Novel Application of Single-Well Tracer Tests to Evaluate Hydraulic Stimulation Effectiveness

This paper presents a graphical method by which one can identify the number of fractures and their permeability distribution in the near-well region from single-well tracer tests. The method is an extension of tracer analysis methods developed previously to estimate flow geometry and relies on caluclating the relative fluid velocity from F-__ plots. A number of numerical examples show that high flow zones (fractures) are readily identified from the derivatives of an F-___ curve. The method can be used in evaluating well stimulation efforts by conducting a tracer test before and after the stimulation and comparing the velocity distributions

Mathematical model for predicting solidification and cooling of steel inside mould and in air

A two-dimensional mathematical model has been developed to describe the solidification and cooling of steel inside the mould after teeming and in the air after stripping. Partial differential equations describing the processes have been discretized using control volume approach. The discretization equations obtained are of Tri-diagonal matrix form, which have been solved using well known Tri-diagonal matrix algorithm (TDMA) and Alternate direction implicit (ADI) solver. The model has been validated by measuring surface temperatures of mould and ingot using Infrared thermo-vision scanner. This is then used to compute charging temperature and solidification status of ingot as function of track time and type of ingot

Adaptability of the Novice School Heads on the Dimensions of Leadership Practices in SDO City of Malolos: Basis for Technical Assistance

This research study employed the mixed-method approach. Quantitative data were tabulated and treated using the SPSS. Meanwhile, the qualitative data were subjected to Thematic Analysis. Results revealed that on the general dimensions of leadership practices, the novice school heads showed total adaptability. However, after dissecting the answers of the participants, it showed that under each sub-dimension of the leadership practices, most of the novice school heads found research and innovation very challenging that they could not really adopt at present. Another sub-dimension includes updating of school files, policy reviews, managing resources and leading strategically. As to the experiences, some novice school heads gained understanding, became confident, and acknowledged the huge responsibilities of school leaders. Others also experienced the opposite such as the struggle to craft the School Improvement Plan, BED 1, 2, 3, Annual Improvement Plan, and liquidation of funds. It has been recommended by the researchers to conduct a division-wide leadership capacity training and provide re-calibration of technical assistance to the novice school heads so that they could adopt and function normally as responsible school leaders

A hominin first rib discovered at the Sterkfontein Caves, South Africa.

First ribs - the first or most superior ribs in the thorax - are rare in the hominin fossil record, and when found, have the potential to provide information regarding the upper thorax shape of extinct hominins. Here, we describe a partial first rib from Member 4 of the Sterkfontein Caves, South Africa. The rib shaft is broken away, so only the head and neck are preserved. The rib is small, falling closest to small-bodied Australopithecus first ribs (AL 288-1 and MH1). Given that it was recovered near the StW 318 femur excavation, which also represents a small individual, we suggest that the two may be associated. Three-dimensional geometric morphometric analyses were used to quantify the rib fragment morphology and compare it to extant hominoid and other fossil hominin ribs. While only the proximal end is preserved, our analyses show that South African Australopithecus share derived features of the proximal first rib more closely resembling A. afarensis and later hominins than great apes.NCS2016

Three-dimensional geometric morphometrics of thorax-pelvis covariation and its potential for predicting the thorax morphology: A case study on Kebara 2 Neandertal

The skeletal torso is a complex structure of outstanding importance in understanding human body shape evolution, but reconstruction usually entails an element of subjectivity as researchers apply their own anatomical expertise to the process. Among different fossil reconstruction methods, 3D geometric morphometric techniques have been increasingly used in the last decades. Two-block partial least squares analysis has shown great potential for predicting missing elements by exploiting the covariation between two structures (blocks) in a reference sample: one block can be predicted from the other one based on the strength of covariation between blocks. The first aim of this study is to test whether this predictive approach can be used for predicting thorax morphologies from pelvis morphologies within adult Homo sapiens reference samples with known covariation between the thorax and the pelvis. The second aim is to apply this method to Kebara 2 Neandertal (Israel, ∼60 ka) to predict its thorax morphology using two different pelvis reconstructions as predictors. We measured 134 true landmarks, 720 curve semilandmarks, and 160 surface semilandmarks on 60 3D virtual torso models segmented from CT scans. We conducted three two-block partial least squares analyses between the thorax (block 1) and the pelvis (block 2) based on the H. sapiens reference samples after performing generalized Procrustes superimposition on each block separately. Comparisons of these predictions in full shape space by means of Procrustes distances show that the male-only predictive model yields the most reliable predictions within modern humans. In addition, Kebara 2 thorax predictions based on this model concur with the thorax morphology proposed for Neandertals. The method presented here does not aim to replace other techniques, but to rather complement them through quantitative prediction of a virtual 'scaffold' to articulate the thoracic fossil elements, thus extending the potential of missing data estimation beyond the methods proposed in previous works

Assessing thoraco‐pelvic covariation in Homo sapiens and Pan troglodytes: A 3D geometric morphometric approach

Objectives Understanding thoraco‐pelvic integration in Homo sapiens and their closest living relatives (genus Pan) is of great importance within the context of human body shape evolution. However, studies assessing thoraco‐pelvic covariation across Hominoidea species are scarce, although recent research would suggest shared covariation patterns in humans and chimpanzees but also species‐specific features, with sexual dimorphism and allometry influencing thoraco‐pelvic covariation in these taxa differently. Material and Methods N = 30 adult H. sapiens and N = 10 adult Pan troglodytes torso 3D models were analyzed using 3D geometric morphometrics and linear measurements. Effects of sexual dimorphism and allometry on thoraco‐pelvic covariation were assessed via regression analyses, and patterns of thoraco‐pelvic covariation in humans and chimpanzees were computed via Two‐Block Partial Least Squares analyses. Results Results confirm the existence of common aspects of thoraco‐pelvic covariation in humans and chimpanzees, and also species‐specific covariation in H. sapiens that is strongly influenced by sexual dimorphism and allometry. Species‐specific covariation patterns in chimpanzees could not be confirmed because of the small sample size, but metrics point to a correspondence between the most caudal ribs and iliac crest morphology that would be irrespective of sex. Conclusions This study suggests that humans and chimpanzees share common aspects of thoraco‐pelvic covariation but might differ in others. In humans, torso integration is strongly influenced by sexual dimorphism and allometry, whilst in chimpanzees it may not be. This study also highlights the importance not only of torso widths but also of torso depths when describing patterns of thoraco‐pelvic covariation in primates. Larger samples are necessary to support these interpretations

On the in vitro fatigue behavior of human dentin with implications for life prediction

Although human dentin is known to be susceptible to failure under repetitive cyclic fatigue loading, there are few reports in the literature that reliably quantify this phenomenon