Gypsy Field project in reservoir characterization. Final report

The overall objective of this project is to use the extensive Gypsy Field laboratory and data set as a focus for developing and testing reservoir characterization methods that are targeted at improved recovery of conventional oil. The Gypsy Field laboratory consists of coupled outcrop and subsurface sites which have been characterized to a degree of detail not possible in a production operation. Data from these sites entail geological descriptions, core measurements, well logs, vertical seismic surveys, a 3D seismic survey, crosswell seismic surveys, and pressure transient well tests. The overall project consists of four interdisciplinary sub-projects which are closely interlinked: modeling depositional environments; sweep efficiency; tracer testing; and integrated 3D seismic interpretation. The first of these aims at improving the ability to model complex depositional environments which trap movable oil. The second is a development geophysics project which proposes to improve the quality of reservoir geological models through better use of 3D seismic data. The third investigates the usefulness of a new numerical technique for identifying unswept oil through rapid calculation of sweep efficiency in large reservoir models. The fourth explores what can be learned from tracer tests in complex depositional environments, particularly those which are fluvial dominated

Formulación de estrategias de mercadeo enfocados en el marketing digital para la compañia hawkeye security ltda

Esta investigación se desarrolla a partir de un estudio que se quiere aplicar a la empresa Hawkeye Security Ltda., cuyo objetivo es formular estrategias de mercadeo enfocados en el marketing digital para que la compañía tenga un mejor reconocimiento en el mercado a nivel local.En el presente trabajo de grado se lleva a cabo a partir de un estudio diseñado por la compañía Hawkeye Security Ltda., en el que se busca tener un mejor reconocimiento de los servicios que presta la organización en el mercado local. Para el proceso de recolección de información se implementó un modelo de encuesta interna que permitió medir el nivel de conocimiento sobre el tema de marketing digital, también se observa que esta empresa no destina una partida presupuestaria para poder realizar estudios de mercadeo. Por otra parte, se diseña una encuesta externa en donde se observaron cómo los empresarios y administradores de propiedad horizontal buscan a las empresas de seguridad privada y con esto poder satisfacer las expectativas que tiene cada uno de los mismos. Posteriormente, mediante el análisis de resultados, se logró dar respuesta y cumplimiento al objetivo planteado en el presente proyecto, formulando algunas estrategias las cuales puedan ser más reconocidos en el mercado y no tengan un costo muy alto.1. Introducción. -- 2. Justificación. -- 3. Identificación y formulación del problema. -- 4. Objetivo general. -- 5. Marco de referencia. -- 6. Análisis del entorno empresarial. -- 7. Metodología. -- 8. Análisis de los datos. -- 9. Resultados. -- 10. Logros. -- 11. Estrategias

Valuation of Closely-Held Stock for Federal Tax Purposes: Approach to an Objective Method

Official Student Newspaper Issue is 8 pages long

Impact of music on the quality of life of cochlear implant users: a focus group study

OBJECTIVE: To study the aspects of the quality of life (QoL) on which music has an impact in adult cochlear implant (CI) users. METHODS: Thirty adult CI users aged between 18 and 81 years old with a wide range of patient characteristics and musical backgrounds participated in the study. Six focus group discussions about music in everyday life were conducted and data were analysed using template analysis based on the QoL model of the World Health Organisation Quality of Life BREF questionnaire. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: A theoretical framework of the impact of music on the QoL was developed. Music was reported to contribute to many aspects of physical, psychological, and social well-being in adult CI users. These positive effects of music on QoL were similar to what has been reported in the literature for normal-hearing adults. However, difficulties in music perception and enjoyment were found to have a negative impact on CI users' QoL, especially by causing unpleasant feelings and limited participation in music-related or routine daily activities. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that an improvement in music experiences of CI users may lead to improvements in QoL and therefore support the need for music rehabilitation. However, the relative importance of music overall and of specific aspects of music for each individual should be measured for an accurate assessment of the impact of music on the QoL of CI users

Effect of dietary inclusion of benzoic acid (VevoVitall®) on the microbial quality of liquid feed and the growth and carcass quality of grow-finisher pigs

peer-reviewedBenzoic acid has long been used as a food preservative due to its antibacterial and antifungal effects. Supplementation to pig diets has also been shown to inhibit microbial free amino acid degradation and to control yeast growth in fermented liquid feed. However, the effect of dietary inclusion of benzoic acid (BA) in fresh liquid feed for grow-finisher pigs on feed quality and the resultant effects on pig growth remain unclear. The objective of the current study was to compare four inclusion levels of BA (VevoVitall®) on feed microbial quality and on the growth performance of grow-finisher pigs. Two-hundred and sixteen pigs with a starting weight of 30.0kg (± 7.43 SD) were used in the experiment. The four dietary treatments were as follows: (1) Basal diet + 0kg/t BA (0kg/t BA), (2) Basal diet + 2.5kg/t BA (2.5kg/t BA), (3) Basal diet + 5kg/t BA (5kg/t BA), (4) Basal diet + 10kg/t BA (10kg/t BA). Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) counts in the mixing tank were similar across treatments (P>0.05) but were lower in the troughs for the feed supplemented with 10kg/t BA than for all other treatments (P0.05). In conclusion, while BA may limit the growth of LAB in liquid feed and stabilise feed pH, its inclusion in the diet did not improve the growth performance or carcass quality of grow-finisher pigs

A North Atlantic tephrostratigraphical framework for 130-60 ka b2k:new tephra discoveries, marine-based correlations, and future challenges

Building chronological frameworks for proxy sequences spanning 130–60 ka b2k is plagued by difficulties and uncertainties. Recent developments in the North Atlantic region, however, affirm the potential offered by tephrochronology and specifically the search for cryptotephra. Here we review the potential offered by tephrostratigraphy for sequences spanning 130–60 ka b2k. We combine newly identified cryptotephra deposits from the NGRIP ice-core and a marine core from the Iceland Basin with previously published data from the ice and marine realms to construct the first tephrostratigraphical framework for this time-interval. Forty-three tephra or cryptotephra deposits are incorporated into this framework; twenty three tephra deposits are found in the Greenland ice-cores, including nine new NGRIP tephras, and twenty separate deposits are preserved in various North Atlantic marine sequences. Major, minor and trace element results are presented for the new NGRIP horizons together with age estimates based on their position within the ice-core record. Basaltic tephras of Icelandic origin dominate the framework with only eight tephras of rhyolitic composition found. New results from marine core MD99-2253 also illustrate some of the complexities and challenges of assessing the depositional integrity of marine cryptotephra deposits. Tephra-based correlations in the marine environment provide independent tie-points for this time-interval and highlight the potential of widening the application of tephrochronology. Further investigations, however, are required, that combine robust geochemical fingerprinting and a rigorous assessment of tephra depositional processes, in order to trace coeval events between the two depositional realms

The sympathetic nervous system regulates skeletal muscle motor innervation and acetylcholine receptor stability

Aim: Symptoms of autonomic failure are frequently the presentation of advanced age and neurodegenerative diseases that impair adaptation to common physiologic stressors. The aim of this work was to examine the interaction between the sympathetic and motor nervous system, the involvement of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) in neuromuscular junction (NMJ) presynaptic motor function, the stability of postsynaptic molecular organization, and the skeletal muscle composition and function. Methods: Since muscle weakness is a symptom of diseases characterized by autonomic dysfunction, we studied the impact of regional sympathetic ablation on muscle motor innervation by using transcriptome analysis, retrograde tracing of the sympathetic outflow to the skeletal muscle, confocal and electron microscopy, NMJ transmission by electrophysiological methods, protein analysis, and state of the art microsurgical techniques, in C57BL6, MuRF1KO and Thy-1 mice. Results: We found that the SNS regulates motor nerve synaptic vesicle release, skeletal muscle transcriptome, muscle force generated by motor nerve activity, axonal neurofilament phosphorylation, myelin thickness, and myofibre subtype composition and CSA. The SNS also modulates the levels of postsynaptic membrane acetylcholine receptor by regulating the Gα i2 -Hdac4-Myogenin-MuRF1pathway, which is prevented by the overexpression of the guanine nucleotide-binding protein Gα i2 (Q205L), a constitutively active mutant G protein subunit. Conclusion: The SNS regulates NMJ transmission, maintains optimal Gα i2 expression, and prevents any increase in Hdac4, myogenin, MuRF1, and miR-206. SNS ablation leads to upregulation of MuRF1, muscle atrophy, and downregulation of postsynaptic AChR. Our findings are relevant to clinical conditions characterized by progressive decline of sympathetic innervation, such as neurodegenerative diseases and aging.Fil: Rodrigues, Anna C. Zaia. Wake Forest School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Messi, Maria Laura. Wake Forest School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Wang, Zhong Min. Wake Forest School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Abba, Martín Carlos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Centro de Investigaciones Inmunológicas Básicas y Aplicadas; ArgentinaFil: Pereyra, Andrea Soledad. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata; Argentina. Wake Forest School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Birbrair, Alexander. Wake Forest School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Zhang, Tan. Wake Forest School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: O´Meara, Meaghan. Wake Forest School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Kwan, Ping. Wake Forest School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Lopez, Elsa I. S.. Wake Forest School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Willis, Monte S.. University of North Carolina; Estados UnidosFil: Mintz, Akiva. Wake Forest School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Files, D. Clark. University of North Carolina; Estados UnidosFil: Furdui, Cristina. Wake Forest School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Oppenheim, Ronald W.. Wake Forest School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Delbono, Osvaldo. Wake Forest School of Medicine; Estados Unido

Tissue Harvester with Functional Valve (THFV): Shidham's device for reproducibly higher specimen yield by fine needle aspiration biopsy with easy to perform steps

BACKGROUND: Fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) cytology has been a highly effective methodology for tissue diagnosis and for various ancillary studies including molecular tests. In addition to other benefits, FNAB predominantly retrieves the diagnostic loosely cohesive cells in the lesion as compared to the adjacent supporting stroma with relatively higher cohesiveness. However, FNAB procedure performed with currently available resources is highly skill dependent with inter-performer variability, which compromises its full potential as a diagnostic tool. In this study we report a device overcoming these limitations. METHODS: 'Tissue Harvester with Functional Valve' (THFV) was evaluated as part of a phase 1 National Institute of Health (NIH) research grant under Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program. Working prototypes of the device were prepared. Each of the four cytopathologists with previous cytopathology fellowship training and experience in performing FNAB evaluated 5 THFV and 5 hypodermic needles resulting in 40 specimens (20 with THFV, 20 with hypodermic needles). A piece of fresh cattle liver stuffed in latex glove was used as the specimen. Based on these results a finished design was finalized. RESULTS: The smears and cell blocks prepared from the specimens obtained by THFV were superior in terms of cellularity to specimens obtained with hypodermic needles. The tissuecrit of specimens obtained with THFV ranged from 70 to 100 μl (mean 87, SD 10), compared to 17 to 30 μl (mean 24, SD 4) with conventional hypodermic needles (p < .0001, Student t-test). The technical ease [on a scale of 1 (easy) to 5 (difficult)] with THFV ranged from 1 to 2 as compared to 2 to 3 with hypodermic needles. CONCLUSION: The specimen yield with the new THFV was significantly higher when compared to hypodermic needles. Also, the FNAB procedure with THFV was relatively easier in comparison with hypodermic needles. The final version of Shidham's THFV device would improve the FNAB specimen yield by eliminating the skill factor. The increased specimen yield by this device would also facilitate wider application of FNAB specimens for various ancillary tests, including molecular tests