bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Field Treatment To Stimulate an Oil Well in an Offshore Sandstone Reservoir Using a Novel, Low-Corrosive, Environmentally Friendly Fluid
Authors: Nasr-El-Din Hisham A. , Dana Halina , Tomos Vassilis , Stanitzek Theo , De Wolf Corine A. , Alex Alan K.
Published: September 2015

Acidizing sandstone formations is a real challenge for the oil and gas industry. Fines migration, sand production, and additional damages caused by precipitation are some of the common concerns related to sandstone treatments. Furthermore, the complexities of sandstone formations require a mixture of acids and loadings of several additives. The environmentally friendly chelating agent glutamic acid N,N-diacetic acid (GLDA) was used successfully to stimulate deep gas wells in carbonate reservoirs. It was tested extensively in the laboratory to stimulate sandstone cores with various mineralogies. Significant permeability improvements were reported in previous papers over a wide range of conditions. In this paper, the result of the first field application is evaluated with a fluid based on this chelating agent to acidize an offshore, sour oil well in a sandstone reservoir.

The field treatment included pumping a preflush of xylene to remove oil residues and any possible asphaltene deposited in the wellbore region, followed by the main stage that contained 25 wt% GLDA, a corrosion inhibitor, and a water-wetting surfactant. The treatment fluids were displaced into the formation by pumping diesel. The treatment fluids were allowed to soak for 6 hours, then the well was put into production, and samples of flowback fluids were collected. The concentrations of key cations were determined using inductively coupled plasma, and the chelant concentration was measured using a titration method with ferric chloride solutions.

Corrosion tests conducted on low-carbon-steel tubulars indicated that this chelant has low corrosion rates under bottomhole conditions. No corrosion-inhibitor intensifier was needed. The treatment was applied in the field without encountering any operational problems. A significant gain in oil production was achieved without causing sand production, or fines migration. Analysis of flowback samples confirmed the ability of the chelating-agent solution to dissolve various types of carbonates, oxides, and sulphides, while keeping the dissolved species in solution without causing unwanted precipitation. Unlike previous treatments conducted on this well, where 15 wt% hydrochloric acid (HCl) or 13.5 wt%/1.5 wt% HCl/hydrofluoric acid (HF) acids were used, the concentrations of iron and manganese in the flowback samples were negligible, confirming the low corrosion rates of well tubulars when using GLDA solutions.
Ensemble-Based Multiobjective Optimization of On/Off Control Devices Under Geological Uncertainty
Authors: Fonseca R.-M. , Leeuwenburgh O. , Della Rossa E. , Van den Hof P. M. , Jansen J.-D.
Published: September 2015

We consider robust ensemble-based (EnOpt) multiobjective production optimization of on/off inflow-control devices (ICDs) for a sector model inspired by a real-field case. The use of on/off valves as optimization variables leads to a discrete control problem. We propose a reparameterization of such discrete controls in terms of switching times (i.e., we optimize the time at which a particular valve is either open or closed). This transforms the discrete control problem into a continuous control problem that can be efficiently handled with the EnOpt method. In addition, this leads to a significant reduction in the number of controls that is expected to be beneficial for gradient quality when using approximate gradients. We consider an ensemble of sector models where the uncertainty is described by different permeability, porosity, net/gross ratios, and initial water-saturation fields. The controls are the ICD settings over time in the three horizontal injection wells, with approximately 15 ICDs per well. Different optimized strategies resulting from different initial strategies were compared. We achieved a mean 4.2% increase in expected net present value (NPV) at a 10% discount rate compared with a traditional pressure-maintenance strategy. Next, we performed a sequential biobjective optimization and achieved an increase of 9.2% in the secondary objective (25% discounted NPV to emphasize short-term production gains) for a minimal decrease of 1% in the primary objective (0% discounted NPV to emphasize long-term recovery gains), as averaged over the 100 geological realizations. The work flow was repeated for alternative numbers of ICDs, showing that having fewer control options lowers the expected value for this particular case. The results demonstrate that ensemble-based optimization work flows are able to produce improved robust recovery strategies for realistic field-sector models against acceptable computational cost.
Applicability of an electrochemical Fenton-type process to actual wastewater treatment
Authors: Kishimoto Naoyuki , Kitamura Takuya , Nakamura Yu
Published: September 2015

The applicability of an electrochemical Fenton-type process (EF-HOCl-ReFe) to the treatment of three actual wastewaters, namely wastewater from an automobile factory (automobile wastewater), metal scrap-cleansing wastewater, and municipal wastewater, is discussed in this research. The EF-HOCl-ReFe successfully removed the chemical oxygen demand (COD) from automobile wastewater pre-treated by a coagulation process without any inhibition. The apparent current efficiency reached 86%, 46% of which was ascribed to the electrochemical Fenton-type mechanism. The metal scrap-cleansing wastewater had a yellow colour and high concentrations of COD (6550 mg/L) and Cl− (1560 mM). The EF-HOCl-ReFe could achieve almost complete COD removal and decolourization after 48 h of treatment, although a temporary intensification of colour was observed before the decolourization. The EF-HOCl-ReFe was also effective in the removal of 1,4-dioxane from municipal wastewater pre-treated by activated sludge and coagulation processes, which were unable to remove 1,4-dioxane. The 1,4-dioxane removal efficiency after 30 min of treatment reached 68.5%. Thus, the EF-HOCl-ReFe was applicable to the treatment of these actual wastewaters.
Reduction of concentrated nitrate by using in situ synthesized zero-valent copper
Authors: Belay Tihitinna Asmellash , Lin F. M. , Lin C. Y. , Hsiao H. M. , Chang M. F. , Liu J. C.
Published: September 2015

Although zero-valent iron represents a promising approach for reduction of nitrate (NO3−) in water, its application in concentrated nitrate is limited by surface passivation. In this study, an alternative approach using in situ synthesized zero-valent copper (Cu0) produced by borohydride (NaBH4) was investigated. Complete reduction was observed within 55 min by reacting 677 mg-N/L of NO3− with CuO (0.312 g/L) and NaBH4 (4.16 g/L) at 60 °C. The pseudo-first-order rate constant was 0.059 min−1, and it increased threefold when the CuO dose was increased to 1.24 g/L. Increasing the NaBH4 dose produced less nitrite (NO2−) throughout the experiments, indicating that it is the primary agent for reducing NO2−. The initial pH exerted a significant effect on the reaction rate, and NO3− was rapidly reduced when the initial pH was less than 4. Based on the research findings, possible reaction pathways for NO3− reduction by Cu0 are proposed in this work.
Effect of salinity on the toxicity of road dust in an estuarine amphipod Grandidierella japonica
Authors: Hiki Kyoshiro , Nakajima Fumiyuki
Published: September 2015

Urban runoff can reach coastal aquatic environments; however, little is known about the effect of salinity on road runoff toxicity. The objective of this study is to investigate the toxicity of highway road dust over a salinity gradient from 5 to 35‰, in an estuarine benthic amphipod, Grandidierella japonica. Road dust toxicity was evaluated by assessing mortality after 10 days of exposure and short-term microbead ingestion activity of the amphipod. For all road dust samples considered, amphipod mortality increased with increasing salinity, whereas no significant difference in mortality was observed among test salinities in the reference river sediment. Ingestion activity during exposure to road dust decreased with increasing salinity. In fact, none of the individuals ingested any microbeads at salinity of 35‰. If assumed microbead ingestion is a proxy for feeding activity, high mortality at 35‰ could be attributed to aquatic exposure and not to dietary exposure. These findings suggest that road dust may have considerable impact on benthic organisms at high salinity levels.
Numerical calculation of shielding effectiveness of enclosure with apertures based on EM field coupling with wire structures
Authors: Cvetkovic Tatjana , Milutinovic Vesna , Doncov Nebojsa , Milovanovic Bratislav
Published: September 2015

Shielding effectiveness of a protective metal enclosure with apertures and
receiving antenna placed inside is numerically considered. The purpose of the
antenna, here considered as a dipole, is to detect the electromagnetic (EM)
field level within the enclosure and to transfer this information via a
coaxial cable to a network analyzer. This follows the experimental procedure
used to measure the shielding effectiveness of enclosure. A numerical model,
based on the Transmission-Line Matrix (TLM) method enhanced with so-called
wire node, is used to simulate this dipole antenna/cable arrangement in order
to investigate how much it disturbs the level of shielding effectiveness due
to their two-way coupling with EM field inside the enclosure. The numerical
model, whose accuracy is proved by comparison with experimental results
available in the literature, is used to consider the influence of radius and
length of the dipole-receiving antenna and the impact of cable presence on
the distribution of EM field inside the enclosure and shift of resonant
frequencies for normal and oblique incidence.
Analysis of half-band approximately linear phase IIR filter realization structure in MATLAB
Authors: Radonjic Aleksandar , Certic Jelena
Published: September 2015

In this paper a detailed analysis of an atypical filter structure in MATLAB Filter Design and Analysis (FDA) Tool is presented. As an example of
atypical filter structure, the IIR half-band filter with approximately
linear phase realized as a parallel connection of two all-pass branches was
examined. We compare two types of those filters obtained by two different
design algorithms. FDA tool was used for the experiment because different
effects of the fixed point implementation can be simulated easily. One of
the goals of this paper was to compare results obtained by two different
design algorithms. In addition, different realizations of the filter
structure based on the parallel connection of two all-pass branches were
examined.
Incidence of Fractures in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes in the SAVOR-TIMI 53 Trial
Authors: Mosenzon Ofri , Wei Cheryl , Davidson Jaime , Scirica Benjamin M. , Yanuv Ilan , Rozenberg Aliza , Hirshberg Boaz , Cahn Avivit , Stahre Christina , Strojek Krzysztof , Bhatt Deepak L. , Raz Itamar
Published: September 2015

OBJECTIVE

Patients with type 2 diabetes have an increased risk of bone fractures, the predisposing factors for which are unknown. Treatment with thiazolidinediones (TZDs) further increases the incidence of osteoporotic fractures. In the Saxagliptin Assessment of Vascular Outcomes Recorded in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus–Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction 53 (SAVOR-TIMI 53) trial, fractures were considered an adverse event of special interest, and information regarding fractures was collected.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

We compared the incidence of fractures among the 8,280 patients who were assigned to treatment with saxagliptin with that in the 8,212 patients who were assigned to placebo. We further analyzed the participants’ baseline characteristics and fracture risk.

RESULTS

During a median follow-up of 2.1 years, 241 patients (2.9%) in the saxagliptin group and 240 (2.9%) in the placebo group experienced a fracture (hazard ratio [HR] 1.00 [95% CI 0.83–1.19]). Event rates for fractures were the same in both treatment arms: 14.7 per 1,000 patient-years in the entire population and 14.0 in the on-treatment population (first event only). Fracture risk was similar in patients treated with saxagliptin or placebo across different subgroups defined by race, cardiovascular risk, and renal function. A multivariable Cox regression analysis showed that risk of fracture was associated with female sex (P < 0.0001), longer diabetes duration (P < 0.0001), older age (P = 0.002), major hypoglycemic events (P = 0.01), noncompliance with study drug (P = 0.01), and treatment with TZDs (P = 0.03).

CONCLUSIONS

In a large population of older patients with type 2 diabetes, treatment with saxagliptin was not associated with an increased risk of fractures. The association between longer diabetes duration and increased risk of bone fracture is an intriguing finding.
Causes of 30-day readmission after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage
Authors: Greenberg Jacob K. , Washington Chad W. , Guniganti Ridhima , Dacey Ralph G. , Derdeyn Colin P. , Zipfel Gregory J.
Published: September 2015

OBJECT

Hospital readmission is a common but controversial quality measure increasingly used to influence hospital compensation in the US. The objective of this study was to evaluate the causes for 30-day hospital readmission following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) to determine the appropriateness of this performance metric and to identify potential avenues for improved patient care.

METHODS

The authors retrospectively reviewed the medical records of all patients who received surgical orendovas-cular treatment for aneurysmal SAH at Barnes-Jewish Hospital between 2003 and 2013. Two senior faculty identified by consensus the primary medical/surgical diagnosis associated with readmission as well as the underlying causes of rehospitalization.

RESULTS

Among 778 patients treated for aneurysmal SAH, 89 experienced a total of 97 readmission events, yielding a readmission rate of 11.4%. The median time from discharge to readmission was 9 days (interquartile range 3–17.5 days). Actual hydrocephalus or potential concern for hydrocephalus (e.g., headache) was the most frequent diagnosis (26/97, 26.8%), followed by infections (e.g., wound infection [5/97, 5.2%], urinary tract infection [3/97, 3.1%], and pneumonia [3/97, 3.1%]) and thromboembolic events (8/97, 8.2%). In most cases (75/97, 77.3%), we did not identify any treatment lapses contributing to readmission. The most common underlying causes for readmission were unavoidable development of SAH-related pathology (e.g., hydrocephalus; 36/97, 37.1%) and complications related to neurological impairment and immobility (e.g., thromboembolic event despite high-dose chemoprophylaxis; 21/97, 21.6%). The authors determined that 22/97 (22.7%) of the readmissions were likely preventable with alternative management. In these cases, insufficient outpatient medical care (for example, for hyponatremia; 16/97, 16.5%) was the most common shortcoming.

CONCLUSIONS

Most readmissions after aneurysmal SAH relate to late consequences of hemorrhage, such as hydrocephalus, or medical complications secondary to severe neurological injury. Although a minority of readmissions may potentially be avoided with closer medical follow-up in the transitional care environment, readmission after SAH is an insensitive and likely inappropriate hospital performance metric.
Carotid artery plaque assessment using quantitative expansive remodeling evaluation and MRI plaque signal intensity
Authors: Kurosaki Yoshitaka , Yoshida Kazumichi , Fukumitsu Ryu , Sadamasa Nobutake , Handa Akira , Chin Masaki , Yamagata Sen
Published: September 2015

OBJECT

Plaque characteristics and morphology are important indicators of plaque vulnerability. MRI-detected intraplaque hemorrhage has a great effect on plaque vulnerability. Expansive remodeling, which has been considered compensatory enlargement of the arterial wall in the progression of atherosclerosis, is one of the criteria of vulnerable plaque in the coronary circulation. The purpose of this study was risk stratification of carotid artery plaque through the evaluation of quantitative expansive remodeling and MRI plaque signal intensity.

METHODS

Both preoperative carotid artery T1-weighted axial and long-axis MR images of 70 patients who underwent carotid endarterectomy (CEA) or carotid artery stenting (CAS) were studied. The expansive remodeling ratio (ERR) was calculated from the ratio of the linear diameter of the artery at the thickest segment of the plaque to the diameter of the artery on the long-axis image. Relative plaque signal intensity (rSI) was also calculated from the axial image, and the patients were grouped as follows: Group A = rSI ≥ 1.40 and ERR ≥ 1.66; Group B = rSI< 1.40 and ERR ≥ 1.66; Group C = rSI ≥ 1.40 and ERR < 1.66; and Group D = rSI < 1.40 and ERR < 1.66. Ischemic events within 6 months were retrospectively evaluated in each group.

RESULTS

Of the 70 patients, 17 (74%) in Group A, 6 (43%) in Group B, 7 (44%) in Group C, and 6 (35%) in Group D had ischemic events. Ischemic events were significantly more common in Group A than in Group D (p = 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

In the present series of patients with carotid artery stenosis scheduled for CEA or CAS, patients with plaque with a high degree of expansion of the vessel and T1 high signal intensity were at higher risk of ischemic events. The combined assessment of plaque characterization with MRI and morphological evaluation using ERR might be useful in risk stratification for carotid lesions, which should be validated by a prospective, randomized study of asymptomatic patients.
Characterization of Human Gingival Fibroblasts on Zirconia Surfaces Containing Niobium Oxide
Authors: Cho Young-Dan , Shin Ji-Cheol , Yoon Hyung-In , Ku Young , Ryoo Hyun-Mo , Kim Dae-Joon , Kim Do-Gyoon , Han Jung-Suk
Published: September 2015

It was indicated that tetragonal zirconia polycrystal (TZP) containing yttria (Y2O3) and niobium oxide (Nb2O5) ((Y,Nb)-TZP) could be an adequate dental material to be used at esthetically important sites. The (Y,Nb)-TZP was also proved to possess its osteogenic potential comparable with those conventional dental implant material, titanium (Ti). The objective of the current study was to characterize cellular response of human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs) to smooth and rough surfaces of the (Y,Nb)-TZP disc, which were obtained by polishing and sandblasting, respectively. Various microscopic, biochemical, and molecular techniques were used to investigate the disc surfaces and cellular responses for the experimental (Y,Nb)-TZP and the comparing Ti groups. Sandblasted rough (Y,Nb)-TZP (Zir-R) discs had the highest surface roughness. HGFs cultured on polished (Y,Nb)-TZP (Zir) showed a rounded cell morphology and light spreading at 6 h after seeding and its proliferation rate significantly increased during seven days of culture compared to other surfaces. The mRNA expressions of type I collagen, integrin α2 and β1 were significantly stimulated for the Zir group at 24 h after seeding. The current findings, combined with the previous results, indicate that (Y,Nb)-TZP provides appropriate surface condition for osseointegration at the fixture level and for peri-implant mucosal sealing at the abutment level producing a suitable candidate for dental implantation with an expected favorable clinical outcome.
Influence of Hydrogen Content on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Zr1Nb Fuel Cladding after High-Temperature Oxidation
Authors: Negyesi Martin , Bláhová Olga , Burda Jaroslav , Adámek Jan , Kabátová Jitka , Manoch František , Rozkošný Vojtěch , Vrtílková Věra
Published: September 2015

The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of hydrogen on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Zr1Nb fuel cladding after high-temperature oxidation. As-received or pre-hydrided materials were tested. The influence of different cooling rates was examined as well. The microstructure was observed using of light microscopy. Oxygen distribution was measured using X-ray microanalysis. Local mechanical properties were determined by the microhardness and nanohardness measurements. Ring compression testing (RCT) was employed with the aim to obtain the macroscopic mechanical properties. Fractographic analysis was performed after the RCT. The experimental results confirmed that hydrogen as well as the cooling rate substantially influenced the microstructure and affected both local and macroscopic mechanical properties.
Local Mechanical Characterization of Metal Foams by Nanoindentation
Authors: Němeček Jiří , Kralik Vlastimil
Published: September 2015

This paper deals with microstructure and micromechanical properties of two commercially available aluminium foams (Alporas and Aluhab). Since none of the materials is available in a bulk and standard mechanical testing at macro-scale is not possible the materials need to be tested at micro-scale. To obtain both elastic and plastic properties quasi-static indentation was performed with two different indenter geometries (Berkovich and spherical tips). The material phase properties were analyzed with statistical grid indentation method and micromechanical homogenization was applied to obtain effective elastic wall properties. In addition, effective inelastic properties of cell walls were identified with spherical indentation. Constitutive parameters related to elasto-plastic material with linear isotropic hardening (the yield point and tangent modulus) were directly deduced from the load–depth curves of spherical indentation tests using formulations of the representative strain and stress introduced by Tabor.
Effect of Nitrogen Content on the Mechanical Properties of Amorphous SiCN Films
Authors: Ctvrtlik Radim , Kulikovsky Valeriy , Tomastik Jan
Published: September 2015

Amorphous silicon carbonitride (a-SiCxNy) thin films were deposited using reactive magnetron sputtering of SiC target in the mixture of Ar and N gasses. The films with nitrogen content from 0 - 40 at.% were sputtered at various N2/Ar flow ratios in the range of 0 - 0.48. The as deposited films were additionally annealed in argon at 700 °C and vacuum at 900 °C. Analysis of mechanical properties was performed using the regular nanoindentation and short duration nanoindentation creep test (600 s).Hardness of the a-SiCxNy films increases with the decrease of nitrogen content from approx. 19 GPa (a-Si30C30N40) to 22 GPa (a-SiC). Annealing of the films in inert atmosphere or vacuum leads to the increase of both the hardness and the elastic modulus. This increase is more pronounced for the SiC film than for the SiCN films. The nanoindentation creep test (600 s) showed that the rate of the steady-state creep growths with the increase of nitrogen content.
Does the mode of opportunity identification influence the innovativeness of Small Businesses?a Study in Sri Lanka
Authors: Upananda W.A. , Kumara U.E.S.
Published: September 2015

There is a growing concern about the heterogeneity of the nature of small businesses in a given context. The difference between opportunity discovery and creation (mode of opportunity identification) may explain this heterogeneity. Then the wealth creating ability also may vary with the mode of opportunity identification although entrepreneurship literature is silent in this regard. Then the purpose of this study is to explore the wealth creating potential (innovativeness) of small businesses with regard to the mode of opportunity identification. Entrepreneurship literature informs that opportunity discovery under risk is different from opportunity creation under uncertainty although these terms has been used interchangeably. Few studies show that context may have influence over the opportunity identification. Few studies show that entrepreneurs who create opportunities are ordinary and attempt to avoid uncertainty while those who discover opportunities are unique in ability of discovering opportunities and bear some risk. However studies which explore the relationship between the wealth creating potential and mode of opportunity identification are rare. Exploring gaps in research knowledge base on the nature of businesses emerged under opportunity discovery and opportunity creation with regard to research question ‘How the mode of opportunity identification influences the innovativeness of small businesses’. In consistent with entrepreneurship literature, the nature of business viewed in this study as wealth creating potential.This study builds on theories and assumptions pertinent to opportunity discovery and creation and employs case study method to explore the behaviour of small business owners in rural and urban settings. The rationale of selecting rural setting is that rural entrepreneur has no prior business experience to understand the probability of outcomes while urban entrepreneurs have prior business experience to understand the probability of outcomes to take calculated risk. This study has selected six cases after screening 178 cases in the rural setting and 111 cases in the urban settings in the North Western Province of Sri Lanka in 2010. Analysing within cases and cross cases employing pattern matching technique, this study shows that businesses created in the rural context are comparatively non-innovative than those small businesses discovered under opportunity risk.The Kelaniya Journal of Management, Vol. 4(1); 2015: 65-89
Acute promyelocytic leukemia presenting as pulmonary thromboembolism: Not all APLs bleed
Authors: Vaid Ashok K , Batra Sandeep , Karanth Suman S , Gupta Sachin
Published: September 2015

We present a rare case of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) presenting as pulmonary thromboembolism being misdiagnosed as community.acquired pneumonia. Thrombotic phenomenon in APL are poorly understood and grossly underreported. In our case, following no response to standard antibiotic treatment, the patient was further investigated and detected to have an acute pulmonary thromboembolism following right lower limb deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Though, complete blood picture revealed only mild hyperleukocytosis, bone marrow biopsy and aspiration revealed 60% blasts and a positive t (15,17)(q22,12) and PML retinoic acid receptor alpha (RARA) fusion protein on molecular cytogenetics. He was diagnosed as APL and received treatment with all.transretinoic acid (ATRA) and arsenic trioxide (ATO) and therapeutic anticoagulation
The vertical distribution of volcanic SO2 plumes measured by IASI
Authors: Carboni E. , Grainger R. G. , Mather T. A. , Pyle D. M. , Thomas G. , Siddans R. , Smith A. , Dudhia A. , Koukouli M. L. , Balis D.
Published: September 2015

Abstract. Sulphur dioxide (SO2) is an important atmospheric constituent that plays a crucial role in many atmospheric processes. Volcanic eruptions are a significant source of atmospheric SO2 and its effects and lifetime depend on the SO2 injection altitude. The Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Instrument (IASI) on the Metop satellite can be used to study volcanic emission of SO2 using high-spectral resolution measurements from 1000 to 1200 cm−1 and from 1300 to 1410 (the 7.3 and 8.7 μm SO2 bands). The scheme described in Carboni et al. (2012) has been applied to measure volcanic SO2 amount and altitude for fourteen explosive eruptions from 2008 to 2012. The work includes a comparison with independent measurements: (i) the SO2 column amounts from the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull plumes have been compared with Brewer ground measurements over Europe; (ii) the SO2 plumes heights, for the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull and 2011 Grimsvötn eruptions, have been compared with CALIPSO backscatter profiles. The results of the comparisons show that IASI SO2 measurements are not affected by underlying cloud and are consistent (within the retrieved errors) with the other measurements. The series of analysed eruptions (2008 to 2012) show that the biggest emitter of volcanic SO2 was Nabro, followed by Kasatochi and Grímsvötn. Our observations also show a tendency for volcanic SO2 to be injected to the level of the tropopause during many of the moderately explosive eruptions observed. For the eruptions observed, this tendency was independent of the maximum amount of SO2 (e.g. 0.2 Tg for Dalafilla compared with 1.6 Tg for Nabro) and of the volcanic explosive index (between 3 and 5).
Observations of the spectral dependence of particle depolarization ratio of aerosols using NASA Langley airborne High Spectral Resolution Lidar
Authors: Burton S. P. , Hair J. W. , Kahnert M. , Ferrare R. A. , Hostetler C. A. , Cook A. L. , Harper D. B. , Berkoff T. A. , Seaman S. T. , Collins J. E. , Fenn M. A. , Rogers R. R.
Published: September 2015

Abstract. Particle depolarization ratio is presented for three case studies from the NASA Langley airborne High Spectral Resolution Lidar-2 (HSRL-2). Particle depolarization ratio from lidar is an indicator of non-spherical particles and is sensitive to the fraction of non-spherical particles and their size. The HSRL-2 instrument measures depolarization at three wavelengths: 355, 532, and 1064 nm. The three measurement cases presented here include two cases of dust aerosol and one case of smoke aerosol. These cases have partial analogs in earlier HSRL-1 depolarization measurements at 532 and 1064 nm and in literature, but the availability of three wavelengths gives additional insight into different scenarios for non-spherical particles in the atmosphere. A case of transported Saharan dust has a spectral dependence with a peak of 0.30 at 532 nm with smaller particle depolarization ratios of 0.27 and 0.25 at 1064 and 355 nm, respectively. A case of locally generated wind-blown North American dust has a maximum of 0.38 at 1064 nm, decreasing to 0.37 and 0.24 at 532 and 355 nm, respectively. The cause of the maximum at 1064 nm is inferred to be very large particles that have not settled out of the dust layer. The smoke layer has the opposite spectral dependence, with the peak of 0.24 at 355 nm, decreasing to 0.09 and 0.02 at 532 and 1064 nm. The depolarization in the smoke case is inferred to be due to the presence of coated soot aggregates. We also point out implications for the upcoming EarthCARE satellite, which will measure particle depolarization ratio only at 355 nm. At 355 nm, the particle depolarization ratios for all three of our case studies are very similar, indicating that smoke and dust may be more difficult to separate with EarthCARE measurements than heretofore supposed.
Top-down estimates of benzene and toluene emissions in Pearl River Delta and Hong Kong, China
Authors: Fang X. , Shao M. , Stohl A. , Zhang Q. , Zheng J. , Guo H. , Wang C. , Wang M. , Ou J. , Thompson R. L. , Prinn R. G.
Published: September 2015

Abstract. Benzene (C6H6) and toluene (C7H8) are toxic to humans and the environment. They are also important precursors of ground-level ozone and secondary organic aerosols and contribute substantially to severe air pollution in urban areas in China. Discrepancies exist between different bottom-up inventories for benzene and toluene emissions in Pearl River Delta (PRD) and Hong Kong (HK), which are emission hot spots in China. This study provides top-down estimates of benzene and toluene emissions in PRD and HK using atmospheric measurement data from a rural site in the area, Heshan, an atmospheric transport model and an inverse modeling method. The model simulations captured the measured mixing ratios during most pollution episodes. For PRD and HK, the benzene emissions estimated in this study for 2010 were 44 (12–75) Gg yr−1 and 5 (2–7) Gg yr−1 for PRD and HK, respectively, and the toluene emissions were 131 (44–218) Gg yr−1 and 6 (2–9) Gg yr−1, respectively. Temporal and spatial differences between the inversion estimate and four different bottom-up emission estimates are discussed, and it is proposed that more observations at different sites are urgently needed to better constrain benzene and toluene (and other air pollutants) emissions in PRD and HK in the future.
The 2009–2010 step in atmospheric CO2 inter-hemispheric difference
Authors: Francey R. J. , Frederiksen J. S.
Published: September 2015

Abstract. The annual average CO2 difference between baseline data from Mauna Loa and the Southern Hemisphere increased by ∼ 0.8 μmol mol−1 (0.8 ppm) between 2009 and 2010, a step unprecedented in over 50 years of reliable data. We find no evidence for coinciding, sufficiently large and rapid, source/sink changes. A statistical anomaly is unlikely due to the highly systematic nature of the variation in observations. An explanation for the step, and the subsequent 5 year stability in this north–south difference, involves inter-hemispheric atmospheric exchange variation. The selected data describing this episode provide a critical test for studies that employ atmospheric transport models that interpret global carbon budgets and inform management of anthropogenic emissions.
Sight lines, sight areas and unbroken open spaces? More-than-representational conceptualisations in Dutch landscape planning
Authors: Bulkens M. , Minca C. , Muzaini H.
Published: September 2015

Abstract. Drawing on the case study of the Wageningse Eng, the Netherlands, this paper examines a set of spatial metaphors (and their attendant grounded impacts) employed within two key policy documents – the allocation plan and a related map – pertaining to how the cultural landscape is to be spatially managed and developed by the municipality. Although promoted as being based on historical facts and a cornerstone of Dutch commitment to participatory planning, the case being studied reveals the ways in which these metaphors are at times not only entirely subjective and arbitrary, but also perceived by residents and users as neglecting their rights with respect to the landscape and as instruments constraining what can or cannot be done in that area. More broadly, in the face of calls for more non-representational approaches to landscape analysis, the paper shows the continued salience of representational practices within spatial planning and how these may hold very material implications for landscapes.
Multi-variable bias correction: application of forest fire risk in present and future climate in Sweden
Authors: Yang W. , Gardelin M. , Olsson J. , Bosshard T.
Published: September 2015

Abstract. As the risk of a forest fire is largely influenced by weather, evaluating its tendency under a changing climate becomes important for management and decision making. Currently, biases in climate models make it difficult to realistically estimate the future climate and consequent impact on fire risk. A distribution-based scaling (DBS) approach was developed as a post-processing tool that intends to correct systematic biases in climate modelling outputs. In this study, we used two projections, one driven by historical reanalysis (ERA40) and one from a global climate model (ECHAM5) for future projection, both having been dynamically downscaled by a regional climate model (RCA3). The effects of the post-processing tool on relative humidity and wind speed were studied in addition to the primary variables precipitation and temperature. Finally, the Canadian Fire Weather Index system was used to evaluate the influence of changing meteorological conditions on the moisture content in fuel layers and the fire-spread risk. The forest fire risk results using DBS are proven to better reflect risk using observations than that using raw climate outputs. For future periods, southern Sweden is likely to have a higher fire risk than today, whereas northern Sweden will have a lower risk of forest fire.
A Supersized Solution to Superbugs: Preventing A Post-Antibiotic Era By Optimizing Consumer Demand
Authors: Despenes Kayla A.
Published: September 2015

None
Estudios
Authors: Arredondo Erika
Published: September 2015

En la lente: memoria, referencialidad histórica y documentalismo en el cine latinoamericano actual
Reseñas
Authors: Arredondo Erika
Published: September 2015

En la lente: memoria, referencialidad histórica y documentalismo en el cine latinoamericano actual
Aprendizaje Basado en Proyectos en los grados de Pedagogía y Educación Social: “¿Cómo ha cambiado tu ciudad?”
Authors: Imaz Jose Ignacio
Published: September 2015

Durante los cursos 2010/2011, 2011/2012 y 2012/13, un 20% del tiempo de trabajo y de la calificación de la asignatura Sociología de la Educación en los grados de Pedagogía y Educación Social de la Facultad de Filosofía y Ciencias de la Educación de la Universidad del País Vasco se ha dedicado al Aprendizaje Basado en Proyectos. El objetivo ha sido diseñar, probar y evaluar una experiencia de innovación y mejora docente para trabajar las competencias de la asignatura por medio de metodologías activas y participativas. Se trata de que los alumnos empiecen a practicar ejercicios de sociología aplicada y trabajar competencias que será importantes en su labor profesional como educadores: “saber analizar científicamente la realidad social”, “escribir informes científicos”, “comunicación oral” y “trabajo en equipo”. El diseño del ejercicio supone la preparación de las Guías del Profesor y del Alumno, especificando la contextualización del proyecto, los objetivos del mismo, el enunciado o escenario, la justificación, los temas de la asignatura con los que se relaciona, la carga de trabajo prevista, los conocimientos previos que se requieren, las actividades previstas, los entregables, los recursos que se utilizarán, los sistemas de evaluación, el cronograma, etc. En nuestro caso, el ejercicio se basa en la siguiente pregunta motriz: “¿Cómo es, y cómo ha cambiado, la educación y su contexto social, en vuestro barrio, pueblo, ciudad o comarca?”. Los resultados, utilizando como indicadores las notas y las opiniones de los alumnos, son positivos: el Aprendizaje Basado en Proyectos posibilita la participación activa del alumnado, el contacto con la realidad y el aprendizaje significativo para el futuro profesional de los alumnos.
Observational Report of the Effects of Performance Brain Training in Collegiate Golfers
Authors: Sherlin Leslie H. , Ford Noel C. Larson , Baker Ashley R. , Troesch Jeff
Published: September 2015

There has been a recent interest in the use of neurofeedback to enhance sports performance. Our goal is to report the effects of performance brain training (a specific neurofeedback training paradigm with protocols based on the NeuroPerformance Assessment) on specific measures of golf performance in a group of Division I National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) golfers. Participants included 16 golfers. Baseline performance data was collected prior to grouping athletes (Time Point 1). Initially, both groups continued as normal with team practice, tournament play, and sport-related coaching, while only Group 1 completed performance brain training (Time Point 2) due to limited athlete availability. Subsequently, only Group 2 completed while both groups maintained normal team activities (time point 3). Performance data was collected at each time point. Paired t-test analyses were completed for five performance variables from Time Point 1 to Time Point 2 and from Time Point 2 to Time Point 3 for each group. When comparing Time Point 1 to 2, Group 1 showed significant improvements in several golf performance indices: with increases in greens in regulation, decreases in the putting average, and decreases in the average number of three putts per round. Between Time Points 2 and 3, Group 2 demonstrated statistically significant improvements in greens in regulation, fairways in regulation, putting average, and average of three putts per round. It appears that Performance Brain Training may contribute to improvement in sport measures. Broadly, these findings lend support to previous studies illustrating that brain training improves performance outcomes, yet replication in a large sample size is required for further conclusions to be drawn.
The I in BCIA Stands for International
Authors: Crawford Judy
Published: September 2015

The Biofeedback Certification International Alliance (BCIA) has certificants in 32 countries. The author chronicles the development of BCIA's international outreach, reviews the challenges that had to be overcome, and explains why BCIA's shift to ethics education and online testing were crucial to this process. This article concludes with a discussion of BCIA's international affiliate program, recognition of its Australian and Mexican affiliates, and discussion of exciting developments in Canada.
Extraskeletal Osteosarcoma Induced by a Foreign Body Granuloma
Authors: Slovak Jennifer E. , Kieves Nina R. , Haynes Joseph
Published: September 2015

An 8 yr old spayed female Italian greyhound was presented with a mass in the cranial abdomen. Preliminary evaluation of the dog revealed a large, cavitary, irregularly shaped mass with no definitive association with any abdominal organs. During an exploratory celiotomy, a 16 cm × 12 cm × 6 cm mass was removed. On subsequent histopathology, extraskeletal osteosarcoma induced by a foreign body granuloma was diagnosed. The foreign body granuloma, based on histopathological findings, was suspected to be secondary to a retained surgical sponge from her routine ovariohysterectomy performed 7 yr prior to presentation. Animals with granulomas induced by foreign bodies can remain asymptomatic for years; however, those granulomas can progress to extraskeletal osteosarcomas, which carry a poor prognosis.
Euro—Med Trade Integration in Agriculture and Food
Authors: Mekki Abdelkader Ait El , Abdallah Mohamed Ben , Boulanger Pierre , Cardenete M. Alejandro , Delgado M. Carmen , Siam Gamal
Published: September 2015

This paper explores social accounting matrices (SAMs) using three country case studies (Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia). For each, the agri-food sector, trade negotiations with the European Union and associated challenges are first presented. The key sectors are then identified and analysed using the SimSip SAM tool (Parra and Wodon, 2009). Using sensitivity analysis, the implications of free trade for key sectors were analysed. By evaluating backward and forward linkages in the economy of each country, the most important sectors likely to take a lead role and become essential drivers of growth were identified. Due to strong backward relations and high labour intensity, some agricultural sectors have the potential to generate significant income, thus supporting economic growth.
Using the SPI to Interpret Spatial and Temporal Conditions of Drought in China
Authors: Wagan Bakhtawar , Zhang Zhanyu , Baopeing Feng , Wagan Hakimzadi , Han Si , Ahmad Ijaz , Kabo-Bah Amos T.
Published: September 2015

The start and duration of a drought are often not easy to define. The advance and onset are usually slow and the social and economic impacts can then extend over a long period. In this study, the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) was used to describe and compare droughts in different periods and regions under different climatic conditions. The importance of the index lies in its simplicity and in its ability to identify the beginning and end of a drought event. Thus it may be a useful tool for drought contingency planning. This paper examines the SPI by evaluating its application using historical precipitation data from nine weather stations in China. Different time series data covering the period 1980 to 2011 and for differing timescales of 3, 9 and 24 months were used. The results underline the potential of the SPI to inform drought alerts and forecasting efforts as part of a drought contingency planning strategy.
Adult Lung Spheroid Cells Contain Progenitor Cells and Mediate Regeneration in Rodents With Bleomycin-Induced Pulmonary Fibrosis
Authors: Henry Eric , Cores Jhon , Hensley M. Taylor , Anthony Shirena , Vandergriff Adam , de Andrade James B.M. , Allen Tyler , Caranasos Thomas G. , Lobo Leonard J. , Cheng Ke
Published: September 2015

Lung diseases are devastating conditions and ranked as one of the top five causes of mortality worldwide according to the World Health Organization. Stem cell therapy is a promising strategy for lung regeneration. Previous animal and clinical studies have focused on the use of mesenchymal stem cells (from other parts of the body) for lung regenerative therapies. We report a rapid and robust method to generate therapeutic resident lung progenitors from adult lung tissues. Outgrowth cells from healthy lung tissue explants are self-aggregated into three-dimensional lung spheroids in a suspension culture. Without antigenic sorting, the lung spheroids recapitulate the stem cell niche and contain a natural mixture of lung stem cells and supporting cells. In vitro, lung spheroid cells can be expanded to a large quantity and can form alveoli-like structures and acquire mature lung epithelial phenotypes. In severe combined immunodeficiency mice with bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis, intravenous injection of human lung spheroid cells inhibited apoptosis, fibrosis, and infiltration but promoted angiogenesis. In a syngeneic rat model of pulmonary fibrosis, lung spheroid cells outperformed adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells in reducing fibrotic thickening and infiltration. Previously, lung spheroid cells (the spheroid model) had only been used to study lung cancer cells. Our data suggest that lung spheroids and lung spheroid cells from healthy lung tissues are excellent sources of regenerative lung cells for therapeutic lung regeneration.

Significance

The results from the present study will lead to future human clinical trials using lung stem cell therapies to treat various incurable lung diseases, including pulmonary fibrosis. The data presented here also provide fundamental knowledge regarding how injected stem cells mediate lung repair in pulmonary fibrosis.
Embedding Four-directional Paths on Convex Point Sets
Authors: Aichholzer Oswin , Hackl Thomas , Lutteropp Sarah , Mchedlidze Tamara , Vogtenhuber Birgit
Published: September 2015

A directed path whose edges are assigned labels "up", "down", "right", or "left" is called four-directional, and three-directional if at most three out of the four labels are used. A direction-consistent embedding of an n-vertex three- or four-directional path P on a set S of n points in the plane is a straight-line drawing of P where each vertex of P is mapped to a distinct point of S and every edge points to the direction specified by its label. We study planar direction-consistent embeddings of three- and four-directional paths and provide a complete picture of the problem for convex point sets.
At the Interface between Sociolinguistic and Grammatical Development: The Expression of Futurity in L2 French
Authors: Howard Martin
Published: September 2015

As an example of socio-grammatical variation in target language French, the morphological variation at work in the expression of futurity constitutes an interesting area to intricately relate the L2 learner’s sociolinguistic and grammatical development. This conceptual entity is all the more interesting since previous studies of this variable in native speaker French point to a certain discrepancy between prescriptive and sociolinguistic norms in the speaker’s choice between the inflected and periphrastic forms as well as in the use of the present to mark futurity, whereby the prescriptively hypothesized semantic restrictions on the use of each form are not seen to be upheld in real language usage. This paper is concerned with the acquisition challenge that such a threefold choice poses to the L2 learner of French, based on a quantitative cross-sectional analysis of Irish instructed and study abroad learners of French. Reflecting previous studies of other variables (see, for example, Dewaele 2004; Mougeon et al. 2010), results suggest an important effect for naturalistic exposure on the acquisition of native speaker norms surrounding the expression of futurity, as well as for the actual target language variety to which the learners are exposed.