东营凹陷辛镇复杂断块油藏形成机制和剩余油分布规律研究

In this paper, the complex faulted-block oil reservoir of Xinzhen area in Dongying depression is systematically studied from basic conditions forming faulted-block oil and gas reservoir integrating geology, seismic, logging and reservoir engineering information and computer; guided by petroleum geology, geomechanics, structural geology and geophysics and other theories. Based on analysis of background condition such as regional strata, structure and petroleum geology, structural research on geometry, kinemaitcs and dynamics, oil-controlling fault research on the seal features, sealing mechanism and sealing pattern, and research on enrichment rules and controlling factors of complex faulted-block oil reservoir are carried out to give out the formation mechanics of oil reservoir of Xinzhen complex faulted-block oil reservoir. As a result, the reservoir formation pattern is established. At the same time, through dissecting the characteristics and hydrocarbon enrichment law of complex faulted-block oil reservoir, and studying its distribution law of remaining oil after entering extra high water-cut period, a set of technologies are formed to predict complex faulted-block oil reservoir and its remaining oil distribution and to enhance oil recovery (EOR). Based on the time relationship between migration of hydrocarbon and trap formation, accumulating period of Xinzhen oil reservoir is determined. The formation of Xinzhen anticlinal trap was prior to the primary migration. This is favorable to formation of Xinzhen anticlinal hydrocarbon reservoir. Meanwhile, because anticline top caving isn't at the sane time as that of moving or faulted-trap forming inner anticline, oil and gas migrated many times and Xinzhen complex faulted-block oil reservoir formed from ES_3~(upper) to EG. Accumulating law and controlling factors of complex faulted-block reservoir are analyzed from many aspects such as regional structure background controlling hydrocarbon accumulating, plastic arch-open structure controlling oil-bearing series and reservoir types, sealing-opening of fault controlling hydrocarbon distribution and structure pattern controlling enriched trap types. Also, we established the structure pattern in Xinzhen a'ea: the arch-open of underlying strata cause expanding fracture. The main block groups developed here are shovel-like normal fault block group in the north area of Xinzhen and its associated graben block group. Block groups dominate the formation and distribution of reservoirs. We studied qualitatively and quantitatively the sealing characteristics, sealing history and sealing mechanism of faults, too. And, the sealing characteristics are evaluated and the distribution pattern of hydrocarbon controlled by faults is researched. Due to movement intensity of big faults, deep falling of downthrown block, high degree of repture and development of fracture, shallow layers close to the downthrown block of secondary faults are unfavorable to hydrocarbon accumulation. This is confirmed by the exploration practice in Xinzhen anticline. In terms of the downthrown blocks of sencondary contemporaneous faults lied in the south and north area of Xinzhen, hydrocarbon is poor close to fracture belt, while it is relatively abundant in tertiary companion faults. Because of long-term movement of faults that control hydrocarbon, fi'om ES3 to EG, six set of oil-bearing series formed. And their opening causes the inhomogeneity in hydrocarbon abundance among each block--in two flanks of anticline reservoirs are abundant while in the axial area, oil and gas are sporadic. There the sealing characteristics control oil-bearing area of oil/gas accumulation and the height of oil reservoir. Longitudinally, oil and gas are enriched in dip-flat areas in mid-plane of faults. It is established that there are four types of accumulating patterns in complex faulted-block oil reservoirs in Xinzhen. The first is accumulating pattern of lithologic oil reservoirs in E~S_3~(mid-lowwer), that is, self-generating-self-reserving-self-covering lithologic trap pattern. The second is drag-anticline accumulating pattern in Xinzhen. The structure traps are drag anticlines formed by the contemporaneous faults of the second basement in the north of Xinzhen, and the multiple source rocks involve Ek_2, Es_4, Es_3 and Es_1 members. The reservoirs are fluvial-delta sandstones of the upper member of Shahejie formation and Guantao formation, covered by regional thick mudstone of the upper member of Guantao formation and MingHuazhen formation. The third is the accumulating pattern of reverse listric fault, the third-degree fault of Xinzhen anticline limb and the reservoirs form reservoir screened by reverse listric faults. The forth is accumulating pattern of crossing faults which form closing or semi-closing faulted-blocks that accumulate hydrocarbon. The technologies of predicting remaining oil in complex faulted-block reservoir during the mid and late development stage is formed. Remaining oil in simple large faulted-blocks enriches in structural high, structural middle, structural low of thick bottom water reservoirs, points near bent edge-fault oftertiary faults and part the fourth ones with big falling displacement, microstructure high place of oil-sandbodies and areas where local well pattern isn't perfect. While that in small complex faulted-blocks enriches near small nose, small high point, angle of small faults, small oil-bearing faulted-blocks without well and areas with non-perfect well pattern. The technologies of enhancing recovery factor in complex faulted-block reservoir during the mid and late development stage is formed as follows: fine reservoir description, drilling adjust wells, designing directional wells, sub-dividing layer series of development, improving flooding pattern, changing water-injection direction and enhancing swept volume, cyclic waterflooding and gas-injection, etc. Here, directional wells include directional deflecting wells, lateral-drilling wells, lateral-drilling horizontal wells and horizontal wells. The results of this paper have been used in exploration and development of Shengli oilfield, and have achieved great social and economic profit, especially in predicting distribution of complex faulted-block reservoir, remaining oil distribution during middle and late stage of development, and in EOR. Applying the achievement of fault-closure research, new hydrocarbon-bearing blocks are discovered in flanks of Dongying central uplift and in complex blocks with proved reserves 15 million tons. With the study of remaining oil distribution law in complex faulted-block reservoirs, recovery factors are increased greatly in Dongxin, Xianhe and Linpan complex faulted-block reservoirs and accumulated oil production increment is 3 million tons.

准噶尔盆地三个泉凸起油气成藏条件及动力学研究

Sangequan Uplift in Junggar Basin is an inherited positive structure, which has undergone many times of violent tectonic movements, with high tectonic setting, and far away from the oil-source sag, reservoir forming condition is complex. Combining sequence stratigraphy, depositional facies, reservoir formation theory with seismic and well logging analysis, this paper conducted integrated study on the hydrocarbon migration, accumulation, entrapment conditions, the reservoir forming dynamics and the forming model, and acquired the following recognition: (1) The special reservoir formation conditions that enable Sangequan Uplift to form a giant oil-gas field of over 100 million tons of reserves are as follows: (D Deltaic frontal sandbody is developed in Jurassic Xishanyao Formation, Toutunhe Formation and Lower Cretaceous Hutubihe Formation, with good reservoir quality;? Abundant hydrocarbon resources are found in Western Well Pen-1 Sag, which provides sufficient oil sources for reservoir formation of Sagequan Uplift; ?The unconformity-fault-sandbody system has formed a favorable space transporting system and an open conduit for long-distance hydrocarbon migration; ?fault, low amplitude anticline and lithological traps were well developed, providing a favorable space for hydrocarbon accumulation. (2) The most significant source beds in the Western Well Pen-1 Sag are the Mid-Permian Lower Wuerhe Formation and Lower-Permian Fengcheng Formation. The oil in the Well Block Lu-9 and Shinan Oilfield all originated from the hydrocarbon source beds of Fengcheng Formation and Lower Wuerhe Formation in the Western Well Pen-1 Sag and migrated through Jidong and Jinan deep faults linking unconformity of different regions from sources to structural highs of the uplift and shallow horizons. (3) There were 2 reservoir formation periods in District Sangequan: the first was in late Cretaceous during which the upper part of Xishanyao Formation and Toutunhe Formation; the second was in Triassic, the main resources are high-maturity oil and gas from Fengcheng Formation and Wuerhe Formation in Western Pen-1 Well sag and the gas from coal measure strata of Xishanyao Formation, that were accumulated in Hutubihehe Formation. (4) Model of the hydrocarbon migration, accumulation, reservoir formation of the study area are categorized as three types starting from the hydrocarbon source areas, focusing on the faults and unconformity and aiming at reservoirs: ① Model of accumulation and formation of reservoir through faults or unconformities along the "beam" outside source; ②Model of migration, accumulation and reservoir formation through on-slope near source;③Model of migration, accumulation and reservoir formation of marginal mid-shallow burial biogas-intermediate gas. (5) Pinchout, overlap and lithologic traps are developed in transitional zones between Western Well Pen-1 sag and Luliang uplift. Many faulted blocks and faulted nose-like traps are associated with large structures on Sangequan uplift. Above traps will be new prospecting areas for further hydrocarbon exploration in future.

孤北洼陷沙三-沙四段隐蔽油藏形成机制及其预测

Based on the study of sequence stratigraphy, modern sedimentary, basin analysis, and petroleum system in Gubei depression, this paper builds high resolution sequence stratigraphic structure, sedimentary system, sandbody distribution, the effect of tectonic in sequence and sedimentary system evolution and model of tectonic-lithofacies. The pool formation mechanism of subtle trap is developed. There are some conclusions and views as follows. 1.With the synthetic sequence analysis of drilling, seismic, and well log, the highly resolution sequence structure is build in Gubei depression. They are divided two secondary sequences and seven three-order sequences in Shahejie formation. They are include 4 kinds of system traces and 7 kinds of sedimentary systems which are alluvial fan, under water fan, alluvial fan and fan-delta, fan-delta, lacustrine-fan, fluvial-delta-turbidite, lakeshore beach and bar, and deep lake system. Sandbody distribution is show base on third order sequence. 2.Based on a lot of experiment and well log, it is point out that there are many types of pore in reservoir with the styles of corrosion pore, weak cementing, matrix cementing, impure filling, and 7 kinds of diagenetic facies. These reservoirs are evaluated by lateral and profile characteristics of diagenetic facies and reservoir properties. 3.The effect of simultaneous faulting on sediment process is analyzed from abrupt slope, gentle slope, and hollow zone. The 4 kinds of tectonic lithofacies models are developed in several periods in Gubei depression; the regional distribution of subtle trap is predicted by hydro accumulation characteristics of different tectonic lithofacies. 4.There are 4 types of compacting process, which are normal compaction, abnormal high pressure, abnormal low pressure and complex abnormal pressure. The domain type is normal compaction that locates any area of depression, but normal high pressure is located only deep hollow zone (depth more than 3000m), abnormal low pressures are located gentle slope and faulted abrupt slope (depth between 1200~2500m). 5.Two types dynamic systems of pool formation (enclosed and partly enclosed system) are recognized. They are composed by which source rocks are from Es3 and Es4, cap rocks are deep lacustrine shale of Esl and Es3, and sandstone reservoirs are 7 kinds of sedimentary system in Es3 and Es4. According to theory of petroleum system, two petroleum systems are divided in Es3 and Es4 of Gubei depression, which are high or normal pressure self-source system and normal or low pressure external-source system. 6.There are 3 kinds of combination model of pool formation, the first is litholgical pool of inner depression (high or normal pressure self-source type), the second is fault block or fault nose pool in marginal of depression (normal type), the third is fault block-lithological pool of central low lifted block (high or normal pressure type). The lithological pool is located central of depression, other pool are located gentle or abrupt slope that are controlled by lithological, faulting, unconfirmed. 7.This paper raise a new technique and process of exploration subtle trap which include geological modeling, coring description and logging recognition, and well log constrained inversion. These are composed to method and theory of predicting subtle trap. Application these methods and techniques, 6 hydro objects are predicted in three zone of depression.

陡坡带砂砾岩体油气成藏模式研究——以东营凹陷西北部陡坡带为例

Based on the study of sequence stratigraphy, modern sedimentary, basin analysis, and petroleum system in abrupt slop of depression, this paper builds sedimentary system and model, sandy bodies distribution, and pool-forming mechanism of subtle trap. There are some conclusions and views as follows. By a lot of well logging and seismic analysis, the author founded up the sequence stratigraphic of the abrupt slope, systematically illustrated the abrupt slope constructive framework, and pointed out that there was a special characteristics which was that south-north could be divided to several fault block and east-west could be carved up groove and the bridge in studying area. Based all these, the author divided the studying area to 3 fault block zone in which because of the groove became the basement rock channel down which ancient rivers breathed into the lake, the alluvial fan or fan delta were formed. In the paper, the author illustrated the depositional system and depositional model of abrupt slope zone, and distinguished 16 kinds of lithofacies and 3 kinds of depositional systems which were the alluvial fan and fan-delta system, lake system and the turbidite fan or turbidity current deposition. It is first time to expound completely the genetic pattern and distributing rule of the abrupt slope sandy-conglomeratic fan bodies. The abrupt slope sandy-conglomeratic fan bodies distribute around the heaves showing itself circularity shape. In studying area, the sandy-conglomeratic fan bodies mainly distribute up the southern slope of Binxian heave and Chenjiazhuang heave. There mainly are these sandy-conglomeratic fan body colony which distributes at a wide rage including the alluvial fan, sub-water fluvial and the turbidite fan or the other turbidity current deposition in the I fault block of the Wangzhuang area. In the II fault block there are fan-delta front and sub-water fluvial. And in the Binnan area, there mainly are those the alluvial fan (down the basement rock channel) and the sandy-conglomeratic fan body which formed as narrowband sub-water fluvial (the position of bridge of a nose) in the I fault block, the fan-delta front sandy-conglomeratic fan body in the H fault block and the fan-delta front and the turbidity current deposition sandy-conglomeratic fan body in the m fault block. Based on the reservoir outstanding characteristics of complex classic composition and the low texture maturity, the author comparted the reservoir micro-structure of the Sha-III and Sha-IV member to 4 types including the viscous crude cementation type, the pad cementation type, the calcite pore-funds type and the complex filling type, and hereby synthetically evaluated 4 types sandy- conglomeratic fan body reservoir. In the west-north abrupt slope zone of Dongying Depression, the crude oil source is belonging to the Sha-III and Sha-IV member, the deep oil of Lijin oilfield respectively come from the Sha-III and Sha-IV member, which belongs to the autogeny and original deposition type; and the more crude oil producing by Sha-IV member was migrated to the Wangzhuan area and Zhengjia area. The crude oil of Binnan oil-field and Shanjiasi oil-field belongs to mixed genetic. It is the first time to illustrate systematically the genetic of the viscous crude that largely being in the studying area, which are that the dissipation of the light component after pool-forming, the biological gradation action and the bath-oxidation action, these oil accumulation belonging to the secondary viscous crude accumulation. It is also the first time to compart the studying area to 5 pool-forming dynamical system that have the characteristic including the common pressure and abnormal pressure system, the self-fountain and other-fountain system and the closing and half-closing system etc. The 5 dynamical systems reciprocally interconnected via the disappearance or merger of the Ethology and the fluid pressure compartment zone, the fault and the unconformity surface, hereby formed duplicated pattern oil-gas collecting zone. Three oil-gas pool-forming pattern were founded, which included the self-fountain side-direction migrated collecting pattern, the self-fountain side-direction ladder-shape pool-forming pattern and the other-fountain pressure releasing zone migrated collecting pattern. A series of systemic sandy-conglomeratic fan bodies oil-gas predicting theory and method was founded, based on the groove-fan corresponding relation to confirm the favorable aim area, according as the characteristic of seismic-facies to identify qualitatively the sandy-conglomeratic fan bodies or its scale, used the temporal and frequency analysis technique to score the interior structure of the sandy- conglomeratic fan bodies, applied for coherent-data system analysis technology to describe the boundary of the sandy-conglomeratic fan bodies, and utilized the well logging restriction inversion technique to trace quantificational and forecast the sandy-conglomeratic fan bodies. Applied this technique, totally 15 beneficial sandy-conglomeratic fan bodies were predicted, in studying area the exploration was preferably guided, and the larger economic benefit and social benefit was acquired.

隔区损毁对大鼠空间认知能力的影响及其在Morris迷宫中搜索策略的比较

Separate groups of rats with bilateral or unilateral lesions in septum were tested for acquisition and retention of the Morris water maze spatial cognitive task. Some of the animals in each lesion group received preoperative training in the task. Other animals in each group received no preoperative training. The results indicate that although both lesions lead to a spatial cognitive impairment in both the acquisition and retention of the task, the animals with bilateral lesions were more severely impaired than were the animals with unilateral, as indicated by quantitative measure. Searching strategies were used as an index to eximine the qualitative difference in the animals swim be havior, we found that the unilateral damaged animals still tend to use "mapping" strategies to solve the task as in the case of control groups but the accuracy is lower. The searching strategies used by the bilateral damaged animals showed complex patterns. The acquisition group with bilateral tend to use random and paratic strategies, however, the retention group with bilateral had a tendacy to use paratic and taxic strategies. The difference between searching strategies and its dynamic, change possibly suggest that other cognitive processing systems play an role in the processing of information about the task.

Shape from Shading: A Method for Obtaining the Shape of a Smooth Opaque Object from One View

A method will be described for finding the shape of a smooth apaque object form a monocular image, given a knowledge of the surface photometry, the position of the lightsource and certain auxiliary information to resolve ambiguities. This method is complementary to the use of stereoscopy which relies on matching up sharp detail and will fail on smooth objects. Until now the image processing of single views has been restricted to objects which can meaningfully be considered two-dimensional or bounded by plane surfaces. It is possible to derive a first-order non-linear partial differential equation in two unknowns relating the intensity at the image points to the shape of the objects. This equation can be solved by means of an equivalent set of five ordinary differential equations. A curve traced out by solving this set of equations for one set of starting values is called a characteristic strip. Starting one of these strips from each point on some initial curve will produce the whole solution surface. The initial curves can usually be constructed around so-called singular points. A number of applications of this metod will be discussed including one to lunar topography and one to the scanning electron microscope. In both of these cases great simplifications occur in the equations. A note on polyhedra follows and a quantitative theory of facial make-up is touched upon. An implementation of some of these ideas on the PDP-6 computer with its attached image-dissector camera at the Artificial intelligence Laboratory will be described, and also a nose-recognition program.

Recristalización de bandas de aluminio procedentes de colada continua, laminadas en frío

Este artículo revisa la bibliografía existente sobre los problemas que la banda de colada continua, laminada en frío, presenta en su recristalización. Se examinan los impedimentos que presenta la precipitación de elementos de aleación o impurezas, previa o simultánea a la recristalización, para la nucleación de la recristalización y por tanto para ésta. Se explica el uso de las curvas TTT (Temperatura, Tiempo, Transformación) para la determinación de temperatura y velocidad de calentamiento críticas para llegar a la recristalización sin pasar por la zona de precipitación. Se explica también la obtención de curvas CTT (Concentración, Tiempo, Transformación) y "diagramas de tamaño de grano" para aleaciones Al-Mn en función de la velocidad de calentamiento y contenido de manganeso en solución sólida.

Intracardiac acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) and shear wave imaging in pigs with focal infarctions.

Four pigs, three with focal infarctions in the apical intraventricular septum (IVS) and/or left ventricular free wall (LVFW), were imaged with an intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) transducer. Custom beam sequences were used to excite the myocardium with focused acoustic radiation force (ARF) impulses and image the subsequent tissue response. Tissue displacement in response to the ARF excitation was calculated with a phase-based estimator, and transverse wave magnitude and velocity were each estimated at every depth. The excitation sequence was repeated rapidly, either in the same location to generate 40 Hz M-modes at a single steering angle, or with a modulated steering angle to synthesize 2-D displacement magnitude and shear wave velocity images at 17 points in the cardiac cycle. Both types of images were acquired from various views in the right and left ventricles, in and out of infarcted regions. In all animals, acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) and shear wave elasticity imaging (SWEI) estimates indicated diastolic relaxation and systolic contraction in noninfarcted tissues. The M-mode sequences showed high beat-to-beat spatio-temporal repeatability of the measurements for each imaging plane. In views of noninfarcted tissue in the diseased animals, no significant elastic remodeling was indicated when compared with the control. Where available, views of infarcted tissue were compared with similar views from the control animal. In views of the LVFW, the infarcted tissue presented as stiff and non-contractile compared with the control. In a view of the IVS, no significant difference was seen between infarcted and healthy tissue, whereas in another view, a heterogeneous infarction was seen to be presenting itself as non-contractile in systole.

Multicomponent gas-mixture measurements using an array of gas sensors and an artificial neural-network

An Electronic Nose is being jointly developed between the University of Greenwich and the Institute of Intelligent Machines to detect the gases given off from an oil filled transformer when it begins to break down. The gas sensors being used are very simple, consisting of a layer of Tin Oxide (SnO2) which is heated to approximately 640 K and the conductivity varies with the gas concentrations. Some of the shortcomings introduced by the commercial gas sensors available are being overcome by the use of an integrated array of gas sensors and the use of artificial neural networks which can be 'taught' to recognize when the gas contains several components. At present simulated results have achieved up to a 94% success rate of recognizing two component gases and future work will investigate alternative neural network configurations to maintain this success rate with practical measurements.

Los diferentes tipos de láser y sus aplicaciones en podología

Los diferentes tipos de láseres, sobre todo el láser de diodo, irrumpen en la terapéutica podológica para proporcionar una alternativa más de tratamiento en muchas patologías que son el día a día de las consultas. El buen manejo y el conocimiento de sus características son requisitos imprescindibles para no tener efectos secundarios indeseados y poder llevar a cabo tratamientos poco dolorosos, minimizando el tiempo total, y muchas veces proporcionando una solución a diversas patologías.

Predictors of therapy resistant asthma: outcome of a systematic evaluation protocol

Background: It has been suggested that asthmatic subjects with persisting symptoms despite adequate maintenance therapy should be systematically evaluated to identify factors contributing to poor control. The aims of this study were to examine the prevalence of these factors in a cohort of sequentially referred poorly controlled asthmatics, and to determine if any factor or combination of factors predicted true therapy resistant asthma (TRA).

Methods: Patients were evaluated using a systematic evaluation protocol including induced sputum analysis, psychiatric assessment, ear, nose and throat examination, pulmonary function testing, high resolution CT scan of the thorax, and 24 hour dual probe ambulatory oesophageal pH monitoring; any identified provoking factor was treated. Asthma was managed according to BTS guidelines.

Results: Of 73 subjects who completed the assessment, 39 responded to intervention and 34 had TRA. Subjects with TRA had a greater period of instability, a higher dose of inhaled steroids at referral, more rescue steroid use, and a lower best percentage forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1%). Oesophageal reflux, upper airway disease, and psychiatric morbidity were common (57%, 95%, 49%, respectively) but were not more prevalent in either group. Using multivariate logistic regression analysis, inhaled steroid dose >2000 µg BDP, previous assessment by a respiratory specialist, and initial FEV1% of <70% at referral predicted a final diagnosis of TRA.

Conclusions: In poorly controlled asthmatics there is a high prevalence of co-morbidity, identified by detailed systematic assessment, but no difference in prevalence between those who respond to intervention and those with TRA. Targeted treatment of identified co-morbidities has minimal impact on asthma related quality of life in those with therapy resistant disease.

Modelling of aircraft manufacturing cost at the concept stage

The work presented is concerned with the estimation of manufacturing cost at the concept design stage, when little technical information is readily available. The work focuses on the nose cowl sections of a wide range of engine nacelles built at Bombardier Aerospace Shorts of Belfast. A core methodology is presented that: defines manufacturing cost elements that are prominent; utilises technical parameters that are highly influential in generating those costs; establishes the linkage between these two; and builds the associated cost estimating relations into models. The methodology is readily adapted to deal with both the early and more mature conceptual design phases, which thereby highlights the generic, flexible and fundamental nature of the method. The early concept cost model simplifies cost as a cumulative element that can be estimated using higher level complexity ratings, while the mature concept cost model breaks manufacturing cost down into a number of constituents that are each driven by their own specific drivers. Both methodologies have an average error of less that ten percent when correlated with actual findings, thus achieving an acceptable level of accuracy. By way of validity and application, the research is firmly based on industrial case studies and practice and addresses the integration of design and manufacture through cost. The main contribution of the paper is the cost modelling methodology. The elemental modelling of the cost breakdown structure through materials, part fabrication, assembly and their associated drivers is relevant to the analytical design procedure, as it utilises design definition and complexity that is understood by engineers.

A randomized controlled trial of tea tree oil (5%) body wash versus standard body wash to prevent colonization with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in critically ill adults: research protocol

Background
Over the past ten years MRSA has become endemic in hospitals and is associated with increased healthcare costs. Critically ill patients are most at risk, in part because of the number of invasive therapies that they require in the intensive care unit (ICU). Washing with 5% tea tree oil (TTO) has been shown to be effective in removing MRSA on the skin. However, to date, no trials have evaluated the potential of TTO body wash to prevent MRSA colonization or infection. In addition, detecting MRSA by usual culture methods is slow. A faster method using a PCR assay has been developed in the laboratory, but requires evaluation in a large number of patients.

Methods/Design
This study protocol describes the design of a multicentre, phase II/III prospective open-label randomized controlled clinical trial to evaluate whether a concentration of 5% TTO is effective in preventing MRSA colonization in comparison with a standard body wash (Johnsons Baby Softwash) in the ICU. In addition we will evaluate the cost-effectiveness of TTO body wash and assess the effectiveness of the PCR assay in detecting MRSA in critically ill patients. On admission to intensive care, swabs from the nose and groin will be taken to screen for MRSA as per current practice. Patients will be randomly assigned to be washed with the standard body wash or TTO body wash. On discharge from the unit, swabs will be taken again to identify whether there is a difference in MRSA colonization between the two groups.

Discussion
If TTO body wash is found to be effective, widespread implementation of such a simple colonization prevention tool has the potential to impact on patient outcomes, healthcare resource use and patient confidence both nationally and internationally.

Trial Registration
[ISRCTN65190967]

Shyness and face scanning in children

Contrary to popular beliefs, a recent empirical study using eye tracking has shown that a non-clinical sample of socially anxious adults did not avoid the eyes during face scanning. Using eye-tracking measures, we sought to extend these findings by examining the relation between stable shyness and face scanning patterns in a non-clinical sample of 11-year-old children. We found that shyness was associated with longer dwell time to the eye region than the mouth, suggesting that some shy children were not avoiding the eyes. Shyness was also correlated with fewer first fixations to the nose, which is thought to reflect the typical global strategy of face processing. Present results replicate and extend recent work on social anxiety and face scanning in adults to shyness in children. These preliminary findings also provide support for the notion that some shy children may be hypersensitive to detecting social cues and intentions in others conveyed by the eyes. Theoretical and practical implications for understanding the social cognitive correlates and treatment of shyness are discussed. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation and outcome of patients with chronic non-productive cough using a comprehensive diagnostic protocol

Background-Asthma, post-nasal drip syndrome (PNDS), and gastrooesophageal reflux (GOR) account for many cases of chronic non-productive cough (CNPC). Each may simultaneously contribute to cough even when clinically silent, and failure to recognise their contribution may lead to unsuccessful treatment.

Methods—Patients (all lifetime non-smokers with normal chest radiographs and spirometric measurements) referred with CNPC persisting for more than three weeks as their sole respiratory symptom underwent histamine challenge, home peak flow measurements, ear, nose and throat (ENT) examination, sinus CT scanning, and 24 hour oesophageal pH monitoring. Treatment was prescribed on the basis of diagnoses informed by investigation results.

RESULTS—Forty three patients (29 women) of mean age 47.5 years (range 18-77) and mean cough duration 67 months (range 2-240) were evaluated. On the basis of a successful response to treatment, a cause for the cough was identified in 35 patients (82%) as follows: cough variant asthma (CVA) (10 cases), PNDS (9 cases), GOR (8cases), and dual aetiologies (8 cases). Histamine challenge correctly predicted CVA in 15 of 17 (88%) positive tests. ENT examination and sinus CT scans each had low positive predictive values for PNDS (10 of 16 (63%) and 12 of 18 (67%) positive cases, respectively), suggesting that upper airways disease frequently co-exists but does not always contribute to cough. When negative, histamine challenge and 24 hour oesophageal pH monitoring effectively ruled out CVA and GOR, respectively, as a cause for cough.

CONCLUSION—This comprehensive approach aids the accurate direction of treatment and, while CVA, PNDS and GOR remain the most important causes of CNPC to consider, a group with no identifiable aetiology remains.