bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Novel Integrated Approach in Structural Management
Authors: Awda Hisham , Mohamed Azouz Amr , Omar Tarek , El Khouly Wael Saad , Rao Aita Raja Srinivasa , Abdel Khalek Ahmed Fathy
Published: November 2015

Oil and Gas operators across the world are experiencing many challenges in the areas of life extension of existing installations, continuous brownfield developments and lack of industry knowledge in some specific areas of structural performance. These challenges are critical in nature due to the fact that this involves imposition of change to the existing structure and thereby introduces additional risk to the current status. In order to control these risks, a robust integrated approach is required to 1) early identification of risks 2) accurate quantification of risks 3) select the most effective way of managing the risks. This necessitated the development of highly innovative Structural Management System (SMS) to ensure safe operation along the extended life of the structure.

SMS has been developed incorporating the industry best practices and latest codes and standards including upcoming ISO19901-9 [2]. SMS is a fully integrated system that includes 1) Suite of integrated databases to ensure full control on data storage and handling 2) Structural Management Of Change (MoC) system aimed at capturing and controlling of risk associated with all changes 3) State of art fully quantitative risk engine to evaluate, quantify and risk rank the entire fleet of structures 4) Performance enhancement enablers ' module to ensure continuous development of the system, personnel, Standards etc.

Implementation of SMS is a continuous and dynamic process and resulting in deriving several benefits which include 1) Safe sustainable production along the extended field life 2) Minimize interruption to Brown Field Development 3) Identifying the bottlenecks to structural performance 4) Allow development of risk based action plans eg: optimized replacement plans.

This paper presents main features of the Novel Structural Management System designed for efficient structural management of ADMA-OPCO fleet of structures with a purpose of sharing best practice of efficient structural management to worldwide Oil and Gas Operators.
Win-Win situation: Improving turbomachines reliability and reducing environement impact
Authors: Holvoote Michael , Van-Der-Kaag Jeroen , Omrani Kouider , Soufi Yazid
Published: November 2015

Through its high levels of salt, humidity, fog, and seasonal sand storms, Total's offshore field environmental conditions are deemed aggressive for machineries. This is particularly true for the turbines, implying the fouling and erosion of its axial compressor's blades and irreversible corrosion of the turbine's hot gas path. These unfavorable conditions result in profit loss caused by decreased in availability & reliability (production loss) and increased OPEX (maintenance).

To overcome these issues, Total decided in 2011 to upgrade the air filtration system. After engineering studies, it was decided to replace the OEM air filtration system by a low velocity High Efficiency Particulate Arrestance system (HEPA).

This paper will describe the air filtration system, the Engineering, design, and the associated benefits for the machineries, costs and the environment.
Application of Biopolymer to Improve Oil Recovery in High Temperature High Salinity Carbonate Reservoirs
Authors: Quadri Syed Mohamid , Jiran Li , Shoaib Mohammad , Hashmet Muhammad Rehan , AlSumaiti Ali M. , Alhassan Saeed M.
Published: November 2015

Polymer flooding is a well-established chemical enhanced oil recovery (EOR) technique. However, its application to High-Temperature and High-Salinity (HTHS) carbonate reservoirs remains a challenging task due to the unavailability of polymers that can withstand the harsh conditions. Identifying thermally stable, salt-tolerant polymers with high thickening efficiency and low adsorption in carbonate reservoirs will be a major step towards the successful application of polymer flooding in HTHS carbonate reservoirs. The potential biopolymer "Schizophyllan" is identified and its rheological properties are investigated. The effect of temperature and salinity on the behavior of the polymer solution is analyzed. In addition, the mechanical and long-term thermal stability of the polymer solutions and their adsorption on synthetic carbonate cores are also discussed.

The tested polymer showed temperature stability and salt tolerance with no decrease in viscosity up to a temperature of 135 °C and 220 g/L salinity. The thermal stability and salt tolerance of the biopolymer are attributed to the non-ionic nature and the triple helical structure. Moreover, the polymer solution showed no decrease in viscosity when kept at 120 °C under anaerobic conditions for over eight months. A series of coreflooding experiments have been performed at reservoir temperature (120 °C) and salinity (167 g/L) to evaluate the performance of the polymer EOR process in carbonate reservoirs. Various parameters including reservoir permeability, polymer slug size and the initiation time of polymer EOR process are varied in this study in order to determine the optimum flooding conditions. Dynamic adsorption of the polymer on rock surface is also quantified and found to be very low in magnitude. Coreflooding results of polymer EOR using the potential biopolymer offered encouraging results with a range of incremental recoverable oil between 7-10% after waterflooding. Further research is still required on application of biopolymers on reservoir cores.
A Regional Analysis of Clumped Isotope Geochemistry to Define the Timing of Creation of Micro-Porosity in a Lower Cretaceous Giant Reservoir
Authors: Barata J. , Vahrenkamp V. , Van Laer P. J. , Swart P. , Murray S.
Published: November 2015

Clumped isotope geochemistry of calcite minerals measures temperature independently of the isotopic composition of the precipitating water, allowing in combination with basin modeling to define the depth and timing of major diagenetic events. This technique has been applied to a regional selection of samples from the most prolific Thamama reservoir unit in Abu Dhabi in an attempt to further constrain the creation of the micro-porous system that volumetrically dominates the pore system of the reservoir.

A total of 38 samples from 8 crest wells in 8 different fields from onshore Abu Dhabi were analyzed, indicating precipitating temperatures of 47°C to 110°C, and diagenetic water isotopic composition of 0.2‰ to 5.6‰ δ18O. Carbon and Oxygen stable isotope values are in line with existing values for this reservoir (−9.17 to −5.27 δ18O; 2.99 to 4.10 for δ13C).

From the same cores and at the same depth as the 38 samples, thin sections were created for a semi-quantitative petrographic analysis to provide further insight on Δ47 temperature variations. Samples with a higher volume of intraclasts have lower temperature of precipitation while samples with higher volume of diagenetic cement show higher temperatures of precipitation. Cutoffs were applied to filter out these early and late diagenetic overprints.

Using the existing basin model, Δ47 temperatures translate into a depth for diagenesis of between 610 and 1370 m and an Upper Cretaceous age. Both the range of temperatures and depths reflect differential transformation of the individual structures during the late Cretaceous caused by the emplacement of the Semail Ophiolite. This is in agreement with a recently proposed regional burial diagenetic model (Vahrenkamp et al., 2014). The isotopic composition of the diagenetic fluids indicate the presence of heavy burial diagenetic brines on a regional scale.

The results show that the effects of deep burial diagenesis are present throughout the Abu Dhabi region and that a strong regional burial flow system is controlling the evolution of the poro-perm system. An understanding of this large scale fluid-flow system is important in resolving issues related to the regional distribution of reservoir properties.
Barrow Island Quarantine: Beyond Best Practice
Authors: Merwe Johann Van
Published: November 2015

Arresting the loss of biodiversity is one of the challenges of our era. One of the primary drivers of this loss is the introduction on non-indigenous species where such species overcome the normal factors that contain and constrain population growth to become pest species that out compete the indigenous species resulting in the marginalisation and in the extreme case extinction of the native species. The lack of biosecurity not only risks biodiversity but also risks our economy and our way of life. Introduced diseases threaten animal production, weeds degrade agricultural output and pest species erode our amenity values in our neighbourhood. With the progression of globalisation and the associated increase in trade and development, proliferation of travel and large-scale migration between nations, the risk of translocating species that may become invasive increases as well. An invasive species episode imposes a costly externality on ecosystems in terms of composition, structure and function and all too often a cost to the socio-economic environment‥

The search for new energy reserves and the subsequent development of newly discovered assets push deeper into the remote frontiers of our world. Proponents can expect to be challenged by interested and affected parties opposed to exploration or any proposal that involves development. These stakeholder groups not only are the stakeholders on the local or the national scene but more often than not also include large international non-government organisations. As such, companies and governments are under increased pressure to set new benchmarks and new best practices in order to gain or issue regulatory approvals and the ‘social licence’ to operate, often resulting in the bar for environmental approvals being raised.

This was indeed the case when thegovernment, on the advice of the community and subject matter experts, imposed a challenging condition on the approval of the Gorgon Joint Venture to develop the Gorgon Project on Barrow Island. This paper provides a high-level explanation of the Quarantine Management System developed in response to a requirement ensure no non-indigenous species is introduced or proliferated on Barrow Island and its performance.
Molecular Analysis of the Cyanobacterial Community in Gastric Contents of Egrets with Symptoms of Steatitis
Authors: Nishizawa Tomoyasu , Neagari Yasuko , Miura Takamasa , Asayama Munehiko , Murata Koichi , Harada Ken-Ichi , Shirai Makoto
Published: November 2015

Many deaths of wild birds that have drunk water contaminated with hepatotoxic microcystin-producing cyanobacteria have been reported. A mass death of egrets and herons with steatitis were found at the agricultural reservoir occurring cyanobacterial waterblooms. This study aimed to verify a hypothesis that the egrets and herons which died in the reservoir drink microcystin-producing cyanobacteria and microcystin involves in the cause of death as well as the symptoms of steatitis. The cyanobacterial community in gastric contents of egrets and herons that died from steatitis was assessed using cyanobacterial 16S rRNA-based terminal-restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) profiling and a cyanobacterial 16S rRNA-based clone library analysis. In addition, PCR amplification of the mcyB–C region and the mcyG gene, involved in microcystin biosynthesis, was examined. The cyanobacterial community in the gastric contents of two birds showed a simplistic composition. A comparison of cyanobacterial T-RFLP profiling and cloned sequences suggested that the genus Microcystis predominated in both samples of egrets died. Although we confirmed that two egrets which died in the reservoir have taken in cyanobacterial waterblooms containing the genus Microcystis, no mcy gene was detected in both samples according to the mcy gene-based PCR analysis. This study is the first to show the profiling and traceability of a cyanobacterial community in the gastric contents of wild birds by molecular analysis. Additionally, we consider causing symptoms of steatitis in the dead egrets.
Performance of the disease risk score in a cohort study with policy-induced selection bias
Authors: Tadrous Mina , Mamdani Muhammad M , Juurlink David N , Krahn Murray D , Lévesque Linda E , Cadarette Suzanne M
Published: November 2015

Aim:
To examine the performance of the disease risk score (DRS) in a cohort study with evidence of policy-induced selection bias.
Methods:
We examined two cohorts of new users of bisphosphonates. Estimates for 1-year hip fracture rates between agents using DRS, exposure propensity scores and traditional multivariable analysis were compared.
Results:
The results for the cohort with no evidence of policy-induced selection bias showed little variation across analyses (-4.1–2.0%). Analysis of the cohort with evidence of policy-induced selection bias showed greater variation (-13.5–8.1%), with the greatest difference seen with DRS analyses.
Conclusion:
Our findings suggest that caution may be warranted when using DRS methods in cohort studies with policy-induced selection bias, further research is needed.
The importance of test accuracy in economic evaluations of companion diagnostics
Authors: San Miguel Lorena , Hulstaert Frank
Published: November 2015

Background:
Economic evaluations of companion diagnostics often fail to include the impact that tests have on the overall economic value of test–drug combinations. 
Methods:
To illustrate the importance of test accuracy on the cost–effectiveness of companion diagnostics by means of examples. Data were extracted from the literature.
Results:
The accuracy of a test and in particularly its specificity, is often more influential on the overall cost–effectiveness results than the price of the test. Specificity becomes more crucial when prevalence of the biomarker is low. Multiple, simultaneous testing faces specific challenges regarding its overall specificity.
Conclusion:
This article opens a discussion on some fundamental points linked to economic evaluations of test–therapy combinations.
TCF7L2 Genotype and α-Cell Function in Humans Without Diabetes
Authors: Shah Meera , Varghese Ron T. , Miles John M. , Piccinini Francesca , Dalla Man Chiara , Cobelli Claudio , Bailey Kent R. , Rizza Robert A. , Vella Adrian
Published: November 2015

The diabetes-associated allele in TCF7L2 increases the rate of conversion to diabetes; however, the mechanism by which this occurs remains elusive. We hypothesized that the diabetes-associated allele in this locus (rs7903146) impairs insulin secretion and that this defect would be exacerbated by acute free fatty acid (FFA)–induced insulin resistance. We studied 120 individuals of whom one-half were homozygous for the diabetes-associated allele TT at rs7903146 and one-half were homozygous for the protective allele CC. After a screening examination during which glucose tolerance status was determined, subjects were studied on two occasions in random order while undergoing an oral challenge. During one study day, FFA was elevated by infusion of Intralipid plus heparin. On the other study day, subjects received the same amount of glycerol as present in the Intralipid infusion. β-Cell responsivity indices were estimated with the oral C-peptide minimal model. We report that β-cell responsivity was slightly impaired in the TT genotype group. Moreover, the hyperbolic relationship between insulin secretion and β-cell responsivity differed significantly between genotypes. Subjects also exhibited impaired suppression of glucagon after an oral challenge. These data imply that a genetic variant harbored within the TCF7L2 locus impairs glucose tolerance through effects on glucagon as well as on insulin secretion.
Working towards a Reproducible Method for Quantifying Placental Syncytial Knots
Authors: Senagore Patricia K. , Holzman Claudia B. , Parks W. Tony , Catov Janet M.
Published: November 2015

Prominent syncytial knots (SK) in placentas signal advanced gestation or placental malperfusion, reflecting exposures that adversely affect placental development and pregnancy outcomes. Molecular-level interrogations of syncytiotrophoblast have altered perceptions of and raised questions about the function and disposition of SK. Quantifying SK and achieving acceptable levels of interrater reliability have been challenging. Our objective was to develop a simple, reproducible protocol for counting SK and demonstrate interrater reliability overall and within 3 parameters, ie, preterm vs term delivery, presence vs absence of diffuse prominent SK (DPSK), and SK relationship with a lesion, all of which could influence measurement reproducibility and interpretation. Criteria for defining SK and a grid system drawn on glass slides were developed for counting percentage of villi with SK. One disc section each from 151 placentas, sampled from 8 groups defined by the 3 parameters, was assessed by 2 pretrained pathologists. The resulting weighted kappa statistic for overall interrater agreement was 0.60 (very good) and Spearman correlation coefficient for ranking quartiles was >0.70. Agreement was best for preterm placentas, kappa = 0.61, and those only showing DPSK associated with a lesion, kappa = 0.67. Agreement was low in the absence of DPSK, kappa = 0.22, or when DPSK was present in a placenta not associated with a lesion, kappa = 0.32. The proposed method offers a potentially reliable approach for categorizing SK counts as normal vs abnormal or providing continuous measure counts. More extensive pretraining, focused on placentas with few SK and those without an associated lesion, is recommended to improve agreement.
Histopathological study of cystoscopic bladder biopsies
Authors: Baidya R , Sigdel B , Baidhya NL
Published: November 2015

Background: Urinary bladder diseases constitute an important source of clinical signs and symptoms which are more disabling than lethal. The prevalence of bladder tumor in developed countries is approximately six times higher compared with that in developing countries. The aim of this study was to find out various lesions in urinary bladder biopsies and its frequencies.Materials and Methods: This was a five year retrospective study from January 2008 to December 2013, carried out at B&B Hospital, Lalitpur. All the relevant data of 324 patients who had undergone cystoscopic biopsy of urinary bladder were included in the study. All blocks were retrieved and stained with Hematoxylin and Eosin stain and examined under light microscope.Results: The spectrum of pathological lesions included inflammations and tumors. Non-neoplastic lesions were predominant (61.11%) followed by Transitional cell tumors accounted for 124 cases (38.27%). Non-neoplastic lesions comprises of cystitis and tuberculosis. Papillary urothelial neoplasms was the most common tumors seen in this study with 55 low grade, and 54 high grade Papillary urothelial carcinoma according to recent WHO grading. Single cases each of adenocarcinoma and paraganglioma were diagnosed.Conclusion: Cystoscopic biopsies help in the early diagnosis and treatment of various bladder lesions. Analysis of cystoscopic biopsies was done to ascertain the type of urinary bladder lesions in our country.Journal of Pathology of Nepal (2015) Vol. 5, 717-719
Costs and Benefits of Quebec's Drive Electric Program
Authors: Mercier Xavier , Lanoie Paul , Leroux Justin
Published: November 2015

This article presents a cost-benefit analysis (CBA) of the Drive Electric Program enacted by the Quebec government in 2012. This program provides direct rebates to all-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles according to electric battery capacity. After describing the program, we identify and monetize its main costs and benefits. The costs are primarily related to the government expenses associated with the rebate itself, while the benefits include savings on gasoline purchases and oil changes, as well as reductions in the emissions of different pollutants. Because these emissions have no market price, valuing them reliably presents a challenge. For this purpose, we used values from previous relevant studies. We conduct our CBA for the year 2012 and obtain a net present value of $173,331, with an internal rate of return of 6.54 percent. Our sensitivity analysis shows our conclusion to be fairly robust to various changes in the assumptions and parameters.
Tax Policy for a Rent-Rich Economy
Authors: Boadway Robin
Published: November 2015

I argue that a significant amount of income consists of windfall gains or rents. Rents accrue to firms and their owners, as well as to asset owners. They also accrue to income earners due to windfall changes in wage rates and rent-seeking opportunities. High-income persons obtain a disproportionate share of rents, and I investigate the consequences of that for Canadian tax policy. Some tax reforms suggested include adopting an allowance for corporate equity business tax system, abolishing the dividend tax credit and preferential treatment of capital gains, limiting the use of tax-free savings accounts, increasing the progressivity of income taxation, and adopting a guaranteed basic income.
The neutronic calculations for some fluids, libraries and structural materials in a hybrid reactor system
Authors: Günay M.
Published: November 2015

In the present investigation, a hybrid reactor system was designed by using 100 % Flibe, 90 % Flibe-10 % ThF4, 90 % Flibe-10 % UF4 fluids, ENDF/B-VII, JEFF-3.1, JENDL-4.0, ROSFOND, BROND-2.2, CENDL-3.1 evaluated nuclear data libraries and Ferritic Steel, 9Cr2WVTa, V4Cr4Ti, SiC structural materials. The fluids were used in the liquid first wall, liquid second wall (blanket) and shield zones of a fusion–fission hybrid reactor system. The nuclear parameters of a fusion–fission hybrid reactor such as tritium breeding ratio (TBR), energy multiplication factor (M), heat deposition rate were computed in liquid first wall, blanket and shield zones. Three-dimensional nucleonic calculations were performed using the most recent version MCNPX-2.7.0 the Monte Carlo code.
Preparation of human resources for future nuclear energy using FBNR as the instrument of learning
Authors: Sefidvash F. , Espinoza P. , Guerrero V. H. , Luna M. , Ayala E. , Santos R. , Hiep D. X. , Thong H. V. , Minh D. T. N. , Sahin S. , van der Laan F. T. , de Oliveira C. I. , Bouhelal O. K. , Kanoute M.
Published: November 2015

An increasing number of developing countries are showing interest to become the emerging countries to nuclear energy. Most of these countries lack human resources and adequate infrastructures to enter such a venture. The principle objective of activities of FBNR Group is to train human resources for the countries that at the present lack the necessary conditions, but aim at the future clean and safe nuclear energy through the fourth generation and INPRO compatible nuclear reactors. The preparation for the future nuclear energy is done through development of innovative nuclear reactor that meets the INPRO philosophies and criteria. These countries may or may not have decided as yet to utilize nuclear energy, but are interested to gain a strong educational foundation for their future. The research and development of a small innovative nuclear reactor FBNR is used as the instrument for learning. The young scientists will learn how to be innovative with the vision of INPRO philosophy and criteria.
Analysis of SBO ATWS for Maanshan PWR
Authors: Chen Che-Hao , Wang Jong-Rong , Lin Hao-Tzu , Chen Shao-Wen , Shih Chunkuan
Published: November 2015

Station blackout anticipated transient without scram (SBO ATWS) is considered as loss of off-site and on-site power but no credit for automatic reactor trip. SBO ATWS causes reactor coolant pump (RCP) trip, loss of all main feedwater pumps and turbine trip, then the reactor coolant system (RCS) pressure rises rapidly due to loss of heat removal paths. The ASME Code Level C service limit criteria of 22.06 MPa (3200 psig) is assumed to be an unacceptable plant condition in SECY-83-293. The simulation is performed by TRACE which is a thermal-hydraulic code developed by U.S. NRC. Three different AFW flows are modeled to ensure the pressures will not be beyond the criteria. RCP seal-leakage is concerned as a SBLOCA due to loss of RCP seal-cooling. Four possible leakage flows are modeled to examine the reactor core water level and temperature variation.
Design and implementation progress of multi-purpose simulator for nuclear research reactor using LabVIEW
Authors: Arafa A. , Saleh H. I. , Ashoub N.
Published: November 2015

This paper illustrates the neutronic and thermal hydraulic models that were implemented in the nuclear research reactor simulator based on LabVIEW. It also describes the system and transient analysis of the simulator that takes into consideration the temperature effects and poisoning. This simulator is designed to be a multi-purpose in which the operator could understand the effects of the input parameters on the reactor. A designer can study different solutions for virtual reactor accident scenarios. The main features of the simulator are the flexibility to design and maintain the interface and the ability to redesign and remodel the reactor core engine. The developed reactor simulator permits to acquire hands-on the experience of the physics and technology of nuclear reactors including reactivity control, thermodynamics, technology design and safety system design. This simulator can be easily customizable and upgradable and new opportunities for collaboration between academic groups could be conducted.
International assessment of application of the Code of Conduct on the Safety of Research Reactors
Authors: Shokr A. M.
Published: November 2015

The self-assessments performed by thirty-eight countries on application of the Code of Conduct on the Safety of Research Reactors were analyzed and discussed. The results of this analysis were used to identify areas of satisfactory application of the Code and area needing improvements, and therefore require more attention worldwide. The results showed improvement in application of the Code provisions; ntformat otably in aging management, regulatory supervision, and consideration of human factors. However, there is a continuing need for further improvement in these areas, as well as in operational radiation protection, emergency preparedness and decommissioning planning. Additionally, increased attention needs to be given to periodic safety reviews, evaluation of site-specific hazards, and assessment of extreme external events. The results showed consistency with the feedback from other sources of information on generic safety issues for research reactors.
Theoretical study of steam condensation induced water hammer phenomena in horizontal pipelines
Authors: Barna I. F. , Pocsai M. A. , Guba A. , Imre A. R.
Published: November 2015

Steam condensation induced water hammer (CIWH) phenomena are investigated and new theoretical results are presented. We use the WAHA3 model based on two-phase flow six first-order partial differential equations that present one dimensional, surface averaged mass, momentum and energy balances. A second order accurate high-resolution shock-capturing numerical scheme was applied with different kind of limiters in the numerical calculations. The applied two-fluid model shows some similarities to RELAP5 which is widely used in the nuclear industry to simulate nuclear power plant accidents. This model was validated with different CIWH experiments which were performed in the PMK-2 facility, which is a full-pressure thermohydraulic model of the nuclear power plant of VVER-440/312 type in the Energy Research Center of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and in the Rosa facility of the Japan Atomic Energy Agency. In our present study we show the first part of a planned large database which will give us the upper and lower flooding mass flow rates for various pipe geometries where CIWH can happen. Such a reliable database would be a great help for future reactor constructions and scheming.
Sensitivity analysis of parameters important to nuclear criticality safety of Castor X/28F spent nuclear fuel cask
Authors: Leotlela M.J. , Malgas I. , Taviv E.
Published: November 2015

In nuclear criticality safety analysis it is essential to ascertain how various components of the nuclear system will perform under certain conditions they may be subjected to, particularly if the components of the system are likely to be affected by environmental factors such as temperature, radiation or material composition. It is therefore prudent that a sensitivity analysis is performed to determine and quantify the response of the output to variation in any of the input parameters. In a fissile system, the output parameter of importance is the keff. Therefore, in attempting to prevent reactivity-induced accidents, it is important for the criticality safety analyst to have a quantified degree of response for the neutron multiplication factor to perturbation in a given input parameter. This article will present the results of the perturbation of the parameters that are important to nuclear criticality safety analysis and their respective correlation equations for deriving the sensitivity coefficients.
Optimization of Police Facility Locationing
Authors: Chow Andy H. F. , Cheung C. Y. , Yoon H. T.
Published: November 2015

This paper presents an application of optimization and geographic information systems techniques for deploying police facilities subject to budgetary and feasibility constraints. The objectives include minimizing the distances and maximizing the coverage of police stations over potential crime spots. Two optimization models were investigated: maximum coverage and p-median problems. The optimization was integrated with geographic spatial analysis techniques to allocate limited police resources in the Greater London Area. In addition, the optimal results were compared with existing police deployment in London. Finally, the resilience of optimal solutions was evaluated by applying them to the scenario of the terrorist attack that occurred on July 7, 2005. This study contributes to the study of urban sustainability and security.
Supervised Intelligence Committee Machine to Evaluate Field Performance of Photocatalytic Asphalt Pavement for Ambient Air Purification
Authors: Nadiri Ataallah , Hassan Marwa M. , Asadi Somayeh
Published: November 2015

The ability of a titanium dioxide (TiO2) photocatalytic nanoparticle to trap and to decompose organic and inorganic air pollutants makes it a promising technology as a pavement coating to mitigate the harmful effects of vehicle emissions. Statistical models and artificial intelligence (AI) models are two applicable methods to quantify photocatalytic efficiency. The objective of this study was to develop a model based on field-collected data to predict the nitrogen oxide (NOx) reduction. To achieve this objective, the supervised intelligent committee machine (SICM) method as a combinational black box model was used to predict NOx concentration at the pavement level before and after TiO2 application on the pavement surface. SICM predicts NOx concentration by a nonlinear combination of individual AI models through an artificial intelligent system. Three AI models—Mamdani fuzzy logic, artificial neural network, and neuro-fuzzy—were used to predict NOx concentration in the air as a function of traffic count and climatic conditions, including humidity, temperature, solar radiation, and wind speed before and after the application of TiO2. In addition, an intelligent committee machine model was developed by combining individual AI model output linearly through a set of weights. Results indicated that the SICM model could provide a better prediction of NOx concentration as an air pollutant in the complex and multidimensional air quality data analysis with less residual mean square error than that given by multivariate regression models.
Integrated Method for Online Calibration of Real-Time Traffic Network Management Systems
Authors: Hashemi Hossein , Abdelghany Khaled
Published: November 2015

This paper presents an integrated method for online calibration of realtime traffic network simulation models. The method integrates a time-dependent demand adjustment module and a link-based traffic flow propagation model calibration module. These modules use available realtime traffic observations to minimize inconsistency between the model estimation results and real-world observations. The modules are integrated into a real-time traffic network management system that was developed for the US-75 corridor in Dallas, Texas. Results illustrate that the online calibration method is effective in enhancing the model's consistency in the different operational conditions.
Volumetric and Shape Analysis of the Thalamus and Striatum in Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment
Authors: Leh Sandra E. , Kälin Andrea M. , Schroeder Clemens , Park Min Tae M. , Chakravarty M. Mallar , Freund Patrick , Gietl Anton F. , Riese Florian , Kollias Spyros , Hock Christoph , Michels Lars
Published: November 2015

Alterations in brain structures, including progressive neurodegeneration, are a hallmark in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, pathological mechanisms, such as the accumulation of amyloid and the proliferation of tau, are thought to begin years, even decades, before the initial clinical manifestations of AD. In this study, we compare the brain anatomy of amnestic mild cognitive impairment patients (aMCI, n = 16) to healthy subjects (CS, n = 22) using cortical thickness, subcortical volume, and shape analysis, which we believe to be complimentary to volumetric measures. We were able to replicate “classical” cortical thickness alterations in aMCI in the hippocampus, amygdala, putamen, insula, and inferior temporal regions. Additionally, aMCI showed significant thalamic and striatal shape differences. We observed higher global amyloid deposition in aMCI, a significant correlation between striatal displacement and global amyloid, and an inverse correlation between executive function and right-hemispheric thalamic displacement. In contrast, no volumetric differences were detected in thalamic, striatal, and hippocampal regions. Our results provide new evidence for early subcortical neuroanatomical changes in patients with aMCI, which are linked to cognitive abilities and amyloid deposition. Hence, shape analysis may aid in the identification of structural biomarkers for identifying individuals at highest risk of conversion to AD.
Greater Specificity for Cerebrospinal Fluid P-tau231 over P-tau181 in the Differentiation of Healthy Controls from Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Spiegel Jonathan , Pirraglia Elizabeth , Osorio Ricardo S. , Glodzik Lidia , Li Yi , Tsui Wai , Saint Louis Leslie A. , Randall Catherine , Butler Tracy , Xu Jinfeng , Zinkowski Raymond P. , Zetterberg Henrik , Fortea Juan , Fossati Silvia , Wisniewski Thomas , Davies Peter , Blennow Kaj , de Leon Mony J.
Published: November 2015

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) measures of phosphorylated-tau (P-tau) 231 and P-tau181 are two biomarkers for the identification of tau pathology as related to Alzheimer’s disease (AD). While both are pathologically validated, their relative diagnostic performances are not well known. This cross-sectional diagnostic study of 87 normal (NL) subjects and 28 AD subjects compared CSF P-tau231 with CSF P-tau181. Logistic regression modeling demonstrated that the P-tau231 was superior to the P-tau181 in the diagnostic classifications. At a fixed 85% sensitivity cutoff, the ROC analysis shows that P-tau231 has greater overall specificity than P-tau181. While both P-tau analytes demonstrated equivalent negative predictive accuracies, P-tau231 yielded significantly fewer false positives. Moreover, P-tau231, but not P-tau181, demonstrated sensitivity to the E4 genotype. A postmortem validation with 9 AD subjects confirmed the superiority of the CSF P-tau231 specificity. This study suggests that P-tau231 has the potential to improve the CSF tau biomarker diagnosis of AD.
Risk of Dementia in Patients with Celiac Disease: A Population-Based Cohort Study
Authors: Lebwohl Benjamin , Luchsinger José A. , Freedberg Daniel E. , Green Peter H.R. , Ludvigsson Jonas F.
Published: November 2015

Background: Patients with celiac disease (CD) frequently report cognitive symptoms when they are exposed to gluten, and cognitive deficits have been quantified in patients with newly diagnosed CD. Objective: To determine whether patients with CD have an increased risk of dementia. Methods: Using a population-based database of older adults (age ≥50 years) with histologically proven CD (duodenal/jejunal villous atrophy) from all 28 pathology departments in Sweden, we compared the incidence of a subsequent dementia diagnosis to those of age- and gender-matched controls. Results: Among patients with CD (n = 8,846) and controls (n = 43,474), the median age was 63 years and 56% were female. During a median follow-up time of 8.4 years, dementia was diagnosed in 4.3% of CD patients and 4.4% of controls (HR 1.07; 95% CI 0.95–1.20). Although there was an increased risk of dementia in the first year following a diagnosis of CD (HR 1.73; 95% CI 1.15–2.61), this risk was not present in the whole observation period. Among those subjects with a dementia subtype specified, the increased risk was restricted to vascular dementia (HR 1.28; 95% CI 1.00–1.64) and was not present for Alzheimer’s dementia (HR 1.12; 95% CI 0.91–1.37). Conclusions: Patients with CD are not at increased risk for dementia overall, though subgroup analysis suggests that they may be at increased risk for vascular dementia.
Altered Sense of Humor in Dementia
Authors: Clark Camilla N. , Nicholas Jennifer M. , Gordon Elizabeth , Golden Hannah L. , Cohen Miriam H. , Woodward Felix J. , Macpherson Kirsty , Slattery Catherine F. , Mummery Catherine J. , Schott Jonathan M. , Rohrer Jonathan D. , Warren Jason D.
Published: November 2015

Sense of humor is potentially relevant to social functioning in dementias, but has been little studied in these diseases. We designed a semi-structured informant questionnaire to assess humor behavior and preferences in patients with behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD; n = 15), semantic dementia (SD; n = 7), progressive nonfluent aphasia (PNFA; n = 10), and Alzheimer’s disease (AD; n = 16) versus healthy age-matched individuals (n = 21). Altered (including frankly inappropriate) humor responses were significantly more frequent in bvFTD and SD (all patients) than PNFA or AD (around 40% of patients). All patient groups liked satirical and absurdist comedy significantly less than did healthy controls. This pattern was reported premorbidly for satirical comedy in bvFTD, PNFA, and AD. Liking for slapstick comedy did not differ between groups. Altered sense of humor is particularly salient in bvFTD and SD, but also frequent in AD and PNFA. Humor may be a sensitive probe of social cognitive impairment in dementia, with diagnostic, biomarker and social implications.
Dysregulation and Diagnostic Potential of microRNA in Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Pan Yaoqian , Liu Ruizhu , Terpstra Erin , Wang Yanqing , Qiao Fangfang , Wang Jin , Tong Yigang , Pan Bo
Published: November 2015

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases and is considered to be the main cause of cognitive impairment in elderly people. The major symptom of AD is progressive dementia that eventually results in dysfunction of daily life. Due to the fact that AD has a long period of incubation before clinical symptoms emerge, the available therapeutic treatments can only improve the symptoms but not delay the progression of AD. Therefore, there is an urgent need to explore effective diagnostic approaches to catch and better treat the disease before clinical symptoms appear. Recent research revealed that abnormal expression of certain miRNA could have a crucial role in the pathological process of neurodegenerative disease including AD. Furthermore, given that AD patients show increased level of miRNAs in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid, miRNAs are considered promising non-invasive candidates for AD diagnosis and prognosis. Here, we reviewed the current research related to implications of miRNAs during the development of AD, summarized of actively used approaches to identifying potential miRNA biomarkers in body fluids, and discussed the diagnostic potential of microRNAs as biomarkers for AD.
Predictive Factors for Disease Progression in Patients With Early-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Yoon Bora , Shim Yong S. , Park Hee-Kyung , Park Sun Ah , Choi Seong Hye , Yang Dong Won
Published: November 2015

Background: Only a few studies have investigated disease progression in patients with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease (EOAD). Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate disease progression in patients with EOAD and the influence of various factors, such as gender, education, and apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype on disease progression. Methods: A total of 288 EOAD patients were enrolled in the study. Linear mixed models were used to investigate the rate of cognitive and functional decline in terms of age at onset, gender, education, follow-up period, and APOE genotype. Results: EOAD patients showed an annual decline of –1.54 points/years in the Korean version mini-mental examination score, an annual increase of 3.46 points/year in the Seoul instrumental activities of daily living (SIADL) score, and an annual increase of 1.15 points/year in the clinical dementia rating scale-sum of boxes score. After stratification, higher educated patients showed faster disease progression in all three parameters, and female patients demonstrated faster disease progression as assessed by the SIADL score. Age at onset and APOE genotype had no influence on disease progression. Conclusion: We confirmed the rate of disease progression in Korean patients with EOAD in real-life hospital-based clinical practice. The results of this study suggest that education and female gender, not APOE genotype, may be important as independent strong predictive factors for disease progression in patients with EOAD.
Concanavalin Agglutinin Levels are Decreased in Peripheral Blood of Alzheimer’s Disease Patients
Authors: Sun Xuying , Ma Ronghong , Yao Xiuqing , Shang Xiaoling , Wang Qun , Wang Jian-Zhi , Liu Gongping
Published: November 2015

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) seriously threatens patients’ lives and causes severe burden to the families. Early prevention and treatment can alleviate the development of the disease; therefore it is important to find new effective and non-traumatic biomarkers for early diagnosis. In this study, peripheral blood samples were collected from 24 AD patients and the same number of age- and gender-matched control subjects. Lectin reactive glycosylation levels including beta-D-galactosyl ricinus communis agglutinin 120 (RCA), peanut agglutinin (PNA), concanavalin agglutinin (Con A), alpha-L-fucosyl ulex europeus agglutinin (UEA), dolichos biflorus agglutinin (DBA), and galanthus nivalis (GNL), in the red blood cells of peripheral blood were examined by western blotting. We found that lectin levels were altered with aging and gender; some lectin levels were different between AD patients and the control subjects. Only Con A levels were significantly decreased in AD patients compared to age-matched control subjects. These results suggest that Con A levels in peripheral blood may be a potent diagnostic marker for AD.
Analysis of electromagnetic sheet metal forming process: Experimental and FE study of mutual inductance and current pulse
Authors: Karimi-nemch H. , Sedighi M. , Khandaei M.
Published: November 2015

Electromagnetic metal forming (EMF) is a high velocity forming process which uses electromagnetic body force to deform metal work piece. The challenging aspect of simulation of this process is complexity of magnetic pressure distribution and high speed deformation. Furthermore, coupling these two aspects is so important in order to analyze EMF. In this study, a simple approach has been proposed for simulation of EMF using two strong finite element commercial codes separately for modeling of electromagnetic and mechanical phenomena of this process. Another challenging aspect of this process is determination of the current pulse which is discharged into the electromagnetic actuator. So, the effect of mutual inductance on discharged current and deformation were also investigated by experiments. Validation of this numerical approach was done by comparing the measured and simulated final deflection and strain distribution.
Vibrations monitoring of high speed spindle with active magnetic bearings in presence of defects
Authors: Bouaziz Amel , Bouaziz Slim , Hentati Taissir , Cholley Jean Yves , Haddar Mohamed
Published: November 2015

The use of Active Magnetic Bearings (AMBs) in the High Speed Machining (HSM) field is increasing. In fact, they have important advantages such us: high speed which can reach 150000 rpm, high stiffness and absence of lubrication. Indeed, these bearings operate through magnetic interaction generated between the stator and the rotor. The spindle, principal component in the HSM, supported by AMBs, is considered as a source of vibration in machine tool spindles when it is affected by some defects during their functioning. These defects can affect either the rotor of the spindle like the unbalance defect, or the AMBs such us misalignment of bearings, failure of actuators, sensors, amplifier and also the eccentricity defect. This paper studies the influence of spindle or AMBs defects on the dynamic behavior of a spindle supported by two AMBs. The system modeling is based on the finite element method. Four degrees of freedom is used and the coupling between elastic and rigid displacements is taken into account.
Improved solution to a multi-objective benchmark problem of inverse induction heating
Authors: Di Barba Paolo , Dughiero Fabrizio , Forzan Michele , Sieni Elisabetta
Published: November 2015

In the paper, a new solution to a benchmark problem of inverse induction heating is presented. The problem refers to an industrial device for the controlled heating of a graphite disk. In particular, the solution of a bi-objective optimization problem characterized by a multi-physics field analysis is investigated. The solution strategy of the bi-objective optimization problem is based on a modified multi-objective genetic algorithm in the class of Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm. The expected goal of the optimization process is to improve temperature uniformity in the disk as well as electrical efficiency of the induction device. The proposed algorithm exploits the migration concept to vary the population genetic characteristics during optimization process, with the final aim of improving the approximation of the Pareto front.
Translating cancer genomes and transcriptomes for precision oncology
Authors: Roychowdhury Sameek , Chinnaiyan Arul M.
Published: November 2015

Understanding the molecular landscape of cancer has facilitated the development of diagnostic, prognostic, and predictive biomarkers for clinical oncology. Developments in next‐generation DNA sequencing technologies have increased the speed and reduced the cost of sequencing the nucleic acids of cancer cells. This has unlocked opportunities to characterize the genomic and transcriptomic landscapes of cancer for basic science research through projects like The Cancer Genome Atlas. The cancer genome includes DNA‐based alterations, such as point mutations or gene duplications. The cancer transcriptome involves RNA‐based alterations, including changes in messenger RNAs. Together, the genome and transcriptome can provide a comprehensive view of an individual patient's cancer that is beginning to impact real‐time clinical decision‐making. The authors discuss several opportunities for translating this basic science knowledge into clinical practice, including a molecular classification of cancer, heritable risk of cancer, eligibility for targeted therapies, and the development of innovative, genomic‐based clinical trials. In this review, key applications and new directions are outlined for translating the cancer genome and transcriptome into patient care in the clinic. CA Cancer J Clin 2016;75–88. © 2015 American Cancer Society.