Preliminary development and testing of an open-path hydrocarbon sensor for oil and gas facility monitoring

2019 Summer.Includes bibliographical references.We developed an open-path laser absorption sensor for detection of unspeciated hydrocarbons for oil and gas production facility fence line monitoring. Such sensors can aid in maintaining air quality standards by quantifying greenhouse gas emissions and detecting emissions that cause adverse health effects. Our initial design employs a single-path detection system, though future implementations may use multiple paths for large-scale facility monitoring. The sensor uses a compact mid-infrared laser source in the spectral region of ~3.3 µm to measure absorption of several hydrocarbon species and is intended for open-paths of ~100 m to 1 km. Spectral simulations show that for typical conditions the hydrocarbons cause a transmission reduction of ~10% allowing for a robust measurement. The initial prototype system uses a helium-neon (He:Ne) laser at 3.391 µm for which signal contributions from methane and non-methane hydrocarbons are comparable. Closed-cell tests were performed with diluted methane (~150-250 ppm) to validate the transmission signals and showed good agreement with expected (calculated) values to within ~10%. The system employs a reference leg, with a 2nd detector (near the source), to normalize for laser power fluctuations. For improved signal-to-noise, particularly for detection of small concentrations and transmission changes, we employ phase-sensitive detection with a mechanical chopper and software based lock-in amplifier. This detection scheme, when employed in the field, allows measurement of transmission signals with stability <0.5% (based on coefficient of variation over 60 s). The portable field sensor system uses two refractive telescopes (2" diameter optics), a transmitter and receiver co-located on a mobile optical breadboard, and a reflector dictating the pathlength. We performed initial tests with pathlengths up to ~25 m (one way), though the design should allow paths in excess of 100 m. Methane was released for initial field tests at known flow rates near the center of the beam path. Transmission signals in agreement with expectations (given uncertainties in the wind and plume dispersion) were observed. The system should allow detection of leaks (emissions) for mass flows as low as ~0.1 g/s of methane (or equivalent optical signal from other species resulting in a 1% change in signal) for the case where the source is ~150 m from the beam path and under typical atmospheric conditions. Recommendations for future modifications are provided based on potential shortcomings identified by initial field testing. Initial field testing also proved that this technology could be a viable low-cost solution for hydrocarbon detection

The Vehicle, Spring 1983

Vol. 24, No. 2 Table of Contents A-B-C-D-E-F-G-H....Beth Kennypage 1 Contemporary IssuesBrook Wilsonpage 1 BlackJohn Stockmanpage 2 BeatGraham Lewispage 2 Catholic DazeSuzanne Hornpage 4 AfricaGraham Lewispage 5 The Friendly SkiesRajendra Sinhanpage 5 BreadKen Kempckepage 7 PhotographLinda Fraembspage 8 SnapshotMaggie Kennedypage 9 PoemAnne Smithpage 9 Activities on IceKerri Mahatpage 11 Beecham\u27s Orchard And VineyardBecky Lawsonpage 11 PoemKarri Mahatpage 12 Sneak PreviewsMaggie Kennedypage 12 ZooKen Kempckepage 12 PhotographNick Haskettpage 13 The Slave HouseCraig Barnespage 13 The Nomad Preacher\u27s SermonStacey Flanniganpage 16 Owl Creek RevisitedScott Graypage 16 Thought On CopperGraham Lewispage 20 OutfielderKen Kempckepage 20 HoneymoonJohn Stockmanpage 21 Candy Wrapper Dream GirlStacey Flanniganpage 21 PhotographLinda Fraembspage 22 October DreamMarlene Weekspage 23 IndistinctionStacey Flanniganpage 24 Taking InventorySara Farrispage 24 Flying In From K-Mart, NebraskaMichelle Mitchellpage 25 PhotographNick Haskettpage 26 Bone ChinaMichelle Mitchellpage 27 She Was A DollNick Haskettpage 30 The Seventh DayGeoffrey Andrespage 31 Blade Of Grass (On A Golf Course)Ken Kempckepage 31 PoemKen Kempckepage 32 Cigarette SmokeJean M. Davispage 33 Future LoveR. Lawsonpage 34 PhotographNick Haskettpage 35 Dancing In The StreetBetsy Acklinpage 35 PhotographLinda Fraembspage 38 CleoMarlene Weekspage 39 Teddy BearKen Kempckepage 39 PreludeBecky Lawsonpage 40https://thekeep.eiu.edu/vehicle/1043/thumbnail.jp

Albiglutide and cardiovascular outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (Harmony Outcomes): a double-blind, randomised placebo-controlled trial

Background: Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists differ in chemical structure, duration of action, and in their effects on clinical outcomes. The cardiovascular effects of once-weekly albiglutide in type 2 diabetes are unknown. We aimed to determine the safety and efficacy of albiglutide in preventing cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke. Methods: We did a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial in 610 sites across 28 countries. We randomly assigned patients aged 40 years and older with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (at a 1:1 ratio) to groups that either received a subcutaneous injection of albiglutide (30–50 mg, based on glycaemic response and tolerability) or of a matched volume of placebo once a week, in addition to their standard care. Investigators used an interactive voice or web response system to obtain treatment assignment, and patients and all study investigators were masked to their treatment allocation. We hypothesised that albiglutide would be non-inferior to placebo for the primary outcome of the first occurrence of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke, which was assessed in the intention-to-treat population. If non-inferiority was confirmed by an upper limit of the 95% CI for a hazard ratio of less than 1·30, closed testing for superiority was prespecified. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02465515. Findings: Patients were screened between July 1, 2015, and Nov 24, 2016. 10 793 patients were screened and 9463 participants were enrolled and randomly assigned to groups: 4731 patients were assigned to receive albiglutide and 4732 patients to receive placebo. On Nov 8, 2017, it was determined that 611 primary endpoints and a median follow-up of at least 1·5 years had accrued, and participants returned for a final visit and discontinuation from study treatment; the last patient visit was on March 12, 2018. These 9463 patients, the intention-to-treat population, were evaluated for a median duration of 1·6 years and were assessed for the primary outcome. The primary composite outcome occurred in 338 (7%) of 4731 patients at an incidence rate of 4·6 events per 100 person-years in the albiglutide group and in 428 (9%) of 4732 patients at an incidence rate of 5·9 events per 100 person-years in the placebo group (hazard ratio 0·78, 95% CI 0·68–0·90), which indicated that albiglutide was superior to placebo (p&lt;0·0001 for non-inferiority; p=0·0006 for superiority). The incidence of acute pancreatitis (ten patients in the albiglutide group and seven patients in the placebo group), pancreatic cancer (six patients in the albiglutide group and five patients in the placebo group), medullary thyroid carcinoma (zero patients in both groups), and other serious adverse events did not differ between the two groups. There were three (&lt;1%) deaths in the placebo group that were assessed by investigators, who were masked to study drug assignment, to be treatment-related and two (&lt;1%) deaths in the albiglutide group. Interpretation: In patients with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, albiglutide was superior to placebo with respect to major adverse cardiovascular events. Evidence-based glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists should therefore be considered as part of a comprehensive strategy to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes. Funding: GlaxoSmithKline

Non-targeted detection of milk powder adulteration using Raman spectroscopy and chemometrics: melamine case study

<p>Raman spectroscopy in combination with chemometrics was explored as a rapid, non-targeted screening method for the detection of milk powder (MP) adulteration using melamine as an example contaminant. Raman spectroscopy and an unsupervised pattern-recognition method, principal component analysis (PCA), allowed for the differentiation of authentic MPs from adulterated ones at concentrations > 1.0% for dry-blended (DB) samples and > 0.30% for wet-blended (WB) ones. Soft independent modelling of class analogy (SIMCA), a supervised pattern-recognition method, was also used to classify test samples as adulterated or authentic. Combined statistics at a 97% confidence level from the SIMCA models correctly classified adulteration of MP with melamine at concentrations ≥ 0.5% for DB samples and ≥ 0.30% for WB ones, while no false-positives from authentic MPs were found when the spectra in the 600–700 cm^–¹ range were pre-processed using standard normal variate (SNV) followed by a gap-segment derivatisation. The combined technique of Raman spectroscopy and chemometrics proved to be a useful tool for the rapid and cost-efficient non-targeted detection of adulteration in MP at per cent spiking levels.</p

The Vehicle, Spring 1983

Vol. 24, No. 2 Table of Contents A-B-C-D-E-F-G-H....Beth Kennypage 1 Contemporary IssuesBrook Wilsonpage 1 BlackJohn Stockmanpage 2 BeatGraham Lewispage 2 Catholic DazeSuzanne Hornpage 4 AfricaGraham Lewispage 5 The Friendly SkiesRajendra Sinhanpage 5 BreadKen Kempckepage 7 PhotographLinda Fraembspage 8 SnapshotMaggie Kennedypage 9 PoemAnne Smithpage 9 Activities on IceKerri Mahatpage 11 Beecham\u27s Orchard And VineyardBecky Lawsonpage 11 PoemKarri Mahatpage 12 Sneak PreviewsMaggie Kennedypage 12 ZooKen Kempckepage 12 PhotographNick Haskettpage 13 The Slave HouseCraig Barnespage 13 The Nomad Preacher\u27s SermonStacey Flanniganpage 16 Owl Creek RevisitedScott Graypage 16 Thought On CopperGraham Lewispage 20 OutfielderKen Kempckepage 20 HoneymoonJohn Stockmanpage 21 Candy Wrapper Dream GirlStacey Flanniganpage 21 PhotographLinda Fraembspage 22 October DreamMarlene Weekspage 23 IndistinctionStacey Flanniganpage 24 Taking InventorySara Farrispage 24 Flying In From K-Mart, NebraskaMichelle Mitchellpage 25 PhotographNick Haskettpage 26 Bone ChinaMichelle Mitchellpage 27 She Was A DollNick Haskettpage 30 The Seventh DayGeoffrey Andrespage 31 Blade Of Grass (On A Golf Course)Ken Kempckepage 31 PoemKen Kempckepage 32 Cigarette SmokeJean M. Davispage 33 Future LoveR. Lawsonpage 34 PhotographNick Haskettpage 35 Dancing In The StreetBetsy Acklinpage 35 PhotographLinda Fraembspage 38 CleoMarlene Weekspage 39 Teddy BearKen Kempckepage 39 PreludeBecky Lawsonpage 40https://thekeep.eiu.edu/vehicle/1043/thumbnail.jp