bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Optimizing ESP Performance in the Kharyaga Field
Authors: Komova Tatyana , Falla Michel , Osipova Irina , Cuadros Ernesto , Shaikhutdinov Ruslan
Published: October 2013

Total E&P Russie (TEPR) has been operating in Kharyaga field in Komi Republic, Russia, since 1999 under a production sharing agreement (PSA) signed in 1995. Two oil-bearing carbonate reservoirs, Object 2 and Object 3, are produced under the terms of the PSA. The upper Object 3 is pressure supported by an active aquifer. The lower Object 2 was initially produced by depletion before initiating water injection to maintain pressure above bubble pressure. Most of the wells are unable to produce in natural flow and have to be activated. Primarily because of high H2S content, dissolved gas, and wax in the produced oil, well conditions in Kharyaga field are considered harsh for ESP operations. These conditions affected ESP performance and run life, causing premature ESP failures.

The project started in 1995 with the evaluation and completion of three existing wells in the Object 2 reservoir. These wells started producing under natural flow in 1999. The phase 2 drilling campaign started in 2001 and completed in 2007 with an increase of the well count by 10 producer and 3 injector wells. Because of reservoir depletion caused by existing production activities, all oil producers were equipped with electrical submersible pump (ESP) systems to help increase overall field production. The pressure support was provided by the adjacent water injector wells. In 2008, TEPR started the phase 3 drilling campaign, which is still ongoing. All 20 producers and 10 injectors drilled to date are equipped with Schlumberger ESPs.

Data comparing 2004 to the present shows drastic improvement of ESP performance as a result of the implementation of several ESP design modifications in combination with increased attention to ESP operational procedures and detailed analysis of downhole parameters. As a result of the mutual efforts from TEPR and Schlumberger, the ESP mean time between failures (MTBF) has increased by approximately three times with an overall increase in field production and a reduced number of workovers due to failed ESPs. The average run life of installed ESPs has increased to 1,052 days. Schlumberger has been the company’s supplier for ESP equipment, associated services, and maintenance since 2004, and, in July 2011, services were extended for an additional 3 years.
Optimization of Production Capacity for Oil Field in the Russian Arctic
Authors: Khasanov M. M. , Bakhitov R. R. , Sitnikov A. N. , Ushmaev O. S. , Dmitruk D. N. , Nekhaev S. A.
Published: October 2013

Oil field development in the Russian Arctic economically contrasts with projects in well developed oil regions. In developed regions (ad ex. West Siberia) considerable cost items are drilling and infield facilities (wellpads, gathering lines and etc.), but external transport infrastructure cost is negligeable. For a new region, especially for the Russian Arctic, cost of external infrastructure is significant. Infrastructure costs substantially affect plateau rate. It’s a common practice to cap oil production rate in order to reduce initial external infrastructure investments, but such effort simultaneously reduces discounted profit of a project. This paper analyses main cost drivers of an external infrastructure in Arctic and harsh environments. Infrastructure cost assessment based on its throughput capacity (maximum oil production rate) is discussed. We propose a method for economical optimization of oil production profile in Arctic environment in correspondence with tanker fleet characteristics.
The Technology of High-Performance Artificial-Lift Operation of Oil and Gas Wells in the Complicated Conditions of the Arctic Fields
Authors: Drozdov A. N. , Malyavko E. A.
Published: October 2013

In the fields of the Arctic region of Western Siberia, the operation of oil and gas wells is complicated by many factors. Among these problems, it should be noted low reservoir pressure and low rates during production of oil from reservoirs, low inflow rates of heavy oil, as well as the flooding of low-pressure gas wells leading to the well shutdown and the decrease of production.

The technology of artificial-lift operation with the electrical submersible plunger pump (PP) was developed for the low-flow-rate wells in the complicated conditions of the Arctic fields (Urengoyskoe, Yamburgskoe, Russkoe). The key elements of this technique are the linear motor with high-energy permanent magnets and plunger pump. Work on energy and structural optimization of the experimental unit allowed to minimize the steel intensity, to ensure ease of the operating, high reliability, ability of using in horizontal wells and the pressure independence on flow rate. The use of innovative single-wire system power of electric motor provides an opportunity to significantly reduce the cost of the electricity transmission by cable, as well as to reduce the thickness of the cable and improve the reliability of the system. One of the alternative technology involves the use of umbilical, which combines the functions of cable and tubing, and wellhead blow-out preventer (BOP). This technology allows operating wells by artificial-lift method without the well killing, as a consequence it reduces the time and maintenance costs of workover, increases the security of round-trips.

Theoretical calculations and studies confirm the efficiency of the chosen technical solutions that can provide cost-effective and energy-efficient artificial lift operation of oil and gas wells for the Arctic fields and other problem areas.
Relic Gas Hydrate and Possibility of their Existence in Permafrost within the South-Tambey Gas Field
Authors: Chuvilin E. M. , Tumskoy V. E. , Tipenko G. S. , Gavrilov A. V. , Bukhanov B. A. , Tkacheva E. V. , Audibert-Hayet A.. , Cauquil E..
Published: October 2013

Isolated gas and gas hydrates in the permafrost are serious geological danger in the process of oil and gas field development in Arctic. The particular hazard is the largegas accumulations confined to the sand and loamy sand horizons in the permafrost at depths down to 200 meters. Such gas accumulations are found in a number of Yamal gas fields and South-Tambey gas field among them. There are some indirect signs that they may be relic gas hydrates formed earlier in specific hydrate accumulation conditions. Up now they might have been preserved in the permafrost due to the effect of gas hydrate self-preservation at temperatures below zero. These gas hydrates lying above the modern gas hydrate stability zone are in a metastable state and very sensitive to various anthropogenic influences. While drilling and during borehole operation of in the areas of relic gas hydrates locations various technical complications up to bow out may occur.

To evaluate the possibility of formation and existence of relic gas hydrates on the territory of the South-Tambey gas field the mathematical simulation and experimental modeling were performed. The aim of mathematical simulation was to understand the dynamic of the permafrost thickness and of the zone of gas hydrates stability (GHSZ) in the Late Pleistocene and Holocene. The simulation allow to present the evolution of the permafrost during which the zone of gas hydrates stability started from the earth’s surface being located within permafrost. As the permafrost has never fully thawed, near surface horizons may still contain relic gas hydrates to this day. Experimental researches were undertaken to study the possibilities of preservation of relic gas hydrates in the permafrost of the South-Tambey gas field up to now. The experiments consisted of two stages. The first part was the artificial saturation of field samples by methane hydrate. At the second stage we studied processes of self-preservation of pore gas hydrate in the frozen samples under nonequilibrium conditions close to the reservoir conditions such as temperatures –5…-6 0C and pressure of 0,6–1,3 MPa. These experiments highlignt the high stability of the pore gas hydrates in the frozen samples at the given nonequilibrium conditions.

In general we can make a conclusion that the existence of relic gas hydrates on the territory of the South-Tambey gas field at depths of less than 200 m in the permafrost is possible.
Coastal Dynamics Monitoring at the Barents and Kara Seas
Authors: Vergun Alexey , Baranskaya Alisa , Belova Nataliya , Kamalov Anatoly , Kokin Osip , Kuznetsov Dmitry , Shabanova Nataliya , Ogorodov Stanislav
Published: October 2013

Coastal dynamics monitoring on the key areas of oil and gas development at the Barents and Kara Seas has been carried out by Laboratory of Geoecology of the North at the Faculty of Geography (Lomonosov Moscow State University) together with Zubov State Oceanographic Institute (Russian Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring) for more than 30 years. During this period, a unique monitoring technology, which includes direct field observations, remote sensing and numerical methods, has been developed. The dynamics of thermal-abrasion coasts are directly linked with climate and sea ice extent changes. We have also evaluated the influence of local anthropogenic impacts on the dynamics of the Arctic coasts. As a result, a method of forecasting the dynamics of thermal-erosion coasts taking into account climate changes has been developed.
The Integrated Assessment and Large-Scale Zoning of the North-Eastern Shelf of the Black Sea on the Geohazards
Authors: Mironyuk S.G.. G.
Published: October 2013

One of the most important tasks of research on the shelf is the evaluation of the sustainability of marine facilities within the subaqueous engineering-geological structures [32]. Among the geological hazards that may pose a threat of loss of stability of shelf platforms, pipelines and other objects underwater production are landslides, gravity flows, mud volcanic eruptions, liquefaction of soil under dynamic loads, etc. In order to prevent damage subaqueous techno sphere must perform assessment of geological hazards and to present the main results of this assessment in the form of predictive engineering-geological maps (maps of the geological hazard). [31]

To date, most of the developed approach the forecast regionalization of the territory by the degree of geological hazards are: method of estimating the parameters determining the intensity and destructive power of geological processes in the study area (areal damaging areas, frequency, speed the development process, etc.);assessment in concordance with natural and man-made factors-framwork influencing on the development of the processes of with segregation of some taxon on a score system;a method for prediction of geodynamic mapping (calculation of the geodynamic potential) on the direct manifestation of the processes and quantitative assessment the weight of factors affecting on the geohazards;expert assessment of the hazards of geological processes, phenomena and geological objects to the buildings and structures.

The basic principles of mapping marine geological hazards along the route of the pipeline "Dzhubga-Lazarevskoye-Sochi" (DLS) (commissioned in 2011) is expert assessment.
Software Development to Assess Seismic Resistance of Oil and Gas Complex Ground Facilities
Authors: Golubev Vasily , Petrov Igor , Khokhlov Nikolay
Published: October 2013

The goal of this article is the development of the research software for precise estimations of seismic resistance of ground facilities. The base of the method proposed is the mathematical modeling of elastic waves propagation originated in the earthquake hypocenter through heterogeneous media. As a source of the perturbation the geophysical focal mechanism model based on the slipping along the fault is used. For the description of dynamic behavior of media the hyperbolic system of equations of elastic media is used with the explicit allocation of contact borders of all heterogeneities. It is solved using the grid-characteristic method on curvilinear structured 3D meshes. One feature of used numerical algorithm is its high scalability per number of cores. The usage of curvilinear meshes allows description of a wide variety of geometries with high precision. Assessments of seismic resistance are based on the analysis of plasticity and rupture criteria (Mises, Tresca, etc.). Mathematical formulation of problem, development of the research software and a set of numerical experiments were done by authors. The results of modeling of propagation of seismic perturbation through geological multilayered medium and assessment of seismic resistivity of ground facility are described in this article. The estimation of software scalability per core was carried out. The wave response from a cluster of gas-filled vertical cracks was obtained in 3D case.
Cone Penetration Testing in Deepwater Barents Sea Regions: Field Operations, Data Processing and Interpretation
Authors: Manzhosov Sergey
Published: October 2013

Cone penetration testing (CPT) is one of the principal methods for the offshore geotechnical investigations worldwide and can rival drilling and coring in scope of field work. But, in the same time, CPT is not that widespread in Russian practice of the offshore geotechnical researches. Experience of execution of quite large amount of the offshore CPT in seabed mode is described in this article. Distinctive feature of the conducted field investigation is execution of the testing with heavy CPT rig from the vessel of opportunity. Aspects of vessel mobilization and field operations workflow considered in this article. Description of the data processing and interpretation is given. Typical geological cross section for investigated area is shown. Stratification of the soil profile was done using soil behavior types diagrams. Layers of soil are defined and characterized based on CPT data.

Emphasis is given to determination of undrained shear strength based on cone resistance data. Correlation is found between undrained shear strength measured in onboard laboratory with shear vane and in-situ measured cone resistance. Achieved results were compared to materials of other studies on same subject and recommendations of the Russian regulatory document. Generally good correlation was found.

Described approach to the offshore geotechnical investigation and technical solutions can be utilized for Arctic oil and gas fields development, where data for stratification and properties of soils are required. Derived correlations between undrained shear strength and cone resistance can be used for interpretation of CPT data of the future projects in Arctic regions.
Dual-Band Radar with a Radio Interferometric Channel for High-Accuracy Ice Situation Estimate
Authors: Isakov M.. , Smirnov E.. , Remishevsky A.. , Baskakov A..
Published: October 2013

Fore remote monitoring of characteristics of sea arctic ice fields, such as speed and direction of ice motion, distance to an ice floe and thickness of ice, as have shown the conducted researches and the situation analysis, can be used radar system. Fore this purpose, we offered multiband multi-channel interferometric radar system that operates on two wavelengths (3 cm and 8,6 mm). The radar system is design to use pulse (with wide bandwidth) compression techniques, coherent integration and interferometric processing to obtain high loop sensitivity and high resolution on speed, range and altitude. This paper will focus on an estimation of a relief of ice fields by an interferometric method.
The Oil and Gas Industry’s Commitment to Responsible Arctic Operations: An Innovative Arctic Oil Spill Response Technology - Joint Industry Programme
Authors: Mullin Joseph
Published: October 2013

There have been many large-scale tests going back decades on recovery of oil in ice in the autumn and winter months in the Arctic and through this research and development the Industry has developed the equipment and tools to respond in Arctic conditions. To further build on existing research and improve the technologies and methodologies for Arctic oil spill response, nine oil and gas companies (BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Eni, ExxonMobil, North Caspian Operating Company, Shell, Statoil, and Total) established the Arctic Oil Spill Response Technology Joint Industry Programme (JIP). The goal of the JIP is to advance Arctic oil spill response strategies and equipment as well as to increase understanding of potential impacts of oil on the Arctic marine environment. The programme is coordinated by an Executive Steering Committee comprising representatives from each company. The International Association of Oil and Gas Producers (OGP) is providing project management expertise and industry experts/ scientific institutions are being engaged to perform the scientific research.

Over the course of the programme, the JIP aims to deliver new capability in the following six areas (dispersants, environmental effects, trajectory modelling, remote sensing, mechanical recovery, and in situ burning (ISB)).The JIP will also explore opportunities to conduct field experiments to verify research results. Today, twelve projects are in progress ranging from dispersant effectiveness testing, modelling the fate of dispersed oil in ice, assessing the environmental effects of an Arctic oil spill, advancing oil spill modelling trajectory capabilities in ice, extending the capability to detect and map oil in darkness, low visibility, in and under ice, improving efficiency of mechanical recovery equipment in ice, to detailing the large body of knowledge that already exists on ISB, and expanding the ‘window of opportunity’ for ISB response operations. This paper presents the progress to date in the Arctic JIP.
An Environmentally-Friendly Method for Disposal of the ASP Flooding Produced Water
Authors: Yang Liu , Zhihua Wang , Xianglong Zhuge , Hongqi Zhang , Xinpeng Le
Published: October 2013

In the field practice of alkaline/surfactant/polymer (ASP) flooding, many produced water disposal methods faced the challenges of purifying effect, facilities pollution, healthy and environmental threat, and economical justification with the

water cut rising of the benefited oil wells and the appearance of alkali, surfactant and polymer in produced water. Focus on using the physical comprehensive effects to remove the oil and suspended solids in produced water is an environmentally-friendly method development recently to address the challenges. A laboratory investigation of characterizing the properties of ASP flooding produced water was recently carried out. The oil-water separation processes were practiced, including sedimentation with aeration, lateral flow coalescence and dissolved air flotation. The micro-flocculation suspended sludge blanket filtration process disposal ASP flooding produced water was studied. The application effect of the combination disposal process was assessed, and the operation parameters of aeration rate, dissolved-air pressure, reflux ratio and filtering velocity were optimized.

The results show that the ASP flooding produced water is characterized by high salinity, high viscosity, small oil droplet size, high oil content, strong electronegativity and stability. There appears to be a nonlinearity relationship between aeration rate, dissolved-air pressure, reflux ratio, filtering velocity and disposal effect. Compared with the previous polymer flooding produced water sedimentation and filtration disposal process, the sludge amount of the ASP flooding produced water was decreased more than 70.0%, power and agent expense was reduced 60.0%, secondary pollution was decreased drastically and running expense was also saved when disposed under the combination disposal process and operation parameters. And the produced water could meet the re-injection standard of high permeability reservoir after disposal. As the matching technology of ASP flooding enhanced oil recovery (EOR), the environmentally-friendly produced water disposal method is worth pursuing.
New Generation Biological Products On The Basis Of Porous Phosphatic Glass Carrier For Recovery Of Soils and Water Areas Polluted With Oil-Products In The Conditions Of Northern Territories
Authors: Khlynovsky Alexey , Rozanova Ksenia
Published: October 2013

According to expert assessment current level of world oil production of 4,2–4,5 billion tons per year will be held till the end of fortieth years of XXI century /1/. The forecast for the Russian Federation for 2013 – oil production will be 581 million tons.
Problems and perspectives of the professional education development for exploration of hydrocarbon resources in the Arctic and the High North
Authors: Tskhadaya Nikolay D. , Bezgodov Dmitry N. , Buslaev George V.
Published: October 2013

Different issues, opportunities and perspectives of high educational state system development were analyzed on the example of Ukhta State Technical University, connected to macroeconomical proposes of northern and arctical parts development. Several solutions of "Arctical propose" for Russian high school were considered in the arctical as foundamental conditions for addressing the problems. All the developed solutions were interconnected with global process of educational system modernization, meaning innovation paradigm of development, transit to two-tier system of staff preparation, formation of university complexes, claster policy, unification of universities in industrial concorcium, new aspects of collaboration between universities and industrial companies.
Arctic Drilling Activities: Critical Review of the International Safety Standards, Technical Regulations and Regulatory Regimes
Authors: Mosesyan Mikhail , Mukhoryamov Marat
Published: October 2013

The last decade has seen an unprecedented and continuously growing interest to explore offshore Arctic. Major international energy companies are now mobilizing their resources, improving competence and knowledge, developing technology and internal regulations to prepare for a long lasting and challenging journey.

This paper is intended to provide a review and comparison of the most stringent international standards and regulations relevant for the Arctic region including but not limited to as follows: American Petroleum Institute (API)International Organization for Standardization (ISO)U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (U.S. CFR)Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE)UK Health and Safety Executive (UK HSE)Norsk Sokkels Konkurranseposisjon (NORSOK)Norwegian Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA)Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD)

Each entity has its strong sides that are usually based on previous industry experience and accidents resulted in substantial downtime, harm to environment, equipment and not least the personnel. At the same time simultaneous compliance to divergent standards might compromise overall safety. Bearing in mind extreme environmental sensitivity of the Arctic region, scale of impact and possible environmental consequences, there is literally no room for failure.

Differences in safety philosophy and approach to well barrier elements to ensure well control and well integrity need to be thoroughly reviewed. Understanding these issues will improve safety in drilling operations, reduce cost of the exploration and mitigate potential operational and project risks.

Deepwater Gulf of Mexico operating area and Norwegian Continental Shelf examples will be used. A case study of a typical well abandonment operation in deepwater Gulf of Mexico with simultaneous compliance to both U.S. 30 CFR 250 and NORSOK will be presented.
Russian Tax and License Policy – a Hurdle for Offshore Development?
Authors: Lunden Lars Petter
Published: October 2013

Russia is not running out of oil, but it’s running out of cheap oil. Key tools to keep oil and gas production growing are the tax and license policies. This paper examines the recent developments within tax and license policies and assesses their impact on particularly offshore development projects. While offshore license processes have lost its future importance by granting vast areas to state-owned companies marginalizing the scope for future license awards, offshore taxation at the outset looks to be attractive for companies looking to invest in Russia, but practices of perpetual amendments to tax rates and practices give cause for caution.
A Review of International Environmental and Social Guidelines for Offshore Arctic Oil and Gas Activities, Current Requirements and Future Trends
Authors: Lloyd Carys , Perry Jonathan
Published: October 2013

This presentation provides an overview of current key international guidelines applicable to Arctic oil and gas exploration, assesses the extent of their influence, including topics where current guidelines may be lacking, and discusses potential implications for operators.

Seas within the Arctic Circle are considered to be the next great frontier for offshore oil and gas and as such are attracting increasing interest from oil and gas operators, as well as NGOs, governments, the international media and other organisations. There is intense scrutiny from a range of stakeholders on the regulatory framework that exists to permit and authorise oil and gas exploration in this sensitive environment, often including a focus on environmental and social impacts. As such projects need to be proactive in demonstrating a high degree of environmental and social responsibility. Existing regional, national and international laws provide the regulatory framework for development in the Arctic, however, legislation is evolving as interest in Arctic oil and gas increases thereby necessitating the formation of guidelines for industry best practice. There are currently a large number of international guidelines that could be applied to projects by way of best practice. This report and presentation focuses on guidelines from the Arctic Council, OGP, IMO and IPEICA, with particular reference to how these affect the development of environmental and social impact assessments, and key topics therein (such as waste management and oil spills).
An Efficient Procedure for Expensive Reservoir-Simulation Optimization Under Uncertainty
Authors: Rashid K.. , Bailey W.. , Cou?t B.. , Wilkinson D..
Published: October 2013

Many oilfield optimization problems concern expensive numerical-reservoir-simulation-based objective functions. These are computationally demanding and can require a significant amount of time to evaluate. With the addition of uncertainty in the underlying models, the computational cost is exacerbated and the collective cost necessary to realize the efficient frontier for the decision maker can become considerable. Although approximation methods are often used to alleviate the cost of optimization, methods to improve the efficiency of the entire process in the presence of uncertainty are less established. This paper presents a scheme that, unlike the conventional approach, ensures that a convex efficient frontier is generated while also reducing the number of simulation evaluations necessary. This is achieved by reuse of sampled data through a procedure referred to as "recasting." Here, existing sample data in the solution space are mapped to a particular objective space of choice dictated by the weights assigned to the mean and standard-deviation terms. Results from an analytical test case, a numerical reservoir-simulation model, and a coupled reservoir plus surface-facility-simulation model are presented. The results show that the proposed workflow can help reduce the high computational cost associated with expensive simulation based function optimization under uncertainty.
Impact of implementing smart infusion pumps in a pediatric intensive care unit
Authors: Manrique-Rodríguez Silvia , Sánchez-Galindo Amelia C. , López-Herce Jesús , Calleja-Hernández Miguel Ángel , Martínez-Martínez Fernando , Iglesias-Peinado Irene , Carrillo-Álvarez Ángel , Sáez María Sanjurjo , Fernández-Llamazares Cecilia M.
Published: October 2013

Purpose

The impact of smart infusion pumps on the interception of errors in the programming of i.v. drug administrations on a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) is investigated.

Methods

A prospective observational intervention study was conducted in the PICU of a hospital in Madrid, Spain, to estimate the patient safety benefits resulting from the implementation of smart pump technology (Alaris System, CareFusion, San Diego, CA). A systematic analysis of data stored by the devices during the designated study period (January 2010–June 2011) was conducted using the system software (Guardrails CQI Event Reporter, CareFusion). The severity of intercepted errors was independently classified by a group of four clinical pharmacists and a group of four intensive care pediatricians; analyses of intragroup and intergroup agreement in perceptions of severity were performed.

Results

During the 17-month study period, the overall rate of user compliance with the safety software was 78%. The use of smart pump technology resulted in the interception of 92 programming errors, 84% of which involved analgesics, antiinfectives, inotropes, and sedatives. About 97% of the errors resulted from user programming of doses or infusion rates above the hard limits defined in the smart pump drug library. The potential consequences of the intercepted errors were considered to be of moderate, serious, or catastrophic severity in 49% of cases.

Conclusion

The use of smart pumps in a PICU improved patient safety by enabling the interception of infusion programming errors that posed the potential for severe injury to pediatric patients.
Solution study under physiological conditions and cytotoxic activity of the gold(III) complexes with L-histidine-containing peptides
Authors: Glisic Biljana , Stanic Zorka , Rajkovic Snezana , Kojic Vesna , Bogdanovic Gordana , Djuran Milos
Published: October 2013

Proton NMR spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry have been applied to study the
stability of three gold(III) complexes with L-histidine-containing peptides,
[Au(Gly-L-His-N,N?,N??)Cl]NO3.1.25H2O (Au1),
[Au(L-Ala-L-His-N,N?,N??)Cl]NO3.2.5H2O (Au2) and
[Au(Gly-Gly-L-His-N,N?,N??,N???)]Cl.H2O (Au3) under physiologically relevant
conditions. It was found that tridentate coordination of Gly-L-His and
L-Ala-L-His dipeptides, as well as tetradentate coordination of Gly-Gly-L-His
tripeptide in Au1, Au2 and Au3 complexes, respectively, stabilized +3
oxidation state of gold and prevented its reduction to Au(I) and Au(0). No
release of the coordinated peptides from Au(III) was observed under these
experimental conditions. Considering remarkable stability of Au1, Au2 and Au3
complexes, their cytotoxic activity was evaluated by MTT
(3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay toward
five human tumor cell lines, MCF-7 (human breast adenocarcinoma), HT-29
(human colon adenocarcinoma), HeLa (human cervix carcinoma), HL-60 (human
promyelocytic leukemia), Raji (human Burkitt?s lymphoma) and one human normal
cell line MRC-5 (human fetal lung fibroblasts). While the cytotoxic activity
of Au1, Au2 and Au3 against investigated human malignant cell lines was
strongly cell line dependent, none of these complexes was cytotoxic against
normal MRC-5 cell line. This study can contribute to the future development
of gold(III)-peptide complexes as potential antitumor agents.
An ab-initio study of pyrrole and imidazole arylamides
Authors: Abramyan Ara , Liu Zhiwei , Pophristic Vojislava
Published: October 2013

Arylamide foldamers have been shown to have a number of biological and
medicinal applications. For example, a class of pyrrole-imidazole polyamide
foldamers is capable of binding specific DNA sequences and preventing
development of various gene disorders, most importantly cancer. Molecular
dynamics (MD) simulations can provide crucial details in understanding the
atomic level events related to foldamer/DNA binding. An important first step
in the accurate simulation of these foldamer/DNA systems is the
reparametrization of force field parameters for torsion around the aryl-amide
bonds. Here we highlight our Density Functional Theory (DFT) potential energy
profiles and derived force field parameters for four aryl-amide bond types
for the pyrrole and imidazole building blocks extensively used in foldamer
design for the DNA-binding polyamides. These results contribute to developing
of computational tools for an appropriate molecular modeling of
pyrrole-imidazole polyamide/DNA binding, and provide an insight into the
chemical factors that influence the flexibility of the pyrrole-imidazole
polyamides, and their binding to DNA.
Cuckoo search optimization for linear antenna arrays synthesis
Authors: Ahmed Haffane , Abdelhafid Hasni
Published: October 2013

A recently developed metaheuristic optimization algorithm, the Cuckoo search
algorithm, is used in this paper for the synthesis of symmetric uniformly
spaced linear microstrip antennas array. Cuckoo search is based on the
breeding strategy of Cuckoos augmented by a Levy flight behaviour found in
the foraging habits of other species. This metaheuristic is tested on
amplitude only pattern synthesis and amplitude and phase pattern synthesis.
In both case, the objective, is to determinate the optimal excitations
element that produce a synthesized radiation pattern within given bounds
specified by a pattern mask.
The Politics and Limits of the Self: Kierkegaard, Neoconservatism and International Political Theory
Authors: Steele Brent J.
Published: October 2013

This article investigates how Soren Kierkegaard's work developed a key subject utilized in international political theory, and ascribed to particular international actors (including nation-states) — The Self. Kierkegaard's core insights on ‘dread’ and its functions, the need for individuals to will a purpose and, finally, the limits of the Self, I argue, provide a basis from which we can understand the anxieties — The insecurities — That attend to the work of and on a ‘Self’, including that (especially that) of political communities. Specifically, Kierkegaard's engagements with the real and the ideal Self — The Self as it actually is and as it potentially could be — Can be utilized to index and understand the focus in certain vitalist philosophies with the Self of both individuals and political communities. Kierkegaard's insights help us understand this foregrounding of the Self, and yet his work also helps critically render particular recent manifestations of vitalism, found especially in US neoconservatism.
Albert Camus and Rebellious Cosmopolitanism in a Divided Worlda
Authors: Hayden Patrick
Published: October 2013

Albert Camus's existential thinking has been the object of renewed interest over the past decade. Political theorists have looked to his work to shed light on the contradictions and violence of modernity and the dynamics of postcolonial justice. This article contends that Camus's account of the modern human condition provides a means of engaging critically with one of the most compelling ideas linked to thinking about global politics today: cosmopolitanism. By developing Camus's position on absurdity and rebellion, it suggests that the idea of cosmopolitanism should be situated in a post-foundationalist and post-teleological nexus to prevent it becoming a new political ideology of immutable truth. In order to make this argument, the article focuses on how Camus's thinking supports a rebellious cosmopolitan disposition towards global transformations. In so doing, it shows that cosmopolitanism must strive against the injustices of a deeply divided world, yet at the same time accept theoretical, factual and moral limits on its vision and actions.
Antioxidant and Antiradical Activity of Coffee
Authors: Yashin Alexander , Yashin Yakov , Wang Jing , Nemzer Boris
Published: October 2013

This review summarizes published information concerning the determination of antioxidant activity (AA) in coffee samples by various methods (ORAC, FRAP, TRAP, TEAC, etc.) in vitro and limited data of antiradical activity of coffee products in vitro and in vivo. Comparison is carried out of the AA of coffee Arabica and coffee Robusta roasted at different temperatures as well as by different roasting methods (microwave, convection, etc.). Data on the antiradical activity of coffee is provided. The antioxidant activity of coffee, tea, cocoa, and red wine is compared. At the end of this review, the total antioxidant content (TAC) of coffee samples from 21 coffee-producing countries as measured by an amperometric method is provided. The TAC of green and roasted coffee beans is also compared.
Mesoporous Silica Based Gold Catalysts: Novel Synthesis and Application in Catalytic Oxidation of CO and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
Authors: Wu Hongjing , Pantaleo Giuseppe , Venezia Anna , Liotta Leonarda
Published: October 2013

Gold nanoparticles, particularly with the particle size of 2–5 nm, have attracted increasing research attention during the past decades due to their surprisingly high activity in CO and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) oxidation at low temperatures. In particular, CO oxidation below room temperature has been extensively studied on gold nanoparticles supported on several oxides (TiO2, Fe2O3, CeO2, etc.). Recently, mesoporous silica materials (such as SBA-15, MCM-41, MCM-48 and HMS) possessing ordered channel structures and suitable pore diameters, large internal surface areas, thermal stabilities and excellent mechanical properties, have been investigated as suitable hosts for gold nanoparticles. In this review we highlight the development of novel mesoporous silica based gold catalysts based on examples, mostly from recently reported results. Several synthesis methods are described herein. In detail we report: the modification of silica with organic functional groups; the one-pot synthesis with the incorporation of both gold and coupling agent containing functionality for the synthesis of mesoporous silica; the use of cationic gold complexes; the synthesis of silica in the presence of gold colloids or the dispersion of gold colloids protected by ligands or polymers onto silica; the modification of silica by other metal oxides; other conventional preparation methods to form mesoporous silica based gold catalysts. The gold based catalysts prepared as such demonstrate good potential for use in oxidation of CO and VOCs at low temperatures. From the wide family of VOCs, the oxidation of methanol and dimethyldisulfide has been addressed in the present review.
Improving the Transient Performance of the Gas Turbine by Steam Injection during Frequency Dips
Authors: Bahrami Saeed , Ghaffari Ali , Thern Marcus
Published: October 2013

Single-shaft gas turbines are sensitive to frequency changes which might affect the grid stability during large frequency drops. This paper presents a new control system that uses steam injection as an auxiliary input to improve the transient performance of the gas turbine during frequency drops. Steam injection is beneficial because it reduces the peak temperature in the combustion chamber and augments the output power by increasing the mass flow through the turbine. The use of this auxiliary input is based on the event-based control approach. It means that during the frequency drop, the controller exploits the steam injection to help the main control loop recover the frequency and when the frequency reaches its predefined value, the system will return to its normal operation. The performance of the proposed control algorithm is investigated under different scenarios and the results show that the application of steam injection improves the performance of the regular control algorithm significantly, especially near full load condition.
The Natural History of IgE-Mediated Food Allergy: Can Skin Prick Tests and Serum-Specific IgE Predict the Resolution of Food Allergy?
Authors: Peters Rachel , Gurrin Lyle , Dharmage Shyamali , Koplin Jennifer , Allen Katrina
Published: October 2013

IgE-mediated food allergy is a transient condition for some children, however there are few indices to predict when and in whom food allergy will resolve. Skin prick test (SPT) and serum-specific IgE levels (sIgE) are usually monitored in the management of food allergy and are used to predict the development of tolerance or persistence of food allergy. The aim of this article is to review the published literature that investigated the predictive value of SPT and sIgE in development of tolerance in children with a previous diagnosis of peanut, egg and milk allergy. A systematic search identified twenty-six studies, of which most reported SPT or sIgE thresholds which predicted persistent or resolved allergy. However, results were inconsistent between studies. Previous research was hampered by several limitations including the absence of gold standard test to diagnose food allergy or tolerance, biased samples in retrospective audits and lack of systematic protocols for triggering re-challenges. There is a need for population-based, prospective studies that use the gold standard oral food challenge (OFC) to diagnose food allergy at baseline and follow-up to develop SPT and sIgE thresholds that predict the course of food allergy.
Longitudinal Influences of Neighbourhood Built and Social Environment on Children’s Weight Status
Authors: Gose Maria , Plachta-Danielzik Sandra , Willié Bianca , Johannsen Maike , Landsberg Beate , Müller Manfred
Published: October 2013

The objective was to examine longitudinal 4-year-relationships between neighbourhood social environment and children’s body mass index-standard deviation score (BMI-SDS) taking into account the built environment. Furthermore, we have analysed the influence of potential interactions between the social environment and family/social data on children’s BMI-SDS. Between 2006–2008 and 2010–2012, anthropometric measurements were conducted among 485 children (age at baseline: 6.1 (5.8–6.4)). Socio-demographic characteristics and perception of residential environment were reported by parents. Geographic Information Systems were used to examine street length, number of food outlets and distance to the nearest playground and park/green space within an 800 m Euclidian buffer of each participant address point. Additional data on neighbourhood characteristics (e.g., traffic density, walkability, crime rates) were obtained from the State Capital of Kiel, Germany. In a multivariate model, walkability, street type, socioeconomic status of the district and perceived frequency of passing trucks/busses were associated with BMI-SDS over 4 years, but only neighbourhood SES had an effect on change in BMI-SDS. However, familial/social factors rather than neighbourhood environment (especially social environment) had an impact on children’s BMI-SDS over 4 years. Thus, social inequalities in childhood overweight are only partially explained by social neighbourhood environment.
The Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor and Its Ligands in Cardiovascular Disease
Authors: Makki Nader , Thiel Kristina , Miller Francis
Published: October 2013

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) family and its ligands serve as a switchboard for the regulation of multiple cellular processes. While it is clear that EGFR activity is essential for normal cardiac development, its function in the vasculature and its role in cardiovascular disease are only beginning to be elucidated. In the blood vessel, endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells are both a source and a target of EGF-like ligands. Activation of EGFR has been implicated in blood pressure regulation, endothelial dysfunction, neointimal hyperplasia, atherogenesis, and cardiac remodeling. Furthermore, increased circulating EGF-like ligands may mediate accelerated vascular disease associated with chronic inflammation. Although EGFR inhibitors are currently being used clinically for the treatment of cancer, additional studies are necessary to determine whether abrogation of EGFR signaling is a potential strategy for the treatment of cardiovascular disease.
Mass Spectrometry Coupled Experiments and Protein Structure Modeling Methods
Authors: Pi Jaewoo , Sael Lee
Published: October 2013

With the accumulation of next generation sequencing data, there is increasing interest in the study of intra-species difference in molecular biology, especially in relation to disease analysis. Furthermore, the dynamics of the protein is being identified as a critical factor in its function. Although accuracy of protein structure prediction methods is high, provided there are structural templates, most methods are still insensitive to amino-acid differences at critical points that may change the overall structure. Also, predicted structures are inherently static and do not provide information about structural change over time. It is challenging to address the sensitivity and the dynamics by computational structure predictions alone. However, with the fast development of diverse mass spectrometry coupled experiments, low-resolution but fast and sensitive structural information can be obtained. This information can then be integrated into the structure prediction process to further improve the sensitivity and address the dynamics of the protein structures. For this purpose, this article focuses on reviewing two aspects: the types of mass spectrometry coupled experiments and structural data that are obtainable through those experiments; and the structure prediction methods that can utilize these data as constraints. Also, short review of current efforts in integrating experimental data in the structural modeling is provided.
Supramolecular Interactions of Terpyridine-Derived Cores of Metallomesogen Precursors
Authors: Lee Young , Harrowfield Jack , Shin Jong , Won Mi , Rukmini Elisabeth , Hayami Shinya , Min Kil , Kim Yang
Published: October 2013

Use of Hirshfeld surfaces calculated from crystal structure determinations on various transition metal ion complexes of three terpyridine ligands carrying trimethoxyphenyl substituents has enabled an assessment of the contribution made by the ligand components to the interactions determining the lattice structures, interactions expected also to be present in metallomesogens derived from similar ligands. The form of the link joining the trimethoxyphenyl substituent to the 4' position of 2,2';6',2''-terpyridine is of some importance. In the case of the Co(II) complexes of two of the ligands, their spin-crossover characteristics can be rationalised in terms of the different interactions seen in their lattices.
Obtaining and Utilizing Cellulose Fibers with in-Situ Loading as an Additive for Printing Paper
Authors: Fortuna Maria , Harja Maria , Bucur Daniel , Cimpeanu Sorin
Published: October 2013

The goal of this study was to analyze the effects of cellulose fibers loading by precipitation in-situ of calcium carbonate over the properties of printing paper obtained from mixtures of the softwood and hardwood fibers. The effects of fibers with in-situ loading were analyzed comparatively with conventional paper loading respectively, by adding precipitated calcium carbonate into fiber stock. The effectiveness of the methods was evaluated by various analyses and investigations: calcium carbonate content, Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images, X-ray diffraction, optical and mechanical properties of the paper sheets. The evaluation of the effects on paper properties led to the conclusion that, at the same filler content, the in-situ loading method gives higher opacity and brightness than conventional methods. The utilization of cellulose fibers with in-situ loading as additive, shown as a modification of the ratio between fibers with in-situ loading and fibers without loading, regardless of whether they are softwood or hardwood fibers, allowed us to optimize printing paper properties, especially regarding the relationship between optical and strength properties.