bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A New Syngas Production Process for GTL
Authors: Suehiro Y. , Watanabe Y. , Sugimoto A. , Yokoyama K. , Ikeda K. , Inoue N.
Published: October 2008

Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation (JOGMEC), JGC Corporation and Osaka Gas Co., Ltd have been developed a new syngas production process, Advanced Auto-Thermal Gasification (A-ATG) process, consisting of a new auto-thermal reforming catalyst with ultra-deep desulfurization of natural gas. We verified A-ATG process through 2,000 hours syngas production operation at pilot plant of which capacity was 65 BPD-GTL equivalent. This paper shows result of pilot plant operation and discussion including economics, environmental parameters and a future application of this system.
Investigating the Effect of Steam, CO2, and Surfactant on the Recovery of Heavy Oil Reservoirs
Authors: Tian Shubao , He Shunli , Qu Li
Published: October 2008

In this paper, the complicated displacement mechanisms of injection of CO2, surfactant and steam into heavy oil reservoirs are evaluated using a laboratory physical model and a numerical simulation model. There are four different recovery scenarios examined, which include steam-only injection, steam injection with CO2, steam injection with surfactant and steam injection with CO2 and surfactant. The incremental recoveries of different scenarios are compared and analyzed. The effect of CO2 dissolution in oil and water, variation of properties of CO2-oil phase equilibrium and CO2-water phase equilibrium, variation of viscosity, oil volume and interfacial tension (IFT) during the recovery process are investigated. The expansion of steam and CO2 front is also examined. A field application case of a horizontal well in a heavy oil reservoir in Shengli Oilfield, China is studied. The actual dynamic performance of the horizontal well with cyclic injection with steam, CO2 and surfactant is analyzed and the injection parameters are optimized. The results show that in spite of immiscible drive of CO2, CO2 dissolution in oil helps to improve flow performance of heavy oil. At the same time, while CO2 is simultaneously injected with steam, it decreases the temperature of steam front to some extent compared with steam injection only, which has an effect on the expansion of steam chamber. Viscosity reduction, swelling and IFT reduction play important roles in improving recovery factor of heavy oil reservoirs. K values of CO2-oil and CO2-water phase equilibrium vary with reservoir pressure and temperature, which have an effect on displacement process. In laboratory model the oil recovery of the simultaneous injection of steam, CO2 and surfactant is higher than that of others. In the field application case the optimal design of injection parameters helps achieve the highest recovery.
Adaptive Implicit Method for Thermal Compositional Reservoir Simulation
Authors: Agarwal Anshul , Tchelepi Hamdi A.
Published: October 2008

Thermal compositional reservoir simulation with a large number of hydrocarbon components is computationally intensive, especially as the number of variables treated implicitly increases. The Fully IMplicit method (FIM) treats all the variables implicitly; it is unconditionally stable (even with possibly large timesteps), but it is computationally expensive. In contrast, the IMPEST (IMplicit Pressure, Explicit Saturations and Temperature) method is computationally inexpensive, but only conditionally stable; the allowable stable timestep of IMPEST for large-scale heterogeneous models may be extremely small. AIM (Adaptive IMplicit method) offers a balance between FIM and IMPEST by treating a subset of the primary variables implicitly.

The challenge with AIM is to find robust and sharp stability criteria that can be used to choose an optimal timestep size and devise an efficient switching algorithm to dynamically label variables in grid blocks implicit or explicit. The switching algorithm aims to maximize the timestep size at which a stable solution for explicit saturation, temperature, and compositions in a grid block is guaranteed. In this paper we apply the thermal stability criteria to both the traditional percentage-based switching algorithm as well as a variable-based switching algorithm. This Thermal AIM (TAIM) framework was implemented in Stanford's General Purpose Research Simulator (GPRS).

The TAIM stability criteria are obtained using von Neumann approach. The derivation of the criteria is done using a comprehensive linear stability analysis that takes into account complex physics including mass and heat convection, heat conduction, capillary mixing and compressibility. We found the stability criteria to be sharp, i.e. small violation of the criteria leads to unstable solutions. The presence of heat conduction does not impose restrictive stability conditions on time steps due to the explicit treatment of temperature. Variable-based switching leads to a more efficient TAIM solution as compared to a percentage-based strategy.
Quest to Validate and Define Performance for the High Volume Metallic Stator PCP at 250°C
Authors: Noonan S. G. , Klaczek W. , Piers K. , Seince L. , Jahn S.
Published: October 2008

ConocoPhillips has been on a quest to find a high volume artificial lift system that will operate reliably in a 250°C (482°F) downhole environment, which exists in certain SAGD applications. This presented two problems: 1) there were no commercially available technologies for such a high temperature; and 2) there were no facilities capable of testing these systems.

This paper describes the complexity of building and operating a high temperature flow loop rated for 250°C, and the lessons learned while upgrading an existing flow loop, from the initial design through the final commissioning phases. The paper also describes the issues encountered with the first artificial lift system tested at 250°C, which was a metallic stator progressing cavity pump system, rated for 1100 m3/d (6919 bpd) at 500 rpm.

In the end, the test program not only served to validate and define the pump's performance, but also provided valuable lessons on the completion configuration and operational procedures.
Reduction of Light Oil Usage as Power Fluid for Jet Pumping in Deep Heavy Oil Reservoirs
Authors: Chen Shengnan , Li Heng , Yang Daoyong , Zhang Qi , He Jun
Published: October 2008

Jet pumping has been considered as an efficient artificial lifting technique for deep oil production due to its simplicity and lack of moving parts. If light oil is used as power fluid, jet pumping becomes one of the preferred artificial lift methods for the deep-heavy-oil reservoirs by dramatically reducing both viscosity of the reservoir fluid and the pressure loss along the production string. In practice, the amount of light oil required as the power fluid can be as high as three times of the reservoir fluid, among which only a small portion of the light oil is actually needed for viscosity reduction. In this paper, a novel technique has been developed and successfully applied to significantly reduce the amount of light oil usage in a deep-heavy-oil reservoir. More specifically, two approaches are developed and compared. As for Approach A, the oil well is produced with jet pumping driven by light oil first, and then the produced fluid is reinjected into the well as the power fluid. This process keeps circulating until viscosity of the produced fluid is too high to be utilized for jet pumping. As for Approach B, partial produced fluid is combined with the light oil at any reasonable ratios, and subsequently the produced fluid-light oil mixture is reinjected into the well as the power fluid. In the latter approach, viscosity of the mixture keeps increasing and will reach its equilibrium value in a few days, and thus, stable production will be achieved as well. Theoretic models are developed to determine the viscosity of the power fluid for each circulation and the maximum cycle number for the former approach as well as the equilibrium viscosity of the mixed power fluid and the optimum ratio of light oil to the produced fluid-light oil mixture for the latter approach. Field applications show that the reservoir fluid produced from deep heavy oil wells is increased by three times and that the amount of light oil can be reduced by more than 60% for either approach.
Mitigating in Situ Oil Sands Carbon Costs
Authors: Theriault David J. , Peterson Jeff , Heinrichs Harvey
Published: October 2008

You've heard the direction, you've seen the papers, and you've read the publications. The Government of Canada's March 2008 "Turning The Corner - Taking Action to Fight Climate Change" report has set the foundation for CO2 regulations which "start tough and get tougher". The "Toughest" requirements are set for new oil sands plants and coal-fired power plants that come into operation in 2012, or later. The public and legal arena is also impacted by how oil sands carbon emissions are addressed. The Report on Business, March 6, 2008, reported; "a federal court judge … found the approval of Imperial Oil Ltd's $8 billion oil sands mine insufficient on climate change and green house gas emissions." The Conference Board of Canada Carbon Disclosure Project Report 2007 has also stated that "Alberta's GHG reduction legislation will add approximately $0.18/bbl in additional operating costs for a typical integrated oil-sands mining project, and $0.22/bbl for a steam-assisted gravity drainage project." These and other factors have changed the landscape for oil sands development.

A review of the political, social, and regulatory pressures and obligations for the in situ oil sands industry to reduce its oil sands carbon foot print will be provided. This paper will discuss Laricina's insights and views on the carbon challenge, describe initiatives Laricina is taking to manage these imperatives and outline the challenges the overall industry is facing. The objective of this paper is to spur dialogue and collaboration by the oil sands industry in an effort to evolve and advance the knowledge and understanding of the impacts this important issue has on our business. This paper will also attempt to describe the dimensions of the carbon problem, point out the experience base our industry has to contribute to a solution, review the parameters to demonstrate CO2 or GHG's containment and storage, touch on the state of regulatory and policy issues, and try to scope out a progression to technical and economic success.
Providing Floating Capabilities in Latest-Generation Sand Screens
Authors: Bowen Eddie G. , Coronado Martin P.
Published: October 2008

Industry interest is turning to alternative means of production for the massive reserves located in the Bitumen Region of Canada's Tar Sands. Currently, the region has over 100 installations of sand screens/slotted liners in both injection legs and production legs using Steam-Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) technology. Due to the sensitive nature of the environment, multiple wells must be drilled from a single pad. With the average depths of these wells between 200 and 400 m and lateral lengths between 800 and 1,000 m, a floating sand screen provides assurance that the sand screen will reach the desired depths.

The most typical method of floating the sand screen to bottom uses paraffin to plug the flow access of the screen during installation. In shallow depth wells, the paraffin must be capable of handling differential pressure between the annulus and inside diameter of the screen or liner assembly equivalent to the hydrostatic pressure and any surge pressures encountered during the installation process. The use of paraffin to plug the sand screens currently limits the differential capability to less than 200 psi.

A new technology has been developed that allows for sand screen installations without relying on paraffin wax to withstand differential pressure. This new technology uses a hydro-mechanical valving system incorporated into the screen design to temporarily close off the screen while being run in the hole.

This paper will describe how this technology can provide a reliable, time-saving solution for SAGD installations when floating sand control screens in the hole is required. This solution provides a unique alternative to the methods currently being used to install sand screens with SAGD technology in the rapidly growing Canadian market for bitumen recovery.
Experimental Study of Heavy Oil-Water Flow Structure Effects on Relative Permeabilities in a Fracture Filled with Heavy Oil
Authors: Shad Saeed , Gates Ian D. , Maini Brij B.
Published: October 2008

Fracture dominated two-phase flow is important not only for naturally fractured petroleum reservoirs but also for underground disposal of radioactive waste, geothermal hydrotransport, as well as underground water and aquifer flow. In contrast with gas-liquid flow in a single fracture, the flow of heavy oil and water received rather less attention. In this research an experimental apparatus was built to study the flow of water in presence of heavy oil in a smooth-walled fracture and display the different flow patterns under different flow conditions. Also the relationship between different flow pattern and relative permeability curves in a single fracture was investigated. The results were compared with available relative permeability models such as segregated/lubrication model, viscous coupling model, X (stick) curve model, Corey model and T-C model. The comparison leads to the conclusion that there is high interference between the phases flowing through the fracture. The results show that different phases can flow in both continuous and discontinuous forms. Also studying the flow of oil and water under different flow patterns shows that the oil-water relative permeability is not just a function of the fluid saturations but also the fluid properties and flow pattern within the fracture itself.
How In-Situ Combustion Process Works in a Fractured System: Two-Dimensional, Core and Block Scale Simulation
Authors: Fadaei H. , Quintard M. , Debenest G. , Renard G. , Kamp A. M.
Published: October 2008

Simulation of an in situ combustion process (ISC) was done for a fractured system at core and matrix block scales. The aim of this work was to: 1) To predict the ISC extinction/propagation condition(s), 2) understand the mechanism of oil recovery and provide some guidelines for ISC upscaling for a fractured system. The study was based on a fine grid, single porosity, multi-phase and multi-component simulation using a thermal reservoir simulator. The following results were obtained:

a) Firstly the simulator was validated for 1-D combustion using the corresponding analytical solutions. 2-D combustion was validated using experimental results available in the literature. It was found that the grid size should not be larger than the combustion zone thickness in order the results be independent of grid size. b) ISC in fractured system was feasible under certain conditions: The extinction/propagation of ISC was strongly dependent on the oxygen diffusion coefficient while the matrix permeability played an important role in oil production. c) Effect of each production mechanism was studied separately whenever it was possible. Oil production is governed mainly by gravity drainage and thermal effects; possible pressure gradient generation in the ISC process seems to have a minor effect. d) The nature of ISC at core scale was different between a single block and multiple blocks (oil production rate, saturations distribution, shape of the combustion front). The characteristics of different zones (i.e. combustion, coke, oil) at block scale were studied and some preliminary guidelines for usscaling are presented.
Visualization of Viscous Coupling Effects in Heavy Oil Reservoirs
Authors: Ortiz-Arango J. D. , Kantzas A.
Published: October 2008

Despite the many publications about the production mechanisms of heavy oil reservoirs, there is still no consensus as to what is behind the anomalous production rates observed in some reservoirs in Venezuela and Canada. Many authors attribute the recovery of a much higher fraction of the original oil in place to a special phenomenon associated to the solution-gas drive mechanism, known as "foamy" or "bubbly oil", present in heavy oil reservoirs. However, the "foamy oil" behavior cannot clearly explain the mechanism of the observed oil production rate enhancement.

Considering the physical principles of two-phase flow through porous media, the viscous coupling or momentum transfer between the flowing phases would appear as a hidden driving mechanism to explain the improved oil mobility. The use of capillary models has provided a new insight into the effect of the viscosity ratio on relative permeabilities and the importance of water lubrication in heavy oil-water two-phase flow. However, despite the models predictions show that the viscosity ratio affects the relative permeabilities, especially in systems involving very viscous oil, the lack of experimental results makes it difficult to support the theoretical observations.

As a result of the considerable ambiguity in the literature regarding the viscous coupling effects, the focus of this work is to provide new experimental results on the effect of the viscosity ratio on the oil mobility at the pore scale. Flow visualization experiments are conducted in a 2D etched network micromodel. Observations and measurements are presented.
Risk Assessment for SAGD Well Blowouts
Authors: Worth Darren J. , Crepin Stephan , Alhanati Francisco , Lastiwka Martin
Published: October 2008

A comparative risk assessment was conducted to evaluate the risk associated with a Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) well blowout. The main comparison was between an isolated (double barrier) completion and an open (single barrier) completion used in conjunction with an effective blowout response plan. The target application was a SAGD pilot project in the Orinoco Belt in Venezuela.

The overall approach for the risk assessment included the investigation of the blowout flowing potential of the SAGD wells pair through reservoir modelling, the estimation of the probability of a blowout using fault-tree analysis, and the evaluation of the possible consequences (life safety, environmental and economic) of such blowout using various quantitative consequence models. Details of this approach are discussed in this paper, along with the results specific to the target application.

Results of this work can provide guidance for similar operations where decisions regarding completion options and blowout response plans are required. One key result was that, for this specific SAGD pilot project, a blowout response plan must be able to reduce the blowout duration substantially (from 3 days to 1 day for environmental risk, and from 3 days to 2 hours for economic risk) for the environmental and economical risks associated with a open completion to be comparable to those of an isolated completion.
Investigation of Low Pressure ES-SAGD
Authors: Ivory John , Zheng Rong , Nasr Tawfik , Deng Xiaohui , Beaulieu Gilles , Heck Gord
Published: October 2008

SAGD is a commercially proven technology for Athabasca reservoirs. It produces high oil rates and high ultimate recoveries. Injecting a solvent with the steam can reduce required steam rates and/or improve oil rates and recovery. Oil viscosity is reduced both thermally and by solvent dissolution.

A scaled model experiment was performed at the Alberta Research Council to examine the effectiveness of the Expanding Solvent-SAGD (ES-SAGD) process at a low pressure (1,500 kPa), which was still high enough to allow sufficient drive to transport the produced fluids to the surface at typical Athabasca formation depths. A lower SAGD pressure typically results in reduced oil production as a result of the correspondingly lower steam temperature. However, a lower operating pressure can also result in a reduced SOR because of lower steam density (lower mass of steam required to fill a specific volume of the steam chamber) and also a higher heat of vaporization, which allows more heat to be transferred to the reservoir when a given mass of steam is condensed. At lower pressures, the steam saturation temperature changes more quickly with saturation pressure than it does at higher pressures. Thus, at low pressure, a small reduction in pressure can lead to steam flashing in the producer and create unstable conditions.

This experiment was history matched and then a parametric investigation was performed based on field scale numerical simulations using CMG STARS. The same solvent (gas condensate) and solvent concentration (9.3 volume%) were used in the lab and field scale simulations. The condensate had many components, which were represented in the numerical simulations by four pseudo-solvent components.

2-D and 3-D field scale simulations examined the effect of: operating pressure, injection rate, sub-cool, oil and gas phase diffusion and dispersion, live oil versus dead oil performance, use of pressure drawdown when oil rates have declined, and compared low pressure ES-SAGD to low pressure SAGD.

The simulations indicated that the effects of production pressure, sub-cool, and solvent concentration must be considered simultaneously as they impact each other. At 1,500 kPaa production pressure and 10 °C sub-cool, co-injection of solvent with steam increased the average oil rate by 15% while reducing the SOR as compared to SAGD at the same operating pressure.
Evaluation of SAGD Performance in a Deltaic Environment
Authors: Caplan Mark , Heron Caroline , Sullivan Laura , Herle Emeline , Keith Jesse , Bernal Andrea , Atkinson Ian
Published: October 2008

The depositional setting of the McMurray Formation within the main Athabasca fairway has been extensively studied by industry and is well documented in the literature. Much crown land in this easternmost part of the Athabasca Oil Sands Area (AOSA) is currently being drilled and geologically characterised with the aim of in-situ thermal extraction methods, such as SAGD. Reservoirs in this region consist of tidally-influenced channel sands and open estuarine tidal sand bars. There are, however, new plays being discovered in the northwestern part of the AOSA that represent strikingly different depositional environments. Athabasca Oil Sands Corp. (AOSC) holds extensive oil sands assets in this western region of AOSA, and has discovered thick, good quality bitumen pay within the McMurray Formation.

Depositional environments of the McMurray Formation in this region contrast significantly to those reservoirs located within the main fairway to the east. This paper will describe the depositional environment, the building of a numerical simulation model to represent this reservoir, and the results of simulation studies predicting the performance of SAGD behaviour in this particular depositional setting.
Cost Reducing Factors in Effective Pipeline Piling Structure Design and Construction in Alberta's Thermal SAGD Gathering Pipeline Systems
Authors: Farrokhzad M. A.
Published: October 2008

The piling design and construction cost is a major fraction of the total construction cost of an above-ground Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) gathering pipeline. Recently, there have been efforts to review the principle designs of the piling and possibly to reduce the associated costs.

In most common design practices for pilings design, the engineers use the sum of the loads caused by steam and production lines. Using the sum value can be considered a good engineering practice; however this can cause unnecessarily large pile sizes and therefore increased cost. Some of the case studies presented in this paper show that the sum value may not be necessary and that it is possible to maintain a safe design within the acceptable criteria by using a fraction of the sum value. For this study, several stress analyses on pipeline cases were modeled including various thermal scenarios and gradient directions.

In Alberta's SAGD projects, steam travels from the boiler source to the well heads through a trunk pipeline. It takes a few hours to a couple of days for steam to reach the well heads depending on the length of the pipeline. After this time period, the productions (bitumen and production gas) are extracted from the reservoir and travel to the production pads or interconnection pipelines.

As the steam and production travel along the pipeline a thermal gradient is generated and travels along the pipeline as well. In a typical production process, the piles are subject to thermal loads caused by the traveling steam and by the time that the steam reaches to well heads, the loads are in the equilibrium state.

After this, the hot productions (bitumen and associated produced gas) travel in reverse along a seperate pipeline. Due to the difference in period of traveling, the SAGD pipeline arrangement and pilings are not subject to receive the two maximum load waves caused by steam and production simultaneously and therefore it is possible to design the piles on a fraction of the total load amplitudes. These considerations have allowed us to review the design principles and conclude safe practice with respect to lowering the size and the cost of piles.

This paper explains that the current design philosophy tends to neglect some design elements such as thermal gradient direction and loading sequence on the piles. It reviews these factors and identifies room for improvement in piling design and cost saving with respect to constant, startup, shutdown and upset operating load conditions.
Controlling Fluid Loss After a Gravel Pack Using an Inside-the-Screen Technique
Authors: Hudson T. , Gurley D.
Published: October 2008

Following a gravel pack completion, the formation may continue to take fluid. Approaches commonly used to control this situation are viscosified pills (with and without bridging agents), mechanical techniques (flapper valves) and by reducing the density of the wellbore fluid. Of these, the viscosified pill is most common. The pill penetrates into the formation and reduces fluid loss because of its high viscosity, The viscosity, if not reduced, can cause formation damage,

This paper will introduce a completion technique for controlling fluid loss after the gravel pack completion, The technique utilizes a bridging concept which reduces the possibility of particles and thick fluid invading the formation. The particles are sized to bridge on the gravel pack screen instead of the gravel or formation. Because of this, neither the gravel pack nor the formation are contaminated, thereby, reducing the chance of damaging the formation.

Test results are presented which include laboratory fluid loss control data substantiating the bridging concept. The data include tests from 75°F to 200°F using standard 8 gauge and 12 gauge gravel pack screens. The pressure applied during the tests varied from 0 to 1,000 psi.
Summer Cover Crop and Management System affect Lettuce and Cantaloupe Production System
Authors: Wang Guangyao , Ngouajio Mathieu , McGiffen Milton E. , Hutchinson Chad M.
Published: October 2008

Cover crops are widely used in both conventional and organic systems to protect and improve the soil. This study evaluated the effect of summer cover crop and management system on the production of fall romaine lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) and spring cantaloupe (Cucumis melo L.) from 1999 to 2003. Cover crop treatments included cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.] incorporated (CPI), cowpea used as mulch (CPM), sudangrass [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] incorporated (SGI), and a bare ground control (BG). The management system treatments included conventional (CON), integrated crop management (ICM), and organic (ORG). The CPM and SGI increased soil organic matter content and changed the soil N profile. Soil organic matter was higher and nitrate leaching was lower in the ORG system. The CPM plots had less weed growth during the lettuce crop, but higher weed biomass during the cantaloupe crop in the first year. During the cantaloupe season, weed biomass in the ORG increased over years relative to the CON system. The CPI plots had the highest lettuce yield in the first 2 yr, while SGI and CPI had higher cantaloupe yield. Lettuce yield in the ORG system increased over years relative to the CON system, but cantaloupe yield in the ORG system was lower in all four seasons. This study showed that cover crops could be used to improve cropping systems and that the soil and plants previously under long‐term conventional system changed significantly during organic transition.
Planting Date and Seed Treatment Effects on Soybean in the Northeastern United States
Authors: Cox William J. , Shields Elson , Cherney Jerome H.
Published: October 2008

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] production is limited in the northeastern United States so research on optimum planting date is scarce. Soybean production in this region may increase because of biodiesel demand so we initiated a 2‐yr study in New York that compared soybean planting dates with and without seed‐applied fungicide/insecticide treatments. Soybean planted in mid‐ compared with late May had a longer emergence time (15 and 6 d) and lower plant densities (35.6 and 39.5 plants m−2), but produced more pods side branch−1 (7.4 and 5.5), which contributed to more pods plant−1 (30.9 and 25.7) and pods m−2 (1079 and 958, respectively). The late compared with mid‐May planting date, however, had more seeds pod−1 (2.28 and 2.19), which contributed to similar seeds m−2 (2180 and 2357) and seed yield (3.8 and 3.9 Mg ha−1, respectively). Soybean planted in mid‐June compared with mid‐May had more plants m−2 (38.0) but fewer pods side branch−1 (3.4), pods plant−1 (22.5), pods m−2 (879), seeds m−2 (1 910), and lower seed yield (3.5 Mg ha−1). Seed treatments did not affect plant density, pod density, and seed yield, but had inconsistent effects on seeds pod−1, seeds m−2, and seed mass. The results of this study indicate that there is a fairly broad optimum planting date range and that insecticide/fungicide seed treatment is not required for soybean production in the northeastern United States, but more research is necessary to corroborate these findings.
Evaluating Multiple Indices from a Canopy Reflectance Sensor to Estimate Corn N Requirements
Authors: Sripada Ravi P. , Schmidt John P. , Dellinger Adam E. , Beegle Douglas B.
Published: October 2008

With the increasing cost of fertilizer N, there is a renewed emphasis on developing new technologies for quantifying in‐season N requirements for corn (Zea mays L.). The objectives of this research are (i) to evaluate different vegetative indices derived from an active reflectance sensor in estimating in‐season N requirements for corn, and (ii) to consider the influence of the N:Corn price ratio on the economic optimum nitrogen rate (EONR) developed using these indices. Field experiments were conducted at eight site‐years in central Pennsylvania. A two‐way factorial experiment was implemented as a split‐plot randomized complete block (four blocks) design, with different rates of N applied (i) at planting (NPL) to create a range of N supply, corn color, and radiance; and (ii) at V6 (NV6) to measure yield response to NV6. Canopy reflectance measurements were obtained using a Crop Circle (Holland Scientific, Lincoln, NE) sensor just before NV6 applications, and grain yield was determined at harvest. The EONR was determined using a quadratic‐plateau yield response function for price ratios from zero to 14:1, then regressed on 21 combinations of absolute and relative spectral bands and indices. The EONR at V6 at 6:1 price ratio ranged from 0 to 221 kg ha−1 among the eight site‐years, with a mean of 69 kg ha−1 Better prediction of EONR was obtained by indices calculated relative to a high N plot rather than absolute indices. Relative Green Difference Normalized Vegetation Index by ratio (RGNDVIR) was the best predictor of EONR at V6 when expressed as a linear‐floor model (R2 of 0.79). A relationship was developed so that EONR estimates derived using the Crop Circle sensor could be easily adjusted based on the current N:Corn price ratio. When N requirements are high (RGNDVIR = 0.8) and if the price ratio changes from 4:1 to 10:1, the EONR would change from 267 to 214 kg ha−1 N.
Adaptation of Cool‐Season Grain Legume Species across Climatically‐Contrasting Environments of Southern Europe
Authors: Annicchiarico P.
Published: October 2008

Information on most‐adapted species is required to increase the economic sustainability and the utilization of cool‐season feed legumes in southern Europe. This study aimed to compare pea (Pisum sativum L.), faba bean (Vicia faba L.), narrow‐leafed lupin (Lupinus angustifolius L.), and white lupin (L. albus L.) across Italian environments which contrasted for geoclimatic area (subcontinental or Mediterranean) and sowing season (autumn or late‐winter). Each species was represented by two cultivars tending to different geoclimatic adaptation. Data Set 1 included eight cultivars and five environments; Data Set 2 comprised two pea and two faba bean cultivars, and 10 environments. On average, pea exhibited higher grain yield than any species in subcontinental environments and lupin species in Mediterranean environments. Crossover genotype × environment interaction (GEI) occurred between species in Data Set 1 and between cultivars within species in both data sets (P < 0.05). Additive main effects and multiplicative interaction (AMMI) analysis of grain yield data indicated that species and cultivar adaptation patterns were more influenced by the climatic area than by location, sowing time, or test year within climatic area, highlighting the interest of comparing species on the basis of locally‐adapted cultivars. Entry grain yield was associated with higher aerial biomass across subcontinental environments, and earlier phenology and higher harvest index across Mediterranean environments. In the species comparison based on locally top‐performing cultivars, white lupin outyielded other species for crude protein in both climatic areas, whereas pea outperformed others across subcontinental environments and did not differ from faba bean or white lupin across Mediterranean environments for production of milk feed units (P < 0.05).
Wheat Grain Quality Response to Tillage and Rotation with Field Pea
Authors: Carr Patrick M. , Martin Glenn. B. , Horsley Richard D.
Published: October 2008

Preceding spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) with field pea (Pisum sativum L.) can enhance wheat grain yield in a wheat‐pea (WP) rotation compared with continuous wheat (WW). The pea‐rotation benefits to wheat grain quality are uncertain. A 6‐yr study was conducted to determine (i) if grain protein content, kernel weight, and test weight were enhanced for wheat in a WP rotation compared with WW, and (ii) if an interaction between cropping and tillage systems existed. The WP and WW systems were maintained in subplots within clean‐till (CT), reduced‐till (RT), and no‐till (NT) whole plots arranged in a randomized complete block as a split plot in southwestern North Dakota, USA. Grain protein content of wheat averaged 160 g kg−1 and was unaffected by cropping system (P > 0.05). However, grain protein content was 10 to 30 g kg−1 lower under NT compared with CT, depending on the year. Kernels were heavier in two of 6 yr in the WP rotation compared with WW. No difference in kernel weight was detected between cropping systems in the other 4 yr. A consistent trend in kernel weight was not detected across tillage systems, and interactions between cropping and tillage systems were not observed for either grain protein content or kernel weight. A three‐way interaction between cropping systems, tillage systems, and years was detected for grain test weight. These results failed to demonstrate a consistent pea‐rotation benefit to wheat grain quality.
Immunocytochemical detection of p16INK4a protein for the identification of patients at risk of cervical cancer
Authors: Divani Smaroula , Vardouli Anna , Alexopoulou Vana
Published: October 2008

Background: p16INK4a, cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor that inhibits cyclin dependent kinase 4 and 6, is a product of the INK4a gene, involved in the phosphorylation of the retinoblastoma protein (pRB). HPV E7 protein binds specifically to pRB. The inactivation of pRB leads to enhanced p16 INK4a protein levels in the affected cells. Overexpression of p16 INK4a has been proposed as a biomarker for the identification of dysplastic lesions in histologic and cytologic samples. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether p16 INK4a could be used as an additional marker in the detection of patients with cervical intraepithelial lesions at risk of progression to invasive cancer. Methods: A total of 49 Thin Prep samples with cytologic diagnoses of Low Grade and High Grade SIL, and 20 with normal cervical cells, were included in the study. The mean age of the patients was 46 years. p16 INK4a immunostaining was performed using the CINtecTM p16INK4a Cytology Kit (Dako Cytomation) according to the instructions of the manufacturer. Samples were considered positive if a brown reaction product was present in both the nucleus and the cytoplasm (predominantly in the nucleus.). Histologic diagnoses of punch biopsies from the SIL cases were available and could be compared to the cytologic findings. Results: 17 cases from the control group were negative (85%), whereas 3 presented only a few positive metaplastic cells. In 34/37 (94.2%) cases of low grade lesions immunoreactive cells were not present but 3/37(8.1%) showed focal staining. All but one cytologic sample with HGSIL showed positive p16 INK4a immunoreactivity. The intensity of p16 INK4a protein detection correlated well with the degree of abnormality. Conclusion: Our preliminary study reveals that p16 immunostaining can be applied successfully as an adjunct to cytologic diagnostic methods in order to improve diagnostic results and detect patients at risk of cervical cancer.
Unique combination of an ovarian dysgerminoma, streak ovary and uterine agenesis in a girl of 12
Authors: Dangal Ganesh
Published: October 2008

Dysgerminoma of the ovary is a rare malignancy. It is common in dysegenetic ovaries. The prognosis is excellent if treated properly. This is a case report of a girl with agenesis of the uterus, streak ovary and dysgerminoma. Her external genitalia seemed normal. Ultrasonography indicated uterine agenesis and showed a solid mass on right gonad. The left gonad was streak ovary. There was minimal ascites and cytology was positive for malignant cell. Tumor markers were normal. Bilateral gonadectomy with removal of the tumor was performed. She received chemotherapy and was disease free at 2-year follow up. The combination of an ovarian dysgerminoma with uterine agenesis and streak ovary is a rare finding. Ovarian dysgerminoma is chemosensitive and potentially curable even when in advanced stage.
Synthesis and antimicrobial, antifungal and anthelmintic activities of 3h-1,5-benzodiazepine derivatives
Authors: Kumar Rajesh , Joshi Y.C.
Published: October 2008

The diazonium salt of 4-amino-1-methyl-3-propyl-1H-pyrazole-5-carboxamide in the presence of sodium hydroxide was condensed with different ?-diketones/?-ketoesters, 3a-e, to obtain new ?-diketones/?-ketoesters, 4a-e. The ?-diketones/?-ketoesters 4a-e were condensed with o-phenylenediamine (o-PDA) in presence of p-toluenesulfonic acid/SiO2 to give biologically active 3H-1,5-benzodiazepines, 5a-e. All the newly synthesized compounds were characterized by elemental analysis and spectral studies. The compounds 5a-e were screened for their antimicrobial, antifungal and anthelmintic activities.
Employees in the health care management transformation
Authors: Teodorovic Nevenka , Gajic-Stevanovic Milena
Published: October 2008

Introduction: The importance of studying management in one of the most sensitive and complex areas of human endeavor that is healthcare is of great significance for providing high quality and efficient easily-accessible healthcare in the future. Studying the challenges that need to be overcome towards achieving this goal is of great importance not only from the viewpoint of scientific management theory but primarily to help bring about strategically important decisions that are crucial for the continued evolution and reformation of the healthcare system, in which the employees have a new, much more complex role. The objective: was to more thoroughly study, describe and understand the role the employees have in the transformation of health care management. Material and method: During this research the material used was foreign and local literature, processed using the Analytical method as well as the Observation and Comparative methods. Conclusion: In the transformation of the health care management a very important role is played by the health care employees. Without the transformation of the current practice and significant changes in both the structure and work ethic of all the employees in health care services (nurses and people in management alike) there will be no improvement in the health care system overall.
The Changing Impact of the Alternative Minimum Tax on Horizontal Equity
Authors: Westort Peter J.
Published: October 2008

While prior research (Anderson 1985, 1988) indicates that the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) increases the fairness, or horizontal equity (HE), of the federal income tax system, changes in tax laws and the general inability of the AMT system to account for inflation raise serious questions about whether the AMT continues to increase fairness. Burman et al. (2002) observe that the reason many more taxpayers are now subject to the AMT is because of the increasing divergence of the regular tax and the AMT. This divergence subjects more lower-income taxpayers to the AMT, thus resulting in higher total tax liability. Using individual income tax return data for 1992, 1995, and 2000, and both dispersion-based and rank reversal-based measures, this study observes that the AMT still increases HE in many upper income groups, but decreases HE in many lower income groups. Moreover, overall measures of HE indicate that the AMT has a net decreasing effect on HE. There are two implications to these findings. First, it can no longer be assumed that the AMT uniformly improves HE. Second, the AMT generally continues to achieve its intended result at the upper income levels. This result suggests that regulators and legislators wishing to improve the AMT system need to address the causes of low-income taxpayers being subject to the AMT while maintaining the impact on upper income taxpayers.
Mucocele: A Human Model for Lymphangiogenesis
Authors: da Cunha Castro Eumenia Costa , Galambos Csaba
Published: October 2008

The mechanism of lymphangiogenesis is poorly understood, and controversy exists whether it is part of the inflammatory response to tissue injury. Utilizing markers specific to lymphatics, we aimed to study if lymphangiogenesis plays a role in the tissue response of mucoceles. Twenty-three extravasated mucoceles were selected. They were grouped by using widely accepted histologic criteria of wound healing into early-, intermediate-, and late-phase lesions. To identify lymphatic vessels we used lymphatic endothelium-specific antibodies (VEGFR3, Prospero-related homeobox gene–1 [Prox-1], and D2–40). To assess the proportion of lymphatic channels to all lesional vessels we used the panendothelial marker CD31. The presence, distribution, and proportion of lymphatic channels were assessed and compared among the groups. To investigate the involvement of lymphangiogenic signals, the expression of VEGFC was determined. To assess for proliferative activity of lymphatic endothelial cells we utilized Ki-67 antibody. Early-phase lesions ( n = 6) were characterized by the presence of centrally located mucicarmine-positive material (mucin pools) with numerous inflammatory cells dominated by mucin-laden CD163-positive macrophages. Only scattered peripheral thin-walled large and small vessels were seen in the stroma surrounding the central mucin pool. Less than half of these vessels were of lymphatic nature as determined by Prox-1, VEGFR3, and D2–40 positivity. The histology of the intermediate-phase lesions ( n = 6) was dominated by numerous lymphatics of varying size, not seen in the early phase. The histology of late-phase lesions ( n = 11) resembled a “pseudo-cyst,” with dense granulation tissue containing rare macrophages and rare lymphatic vessels. Although VEGFC was present in all phases, the highest expression was in the early phase. Low-grade proliferative lymphatic endothelium was noted in the intermediate lesions with a Ki-67 index of 4%. Early lymphangiogenesis and late lymphatic vessel regression were observed during mucocele evolution. The abundant newly formed ectatic lymphatic vessels seen in the intermediate phase may play a role in the clearance of extravasated material (mucin, edema, and lymph fluid) and in the initiation of the young fibroblast-rich granulation tissue. Mucocele appears to be an excellent human model for studying the factors that play a role in new lymphangiogenesis and regression.
Sar Action Effectiveness Measures
Authors: Burciu Zbigniew , Starosta Andrzej
Published: October 2008

Sar Action Effectiveness Measures

The paper presents the research essential to define the way of the SAR action's effectiveness measures determination. In the analyses carried out the influence of wind speed error and wind direction error as a function of the wind speed have been checked. The purpose of the second analysis was the test of the influence of the assumed errors distributions on the increase of the search area.
Operational Errors in Air Traffic
Authors: Chmura Wojciech , Malarski Marek
Published: October 2008

Operational Errors in Air Traffic

The obligatory value representing the allowable number of events in air traffic (in particular accidents), calculated upon historical data known as Target Level of Safety - TLS, is at present valid only for accidents and equals 1,55*10-8 an accident per one flight hour. This value, unless the previously calculated TLS, would be reliable and this equation itself might be useful to monitor the current level of safety (CLS) by putting into it the current performance characteristics of a staff.
A Model of Risk for Assessment of Safety of Ships in Damaged Conditions
Authors: Gerigk Mirosław
Published: October 2008

A Model of Risk for Assessment of Safety of Ships in Damaged Conditions

The paper regards modelling of hazards, consequences and risk for a method for assessment of safety of ships in damaged conditions. The method applies the performances-oriented approach and risk-based approach combined together within the method. The performance-oriented approach regards predicting the behavior of a ship in damaged conditions at sea. The risk-based approach is connected with applying the hazard identification, scenarios development, risk assessment and risk control. Safety is treated as an objective between the other design or operational objectives. The safety measure is risk regarding the losses.
The Quantitative Area Risk Analysis to Support Decision on Lpg Depots and Land Use Planning
Authors: Adriano Landoni , Silvia Ansaldi , Angelo Bragatto , Paolo Pittiglio
Published: October 2008

The Quantitative Area Risk Analysis to Support Decision on Lpg Depots and Land Use Planning

In Italy, for assessing LPG depots, a simplified method has been used for twelve years. The method is based on the classification of the plant according the MOND index. Standardized accidental scenarios are applied to have damage areas. Land vulnerability and compatibility are evaluated according a method inspired by the IAEA method for land use compatibility. In this paper it has been demonstrated credible, as their results are confirmed by using a higher level method, such as the well known method defined in the TNO purple book.