bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Combined effects of tannate and ageing on structural and surface properties of aluminum precipitates
Authors: Yu G. , Saha U. K. , Kozak L. M. , Huang P. M. 
Published: September 2007

AbstractThe influence of organics on the crystallization of Al precipitates has been well documented. However, the effects of organics and ageing on the transformation and structural configuration of Al precipitates in relation to their surface and charge properties are not fully understood. This study investigated the structural, microporous and surface properties of Al precipitates formed under the influence of tannate and ageing. The Al precipitates were synthesized at an initial Al concentration of 7 × 10−3 M, an OH/Al molar ratio (MR) of 3.0, and initial tannate/Al MRs of 0, 0.001, 0.01 and 0.1, and aged for 1, 10 and 40 days. As indicated by a decrease in gibbsite and bayerite and an increase in the oxalate-extractable Al contents, the non-crystalline precipitates increased with the increase of the initial tannate/Al MR. This observation is in accord with the X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) data. The impact of tannic acid on the nature of the Al precipitates is also reflected in the increase of the contents of the pyrophosphate-extractable Al, which is indicative of organically bound Al. This observation is in agreement with the increase in the intensity of characteristic FTIR absorption bands of tannate and the organic C and adsorbed water contents. The decrease in the crystallinity of Al precipitates with increase in the tannate/Al MR resulted in the development of microporosity, increase in BET specific surface area and decrease of the average pore diameter and point of zero salt effect (PZSE). The FTIR absorption bands characteristic of tannate of the Al precipitates became weaker with ageing, in accord with the ageing-induced decrease in the contents of organic C and pyrophosphate-extractable Al. Ageing drastically decreased the BET specific surface area of the Al precipitates formed in the absence of tannate but this effect was less conspicuous for the products formed at the tannate/Al molar ratio of 0.1. The ageing-induced change in the PZSE of the Al precipitates formed both in the absence and presence of tannate was not significant. The results accomplished in this study are of fundamental significance to our understanding of the combined effects of organics and ageing on structural configuration of hydrolytic precipitates of Al in relation to their microporosity, surface and charge properties in the environment.
Soil Hydroxy-interlayered minerals: A re-interpretation of their crystallochemical properties
Authors: Meunier Alain 
Published: September 2007

AbstractHydroxy-interlayered minerals (HIMs) are typical of moderately acidic soils. Barnhisel and Bertsch (1989) defined the hydroxy-interlayered clay minerals as a solid-solution series between smectite, vermiculite and pedogenic or aluminous chlorite end-members. Their experimental data for the relationship between the decrease in cation exchange capacity (CEC) and the amount of Al fixed in the interlayers of smectites and vermiculites is reinterpreted using calculated structural, chemical and X-ray diffraction (XRD) evidence. The adsorbed Al ions are in a 6-fold coordination state: [Al(OH)x(H2O)y](3−x)+ with x+y = 6. The polymerization process occurs before saturation of the exchange sites by Al ions. Some of the adsorbed Al ions form polynuclear cations keeping a constant positive charge.X-ray diffraction patterns of oriented preparations in the ethylene glycol-solvated state suggest that HIMs consist of randomly interstratified expandable and chlorite-like layers (17 and 14.2 Å). Chlorite-like layers result from the selective adsorption of Al complex ions in specific interlayer zones that behave similarly to Al-chlorite (donbassite-like) with incomplete (60%) ‘gibbsite-like’ sheets (chlorite60). Using this framework, HIM XRD patterns can be interpreted by comparison with calculated chlorite60-dismectite mixed-layer mineral patternss using the NEWMOD software.
Weathering sequences of clay minerals in soils along a serpentinitic toposequence
Authors: Hseu Z. Y. , Tsai H. , Hsi H. C. , Chen Y. C. 
Published: September 2007

AbstractThere has been limited research on clay mineral transformation in serpentinitic soils under humid tropical conditions. In this study, four soil pedons were selected along a toposequence from the summit (Entisol), shoulder (Vertisol), backslope (Alfisol) to footslope (Ultisol) positions to explore the contributions and the significance of landscape and weathering status of serpentinitic rock with regard to clay mineral transformations in eastern Taiwan. Experimental results indicated that the large amount of dithionite-citrate-bicarbonate-extractable Fe (Fed) and clay in the subsurface horizon were mainly caused by the strong leaching potential from intensive rainfall and weathering of the fine-grained parent rocks. The clay mineralogy reflected the clear weathering trend of the soils along the toposequence: (1) the soils on the summit and shoulder contained smectite and serpentine, which are predominant in the young soils derived from serpentinitic rocks; and (2) vermiculite gradually increased in the relatively old soils on backslope and footslope. The mineralogical transformations observed along the toposequence indicated that chlorite and serpentine, initially present in the Entisol on the summit, weather into smectite and interstratified chlorite-vermiculite in the intermediate soil on the shoulder under strong leaching and oxidizing conditions. Furthermore, vermiculite formed as the major weathering product of chlorite and smectite in the soil developed on the backslope. In addition to vermiculite, kaolinite and quartz formed in the soils on the footslope with the greatest concentration of Fedalong the toposequence.
Development of a Focused Oligonucleotide-Array Comparative Genomic Hybridization Chip for Clinical Diagnosis of Genomic Imbalance
Authors: Shen Yiping , Miller David T , Cheung Sau Wai , Lip Va , Sheng Xiaoming , Tomaszewicz Keith , Shao Hong , Fang Hong , Tang Hung Siv , Irons Mira , Walsh Christopher A , Platt Orah , Gusella James F , Wu Bai-Lin 
Published: September 2007

Abstract
Background: Submicroscopic genomic imbalance underlies well-defined microdeletion and microduplication syndromes and contributes to general developmental disorders such as mental retardation and autism. Array comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) complements routine cytogenetic methods such as karyotyping and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) for the detection of genomic imbalance. Oligonucleotide arrays in particular offer advantages in ease of manufacturing, but standard arrays for single-nucleotide polymorphism genotyping or linkage analysis offer variable coverage in clinically relevant regions. We report the design and validation of a focused oligonucleotide-array CGH assay for clinical laboratory diagnosis of genomic imbalance.
Methods: We selected &gt;10 000 60-mer oligonucleotide features from Agilent’s eArray probe library to interrogate all subtelomeric and pericentromeric regions and 95 additional clinically relevant regions for a total of 179 loci. Sensitivity and specificity were measured for 105 patient samples, including 51 with known genomic-imbalance events, as detected by bacterial artificial chromosome–based array CGH, FISH, or multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification.
Results: Focused array CGH detected all known regions of genomic imbalance in 51 validation samples with 100% concordance and an excellent signal-to-noise ratio. The mean SD among log2 ratios of all noncontrol features without copy number alteration was 0.062 (median, 0.055). Clinical testing of another 211 samples from individuals with developmental delay, unexplained mental retardation, dysmorphic features, or multiple congenital anomalies revealed genomic imbalance in 25 samples (11.9%).
Conclusions: This focused oligonucleotide-array CGH assay, a flexible, robust method for clinically diagnosing genetic disorders associated with genomic imbalance, offers appreciable advantages over currently available platforms.
Detection of Restriction Enzyme–Digested Target DNA by PCR Amplification Using a Stem-Loop Primer: Application to the Detection of Hypomethylated Fetal DNA in Maternal Plasma
Authors: Tong Yu K , Chiu Rossa WK , Leung Tak Y , Ding Chunming , Lau Tze K , Leung Tse N , Lo YM Dennis 
Published: September 2007

Abstract
Background: The discovery of cell-free fetal DNA in maternal plasma has opened up new possibilities for noninvasive prenatal diagnosis and monitoring. Among the fetal markers that have been described, methylation markers are sex and polymorphism independent. Methylation-sensitive restriction endonucleases are commonly used to digest hypomethylated DNA molecules, and the hypermethylated molecules remain intact for detection. The positive detection of the cleaved hypomethylated molecules would be useful for certain targets but has not been reported.
Methods: The use of a stem-loop primer in microRNA detection has previously been described. In this study, DNA assays were designed and performed on maternal plasma, which contained the hypomethylated placental serpin peptidase inhibitor, clade B (ovalbumin), member 5 (SERPINB5; maspin) gene in an excess background of hypermethylated maternal SERPINB5. Detection of the enzyme-digested placenta-derived hypomethylated SERPINB5 molecules was achieved by performing stem-loop extension followed by real-time PCR on maternal plasma. The placental origin of the stem-loop–extended SERPINB5 molecules was confirmed by genotyping.
Results: From the real-time PCR results on maternal plasma, stem-loop–extended SERPINB5 promoter sequences were detectable in all 11 enzyme-digested predelivery maternal plasma samples. Postpartum clearance was demonstrated. In 9 cases in which the fetal and maternal SERPINB5 genotypes were distinguishable, the placental-specific genotypes were detected in all predelivery maternal plasma samples.
Conclusion: Detection of restriction enzyme-digested hypomethylated placental DNA molecules in maternal plasma by the use of a stem-loop primer represents a novel approach in fetal epigenetic marker detection. The analytical approach may also be generally applicable to the detection of restriction enzyme-digested nucleic acid fragments.
DFG Forschergruppe 500: Computergestützte Destruktion komplexer Tragwerke durch kontrollierte Sprengung (DFG Research Unit 500: Computer aided destruction of complex structures using controlled explosives)
Authors: Hartmann Dietrich , Breidt Michael , Nguyen Van Vinh , Stangenberg Friedhelm , Höhler Sebastian , Schweizerhof Karl , Blankenhorn Gunther , Möller Bernd , Graf Wolfgang , Liebscher Martin 
Published: September 2007

Zusammenfassung
Thema der laufenden DFG-Forschergruppe 500 „Computergestützte Destruktion komplexer Tragwerke durch Sprengung” ist die realitätsnahe Simulation von Bauwerkssprengungen unter Berücksichtigung der in der Praxis vorhandenen Unwägbarkeiten. Hauptziel der Forschungsarbeit ist die Auffindung einer abgesicherten und optimalen Sprengstrategie zur Planungsunterstützung. Im Hinblick auf die adressierte Leserschaft behandelt der Artikel insbesondere die Entwicklung des forschergruppenübergreifenden Softwaresystems für den Sprengabbruch, das in seinem Kern auf der Verwendung effizienter Mehrkörpersysteme beruht.
Pharmacokinetics of Palifermin Administered as the Standard Dose and as a Collapsed Dose in Patients with Hematologic Malignancies
Authors: Zia‐Amirhosseini Parnian , Hurd David D. , Salfi Margaret , Cheah Tsui Chern , Aycock Jeffrey , Cesano Alessandra 
Published: September 2007

Study Objective. To assess the pharmacokinetic profile of palifermin after intravenous dosing with either a collapsed dose of 180 μg/kg/day for 1 day or a standard dose of 60 μg/kg/day for 3 days, before and after myeloablative chemoradiotherapy and peripheral blood progenitor cell (PBPC) transplantation.Design. Prospective, open‐label pharmacokinetic study.Setting. University‐affiliated hematology and oncology center.Patients. Twenty‐five adult patients with hematologic malignancies receiving myeloablative therapy; 13 were in the standard‐dose group, and 12 were in the collapsed‐dose group.Intervention. Patients received total‐body irradiation (study days −8 to −5), etoposide (day −4), cyclophosphamide (day −2), and PBPC transplantation (day 0). Standard‐dose palifermin was administered on days −11, −10, −9, 0, 1, and 2; collapsed‐dose palifermin was administered on days −11 and 0.Measurements and Main Results. Baseline demographic and clinical characteristics were recorded. Blood samples were obtained for pharmacokinetic assessment, presence of palifermin antibodies, and routine chemistry and hematology panels. Adverse events were documented daily. For both dosing groups, palifermin concentrations declined rapidly (≥ 98%) in the first 30 minutes and increased slightly between 1 and 4 hours after dosing, with a terminal decay phase. For standard‐dose palifermin, mean values for area under the serum concentration–time curve (AUC) were within 15% between doses 1 and 3 and within 1% between doses 1 and 4. For collapsed‐dose palifermin, mean AUC values and other pharmacokinetic parameters were within 2% between doses 1 and 2. Mean AUC on days −11 and 0 were approximately 4‐fold higher for collapsed‐dose palifermin than for standard‐dose palifermin. Both dosing regimens were well tolerated.Conclusions. Our results were consistent with approximately dose‐linear pharmacokinetics for the two dosing regimens, with no observed accumulation. A randomized, controlled study is warranted to assess the safety and efficacy of collapsed‐dose palifermin, which may provide a more convenient administration schedule.
Mortality Reduction Benefits of a Comprehensive Cardiac Care Program for Patients with Occlusive Coronary Artery Disease
Authors: Merenich John A. , Olson Kari L. , Delate Thomas , Rasmussen Jon , Helling Dennis K. , Ward David G. ,   Clinical Pharmacy Cardiac Risk Service Study
Published: September 2007

Study Objective. To determine the effect of early and sustained enrollment in a comprehensive cardiac care (CCC) program on all‐cause mortality in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD).Design. Retrospective, longitudinal cohort study.Data Source. Kaiser Permanente Colorado tracking database.Patients. A total of 4896 patients with an incident occlusive CAD event (index event), defined as acute myocardial infarction and/or percutaneous coronary intervention with or without stent placement, between January 1, 1996 and June 30, 2004.Measurements and Main Results. All patients were categorized into one of four cohorts by time to enrollment into the CCC program relative to the index event: early CCC—enrolled less than 90 days after the index event (1630 patients), delayed CCC—enrolled 90 days or more after the index event (1211 patients), intermittent CCC—enrolled intermittently with noncontinuous care (483 patients), and no CCC—never enrolled (1572 patients). The primary outcome was all‐cause mortality. Patients were censored at death from all causes, end of health plan membership, or study end (December 31, 2005), whichever came first. Patients with any exposure to the CCC were less likely to die compared with the no CCC cohort (p<0.001). After adjusting for baseline covariates, the early, delayed, and intermittent CCC cohorts had reduced hazard rate ratios for all‐cause mortality of 0.11 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.08–0.14), 0.35 (95% CI 0.29–0.44), and 0.54 (95% CI 0.41–0.70), respectively, compared with the no CCC cohort (all p<0.001).Conclusions. Compared with those not enrolled in the CCC program, patients enrolled in the early CCC were 89% less likely to die. The earlier the program is started after a coronary event, the better the mortality reduction benefit.
A Fully Implicit, Compositional, Parallel Simulator for IOR Processes in Fractured Reservoirs
Authors: Naimi-Tajdar Reza , Han Choongyong , Sepehrnoori Kamy , Arbogast Todd J. , Miller Mark A. 
Published: September 2007

Summary
Naturally fractured reservoirs contain a significant amount of world oil reserves. A number of these reservoirs contain several billion barrels of oil. Accurate and efficient reservoir simulation of naturally fractured reservoirs is one of the most important, challenging, and computationally intensive problems in reservoir engineering. Parallel reservoir simulators developed for naturally fractured reservoirs can effectively address the computational problem.
A new accurate parallel simulator for large-scale naturally fractured reservoirs, capable of modeling fluid flow in both rock matrix and fractures, has been developed. The simulator is a parallel, 3D, fully implicit, equation-of-state compositional model that solves very large, sparse linear systems arising from discretization of the governing partial differential equations. A generalized dual-porosity model, the multiple-interacting-continua (MINC), has been implemented in this simulator. The matrix blocks are dis-cretized into subgrids in both horizontal and vertical directions to offer a more accurate transient flow description in matrix blocks. We believe this implementation has led to a unique and powerful reservoir simulator that can be used by small and large oil producers to help them in the design and prediction of complex gas and waterflooding processes on their desktops or a cluster of computers. Some features of this simulator, such as modeling both gas and water processes and the ability of 2D matrix subgridding are not available in any commercial simulator to the best of our knowledge. The code was developed on a cluster of processors, which has proven to be a very efficient and convenient resource for developing parallel programs.
The results were successfully verified against analytical solutions and commercial simulators (ECLIPSE and GEM). Excellent results were achieved for a variety of reservoir case studies. Applications of this model for several IOR processes (including gas and water injection) are demonstrated. Results from using the simulator on a cluster of processors are also presented. Excellent speedup ratios were obtained.
Estimation of Permeability and Permeability Anisotropy From Straddle-Packer Formation-Tester Measurements Based on the Physics of Two-Phase Immiscible Flow and Invasion
Authors: Angeles Renzo , Torres-Verdín Carlos , Lee Hee-Jae , Alpak Faruk O. , Sheng James 
Published: September 2007

Summary
We describe the successful application of a new method to estimate permeability and permeability anisotropy from transient measurements of pressure acquired with a wireline straddle-packer formation tester. Unlike standard algorithms used for the interpretation of formation-tester measurements, the method developed in this paper incorporates the physics of two-phase immiscible flow as well as the processes of mudcake buildup and invasion.
An efficient 2D (cylindrical coordinates) implicit-pressure explicit-saturation finite-difference algorithm is used to simulate both the process of invasion and the pressure measurements acquired with the straddle-packer formation tester. Initial conditions for the simulation of formation-tester measurements are determined by the spatial distributions of pressure and fluid saturation resulting from mud-filtrate invasion. Inversion is performed with a Levenberg-Marquardt nonlinear minimization algorithm. Sensitivity analyses are conducted to assess nonuniqueness and the impact of explicit assumptions made about fluid viscosity, capillary pressure, relative permeability, mudcake growth, and time of invasion on the estimated values of permeability and permeability anisotropy.
Applications of the inversion method to noisy synthetic measurements include homogeneous, anisotropic, single and multilayer formations for cases of low- and high-permeability rocks. We also study the effect of unaccounted impermeable bed boundaries on inverted formation properties. For cases where a priori information can be sufficiently constrained, our inversion methodology provides reliable and accurate estimates of permeability and permeability anisotropy. In addition, we show that estimation errors of permeability inversion procedures that neglect the physics of two-phase immiscible fluid flow and mud-filtrate invasion can be as high as 100%.
Fracture-Related Diagenesis May Impact Conductivity
Authors: Weaver Jim , Parker Mark , van Batenburg Diederik , Nguyen Philip 
Published: September 2007

Summary
Rapid loss of fracture conductivity after hydraulic fracture stimulation has often been attributed to the migration of formation fines into the proppant pack or the generation of fines derived from proppant crushing. Generation of crystalline and amorphous porosity-filling minerals can occur within the proppant pack because of chemical compositional differences between the proppant and the formation, and the compaction of the proppant bed because of proppant pressure solution reactions. Findings presented in this paper suggest that diagenesis-type reactions that can occur between proppant and freshly fractured rock surfaces can lead to rapid loss of proppant-pack porosity and loss of conductivity.
Design and performance of BNR activated sludge systems with flat sheet membranes for solid-liquid separation
Authors: du Toit G.J.G. , Ramphao M.C. , Parco V. , Wentzel M.C. , Ekama G.A. 
Published: September 2007

The use of immersed membranes for solid-liquid separation in biological nutrient removal activated sludge (BNRAS) systems was investigated at lab scale. Two laboratory-scale BNR activated sludge systems were run in parallel, one a MBR system and the other a conventional system with secondary settling tanks. Both systems were in 3 reactor anaerobic, anoxic, aerobic UCT configurations. The systems were set up to have, as far as possible, identical design parameters such as reactor mass fractions, recycles and sludge age. Differences were the influent flow and total reactor volumes, and the higher reactor concentrations in the MBR system. The performances of the two systems were extensively monitored and compared to identify and quantify the influence of the membranes on system response.
The MBR UCT system exhibited COD, FSA, TKN, TP and TSS removals that were consistently equivalent or superior to the conventional system. Better P removal in the MBR was attributed to lower observed P uptake in the anoxic zone. High nitrate loads to the anoxic reactor appeared to be the determining factor in stimulating P uptake.
The MBR UCT system had a greater sludge production than the conventional system. This was partly attributable to the retention of all solids in the MBR reactor. For steady state design this increase is accommodated by increasing the influent unbiodegradable particulate COD fraction. Additionally an attempt was made to determine the Alpha values in the oxygen transfer rate.
This paper briefly summarises and compares the results from both systems, and the conclusions that can be drawn from these results.