Fracture detection from water saturation log data using a Fourier-wavelet approach

Fracture detection as applied to reservoir characterization is a key step towards modeling of fracturedreservoirs. While different methods have been proposed for detection and characterization of fractures and fractured zones, each is associated with certain shortcomings that prevent from their full use in different related engineering application environments. In this paper a new method is proposed for detection of fractured zones and fracture density in which water saturation log data is utilized. For detection of fractures, we have used wavelet transform and properties of wavelets that are highly suitable for detection of changes and local features of data. To choose the optimum mother wavelet, we have used energy matching strategy in which a wavelet with the highest energy match between spectral energy of the signal at the dominant frequency band and the coefficient energy at the same band of wavelet decomposition of the signal is selected. We have used wavelet packet for a more narrow frequency band selection and enhanced results. Decomposing the water saturation data using wavelets showed that the majority of information of theoriginal log is hidden at low frequency bands. As a result, approximated section of wavelet transform of data was used for fracture detection, while shale volume (or gamma ray) log data was used to filter part of the errors in prediction and identification of the uncertain zones. This increased the accuracy of the results by 70%. Finally, a linear relation was derived between energy of approximated section of water saturation log and fracture density, allowing us to estimate the number of fractures in each fractured zone. The method was applied to four wells belonging to one of the Iranian oilfields located in the southwest region of the country and the results are promising. The use of large volume of data and the subsequent analysis increased the generalization ability of the proposed method

Expression profile of Wnt molecules in leukemic cells from Iranian patients with acute myeloblastic leukemia

Background: Wnt molecules play a key role in growth, proliferation and development of some embryonic and adult organs as well as hematopoietic stem cells. Wnt signaling pathways are aberrantly activated in many tumor types, including solid tumors and hematologic malignancies. Objective: To investigate the expression profile of a large number of Wnt genes in leukemic cells from Iranian patients with acute myeloblastic leukemia. Methods: RT-PCR method was used to determine the Wnt genes expression in bone marrow (BM) and/or peripheral blood (PB) samples from 16 patients with AML and PB samples of 36 normal subjects. Results: Among 14 Wnt molecules included in this study, Wnt-7A and Wnt-10A were significantly down-regulated (p = 0.002 and p < 0.0001, respectively) and Wnt-3 was significantly over-expressed (p < 0.02) in AML patients compared to normal subjects. No significant association was found between Wnt expression and FAB classification of the patients. Conclusion: Our results demonstrated for the first time aberrant expression of Wnt-7A, Wnt-10A and Wnt-3 genes in Iranian AML patients. This may be of relevance to the tumorigenesis process in this malignancy

Fc receptor-like 1-5 molecules are similarly expressed in progressive and indolent clinical subtypes of B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Fc receptor-like (FCRL) 1-5 molecules are exclusively expressed in B-cells and have recently been considered as potential targets for immunotherapy of B-cell malignancies. In this study, the expression pattern of FCRL1-5 molecules was investigated in Iranian patients with B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL). Our RT-PCR results have demonstrated that all FCRL molecules, except FCRL4, were expressed in the vast majority of the patients with B-CLL. However, comparison of the relative mRNA expression levels of FCRL between B-CLL (n = 86) and elderly normal subjects (n = 10) revealed significantly lower expression levels of FCRLl (p < 0.0001), FCRL3 (p = 0.01) and FCRL4 (p = 0.002), but not FCRL2 or FCRL5, in cases with B-CLL. No significant differences were observed between the indolent and progressive subtypes of patients with B-CLL. Comparison between the mutated and unmutated subtypes revealed a significantly higher expression level of FCRL3 (p = 0.017) in patients with mutated CLL. Surface and intracytoplasmic expression of FCRL1, 2, 4 and 5 in leukemic cells of 12 patients by flow cytometry revealed similar results to those obtained by RT-PCR with a few exceptions. Thus, while FCRL4 was expressed in only 2 samples at intracytoplasmic level, FCRL1 and 2 were expressed in the majority of samples, both at surface and intracytoplasm. FCRL5 protein was also detected in 10 samples, but surface expression was confirmed in only 2. Analysis of B-cells from 5 normal subjects by flow cytometry revealed higher expression levels of FCRL molecules compared to CLL. Our results indicate differential expression of FCRL molecules in B-CLL and suggest the potential implication of FCRL1 and 2 for immunotherapeutic interventions. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc

Peripheral T-lymphocytes express WNT7A and its restoration in leukemia-derived lymphoblasts inhibits cell proliferation

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>WNT7a, a member of the Wnt ligand family implicated in several developmental processes, has also been reported to be dysregulated in some types of tumors; however, its function and implication in oncogenesis is poorly understood. Moreover, the expression of this gene and the role that it plays in the biology of blood cells remains unclear. In addition to determining the expression of the <it>WNT7A </it>gene in blood cells, in leukemia-derived cell lines, and in samples of patients with leukemia, the aim of this study was to seek the effect of this gene in proliferation.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We analyzed peripheral blood mononuclear cells, sorted CD3 and CD19 cells, four leukemia-derived cell lines, and blood samples from 14 patients with Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), and 19 clinically healthy subjects. Reverse transcription followed by quantitative Real-time Polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis were performed to determine relative <it>WNT7A </it>expression. Restoration of WNT7a was done employing a lentiviral system and by using a recombinant human protein. Cell proliferation was measured by addition of WST-1 to cell cultures.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>WNT7a is mainly produced by CD3 T-lymphocytes, its expression decreases upon activation, and it is severely reduced in leukemia-derived cell lines, as well as in the blood samples of patients with ALL when compared with healthy controls (<it>p </it>≤0.001). By restoring <it>WNT7A </it>expression in leukemia-derived cells, we were able to demonstrate that WNT7a inhibits cell growth. A similar effect was observed when a recombinant human WNT7a protein was used. Interestingly, restoration of <it>WNT7A </it>expression in Jurkat cells did not activate the canonical Wnt/β-catenin pathway.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>To our knowledge, this is the first report evidencing quantitatively decreased <it>WNT7A </it>levels in leukemia-derived cells and that <it>WNT7A </it>restoration in T-lymphocytes inhibits cell proliferation. In addition, our results also support the possible function of <it>WNT7A </it>as a tumor suppressor gene as well as a therapeutic tool.</p

The violent youth of bright and massive cluster galaxies and their maturation over 7 billion years

In this study, we investigate the formation and evolution mechanisms of the brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) over cosmic time. At high redshift (z ∼ 0.9), we selected BCGs and most massive cluster galaxies (MMCGs) from the Cl1604 supercluster and compared them to low-redshift (z ∼ 0.1) counterparts drawn from the MCXC meta-catalogue, supplemented by Sloan Digital Sky Survey imaging and spectroscopy. We observed striking differences in the morphological, colour, spectral, and stellar mass properties of the BCGs/MMCGs in the two samples. High-redshift BCGs/MMCGs were, in many cases, star-forming, late-type galaxies, with blue broad-band colours, properties largely absent amongst the low-redshift BCGs/MMCGs. The stellar mass of BCGs was found to increase by an average factor of 2.51 ± 0.71 from z ∼ 0.9 to z ∼ 0.1. Through this and other comparisons, we conclude that a combination of major merging (mainly wet or mixed) and in situ star formation are the main mechanisms which build stellar mass in BCGs/MMCGs. The stellar mass growth of the BCGs/MMCGs also appears to grow in lockstep with both the stellar baryonic and total mass of the cluster. Additionally, BCGs/MMCGs were found to grow in size, on average, a factor of ∼3, while their average Sérsic index increased by ∼0.45 from z ∼ 0.9 to z ∼ 0.1, also supporting a scenario involving major merging, though some adiabatic expansion is required. These observational results are compared to both models and simulations to further explore the implications on processes which shape and evolve BCGs/MMCGs over the past ∼7 Gyr

Global Transcriptome and Deletome Profiles of Yeast Exposed to Transition Metals

A variety of pathologies are associated with exposure to supraphysiological concentrations of essential metals and to non-essential metals and metalloids. The molecular mechanisms linking metal exposure to human pathologies have not been clearly defined. To address these gaps in our understanding of the molecular biology of transition metals, the genomic effects of exposure to Group IB (copper, silver), IIB (zinc, cadmium, mercury), VIA (chromium), and VB (arsenic) elements on the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae were examined. Two comprehensive sets of metal-responsive genomic profiles were generated following exposure to equi-toxic concentrations of metal: one that provides information on the transcriptional changes associated with metal exposure (transcriptome), and a second that provides information on the relationship between the expression of ∼4,700 non-essential genes and sensitivity to metal exposure (deletome). Approximately 22% of the genome was affected by exposure to at least one metal. Principal component and cluster analyses suggest that the chemical properties of the metal are major determinants in defining the expression profile. Furthermore, cells may have developed common or convergent regulatory mechanisms to accommodate metal exposure. The transcriptome and deletome had 22 genes in common, however, comparison between Gene Ontology biological processes for the two gene sets revealed that metal stress adaptation and detoxification categories were commonly enriched. Analysis of the transcriptome and deletome identified several evolutionarily conserved, signal transduction pathways that may be involved in regulating the responses to metal exposure. In this study, we identified genes and cognate signaling pathways that respond to exposure to essential and non-essential metals. In addition, genes that are essential for survival in the presence of these metals were identified. This information will contribute to our understanding of the molecular mechanism by which organisms respond to metal stress, and could lead to an understanding of the connection between environmental stress and signal transduction pathways

Safety and efficacy of Favipiravir in moderate to severe SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia

Background: We examined the safety and efficacy of a treatment protocol containing Favipiravir for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2. Methods: We did a multicenter randomized open-labeled clinical trial on moderate to severe cases infections of SARS-CoV-2. Patients with typical ground glass appearance on chest computerized tomography scan (CT scan) and oxygen saturation (SpO2) of less than 93 were enrolled. They were randomly allocated into Favipiravir (1.6 gr loading, 1.8 gr daily) and Lopinavir/Ritonavir (800/200 mg daily) treatment regimens in addition to standard care. In-hospital mortality, ICU admission, intubation, time to clinical recovery, changes in daily SpO2 after 5 min discontinuation of supplemental oxygen, and length of hospital stay were quantified and compared in the two groups. Results: 380 patients were randomly allocated into Favipiravir (1 9 3) and Lopinavir/Ritonavir (1 8 7) groups in 13 centers. The number of deaths, intubations, and ICU admissions were not significantly different (26, 27, 31 and 21, 17, 25 respectively). Mean hospital stay was also not different (7.9 days SD = 6 in the Favipiravir and 8.1 SD = 6.5 days in Lopinavir/Ritonavir groups) (p = 0.61). Time to clinical recovery in the Favipiravir group was similar to Lopinavir/Ritonavir group (HR = 0.94, 95% CI 0.75 � 1.17) and likewise the changes in the daily SpO2 after discontinuation of supplemental oxygen (p = 0.46) Conclusion: Adding Favipiravir to the treatment protocol did not reduce the number of ICU admissions or intubations or In-hospital mortality compared to Lopinavir/Ritonavir regimen. It also did not shorten time to clinical recovery and length of hospital stay. © 2021 Elsevier B.V

Recracking of jointed rock masses in the Sydney Basin, New South Wales, Australia

Fracture mapping of Late Permian – Early Triassic flat-lying sedimentary rocks in the Sydney Basin, New South Wales, Australia, shows that joints developed originally in extension were faulted in subsequent events. Joints with a regional distribution fall into two, early and late formed groups. Group I joints propagated horizontally and never interfered with each other. These joints were subsequently reworked or recracked. Recracking commenced with jointing and continued with lateral slip. Faulted joints grew horizontally by linking of recracked segments. En echelon arrays are the result of vertical propagation of faulted joints into intact rock. Recracking of rock also resulted in the formation of sets of secondary joints (Group II). The sense of movement on conjugate faulted joints and orientation of sets of secondary joints, are related to three compressional stress fields. The intensity of recracking and the amount of lateral slip is mostly related to the strength of infilling materials, the length and continuity of parent joint, the angle between the existing fractures and the maximum compression direction, and the number of compressional events imposed on the fracture

The Effect of Pain Management by Nurses on the Satisfaction Rate of Patients after Abdominal Surgery

Abstract: Introduction: Annually more than hundreds of million people undergo surgical operations and experience postoperative pain. Pain is one of the most common problems in postoperative nursing cares. This study was aimed to determine the effect of pain management by nurses on the satisfaction rate of patients undergone abdominal surgery. Methods : In this quasi experimental study, data gathering was done by using demographic and pain questionnaire, a questionnaire for patients satisfaction of nursing care and pain control visual scale (0-10). Study samples included hospitalized patients of Sabzevar Emdad Shahid Beheshti hospital who were candidates of surgery. They were selected according to Poisson distribution and the sample qualifications (aged 15-65 years…). First control group sampling was done and patients (65 patients) were asked to fill out the demographic questionnaire. Then three training sessions of 45-60 minutes about systematic management of pain were conducted for the personnel and the care process was performed on 60 experimental cases for one month. Then the satisfaction rates of patients in both groups were obtained within the first 24 hours and 72 hours after admission. Results: The two groups were matched in regard to age, sex and surgery type (P>0.05). According to the obtained results, 98% of the control group were not satisfied of the first systematic pain management and 2% were relatively satisfied. While in the second pain management, 71% were not and 29% were satisfied of the pain management. In the experimental group, 94% were relatively satisfied and 6% were satisfied of the first pain management, while 65% were relatively satisfied and 35% were satisfied of the second pain management. Independent t-test revealed a significant difference between the two groups in regard to their satisfaction rate of systematic pain management in the first 24 hours and 72 hours after admission (P<0.05). Conclusion: According to the findings, it seems that pain management by nurse increases the satisfaction rate of the patients undergoing abdominal surgeries and by increasing their satisfaction rate, they will be able to participate in their treatment process and consequently more comfort for the patients and higher levels of health will be provided for the community. Keywords: Pain management, Pain, Patient’s satisfaction, Abdominal surger