maintenance. Last, but not least, it creates a safer environment to work in. Worldwide industry benchmark data indicates that an overall focus on reliability will increase asset availability and reduce cost levels (due to fewer breakdowns) in the long run. The same data shows that a sole focus on cost will generally reduce reliability and hence asset availability. In time this usually leads to high unscheduled deferment of oil and gas production combined with an expensive firefighting culture.
A Single Pore Model for Displacement of Heavy Crude Oil With Carbon Dioxide
Authors: Tran Truynh Quoc , Ahmad Mohammed Almabrouk , Neogi P.. , Bai Baojun
Published: November 2015

The present problem analyzes displacement of heavy crude oil in a capillary by carbon dioxide (CO2) as seen in enhanced oil recovery (EOR). In immiscible displacement of viscous liquid in a tube by a gas with lower viscosity than the liquid, a gas bubble moves steadily and leaves behind a thin liquid film of thickness h∞ which is known as the Bretherton problem. With the recovery of crude oil in mind, the analysis was confined to cylindrical pores of diameter ≈1 µm, and hence disjoining pressures are included and added to the Laplace pressures. It is observed that, at small capillary numbers, the effect of disjoining pressure dominates, and at large capillary numbers, the Laplace pressure dominates. The key contribution here is the solutions to the mass-transfer problem in the form of CO2 dissolving in oil. We included the changes of the physical properties of heavy crude oil on carbonation on the basis of a real system. The thickness of thin residual oil film decreases in the presence of mass transfer, leading to an increase in oil recovery, but lowers the carbonation because of the convection in the reverse direction. The opposite is true of displacements at low capillary numbers in which the disjoining pressure dominates. The numerical solutions were obtained with ANSYS® FLUENT software for the profile shapes, capillary numbers, the thicknesses of thin oil films left behind, and the net mass-transfer rates. The capillary pressure dominates the net pressure drop that one can lower by lowering the surface tension.
Epstein- Barr Virus: Clinical and Epidemiological Revisits and Genetic Basis of Oncogenesis
Authors: Ali Abdelwahid Saeed , Al-Shraim Mubarak , Al-Hakami Ahmed Musa , Jones Ian M
Published: November 2015

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is classified as a member in the orderherpesvirales, familyherpesviridae, subfamilygammaherpesvirinaeand the genuslymphocytovirus. The virus is an exclusively human pathogen and thus also termed as human herpesvirus 4 (HHV4). It was the first oncogenic virus recognized and has been incriminated in the causation of tumors of both lymphatic and epithelial nature. It was reported in some previous studies that 95% of the population worldwide are serologically positive to the virus. Clinically, EBV primary infection is almost silent, persisting as a life-long asymptomatic latent infection in B cells although it may be responsible for a transient clinical syndrome called infectious mononucleosis. Following reactivation of the virus from latency due to immunocompromised status, EBV was found to be associated with several tumors. EBV linked to oncogenesis as detected in lymphoid tumors such as Burkitt's lymphoma (BL), Hodgkin's disease (HD), post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders (PTLD) and T-cell lymphomas (e.g. Peripheral T-cell lymphomas; PTCL and Anaplastic large cell lymphomas; ALCL). It is also linked to epithelial tumors such as nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), gastric carcinomas and oral hairy leukoplakia (OHL).In vitro, EBV many studies have demonstrated its ability to transform B cells into lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs). Despite these malignancies showing different clinical and epidemiological patterns when studied, genetic studies have suggested that these EBV- associated transformations were characterized generally by low level of virus gene expression with only the latent virus proteins (LVPs) upregulated in both tumors and LCLs. In this review, we summarize some clinical and epidemiological features of EBV- associated tumors. We also discuss how EBV latent genes may lead to oncogenesis in the different clinical malignancies
Identification of residues involved in nucleotidyltransferase activity of JHP933 from helicobacter pyloriby site-directed mutagenesis
Authors: Ye Xianren , Zhao Yanhe , Wu Xiuling , Su Yintao , Wu Yunkun , She Feifei
Published: November 2015

Helicobacter pylori is a well-known bacterial pathogen involved in the
development of peptic ulcer, gastric adenocarcinoma and other forms of
gastric cancer. Evidence has suggested that certain strain-specific genes in
the plasticity region may play key roles in the pathogenesis of H.
pylori-associated gastroduodenal diseases. Therefore there is considerable
interest in the strain-specific genes located in the plasticity regions of H.
pylori. JHP933 is encoded by the gene in the plasticity region of H. pylori
strain J99. Recently, the crystal structure of JHP933 has confirmed it as a
nucleotidyltransferase (NTase) superfamily protein and a putative active site
has been proposed. However, no evidence from direct functional assay has been
presented to confirm the active site and little is known about the functional
mechanism of JHP933. Here, through superimposition with Cid1/NTP complex
structures, we modelled the complex structures of JHP933 with different NTPs.
Based on the models and using rational site-directed mutagenesis combined
with enzymatic activity assays, we confirm the active site and identify
several residues important for the nucleotidyl transferring function of
JHP933. Furthermore, mutations of these active site residues result in the
abolishment of the nucleotidyltransferase activity of JHP933. This work
provides preliminary insight into the molecular mechanism underlying the
pathophysiological role in H. pylori infection of JHP933 as a novel NTase
superfamily protein.
First-Trimester Maternal Abdominal Adiposity Predicts Dysglycemia and Gestational Diabetes Mellitus in Midpregnancy
Authors: De Souza Leanne R. , Berger Howard , Retnakaran Ravi , Maguire Jonathon L. , Nathens Avery B. , Connelly Philip W. , Ray Joel G.
Published: November 2015

OBJECTIVE

This study assessed the association between first-trimester abdominal adiposity and dysglycemia and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in midpregnancy.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

In a prospective cohort of 485 women, we measured subcutaneous (SAT), visceral (VAT), and total (TAT) adipose tissue depth, using ultrasound at 11–14 weeks’ gestation. Logistic regression analysis assessed the relation between quartiles of SAT, VAT, or TAT depth and the composite outcome of impaired fasting glucose (IFG), impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), or GDM, based on a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test at 24–28 weeks.

RESULTS

Adjusting for maternal age, ethnicity, family history of diabetes, and BMI, quartile 4 versus quartile 1 VAT (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 3.1, 95% CI 1.1–9.5) and TAT (aOR 2.7, 95% CI 1.1–7.8) were significantly associated with the composite outcome, but SAT was not (aOR 1.8, 95% CI 0.70–4.8). The same was seen for GDM alone.

CONCLUSIONS

Elevated first-trimester VAT and TAT depth independently predicted the risk of dysglycemia later in pregnancy.
Evaluation of bone marrow in cases of pancytopenia in a tertiary care hospital
Authors: Vaidya S
Published: November 2015

Background: A spectrum of primary and secondary disorders that affect the bone marrow may manifestwith pancytopenia. This study was carried out to identify the various causes of pancytopenia in patients attending a tertiary care hospital in Lalitpur, Nepal.Materials and Methods: A descriptive study of 83 cases of pancytopenia was carried out in the Department of Pathology, Patan Academy of Health Sciences, Lalitpur, Nepal over a two year period from August 2010 to July 2012.Results: Eighty three patients underwent bone marrow examination. Mean age of the patients was 34 years (range: 4 to 75 years). Maximum number of patients (31.33%) was seen in the age group of 16 - 30 years. The commonest cause of pancytopenia was megaloblastic anemia which was seen in 34.94% (29/83) cases followed by aplastic anemia and hematological malignancies in 31.32% (26/83) and 14.46% (12/83) cases, respectively.Conclusion: This study concluded that megaloblastic anemia and aplastic anemia were the two most common causes of pancytopenia. Bone marrow aspiration is an established diagnostic modality in the evaluation of pancytopenia.Journal of Pathology of Nepal (2015) Vol. 5, 691 - 695
The expression of Cx43, TGFβ/Smads signaling pathway and PCNA in the occurence and development of gastric carcinoma and the relationship among them
Authors: Li Chun-Hui , Liu Hai-Wang , Pan Li-Hui , Shahi R , Zhao Xing , Cheng Yu
Published: November 2015

Background: To detect the Protein expression level of Cx43, Smad4 and PCNA in normal and gastric carcinoma tissue by immunohistochemistry, western blotting and RT-PCR method.Materials and Methods: Immunohistochemistry and western blotting were adopted to detect the expression and expression level of Cx43, Smad4 and PCNA protein in normal and carcinomatous gastric tissue. Experimental data were analyzed by combining clinical pathology data using statistical tools.Results: The expression levels of Cx43 and Smad4 in carcinomatous gastric tissue were lower than they were in normal gastric tissue. The expression level of PCNA in carcinomatous gastric tissue was higher than that in normal gastric tissue. The expression levels of Cx43, Smad4 and PCNA in groups of age and gender is not significant. The expression of Cx43, Smad4 and PCNA in different clinic pathologic features of carcinomatous gastric tissue which includes degrees of pathological differentiation, lymph node metastasis condition, depth of tumor invasion and TNM stages is statistically significant. With the progression of gastric carcinoma, the expression levels of Cx43 and Smad4 were decreased, conversely PCNA showed a high expression level.Conclusion:  The protein and mRNA expressions of Cx43, Smad4 and PCNA were significantly different between normal gastric tissue and gastric carcinoma and also were concerned with degree of differentiation, lymph node metastasis, TNM stages and depth of invasion, though not significant with age and gender. This suggests that they may play an important role in occurrence and development of gastric carcinoma, but also may have some interaction.Journal of Pathology of Nepal (2015) Vol. 5, 696-704
Incidental Enterobius Vermicularis infestation in surgically removed appendices with a clinical diagnosis of acute appendicitis: A retrospective analysis
Authors: Upadhyaya P , Sinha AK , Agarwal M , Paudyal P , Shrestha A
Published: November 2015

Background: Appendiceal parasites can cause symptoms of appendicitis. Although the symptomatology imitates acute appendicitis clinically, the true nature of disease is diagnosed through histological examination. The aim of this study is to therefore determine the prevalence of E. Vermicularis in appendicectomy specimens to relate this to acute inflammation histologically.Materials & Methods: Histological data on all appendectomy specimens with a clinical diagnosis of acute appendicitis were retrieved from the archives of department of pathology, B.P.K.I.H.S, over the period of  five years (January 2004- December 2008) and was analyzed retrospectively.Results: There were a total of 1528 patients. M:F ratio being 1.2:1.Inflamed appendix constituted for 94.24% of all cases. There were a total of six (0.39%) appendicectomy specimens  which showed presence of oxyuriasis appendix. Though all patients with oxyuriasis presented with appendicial colic only one (1) out of the six cases of oxyuriasis showed histologic evidence of inflammation. Conclusion: We conclude that enterobius does not frequently cause inflammation of appendix though it may clinically mimic acute appendicitis. Since it represents a disease curable without necessitating surgery, symptomatology awareness is stressed upon.Journal of Pathology of Nepal (2015) Vol. 5, 720-722
Bone marrow touch imprint smears as an adjunct to bone marrow aspiration smears in hematological disorders
Authors: Upadhyaya Baskota S , Joshi AR , Singh SK
Published: November 2015

Background: Morphological examination of the marrow requires a combination of a properly prepared bone marrow aspirate smear, a trephine biopsy section and an imprint of core biopsy. Some conditions often result in a dry tap and are best studied by marrow biopsy.The major drawbacks of biopsy sections are their thickness, precludingfine morphologic detail.The objective of this study was to compare the diagnostic accuracy, cellularity and cytomorphology from bone marrow biopsy core imprint smears with bone marrow aspiration smears.Materials and Methods: Imprint smears were prepared from 138 cases subjected to bone marrow examination. The bone marrow aspiration, imprint smears andbone marrow biopsy sections were examined and were categorized into five different groups on cytomorphological basis: Non-malignant alterations and normal marrow, Myeloid neoplasms, Plasma cell myeloma, myelo-infiltrative disease and absence of residual disease and further delineated into specific entities wherever necessary.Results: Out of 138 cases, non-malignant alterations and normal marrow was the largest subgroup (N=87, 63%), followed by myeloid neoplasms (N=26, 18.5%), Plasma cell myeloma (N=13, 9.4%), myelo-infiltrative disease (N=9, 6.5%) and absence of residual disease (N=3, 2.2%). The diagnostic accuracy of imprint smears was highest (92%) followed by biopsy sections (89.9%) and aspiration smears (87%). Kappa analysis showed strong agreement (>0.8) and p-value was statistically significant (<0.001) while correlating the final diagnosis.Conclusion: Imprint smear technique is a simple, rapid, inexpensive and reliable procedure. The routine use of imprint smear in the bone marrow examination will serve as an invaluable adjunct to bone marrow aspiration and biopsy.Journal of Pathology of Nepal (2015) Vol. 5, 739-746
p53 Expression in Oral cancer: A study of 50 cases
Authors: Ghanghoria S , Ghanghoria A , Shukla A
Published: November 2015

Background: Oral cancer is the sixth most common cancer in the world. P53 mutations are associated with the development of oral squamous cell carcinomas. This study is to determine the presence of p53 oncogene expression in cases of oral malignant, premalignant and benign lesions and to show association of p53 oncogene and lymph node enlargement in malignant lesion.Materials and Methods: Four to five micron-thick sections of formalin fixed, paraffin embedded biopsy material from various intra-oral sites of 50 patients were collected, in the series of 50 cases, 35 oral squamous cell carcinoma, 10 dysplastic lesions and 05 hyperplastic lesions were assessed for p53 expression. The tissue sections were immunohistochemically analyzed for the expression of p53 gene.Results: Out of 50; 22/35 (63%) cases of squamous cell carcinoma, 02/10 (20%) cases of dysplasia (20%), were positive for p53. Five hyperplastic lesions were negative for p53. The P53 protein was not identified in benign lesion.Conclusion: Results indicate that p53 over-expression is seen in oral squamous cell carcinomas. It is a significant marker of carcinogenesis and can be considered as an important marker for clinical evaluation, diagnosis as well as prognosis of disease.Journal of Pathology of Nepal (2015) Vol. 5, 747-751
Pathology of Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Authors: K.C. Shiva Raj
Published: November 2015

Inflammatory bowel disease is a group of inflammatory disorders of unknown etiology. Various genetic factors, mucosal immune response, inappropriate activation of immune system driven by the presence of various luminal flora and epithelial defects have been postulated. Crohn disease and Ulcerative colitis are the two most common inflammatory bowel diseases. Since, specific clinical laboratory features are lacking which may help in establishing a diagnosis histopathological diagnosis remains the gold standard. This review highlights the known hypothesis regarding the etiopathogenesis of these two diseases and also describes pertinent histological features.Journal of Pathology of Nepal (2015) Vol. 5, 756-765
Anti-Nuclear antibodies: Current concepts and future direction for diagnosing connective tissue disease
Authors: Gautam K
Published: November 2015

Identification of antinuclear antibodies has been used for the diagnosis of connective tissue diseases for more than fifty years. Indirect immunofluorescence on human epithelial (HEp-2) cells is considered the gold standard screening method for the detection of antinuclear autoantibodies. As the demand of ANA testing increased, the need for automation and standardization has also come forth. A high level of false positive and false negative cases is seen in various populations making it difficult to take clinical decisions. Newer technologies were introduced for the antibody detection to ensure high sensitivity and specificity. This article intends to provide an overview of the concepts on ANA testing, the different diagnostic methods available, the various patterns and clinical utility, the clinical guidelines to be followed, the drawbacks and what lies ahead in the future of ANA testing.Journal of Pathology of Nepal (2015) Vol. 5, 766-773
Prostatic cancer with metastasis to the testis – A case report
Authors: Chapagain U , Neupane S , Tuladhar S , Pradhananga S , Basnet RB , Regmi S
Published: November 2015

Metastatic carcinoma to the testis is very rare.The incidence of secondary testicular tumors ranges from 0.02 to 2.5% among autopsies ingeneral. Despite the high incidence of prostatic adenocarcinoma and its ability for wide dissemination, metastatic cancer to the testis is a rare phenomenon of prostate carcinoma with only 80 cases reported in the literature.It is diagnosed in autopsies or incidentally, following therapeutic orchiectomies in moreadvanced stages of the disease.Ours is the very first case of prostatic carcinoma metastasizing to the testis, being reported from our country. We are reporting this case because of the rarity of metastasis of prostatic carcinoma to testis and for stressing the need for keeping in mind the possibility of metastatic carcinoma also while dealing with testicular tumors. In our case, unilateral testicular metastasis was detected incidentally after bilateral orchiectomy for hormonal management of metastatic prostatecarcinoma. The metastatic lesion was not identified in physical examination or in macroscopic dissection of the testis after surgery. Microscopy revealed an adenocarcinoma which, given the history of the patient and a positive immunohistochemical stain for PSA, was identified as metastatic prostatic adenocarcinoma.Journal of Pathology of Nepal (2015) Vol. 5, 784-786
Measuring the Efficiency of the Canadian Health Care System
Authors: Abeney Akua , Yu Kam
Published: November 2015

This study uses two-stage data envelopment analysis to examine health care waiting times and number of treatments in relation to health care inputs by province. The results indicate that there are no great provincial differences in “efficiency” in these dimensions. This suggests that the gains from some provinces copying the practices of others are unlikely to be sufficient to solve wait time problems. Such a solution will likely require either new practices (perhaps found in subregions within provinces or internationally) or higher input levels.
Estimation of experimental uncertainty for physical measurements based on the start-up data of the latest VVER-1000 units
Authors: Tsyganov S. , Kravchenko A. , Kraynov Yu. , Nasedkin A. , Chmykhun V.
Published: November 2015

During the last decades several new VVER-1000 units of different projects have been commissioned. At some of them similar initial fuel loadings were implemented. To determine experimentally neutron-physics characteristics of those units almost similar physical start-up test programs were performed and measurement equipment were also similar. The paper presents the analysis of some result of neutron-physics characteristics that were carried out during physics start-up of VVER-1000 units with similar initial fuel loading. The subject of analysis is an estimation of experimental uncertainties. An effort is made to consider individual test result as a single random realization of universal set. It is assumed the analysis of individual results spread helps to estimate general inherent uncertainty of experiment.
Application of UN method to neutron transport equation in slab geometry using HG phase function
Authors: Bülbül A.
Published: November 2015

The steady-state one speed neutron transport equation without sources is studied in slab geometry using Henyey-Greenstein scattering function. The critical thicknesses are calculated for various c (mean number of secondary neutrons per collision) and t scattering parameters using UN method and obtained values are compared with PN method. All the numerical results for different collision scattering functions and t parameters of UN and PN methods are presented in the tables.
Interface network groups
Authors: Mahmoud N. S. , Abdul Aziz L. K. , Lashin R. M. A. , Mostafa W. A.
Published: November 2015

A network database consists of a collection of records connected to one another through links. Presence of database network increases transmission speed and accuracy of information, which are the most important factors for good regulatory functions. Therefore, the data bank for Egyptian Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Authority (NRRA) is proposed to be founded. Interface network group (ING) is the workers in the data bank. It is divided into three subgroups; scientific management (SMG), system analyst (SAG), and network management (NMG) subgroups. Their primary task is collect of data and information from different sectors in NRRA, and to transform these data to the organized database forms, which are available for all workers on the computer network. Meanwhile to face the very broad range of technical matters on which the regulatory related research activities, NRRA will need to rely on the ING. Accordingly, NRRA can address to the ING subsidiary tasks, which are not less important than their main duties, such as; scientific communications and demands, follow up plans and track problem solutions.
Sample Size Reduction Method Based on Data Fusion for Freeways with Fixed Detectors
Authors: Zhan Fengping , Wan Xia , Zhang Jian , Li Rui , Ran Bin
Published: November 2015

This research investigates the required minimum number of probe vehicles (PVs) necessary to report the real-time travel speed and travel time with the desired statistical accuracy for freeways equipped with fixed detectors. The field data used were collected from the Freeway Performance Measurement System from 7:00 to 10:00 a.m. on May 28, 2014, during a typical weekday. With corridor information and traffic volume data, this study uses VISSIM to create simulation scenarios to generate PV data and loop data for further analysis. Then the average relative errors of travel time by setting are compared with various PV percentages in traffic on different links. The least squares errors of the fused speed data are also compared with the PV and loop data. Through analysis, the study reaches the following results. When the probe sample size reaches a certain level (3% in the testing environment), the estimated errors are reduced gently with the increasing number of PVs. To ensure that the link is traversed by at least one PV in one sample interval, at least 5-min, 5- to 10-min, and 20- to 25-min sampling intervals are required when the PV percentages are 3%, 2%, and 1%, respectively. The fusion of PV data and loop data can increase the accuracy of estimation results. About 3% of PVs are sufficient to collect highly accurate data for general freeways; 2% is enough to obtain the same or higher accuracy for the same road with fixed detectors.
Extended Implementation Method for Virtual Sensors: Web-Based Real-Time Transportation Data Collection and Analysis for Incident Management
Authors: Kurkcu Abdullah , Morgul Ender Faruk , Ozbay Kaan
Published: November 2015

Open data sources and social media data are gaining increasing attention as important information providers in transportation and incident management. In this paper, practical evidence for the emerging potential of online and open data sources is presented. The authors’ previous research on virtual sensors is combined and extended by integrating real-time incident information and social media network engagement. The fundamental contribution of this paper is the development of an extended virtual sensor framework to provide an automated travel time data collection method as incidents occur. In addition, social media data can be useful for more effective real-time incident response. The proposed framework can easily be modified and used to evaluate travel time effects of incidents on roadways and clearance times and to make use of social media data in obtaining time-critical incident-related information.
Enhancing Traffic Incident Detection by Using Spatial Point Pattern Analysis on Social Media
Authors: Zhang Shen , Tang Jinjun , Wang Hua , Wang Yinhai
Published: November 2015

Expedient incident detection and understanding are important in traffic management and control. Social media as important information venues have immense value for increasing an awareness of traffic incidents. In this paper, an attempt is made to assess the potential of using harvested social media for traffic incident detection. Twitter in Seattle, Washington, was chosen as a representative sample environment for this work. A hybrid mechanism based on latent Dirichlet allocation and document clustering was proposed to model incident-level semantic information, while spatial point pattern analysis was applied to explore the spatial patterns and to assess the spatial dependence between incident-topic tweets and traffic incidents. A global Monte Carlo K-test indicated that the incident-topic tweets were significantly clustered at different scales up to 600 m. The nearest neighbor clutter removal method was used to separate feature tweet points from clutter; then a density-based algorithm successfully detected the clusters of tweets posted spatially close to traffic incidents. In multivariate spatial point pattern analysis, K-cross functions were investigated with Monte Carlo simulation to characterize and model the spatial dependence, and a positive spatial correlation was inferred between incident-topic tweets and traffic incidents up to 800 m. Finally, the tweet intensity as a function of distance from the nearest traffic incident was estimated, and a log-linear model was summarized. The experiments supported the notion that social media feeds acted as sensors, which allowed enhancing awareness of traffic incidents and their potential disturbances.
N-Truncated Aβ2-X Starting with Position Two in Sporadic Alzheimer’s Disease Cases and Two Alzheimer Mouse Models
Authors: Savastano Adriana , Klafki Hans , Haußmann Ute , Oberstein Timo Jan , Muller Petr , Wirths Oliver , Wiltfang Jens , Bayer Thomas A.
Published: November 2015

According to the modified amyloid hypothesis, the key event in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the deposition of neurotoxic amyloid β-peptides (Aβs) in plaques and cerebral blood vessels. Additionally to full-length peptides, a great diversity of N-truncated Aβ variants is derived from the larger amyloid-β protein precursor (AβPP). Vast evidence suggests that Aβx-42 isoforms play an important role in triggering neurodegeneration due to their high abundance, amyloidogenic propensity and toxicity. Although N-truncated Aβ peptides and Aβx-42 species appear to be the crucial players in AD etiology, the Aβ2-X isoforms did not receive much attention yet. The present study is the first to show immunohistochemical evidence of Aβ2-X in cases of AD and its distribution in AβPP/PS1KI and 5XFAD transgenic mouse models using a novel antibody pAB77 that has been developed using Aβ2-14 as antigen. Positive plaques and congophilic amyloid angiopathy (CAA) were observed in AD cases and in both mouse models. While in AD cases, abundant CAA and less pronounced plaque pathology was evident, the two mouse models showed predominantly extracellular Aβ deposits and minor CAA staining. Western blotting and a capillary isoelectric focusing immunoassay demonstrated the high specificity of the antibody pAb77 against Aβ-variants starting with the N-terminal Alanine-2.
Oculodentodigital Dysplasia with Massive Brain Calcification and a New Mutation of GJA1 Gene
Authors: Tumminelli Gemma , Di Donato Ilaria , Guida Valentina , Rufa Alessandra , De Luca Alessandro , Federico Antonio
Published: November 2015

Oculodentodigital dysplasia (ODDD) [MIM 164200] is a rare disorder caused by mutations in the gap junction alpha 1 (GJA1) gene encoding for connexin 43 (Cx43). Typical signs include type III syndactyly, microphtalmia, microdontia, and neurological disturbances. We report a 59-year-old man having clinical symptoms and signs suggestive of ODDD, with some rarely reported features, that is the presence of gross calcifications of basal ganglia and cerebellar nuclei. Mutation analysis of GJA1 gene identified an unreported heterozygous missense mutation [NM_000165.3:c.124 G>C;p.(Glu42Gln)], which may be thought to alter the brain microvessels leading to massive calcifications, as in primary familial brain calcification.