Reservoir characterization and volumetric estimation of Orok Field,Niger Delta hydrocarbon province

Geophysical analysis was undertaken on the available suit of well logs, 3D seismic and checkshot data from the field in a view to carrying out reservoir characterization and volumetric estimation of Orok Field Niger Delta Province. Lithology delineation and Petrophysical evaluation including porosity, water saturation and net-to-gross were undertaken. Well to seismic tie, structural interpretation and horizon mapping were carried out. Time and depth maps were generated and volumetric estimation of the reservoirs were carried out. Four gas-bearing reservoir (A001, B001, C001 and D001) of variable thickness and depth from the subsurface were identified. Their effective porosity ranges from 19% for A001, 20% for B001, 20% for C002 and 18% for the basal D001 respectively. Water saturation estimated from the reservoir sands ranges from 23% for A001, B001 20%, C001 12% and 10% for D001. The hydrocarbon saturation of the reservoirs stood at 77%, 80%, 82%, 90% for A001, B001, C001 and D001 respectively. Only sand A001 and sand B001 had good seismic tie and were able to be mapped through the seismic. Three synthetic structural building listric faults were interpreted across the inlines intercepting the top of reservoir Sand A001 and B001. The volumetric estimation reveals that A001 and B001 have an area of 813.708 acres and 813.693 acres and volume of 151?billion cu.ft and 286?billion cu.ft of gas respectively. Three synthetic structural building listric faults (F1, F2 and F3) intercept the top of sandstones A001 and B001. The structural trapping mechanism in both sandstones resulted from synthetic fault assisting structures i.e rollover anticlines. The modeled faults trends approximately northwest to southeast direction and dip in the southwest direction.     

Effect of short-term hormone replacement therapy on left ventricular mass and contractile function

This study examined the effects of neonatal cocaine exposure on the rewarding properties of play in a modified T-maze. Animals were artificially reared from postnatal day (PND) 4-9 with drug concentrated in four daily feeds. There were four treatment groups, 40 mg/kg/day cocaine, 20 mg/kg/day cocaine, an artificially reared control and a surgery control. From PND 38-42, subjects were tested with a food reward (EXP 1) or a play reward (EXP 2). No deficits in learning were seen when the reward was food. The 20 mg/kg/day cocaine group, however, showed impaired learning and altered play behavior when the reward was access to a play partner. Neonatal cocaine exposure thus appears to differentially affect learning based on the type of reward presented.     

Evaluation of a multicomponent, behaviorally oriented, problem-based "summer school" program for adolescents with diabetes

A 2-week summer school program, combining problem-based learning with behavior therapy, was developed to help adolescents with insulin-dependent diabetes improve their ability to cope with obstacles to dietary management. Ten students participated in a first session, and 9 participated in a second session, serving as a waiting list control group. Outcomes were evaluated pre- and postsession and at a 4-month follow-up using 3-day food diaries, blood glucose data, and paper-and-pencil tests of diabetes-related knowledge, self-efficacy, coping strategies, and general problem solving. Improvements were observed in self-efficacy, problem-solving skills, and self-reported coping strategies. No significant changes were observed in daily intake of fat, cholesterol, calories, mean blood glucose levels or blood glucose variability, and diabetes knowledge. Comparisons between the first group and the waiting list control group do not allow the significant pre-post changes to be clearly attributed to the summer school program.     

Measurement of distributions of small-scale energy depositions from low-linear energy transfer particles using the superheated drop detector

We have developed a new detection method for measuring distributions of energy depositions from particles characterized by low linear energy transfers (LETs). In particular, we have developed a detection system to measure energy depositions produced by electrons and photons on nanometer scales. The detector is based upon the operational principles of the superheated drop detector (SDD). SDDs consist of tiny droplets of superheated liquid suspended within a gel-like emulsion. The SDDs in this study are fabricated using Freon-115 and a glycerol-based gel as the superheated liquid and host medium. This SDD configuration is operated as a threshold temperature-dependent detector for measuring nanoscopic distributions of energy depositions from low-LET particles. Measured results are compared to the calculated distributions of energy depositions along an electron track. A new electron track code, ESLOW3.1, is used to perform the computational study. Measurements show good agreement with computational results in the energy deposition range of 40-200 eV.     

Identification of microglial signal transduction pathways mediating a neurotoxic response to amyloidogenic fragments of beta-amyloid and prion proteins

Microglial interaction with amyloid fibrils in the brains of Alzheimer's and prion disease patients results in the inflammatory activation of these cells. We observed that primary microglial cultures and the THP-1 monocytic cell line are stimulated by fibrillar beta-amyloid and prion peptides to activate identical tyrosine kinase-dependent inflammatory signal transduction cascades. The tyrosine kinases Lyn and Syk are activated by the fibrillar peptides and initiate a signaling cascade resulting in a transient release of intracellular calcium that results in the activation of classical PKC and the recently described calcium-sensitive tyrosine kinase PYK2. Activation of the MAP kinases ERK1 and ERK2 follows as a subsequent downstream signaling event. We demonstrate that PYK2 is positioned downstream of Lyn, Syk, and PKC. PKC is a necessary intermediate required for ERK activation. Importantly, the signaling response elicited by beta-amyloid and prion fibrils leads to the production of neurotoxic products. We have demonstrated in a tissue culture model that conditioned media from beta-amyloid- and prion-stimulated microglia or from THP-1 monocytes are neurotoxic to mouse cortical neurons. This toxicity can be ameliorated by treating THP-1 cells with specific enzyme inhibitors that target various components of the signal transduction pathway linked to the inflammatory responses.     

Polycrystal deformation analysis by high energy synchrotron X-ray diffraction on the I12 JEEP beamline at Diamond Light Source

Better understanding of the distribution of elastic and plastic strains in deformed polycrystalline, multiphase materials is important for structural engineering. The deformation response depends upon the interaction of grains of different orientations, and the anisotropy associated with each phase. Strain partitioning and tensile-compressive hardening asymmetry arises due to mismatches in modulus and ductility between grains and phases in alloys such as Ti-6Al-4V that displays both strong anisotropy within one phase and significant differences of properties between phases. Simple four-point bent beam samples were studied using the newly available energy-dispersive X-ray diffraction setup at the high energy white-beam synchrotron beamline I12 (JEEP) at Diamond Light Source. Diffraction patterns from the bent polycrystalline Ti6Al4V samples were collected using the new 23-cell “horseshoe” detector and interpreted using Pawley refinement to extract unit cell parameters, thus allowing elastic strain to be determined. The tensile-compressive hardening asymmetry was quantified for the grains oriented with the basal plane perpendicular to the loading direction. Initial evaluation of the performance of the new instrument is reported.     

Long-term inhalable particles and other air pollutants related to mortality in nonsmokers

Long-term ambient concentrations of inhalable particles less than 10 microm in diameter (PM10) (1973- 1992) and other air pollutants-total suspended sulfates, sulfur dioxide, ozone (O3), and nitrogen dioxide-were related to 1977-1992 mortality in a cohort of 6,338 nonsmoking California Seventh-day Adventists. In both sexes, PM10 showed a strong association with mortality for any mention of nonmalignant respiratory disease on the death certificate, adjusting for a wide range of potentially confounding factors, including occupational and indoor sources of air pollutants. The adjusted relative risk (RR) for this cause of death as associated with an interquartile range (IQR) difference of 43 d/yr when PM10 exceeded 100 microg/m3 was 1.18 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.02, 1.36). In males, PM10 showed a strong association with lung cancer deaths-RR for an IQR was 2.38 (95% CI: 1.42, 3.97). Ozone showed an even stronger association with lung cancer mortality for males with an RR of 4.19 (95% CI: 1.81, 9.69) for the IQR difference of 551 h/yr when O3 exceeded 100 parts per billion. Sulfur dioxide showed strong associations with lung cancer mortality for both sexes. Other pollutants showed weak or no association with mortality.