bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Slug Flow Monitoring in Pipes Using a Novel Non-Intrusive Optical Infrared Sensing Technology
Authors: Sarkodie Kwame , Fergusson-Rees Andrew , Makwashi Nura , Diaz Pedro
Published: April 2019

The application of real - time monitoring technologies presents a means to harnessing proactive or reactive controls in minimizing severity effects of slugging in the production system. This paper presents the development of a non-intrusive optical infrared sensing (NIOIRS) setup, for slug monitoring in pipes. The flow characteristics monitored were the development of slug flows and average phase fractions of gas and liquid in a vertical test section (0.018m by 1m) for superficial velocities of 0-0.131 m/s for water and 0 – 0.216 m/s for air. The measurement principle was based on the disparities in refractive indices of each phase in the sensing area. The sensing component of the sensor consisted of two pairs of IR emitters and photodiodes operated at wavelengths of 880 nm specifications. A circuit, for signal conditioning, amplification and data acquisition was set up to convert infrared light detected into voltage signals. Development of slug flow regimes was monitored from signal distributions binned under reference voltages. The transitions from bubble to slug flow, were observed at 10 percent count of the signal distributions around typical sensor response for air. Validation from photos showed good agreements with the sensor response. A single peaked distribution around the response for water indicated bubble flow regimes, with the development of two peaks indicated increasing gas slugs for increasing superficial gas velocities compared to liquid slug in the pipe. Phase fraction results were interpreted from a derived calibration models, which were based on the average observed response and reference responses of water and air over time. This model was compared with swell level changes, photographs and homogenous and drift flux correlation with agreement within maximum error bands +/− 0.5 % based on the swell level method and +/− 0.3% based on photographs. The Real-time application was carried out via the execution of an algorithm which incorporated the calibration information from the NIOIRS. The derived signals were processed and analyzed onto a display to identify slug flow development and phase fractions in real-time. A cheap and accurate sensing setup has been developed with the potential of real time monitoring of flow regimes and phase fraction determination.
A Machine Learning Approach to Predict Gas Oil Ratio Based on Advanced Mud Gas Data
Authors: Yang Tao , Arief Ibnu Hafidz , Niemann Martin , Houbiers Marianne , Meisingset Knut Kristian , Martins Andre , Froelich Laura
Published: April 2019

Mud gas data from drilling operations provide the very first indication of the presence of hydrocarbons in the reservoir. It has been a dream for decades in the oil industry to predict reservoir gas and oil properties from mud gas data, because it would provide knowledge of the reservoir fluid properties in an early stage, continuously for all reservoir zones, and at low costs. Previous efforts reported in the literature did not lead to a reliable method for quantitative prediction of the reservoir fluid properties from mud gas data. In this paper, we propose a novel approach based on machine learning which enables us to predict gas oil ratio (GOR) from advanced mud gas (AMG) data.

The current work is based on a previous successful pilot in unconventional (shale) reservoirs. Our aim is to extend the results of the pilot study to conventional reservoirs. In general, prediction of reservoir fluid properties is more challenging for conventional reservoirs than for unconventional reservoirs, due to the complexity of petroleum systems in conventional reservoirs. Instead of building a model directly from AMG data, we trained a machine learning model using a well-established reservoir fluid database with more than 2000 PVT samples. After thorough investigation of compositional similarity between PVT samples and AMG data, we applied the model developed from PVT samples to AMG data.

The predicted GORs from AMG data were compared with GOR measurements from corresponding PVT samples to assess the accuracy of the GOR predictions. The results from 22 wells with both AMG data and corresponding PVT samples show large agreement between prediction vs. measurement. The accuracy of the predictive model is much higher than previous results reported in the literature. In addition, a Quality Check (QC) metric was developed to efficiently flag low-quality AMG data. The QC metric is vital to give confidence level for GOR prediction based on AMG data when PVT samples are not available.

The study confirms that AMG data can be used as a new data source to quantitatively predict continuous reservoir fluid properties in the drilling phase. The method can be used to optimize wireline operations and for some cases, it provides a unique opportunity to acquire reservoir fluid data when conventional fluid sampling or use of wireline tools is not possible. After high-quality PVT data becomes available in the wireline logging phase, the continuous GOR prediction can be further improved and used to determine reservoir fluid gradient and reservoir compartmentalization.
A 4D Small Data Solution in a Deepwater Gulf of Mexico Seismic-Driven History Matching Workflow
Authors: Thibodeaux Brandon , Gao Chao , Ramsay Travis , Segovia Felix , Hernandez Luisalic , Vora Harsh
Published: April 2019

Time-lapse seismic monitoring is a powerful technique for reservoir management and the optimization of hydrocarbon recovery. In time-lapse seismic datasets, the difference in seismic properties across different vintages enables the detection of spatio-temporal changes in saturated properties and structure induced by production. The main objectives are (1) to identify bypass pay zones in time-lapse seismic data for the deepwater Amberjack field, located in the Gulf of Mexico, (2) confirm the identified bypass pay zones in the results of reservoir simulation, and (3) recommend well planning strategies to exploit these bypassed resources.

A high-fidelity seismic-to-simulation 4D workflow that incorporates seismic, petrophysics, petrophysical property modeling, and reservoir simulation was employed, which leveraged cross-discipline interaction, interpretation, and integration to extend asset management capabilities. The workflow addresses geology (well log interpretation and framework development), geophysics (seismic interpretation, velocity modeling, and seismic inversion), and petrophysical property modeling (earth models and co-located co-simulation of petrophysical properties with P-impedance from seismic inversion). An embedded petro-elastic model (PEM) in the reservoir simulator is then used to affiliate spatial dry rock properties with saturation properties to compute dynamic elastic properties, which can be related to multi-vintage P-impedance from time-lapse seismic inversion. In the absence of the requisite dry rock properties for the PEM, a small data engine is used to determine these absent properties using metaheuristic optimization techniques. Specifically, two particle swarm optimization (PSO) applications, including an exterior penalty function (EPF), are modified resulting in the development of nested and average methods, respectively. These methods simultaneously calculate the missing rock parameters (dry rock bulk modulus, shear modulus, and density) necessary for dynamic, embedded P-impedance calculation in the history-constrained reservoir simulation results. Afterward, a graphic-enabled method was devised to appropriately classify the threshold to discriminate non-reservoir (including bypassed pay) and reservoir from the P-impedance difference. Its results are compared to unsupervised learning (k-means clustering and hierarchical clustering). From seismic data, one can identify bypassed pay locations, which are confirmed from reservoir simulation after conducting a seismic-driven history match. Finally, infill wells are planned, and then modeled in the reservoir simulator.
Small Data Driven Metaheuristic Petro-Elastic Model Development Using Seismic Inversion
Authors: Ramsay Travis
Published: April 2019

The petro-elastic model (PEM) represents an integral component in the closed-loop calibration of integrated four-dimensional (4D) solutions incorporating time-lapse seismic, elastic and petrophysical rock property modeling, and reservoir simulation. Calibration of the reservoir simulation model is needed so that it is not only consistent with production history but also with the contemporaneous subsurface description as characterized by time-lapse seismic. The PEM requires dry rock properties in its description, which are typically derived from mechanical rock tests. In the absence of those mechanical tests, a small data challenge is posed, whereby all necessary data is not available but the value of reconciling seismic attributes to simulated production remains. A seismic inversion-constrained n-dimensional metaheuristic optimization technique is employed directly on three-dimensional (3D) geocellular arrays to determine elastic and density properties for the PEM embedded in the commercial reservoir simulator.

Ill-posed dry elastic and density property models are considered in a field case where the seismic inversion and petrophysical property model constrained by seismic inversion exist. An n-dimensional design optimization technique is implemented to determine the optimal solution of a multidimensional pseudo-objective function comprised of multidimensional design variables. This study investigates the execution of a modified particle swarm optimization (PSO) method combined with an exterior penalty function (EPF) with varied constraints. The proposed technique involves using n-dimensional design optimization to solve the pseudo-objective function comprised of the PSO and EPF given limited availability of constraints. In this work, an examination of heavily and reduced-order penalized metaheuristic optimization processes, where the design variables and optimal solution are derived from 3D arrays, is conducted so that constraint applicability is quantified. While the process is examined specifically for PEM, it can be applied to other data-limited modeling techniques.
4D Seismic History Matching Incorporating Unsupervised Learning
Authors: Etienam Clement
Published: April 2019

The work discussed and presented in this paper focuses on the history matching of reservoirs by integrating 4D seismic data into the inversion process using machine learning techniques. A new integrated scheme for the reconstruction of petrophysical properties with a modified Ensemble Smoother with Multiple Data Assimilation (ES-MDA) in a synthetic reservoir is proposed. The permeability field inside the reservoir is parametrised with an unsupervised learning approach, namely K-means with Singular Value Decomposition (K-SVD). This is combined with the Orthogonal Matching Pursuit (OMP) technique which is very typical for sparsity promoting regularisation schemes. Moreover, seismic attributes, in particular, acoustic impedance, are parametrised with the Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT). This novel combination of techniques from machine learning, sparsity regularisation, seismic imaging and history matching aims to address the ill-posedness of the inversion of historical production data efficiently using ES-MDA. In the numerical experiments provided, I demonstrate that these sparse representations of the petrophysical properties and the seismic attributes enables to obtain better production data matches to the true production data and to quantify the propagating waterfront better compared to more traditional methods that do not use comparable parametrisation techniques.
30 Years of Horizontal Production Logging. What are We Really Measuring?
Authors: Kotlar Nicolas
Published: April 2019

The objective of this work is to demonstrate that the choice of the conveyance method for Production Logging operations is key in horizontal wells, as it affects the flow dynamics and changes the well inflow performance compared to undisturbed flowing conditions. A case study is presented, showing that critical decisions to develop a field (or not) may have been wrongly influenced by Production Logging results, if the effects of the conveyance on the inflow distribution were not correctly understood.

Synthetic production logs and flowing pressure distributions along the horizontal section were computed, and sensitivities on conveyance method diameter (coiled tubing, tractor and cable), pipe diameter, well length and reservoir properties were also conducted. These results were compared with the normal well flowing conditions to establish the representativeness of the PL measurements. A method for simulating the undisturbed production profile is presented, which uses the results of a Multirate Production Logging and recomputed flowing pressures using nodal analysis.

The presence of the conveyance method alters the well's inflow performance and zonal contributions, due to the modifications of the flow geometry and additional frictional pressure drop. The bottomhole flowing pressure is disturbed, with lower pressures around the heel and higher towards the toe. The drawdown along the horizontal gets modified, acting as a preferential choke for production coming from the toe and increasing the driving force for production from the heel. The severity of the drawdown unbalance is a function of the induced frictional pressure, given by the pipe and conveyance diameter, well length, flow rates, etc. The simulations and sensitivities presented in this paper help to understand how significant the PL measurements are, and when these results become misleading. The case study supports these findings, where the pressure disturbance induced by the conveyance changed the flow distribution dramatically, wrongly indicating than an area of the field was relatively depleted compared to the zone around the heel. The lack of understanding of the impact of the conveyance method can lead to poor developmental decisions.
A Semi-Analytical Poroelastic Solution to Evaluate the Stability of a Borehole Drilled Through a Porous Medium Saturated with Two Immiscible Fluids
Authors: Gao Jia Jia , Lau Hon Chung , Sun Jin
Published: April 2019

Conventional drilling design tends to inaccurately predict the mud density needed for borehole stability because it assumes that the porous medium is fully saturated with a single fluid while in actuality it may have two or more fluids.

This paper provides a new semi-analytical poroelastic solution for the case of an inclined borehole subjected to non-hydrostatic stresses in a porous medium saturated with two immiscible fluids, namely, water and gas. The new solution is obtained under plane strain condition. The wellbore loading is decomposed into axisymmetric and deviatoric cases. The time-dependent field variables are obtained by performing the inversion of the Laplace transforms. Based on the expansion of Laplace transform solution, we derive the unsaturated poroelastic asymptotic solutions for early times and for a small radial distance from an inclined wellbore. The model is verified by analytical solutions for the limiting case of a formation saturated with a single fluid. The impact of the unsaturated poroelastic effect on pore pressure, stresses and borehole stability is investigated.

Our results show that the excess pore pressure due to the poroelastic effect is generally higher for the saturated case (water) than the unsaturated case due to the large difference between the compressibility of fluid phases (water and gas). The time-dependency of the poroelastic effect causes the safe mud pressure window of both the unsaturated and saturated cases to narrow and approach the long-time poroelastic one with increasing time. The safe mud pressure window narrows with increasing initial gas saturation. The commonly used assumption that the formation is fully saturated by one fluid (such as water) tends to be conservative in predicting the mud density required for borehole stability.

This new semi-analytical poroelastic solution enables the drilling engineer to more accurately estimate the time-dependent stresses and the pore pressure around a borehole, thus allowing him to design the mud weight to ensure borehole stability.
A Study on the Chemo-Mechanical Alteration of Cement in CO2 Storage Sites
Authors: Bagheri Mohammadreza , Shariatipour Seyed M. , Ganjian Eshmaiel
Published: April 2019

The fluid pressure, the stress due to the column of the cement in the annulus of oil and gas wells, and the radial pressure exerted on the cement sheath from the surrounding geological layers all affect the integrity of the cement sheath. This paper studies the impact of CO2-bearing fluids, coupled with the geomechanical alterations within the cement matrix on its integrity. These geochemical and geomechanical alterations within the cement matrix have been coupled to determine the cement lifespan. Two main scenarios including radial cracking and radial compaction, were assumed in order to investigate the behaviour of the cement matrix exposed to CO2-bearing fluids over long periods. If the radial pressure from the surrounding rocks on the cement matrix overcomes the strength of the degraded layers within the cement matrix, cement failure can be postponed, while on the other hand, high vertical stress on the cement matrix in the absence of a proper radial pressure can lead to a reduction in the cement lifespan. The radial cracking process generates local areas of high permeability around the outer face of the cement sheath. Our simulation results show at the shallower depths the cement matrices resist CO2-bearing fluids more and this delays exponentially the travel time of CO2-bearing fluids towards the Earth's surface. This is based on the evolution of CO2 gas from the aqueous phase due to the reduction in the fluid pressure at shallower depths, and consumption of CO2 in the reactions which occur at the deeper locations.
A Novel Approach to Discovery of Hidden Structures in Microseismic Data Using Machine Learning Techniques
Authors: Yatsenko Maxim , Brankovic Milan , Gildin Eduardo , Gibson Richard L.
Published: April 2019

The objective of this paper is to propose an alternative data analysis approach to working with microseismic data. Modern machine learning techniques, such as MWCA (Multiway Component Analysis) and TD (Tucker Decomposition) can give the capability to efficiently work with complex high-dimensional microseismic data structures. Using this method, it was possible to restore hidden information about the signal, compress the data, and get insights about fractures without using conventional time-consuming simulations. Therefore, it is an important addition to the hydraulic fracturing quality assessment. It is a cost-effective technique providing a greater degree of automation in comparison to conventional methods.

The approach was tested on synthetic data and relevant real microseismic data provided by a service company. The data was integrated in a 3rd-order tensor form where modes are: seismic events time, receiver locations, and event locations. The tensor was then decomposed into a core tensor and three factor matrices by means of a special form of TD called HOSVD (Higher-Order Singular Value Decomposition). HOSVD is a multidimensional decomposition used to extract low rank approximations of tensors. The MWCA technique was utilized to impose constraints on TD. HOSVD showed potential as a tool for a rapid fractures analysis by observing decomposed tensor structure. Additionally, the technique helped reduce the original model by 73% (supercompression).

The proposed workflow is general and highly applicable to various plays. Since the applications of MWCA and TD are still emerging, future enhancements to this methodology are expected. In turn, this will reveal further insights from microseismic data, making it paramount to optimal fracturing and improved field management.
Can Unconventional Completion Systems Revolutionise EGS? A Critical Technology Review
Authors: Guinot Frédéric , Meier Peter
Published: April 2019

The technical and economic successes of deep geothermal development rely on reducing drilling and completion risks. In the closely related oil and gas activities, the risk taken by the investors is balanced by the high reward that successful projects achieve by immensely offsetting the losses of the failed wellbores. Geothermal projects experience similar risks, however, the potential reward is limited by the competition with other energy sources, in a heavily regulated market. The economic acceptability of geothermal power generation requires low risk drilling and completion technologies that would work under many different geological conditions.

When wells are drilled into a petro-thermal formation, sometimes referred to as hot dry rock (HDR), there is normally no clear circulation path between these wells and when this path exists, the transmissivity is so low that no economical project is possible. Enhanced geothermal systems (EGS), in these circumstances is closer to reservoir creation than to conventional reservoir stimulation. Therefore, developing technologies that achieve the designed EGS size and transmissivity is vital to deep geothermal development.

The EGS becomes a viable proposition, when enough rock surface can be contacted by the geothermal fluid, and when the flow path runs smoothly through a sufficient rock volume to minimize the energy depletion and have the project running over a long period, compatible with a positive net present value (NPV). To that end, the well design and its completion system have to be engineered to maximize the chances of properly creating the EGS. In this paper, lessons learnt from past geothermal experience are reviewed and analysed to propose a multi-stage system as a mean of improving geothermal wells completion reliability. Current oil and gas (namely "unconventional") completion technologies related to multi-stage stimulation have been reviewed and different options are discussed in the scope of a deep geothermal hot dry rock project. While previous works conclude that technologies developed for oil and gas are readily available and applicable to deep geothermal projects and EGS (Gradl, 2018), this study shows that shortcomings exist and that further developments are necessary to reliably and economically complete EGS projects. The necessary tests before running different parts is also discussed. Other options for reservoir creation are debated with their potential benefits and associated risks. The developments that could make them work in an EGS project are discussed.
Insight into Hydraulic Fracture Geometries Using Fracture Modeling Honoring Field Data Measurements and Post-Fracture Production
Authors: Stegent Neil , Dusterhoft Ron , Menon Hari
Published: April 2019

Using planar fracture models to match treatment pressure and improve understanding of the fracture geometry generation is not a new concept. Knowledge gained from this exercise has historically been used to improve engineered fracture completions and production, and maximize net present value (NPV); however, at some point during the progression from vertical to horizontal wellbores, many within the industry have forgotten about the learnings that can still be gained from current fracture models. Engineered completions have been largely replaced by spreadsheet efficiencies relevant to operations rather than production in too many cases. Some images of unconventional well stimulation treatments portray fractures growing in every direction, forming patterns that resemble shattered windshields, and have often excluded the known physics related to rock geomechanics, reservoir properties, and geology. Excuses to dismiss modeling are numerous and are gaining the reasoning of conformists.

Unconventional resource plays might or might not contain large numbers of natural fractures; but, current fracture models can still be used to gain insight into the fracture geometries being generated. While the development of complex fracture models continues to evolve, the industry can still gain insight to fracture geometry and resulting production using current planar fracture modeling. Caveats to this process are that it requires: Valid measured data to establish model constraints.The engineer to understand the basic physics of how fractures are generated and when (and when not) to twist the "knobs" in the model.The engineer to understand which "knobs" should be used based on real diagnostics information.The actual single well production to be an integral part of the process.

This paper demonstrates the results of honoring data measurements from a multitude of potential sources, including downhole microseismic data, downhole deformation tiltmeters, offset pressure monitoring, DTS, DAS, diagnostic fracture injection test (DFIT) analysis, injection as well as production data with bottomhole pressure measurements, etc., and the resulting observations and conclusions. Several industry examples are discussed to help frame the vast amount of information possible to help engineers do a better job of including more diagnostics into routine operations to provide additional insight and ultimately result in improved models and completion designs.

This paper is not intended to merely demonstrate the results of the work but to spark an interest in bringing more intense engineering back to fracture stimulation modeling for horizontal completions.
Impact of Upscaling on Numerical Estimation of Polymer Increments
Authors: Bourgeois Marcel J. , Hild Jean-Claude , Bursaux Romain T.
Published: April 2019

Two upscaling exercises performed in 2013-14 and 2017-18 on two onshore green fields with conventional to viscous oil are presented, for which the upscaling tried to compensate the effects of grid coarsening, in particular the increase of numerical dispersion and the decrease of heterogeneity. Our methodology was to adjust the water/oil relative permeabilities called pseudo KRs in the coarse scale simulation, in order to reproduce the behavior in terms of pressure, rates, saturations and concentrations of the fine scale model, which was using microscopic rock KRs based on laboratory data.

As the upscaling depends on the fluid injected, it was done separately for waterflood and polymer flood. When done with polymer flood, the concentration of polymer had to be history matched also mainly by adjusting the Todd-Longstaff mixing parameter in addition to the KRs. As upscaling is case dependent, it was performed on several geological models, varying heterogeneity and grid size, but also rock KRs and even precocity of the polymer flood after some waterflood, to test the robustness of the approach.

It was found that pseudo-KRs for waterflood could be slightly degraded for viscous oils, whereas the upscaling was more neutral for conventional oils. This correlates well with field observation for viscous oils, where water production occurs generally a bit quicker than what numerical simulation predicts when using rock KRs, in absence of upscaling.

For polymer floods, which were considered in secondary or early tertiary mode, pseudo KRs were generally improved, mainly because the polymer steepened the saturation fronts, which can be well represented only with small lateral grid size.

The result of both upscaling exercises was that the increment of polymer flood versus waterflood was noticeably higher when computed on high resolution modelling. This is equivalent to saying that when using pseudo KRs resulting from this high resolution matching, the polymer increment on coarse grid is significantly higher than if computed without pseudo KRs. This improves the economic evaluation of the project, increasing the willingness to de-risk and implement early polymer floods on these fields.
Application of MCMC Optimization Method to Estimate Relative Permeability of Carbonate Rocks from Unsteady-State Core Flood Experiments
Authors: Da Silva Moreira Paulo Henrique , Gomes da Silveira Thaís Márcia , Drexler Santiago , Couto Paulo
Published: April 2019

The reliable prediction of reservoir performance requires the cost effective implementation of oil recovery systems, and it is necessary to simulate the fluid flow processes in the reservoir and to measure the rock and fluid properties that determine reservoir behaviour. However, a good prediction relies on accurate values of reservoir physical properties. Carbonates rocks in Brazilian Pre-salt are known for their heterogeneity. Characterizing their physical represents a great challenge and the combination of experimental and computational techniques lead to a more comprehensive understanding of the reservoir behavior.

In the present work, the relative permeability curves of a carbonate core sample with respect to oil and water are calculated by matching the data obtained in a labscale unsteady-state core flood experiment carried out at high pressure high temperature characteristics of Brazilian Pre-salt reservoirs. Corey-type equations were used to model the relative permeability due to its simplicity and having fewer parameters involved. The Monte Carlo Markov chain (MCMC) method was used as optimization tool, taking the fluid production and pressure drop measurements collected during the core flood experiment as input data. An alalysis of the sensitivity cofficients was carried out in order to deal with eventual linear dependences among the terms to be estimated. The Markov chain was generated and its convergence observed. The posterior distributions of the constant terms in the Corey equations were calculated and their mean values applied in order to calculate the relative permeability curves for the oil and water phases. The range of water saturation in which the relative permeability curves describe the core conditions after the breakthrough time, due to the occurrence of capillary end-effects, was calculated. The history match of fluid production and pressure drop was carried out, showing a good fit between the pressure curves. A gap was observed between the production curves due to the fact that the experimental measurements accounted the cumulative volume of oil and water, while the theoretical curve accounted the oil volume only.
Cognitive modeling of factors of influence on the processes of formation and reproduction of fixed assets of agricultural enterprises
Authors: Yatsukh Olena
Published: April 2019

The features of financial support for reproduction of fixed assets of agrarian enterprises are considered in the article. These include quantitative and qualitative differences in the basic assets of agrarian enterprises, seasonal production, long payback period of capital investments, the reproduction in agricultural enterprises of a significant part of fixed assets in kind, unsustainable financial condition of enterprises and lack of collateral for obtaining long-term loans, undervalued value of fixed assets, no accrual of depreciation on land. For the agricultural enterprises of Ukraine, a cognitive model of the situation "Fixed Assets" was developed, which allows us to investigate factors that determine the possibilities of expanding their reproduction in the light of unstable conditions of functioning. On the basis of cognitive modeling, studies of a possible scenario for the transformation of this system in accordance with the purpose of management have been carried out and modeling the dynamics of the levers of directing the management influences depending on the chosen behavior. It is established that the most significant factors influencing changes in the system of fixed assets are: net profit received by enterprises of the agrarian sector of Ukraine, state support of agricultural producers, foreign investments in agriculture and financing of fixed assets on the basis of leasing. Based on a correlation-regression analysis based on the estimation of stable cause-and-effect relationships, establishing quantitative relations between random variables of the investigated process, conditional forecasts of changes in the size of fixed assets of agricultural enterprises are constructed.
Association of teratoma of vulva with anorectal anomaly:
prenatal diagnosis
Authors: A.E. Volkov , V.V. Voloshin , O.A. Fomenko
Published: April 2019

The article presents a case of prenatal diagnosis of a vulvar teratoma in a fetus in gestation period of 33
weeks. After birth, also detected atresia of the rectum and anus. In the neonatal period, the girl successfully
underwent surgery to remove the tumor-like formation of the vulva and recto-vaginal plasty. The tumor in
the pathomorphological study was identified as a mature teratoma. At the age of 2,5 years the child develops
according to age standards.
Is there a relationship between ovarian reserve and blood groups in infertile patients?
Authors: Kan Ozgur , Gorkem Umit , Alkilic Aysegul , Taskiran Deniz , Kocak Ozgur , Yildirim Engin , Togrul Cihan
Published: April 2019

Objective: Evaluation of ovarian reserve in infertile patients had become an important concept in assisted reproductive techniques (ART) success work-up. Recent studies reported an association between blood type and ovarian reserve. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between blood type and ovarian reserve in infertile patients.Study Design: In this retrospective, observational and single-center study, a total of 311 women who were applied for fertility seek between January 2018 and November 2018 were included. As a threshold of ovarian reserve, - serum follicle stimulating hormone levels (>10 mLU/mL) and antral follicle counts (≤5) at early follicular phase were taken to reflect diminished ovarian reserve (DOR). The main outcome was the association between blood types and ovarian reserve. Secondary outcomes were biochemical and clinical pregnancy rates.Results: There was no relationship between blood types and follicle stimulating hormone levels (FSH). Elevated FSH levels were associated with only age and antral follicle count. Similar to the results of ovarian reserve, biochemical and clinical pregnancy outcomes are not affected by blood groups and Rhesus factor.Conclusion: Patients' blood type did not have any impact on ovarian reserve. In addition, neither blood type nor rhesus factor have an effect on predicting pregnancy outcomes in ART patients.
Groundwater treatment by ceramic membranes: pilot tests at the Commonwealth Games Village in Delhi, India
Authors: Pillai S. B. , Walder C. , Gupta P. , Koganti Y. P. , Lahnsteiner J.
Published: April 2019

Ceramic membranes are increasingly gaining popularity in the field of water treatment. High quality, better operability, robustness, ability to work in harsher environments and efficient removal of organic contaminants are just some of the characteristics which are making it an interesting alternative for water treatment facilities worldwide. This paper aims to evaluate the performance of an ultrafiltration (UF) ceramic membrane pilot plant installed in an 1 MGD (million gallons per day) plant in Delhi, to adapt the process and to optimize the operational features, so that it can be suggested as an economical and technical alternative to existing UF polymeric membrane installations in Indian municipal facilities. The investigation is conceptualized with the production of potable water after filtration at a volumetric flow rate of 1.2 m3/h through an UF ceramic membrane having a pore size of 50 nm. The process parameters such as the duration of filtration, flow rate, flux, flocculant concentration, and chemicals were varied to check its adaptability and effectiveness for better performance. Laboratory tests, evaluation of the results and troubleshooting were used to regulate the quality aspects of the study.
The dynamics of emissions in the surface layer of the atmosphere
Authors: Bayanov I.M.
Published: April 2019

The results of theoretical studies of features and effects of the dynamics of heavy multiphase emissions in the ground layer of the atmosphere.
The propagation of acoustic waves in a cylindrical vessel
Authors: Vakhitova N.K. , Makhota N.A.
Published: April 2019

The problem of the propagation of acoustic waves in a cylindrical vessel filled with a liquid is solved numerically. The possibility of forming standing waves is shown.
Evolution of detonation wave in annular bubble layer
Authors: Gimaltdinov I.K. , Bayazitova A.R.
Published: April 2019

The evolution of the detonation wave in a ring bubble layer located in the pipe. The possibility of existence detonation wave propagating at a constant velocity and amplitude.
On methods for measuring the surface tension of liquids
Authors: Komarov B.N.
Published: April 2019

Methods for measuring surface tension liquids. The existing methods do not allow unequivocal determination surface tension of liquids. A more accurate method of measurement is proposed interfacial tension.
Evolution of pressure and temperature upon sudden contact of cold water and saturated steam
Authors: Lezhnin S.I. , Sorokin A.L. , Pribaturin N.A.
Published: April 2019

The process of rarefaction wave propagation upon sudden contact of cold water and saturated vapor is studied. It is shown that the most intensive steam condensation occurs over a time interval of about 0.01 ms, during which the water surface heats up. Then a constant temperature difference of 2-3 degrees is formed between the water surface and the steam and thus the condensation intensity is reduced.
Nonlinear dispersion hyperbolic models of continuous media
Authors: Liapidevskii V.Yu
Published: April 2019

Nonequilibrium flows of an inhomogeneous liquid in channels and pipes are considered in the long-wave approximation. Nonlinear dispersion hyperbolic flow models are derived allowing taking into account the influence of internal inertia during the relative motion of phases upon the structure of nonlinear wave fronts. The asymptotic derivation of dispersion hyperbolic models is shown on the example of classical Boussinesq equations. It is shown that the hyperbolic approximation of the equations has the same order of accuracy as the primary model.
Restoration of pressure in the well due to fluid filtration from the surrounding porous medium after its ”evacuation“
Authors: Khusainov I.G. , Hafizov R.M.
Published: April 2019

The problem of restoring pressure in the «vacuumed» well surrounded by a porous and permeable medium saturated with liquid. An integral equation describing the investigated process, the time dependence of the half-recovery of pressure in the well from collector characteristics of the surrounding porous medium, as well as from values ​​of the height of the open section of the well.
The Interaction of Zinc Oxide/Green Tea Extract Complex Nanoparticles and its Effect on Monosodium Glutamate Toxicity in Liver of Rats
Authors: Al-Salmi Fawziah A. , Hamza Reham Z. , El-Shenawy Nahla S.
Published: April 2019

Background:

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) are increasingly utilized in both industrial and medical applications. Therefore, the study was aimed to investigate the effect of green nanoparticle complex (green tea extract/zinc oxide nanoparticles complex, GTE/ZnO NPs) on oxidative stress induced by monosodium glutamate (MSG) on the liver of rats.

Methods:

Wistar male rats (n=64) weighing between 200-250 g were divided randomly into eight groups: control group was given physiological saline (1 mg/kg), two groups were treated with two different doses of MSG (MSG-LD, MSG-HD; 6 and 17.5 mg/Kg, respectively), GTE was given 1 mg/mL, 5th group was treated with ZnO NPs and 6th group was treated with GTE/ZnO NPs complex while, 7th and 8th groups were treated with MSG-LD + GTE/ZnO NPs complex and MSG-HD + GTE/ZnO NPs complex, respectively. All substances were given orally for 30 consecutive days. At the end of the study, the liver was homogenized for measurement of the oxidative stress status and anti-inflammatory biomarkers as well as histological and transmission alternations.

Results:

Results showed that the antioxidant enzymes activity and glutathione level were significantly decreased in MSG groups than control in a dose-dependent manner. Conversely, the malondialdehyde and inflammatory cytokines levels were significantly increased in MSG groups than the control group. The liver indicated no evidence of alteration in oxidative status, anti-inflammatory and morphological parameters in GTE, ZnO NPs and GTE/ZnO NPs complex groups.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, MSG at both doses caused oxidative stress and inflammation on liver after 28 days of exposure that supported histological analysis and transmission view of hepatic parenchyma. GTE/ZnO NPs act as partial hepato-protective against MSG.
Anti-TNF and Postoperative Complications in Abdominal Crohn's Disease Surgery
Authors: Yamamoto Takayuki , Teixeira Fabio Vieira , Saad-Hossne Rogerio , Kotze Paulo Gustavo , Danese Silvio
Published: April 2019

Background: :

Biological therapy with anti-Tumour Necrosis Factor (TNF)-α agents
revolutionised the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease over the last decades. However,
there may be an increased risk of postoperative complications in Crohn’s disease (CD) patients
treated with anti-TNF-α agents prior to abdominal surgery.

Objective::

To evaluate the effects of preoperative anti-TNF-α therapy on the incidence of complications
after surgery.

Methods: :

A critical assessment of the results of clinical trial outcomes and meta-analyses on the
available data was conducted.

Results: :

Based on the outcomes of previous reports including meta-analyses, preoperative use of anti-
TNF-α agents modestly increased the risk of overall complications and particularly infectious
complications after abdominal surgery for CD. Nevertheless, previous studies have several limitations.
The majority of them were retrospective research with heterogeneous outcome measures and
single centre trials with relatively small sample size. In retrospective studies, the standard protocol
for assessing various types of postoperative complications was not used. The most serious limitation
of the previous studies was that multiple confounding factors such as malnutrition, use of
corticosteroids, and preoperative sepsis were not taken into consideration.

Conclusion::

Among patients treated with preoperative anti-TNF-α therapy, the risk of overall complications
and infectious complications may slightly increase after abdominal surgery for CD.
Nevertheless, the previous reports reviewed in this study suffered from limitations. To rigorously
evaluate the risk of anti-TNF-α therapy prior to surgery, large prospective studies with standardised
criteria for assessing surgical complications and with proper adjustment for confounding
variables are warranted.
Nanoliposomes of Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Extract of Small Cardamom Seeds Redresses Type 2 Diabetes and Hypercholesterolemia
Authors: Paul Kaninika , Bhattacharjee Paramita , Chatterjee Nilendra , Pal Tapan Kumar
Published: April 2019

Background & Objectives:

In our previous investigation, oral administration of 1,8- cineole-rich supercritical carbon dioxide extract of small cardamom seeds in Wistar albino rats resulted in achieving normal fasting blood glucose (FBG) and serum cholesterol levels. The objective of this study was to further protect the aforesaid extract and to enhance its in vivo therapeutic efficacies in redressing type 2 diabetes and hypercholesterolemia, by encapsulating it as nanoliposomes. Patents related to nanoliposomes have been revised thoroughly.

Methods:

PEGylated nanoliposomes of the aforesaid extract were formulated using soya phosphatidylcholine and Tween 80 by probe-sonication. These nanoliposomes were subjected to in vitro characterizations and were orally administered to Wistar albino rats at three different doses viz. 550, 175 and 55 mg/kg b.w. for detailed investigation of their antidiabetic and hypocholesterolemic efficacies.

Results:

FT-IR, DSC and XRD analyses, HLB value (16), entrapment efficiency (84%) and release kinetics (obeying Higuchi model) revealed that the nanoliposomes were o/w type and were hydrophilic. They exhibited appreciable in vitro antioxidant potency (59% DPPH scavenging activity) owing to a synergistic consortium of antioxidants present therein. Oral administration of the liposomes in rats at 550 mg/kg b.w. could restore their normal FBG levels and serum lipid profiles on day 35, with desirable up-down regulations of related key enzymes. The iHOMA2 model could successfully predict the effects of nanoliposomes on insulin sensitivity and glucose uptake in rat liver and brain, respectively.

Conclusion:

Nanoliposome of 1,8-cineole rich extract of small cardamom seeds is a new biotherapeutic in redressing type 2 diabetes and hypercholesterolemia.
Fighting Nosocomial Infection Rates in the General Surgery Department of the Teaching Hospital Gabriel Toure in Bamako, Mali
Authors: A. Togo , A. Traore , L. Kante , Y. Coulibaly , D. Diango , M. Keita , S. Diallo , B.T. Dembele , I. Diakite , N. Diani , B. Samake , B.A. Traore , G. Diallo
Published: April 2019

Nosocomial infections (NI) or hospital-acquired diseases are indicators of the quality of care. This study
conducted in Mali aimed to determine the frequency of nosocomial infections, to recognize the risk factors, to identify the
pathogens and their sensitivity to antibiotics and to determine the additional cost of care. The study lasted 6 months from
January to June 2007, and the diagnosis of nosocomial infections was based on criteria from the USA C.D.C (Center for
Disease Control). We identified 460 patients and 44 among them (9.6%) were affected by nosocomial infections, which
included 31 cases of surgical site infections (57.4%), 9 cases of infections on burns (16.7%), 7 cases of lung infections
(13%), and 7 cases of urinary tract infections (13%). The most frequently isolated bacteria were Escherichia coli (44%).
All isolated bacteria were resistant to amoxicillin and 46% were sensitive to ciprofloxacin. The risk factors for infection
were emergency surgery, ASA (American Society of Anaesthesiology) class and the type of surgery defined by Altemeir.
The preoperative preparation of the patients, the strict respect of hygiene and asepsis to the operating room can reduce the
frequency of NI in our country.
De-Worming in Developing Countries as a Feasible and Affordable Means to Fight Co-Endemic Infectious Diseases
Authors: Bentwich Zvi , Horner Rachel , Borkow Gadi
Published: April 2019

Approximately one-third of humanity, especially in developing countries, is infected with parasitic
roundworms or flatworms, collectively known as helminth parasites. These infections cause severe diseases, delayed
physical development and mortality. A person in helminth endemic areas may be infected with these parasites all his life.
These parasitic infections coincide with many other infectious diseases, such as malaria, tuberculosis and HIV. Treatment
of these parasitic infections is relatively easy. In some cases a single dose of anti-parasitic treatment suffices. This paper
briefly reviews the effects that helminthic infections have on other infectious diseases; on chronic non-transmittable
diseases and discusses the potential benefits that de-worming may have on the overall morbidity and mortality associated
with these diseases in developing countries, as well as on the effect de-worming may have on vaccination efficacy. We
conclude that successful mass de-worming is essential for the reduction of the morbidity associated with these infections
and may be a feasible and affordable means to combat other infectious diseases, such as HIV, malaria and tuberculosis.
Furthermore, without it, HIV, malaria and TB vaccines may fail to confer protection in helminth endemic areas.