bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Using Survey Data to Design a RFID Centric Service System for Hospitals
Authors: Mogre Riccardo , Gadh Rajit , Chattopadhyay Arunabh
Published: April 2012

The continuous growth of health care services expenses urges U.S. government to take actions. The adoption of Information Technology, and especially RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) allow hospitals to re-engineer their processes in order to reduce costs, maintaining the same level of service to the patients. Information technology represents a core element of the service itself; therefore a service design approach is believed to improve the adoption rate of RFID in hospitals. The main goal of the present study is to propose an RFID based service platform for hospitals, which is consistent with a service science driven design approach. A survey of 33 California based hospitals has been used to identify the user requirements of the hospitals. Later, a business process re-engineering for hospitals is proposed. Firstly the different actors involved in the health care services, along with their relationships in terms of information flows, are identified. This leads us to identify the various operations in a hospital setting that have a potential to be streamlined by introducing RFID technology. Having introduced these operations, we theorize a customizable RFID service, which can be implemented sequentially by each hospital according to its individual conditions such that it suits them most.

[Service Science, ISSN 2164-3962 (print), ISSN 2164-3970 (online), was published by Services Science Global (SSG) from 2009 to 2011 as issues under ISBN 978-1-4276-2090-3.]
S3-Sustainability and Services Science: Novel Perspective and Challenge
Authors: Wolfson Adi , Tavor Dorith , Mark Shlomo , Schermann Michael , Krcmar Helmut
Published: April 2012

Sustainability is a measure of the capacity of a certain process or state in any system to balance the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. One of the main challenges of sustainability is translating theory into action in the form of operational service offerings. Establishing sustainability as an essential aspect of services in service science and defining sustainability as a service in and of itself will foster the design and development of comprehensive, future-oriented, flexible values, methods, and tools applicable to all design, development, management, and implementation processes. The paper concludes with a novel model of sustainability as a service science that is illustrated with a simple example.

[Service Science, ISSN 2164-3962 (print), ISSN 2164-3970 (online), was published by Services Science Global (SSG) from 2009 to 2011 as issues under ISBN 978-1-4276-2090-3.]
Applying Social Network Analysis to Discover Service Innovation within Agile Service Networks
Authors: Carroll Noel , Whelan Eoin , Richardson Ita
Published: April 2012

The literature indicates that there is urgent need to address the significant gap in our ability to value the contributory interaction of service networks in organisational performance. This paper is primarily concerned with exploring how service (re)configuration is utilised to optimise network performance. The paper will summarise the literature review over the past year in the quest to document how we can understand the contributory value of service innovation networks. It identifies some interesting overlaps in business process management, service science, and network innovation literature. This paper will discuss how failing to account for the value of service networks inhibits our capability to discover and monitor service performance and how this complements the evolvement of service science. This prevents managers from transforming information on network activity and infrastructural capabilities into strategic knowledge. This paper demonstrates how social network analysis (SNA) can be a powerful tool for managers to understand organisational network performance and service interaction.

[Service Science, ISSN 2164-3962 (print), ISSN 2164-3970 (online), was published by Services Science Global (SSG) from 2009 to 2011 as issues under ISBN 978-1-4276-2090-3.]
On Formalization of the Concept of Value Proposition
Authors: Winkler Marek , Dosoudil Vladimír
Published: April 2012

This paper presents an original description and a semi-formal definition of the concept of a value proposition, which has been so far used in service science rather intuitively. Our approach is based on utility functions and conceptual modelling techniques. The proposed semi-formalization can be exploited to describe services from the point of view of their (potential) utility for their clients. This description can be used especially to organize a service portfolio in an enterprise in a better way, aid in computer-assisted service composition/decomposition, and provide additional criteria for indexing services in a service brokering task. In order to be able to describe a value proposition more accurately, we present a semi-formal definition of the concept of a service system. We perceive a value proposition as the main input taken into account by a future service client when evaluating whether or not to become the client of the service proposed by a service provider. A value proposition itself is modelled as a collection of values which indicate the extent of “how much” a given service behaves according to a given set of service characteristics. The presented approach is illustrated on the example of a concrete service.

[Service Science, ISSN 2164-3962 (print), ISSN 2164-3970 (online), was published by Services Science Global (SSG) from 2009 to 2011 as issues under ISBN 978-1-4276-2090-3.]
Social Change through Diffusion of Innovation in Indian Popular Cinema: An Analytical Study of Lage Raho Munna Bhai and Stalin
Authors: Murthy C.S.H.N. , Das Reetamoni
Published: April 2012

Film production started in India in 1896 almost simultaneously along with other filmmaking countries (Mazumdar, 2007: xv). The Indian film industry, both the regional and the mainstream, together spin out at least 1,000 films per year, according to an estimate (Thoraval, 2000: xi). According to the website of The International Indian Film Academy (IIFA), nearly 23 million people in India watch a film daily on an average (http://www.iifa.com/Indianfilmindustry. html).
Smaller Pie, Larger Slice: How Bargaining Power Affects the Decision to Bundle
Authors: Adilov Nodir , Alexander Peter , Cunningham Brendan M.
Published: April 2012

A cable operator chooses to bundle or provide programs a la carte by striking a balance between maximizing total surplus and minimizing transfer payments to program providers. Using general demand and cost functions, we show that a cable operator's decision to bundle maximizes total producer surplus if the cable operator's bargaining power is sufficiently high, and that a cable operator in a weak bargaining position might strategically choose to unbundle viewer channels in order to enhance its bargaining position with individual program suppliers, even when this decision reduces total surplus. It is, therefore, plausible that regulations to cap market share or impose a la carte on cable operators may reduce total surplus, and absent offsetting increases in consumer welfare, such policy measures may reduce total welfare. Under more restrictive conditions, we extend the analysis and show that consumer and social welfare under bundling or a la carte depends on both bargaining power and advertising rates. Our results imply a monopolist does not necessarily increase deadweight loss, and under certain circumstances a monopolist's bargaining outcomes yield higher social welfare.
“Going After the High-Brows”: Frank Gilbreth and the Surgical Subject, 1912–1917
Authors: Gainty Caitjan
Published: April 2012

This article offers a close examination of the early twentieth-century studies of surgical motion conducted by Frank Gilbreth, the celebrated industrial efficiency expert. The willingness of surgeons to submit to Gilbreth's studies challenges conventional historical narratives, which have read these studies primarily as examples of the individual-effacing effects of technocracy. Through an exploration of the multiple motivations that brought surgeons and Gilbreth together, the article raises new interpretive possibilities for the study of American medicine, and also of industrial work and American culture in this period.
Thyroid-specific ablation of the Carney complex gene, PRKAR1A, results in hyperthyroidism and follicular thyroid cancer
Authors: Pringle Daphne R , Yin Zhirong , Lee Audrey A , Manchanda Parmeet K , Yu Lianbo , Parlow Alfred F , Jarjoura David , La Perle Krista M D , Kirschner Lawrence S
Published: April 2012

Thyroid cancer is the most common endocrine malignancy in the population, and the incidence of this cancer is increasing at a rapid rate. Although genetic analysis of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) has identified mutations in a large percentage of patients, the genetic basis of follicular thyroid cancer (FTC) is less certain. Thyroid cancer, including both PTC and FTC, has been observed in patients with the inherited tumor predisposition Carney complex, caused by mutations inPRKAR1A. In order to investigate the role of loss ofPRKAR1Ain thyroid cancer, we generated a tissue-specific knockout ofPrkar1ain the thyroid. We report that the resulting mice are hyperthyroid and developed follicular thyroid neoplasms by 1 year of age, including FTC in over 40% of animals. These thyroid tumors showed a signature of pathway activation different from that observed in other models of thyroid cancer.In vitrocultures of the tumor cells indicated thatPrkar1a-null thyrocytes exhibited growth factor independence and suggested possible new therapeutic targets. Overall, this work represents the first report of a genetic mutation known to cause human FTC that exhibits a similar phenotype when modeled in the mouse. In addition to our knowledge of the mechanisms of human follicular thyroid tumorigenesis, this model is highly reproducible and may provide a viable mechanism for the further clinical development of therapies aimed at FTC.
Neonatal hormone changes and growth in lambs born to dams receiving differing nutritional intakes and selenium supplementation during gestation
Authors: Camacho Leticia E , Meyer Allison M , Neville Tammi L , Hammer Carolyn J , Redmer Dale A , Reynolds Lawrence P , Caton Joel S , Vonnahme Kimberly A
Published: April 2012

To investigate the effects of maternal selenium (Se) supplementation and nutritional intake during gestation on hormone changes, percentage body weight (BW) change, and organ mass in neonatal lambs, ewes were allocated to differing Se levels (adequate Se (ASe, 11.5 μg/kg BW) or high Se (HSe, 77.0 μg/kg BW)) initiated at breeding and nutritional intake (60% (RES), 100% (CON), or 140% (HIGH) of NRC requirements) initiated at day 40 of gestation. At parturition, all lambs were removed from dams, fed common diets, and BW and blood samples were collected until day 19. There was a Se×nutritional intake×day interaction for percentage BW change from birth. Lambs born to ASe-HIGH ewes tended to have decreased BW change compared with ASe-CON and ASe-RES groups on day 7. Lambs from HSe-HIGH ewes tended to have increased BW change compared with HSe-RES and HSe-CON groups from days 7 to 19. At birth, there was a Se×sex of offspring interaction, in which male lambs from HSe ewes had decreased cortisol concentrations compared with all other lambs. By 24 h, lambs from RES ewes had decreased cortisol compared with those from HIGH ewes, with lambs from CON ewes being intermediate. Lambs from RES- and CON-fed ewes had greater thyroxine than HIGH ewes at 24 h. Organ masses on day 19 were mainly impacted by maternal nutritional intake and sex of the offspring. Birth weight alone did not predict growth performance during neonatal life. Moreover, despite a similar postnatal diet, maternal nutritional plane and Se status did impact neonatal endocrine profiles. Exact mechanisms of how neonatal endocrine status can influence later growth and development need to be determined.
Suporte familiar, crenças irracionais e sintomatologia depressiva em estudantes universitários
Authors: Lemos Valdir Aquino , Baptista Makilim Nunes , Carneiro Adriana Munhoz
Published: April 2012

Este estudo teve como objetivo verificar as relações entre suporte familiar, sintomatologia depressiva e crenças irracionais. Participaram do estudo 377 voluntários de uma universidade do Estado de São Paulo, com idade média de 20,69 anos (DP= 2,29) e prevalência do sexo feminino (68,2%), que responderam ao Inventário de Percepção de Suporte Familiar - IPSF, o Inventário de Depressão de Beck - BDI e a Escala de Crenças Irracionais - ECI. Os resultados indicaram correlações entre o IPSF com o BDI e o ECI, indicando que, quanto maior a percepção de suporte familiar, menores são os escores de sintomas depressivos e de crenças irracionais. Correlações entre BDI e ECI também foram encontradas, indicando que, quanto maior o número de crenças irracionais, maiores os sintomas depressivos, o que vai ao encontro dos dados da literatura.
Análise comparativa de preços: variáveis influentes na percepção de vantagem de compra
Authors: Santos Jorge Henrique França dos , Botelho Delane
Published: April 2012

Este artigo verifica a influência das variáveis "informação sobre preço" (forma de apresentação), "familiaridade com o produto" e "nível de escolaridade" na percepção do comprador sobre a vantagem relativa de propostas de preço de produtos. A base teórica considerou prioritariamente a teoria dos prospectos e a teoria da contabilidade mental. Por ser realizado no contexto maranhense, este estudo permite avaliar tais teorias em condições culturais distintas do que vem sendo produzido tradicionalmente na literatura de administração no Brasil, nas Regiões Sudeste e Sul. A pesquisa empírica consistiu em um experimento de laboratório com manipulação de instrução, com uma amostra de 192 indivíduos. Os resultados indicam que a inclusão do preço de referência influencia as percepções do comprador em relação aos ganhos e às perdas envolvidas no contexto da compra, e a percepção dos estímulos de preço varia em função de escolaridade e familiaridade com o produto. Em cenários sem a presença de preços de referência e com ganhos altos e perdas baixas, a versão integrada dos eventos é preferível. A inclusão do preço de referência e a apresentação em reais das informações, em condições combinadas de perdas e ganhos, não mostraram alteração de preferência pela versão integrada, indicando que compradores percebem uma perda menos dolorosa quando um ganho maior é apresentado em um único pacote do que perceberiam caso a perda fosse apresentada isoladamente. Sugestões para futuras pesquisas incluem os estímulos relacionados à ambientação de loja e dos veículos de apresentação como moderadores da formação do preço de referência e consequente percepção do comprador sobre a vantagem relativa das promoções de preço.
Compreendendo relações entre a dinâmica evolutiva do campo da carcinicultura do Rio Grande do Norte e as estratégias adotadas por seus atores
Authors: Fernandes José Augusto Lacerda , Lopes Fernando Dias , Viana Fernando Luiz Emerenciano
Published: April 2012

Este estudo teve como objetivo compreender as relações existentes entre a dinâmica de formação/estruturação de um campo organizacional e as estratégias adotadas por seus atores. Para tanto, realizou-se uma pesquisa longitudinal no campo da carcinicultura - agronegócio do camarão - do Rio Grande do Norte (RN). Para operacionalizar a pesquisa, efetuou-se a coleta de informações múltiplas e plurais, com a adoção de diferentes instrumentos de pesquisa, com destaque para a observação direta, para as entrevistas semiestruturadas, procedidas com diferentes atores do campo (empresas, cooperativas, associações de classe, universidades e governo) e, ainda, para um amplo acervo de dados secundários. Com base na análise de dados, realizada de acordo com os direcionamentos de Bardin (2004), observou-se que, conforme se pressupunha, campo e estratégias têm se relacionado de modo recursivo, o que reafirma a inoperância de relações causais que considerem apenas a influência de um desses elementos sobre o outro. No que tange mais especificamente à formação/estruturação do campo, percebeu-se que, em nenhum momento dos trinta e cinco anos abrangidos pela pesquisa - desde a gênese do campo, em 1973, até 2008 -, a carcinicultura do RN obteve o nível mais elevado de institucionalização. E, não obstante, que, atualmente, em função de fatores políticos, culturais, econômicos e, sobretudo, da trajetória particular do próprio campo - da qual as estratégias mostraram ser parte fundamental -, a carcinicultura do RN evidencia um baixo nível de institucionalização. Esse fato tem uma íntima relação com as estratégias identificadas, posto que, tendo sido edificado, historicamente, sobre o tripé desconfiança-oportunismo-rivalidade, o campo acabou se tornando um palco propício para a adoção de estratégias tardias e desprovidas de um comprometimento coletivo, bastante frágeis no sentido de alavancar o desenvolvimento contínuo da atividade carcinicultora. Um fato que, somado a tantas outras evidências, sinaliza que a carcinicultura do RN constitui-se em mais um caso no qual a ação não é tão racional quanto promete e que revigora o valor de abordagens contextualizadas que apreendam as relações sociais nas quais as organizações estão imersas.
O efeito da diversificação no valor das empresas listadas em bolsa no Brasil
Authors: Carvalho Thomaz Freire de , Maia Marcelo Verdini , Barbedo Claudio Henrique da Silveira
Published: April 2012

Neste trabalho, verificam-se evidências de que a diversificação e o valor das empresas são negativamente relacionados. O trabalho segue a metodologia utilizada por Lang e Stulz (1994) e tem como objetivo determinar se o valor de mercado das firmas brasileiras é correlacionado com seu grau de diversificação de seus negócios ou de sua carteira de negócios. Os resultados indicam que a relação negativa é observada para diferentes métricas de diversificação e se mantém mesmo quando se controla o efeito de outras variáveis conhecidas por influenciar o valor das empresas, a saber: investimentos, endividamento, rentabilidade e tamanho da empresa. Além disso, assim como empresas especializadas, as empresas pouco e altamente diversificadas também possuem um valor elevado, medido pelo Q de Tobin. Por fim, dois resultados novos trazidos por este trabalho são o indício de que a diversificação em segmentos mais relacionados apresenta um efeito menos negativo do que a diversificação em segmentos distintos e o fato de a correlação da diversificação com o valor da empresa ser positiva em tempos de crise econômica. A implicação desse resultado é que as empresas que não têm um posicionamento claro em relação à decisão de diversificação tendem a ter um desempenho pior que as demais e que, em momento de crise, as empresas mais diversificadas possuem um fluxo de rendimentos de menor risco. A limitação do trabalho é o fato de que a análise pode ter sido prejudicada porque a maioria das empresas brasileiras atua em segmentos extremamente relacionados. Isso pôde ser observado pela altíssima média do índice Herfindahl, ainda que ajustado para considerar apenas segmentos não correlacionados.
El Soplador mágico: un experimento discrepante en el aprendizaje de la ley de presión hidrodinámica de Bernoulli
Authors: Barbosa Luis H. , Mora Cesar E. , Talero Paco H. , Organista Jose O.
Published: April 2012

El proposito de este articulo es presentar un experimento discrepante, su modelación física y las bondades pedagógicas del montaje para apropiar la ley de presión hidrodinámica de Bernoulli. Se presenta resultados del impacto sobre una población de estudiantes y se mide su movilización surgida del proceso de ir desde un estado de disonancia a un estado de consonancia. El aparato se ha usado como proyecto para que la población en estudio lo trabaje en su tiempo independiente durante 4 semanas. La evolución del aprendizaje se precisa con la ganancia normalizada de Hake y el factor de concentración de Bao. Se ha encontrado una experiencia muy enriquecedora pedagógicamente representada por valores de ganancia de Hake mayores a 0.5.
Advanced Technologies for Parasitic Weed Control
Authors: Aly R.
Published: April 2012

Parasitic weeds such asPhelipancheandOrobancheare obligate holoparasites that attack roots of almost all economically important crops in semiarid regions of the world. A wide variety of parasitic weed control strategies (chemical, biological, cultural, and resistant crops) has been tried. Unfortunately, most are partially effective and have significant limitations. The current mini review will discuss the needs for alternative methods and will summarize current and new biotechnology-based approaches for broomrape control. At present, we have generated transgenic tobacco plants expressing a cecropin peptide (sarcotoxin IA), under the control of the inducibleHMG2promoter. Transgenic lines enhanced host resistance to the parasitic weed; transgenes showed higher numbers of aborted parasitization events, reducedPhelipanchebiomass, and increased host biomass.Sarcotoxin IAhad no obvious effect on growth and development of transgenic host plants. Mannitol content in the parasite is regulated by Mannose 6-Phosphate Reductase (M6PR) gene, an essential process to broomrape species for water and nutrient uptake from the host. In our study, we used the inverted repeat technique to silence the parasite target gene,M6PR. In this study it was shown that the endogenousM6PRmRNA fromP. aegyptiacatubercles or shoots grown on transgenic tomato plants harboring theM6PRsilencing construct was reduced by 60 to 80%. The number of dead tubercles was also increased significantly on transgenic plants as compared with the control plants. The strategies presented here are potentially superior to other methods in that they are effective, have a low cost of implementation for producers, and are safe for the environment.
Parasitic Weeds: A World Challenge
Authors: Parker Chris
Published: April 2012

While witchweed is nearing eradication in the United States, it continues to thrive in other parts of the world, especially in Africa, together with other witchweed species. The continuing problems from witchweeds and other parasitic weeds, the broomrapes, dodders and mistletoes, are outlined, including their extent, the degrees of damage caused, and the difficulties in their control. While a small minority are being successfully controlled by the use of immune varieties, most are currently controlled by existing techniques only partially, or on a local basis, and they may even be spreading or intensifying. The challenges they present are emphasised.
Japanese Foxtail (Alopecurus japonicus) Resistance to Fenoxaprop and Pinoxaden in China
Authors: Mohamed Ibrahim A. , Li Runzhi , You Zhenguo , Li Zhaohu
Published: April 2012

Japanese foxtail is one of the most common and competitive annual grass weeds of wheat in China. Whole-plant dose-response experiments were conducted with fenoxaprop and pinoxaden to confirm and characterize resistant and susceptible Japanese foxtail populations and to elucidate the basis of resistance to these herbicides. The resistant Japanese foxtail population was 49-fold resistant to fenoxaprop and 16-fold (cross) resistant to pinoxaden relative to the susceptible population, which was susceptible to both fenoxaprop and pinoxaden herbicides. Molecular analysis of resistance confirmed that the Ile1781to Leu mutation in the resistant population conferred resistance to both fenoxaprop and pinoxaden. This is the first report of cross resistance of Japanese foxtail to pinoxaden in the world and of a target site mutation that corresponded to resistance to both fenoxaprop and pinoxaden in Japanese foxtail. Prior selection pressure from fenoxaprop could result in evolution of resistance to fenoxaprop and cross resistance to pinoxaden in Japanese foxtail population.
The Parasitic Plant Genome Project: New Tools for Understanding the Biology ofOrobancheandStriga
Authors: Westwood James H. , dePamphilis Claude W. , Das Malay , Fernández-Aparicio Mónica , Honaas Loren A. , Timko Michael P. , Wafula Eric K. , Wickett Norman J. , Yoder John I.
Published: April 2012

The Parasitic Plant Genome Project has sequenced transcripts from three parasitic species and a nonparasitic relative in the Orobanchaceae with the goal of understanding genetic changes associated with parasitism. The species studied span the trophic spectrum from free-living nonparasite to obligate holoparasite. Parasitic species used wereTriphysaria versicolor, a photosynthetically competent species that opportunistically parasitizes roots of neighboring plants;Striga hermonthica, a hemiparasite that has an obligate need for a host; andOrobanche aegyptiaca, a holoparasite with absolute nutritional dependence on a host.Lindenbergia philippensisrepresents the closest nonparasite sister group to the parasitic Orobanchaceae and was included for comparative purposes. Tissues for transcriptome sequencing from each plant were gathered to identify expressed genes for key life stages from seed conditioning through anthesis. Two of the species studied,S. hermonthicaandO. aegyptiaca, are economically important weeds and the data generated by this project are expected to aid in research and control of these species and their relatives. The sequences generated through this project will provide an abundant resource of molecular markers for understanding population dynamics, as well as provide insight into the biology of parasitism and advance progress toward understanding parasite virulence and host resistance mechanisms. In addition, the sequences provide important information on target sites for herbicide action or other novel control strategies such as trans-specific gene silencing.
Threelobe Morningglory (Ipomoea triloba) Germination and Response to Herbicides
Authors: Chauhan Bhagirath Singh , Abugho Seth Bernard
Published: April 2012

Experiments were conducted in the laboratory and screenhouse to determine the effects of scarification; alternating day/night temperatures; light, salt, and water stress; seed burial depth; and rice residue on seed germination and seedling emergence of threelobe morningglory, and to evaluate the response of this weed to commonly available POST herbicides in the Philippines. Germination was stimulated by seed scarification, suggesting that inhibition of germination in this species is mainly due to the hard seed coat. Germination of the scarified seeds was not influenced by the tested temperatures (alternating day/night temperatures of 25/15, 30/20, and 35/25 C) and light. The concentrations of sodium chloride, ranging from 0 to 250 mM, did not influence germination of the scarified seeds of threelobe morningglory. The osmotic potential required for 50% inhibition of maximum germination was −0.35 MPa, although some seeds germinated at −0.6 MPa. Seedling emergence was greatest for the seeds placed on the soil surface (96%), and emergence declined with increased burial depth in soil. The burial depth required for 50% inhibition of maximum emergence was 2.8 cm. No seedlings emerged from a burial depth of 6 cm or greater. Residues of up to 6 Mg ha−1on the soil surface did not influence seedling emergence of threelobe morningglory. The herbicide 2,4-D at 400 g ai ha−1provided excellent control of threelobe morningglory when applied at the four-leaf (100%) and six-leaf (97%) stages. However, at the eight-leaf stage, percent control was reduced to 67% and herbicide rate had to be increased twofold to achieve 95% control. The information gained from this study could contribute to developing components of integrated weed management strategies for threelobe morningglory. Soil inversion by tillage to bury weed seeds below their maximum depth of emergence and early application of an effective POST herbicide could serve as important tools for managing threelobe morningglory.
Reducing the Risks of Herbicide Resistance: Best Management Practices and Recommendations
Authors: Norsworthy Jason K. , Ward Sarah M. , Shaw David R. , Llewellyn Rick S. , Nichols Robert L. , Webster Theodore M. , Bradley Kevin W. , Frisvold George , Powles Stephen B. , Burgos Nilda R. , Witt William W. , Barrett Michael
Published: April 2012

Herbicides are the foundation of weed control in commercial crop-production systems. However, herbicide-resistant (HR) weed populations are evolving rapidly as a natural response to selection pressure imposed by modern agricultural management activities. Mitigating the evolution of herbicide resistance depends on reducing selection through diversification of weed control techniques, minimizing the spread of resistance genes and genotypes via pollen or propagule dispersal, and eliminating additions of weed seed to the soil seedbank. Effective deployment of such a multifaceted approach will require shifting from the current concept of basing weed management on single-year economic thresholds.
Herbicidal Ionic Liquids with 2,4-D
Authors: Praczyk Tadeusz , Kardasz Przemysław , Jakubiak Ewa , Syguda Anna , Materna Katarzyna , Pernak Juliusz
Published: April 2012

Three herbicidal ionic liquids (HILs)—alkyldi(2-hydroxyethyl)methylammonium (2,4-dichlorophenoxy)acetate, dialkyldimethylammonium (2,4-dichlorophenoxy)acetate, and alkyltrimethylammonium (2,4-dichlorophenoxy)acetate—were synthesized and their activity against broad-leaved weeds was investigated under field conditions. HILs as [cation][2,4-D] used in winter wheat were much more active compared to 2,4-D-dimethylammonium salt and demonstrated efficacy similar to 2,4-D 2-ethylhexyl ester. HILs exhibited desirable surface properties such as low contact angle of droplets and low surface tension. Moreover, the HILs may be safer to operators and neighboring plants due to their nonvolatile nature. HILs at 450 g ha−1of 2,4-D did not injure wheat.
Design of self-compacting concrete with fly ash
Authors: Dinakar Pasla
Published: April 2012

Concrete of a desired strength for any specific application can be obtained by using any of the accepted methods of design. However, the addition of mineral admixtures, such as fly ash, in concrete, requires a systematic design procedure for obtaining the required strength. It is possible to design a fly ash concrete of the required strength through the ‘efficiency concept', and the same is also true for the design of self-compacting concrete (SCC). In this paper, a new mix design methodology is proposed for proportioning of self-compacting fly ash concretes based on the efficiency concept. The methodology has already been successfully verified through a proper experimental investigation and the self-compacting fly ash concretes were evaluated for their self compactability and strength characteristics. The results indicate that the proposed method is capable of producing high-quality SCC.
Injury Surveillance in New York City Jails
Authors: Ludwig Ariel , Cohen Louise , Parsons Amanda , Venters Homer
Published: April 2012

To characterize injuries occurring in jails, we analyzed injury report forms from the New York City jail system. We abstracted data from 4695 injury report forms representing 3863 patients. Of the injuries reported, 66% were classified as intentional. The 2 leading causes of injuries were inmate-on-inmate aggression (40%) and slips and falls (27%). Injuries place a considerable burden on jail health care systems, and there is a need for more studies on this problem and development of injury prevention programs.
A Method for Partitioning the Attributable Fraction of Multiple Time-Dependent Coexisting Risk Factors for an Adverse Health Outcome
Authors: Lin Haiqun , Allore Heather G. , McAvay Gail , Tinetti Mary E. , Gill Thomas M. , Gross Cary P. , Murphy Terrence E.
Published: April 2012

Objectives. We decomposed the total effect of coexisting diseases on a timed occurrence of an adverse outcome into additive effects from individual diseases.

Methods. In a cohort of older adults enrolled in the Precipitating Events Project in New Haven County, Connecticut, we assessed a longitudinal extension of the average attributable fraction method (LE-AAF) to estimate the additive and order-free contributions of multiple diseases to the timed occurrence of a health outcome, with right censoring, which may be useful when relationships among diseases are complex. We partitioned the contribution to death into additive LE-AAFs for multiple diseases.

Results. The onset of heart failure and acute episodes of pneumonia during follow-up contributed the most to death, with the overall LE-AAFs equal to 13.0% and 12.1%, respectively. The contribution of preexisting diseases decreased over the years, with a trend of increasing contribution from new onset of diseases.

Conclusions. LE-AAF can be useful for determining the additive and order-free contribution of individual time-varying diseases to a time-to-event outcome.
Payment Source and Emergency Management of Deliberate Self-Harm
Authors: Marcus Steven C. , Bridge Jeffrey A. , Olfson Mark
Published: April 2012

Objectives. We investigated whether health insurance type (private vs Medicaid) influences the delivery of acute mental health care to patients with deliberate self-harm.

Methods. Using National Medicaid Analytic Extract Files (2006) and MarketScan Research Databases (2005–2007), we analyzed claims focusing on emergency episodes of deliberate self-harm of Medicaid- (n = 8228) and privately (n = 2352) insured adults. We analyzed emergency department mental health assessments and outpatient mental health visits in the 30 days following the emergency visit for discharged patients.

Results. Medicaid-insured patients were more likely to be discharged (62.7%), and among discharged patients they were less likely to receive a mental health assessment in the emergency department (47.8%) and more likely to receive follow-up outpatient mental health care (52.9%) than were privately insured patients (46.9%, 57.3%, and 41.2%, respectively).

Conclusions. Acute emergency management of deliberate self-harm is less intensive for Medicaid- than for privately insured patients, although discharged Medicaid-insured patients are more likely to receive follow-up care. Programmatic reforms are needed to improve access to emergency mental health services, especially in hospitals that serve substantial numbers of Medicaid-insured patients.
Sudden Unexpected Infant Deaths: Sleep Environment and Circumstances
Authors: Schnitzer Patricia G. , Covington Theresa M. , Dykstra Heather K.
Published: April 2012

Objectives. We sought to describe the characteristics and sleep circumstances of infants who die suddenly and unexpectedly and to examine similarities and differences in risk factors among infants whose deaths are classified as resulting from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), suffocation, or undetermined causes.

Methods. We used 2005 to 2008 data from 9 US states to assess 3136 sleep-related sudden unexpected infant deaths (SUIDs).

Results. Only 25% of infants were sleeping in a crib or on their back when found; 70% were on a surface not intended for infant sleep (e.g., adult bed). Importantly, 64% of infants were sharing a sleep surface, and almost half of these infants were sleeping with an adult. Infants whose deaths were classified as suffocation or undetermined cause were significantly more likely than were infants whose deaths were classified as SIDS to be found on a surface not intended for infant sleep and to be sharing that sleep surface.

Conclusions. We identified modifiable sleep environment risk factors in a large proportion of the SUIDs assessed in this study. Our results make an important contribution to the mounting evidence that sleep environment hazards contribute to SUIDs.
Increasing Cell Phone Usage Among Hispanics: Implications for Telephone Surveys
Authors: Lee Sunghee , Elkasabi Mahmoud , Streja Leanne
Published: April 2012

Objectives. We examined whether the widespread assumption that Hispanics are subject to greater noncoverage bias in landline telephone surveys because they are more likely than other ethnic groups to use cell phones exclusively was supported by data.

Methods. Data came from the 2010 National Health Interview Survey and the 2009 California Health Interview Survey. We considered estimates derived from surveys of adults with landline telephones biased and compared them with findings for all adults. Noncoverage bias was the difference between them, examined separately for Hispanics and non-Hispanic Whites.

Results. Differences in demographic and health characteristics between cell-only and landline users were larger for non-Hispanic Whites than Hispanics; cell usage was much higher for Hispanics than non-Hispanic Whites. The existence, pattern, and magnitude of noncoverage bias were comparable between the groups.

Conclusions. We found no evidence to support a larger noncoverage bias for Hispanics than non-Hispanic Whites in landline telephone surveys. This finding should be considered in the design and interpretation of telephone surveys.
A Reservoir Analyzer Study of the Woodbine Basin
Authors: Rumble R.C. , Spain H.H. , Stamm H.E.
Published: April 2012

This paper presents a reservoir analyzer study of the performance of the Woodbine formation in the East Texas basin. The study was made possible by the compilation of available information on the configuration, thickness and the pressure drawdown of the formation. The investigation was made of the pressure variations in the basin incident to production from the several Woodbine reservoirs. In addition, the apparent compressibility of Woodbine water was evaluated so that the potential water yield of the formation could be determined. The distribution of permeability of the Woodbine sand and the interference between producing areas were also investigated. In conjunction with this basic study of the Woodbine sand, an acceptable match of the production-pressure relationship in the East Texas Field was established on the analyzer.

Introduction

When production is taken from a reservoir contiguous to an aquifer, the resultant pressure gradient causes a water influx into the reservoir. For some years it has been the practice to predict the performance of water drive reservoirs with mathematical equations that relate the water influx into reservoirs to their pressure behavior. A rigorous solution of these equations is quite complex; hence, the conventional method requires the simplifying assumptions that the formation have constant thickness, permeability and porosity, and that it have a known and regular shape. It is necessary to use performance records of the reservoir in question to determine the equation constants that make the results of the mathematical calculations duplicate the reservoir history. The values of the constants determined in this manner sometimes differ so greatly from theoretical or measured values that the constants appear unreasonable. The equation constants comprise such factors as the thickness, porosity and permeability of the formation, and the viscosity and compressibility of water. Usually the thickness, porosity and viscosity are known within a reasonable degree of certainty, whereas the formation permeability and the water compressibility are known with considerably less certainty. Hence, permeability and compressibility values are arbitrarily selected that will make the mathematical equations duplicate the reservoir behavior. In many reservoir studies the value of the compressibility of water thus selected has exceeded the reported value by a factor of from severalfold to manyfold.
Characterization of Sampling-While-Drilling Operations
Authors: Villareal S.. , Pop J.. , Bernard F.. , Harms K.. , Hoefel A.. , Kamiya A.. , Swinburne P.. , Ramshaw S..
Published: April 2012

The while-drilling environment poses several potential challenges to acquiring representative formation-fluid samples; in particular, sampling times are expected to be restricted (perhaps severely) and dynamic filtration conditions are expected to predominate. With the aim of formulating effective strategies for sampling-while-drilling (SWD) operations, it is natural to seek answers to at least the following questions: When should samples be acquired—immediately after drilling the formation when invasion is shallowest, or after some time when the mudcake is more mature? What is the effect of circulation rate on sample quality? What levels of sample quality are achievable under while-drilling conditions?

The first part of the paper describes the SWD tool used to investigate the questions posed. The tool is composed of the following components: a probe module; a pump-out module, which contains within it fluid-property sensors, including a resistivity cell and a 10-channel optical spectrometer; sample-capture modules; and a power-generation module consisting of a dedicated mud turbine and alternator that provide the required pumping power to the sampling tool.

The second part of the paper is devoted to the description and analysis of a series of tests performed to characterize SWD operations. In particular, the following aspects were studied for their effect on sampling efficiency and sample contamination: time after drilling, mud-circulation rate, ceasing and resuming pumping operations as a means of mitigating sticking risk during protracted pumping operations, and the integrity of samples captured under drilling conditions. All tests were performed in water-bearing formations drilled with a water-based mud. A wireline sampling (WLS) tool was run after the while-drilling tests were completed in order to compare the performance of the two sampling tools.

The principal conclusions derived from the tests conducted are that present-day sampling technology can be made to survive and operate effectively under drilling conditions, and that there appear to be substantial advantages to acquiring samples soon after drilling a formation.
Prediction of Saturation Pressures for Condensate-Gas and Volatile-Oil Mixtures
Authors: Organick E.I. , Golding B.H.
Published: April 2012

A simple correlation is presented for the prediction of saturation pressures in condensate-gas and volatile-oil mixtures. Saturation pressure is related directly to the composition of the mixture with the aid of two generalized composition characteristics, the molal average boiling point, and the modified weight average equivalent molecular weight. The need for hydrocarbon equilibrium constants is entirely eliminated. Only the values of the two composition parameters need be obtained, and these are calculated in a simple and reproducible manner from the stream analysis of the mixture and the ASTM distillation for the heavy ends.

The correlation is given in the form of a set of 14 working charts in which saturation pressures, either retrograde dew points or bubble points, are plotted vs temperature, forming partial phase envelopes for mixtures having discrete values of the composition parameters, the molal average boiling point, and the modified weight average equivalent molecular weight.A locus of critical states on each chart intersects the partial phase envelopes, distinguishing retrograde dew point pressures from bubble pressures.

A comparison between experimental and predicted saturation pressures reveals that: the probable error of the predicted values, when considering the data as a whole (214 experimental points), is five per cent; for high gas/oil ratio condensate fluids (approximately 40,000 or more cu ft/bbl) the probable error is about 8 per cent. In either case, however, the probable error is comparable with the overall uncertainty of the data from which the correlation is derived.

Introduction

There is a present need for a simplified, yet reasonably accurate method for predicting upper phase boundaries of reservoir fluids. In the case of high gas/oil ratio fluids, namely the so-called highly volatile oils and the condensate gases, no simple method, accurate within 5 to 10 per cent, is now available by which bubble point and retrograde dew point pressures may be predicted.
The Role of Diffusion for Nonequilibrium Gas Injection Into a Fractured Reservoir
Authors: Yanze Yannick , Clemens Torsten
Published: April 2012

The Schönkirchen Tief oil field is located in the Vienna basin in Austria. It is a pervasively fractured dolomite reservoir that has been produced for more than 50 years. The field is at the tail end of production, the wells are perforated close to the top of the reservoir, and water is injected downdip. Because of the location of the field close to one of the main gas pipelines in Austria, it is planned to convert the field into high-performance underground gas storage (UGS).

The field is characterized by a highly permeable fracture system and a less-permeable matrix system. It is expected that some incremental oil can be recovered because of gas/oil gravity drainage from the matrix.

In addition to gas/oil gravity drainage, diffusion will have an effect on the oil recovery. The injected gas is leaner than the equilibrium gas in the reservoir. Hence, gas components diffuse from the fracture system into the matrix and components of the oil diffuse toward the fracture system. This results in a modification of the properties of the oil affected by diffusion.

This type of gas injection results in a zone of decreased oil viscosity for gases such as CO2 and CH4 at the interface of the gas and the oil in the matrix. This zone of lower oil viscosity increases the gas/oil gravity-drainage rates.

The results show that the effect of diffusion can increase cumulative oil production up to 25% compared with a case neglecting the effect of diffusion. The effect of diffusion could be determined for various parameters such as permeability, porosity, fracture spacing, and matrix-block height. While for some of the parameters the effect of diffusion scales with the square root of time (e.g., permeability), for others an exponential relationship has been determined (fracture spacing).

The results derived for the example reservoir can be used more generally to screen whether the effect of diffusion should be incorporated into reservoir studies concerning nonequilibrium-gas injection and to determine how large the error could be in the case where diffusion is neglected.
Probabilistic Production Forecasting for Unconventional Reservoirs With Stretched Exponential Production Decline Model
Authors: Can B.. , Kabir C.S.. S.
Published: April 2012

Reserves estimation in an unconventional-reservoir setting is a daunting task because of geologic uncertainty and complex flow patterns evolving in a long, stimulated horizontal well, among other variables. To tackle this complex problem, we present a reserves-evaluation workflow that couples the traditional decline-curve analysis (DCA) with a probabilistic forecasting frame. The stretched-exponential production-decline (SEPD) model underpins the production behavior. Our recovery appraisal workflow has two different applications: forecasting probabilistic future performance of (1) wells that have production history and of (2) new wells without production data. For the new-field case, numerical-model runs are made in accord with the statistical design of experiments (DOE) for a range of design variables pertinent to the field of interest. In contrast, for the producing wells, the early-time data often need adjustments owing to restimulation, installation of artificial lift, or other factors to focus on the decline trend. Thereafter, production data of either new or existing wells are grouped in accordance with maximum rates to obtain common SEPD model parameters for similar wells. After determining the distribution of model parameters using the well-grouping approach, the method establishes a probabilistic forecast for the individual wells.

This paper presents a probabilistic performance-forecasting method in unconventional reservoirs for wells with and without production history. Unlike other probabilistic forecasting tools, grouping wells with similar production character allows estimation of self-consistent SEPD-model parameters and alleviates the burden of having to define uncertainties associated with reservoir and well-completion parameters.