bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Integration of Distributed Temperature Sensing Technology with Open Hole Gravel Packed Completions - The ACG Field Experience
Authors: John Colin P. , Ramnath Lawrence W. , Khankishiyev Ruslan V. , Hasanov Hikmet , Stephenson John , Keatinge Patrick D.
Published: October 2015

Fibre-Optic Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) has been integrated into sand control completions in the giant Azeri Chirag Guneshli (ACG) field offshore Azerbaijan to provide real time production logging and assist with the management of the field’s complex reservoirs. The optimization of gas lift for better well performance, well integrity risk identification and the determination of gas and water breakthrough locations are some of the benefits that the DTS data has provided. Deployment of the fibre-optic system in the ACG field required a fiber-optic wet-mate and the ability to deploy fiber to distances up to 12km. Lessons learned from those deployments have yielded a number of best practices and design optimizations for the integrated completion system. These optimizations include hardware and software advancements, procedural changes for improved deployment reliability and the incorporation of critical pre-job checks at the vendor’s workshop prior to equipment load out to the rig.

Maximizing reservoir potential and optimizing reservoir drainage is a critical part of the project economics for the ACG field and reliable sand control completions providing real time reservoir surveillance by means of DTS has proven to be a key technology for achieving this.
Complexity in Storm Choke Operation: Caspian Sea Experience
Authors: Faiz Wan Mohd , Fablillah Wan Mohd , Rahman Hazrina A. , Melayev Arslan , Ali Zulkifli , Atajanov Merdan , Baijuri Asri
Published: October 2015

The control line for CZ-5 well became plugged due to contaminants in the hydraulic control line fluid. As a result, CZ-5 well remained shut in with the deferment of 2000 bbls/day. Remedial solution was planned and it involved the installation of subsurface controlled safety valve or storm choke. Since the failed subsurface safety valve is in the jammed close position, the mechanism to lock open the flapper and to keep the valve open permanently must be done before the installion of the storm choke. The special tubing with smaller ID, or better known as straddle, was then set across the flapper and hang inside. Without the realization that the pressure setting of the storm choke calculation would become complicated with the smaller tubing/straddle inside, the closing and opening pressure were determined based on NODAL Analysis.

The flapper of CZ-5 ScSSV was also expected to dislocate severely and a special flip open tool is designed to position the dislocated flapper back to its housing. Flapper flip open tool is the in-house designed tool that can be run using slickline for 2 7/8″, 3½″ or 4½″ tubing. This unique tool has enabled many lock open jobs in our operation and it has totally eliminated the need for flapper milling.

The unexpected outcome of valve closing pressure and operating speed was experienced for a few times after the installation, causing the multiple intervention work to retrieve and to re-set the storm choke with different setting pressure. Though all minimum data required to design the storm choke for CZ-5 has been rightly considered, its performance is still very unpredictable and shocking. Determined to make the valve to work properly for a desired certain period of time, all operational data were gathered and studied. During the last rectification attempt, the storm choke has finally worked as intended.

The paper will describe more on the challenges encountered during the set-up of flip open tool and modified straddle, the engineering design of both of them and the storm choke unique behaviour from the experience at Caspian Sea Operation.
History of History Match in Azeri Field
Authors: Ibrahimov Turan
Published: October 2015

Modern reservoir development could not happen without building and using 3-phase 3-D simulation models and predicting the future performance of the field using powerful computer technologies. Long term production and injection profile forecasts for the Azeri field have been carried out through usage of simulation models from 2001. Since production from 2005 Azeri models have been history matched on an annual basis. While matching the model data to the actual field observed data, surveillance and performance learnings have been an integral part of the process in order to obtain representative and satisfactory results.

In the current work, the challenges and problems faced, as well as the success of the history match process for the Azeri field are described. Along with discussion of applied techniques and obtained results, recommendations on matching complex reservoir simulation models based on several years experience of history matching process in the Azeri field are offered.
Practical Aspects of Modeling of Water Coning in Carbonate Reservoirs
Authors: Ilya Breslavich , Diana Shigapova
Published: October 2015

An important step in the design development of carbonate reservoirs is the understanding and simulation of well flooding mechanism particularly water coning. The significance of coning is due to the fact that an incorrect account of the flooding mechanism may lead to the following negative consequences: overstatement of the target oil production inaccurate forecast of remaining reserves and the mechanism of their production, selection of unsuitable well-workover methods and other negative results.

The paper discusses different approaches to the water coning simulation: local grid refinement; non-neighbour connection with the bottom water; water flooding through a vertical fracture using method of allocating drains; use of additional completions; use of the non-diagonal permeability tensor; the verticallu directed change in rock permeability and pore volume with pressure decreasing; dual porosity model.

It is recommended that in case of the typical orthogonal grid, local grid refinement should be used for hydrodynamic model water coning. It is possible to obtain appropriate results using dual porosity method and non- neighbour connections, but these methods have bad forecasting power.

If water coning were not repeated then: oil production total would increase up to 10-15% (for a 5 year forecast) or up to 5-35% (for a 25 year forecast);water-free period well production would be prolonged;oil production rate would increase.

The implementation of the recommendations made it possible to optimize new wells targeting and well operation, which provided an increase of water-free periods of the wells for the Urals-Volga region oilfields.
Seismic Virtual Reality: High-Fidelity Finite Difference Modelling of the Azeri-Chirag-Gunashi Field
Authors: Crosby Alistair , Jackson Joseph
Published: October 2015

Seismic finite-difference (FD) modelling is a term that describes the propagation, recording and processing of virtual seismic waves through a computational model. It is an important tool for addressing a wide variety of questions related to seismic acquisition, processing and interpretation for the simple reason that seismic images are best assessed when the subsurface is well defined. FD modelling is particularly useful when data is to be acquired over targets that present complex imaging challenges, such as those underneath salt bodies or a highly heterogeneous shallow section (e.g. Regone, 2007; Kabir et al., 2009).

This paper discusses the application of finite-difference modelling to the central part of the Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli (ACG) field offshore Azerbaijan (Figure 1) and builds on the earlier work of Crosby et al. (2014). ACG is a steeply-dipping NW-SE oriented anticline approximately 10 km wide and 50 km long. The targets reside within a series of Late Miocene stacked braided fluvio-deltaic sequences with intervening shales (e.g. Reynolds et al. 1998). Imaging is complicated by the presence of steep dips on the flanks and a highly heterogeneous shallow section including mud volcanoes, complex faults and shallow gas bodies at the crest. It is clear that any model must capture these details if it is to be useful.

Historically, the principal limitations of seismic modelling have not just been computational, but have also resulted from the level of detail in the model itself. Models have either been constructed manually using a set of interpreted framework surfaces or derive their properties from existing seismic images (e.g. Regone, 2007; Kabir et al,. 2009). In the first case, reflectivity is often too simplistic; whilst in the second case artefacts and bandwidth limitations are introduced as truth into the model. A better approach is to simulate geological features directly when building the model. Two recent papers (Etgen and L'Heureux, 2013; L'Heureux and Etgen, 2013) present an automatic, probabilistic method for generating stochastic stratigraphy using a set of facies templates, and then morphing the resultant layering to structure. This approach can generate geologically realistic models to arbitrary levels of detail. Here we show the result of applying this method to Central Azeri, together with some preliminary synthetic seismic images.
Composition-Transient Analysis in Shale-Gas Reservoirs With Consideration of Multicomponent Adsorption
Authors: Li Daolun , Zhang Longjun , Wang John Yilin , Lu Detang
Published: October 2015

Rate-transient analysis (RTA) has been widely studied to evaluate the shale-gas-reservoir parameters. However, few attempts have been made on composition-transient analysis (CTA) to evaluate formation properties about shale-gas reservoirs. In this work, we proposed a new CTA method and provided a physical interpretation of CTA.

We first established a compositional simulator incorporating slip flow and extended Langmuir (EL) isotherm with multiple components. Then, a fully implicit iterative numerical solution of the nonlinear model was developed on the basis of perpendicular-bisection (PEBI) gridding. Finally, we defined the composition change and derivative as functions of pressure change and derivative.

One important finding is that the free-gas composition is obviously different from the desorped-gas composition because of the different desorption capacity of different gas components. This contributes to the changes of composition of the produced gas over time.

Another finding is that ultimate adsorption capacity determined the value of the composition change and composition derivative, which made adsorption content be easily determined by CTA. If the flow regimes are defined by composition, several flow regimes could be identified from the composition change and the composition derivative, which may not exist on the curves of pressure change and pressure derivative.

The findings in this study could provide a more-effective and practicable way to identify reservoir parameters than the traditional well-test method. Furthermore, gas compositions could be measured at the wellhead, which makes the CTA feasible in practice.
Risk Factors of Cardiovascular Diseases in HIV/AIDS Patients on HAART
Authors: Nsagha Dickson Shey , Assob Jules Clement Nguedia , Njunda Anna Longdoh , Tanue Elvis Asangbeng , Kibu Odette Dzemo , Ayima Charlotte Wenze , Ngowe Marcelin Ngowe
Published: October 2015

Background :

The introduction and widespread use of combination antiretroviral therapy referred to as highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in the mid 1990’s, has led HIV-infected individuals to experience a dramatic decline in immunodeficiency-related events and death. There is growing concern on metabolic complications associated with HIV and HAART which may increase cardiovascular risk and disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the cardiovascular risk profile of HIV/AIDS patients receiving HAART and those not receiving HAART at HIV/AIDS treatment centres in the South West Region of Cameroon.

Methods :

Consenting participants, who had been receiving HAART, were compared with HAART naive participants. A questionnaire was administered; anthropometric and blood pressure measurements were recorded under standard conditions. Blood samples were obtained for the determination of plasma glucose and lipid levels.

Results :

Two hundred and fifteen participants were recruited, 160 (74.4%) were on HAART and 55 (25.6%) were HAART naive. Among the individual lipid abnormalities, increased total cholesterol was the most prevalent (40.0%). Participants on HAART were significantly about 8 times at risk of developing hypercholesterolemia when compared to the HAART inexperienced group (OR 8.17; 95% CI: 3.31-20.14; p<0.001). Hypertension had a prevalence of 25.6% (95% CI: 15.3%-35.9%) and was about 2 times significantly higher in the HAART treated than the HAART untreated group (p=0.033). The prevalence of low HDL-c was significantly higher in males (24.1%) compared to females (11.2%) (p=0.0196). Many females (27.3%) were obese compared to males (7.4%) (p=0.0043). HAART use and treatment duration of more than five years were significantly associated with higher prevalence of CVD risk factors.

Conclusion :

HAART treatment was associated with significantly higher prevalence of hypercholesterolemia, increased LDL-c and hypertension, hence the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Quail abundance, hunter effort, and harvest of two texas quail species: implications for hunting management
Authors: Tomeček John M. , Pierce Brian L. , Peterson Markus J.
Published: October 2015

Managing exploited species characterized by declining abundance, such as northern bobwhite Colinus virginianus and scaled quail Callipepla squamata, presents challenges for regulatory agencies and wildlife managers. Our objective was to determine the influence of quail abundance and quail hunter effort on annual bobwhite and scaled quail harvest in Texas, USA. We formulated competing models accounting for quail harvest at both statewide and regional scales using hunter survey and quail abundance data collected by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (1978–2012) and evaluated them using multiple linear regression and model selection (AICc). Statewide bobwhite and scaled quail harvest was best predicted by models that included quail abundance, quail hunter‐days or total quail hunters, respectively (R2 = 0.969 and 0.915, respectively). Our most plausible models also predicted regional quail harvest reasonably well (R2 ≥ 0.67), but in some regions diverged from statewide models, with hunter effort alone best explaining quail harvest. Despite our models' high predictive ability, current hunting regulations do not reflect variability in factors driving harvest at the spatial scales we evaluated. Species characterized by limited dispersal ability, such as quails, are at risk of localized overharvest when hunting management cannot limit harvest at the same spatial scale where hunting occurs. For Texas quails, harvest management implemented by individual property managers, rather than statewide hunting regulations, is the most appropriate way to avoid localized overharvest because property managers can control harvest at the scale relevant to both quails and quail hunters.
Ukrainian Black GrouseTetrao tetrix: Genetic Diversity and Population Structure
Authors: Pavlovska Mariia , Höglund Jacob
Published: October 2015

We studied neutral (microsatellite) and adaptive (MHC) genetic diversity of two Ukrainian populations of black grouseTetrao tetrixto fill a gap in the data on the diversity of European populations of this species. We found that Ukrainian populations are more diverse than recently fragmented central European ones and also highly differentiated from these populations. Both studied populations in Ukraine, the northern and the Carpathian, did not show any signs of recent bottleneck events. The population structure among Ukrainian black grouse was more pronounced for neutral variation than for adaptive MHC diversity, suggesting that a common selective force has led to balancing selection shaping the MHC diversity. The MHC differentiation among the two studied regions was still high (Dest = 0.454), which could be a sign of local adaptation as a response to shifting balance in space. Thus, we suggest that the northern and the Carpathian black grouse populations should be treated as separate Management Units (MU). The black grouse population in the Carpathian Mountains appeared to be more diverse than the one in the north in terms of neutral genetic variation, whereas in terms of adaptive variation the two populations vary in diversity depending on the method of scoring diversity. Therefore, we suggest that the Carpathian Mountains could have been a refuge for the black grouse during the last glaciation.
Promoting Physical Activity and Exercise in Daily Practice: Current Practices, Barriers, and Training Needs of Physiotherapists in Eastern Nigeria
Authors: Abaraogu Ukachukwu Okoroafor , Edeonuh Juliet Chinonso , Frantz Jose
Published: October 2015

Purpose: To investigate current practices, barriers, and training needs for the promotion of physical activity (PA) in physiotherapy practices in eastern Nigeria. Methods: A total of 141 fully licensed physiotherapists in southeast Nigeria were invited to participate in a cross-sectional survey consisting of 23 questions in five key sections, focusing mainly on risk-factor management practices of physiotherapists. Results: A total of 103 questionnaires were returned. Respondents ranged in age from 25 to 54 years and reported a mean of 11 (SD 10) years of clinical experience. Respondents reported that they regularly assess and advise their clients on PA but rarely give written prescriptions. Although they are confident in assessing and advising their clients on PA and consider including PA intervention as a priority in daily practice, lack of time and lack of access to materials were reported as barriers to effective PA intervention. Conclusion: Findings showed the potential for physiotherapists to address physical inactivity and highlighted several barriers. Strategies are needed to improve contact time with clients and make material promoting PA available to practising physiotherapists.
Establishing Minimal Techno as Soundtrack to the Creative City: Hannes Stöhr’sBerlin Calling
Authors: Hurley Andrew Wright
Published: October 2015

This article argues that Hannes Stöhr’s Berlin Calling (2008), one of the first feature film treatments of Berlin’s techno scene, contributes to the mythification of contemporary Berlin as an exciting, “culturepreneurial,” creative city. Twenty years after the emergence of Berlin’s electronic music scene, the film offers a conciliatory reading of that scene, which is consistent with the contribution that club culture and the notion of the creative individual make to the capital city’s economy. In contrast to earlier, more worried readings of Berlin’s club culture, Berlin Calling suggests that some techno is legitimate music with artistic merit. Although the film does not shy away from dance music’s association with drug use, the protagonist “DJ Ickarus” ascertains “wie wichtig es ist, ein Ziel im Leben zu haben” and begins to grapple with his drug problem. This article analyzes how the film’s narrative of fall and redemption is consistent with the increasing legitimation of techno culture in the Berlin Republic.
“Eine Aufgekratztheit im Theater”: Acting the Agon at the Volksbühne am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz
Authors: Stebbins Amy
Published: October 2015

When the Berlin Wall came down, Berlin had no fewer than sixteen public theatres, five in the West, and eleven in the East. It would be the task of the municipal government to integrate these into some kind of unified cultural program for the new German capital. My article investigates the implementation of this governmental agenda through the lens of its arguably greatest success: the Volksbühne am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz. Led by Frank Castorf – whose term as artistic director will conclude in 2017 – this theatre quickly became the hotspot of artistic experimentation and political contestation in unified Berlin. Through a close-reading of Castorf’s Clockwork Orange (1993), I demonstrate how the Volksbühne ensemble’s theatre practice made visible social antagonisms both on the stage and within the audience. This contestative or – to borrow Chantal Mouffe’s term – agonistic mode of theatre earned the Volksbühne a unique position in the Berlin public sphere, which it has struggled to maintain through Berlin’s transition to a cosmopolitan, European capital city.
Refinements to a Procedure for Estimating Airfield Capacity
Authors: Kim Amy , Rokib S. A. , Liu Yi
Published: October 2015

This paper presents a method for obtaining airfield capacity estimates using historical data from FAA's Aviation System Performance Metrics (ASPM) database. The process first involves merging individual flights and quarter-hour airport runway operations data sets from ASPM to create a new data set. Data for Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) in New Jersey and San Diego International Airport in California from 2006 to 2011 were used. Then, filters for meteorological condition, runway configuration, called rates, and fleet mix were applied to the two airport data sets. The filtered data sets were then used in a censored regression model of capacity that included queue length (number of aircraft waiting to arrive or depart) and arrival–departure throughput count splits as independent variables. These attributes were found to affect airfield capacity at statistically significant levels, and parameters had expected signs and magnitudes. Additionally, capacities under ideal conditions were found to be reasonably close to other sources. The model also confirmed that average capacities at EWR during hours when a ground delay program (GDP) was running were lower than when there was no GDP in effect. The method described in this paper could be used to more precisely quantify airfield capacities in specific conditions of particular interest to air traffic controllers and airport operators to better facilitate decisions that rely heavily on a good understanding of capacity in these conditions. The data exploration and preparation undertaken as part of the study reveal some of the finer points of the ASPM data and how they can be used in a more meaningful way for airfield capacity estimation.
Interrelationship between Airport Enplanements and Accessibility
Authors: Welch Timothy F. , Mishra Sabyasachee , Wang Fangru
Published: October 2015

Increasingly, because urbanized areas have access to multiple airports, airlines must compete for passengers. One such location is the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area with three international airports within a 30-mi radius, each governed by a different planning authority. A traveler's choice to fly from a particular airport depends on a number of factors, chiefly convenient accessibility to the airport. Transportation planning agencies in the area often plan for network improvements to provide the best accessibility to a single major airport, although such improvements may also provide accessibility benefits to airports outside their jurisdiction. This paper presents an approach to estimate airport accessibility by highway and transit for both peak and off-peak hours. Furthermore, accessibility to these airports for a base year and a 20-year planning horizon are measured. The accessibility measure presented in the paper incorporates congestion travel times as obtained from a travel demand model. The results show that accessibility varies greatly for competing airports and, with that variation, there appears to be a correlation with total airport enplanements. The analysis also reveals the importance of taking a multimodal and multiple time-of-day approach to accessibility analysis.
Folkloric uses of Jatropha gossypifolia in emesis and gut motility disorders: Pharmacological validation
Authors: Hussain Musaddique , Raza Shahid Masood , Majeed Abdul
Published: October 2015

Jatropha gossypifolia is used in folkloric system to manage emesis and gastrointestinal motility disorders such as constipation and diarrhea. The present study was undertaken to provide pharmacological evidences for these folkloric uses by in vivo and in vitro experimental setting. Ethanolic extract of J. gossypifolia showed the significant antiemetic potential (p<0.05) against different emetogenic stimuli, when compared with chlorpromazine. The extract (0.01-1.0 mg/mL) on application to isolated rabbit jejunum preparation exerted spasmogenic effect, followed by the spasmolytic effect (3-10 mg/mL). In the presence of atropine, spasmogenic effect was blocked while spasmolytic effect was emerged, suggesting the involvement of muscarinic receptor activation. J. gossypifolia caused relaxation of high K+ (80 mM)-induced contraction and shifted the Ca2+ concentration-response curve to the right in a manner similar to verapamil, thus conforming its Ca2+-channel blocking activity. These findings provide pharmacological validation for the presence of antiemetic and gut modulator (spasmogenic and spasmolytic) activates, validating its folkloric uses.

 
Studying antimicrobial-induced morphostructural damage of bacteria by Scanning Electron Microscope
Authors: Shukla Shruti
Published: October 2015

In this investigation, a scanning electron microscopy (SEM) method was used to examine the morphostructural changes in bacterial cells induced by antimicrobial agents. SEM-based visual approach is referred the study of bacterial cells and their physiological consequences when affected by antibiotics or antibacterial agents permitting the observation of characteristic morphological defects of cell wall, and provides valuable insights into processes involved in bacterial cell death. This experiment visualized various step-by-step techniques used in the slide preparation of bacterial cells treated with specific antimicrobial agent for analyzing the morphological alterations such as increase of cell wall roughness, cell disruption, cell swelling and lysed cell formation due to loss of intracellular material using SEM analysis when compared with untreated normal cells as a control. The SEM approach used in this visual experiment may analyze the antimicrobial effect of any commercially known or new compounds in a very conducive manner.

Video Clips

Culturing of bacteria                                                  2 min 54 sec

Treatment of bacterial culture by antimicrobials             4 min 21 sec

Sample pre-treatment                                                4 min 23 sec

Microscopic slide preparation                                       9 min 27 sec

Critical point drying and ion sputter coating of slides        5 min 52 sec

Scanning Electron Microscopic analysis of coated slides    4 min 18 sec
Jump Horse Safety: Reconciling Public Debate and Australian Thoroughbred Jump Racing Data, 2012–2014
Authors: Ruse Karen , Davison Aidan , Bridle Kerry
Published: October 2015

Thoroughbred jump racing sits in the spotlight of contemporary welfare and ethical debates about horse racing. In Australia, jump racing comprises hurdle and steeplechase races and has ceased in all but two states, Victoria and South Australia. This paper documents the size, geography, composition, and dynamics of Australian jump racing for the 2012, 2013, and 2014 seasons with a focus on debate about risks to horses. We found that the majority of Australian jump racing is regional, based in Victoria, and involves a small group of experienced trainers and jockeys. Australian jump horses are on average 6.4 years of age. The jump career of the majority of horses involves participating in three or less hurdle races and over one season. Almost one quarter of Australian jump horses race only once. There were ten horse fatalities in races over the study period, with an overall fatality rate of 5.1 fatalities per 1000 horses starting in a jump race (0.51%). There was significant disparity between the fatality rate for hurdles, 0.75 fatalities per 1000 starts (0.075%) and steeplechases, 14 fatalities per 1000 starts (1.4%). Safety initiatives introduced by regulators in 2010 appear to have significantly decreased risks to horses in hurdles but have had little or no effect in steeplechases. Our discussion considers these Animals 2015, 5 1073 data in light of public controversy, political debate, and industry regulation related to jump horse safety.
The Interactions of Obesity, Inflammation and Insulin Resistance in Breast Cancer
Authors: Rose David , Gracheck Peter , Vona-Davis Linda
Published: October 2015

Obese postmenopausal women have an increased breast cancer risk, the principal mechanism for which is elevated estrogen production by adipose tissue; also, regardless of menstrual status and tumor estrogen dependence, obesity is associated with biologically aggressive breast cancers. Type 2 diabetes has a complex relationship with breast cancer risk and outcome; coexisting obesity may be a major factor, but insulin itself induces adipose aromatase activity and estrogen production and also directly stimulates breast cancer cell growth and invasion. Adipose tissue inflammation occurs frequently in obesity and type 2 diabetes, and proinflammatory cytokines and prostaglandin E2 produced by cyclooxygenase-2 in the associated infiltrating macrophages also induce elevated aromatase expression. In animal models, the same proinflammatory mediators, and the chemokine monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, also stimulate tumor cell proliferation and invasion directly and promote tumor-related angiogenesis. We postulate that chronic adipose tissue inflammation, rather than body mass index-defined obesity per se, is associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and postmenopausal estrogen-dependent breast cancer. Also, notably before the menopause, obesity and type 2 diabetes, or perhaps the associated inflammation, promote estrogen-independent, notably triple-negative, breast cancer development, invasion and metastasis by mechanisms that may involve macrophage-secreted cytokines, adipokines and insulin.
Adaptive Synchronization for a Class of Uncertain Fractional-Order Neural Networks
Authors: Liu Heng , Li Shenggang , Wang Hongxing , Huo Yuhong , Luo Junhai
Published: October 2015

In this paper, synchronization for a class of uncertain fractional-order neural networks subject to external disturbances and disturbed system parameters is studied. Based on the fractional-order extension of the Lyapunov stability criterion, an adaptive synchronization controller is designed, and fractional-order adaptation law is proposed to update the controller parameter online. The proposed controller can guarantee that the synchronization errors between two uncertain fractional-order neural networks converge to zero asymptotically. By using some proposed lemmas, the quadratic Lyapunov functions are employed in the stability analysis. Finally, numerical simulations are presented to confirm the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Names for Games: Locating 2 × 2 Games
Authors: Bruns Bryan
Published: October 2015

Prisoner’s Dilemma, Chicken, Stag Hunts, and other two-person two-move (2 × 2) models of strategic situations have played a central role in the development of game theory. The Robinson–Goforth topology of payoff swaps reveals a natural order in the payoff space of 2 × 2 games, visualized in their four-layer “periodic table” format that elegantly organizes the diversity of 2 × 2 games, showing relationships and potential transformations between neighboring games. This article presents additional visualizations of the topology, and a naming system for locating all 2 × 2 games as combinations of game payoff patterns from the symmetric ordinal 2 × 2 games. The symmetric ordinal games act as coordinates locating games in maps of the payoff space of 2 × 2 games, including not only asymmetric ordinal games and the complete set of games with ties, but also ordinal and normalized equivalents of all games with ratio or real-value payoffs. An efficient nomenclature can contribute to a systematic understanding of the diversity of elementary social situations; clarify relationships between social dilemmas and other joint preference structures; identify interesting games; show potential solutions available through transforming incentives; catalog the variety of models of 2 × 2 strategic situations available for experimentation, simulation, and analysis; and facilitate cumulative and comparative research in game theory.
Associations between Bisphenol A Exposure and Reproductive Hormones among Female Workers
Authors: Miao Maohua , Yuan Wei , Yang Fen , Liang Hong , Zhou Zhijun , Li Runsheng , Gao Ersheng , Li De-Kun
Published: October 2015

The associations between Bisphenol-A (BPA) exposure and reproductive hormone levels among women are unclear. A cross-sectional study was conducted among female workers from BPA-exposed and unexposed factories in China. Women’s blood samples were collected for assay of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), 17β-Estradiol (E2), prolactin (PRL), and progesterone (PROG). Their urine samples were collected for BPA measurement. In the exposed group, time weighted average exposure to BPA for an 8-h shift (TWA8), a measure incorporating historic exposure level, was generated based on personal air sampling. Multiple linear regression analyses were used to examine linear associations between urine BPA concentration and reproductive hormones after controlling for potential confounders. A total of 106 exposed and 250 unexposed female workers were included in this study. A significant positive association between increased urine BPA concentration and higher PRL and PROG levels were observed. Similar associations were observed after the analysis was carried out separately among the exposed and unexposed workers. In addition, a positive association between urine BPA and E2 was observed among exposed workers with borderline significance, while a statistically significant inverse association between urine BPA and FSH was observed among unexposed group. The results suggest that BPA exposure may lead to alterations in female reproductive hormone levels.
Association of Roadway Proximity with Indoor Air Pollution in a Peri-Urban Community in Lima, Peru
Authors: Underhill Lindsay , Bose Sonali , Williams D’Ann , Romero Karina , Malpartida Gary , Breysse Patrick , Klasen Elizabeth , Combe Juan , Checkley William , Hansel Nadia
Published: October 2015

The influence of traffic-related air pollution on indoor residential exposure is not well characterized in homes with high natural ventilation in low-income countries. Additionally, domestic allergen exposure is unknown in such populations. We conducted a pilot study of 25 homes in peri-urban Lima, Peru to estimate the effects of roadway proximity and season on residential concentrations. Indoor and outdoor concentrations of particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and black carbon (BC) were measured OPEN ACCESS Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2015, 12 13467 during two seasons, and allergens were measured in bedroom dust. Allergen levels were highest for dust mite and mouse allergens, with concentrations above clinically relevant thresholds in over a quarter and half of all homes, respectively. Mean indoor and outdoor pollutant concentrations were similar (PM2.5: 20.0 vs. 16.9 μg/m3, BC: 7.6 vs. 8.1 μg/m3, NO2: 7.3 vs. 7.5 ppb), and tended to be higher in the summer compared to the winter. Road proximity was significantly correlated with overall concentrations of outdoor PM2.5 (rs = −0.42, p = 0.01) and NO2 (rs = −0.36, p = 0.03), and outdoor BC concentrations in the winter (rs = −0.51, p = 0.03). Our results suggest that outdoor-sourced pollutants significantly influence indoor air quality in peri-urban Peruvian communities, and homes closer to roadways are particularly vulnerable.
Biomonitoring of Lead, Cadmium, Total Mercury, and Methylmercury Levels in Maternal Blood and in Umbilical Cord Blood at Birth in South Korea
Authors: Kim Yu-Mi , Chung Jin-Young , An Hyun , Park Sung , Kim Byoung-Gwon , Bae Jong , Han Myoungseok , Cho Yeon , Hong Young-Seoub
Published: October 2015

With rising concerns of heavy metal exposure in pregnancy and early childhood, this study was conducted to assess the relationship between the lead, cadmium, mercury, and methylmercury blood levels in pregnancy and neonatal period. The study population included 104 mothers and their children pairs who completed both baseline maternal blood sampling at the second trimester and umbilical cord blood sampling at birth. The geometric mean maternal blood levels of lead, cadmium, total mercury, and methylmercury at the second trimester were 1.02 ± 1.39 µg/dL, 0.61 ± 1.51 µg/L, 2.97 ± 1.45 µg/L, and 2.39 ± 1.45 µg/L, respectively, and in the newborns, these levels at birth were 0.71 ± 1.42 µg/dL, 0.01 ± 5.31 µg/L, 4.44 ± 1.49 µg/L, and 3.67 ± 1.51 µg/L, respectively. The mean ratios of lead, cadmium, total mercury, and methylmercury levels in the newborns to those in the mothers were 0.72, 0.04, 1.76, and 1.81, respectively. The levels of most heavy metals in pregnant women and infants were higher in this study than in studies from industrialized western countries. The placenta appears to protect fetuses from cadmium; however, total mercury and methylmercury were able to cross the placenta and accumulate in fetuses.
Airborne Gravity Data Denoising Based on Empirical Mode Decomposition: A Case Study for SGA-WZ Greenland Test Data
Authors: Zhao Lei , Wu Meiping , Forsberg René , Olesen Arne , Zhang Kaidong , Cao Juliang
Published: October 2015

Surveying the Earth’s gravity field refers to an important domain of Geodesy, involving deep connections with Earth Sciences and Geo-information. Airborne gravimetry is an effective tool for collecting gravity data with mGal accuracy and a spatial resolution of several kilometers. The main obstacle of airborne gravimetry is extracting gravity disturbance from the extremely low signal to noise ratio measuring data. In general, the power of noise concentrates on the higher frequency of measuring data, and a low pass filter can be used to eliminate it. However, the noise could distribute in a broad range of frequency while low pass filter cannot deal with it in pass band of the low pass filter. In order to improve the accuracy of the airborne gravimetry, Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD) is employed to denoise the measuring data of two primary repeated flights of the strapdown airborne gravimetry system SGA-WZ carried out in Greenland. Comparing to the solutions of using finite impulse response filter (FIR), the new results are improved by 40% and 10% of root mean square (RMS) of internal consistency and external accuracy, respectively.
Cloud-Based Geospatial 3D Image Spaces—A Powerful Urban Model for the Smart City
Authors: Nebiker Stephan , Cavegn Stefan , Loesch Benjamin
Published: October 2015

In this paper, we introduce the concept and an implementation of geospatial 3D image spaces as new type of native urban models. 3D image spaces are based on collections of georeferenced RGB-D imagery. This imagery is typically acquired using multi-view stereo mobile mapping systems capturing dense sequences of street level imagery. Ideally, image depth information is derived using dense image matching. This delivers a very dense depth representation and ensures the spatial and temporal coherence of radiometric and depth data. This results in a high-definition WYSIWYG (“what you see is what you get”) urban model, which is intuitive to interpret and easy to interact with, and which provides powerful augmentation and 3D measuring capabilities. Furthermore, we present a scalable cloud-based framework for generating 3D image spaces of entire cities or states and a client architecture for their web-based exploitation. The model and the framework strongly support the smart city notion of efficiently connecting the urban environment and its processes with experts and citizens alike. In the paper we particularly investigate quality aspects of the urban model, namely the obtainable georeferencing accuracy and the quality of the depth map extraction. We show that our image-based georeferencing approach is capable of improving the original direct georeferencing accuracy by an order of magnitude and that the presented new multi-image matching approach is capable of providing high accuracies along with a significantly improved completeness of the depth maps.
Detection and Identification of Probiotic Lactobacillus plantarum Strains by Multiplex PCR Using RAPD-Derived Primers
Authors: Galanis Alex , Kourkoutas Yiannis , Tassou Chrysoula , Chorianopoulos Nikos
Published: October 2015

Lactobacillus plantarum 2035 and Lactobacillus plantarum ACA-DC 2640 are two lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains that have been isolated from Feta cheese. Both display significant potential for the production of novel probiotic food products. The aim of the present study was the development of an accurate and efficient method for the molecular detection and identification of the above strains in a single reaction. A multiplex PCR assay was designed for each strain, based on specific primers derived from Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) Sequenced Characterized Amplified Region (SCAR) analysis. The specificity of the assay was tested with a total of 23 different LAB strains, for L. plantarum 2035 and L. plantarum ACA-DC 2640. The multiplex PCR assay was also successfully applied for the detection of the above cultures in yogurt samples prepared in our lab. The proposed methodology may be applied for monitoring the presence of these strains in food products, thus evaluating their probiotic character. Moreover, our strategy may be adapted for other novel LAB strains with probiotic potential, thus providing a powerful tool for molecular discrimination that could be invaluable to the food industry.
Improving Non-Destructive Concrete Strength Tests Using Support Vector Machines
Authors: Shih Yi-Fan , Wang Yu-Ren , Lin Kuo-Liang , Chen Chin-Wen
Published: October 2015

Non-destructive testing (NDT) methods are important alternatives when destructive tests are not feasible to examine the in situ concrete properties without damaging the structure. The rebound hammer test and the ultrasonic pulse velocity test are two popular NDT methods to examine the properties of concrete. The rebound of the hammer depends on the hardness of the test specimen and ultrasonic pulse travelling speed is related to density, uniformity, and homogeneity of the specimen. Both of these two methods have been adopted to estimate the concrete compressive strength. Statistical analysis has been implemented to establish the relationship between hammer rebound values/ultrasonic pulse velocities and concrete compressive strength. However, the estimated results can be unreliable. As a result, this research proposes an Artificial Intelligence model using support vector machines (SVMs) for the estimation. Data from 95 cylinder concrete samples are collected to develop and validate the model. The results show that combined NDT methods (also known as SonReb method) yield better estimations than single NDT methods. The results also show that the SVM model is more accurate than the statistical regression model.
Novel 2-Thioxanthine and Dipyrimidopyridine Derivatives: Synthesis and Antimicrobial Activity
Authors: El-kalyoubi Samar , Agili Fatmah , Youssif Shaker
Published: October 2015

Several fused imidazolopyrimidines were synthesized starting from 6-amino-1-methyl-2-thiouracil (1) followed by nitrosation, reduction and condensation with different aromatic aldehydes to give Schiff’s base. The dehydrocyclization of Schiff’s bases using iodine/DMF gave Compounds 5a–g. The methylation of 5a–g using a simple alkylating agent as dimethyl sulfate ((CH3)2SO4) gave either monoalkylated imidazolopyrimidine 6a–g at room temperature or dialkylated derivatives 7a–g on heating 6a–g with ((CH3)2SO4). On the other hand, treatment of 1 with different aromatic aldehydes in absolute ethanol in the presence of conc. hydrochloric acid at room temperature and/or reflux with acetic acid afforded bis-5,5́-diuracylmethylene 8a–e, which cyclized on heating with a mixture of acetic acid/HCl (1:1) to give 9a–e. Compounds 9a–e can be obtained directly by refluxing of Compound 1 with a mixture of acetic acid/HCl. The synthesized new compounds were screened for antimicrobial activity, and the MIC was measured.
Direct Growth of Bismuth Film as Anode for Aqueous Rechargeable Batteries in LiOH, NaOH and KOH Electrolytes
Authors: Zuo Wenhua , Xu Pan , Li Yuanyuan , Liu Jinping
Published: October 2015

As promising candidates for next-generation energy storage devices, aqueous rechargeable batteries are safer and cheaper than organic Li ion batteries. But due to the narrow voltage window of aqueous electrolytes, proper anode materials with low redox potential and high capacity are quite rare. In this work, bismuth electrode film was directly grown by a facile hydrothermal route and tested in LiOH, NaOH and KOH electrolytes. With low redox potential (reduction/oxidation potentials at ca. −0.85/−0.52 V vs. SCE, respectively) and high specific capacity (170 mAh·g−1 at current density of 0.5 A·g−1 in KOH electrolyte), Bi was demonstrated as a suitable anode material for aqueous batteries. Furthermore, by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analysis, we found that with smaller Rs and faster ion diffusion coefficient, Bi electrode film in KOH electrolyte exhibited better electrochemical performance than in LiOH and NaOH electrolytes.
Supplementation of Antipsychotic Treatment with the Amino Acid Sarcosine Influences Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Parameters in Left Frontal White Matter in Patients with Schizophrenia
Authors: Strzelecki Dominik , Podgórski Michał , Kałużyńska Olga , Gawlik-Kotelnicka Oliwia , Stefańczyk Ludomir , Kotlicka-Antczak Magdalena , Gmitrowicz Agnieszka , Grzelak Piotr
Published: October 2015

Dysfunction of the glutamatergic system, the main stimulating system in the brain, has a major role in pathogenesis of schizophrenia. The frontal white matter (WM) is partially composed of axons from glutamatergic pyramidal neurons and glia with glutamatergic receptors. The natural amino acid sarcosine, a component of a normal diet, inhibits the glycine type 1 transporter, increasing the glycine level. Thus, it modulates glutamatergic transmission through the glutamatergic ionotropic NMDA (N-methyl-d-aspartate) receptor, which requires glycine as a co-agonist. To evaluate the concentrations of brain metabolites (NAA, N-acetylaspartate; Glx, complex of glutamate, glutamine, and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA); mI, myo-inositol; Cr, creatine; Cho, choline) in the left frontal WM, Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (1H-NMR) spectroscopy was used. Twenty-five patients randomly chosen from a group of fifty with stable schizophrenia (DSM-IV-TR) and dominant negative symptoms, who were receiving antipsychotic therapy, were administered 2 g of sarcosine daily for six months. The remaining 25 patients received placebo. Assignment was double blinded. 1H-NMR spectroscopy (1.5 T) was performed twice: before and after the intervention. NAA, Glx and mI were evaluated as Cr and Cho ratios. All patients were also assessed twice with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Results were compared between groups and in two time points in each group. The sarcosine group demonstrated a significant decrease in WM Glx/Cr and Glx/Cho ratios compared to controls after six months of therapy. In the experimental group, the final NAA/Cr ratio significantly increased and Glx/Cr ratio significantly decreased compared to baseline values. Improvement in the PANSS scores was significant only in the sarcosine group. In patients with schizophrenia, sarcosine augmentation can reverse the negative effect of glutamatergic system overstimulation, with a simultaneous beneficial increase of NAA/Cr ratio in the WM of the left frontal lobe. Our results further support the glutamatergic hypothesis of schizophrenia.