Velocity Estimation in Mixtures using Tomography

In oil production a lot of water is usually pumped up together with the oil. For many reasons the reduction of the water production is a very important issue. The method presented in this paper is meant to provide a necessary tool for this. Most drilling wells consist of a network of bore holes. Some of them may produce water, others oil or a mixture. At the moment the net flow of all bore holes together is brought to the surface. It is desirable to be able to detect how much water a specific bore hole contributes. If this amount surpasses a critical value one could then consider to close that bore hole. This leads to the question how the composition of the flow in a pipe can be determined in situ. In this paper we analyze how tomography techniques, well-known from medical applications, can be applied in the case of a bore hole. These techniques allow to measure instantaneously the mass distribution over a cross section of the pipe. For velocity estimation, the idea is to detect the mass distributions at two neighbouring cross sections at successive times. Correlating the obtained time series, one might be able to estimate the local velocity profile. The basic idea was already mentioned in literature before, but it was believed that the number of correlations to be evaluated is so huge, that the approach would fail in practice. In this paper we describe the mathematical details of the method and conclude that the number of time consuming calculations is not necessarily a limiting factor. In addition, suggestions are made to facilitate the use of tomography for velocity estimation

Knockout of lysosomal enzyme-targeting gene causes abnormalities in mouse pup isolation calls

Humans lacking a working copy of the GNPTAB gene suffer from the metabolic disease Mucolipidosis type II (MLII). MLII symptoms include mental retardation, skeletal deformities and cartilage defects as well as a speech delay with most subjects unable to utter single words (Otomo et al., 2009; Cathey et al., 2010; Leroy et al., 2012). Here we asked whether mice lacking a copy of Gnptab gene exhibited vocal abnormities. We recorded ultrasonic vocalizations from 5 to 8 day old mice separated from their mother and littermates. Although Gnptab(−/−) pups emitted a similar number of calls, several features of the calls were different from their wild type littermates. Gnptab(−/−) mice showed a decrease in the length of calls, an increase in the intra-bout pause duration, significantly fewer pitch jumps with smaller mean size, and an increase in the number of isolated calls. In addition, Gnptab(−/−) mice vocalizations had less power, particularly in the higher frequencies. Gnptab(+/−) mouse vocalizations did not appear to be affected. We then attempted to classify these recordings using these features to determine the genotype of the animal. We were able to correctly identify 87% of the recordings as either Gnptab(−/−) or Gnptab(+/+) pup, significantly better than chance, demonstrating that genotype is a strong predictor of vocalization phenotype. These data show that deletion of genes in the lysosomal enzyme targeting pathway affect mouse pup isolation calls

Detecting mode entanglement: The role of coherent states, superselection rules and particle statistics

We discuss the possibility of observing quantum nonlocality using the so-called mode entanglement, analyzing the differences between different types of particles in this context. We first discuss the role of coherent states in such experiments, and we comment on the existence of coherent states in nature. The discussion of coherent states naturally raises questions about the role of particle statistics in this problem. Although the Pauli exclusion principle precludes coherent states with a large number of fermionic particles, we find that a large number of fermionic coherent states, each containing at most one particle, can be used to achieve the same effect as a bosonic coherent state for the purposes of this problem. The discussion of superselection rules arises naturally in this context, because their applicability to a given situation prohibits the use of coherent states. This limitation particularly affects the scenario that we propose for detecting the mode entanglement of fermionic particles.Comment: 7 pages (two-column

Trauma Innovations: MDMA as a Treatment Intervention for PTSD

Aims: To examine the evidence displayed across 3 distinct communities (popular, scientific, & clinical) in conjunction with the use of MDMA-AP as an intervention for PTSD. Method: A mixed method synthesis of qualitative and quantitative research. Data Sources: Four databases were searched [1980-Present] for MDMA & PTSD and/or Mithoefer, et al. 2010 specific scientific literature providing forty-two randomly selected articles; YouTube was searched specifically targeting the same criteria to provide forty-two randomly selected videos; 201 LICSW\u27s from Minnesota were also surveyed. Results: From the three datasets, three common themes emerged: (1) attitudes specifically geared toward MDMA-AP; (2) effusive or willful language; and (3) gaps in the research. Conclusions: Scientific literature is neutral to somewhat supportive of more study of MDMA-AP; primary source videos consider the topic highly newsworthy and are generally supportive of more study; LICSWs are supportive of the idea of further study of MDMA-AP

Trauma Innovations: MDMA as a Treatment Intervention for PTSD

Aims: To examine the evidence displayed across 3 distinct communities (popular, scientific, & clinical) in conjunction with the use of MDMA-AP as an intervention for PTSD. Method: A mixed method synthesis of qualitative and quantitative research. Data Sources: Four databases were searched [1980-Present] for MDMA & PTSD and/or Mithoefer, et al. 2010 specific scientific literature providing forty-two randomly selected articles; YouTube was searched specifically targeting the same criteria to provide forty-two randomly selected videos; 201 LICSW’s from Minnesota were also surveyed. Results: From the three datasets, three common themes emerged: (1) attitudes specifically geared toward MDMA-AP; (2) effusive or willful language; and (3) gaps in the research. Conclusions: Scientific literature is neutral to somewhat supportive of more study of MDMA-AP; primary source videos consider the topic highly newsworthy and are generally supportive of more study; LICSWs are supportive of the idea of further study of MDMA-AP

Protective effect of bronchial challenge with hypertonic saline on nocturnal asthma

Inhalation of hypertonic saline (HS) causes bronchoconstriction in asthmatic subjects. Repeated inhalation of HS leads to substantially reduced bronchoconstriction, known as the refractory period. Refractoriness due to different stimuli has also been described (cross-refractoriness). Nocturnal asthma is defined as an increase in symptoms, need for medication, airway responsiveness, and/or worsening of lung function that usually occurs from 4 to 6 am. Our objective was to determine the effect of refractoriness on nocturnal asthma. The challenge test consisted of inhalations of 4.5% saline with increasing durations until a reduction of 20% in forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) (PD20HS) or total time of 15.5 min. Twelve subjects with nocturnal asthma were challenged with HS at 16:00 and 18:00 h and FEV1 was measured at 4:00 h. One to 2 weeks later, FEV1 was determined at 16:00 and 4:00 h. LogPD20HS at 18:00 h was significantly greater than logPD20HS at 16:00 h, 0.51 ± 0.50 and 0.69 ± 0.60 mg, respectively (P = 0.0033). When subjects underwent two HS challenges in the afternoon, mean (± SD) FEV1 reduction was 206 ± 414 mL or 9.81 ± 17.42%. On the control day (without challenge in the afternoon) FEV1 reduction was 523 ± 308 mL or 22.75 ± 15.40% (P = 0.021). Baseline FEV1 values did not differ significantly between the control and study days, 2.48 ± 0.62 and 2.36 ± 0.46 L, respectively. The refractory period following HS challenges reduces the nocturnal worsening of asthma. This new concept may provide beneficial applications to asthmatic patients

Assessing Condom Use among Navajo Men in the Southwest

The Navajo tribe reports extraordinarily high number of cases of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), such as gonorrhea, chlamydia, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) among men who have sex with men (MSM) and heterosexual populations. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the cultural value of adil\u27 idli (self-respect) and how this cultural practice might influence health behaviors in sexual activity, condoms use, and acquiring of STDs among Navajo men. The Health Belief Model (HBM) was the theoretical foundation for providing a deeper understanding of the social, environmental, and cultural factors of condom use among Navajo men. Research questions focus on understanding whether condoms affected sexual activity, its protective role against STDs/HIV, and acceptability concerns pertaining to adil\u27 idli (self-respect). A purposeful criterion-based sampling was used to select and interview 20 Navajo men ages 20 to 39 who lived in or near Shiprock, New Mexico and Gallup, New Mexico. I used a grounded approach and categorizing strategy to code and analyze the transcripts. Key findings revealed that the positive components of adil\u27 idli (self-respect) have influenced Navajo men to protect themselves by wearing condoms. Recommendations include identifying strategies to address condom errors and failures and to develop tactful approaches to promote correct condom use in order to decrease the rates of STDs and HIV among Navajo men. The positive social change implications include health professionals\u27 use of findings to improve STD and condom use prevention behavior among Navajo men by integrating the cultural beliefs of adil\u27 idli (self-respect), specifically emphasizing the positive aspects of staying healthy in health messages