bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Enhanced Gas Recovery and CO2 Storage in Coal Bed Methane Reservoirs: Optimized Injected Gas Composition for Mature Basins of Various Coal Rank
Authors: Schepers Karine , Oudinot Anne , Ripepi Nino
Published: February 2011

Nitrogen (N2) and carbon dioxide (CO2) injection has been a subject of enhanced coal bed methane (ECBM) and carbon capture and storage (CCS) research during the past decade. N2 and CO2 injection produce substantially different recovery processes. Coal has a higher affinity for CO2 as compared to methane (CH4). Preferential adsorption of CO2, a larger molecule than methane, onto the coal surface results in a dramatic decrease in cleat permeability due to coal swelling. This ultimately induces a loss of injectivity creating a significant technical hurdle for CCS operations in coal. In contrast, N2 increases cleat permeability because of its lower coal storage capacity relative to methane. As a result, injectivity increases during N2-ECBM. Theoretically, the injection of a mixture of CO2 and N2 will result in ECBM and CCS without a loss of injectivity. This study presents an investigation of that concept.

To identify key geological and reservoir parameters driving ECBM and sequestration processes in deep unminable coal seams, a Monte Carlo probabilistic approach was implemented. Results from tornado plots confirmed the major role that coal rank (Langmuir isotherms) and pressure-dependent permeability data play in ECBM processes. As coal rank determines the maximum gas-in-place that could be stored per volume of coal, average fracture permeability, matrix and pore compressibility, and differential swelling factors are predominant in coal capacity to flow water and gas phases, impacting both incremental methane production as well as injectivity.

Additionally, cleat permeability will vary greatly in response to injected gas composition during ECBM process. To better understand the consequences of these permeability changes by coal rank, a parametric study was designed. First results show that, for a specific coal rank, ECBM can drastically improve by increase N2 content in the injected gas stream. However, methane incremental recovery due to high N2 content will increase up to a maximum N2 concentration, or threshold: besides this threshold, breakthrough occurs too rapidly to generate additional methane recovery. This N2 threshold varies between coal ranks, as pressure dependant parameters also vary relative to the rank.

Finally, 100%N2 injection scenarios per coal rank highlight permeability behaviors easily explained in theory but which would probably need additional laboratory measurements to better understand their physical meaning while encountered during "real world" problems.
Risk Assessment as a Framework for Decisions on Research and Data Collection for Nuclear Waste Repositories With Application to Carbon Sequestration Monitoring
Authors: Rechard R. P. , McKenna S. A. , Borns D. J.
Published: February 2011

The risk assessment approach has been applied to support numerous radioactive waste management activities over the last 30 years. A risk assessment methodology provides a solid and readily adaptable framework for evaluating the risks of CO2 sequestration in geologic formations to prioritize research, data collection, and monitoring schemes. This paper reviews the tasks of a risk assessment, and provides a few examples related to each task. This paper then describes an application of sensitivity analysis to identify important parameters to reduce the uncertainty in the performance of a geologic repository for radioactive waste repository, which because of importance of the geologic barrier, is similar to CO2 sequestration. The paper ends with a simple stochastic analysis of idealized CO2 sequestration site with a leaking abandoned well and a set of monitoring wells in an aquifer above the CO2 sequestration unit in order to evaluate the efficacy of monitoring wells to detect adverse leakage.
The Dynamic Aspect of Formation Storage Use for CO2 Sequestration
Authors: Winkler M.. , Abernethy R.. , Nicolo M.. , Huang H.. , Wang A.. , Zhang S.. , Simone A.. , Clark C.. , Crouch S , De Groot H.. , El Mahdy R.. , Smith M.. , Malik S.. , Bourne S.. , Pierpont R.. , Hugonet V..
Published: February 2011

The Athabasca Oil Sands Project Joint Venture (AOSP JV) owners – Shell Canada Energy (Shell), Chevron Canada Limited (Chevron) and Marathon Oil Sands L.P. (Marathon) – are advancing front-end development plans of a fully integrated carbon capture, pipeline and storage project in Alberta called the Quest CCS Project. A Final Investment Decision for Quest is scheduled for 2012. Quest is designed as a fully integrated CCS project in the oil sands sector involving CO2 capture at the Scotford upgrader near Fort Saskatchewan, pipeline transportation northeast from Scotford and CO2 storage in a deep saline formation zone, the Basal Cambrian Sand. Over the expected lifetime of 25 years, the project will capture and store up to 1.1 Mt of CO2 per year from the steam methane reformer units at the existing Scotford upgrader and at the upgrader’s expansion currently under construction

Conventional volumetric methods for the pore space assessment of CO2 storage, such as the guidance provided by the 2008 Carbon Sequestration ATLAS of the United States and Canada, are good tools in estimating the pore space available, while also considering empirical DOE ranges for storage efficiency, such as area and vertical sweep efficiency, gravity contact efficiency and microscopic displacement efficiency. Such assessment would suggest a CO2 storage capacity of the Basal Cambrian Sand at Quest of approximately 7 Mt per township (6 miles x 6 miles). However, such an estimate is of a static nature, not taking into account dynamic system constraints such as required injection rates, bottom-hole pressure constraints and associated well count and well spacing, including pressure interference and regional pore pressure increase.

Dynamic reservoir simulation has been performed, for a variety of subsurface realizations, covering the full range of current subsurface uncertainties, with the aim to optimize the development while also estimating the required pore space for CO2 storage. Following the concept of linking the required pore space to pore pressure increase, rather than CO2 plume extension, resulted in a significant reduction of pore space utilization in the Basal Cambrian Sand from the initial 7 Mt per township to only 0.67 Mt per township and will have a potential impact on additional CCS developments in the region.
Efficient Investigation of Uncertainties in Flood Design Parameters for Coupled CO2 Sequestration and Enhanced Oil Recovery
Authors: Ghomian Y.. , Sepehrnoori K.. , Pope G. A.
Published: February 2011

A compositional reservoir simulation study was performed to investigate enhanced oil recovery and sequestration of carbon dioxide. Maximizing profit from oil recovery and maximizing the amount of carbon dioxide stored in the reservoir are competing goals and both will be important in the future. Both depend on large number of parameters and the strategy used to flood the reservoir. A very large number of simulations are required to understand and evaluate different strategies for each reservoir and for each realization of the properties of a particular reservoir. In this study the effects of variety of flood design variables on both EOR and sequestration objectives were investigated in sandstone and carbonate reservoirs separately. Experimental design and the method of response surfaces were used as tools to perform this study in a systematic and efficient way. Design parameters such as well spacing, different injection and production schemes, various well control techniques, and different mobility control methods were selected for study. By applying fractional factorial design and D-optimal methods, simulation cases were selected to study the effect of the parameters for each scenario. The amount of CO2 stored at the end of the oil recovery process and the net present value of the each sensitivity case were considered as the two decision criteria. Economic analysis for all of these cases were performed based on the necessity to account for CO2 storage factors such as capture and transportation costs, and possible CO2 tax credits for storage. Response surface analysis was utilized to determine the best strategy based upon these decision criteria for different type of the reservoirs. The result using this approach was similar to the result from an exhaustive simulation study, but took much less computation time and effort. An approach that is both realistic and feasible, such as the one used in this study, will be needed for future simulation studies because of the increasing importance of CO2 geological storage, the extremely wide variety of reservoir conditions of potential interests, the need to understand and reduce uncertainties, the need to find better operational strategies, and the uncertainty in future economic and regulatory incentives.
Advanced Acoustic Applications for the Karachaganak Field, Kazakhstan
Authors: Hajiyev V.. , Solovyov Y.. , Einaudi F.. , Russo J.. , Chittick S..
Published: February 2011

The Karachaganak field is giant oil and gas condensate reservoir. Data collected from numerous wells confirms it is very heterogeneous. Because conventional logs are not sufficient to fully characterize reservoir properties, new technologies and interpretation techniques are always considered worthy of a trial run when they become available in this remote region. In particular, the operator, KPO, is experiencing serious problems related to wellbore stability in deviated wells. Those problems occur mostly in the overburden and are related to uncertainty in stress direction and stress magnitudes. Excessive fluid losses while drilling are also a serious issue, and there is a need to identify fracture zones and understand fracture attributes. Finally, estimates of the extent of the formation damage zone (or radial extent of alteration in reservoir intervals) would provide useful information for the design of optimal well completions.

Recently, a new advanced-technology, wireline acoustic scanning tool was run in a new well in the Karachaganak field to provide 3D formation acoustic properties from all borehole modes (monopole, dipole, and Stoneley) and measurements for near-wellbore and far-field slownesses. Drilling and completion engineers at KPO used the interpretation of this data to help make decisions and identify key geomechanical parameters required for successful operations. Mild stress-induced anisotropy zones were detected in the formation. Some zones of formation damage were identified by monopole and dipole radial variation profiling. Prominent open fractures were detected using shear dispersion analysis and Stoneley propagation – and confirmed by the electrical borehole images.

KPO plans to use the acoustic anisotropy information to compute stress magnitude for new-well placement and mud-weight optimization, and for oriented perforation techniques to optimize hydraulic fracturing simulation. The estimation of radial formation alteration may help in designing optimal completions and identifying suitable depth intervals for fluid sampling.
Modelling and Simulation of a New Dual Porosity CBM Reservoir Model with an Improved Permeability Model through Horizontal Wells
Authors: Shiyi Zheng , Lili Xue
Published: February 2011

Low permeability Coal Bed Methane (CBM) reservoirs are characterized by their low porosity and permeability, which in turn induce their complicated permeability characteristics of gas and water during production. Numerical experiments and field applications proved that in low permeability CBM reservoirs there exists percolation non-linearity and fluid muti-variability. The percolation of fluid needs to overcome threshold pressure gradient; while klinkenberg effects will restrict the gas permeability. Thus the classic percolation mathematical model is not valid for problems of low permeability gas reservoirs.

On this basis, a three dimensional, dual porosity, single permeability, non-equilibrium adsorption, gas-water two phase flow, pseudo-steady state mathematical model was developed, which reflects the concrete influence factors in low permeability CBM reservoirs, such as high velocity non-Darcy flow, threshold pressure and slippage effect. This was followed by a new theoretical formulation of permeability and porosity including the effect of matrix shrinkage.

This new model was solved by a fully implicit numerical method and the block pre-conditioning orthogonal minimisation algorithm. A computer programme called COAFOR has been developed for this purpose. Comparison of gas production rate between those from Eclipse software and the current programme was made. Three synthetic cases were studied, which proved that the developed algorithm works well for solving the problem stated above.

Those case studies have revealed that there exist three stages in coal de-watering and production processes. The existence of threshold pressure gradient can largely reduce the gas production rate, while the gas slippage factor can increase the bottom-hole pressure at the initial stage of production. The agreement between COAFOR and ECLIPSE under the same physical parameters was better than expected. Matrix shrinkage effect can largely increase the gas production rate and gas concentration owing to the enhanced permeability caused by the existence of matrix shrinkage.
A Study to Evaluate the Impact of CO2-EOR on Existing Oil Field Facilities
Authors: Saadawi Hisham , Johns Andrew , Watler Ken
Published: February 2011

Abu Dhabi Company for Onshore Oil Operations (ADCO) has recently commissioned the first ever CO2-EOR pilot in the Middle East in its Rumaitha field. The main objective of the pilot project is to evaluate the feasibility of CO2 injection as a potential enhanced recovery technique. If the pilot is successful, ADCO will use CO2 to replace the hydrocarbon gas currently being injected in the field.

In order to assess the impact of large scale CO2 injection on the field’s facilities, an engineering study was conducted.

This paper discusses the methodology and main features of this study. Topics covered include: description of the field facilities; technologies for the separation CO2 from associated gas, key design parameters, study methodology, impact on existing facilities and the study findings.
Integrating Subsurface, Well and Surface Data as a Plan for Waterflood Project in Rantau Field
Authors: Simamora John Hisar , Ardianto Reza Nur
Published: February 2011

Rantau field operated by Pertamina EP since 1928 is currently producing from primary stage, and has been declining since 1972. The implementation of Waterflood in Pertamina EP was initiated by EOR Department. There were several major issues related to the waterflood implementation in Rantau Field. Among of these issues was the limited number of subsurface and well data. On the other hand, the management and government board urged that the implementation should be implemented as soon as possible due to oil & gas national production increasing program and zero discharge issue.

This paper presents the result of Pilot Waterflood Planning as the integrated analysis from limited subsurface, well and surface data for Geophysics, Geology, Reservoir, Production, Process Facility and Economic Evaluation integrated analysis. The main target of this waterflood project is Layer 400, 600, 770 and 800. The pilot stage was plan for layer 600. It shows that the most prospective candidate for waterflood pilot project was in C1, C1 and A1, A2 block, the pilot project was planned for inverted five (5) spot patterns and predicted breakthrough time was 90 days, it was also predicted a secondary peak of 1,500 BOPD. The pilot project which was proposed in two patterns and it was successfully executed in January 2009. This analysis is useful result as a part of integrating limited subsurface, well and surface data regarding to the plan of Waterflooding Project.
Damage Mechanisms in Unconventional Gas Well Stimulation - A New Look at an Old Problem
Authors: Shaoul Josef , van Zelm Lars , Pater C. J.
Published: February 2011

After fracture stimulation, production often rises slowly, instead of showing an early transient. This indicates either severe reduction in fracture conductivity or reservoir damage. There is still no agreement in the industry about the most important damage mechanisms. Work done by Pratts and Holditch in the 1970’s showed that fracture face damage from filtrate invasion is unimportant, unless there is permeability damage in the invaded zone of at least 99%. New ideas have been proposed which may better explain the behavior commonly seen in actual production data. These ideas include relative permeability with water and gas both immobile at a given saturation ("permeability jail"), small scale reservoir heterogeneity and stress sensitive matrix permeability at high drawdown.

Experience from the field has been contradictory. Sometimes no water is produced back, but gas production does not appear to suffer. In other cases, gas rate is significantly lower than expected, but significant fracture fluid is recovered. With the inherent coupling of fracture length and permeability in welltest interpretation, and the practical impossibility of achieving radial flow in tight-gas reservoirs with large fracture lengths, it has been difficult to prove any theory about the cause of poor performance from tight-gas fracture treatments. This paper shows simulation results of these effects on post-fracture production from an unconventional (0.001 mD) gas well. Furthermore, realistic assumptions about proppant pack cleanup show a connection not only between poor cleanup and short effective fracture length, but also reduction in contacted kh and connected reservoir volume. New reservoir simulation results are presented showing 50% reduction of production in the first years due to these effects in unconventional reservoirs.
A Multidisciplinary Approach to a Challenging Tight Gas Play in Sheetflood Sands, Sultanate of Oman
Authors: Aitken John F. , Fryberger Steven G. , Mahruqy Sultan H. , Curtino Joe A. , Mohiuddin Uzma
Published: February 2011

The Miqrat Formation (Cambrian) of North Oman is a deep, tight (low permeability) gas reservoir that was deposited in an arid to semi-arid continental setting. It is dominated by finely interbedded, red-brown shales interstratified with muddy, micaceous, fine-grained sandstones and siltstones. These were deposited in alluvial and playa/lacustrine to sabkha environments with minor aeolian intervals. The formation has a variety of geological, petrophysical and engineering challenges, largely related to its depositional setting and burial history.

Geoscience challenges centre on reservoir productivity identification, involving a combination of depositional and diagenetic features, and ‘sweet-spotting’, particularly the pre-drill prediction of good quality reservoir facies (e.g. aeolian sandstones). Petrophysically the Miqrat is difficult, not only because of its tight nature, but also because it commonly contains low resistivity pay and is thin-bedded, making contact identification, porosity and saturation estimation challenging. Additionally, net pay determination is hampered by the thin-bedded nature of the reservoir and its high feldspar content, such that gamma ray logs consistently read high values, and, typically, neutron-density separation is poor. In terms of petroleum engineering, stimulation strategies are challenging, especially the choice of zones to stimulate, and the absence of barriers to fracture height growth means that hydraulic fracture treatments are performed across multiple non-pay intervals in order to have coverage for the interspersed pay intervals and to achieve the desired fracture length (penetration geometry) for a target interval.

The Miqrat Formation tight gas play is a difficult and challenging play that requires close co-operation between geoscience, petrophysics and petroleum engineering disciplines to overcome these challenges and optimally exploit it as a gas reservoir. Only through such an integrated approach can the full value of the Miqrat Formation be delivered to stakeholders.
Tight Gas Modeling Frameworks for Improved Reservoir Management and Its Application to the Moxa Development Area
Authors: Gallego Felipe
Published: February 2011

This paper describes the efforts to compile the current understanding of recommended practices for static and dynamic modeling in tight gas sandstone reservoirs. One of the developed frameworks is applied in the Moxa Arch in southwestern Wyoming to generate a full field simulation model to guide informed decisions on well spacing and infill drilling locations while differentiating between incremental volumes and rate acceleration.

The proposed frameworks have been developed by a multidisciplinary group of experts from the technology group and the North America Gas business at BP. They are based on a range of business problems such as drilling and completions design, spacing, pattern and location of infill wells, and depletion planning. The frameworks provide step by step guidelines as to how a modeling study should be conducted in order to meet certain reservoir management objectives. A decision tree is initially suggested which guides the user through the different characteristics of the modeling study in order to select what framework to employ. Five general frameworks have been differentiated by geologic complexity and number of wells with an underlying business objective. Each framework is then subdivided based on the impact on productivity of gas condensate and water dropout and mobility in the reservoir or the well. It is expected that these frameworks can be used to provide guidelines in starting a modeling project from scratch and identify gaps between the recommended practice and ongoing modeling efforts that could yield erroneous results.

The framework corresponding to the multi-well, full field simulation model with complex geology has been tested and used to guide the progress of a modeling study in Moxa. The model integrates results of recent geological, petrophysical, classical reservoir engineering, and production performance studies with the simulator. 2D models of the Frontier and Muddy formations are run on predictive mode with wells controlled by rate based on decline curve analysis and remaining gas maps are generated to identify undepleted areas with infill drilling potential. These maps are then overlaid with first year average production rate (IP365) and expected ultimate recovery (EUR) contour maps to further refine the location of new drilling opportunities. Application of the modeling frameworks in the Moxa Arch has helped identify number, drilling sequence and approximate location of infill wells. It has also suggested that a particular development strategy could accelerate recovery as opposed to add volumes in certain parts of the development area.
Air Drying Kinetics of Pomegranate Seeds
Authors: Sharma Sajeev Rattan , Arora Sadhna , Chand Tarsem
Published: February 2011

The thin layer drying of pretreated wild pomegranate seeds was conducted in a laboratory mechanical dryer at air temperatures of 55, 60 and 65°C. Six different mathematical models were used to predict the drying behavior. Thompson model was adjudged as the best model. The coefficients of this model were found to be correlated best with drying temperatures by using two degree polynomials. The effective diffusivity was determined to be 3.18 x 10-10 to 4.36 x 10-10 m2/s. The activation energy for diffusion was found to be 29.07 kJ /mol. The variation in shrinkage exhibited a linear relationship with moisture content. The rate constants for a and b parameters of colour were determined and their value was 0.0128 and 0.0136 min-1, respectively.
Pulse Pressure Predicts Incident Cardiovascular Disease but Not Diabetic Nephropathy in Patients With Type 1 Diabetes (The FinnDiane Study)
Authors: Gordin Daniel , Wadén Johan , Forsblom Carol , Thorn Lena , Rosengård-Bärlund Milla , Tolonen Nina , Saraheimo Markku , Harjutsalo Valma , Groop Per-Henrik ,   for the FinnDiane Study Group
Published: February 2011

OBJECTIVE

Pulse pressure (PP), an estimate of arterial stiffness, has been shown to be associated with incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) in patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D). However, diabetic kidney disease, a strong predictor of CVD, was not previously taken into account. Furthermore, the role of PP as a predictor of diabetic nephropathy is not known. Therefore, we prospectively investigated the associations between PP and these diabetes complications in patients with T1D.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

A total of 4,509 patients from the FinnDiane Study participated. Follow-up data on incident CVD events and renal status (median 5.3 years) were available in 69 and 76% of the patients, respectively. Altogether, 269 patients (8.6%) had an incident CVD event and 370 patients (10.8%) progressed to a higher level of albuminuria or to end-stage renal disease.

RESULTS

PP was higher at baseline in patients who experienced a CVD event (66 ± 18 vs. 52 ± 14 mmHg; P < 0.001) or progressed in their renal status (58 ± 18 vs. 54 ± 15 mmHg; P < 0.01) during follow-up. In a Cox regression model, PP was independently associated with a first ever CVD event (hazard ratio per 10 mmHg 1.22 [95% CI 1.10–1.34]) but not progression of renal disease (1.00 [0.89–1.12]) after adjustments for traditional risk factors.

CONCLUSIONS

PP, a marker of arterial stiffness, is a risk factor for cardiovascular complications but not for diabetic nephropathy in patients with T1D.
On Typology of Polish and French Imperfective
Authors: Karolak Magdalena
Published: February 2011

On Typology of Polish and French Imperfective

The aim of this paper is to present a typology of Polish imperfective past tense forms in the factual use for the purpose of creating a set of guidelines for their translation into French language. Although descriptions of factual imperfective aspect is not new to linguistics, both Polish and international, equivalence of its forms in other languages pose problems to foreigners and native speakers alike. This is especially true in French, where Polish past imperfective forms could be expressed by a number of past tenses. In order to proceed with our task we are going to adopt a classification of Polish imperfective verbal forms based on the following criteria: general factual meaning or specific (concrete) factual meaning as a primary measure and imperfective or perfective intention of the imperfective form as a secondary measure. Such systematization of the phenomenon in Polish will allow us to formulate guidelines of equivalence with French past tenses.
Estimating Critical Values for Strength of Alignment Among Curriculum, Assessments, and Instruction
Authors: Fulmer Gavin W.
Published: February 2011

School accountability decisions based on standardized tests hinge on the degree of alignment of the test with the state’s standards documents. Yet, there exist no established criteria for judging strength of alignment. Previous measures of alignment among tests, standards, and teachers' instruction have yielded mixed results that are difficult to interpret and to compare across studies. This article reports findings from a simulation study to determine critical values for Porter’s alignment index, suitable for hypothesis testing at alpha levels of .05 and .10, as is familiar to many scholars. It then reexamines the results of previous alignment studies and demonstrates how these findings may be compared through the use of these critical values. The tables of critical values will be useful to researchers or policymakers who seek to judge strength of alignment of standards, assessments, and instruction. The article also describes directions for future research in establishing objective criteria for the interpretation of alignment indices.
Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer: What Can We Really Predict Today?
Authors: Bachet Jean-Baptiste , Marechal Raphael , Van Laethem Jean-Luc
Published: February 2011

Managing pancreatic cancer remains a big challenge due to its worse course and prognosis. However, therapeutic options and multimodal strategies are increasing nowadays, including new agents, new regimens and chemoradiation. Recently, the FOLFIRINOX regimen has been reported to be more active than gemcitabine in selected metastatic patients. In this setting, it will be of utmost interest to guide our therapeutic choice not only on clinical and pathological findings, but also on specific biomarkers that will predict tumor behavior and patient outcome (prognostic markers), and benefit from specific agents or regimens (predictive markers). In the near future, we will have to build both our therapeutic interventions and our clinical research based on an accurate patients’ clinical selection and on biomolecular markers. In this review, we aimed to highlight and discuss some of the recent results reported on biomarkers in pancreatic cancer that may predict, i.e., preferential metastatic diffusion after surgery, like CXCR4, or predict gemcitabine efficacy in an adjuvant setting as well as in advanced disease, like hENT1. An important effort for translational research in pancreatic cancer research is thus required to validate such markers, while some important questions concerning tissue availability and processing, methodology of analysis, and design of future prospective trials, need to be addressed.
rich: An R Package to Analyse Species Richness
Authors: Rossi Jean-Pierre
Published: February 2011

The paper describes rich, a new R package to perform species richness estimation and comparison. Species richness is the simplest surrogate for the more complex concept of species biodiversity. It is relatively easy to assess although estimations strongly depend on sampling intensity with the consequence that richness estimations should be standardized to perform valid comparisons. The R package rich allows such corrections as well as the computation of various statistics and implements different randomization tests to compare cumulative and average species richness of two communities. These tests are useful for ranking sites or communities which is a classical goal in restoration ecology and conservation biology.
Entangled States in Quantum Cosmology and the Interpretation of Λ
Authors: Capozziello Salvatore , Luongo Orlando
Published: February 2011

The cosmological constant Λ can be achieved as the result of entangled and statistically correlated minisuperspace cosmological states, built up by using a minimal choice of observable quantities, i.e., Ωm and Ωk, which assign the cosmic dynamics. In particular, we consider a cosmological model where two regions, corresponding to two correlated eras, are involved; the present universe description would be, in this way, given by a density matrix ˆρ, corresponding to an entangled final state. Starting from this assumption, it is possible to infer some considerations on the cosmic thermodynamics by evaluating the Von Neumann entropy. The correlation between different regions by the entanglement phenomenon results in the existence of Λ (in particular ΩΛ) which could be interpreted in the framework of the recent astrophysical observations. As a byproduct, this approach could provide a natural way to solve the so called coincidence problem.
Investigation on the Factors Affecting the Temperature in Urban Distribution Substations and an Energy-Saving Cooling Strategy
Authors: Yang Fan , Ran Wei , Chen Tao , Luo Xiaochu
Published: February 2011

The different locations of the equipment in urban distribution substations (DSSs) and the location of inlet holes and outlet holes usually result in different ventilation effect, which means the power consumed by any ventilating devices present is different. In this paper the temperature field distribution in an urban distribution substation with different locations of the equipment in the substation was calculated first, then factors influencing the temperature field distribution were investigated, and the influence of the different factors was analyzed. When the distance between the apparatus and walls exceeds 3 m, the change of the temperature in the DSS is very small. Therefore considering the floor area of the DSS, 3 m is the best value of the distance between the apparatus. With the change of the environment temperature or the velocity of the ventilation fans, the maximum temperature in the DSS or apparatus will change. Hence an energy saving ventilation strategy is proposed in the paper, and an intelligent cooling control system is developed, which can modify the velocity of the ventilation fans according to the environment temperature, and thus realize energy savings.
Energy Chain Analysis of Passenger Car Transport
Authors: Simonsen Morten , Walnum Hans  Jakob
Published: February 2011

Transport makes up 20 percent of the World’s energy use; in OECD countries this has exceeded 30 percent. The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that the global energy consumption will increase by 2.1 percent annually, a growth rate that is higher than for any other sector. The high energy consumption means that transportation accounts for nearly 30 percent of CO2 emission in OECD countries and is also one of the main sources of regional and local air pollution. In this article, we analyze energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions from passenger car transport using an energy chain analysis. The energy chain analysis consists of three parts: the net direct energy use, the energy required for vehicle propulsion; the gross direct chain, which includes the net direct energy consumption plus the energy required to produce it; and, finally, the indirect energy chain, which includes the energy consumption for production, maintenance and operation of infrastructure plus manufacturing of the vehicle itself. In addition to energy consumption, we also analyze emissions of greenhouse gases measured by CO2-equivalents. We look at the trade-offs between energy use and greenhouse gas emissions to see whether some drivetrains and fuels perform favourable on both indicators. Except for the case of electric cars, where hydropower is the only energy source in the Norwegian context, no single car scores favourably on both energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
Enterprise Coordination on the Internet
Authors: Petrie Charles
Published: February 2011

Enterprises are now connected internally and externally to other Enterprises via the Internet in ways that are increasingly difficult to manage, especially as these interconnections become more dynamic. Current methods of coordinating the effects of change as they propagate through these networks of connections are not likely to scale. What is needed is a new paradigm for how the Internet supports such coordination. Indeed, the Internet should and could provide fundamental coordination functions that are missing today. In this paper, we describe how such a “Coordinated Internet” would work (this paper is an expanded version of [1]). The key functionality of a Coordinated Internet would be that the Internet actively watches what people do (analogous to search completion on desktops today), correlates these activities, and actively notifies people when and how their current tasks affect and are affected by the activities of other people. This would be accomplished by standard coordination functions implemented as a common Internet layer that can be used as a utility by more specialized applications. Such a Coordinated Internet would revolutionize enterprise management, for all enterprises, large and small, corporate and personal. For example, static workflows would become obsolete for all but the the most routine processes. Some solutions provide existence proofs of such a coordination substrate, such as the Redux solution in concurrent engineering, which we describe herein. However, foundational research remains to be done in the new field of Coordination Engineering in order to reach the goal of a future Internet in which coordination functions are fundamental.
Hospital Malnutrition: Prevalence, Identification and Impact on Patients and the Healthcare System
Authors: Barker Lisa A. , Gout Belinda S. , Crowe Timothy C.
Published: February 2011

Malnutrition is a debilitating and highly prevalent condition in the acute hospital setting, with Australian and international studies reporting rates of approximately 40%. Malnutrition is associated with many adverse outcomes including depression of the immune system, impaired wound healing, muscle wasting, longer lengths of hospital stay, higher treatment costs and increased mortality. Referral rates for dietetic assessment and treatment of malnourished patients have proven to be suboptimal, thereby increasing the likelihood of developing such aforementioned complications. Nutrition risk screening using a validated tool is a simple technique to rapidly identify patients at risk of malnutrition, and provides a basis for prompt dietetic referrals. In Australia, nutrition screening upon hospital admission is not mandatory, which is of concern knowing that malnutrition remains under-reported and often poorly documented. Unidentified malnutrition not only heightens the risk of adverse complications for patients, but can potentially result in foregone reimbursements to the hospital through casemix-based funding schemes. It is strongly recommended that mandatory nutrition screening be widely adopted in line with published best-practice guidelines to effectively target and reduce the incidence of hospital malnutrition.
N-Acetyl Glucosamine Obtained from Chitin by Chitin Degrading Factors in Chitinbacter tainanesis
Authors: Chen Jeen-Kuan , Shen Chia-Rui , Yeh Chao-Hsien , Fang Bing-Shiun , Huang Tung-Li , Liu Chao-Lin
Published: February 2011

A novel chitin-degrading aerobe, Chitinibacter tainanensis, was isolated from a soil sample from southern Taiwan, and was proved to produce N-acetyl glucosamine (NAG). Chitin degrading factors (CDFs) were proposed to be the critical factors to degrade chitin in this work. When C. tainanensis was incubated with chitin, CDFs were induced and chitin was converted to NAG. CDFs were found to be located on the surface of C. tainanensis. N-Acetylglucosaminidase (NAGase) and endochitinase activities were found in the debris, and the activity of NAGase was much higher than that of endochitinase. The optimum pH of the enzymatic activity was about 7.0, while that of NAG production by the debris was 5.3. These results suggested that some factors in the debris, in addition to NAGase and endochitinase, were crucial for chitin degradation.
6-Methyl-2-nitro-1-phenyl-hept-4-en-3-ol
Authors: Herrmann Josef M. , König Burkhard
Published: February 2011

In this short note, we report the synthesis of 6-methyl-2-nitro-1-phenyl-hept-4-en-3-ol by a LiAlH4 catalyzed nitroaldol reaction for carbon-carbon bond formation. The title compound was characterized by 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, MS, IR and elemental analysis.
Design and Screening of M13 Phage Display cDNA Libraries
Authors: Georgieva Yuliya , Konthur Zoltán
Published: February 2011

The last decade has seen a steady increase in screening of cDNA expression product libraries displayed on the surface of filamentous bacteriophage. At the same time, the range of applications extended from the identification of novel allergens over disease markers to protein-protein interaction studies. However, the generation and selection of cDNA phage display libraries is subjected to intrinsic biological limitations due to their complex nature and heterogeneity, as well as technical difficulties regarding protein presentation on the phage surface. Here, we review the latest developments in this field, discuss a number of strategies and improvements anticipated to overcome these challenges making cDNA and open reading frame (ORF) libraries more readily accessible for phage display. Furthermore, future trends combining phage display with next generation sequencing (NGS) will be presented.
Probiotics in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases and Associated Conditions
Authors: Mack David  R.
Published: February 2011

A complex set of interactions between the human genes encoding innate protective functions and immune defenses and the environment of the intestinal mucosa with its microbiota is currently considered key to the pathogenesis of the chronic inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). Probiotics offer a method to potentially alter the intestinal microbiome exogenously or may provide an option to deliver microbial metabolic products to alter the chronicity of intestinal mucosal inflammation characterizing IBD. At present, there is little evidence for the benefit of currently used probiotic microbes in Crohn’s disease or associated conditions affecting extra-intestinal organs. However, clinical practice guidelines are now including a probiotic as an option for recurrent and relapsing antibiotic sensitive pouchitis and the use of probiotics in mild ulcerative colitis is provocative and suggests potential for benefit in select patients but concerns remain about proof from trials.
Object-Based Image Analysis for Detection of Japanese Knotweed s.l. taxa (Polygonaceae) in Wales (UK)
Authors: Jones Daniel , Pike Stephen , Thomas Malcolm , Murphy Denis
Published: February 2011

Japanese Knotweed s.l. taxa are amongst the most aggressive vascular plant Invasive Alien Species (IAS) in the world. These taxa form dense, suppressive monocultures and are persistent, pervasive invaders throughout the more economically developed countries (MEDCs) of the world. The current paper utilises the Object-Based Image Analysis (OBIA) approach of Definiens Imaging Developer software, in combination with very high spatial resolution (VHSR) colour infra-red (CIR) and visible‑band (RGB) aerial photography in order to detect Japanese Knotweed s.l. taxa in Wales (UK). An algorithm was created using Definiens in order to detect these taxa, using variables found to effectively distinguish them from landscape and vegetation features. The results of the detection algorithm were accurate, as confirmed by field validation and desk‑based studies. Further, these results may be incorporated into Geographical Information Systems (GIS) research as they are readily transferable as vector polygons (shapefiles). The successful detection results developed within the Definiens software should enable greater management and control efficacy. Further to this, the basic principles of the detection process could enable detection of these taxa worldwide, given the (relatively) limited technical requirements necessary to conduct further analyses.
The Use of Reference Values in Indicator-Based Methods for the Environmental Assessment of Agricultural Systems
Authors: Acosta-Alba Ivonne , Van der Werf Hayo  M. G.
Published: February 2011

Many indicator-based methods for the environmental assessment of farming systems have been developed. It is not the absolute values of the indicators that reveal whether the impact of a system is acceptable, but rather the distance between these values and some reference values. We reviewed eight frameworks for the environmental assessment of agricultural systems that define reference values for their indicators. We analyzed the methods used to establish reference values and explored how to improve these methods to increase their usage and relevance. This analysis revealed a striking diversity of terminology, sources, and modes of expression of results. Normative reference values allow the assessment of a single system with a previously defined value; Relative reference values are based on indicator values for similar systems or a reference system. Normative reference values can be Science-based or Policy-based. A science-based normative reference value can be a Target value, which identifies desirable conditions, or an Environmental limit, which is the level beyond which conditions are unacceptable. The quantification of the uncertainty of reference values is a topic which is barely explored and warrants further research. Reference values present a means of introducing site specificity into methods for environmental assessment which seems, at present, largely under-exploited.
Sustainable Buildings: An Ever Evolving Target
Authors: Dutil Yvan , Rousse Daniel , Quesada Guillermo
Published: February 2011

Environmental considerations have called for new developments in building technologies to bridge the gap between this need for lower impacts on the environment and ever increasing comfort. These developments were generally directed at the reduction of the energy consumption during operations. While this was indeed a mandatory first step, complete environmental life cycle analysis raises new questions. For instance, for a typical low thermal energy consumption building, the embodied energy of construction materials now becomes an important component of the environmental footprint. In addition, the usual practice in life cycle analysis now appears to call for some adaptation—due to variable parameters in time—to be implemented successfully in building analysis. These issues bring new challenges to reach the goal of integrated design, construction, commissioning, operation, maintenance, and decommissioning of sustainable buildings.
Dye Waste Treatment
Authors: Ong Siew-Teng , Keng Pei-Sin , Lee Weng-Nam , Ha Sie-Tiong , Hung Yung-Tse
Published: February 2011

Dye wastes represent one of the most problematic groups of pollutants because they can be easily identified by the human eye and are not easily biodegradable. This literature review paper highlights and provides an overview of dye waste treatments performed over the three years period from 2008–2010. Noteworthy processes for the treatment of dye waste include biological treatment, catalytic oxidation, filtration, sorption process and combination treatments.
Biosorption Parameter Estimation with Genetic Algorithm
Authors: Chu Khim Hoong , Feng Xiao , Kim Eui Yong , Hung Yung-Tse
Published: February 2011

In biosorption research, a fairly broad range of mathematical models are used to correlate discrete data points obtained from batch equilibrium, batch kinetic or fixed bed breakthrough experiments. Most of these models are inherently nonlinear in their parameters. Some of the models have enjoyed widespread use, largely because they can be linearized to allow the estimation of parameters by least-squares linear regression. Selecting a model for data correlation appears to be dictated by the ease with which it can be linearized and not by other more important criteria such as parameter accuracy or theoretical relevance. As a result, models that cannot be linearized have enjoyed far less recognition because it is necessary to use a search algorithm for parameter estimation. In this study a real-coded genetic algorithm is applied as the search method to estimate equilibrium isotherm and kinetic parameters for batch biosorption as well as breakthrough parameters for fixed bed biosorption. The genetic algorithm is found to be a useful optimization tool, capable of accurately finding optimal parameter estimates. Its performance is compared with that of nonlinear and linear regression methods.