Geologically constrained evolutionary geomechanical modelling of diapir and basin evolution: a case study from the Tarfaya basin, West African coast

We systematically incorporate burial history, sea floor geometry and tectonic loads from a sequential kinematic restoration model into a 2D evolutionary geomechanical model that simulates the formation of the Sandia salt diapir, Tarfaya basin, NW African Coast. We use a poro-elastoplastic description for the sediment behaviour and a viscoplastic description for the salt. Sedimentation is coupled with salt flow and regional shortening to determine the sediment porosity and strength and to capture the interaction between salt and sediments. We find that temporal and spatial variation in sedimentation rate is a key control on the kinematic evolution of the salt system. Incorporation of sedimentation rates from the kinematic restoration at a location east of Sandia leads to a final geomechanical model geometry very similar to that observed in seismic reflection data. We also find that changes in the variation of shortening rates can significantly affect the present-day stress state above salt. Overall, incorporating kinematic restoration data into evolutionary models provides insights into the key parameters that control the evolution of geologic systems. Furthermore, it enables more realistic evolutionary geomechanical models, which, in turn, provide insights into sediment stress and porosity

The Alberta Heart Failure Etiology and Analysis Research Team (HEART) study

Background Nationally, symptomatic heart failure affects 1.5-2% of Canadians, incurs $3 billion in hospital costs annually and the global burden is expected to double in the next 1–2 decades. The current one-year mortality rate after diagnosis of heart failure remains high at >25%. Consequently, new therapeutic strategies need to be developed for this debilitating condition. Methods/Design The objective of the Alberta HEART program (http://albertaheartresearch.ca) is to develop novel diagnostic, therapeutic and prognostic approaches to patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. We hypothesize that novel imaging techniques and biomarkers will aid in describing heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. Furthermore, the development of new diagnostic criteria will allow us to: 1) better define risk factors associated with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction; 2) elucidate clinical, cellular and molecular mechanisms involved with the development and progression of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction; 3) design and test new therapeutic strategies for patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. Additionally, Alberta HEART provides training and education for enhancing translational medicine, knowledge translation and clinical practice in heart failure. This is a prospective observational cohort study of patients with, or at risk for, heart failure. Patients will have sequential testing including quality of life and clinical outcomes over 12 months. After that time, study participants will be passively followed via linkage to external administrative databases. Clinical outcomes of interest include death, hospitalization, emergency department visits, physician resource use and/or heart transplant. Patients will be followed for a total of 5 years. Discussion Alberta HEART has the primary objective to define new diagnostic criteria for patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. New criteria will allow for targeted therapies, diagnostic tests and further understanding of the patients, both at-risk for and with heart failure

Ketahanan Sumberdaya Genetik Jagung Sulawesi Tenggara terhadap Cekaman Kekeringan pada Berbagai Fase Vegetatif

Maize crops experiencing water stress can experience cell damage, loss of turgor, closed stomata, plant leaf roll then wilt. Germination and vegetative growth are thought to be a very sensitive phases in relation to the availability of water, because it can influence subsequent growth processes. This study aimed to determine the potential tolerance of Southeast Sulawesi\u27s maize genotypes to drought stress at different vegetative growth phases. This study was based on completely randomized design (CRD) with factorial pattern consisting of two factors: the first factor composed of 9 local maize genotypes of Southeast Sulawesi and 1 national variety (cv. Arjuna), while the second factor was drought stress at different vegetative growth phases, consisting of four levels ie: C0 = plants irrigated with 100 % water availability during the growth phase, C1 = Stress for 5 days , at 21-26 days old (vegetative phase), C2 = Stress for 5 days starting at panicle emergence (early flowering stage), and C3 = Stress for 5 days starting 2 weeks after silking. Research results showed that Genotype (G) treatment significantly influenced all observed growth variables (at age 21 and 42 days after planting, DAP), except for the variable of number of leaf, age 21 DAP. However, water stress treatment (C) only significantly affected plant height variable, at the age of 42 DAP. In general, G6 and G7 genotypes tended to have a higher crop and trunk diameter than the other genotypes. Contrary, G3 genotype tended to have shorter crop and smaller stem diameter than the other genotypes. There are indications that the drought stress treatment (C) significantly inhibited the growth of maize crops

Metal cluster chemistry: Structure and stereochemistry in the polynuclear rhodium hydrides H\u3csub\u3en\u3c/sub\u3eRh\u3csub\u3en\u3c/sub\u3e[P(OR)\u3csub\u3e3\u3c/sub\u3e]\u3csub\u3e2n\u3c/sub\u3e

Crystallographic analyses of x-ray and neutron diffraction data have provided a definitive structural representation of {HRh[P(O-i-C3H7)3]2}2 and [HRh[P(OCH3)3]2}3. These polynuclear hydrides are generated from square planar H2Rh[P(OR)3]2 units by edge (hydrogen atom) sharing and by vertex (hydrogen atom) sharing to form the dimeric and trimeric structures, respectively. The square-planar units are held together through four-center and three-center two-electron Rh-H-Rh bonds in the dimer and trimer, respectively. The dimer and trimer molecules each add one molecule of hydrogen to form H[(i-C3H7O)3P]2RhH3Rh[P(O-i-C3H7)3]2 and H5Rh3[P(OCH3)3]6, respectively. NMR spectral information has served to define the stereochemical features of these polyhydrides. The significance of this chemistry in the metal clustermetal surface analogy is described

Two-dimensional nonlinear finite element analysis of well damage due to reservoir compaction, well-to-well interactions, and localization on weak layers

In this paper the authors present the results of a coupled nonlinear finite element geomechanics model for reservoir compaction and well-to-well interactions for the high-porosity, low strength diatomite reservoirs of the Belridge field near Bakersfield, California. They show that well damage and failures can occur under the action of two distinct mechanisms: shear deformations induced by pore compaction, and subsidence, and shear deformations due to well-to-well interactions during production or water injection. They show such casting damage or failure can be localized to weak layers that slide or slip under shear due to subsidence. The magnitude of shear displacements and surface subsidence agree with field observations