The Geomechanics of CO2 Storage in Deep Sedimentary Formations

This paper provides a review of the geomechanics and modeling of geomechanics associated with geologic carbon storage (GCS), focusing on storage in deep sedimentary formations, in particular saline aquifers. The paper first introduces the concept of storage in deep sedimentary formations, the geomechanical processes and issues related with such an operation, and the relevant geomechanical modeling tools. This is followed by a more detailed review of geomechanical aspects, including reservoir stress-strain and microseismicity, well integrity, caprock sealing performance, and the potential for fault reactivation and notable (felt) seismic events. Geomechanical observations at current GCS field deployments, mainly at the In Salah CO2 storage project in Algeria, are also integrated into the review. The In Salah project, with its injection into a relatively thin, low-permeability sandstone is an excellent analogue to the saline aquifers that might be used for large scale GCS in parts of Northwest Europe, the U.S. Midwest, and China. Some of the lessons learned at In Salah related to geomechanics are discussed, including how monitoring of geomechanical responses is used for detecting subsurface geomechanical changes and tracking fluid movements, and how such monitoring and geomechanical analyses have led to preventative changes in the injection parameters. Recently, the importance of geomechanics has become more widely recognized among GCS stakeholders, especially with respect to the potential for triggering notable (felt) seismic events and how such events could impact the long-term integrity of a CO{sub 2} repository (as well as how it could impact the public perception of GCS). As described in the paper, to date, no notable seismic event has been reported from any of the current CO{sub 2} storage projects, although some unfelt microseismic activities have been detected by geophones. However, potential future commercial GCS operations from large power plants will require injection at a much larger scale. For such largescale injections, a staged, learn-as-you-go approach is recommended, involving a gradual increase of injection rates combined with continuous monitoring of geomechanical changes, as well as siting beneath a multiple layered overburden for multiple flow barrier protection, should an unexpected deep fault reactivation occur

The clinical spectrum of complete FBN1 allele deletions

The most common mutations found in FBN1 are missense mutations (56%), mainly substituting or creating a cysteine in a cbEGF domain. Other mutations are frameshift, splice and nonsense mutations. There are only a few reports of patients with marfanoid features and a molecularly proven complete deletion of a FBN1 allele. We describe the clinical features of 10 patients with a complete FBN1 gene deletion. Seven patients fulfilled the Ghent criteria for Marfan syndrome (MFS). The other three patients were examined at a young age and did not (yet) present the full clinical picture of MFS yet. Ectopia lentis was present in at least two patients. Aortic root dilatation was present in 6 of the 10 patients. In three patients, the aortic root diameter was on the 95th percentile and in one patient, the diameter of the aortic root was normal, the cross-section, however, had a cloverleaf appearance. Two patients underwent aortic root surgery at a relatively young age (27 and 34 years). Mitral valve prolapse was present in 4 of the 10 patients, and billowing of the mitral valve in 1. All patients had facial and skeletal features of MFS. Two patients with a large deletion extending beyond the FBN1 gene had an extended phenotype. We conclude that complete loss of one FBN1 allele does not predict a mild phenotype, and these findings support the hypothesis that true haploinsufficiency can lead to the classical phenotype of Marfan syndrome

Assessing microvascular changes in systemic sclerosis diagnosis and management.

Therapies targeting underlying vascular disease in SSc have been successfully designed to improve the symptoms of Raynaud phenomenon and to reduce ischemic injury to involved organs, and NVC patterns have been found to improve following targeted therapy

Personality in nonhuman primates: What can we learn from human personality psychology?

Personality in nonhuman primates is a rapidly growing field with promising potentials for illuminating and fascinating insights into the origins of individual and species differences in behavior. The change in perspective from the average individual to differences between individuals entails a number of puzzling methodical challenges. Individuals are unique and comparable at the same time; they are characterized by consistent behavioral patterns but show low consistency across situations; some individuals express traits with behaviors that other individuals never show; personality is temporally stable by definition, but equally incorporates long-term change and development. These are all déjà-vus from human personality psychology. This chapter, primarily meant for a primatological audience, introduces basic theories, methods, and approaches from human personality psychology, and explains fundamental principles of personality measurement exemplifying empirical results from nonhuman primate research. Moreover, it presents methodological approaches to identify a species’ most important personality variation and derives systematic approaches for sound cross-species comparisons from analogous solutions of cross-cultural psychology