bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Intrapartum Amnioinfusion for Meconium-Stained Liquor in Developing Countries
Authors: Moodley J , Matchaba P , Payne A J 
Published: January 2017

Background Intrapartum amnioinfusion (AI) has been reported to decrease perinatal mortality and morbidity in women with meconium-stained liquor. Such work has not previously been performed at King Edward VIII Hospital (KEH), in a developing country, where the incidence of meconium-stained liquor is said to be extremely high. Objective To establish whether AI during the intrapartum period for meconium-stained liquor decreases Caesarean section rates for fetal distress and decreases perinatal morbidity. Method Informed consent was obtained from patients in labour who were 3–8 cm dilated, with meconium-staining of the liquor, grades I to III inclusive, and who had a normal cardiotocograph on presentation at term. Sixty patients were included in the trial; 30 had AI. The control group was managed by standard methods. The study group had an amnioinfusion of 0.9% normal saline at 15 ml/min under continuous cardiotocographic monitoring, until a volume of 1 l was completed. This was repeated if delivery did not occur within 4 h. Results The mean pH of umbilical arterial blood was significantly higher in the AI group (7.30 versus 7.23; P = 0.0029). In addition fewer patients in this group developed hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy (0 versus 2 controls) or meconium aspiration syndrome (1 versus 4 controls). This was not statistically significant. Caesarean section for fetal distress was performed on fewer patients in the AI group (3 versus 7 controls), although this was not statistically significant. Conclusion These results demonstrate that amnioinfusion is an effective technique for improving the perinatal outcome of pregnancies complicated by meconium-stained liquor in labour. The decrease in Caesarean sections for fetal distress, though not statistically significant in this study, has clinical relevance. Furthermore, this study suggests that amnioinfusion is cost effective in a busy, high-risk labour ward unit and consequently should become standard practice in the management of meconium-stained liquor in labour.
Antiepileptic Drug Treatment in Rural Africa: Involving the Community
Authors: Kaiser Christoph , Asaba George , Mugisa Christine , Kipp Walter , Kasoro Silver , Rubaale Tom , Kabagambe Geoffrey 
Published: January 2017

The vast majority of patients with epilepsy in developing countries do not receive adequate medical treatment and an estimated percentage of 80–90% are without any treatment. Poor infrastructure, insufficient availability of drugs and scarcity of trained medical personnel are relevant factors for this situation. Traditional concepts about epilepsy may also affect acceptance and compliance to modern treatment. We report our experience with anti-epileptic drug (AED) treatment in a rural African community with a high prevalence of epilepsy. After identification of the patients during a prevalence survey on epilepsy, the input of the medical service of the district to the treatment scheme was reduced to a 6-monthly medical visit to the area and long-term provision of AED to the patients. Members of the community were integrated as assistants in the distribution of the drugs and community participation was gradually enhanced over the first year of the programme. A cost-sharing system for the financing of the community assistants was introduced and a self-help committee of epilepsy patients and their families was founded. Within the first 20 months the patients showed good compliance as indicated by a growing number of patients presenting for treatment and a low rate of discontinuation of the treatment. A marked improvement could be observed for most of the patients treated with phenobarbitone in terms of reduction of seizure frequency although complete seizure control was achieved in only a few.
Comparison of a Rapid Dipstick Test and Thick Blood Films for Detecting Parasites of Plasmodium Falciparum Used under Typical Conditions at a Semi-Rural Hospital in Cote D'Ivoire
Authors: Watson P A , Laidoueu A B , Kacou E , Koudou G , Traore M 
Published: January 2017

This prospective study compares a rapid dipstick test (ParaSight™-F) with thick blood films for the detection of parasites of P falciparum, under ‘typical’ conditions and constraints to be found in a semi-rural hospital in a tropical developing country in Africa. Eighty-two samples were tested using the two techniques and found to concur in 95.1% of cases. However, in four of the samples the results differed. The thick blood films of 60 samples were later re-read by a local reference laboratory. Of these 98.3% were in agreement with the reading performed at the hospital. Only one of the 60 slides differed. The rapid dipstick test proved to be both easy to use and free from many of the usual constraints such as a need for formally trained or experienced laboratory staff, laboratory equipment, and reliable water and electricity supplies. In an holoendemic area for P falciparum transmission, it would appear to be eminently suitable, in technical terms and ease of handling as well as on the basis of rapid results, for wider distribution within this region. Its main drawback remains financial.
Norwegian Hydro Power in the Oil Era
Authors: Brunborg Ivar 
Published: January 2017

Norway is in most parts a mountainous country with ample precipitation and since such regions are thinly populated the exploitation of the hydro resources (which provides 99% of electricity) has been generally coupled with the development of power-intensive industries, e.g. aluminium, ferro alloys, nitrogen fixation, and carbides production. Investors (many of them foreign) were attracted by cheap power that could be developed on a reasonable scale. Power plant and the industry were initially built as integrated, and isolated, units by private investors. More recently the State and the communities have taken a bigger stake in the development and a common grid that now covers the entire country has been established. Today, less than 20% is privately owned, about 1/3 belonging to the state and the rest split between county and local communities. Availability of hydro power is subject to variations in precipitation and in addition a large fraction falls as snow (October–April) in the mountains where its potential is highest, but its contribution to the energy supply very small until it has melted. Economically exploitable hydro power in Norway is 170 TWh/year of which 95 TWh/year is fully developed (25 TWh will be exempted because of nature conservation) leaving room for substantial expansion. Although the off/shore oil and gas resources are now at the centre of the Nation's expectations (and, admittedly, these energy resources surpass hydro by some orders of magnitude) hydro power is still vital to the country's development. Less than 10% of the total is marketed by a ‘Power Pool’ who fix night and day prices and coordinate supply from the power companies. As in most countries, electricity prices are subject not only to cost and market forces, but also to political considerations. Most households and general industry pay 20 øre (ca. 2 UK-p) per kWh (per capita consumption is >20 000 kWh/year), while the large-scale power-intensive industry may have long range contracts at 6–8 øre and even lower. This includes an electricity tax of 2 øre for most users. The Norwegian electricity system is energy dimensioned, the main problem being the collection and storage of water, while it is relatively cheap to supply sufficient power. This points to benefits from cooperation between Swedish nuclear power, Danish coal-fired stations and Norwegian hydro plants (a 500 MW DC-cable connects Denmark and Norway).
An Overview of Nuclear Waste Management
Authors: Shemilt L. W. , Sheng G. 
Published: January 2017

The disposal and safe handling of high-level radioactive wastes resulting from the generation of electricity by nuclear fission is a topic of great current concern and future importance. All types of nuclear fuel produce similar quantities of fission products per GW over time, and the most important factor in handling is whether the waste is used fuel or reprocessing waste. It is believed that deep terrestrial or sub-seabed disposal offer the most risk-free options, the former being the more immediate proposition. Developments in media for encapsulating reprocessed wastes may increase the ease with which they can be disposed of. All geologic systems of disposal require a multi-barrier approach, but there are no significant technical problems to safe disposal in this way. Site investigations must study geologic formations, hydrogeology, geochemical properties of host rock and groundwater and long-term stability of the site. Risk assessment of the long-term safety of disposal sites is necessarily probabilistic, and is the subject of much study. The major problem of such assessments is the lack of a commonly-accepted concept of ‘safe’ levels of radiation over geologic timescales. The paper examines in detail the Canadian waste management and research programs and discusses various international projects on nuclear waste disposal.
Exploration Maturity and Reserves Discovery Relations in the Niger Delta
Authors: Ejedawe J. E. , Abiola V. O. , Young A. S. 
Published: January 2017

Phantom surfaces of the normal deviates of well density and discovered oil reserves in place (DORIP) describe the areal variation in exploration maturity and success in the Niger Delta basin. The prolific centres and the prolific belt are clearly defined on the well density map as a high-maturity zone and suggest that the prolific belt is a reflection of exploration maturity. Cross-matching of the similarity maps (cross-product and difference maps) of the normal deviates of well density and DORIP expresses the degree of association between maturity and success and gives a pictorial view of variations in the degree of advancement of exploration in this province. Six relationships (A, B1, B2, D, E1, and E2) are recognised and can be correlated with local geology to provide a basis for determining the favourability of any area for future significant reserves discovery and hence in exploration planning.
Technological Change in US Coal Mining: Issues and Evidence
Authors: Baker Joe G. 
Published: January 2017

This article examines recent developments and issues concerning technological change in US coal mining. First, factors that influence the rate of technological change, such as firm profit, industry structure, and investment are discussed with attention paid to economic conditions in the 1970s. This discussion concludes that characteristics such as geological variability, product homogeneity, and the high-cost long-term nature of investment required in coal mining result in lower levels of R&D in coal mining than in other industries. However, high rates of profit and the growth in coal demand in the 1970s resulted in growth in coal mining R&D throughout much of the 1970s. Second, evidence of technological change in coal mining in examined. Data concerning the employment of scientists and engineers and R&D expenditures are analyzed. More direct measures of technological change such as productivity indexes, are also examined. These data suggest that changes in the types of coal mine work activities (health, safety, and environment as opposed to coal removal) have resulted in reduced coal productivity in the face of increasing R&D. Given the relationship between sales, profit, investment, and R&D and technological change, the most beneficial means of advancing technology in coal mining would be a healthy, sustained rate of growth in the coal market. Even in favorable economic conditions, the coal industry is unlikely to undertake highly innovative R&D because of industry characteristics that are unaffected by economic variables. This gap in innovative R&D is a possible area of public sector involvement.
Electricity Generation Policy in the Netherlands
Authors: Van Loon A. J. 
Published: January 2017

For a long time the electricity policy in The Netherlands was based mainly upon two considerations: (1) that the capacity should be sufficient to meet the demand, even under extreme conditions; and (2) that supply should be reliable, which means that interruptions must be avoided. After the oil crisis of 1973–74 other aspects became important, like the price of the fuels and the availability of a ‘strategic reserve’. Due to those considerations no longer an almost exclusive use was made of domestic fuels (originally coal, later natural gas). More or less at the same time the social attitude towards electricity supply (e.g. opposition to nuclear energy, promotion of renewable energy sources) started to have a considerable influence on the political decision-makers. Due to these complex changes no well-defined electricity policy has existed in the recent past. Recent formulations of policy (which stress the importance of low prices and of diversification) are hampered in their execution by decreasing demand, thus preventing the building of new plants which would lead to a situation that is more in accordance with the present policy.
Geothermal Exploration at Southampton in the UK
Authors: Downing R. A. , Allen D. J. , Barker J. A. , Burgess W. G. , Gray D. A. , Price M. , Smith I. F. 
Published: January 2017

Two geothermal wells have been drilled in or near Southampton since 1979. One is at Marchwood, just outside Southampton, and the other is in the centre of the city; the wells are 1.85 km apart. They proved a geothermal reservoir in the upper 25 to 40 m of the Triassic Sherwood Sandstone at a depth of about 1700 m. The reasons for siting the wells in Southampton are discussed and the nature of the reservoir described. The wells have been extensively tested. The Marchwood well yielded 30 ls−1 for a pressure reduction of 3.7 MNm−2 after a test of 33 days, while the Western Esplanade well gave 20 ls−1 for about 3.0 MNm−2. Both yielded brine with a salinity of over 100 g l−1 at a well-head temperature of between 70 and 74°C. The transmissivity of the reservoir is 6 m2/d (3.5 D.m) and the storage coefficient 4 × 10−5. Computer modelling of changes in reservoir pressure suggests that near the wells there is a region of relatively high permeability but the permeability declines at distances of more than a few kilometres from the wells. This could take one of several forms including a bounded reservoir or a narrow wedge-shaped reservoir. The thermal yield from either well at an abstraction rate of 20 ls−1 would be about 3 MW.
Japanese Oil and Gas Situation—Supply and Demand to 1990
Authors: Nomiyama Akihiko 
Published: January 2017

Japan's oil demand hit a peak of 4·05 M b/d in 1978. After that, it steadily declined until it dropped in 1985 to 3·12 M b/d. However, Japan is still the largest oil consumer country in the Pacific Rim region. Japan's oil supply and demand have a great impact on oil flow in this region. Therefore, it is necessary for Japan to carry out her business with a view to helping to smooth the oil flow in this region rather than balancing supply and demand only in Japan. I believe it is possible for Japan to function effectively as one of the major oil terminals in the Pacific Rim region. As a major oil consumer, Japan has an international responsibility to shoulder a fair share of the risk involved in the development of oil resources. We should seek new development by actively exchanging information in the private sector as well.
High Efficiency Conversion of Lignocellulosics to Sugars for Liquid Fuel Production by the ACOS Process
Authors: Paszner Laszlo , Cho H.J. 
Published: January 2017

Decline of world oil reserves and pollution problems from burning of fossil fuels and lead require that methods for safe alternate liquid fuels be developed. Ethanol is one of the most important alternate liquid fuels since it can be produced readily by fermentation of sugars. Wood and vegetable growth are excellent sources of sugars to support an ethanol fuel economy of significant proportions. Acid Catalysed Organosolv Saccharification (ACOS) is a new means for total biomass dissolution and recover of component sugars and lignin from wood. The process uses an acidified aqueous acetone solution for the high-temperature hydrolysis of biomass. Acetone provides an excellent reaction medium for dissolution of both sugars and lignins and through a transient derivatization of the sugars protects them from further reaction (dehydration) to furfurals and humic substances. Therefore, sugar and lignin recoveries are quantitative. The ACOS process is 700 times faster than the conventional weak acid hydrolysis processes and wood can be dissolved in 30 sec by this process. The lignin is recovered as a low molecular weight powder by-product. This process is applicable to both coniferous and deciduous woods and agricultural residues such as corn stover, straw and bagasse. In case of such residues the ethanol yield can be doubled (straw and corn stover) or tripled (bagasse) compared to what has been obtained from the grain and sugarcane juice so far. Hitherto these residues were merely discarded or burned.
Commercialization of Biomass Conversion
Authors: Bungay Henry R. 
Published: January 2017

Biomass for fuels and chemicals remains a potentially viable option and opportunities for commercialization should be pursued. In the US, apart from the possible use of agricultural wastes, energy plantations of hybrid poplar could produce biomass yields of exploitable proportions. The technologies and economics of biomass refining indicate that co-product credits are essential for commercial propositions. There are many processes using either enzymatic or acid hydrolysis for the conversion of wood cellulose with subsequent fermentation of the sugars to alcohol. There is also the possibility of producing other industrial chemicals such as acetic acid. The economics of biomass refining could hinge on the profitable sale of the lignin. The paper discusses the prospects for renewable energy availability from wood and agriultural wastes, sucrose, wood refining, biogas, biomass refining and fermentation products.
Carbon Dioxide Emissions Abatement: Implications for Canadian Energy Industries
Authors: Haites Erik 
Published: January 2017

Growing public and scientific concern over the prospects of climate change – the greenhouse effect - have led to calls to reduce CO2 emissions by approximately 20 percent from 1988 levels by the year 2005. Studies of ways to achieve such reductions in Canada were undertaken by The DPA Group and ROBBERT Associates. This paper examines the implications of the abatement strategies presented in the DPA and ROBBERT reports for Canadian energy industries. To achieve reductions in carbon dioxide emissions of 20 percent from current levels by 2005, the primary energy demand is kept slightly below the current level. Overall, the impacts of measures to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide by 20 percent from 1988 levels in 2005 on Canada's energy supply industries are not as serious as might be apprehended. Domestic demand for coal is likely to suffer most. Coal production would depend even more heavily on export markets. In the case of oil and natural gas the effect is primarily to tie the development of major projects to export markets. Construction of fossil-fired generation would be curtailed but non-fossil construction would be unaffected. Exports of coal, natural gas, electricity and, possibly oil, could rise. The DPA and ROBBERT scenarios are rough analyses of national carbon dioxide emissions abatement strategies. The foregoing assessment, likewise, is a preliminary overview of their impact, nationally, on the Canadian energy industries.
Basin Analysis Codes: Strategies for Use Based on Data Availability
Authors: Lerche Ian 
Published: January 2017

Based upon many quantitative case histories of basins, evaluated by several basin analysis groups, some general patterns of application of codes are developing. Here we set down some ideas for using quantitative basin analysis codes when minimal, moderate or maximal quantities of high quality data are available. While strategies for each basin have to be tailored to the specific geologic setting of each basin, nevertheless some general patterns of development seem to be of generic validity. Three stategies are outlined as follows: (a) Minimal data (Table 1 and Section II) (b) Moderate data (Table 2 and Section III) (c) Maximal data (Table 3 and Section IV) In addition, comments are provided on using basin analysis codes and seismic sections in an integrated manner (section V); while the quandary between corporate applications versus basic research development is briefly considered in section VI.
Biomass Fuel in Kenya: Availability and the Potential for Gasification
Authors: Laichena Justus K. 
Published: January 2017

Biomass, in the form of wood, charcoal, and crop residues, is the most important source of energy in Kenya, providing about 75% of the total. A survey was conducted to assess the availability, use, ease of gathering, and the suitability of various biomass fuels for thermal gasification in Kenya. Kenya generates a large variety of by-products from the agricultural sector and related industries (eg coffee husks, coconut shells, bagasse, maize cobs, and cereal straw), and from the forest industry (eg sawdust, bark, off-cuts, and timber shots). Most of these are suitable for gasification; only a small fraction is used as domestic fuel or for animal feed. The quantities generated annually are sufficient to operate small to medium-scale gasifiers that might be used to power sawmills, water pumps, maize and cereal mills, or to generate electricity for remote rural communities. Finally, the paper considers the potential for application of gasification technology in Kenya. Suitable biomass materials are available, and a tentative economic analysis shows that small-scale gasifiers are attractive if the biomass price is low and if the gasifier can be repaired and serviced locally.
17–29 the Baltic Republics – Independence and Energy
Authors: Scanlan A.F.G. 
Published: January 2017

With the exception of the oil shale mined in Estonia, the three Baltic Republics of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have been heavily dependent on energy supplies from the USSR. The energy sectors of the Baltic States are described and indications are given of possible developments. However a prime objective for each of the Republics is to collect and collate their national energy supply and consumption statistics which are at present totally inadequate. The way in which the energy sectors develop will be very dependent on political stability in East Europe and on financial and technical help from West Europe.
Distinctions in the Oil and Gas Reserves and Resources Classifications Assumed in Russia and USA – Source of Distinctions
Authors: Nemchenko Nikolai N. , Zykin Mikail Ya. , Arbatov Alexander A. , Poroskun Vladimir I. , Gutman Igor S. 
Published: January 2017

The existing estimates of the Russia's oil and gas proved reserves have many variations and distinctions especially between the Russian and Western ones. The article analyses these distinctions and offers explanations of their origin. The results of the analysis provide a possibility for Western experts to use their classifications to understand and estimate real production capacities of the deposits which have been evaluated with Russian methodology.