Hydraulic Fracture Monitoring: A Jonah Field Case Study

Hydraulic fracturing involves the injection of a fluid to fracture oil and gas reservoirs, and thus increase their permeability. The process creates numerous microseismic events, which can be used to monitor subsurface operations. In this study we introduce a novel microearthquake relocation workflow based on crosswell seismic observations and in-situ velocity measurements, and then apply it to data from two hydraulic fracture stages conducted at the Jonah field (Wyoming). The relocation is carried out by global optimization of a probability density function including P- and S-wave traveltimes, as well as source-receiver azimuths. By averaging multiple cross-well observations, we reorient the three component receivers and reduce the scatter of measured azimuth values by 50-60%. By simultaneously relocating the observed microearthquake ensemble for one fracture stage, we derive a more reliable image of the average fracture orientation and reduce the scatter of microearthquake locations by 20-40% as compared to conventional approaches. For the two stages of fracturing investigated, the microearthquakes are found to follow a NW-SE trend that places constraints on the local stress field and on the newly created fluid paths.Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Earth Resources Laboratory; Schlumberger-Doll Research Cente

Giardia Lamblia and Giardiasis

         طفيلي الجيارديا اللامبليا من الاوالي المعوية الواسعة الانتشار للإنسان واللبائن الاخرى وقد سجلت الدراسات نسب معدل انتشار الاصابة 200مليون شخص سنويا مصاب بطفيلي الجيارديا لامبلية. اكتشف الطفيلي من قبل العالم فان ليفنهوك سنة 1961.دورة حياة الطفيلي تتضمن طورين هما الطور المتغذي المسؤول عن الامراضية والطور المتكيس المسؤول عن الاصابة وكلاهما موجود في براز الشخص المصاب .ينتقل الطفيلي بصورة رئيسية عن طريق وصول البراز من اليد الملوثة الى الفم . تتميز الاصابة بداء الجيارديا بسوء الامتصاص للامعاء الدقيقة والاسهال الدهني .امراضية الطفيلي تنتج عن الضرر المباشر للطبقة الطلائية للامعاء او الانسداد الميكانيكي لزغابات الامعاء والامتصاص . الكشف عن الطفيلي يعتمد على تمييز الطور المتغذي والطور المتكيس للطفيلي من خلال الفحص المجهري المباشر وكذلك عن طريق الكشف عن مستضدات الطفيلي باستخدام عينة البراز. هناك اختبارات اخرى مثل اختبار الاليزا واختبار الاجسام المضادة المشعة واختبار تفاعل سلسلة البلمرة. الاصابة بطفيلي الجيارديا ممكن ان يعالج بشكل فعال بالميترانيدازول كخطوة اولى للعلاج.      Giardia lamblia is widespread enteric protozoan parasite of human and other mammals . Prevalence data suggest that 200 million people are infected with Giardia lamblia. The parasite has been discovered by van Leeuwenhoek in 1961. Life cycle of G.lamblia  has two stages trophozoite and cyst of which trophozoite is the pathogenic stage and cyst is infective stage and both of them found in fecal material of patient with giardiasis. The parasite transmitted mainly by oral –fecal route .Giardia infection which is characterized by malabsorbtion of small intestine and fatty diarrhea  . Pathogenicity of Giardia trophozoite occurs due to direct damage of intestinal lining or mechanical blockage of intestinal villi and absorption. Identification of parasite is based on recognized of trophozoite and cyst microscopically and also by detection of antigen from fecal sample .ELISA test ,Direct flurescentantibody test and PCR test are also helpful ,Giardia infection can be effectively treated by metronidazole as primary stapes of treatment

On the Invariants of Towers of Function Fields over Finite Fields

We consider a tower of function fields F=(F_n)_{n\geq 0} over a finite field F_q and a finite extension E/F_0 such that the sequence \mathcal{E):=(EF_n)_{n\goq 0} is a tower over the field F_q. Then we deal with the following: What can we say about the invariants of \mathcal{E}; i.e., the asymptotic number of places of degree r for any r\geq 1 in \mathcal{E}, if those of F are known? We give a method based on explicit extensions for constructing towers of function fields over F_q with finitely many prescribed invariants being positive, and towers of function fields over F_q, for q a square, with at least one positive invariant and certain prescribed invariants being zero. We show the existence of recursive towers attaining the Drinfeld-Vladut bound of order r, for any r\geq 1 with q^r a square. Moreover, we give some examples of recursive towers with all but one invariants equal to zero.Comment: 23 page

Resource utilisation and costs in predementia and dementia: a systematic review protocol

Introduction Dementia is the fastest growing major cause of disability globally with a mounting social and financial impact for patients and their families but also to health and social care systems. This review aims to systematically synthesise evidence on the utilisation of resources and costs incurred by patients and their caregivers and by health and social care services across the full spectrum of dementia, from its preceding preclinical stage to end of life. The main drivers of resources used and costs will also be identified. Methods and analysis A systematic literature review was conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE, CDSR, CENTRAL, DARE, EconLit, CEA Registry, TRIP, NHS EED, SCI, RePEc and OpenGrey between January 2000 and beginning of May 2017. Two reviewers will independently assess each study for inclusion and disagreements will be resolved by a third reviewer. Data will be extracted using a predefined data extraction form following best practice. Study quality will be assessed with the Effective Public Health Practice Project quality assessment tool. The reporting of costing methodology will be assessed using the British Medical Journal checklist. A narrative synthesis of all studies will be presented for resources used and costs incurred, by level of disease severity when available. If feasible, the data will be synthesised using appropriate statistical techniques. Ethics and dissemination Included articles will be reviewed for an ethics statement. The findings of the review will be disseminated in a related peer-reviewed journal and presented at conferences. They will also contribute to the work developed in the Real World Outcomes across the Alzheimer’s disease spectrum for better care: multi-modal data access platform (ROADMAP)

A Small Genomic Region Containing Several Loci Required for Gastrulation in Drosophila

Genetic screens in Drosophila designed to search for loci involved in gastrulation have identified four regions of the genome that are required zygotically for the formation of the ventral furrow. For three of these, the genes responsible for the mutant phenotypes have been found. We now describe a genetic characterization of the fourth region, which encompasses the cytogenetic interval 24C3-25B, and the mapping of genes involved in gastrulation in this region. We have determined the precise breakpoints of several existing deficiencies and have generated new deficiencies. Our results show that the region contains at least three different loci associated with gastrulation effects. One maternal effect gene involved in ventral furrow formation maps at 24F but could not be identified. For a second maternal effect gene which is required for germ band extension, we identify a candidate gene, CG31660, which encodes a G protein coupled receptor. Finally, one gene acts zygotically in ventral furrow formation and we identify it as Traf4

DNA replication times the cell cycle and contributes to the mid-blastula transition in Drosophila embryos

Deletion of S phase disrupts mitotic timing in maternally regulated cycles, but it doesn't alter the cell cycle once zygotic transcription has begun

Prevalence of DDC genotypes in patients with aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC) deficiency and in silico prediction of structural protein changes

Aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC) deficiency is a rare autosomal recessive genetic disorder affecting the biosynthesis of dopamine, a precursor of both norepinephrine and epinephrine, and serotonin. Diagnosis is based on the analysis of CSF or plasma metabolites, AADC activity in plasma and genetic testing for variants in the DDC gene. The exact prevalence of AADC deficiency, the number of patients, and the variant and genotype prevalence are not known. Here, we present the DDC variant (n = 143) and genotype (n = 151) prevalence of 348 patients with AADC deficiency, 121 of whom were previously not reported. In addition, we report 26 new DDC variants, classify them according to the ACMG/AMP/ACGS recommendations for pathogenicity and score them based on the predicted structural effect. The splice variant c.714+4A>T, with a founder effect in Taiwan and China, was the most common variant (allele frequency = 32.4%), and c.[714+4A>T];[714+4A>T] was the most common genotype (genotype frequency = 21.3%). Approximately 90% of genotypes had variants classified as pathogenic or likely pathogenic, while 7% had one VUS allele and 3% had two VUS alleles. Only one benign variant was reported. Homozygous and compound heterozygous genotypes were interpreted in terms of AADC protein and categorized as: i) devoid of full-length AADC, ii) bearing one type of AADC homodimeric variant or iii) producing an AADC protein population composed of two homodimeric and one heterodimeric variant. Based on structural features, a score was attributed for all homodimers, and a tentative prediction was advanced for the heterodimer. Almost all AADC protein variants were pathogenic or likely pathogenic