Using ICT Energy consumption for monitoring ICT architecture

Energy efficient policies are being applied to network protocols, devices and classical network management systems. Researchers have already studied in depth each of those fields, including for instance a long monitoring processes of various number of individual ICT equipment from where power models are constructed. With the development of smart meters and emerging protocols such as SNMP and NETCONF, currently there is an open field to couple the power models, translated to the expected behavior, with the realtime energy measurements. The goal is to derive a comparison on the power data between both of the processes in the direction of detection for possible deviations on the expected results. The logical assumption is that a fault in the usage of a particular device will not only increase its own energy usage, but also may cause additional consumption on the other devices part of the network. A platform is developed to monitor and analyze the retrieved power data of a simulated enterprise ICT infrastructure. Moreover, smart algorithms are developed which are aware of the different states that are occurring on each device during their typical use phase, as well as to detect and isolate possible anomalies. The produced results are obtained and validated with the use of Cisco switches and routers, Dell Precision stations and Raritan PDU as part of the monitored infrastructure.

The Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale

Background There is increasing international interest in the concept of mental well-being and its contribution to all aspects of human life. Demand for instruments to monitor mental well-being at a population level and evaluate mental health promotion initiatives is growing. This article describes the development and validation of a new scale, comprised only of positively worded items relating to different aspects of positive mental health: the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (WEMWBS). Methods WEMWBS was developed by an expert panel drawing on current academic literature, qualitative research with focus groups, and psychometric testing of an existing scale. It was validated on a student and representative population sample. Content validity was assessed by reviewing the frequency of complete responses and the distribution of responses to each item. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to test the hypothesis that the scale measured a single construct. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha. Criterion validity was explored in terms of correlations between WEMWBS and other scales and by testing whether the scale discriminated between population groups in line with pre-specified hypotheses. Test-retest reliability was assessed at one week using intra-class correlation coefficients. Susceptibility to bias was measured using the Balanced Inventory of Desired Responding. Results WEMWBS showed good content validity. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the single factor hypothesis. A Cronbach’s alpha score of 0.89 (student sample) and 0.91 (population sample) suggests some item redundancy in the scale. WEMWBS showed high correlations with other mental health and well-being scales and lower correlations with scales measuring overall health. Its distribution was near normal and the scale did not show ceiling effects in a population sample. It discriminated between population groups in a way that is largely consistent with the results of other population surveys. Test–retest reliability at one week was high (0.83). Social desirability bias was lower or similar to that of other comparable scales. Conclusions WEMWBS is a measure of mental well-being focusing entirely on positive aspects of mental health. As a short and psychometrically robust scale, with no ceiling effects in a population sample, it offers promise as a tool for monitoring mental well-being at a population level. Whilst WEMWBS should appeal to those evaluating mental health promotion initiatives, it is important that the scale’s sensitivity to change is established before it is recommended in this context.

Application of an online-biomass sensor in an optical multisensory platform prototype for growth monitoring of biotechnical relevant microorganism and cell lines in single-use shake flasks

In the context of this work we evaluated a multisensory, noninvasive prototype platform for shake flask cultivations by monitoring three basic parameters (pH, pO2 and biomass). The focus lies on the evaluation of the biomass sensor based on backward light scattering. The application spectrum was expanded to four new organisms in addition to E. coli K12 and S. cerevisiae [1]. It could be shown that the sensor is appropriate for a wide range of standard microorganisms, e.g., L. zeae, K. pastoris, A. niger and CHO-K1. The biomass sensor signal could successfully be correlated and calibrated with well-known measurement methods like OD600, cell dry weight (CDW) and cell concentration. Logarithmic and Bleasdale-Nelder derived functions were adequate for data fitting. Measurements at low cell concentrations proved to be critical in terms of a high signal to noise ratio, but the integration of a custom made light shade in the shake flask improved these measurements significantly. This sensor based measurement method has a high potential to initiate a new generation of online bioprocess monitoring. Metabolic studies will particularly benefit from the multisensory data acquisition. The sensor is already used in labscale experiments for shake flask cultivations.

Effect of different feed-rate in bone drilling: experimental and numerical study

The behaviour of bone tissue during drilling has been subject of recent studies due to its great importance. Because of thermal nature of the bone drilling, high temperatures and thermal mechanical stresses are developed during drilling that affect the process quality. However, there is still a lack information with regard to the distribution of mechanical and thermal stresses during bone drilling. The present paper describes a sequentially coupled thermal-stress analysis to assess the mechanical and thermal stress distribution during bone drilling. A three-dimensional thermo-mechanical model was developed using the ANSYS/LSDYNA finite element code under different drilling conditions. The model incorporates the dynamic characteristics of drilling process, as well as the thermo-mechanical properties of the involved materials. Experimental tests with polyurethane foam materials were also carried out. It was concluded that the use of higher feed-rates lead to a decrease of normal stresses and strains in the foam materials. The experimental and numerical results were compared and showed good agreement. The proposed numerical model could be used to predict the better drilling parameters and minimize the bone injuries.

Atmospheric mercury concentrations observed at ground-based monitoring sites globally distributed in the framework of the GMOS network

Long-term monitoring of data of ambient mercury (Hg) on a global scale to assess its emission, transport, atmospheric chemistry, and deposition processes is vital to understanding the impact of Hg pollution on the environment. The Global Mercury Observation System (GMOS) project was funded by the European Commission (http://www.gmos.eu) and started in November 2010 with the overall goal to develop a coordinated global observing system to monitor Hg on a global scale, including a large network of ground-based monitoring stations, ad hoc periodic oceanographic cruises and measurement flights in the lower and upper troposphere as well as in the lower stratosphere. To date, more than 40 ground-based monitoring sites constitute the global network covering many regions where little to no observational data were available before GMOS. This work presents atmospheric Hg concentrations recorded worldwide in the framework of the GMOS project (2010–2015), analyzing Hg measurement results in terms of temporal trends, seasonality and comparability within the network. Major findings highlighted in this paper include a clear gradient of Hg concentrations between the Northern and Southern hemispheres, confirming that the gradient observed is mostly driven by local and regional sources, which can be anthropogenic, natural or a combination of both.

influência da adição de diferentes sais em pastas de cimento portland para cimentação de poços de petróleo

One of the great challenges at present time related with the materials area concerns of products and processes for use in petroleum industry, more precisely related to the Pre-salt area. Progresses were reached in the last years allowing the drilling of the salt layer, with the time reduction for drilling and larger success at the end. For the oil wells companies the preponderant factor is the technology, however, in spite of the progress, a series of challenges is still susceptible to solutions and one of them refers to the slurries preparation for cementing in those areas. Inside of this context, this study had for objective to analyze the influence of the salts NaCl, KCl, CaSO4 and MgSO4 in strength and chemical structure of the hydrated products. As methodology, they were prepared and analyzed cement slurries with varied concentrations of these salts that are commonly found in the saline formations. The salts concentrations used in formulations of the slurries were of 5%, 15% and 30%. The slurries were formulated with specific weight of 15,8 lb / gal and the cement used was Class G. Strength tests were accomplished in samples cured by 24 hours and 28 days. Also were realized crystallographic characterization (XRD) and morphologic (SEM). In agreement with the presented results, it is observed that the largest resistance values are attributed to the slurries with concentration of 15%. There was reduction of the strength values of the slurries formulated with concentration of 30%. Through the characterization microstructural it was possible to note the salts influence in the main cement hydrated products

Serological based monitoring of a cohort of patients with chronic Chagas disease treated with benznidazole in a highly endemic area of northern Argentina

This study aimed to evaluate well-documented diagnostic antigens, named B13, 1F8 and JL7 recombinant proteins, as potential markers of seroconversion in treated chagasic patients. Prospective study, involving 203 patients treated with benznidazole, was conducted from endemic areas of northern Argentina. Follow-up was possible in 107 out of them and blood samples were taken for serology and PCR assays before and 2, 3, 6, 12, 24 and 36 months after treatment initiation. Reactivity against Trypanosoma cruzi lysate and recombinant antigens was measured by ELISA. The rate of decrease of antibody titers showed nonlinear kinetics with an abrupt drop within the first three months after initiation of treatment for all studied antigens, followed by a plateau displaying a low decay until the end of follow-up. At this point, anti-B13, anti-1F8 and anti-JL7 titers were relatively close to the cut-off line, while anti-T. cruzi antibodies still remained positive. At baseline, 60.8% (45/74) of analysed patients tested positive for parasite DNA by PCR and during the follow-up period in 34 out of 45 positive samples (75.5%) could not be detected T. cruzi DNA. Our results suggest that these antigens might be useful as early markers for monitoring antiparasitic treatment in chronic Chagas disease.

Health effects due to exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from the petroleum reining industry

Introduction: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PaH) are a group of semi-volatile organic compounds composed of 2 or more aromatic rings, generated during incomplete combustion of organic matter. These compounds have been considered as major air pollutants, and also, there is evidence of potential mutagenic and carcinogenic effects in some of them. One of the most important sources of these compounds is industry, and particularly, in processes such as aluminium or coke production, waste incineration and petrochemical and oil reining. This last process is the subject of this article, whose aim is to review the health effects in persons potentially exposed to PAH generated during petroleum reining. Methods: a descriptive review of the available literature was performed, in which PubMed was used as an information source. The following search descriptors were used: refinery, PaH, health, health impact assessment, air pollutants and environmental, as well as their translations in Spanish. Results: eleven articles were included, and most of them correspond to epidemiological studies in which a high incidence of cancer is reported. Conclusions: The reviewed studies concur that there is a signiicant relationship between the presence of oil reineries and the increase of adverse health effects of workers and people living in areas that are close to these industries, particularly, respiratory diseases and cancer. However, it is important to develop studies that simultaneously evaluate the effects on human health and the concentration of these substances in the environment, in order to establish a more direct relationship between the 2 variables.

Simulador de dano à formação, aplicado ao Projeto e à execução da perfuração de poços de petróleo

With the high oil price variability, the petroleum and the reservoir engineers are usually face to face on how they can evaluate the well performance and productivity. They can improve high productivity from the well construction to the secondary recoveries, but they have never tried a measurement in the drilling operations about the lower productivity index. As a rule, frequently the drilling operations hear from the reservoir engineering and geology that, if there is a formation damage, probably some drilling operations practices were not done properly or the good practice in petroleum engineering or mud engineering were not observed. The study in this working search is an attempt of how to measure a formation damage just from the project drilling to the drilling operations, with datum from the fields in Brazilian northeast and putting into practice a Simulator developed from the modeling on the theory offered by different experts and sources in formation damage

Desenvolvimento de sistemas de aditivos químicos para aplicação em cimentações de poços de petróleo

The primary cementing is an important step in the oilwell drilling process, ensuring the mechanical stability of the well and the hydraulic isolation between casing and formation. For slurries to meet the requirements for application in a certain well, some care in the project should be taken into account to obtain a cement paste with the proper composition. In most cases, it is necessary to add chemicals to the cement to modify its properties, according to the operation conditions and thus obtain slurries that can move inside the jacket providing a good displacement to the interest area. New technologies of preparation and use of chemicals and modernization of technological standards in the construction industry have resulted in the development of new chemical additives for optimizing the properties of building materials. Products such as polycarboxylate superplasticizers provide improved fluidity and cohesion of the cement grains, in addition to improving the dispersion with respect to slurries without additives. This study aimed at adapting chemical additives used in civil construction to be used use in oilwell cement slurries systems, using Portland cement CPP-Special Class as the hydraulic binder. The chemical additives classified as defoamer, dispersant, fluid loss controller and retarder were characterized by infrared absorption spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analyses and technological tests set by the API (American Petroleum Institute). These additives showed satisfactory results for its application in cement slurries systems for oil wells. The silicone-based defoamer promoted the reduction of air bubbles incorporated during the stirring of the slurries. The dispersant significantly reduced the rheological parameters of the systems studied. The tests performed with the fluid loss controller and the retarder also resulted in suitable properties for application as chemical additives in cement slurries

Metodologia para avaliação de cinemática de partículas gasosas em fluidos de viscosidade variável com o tempo e sua aplicação na construção de poços de petróleo

Many challenges have been presented in petroleum industry. One of them is the preventing of fluids influx during drilling and cementing. Gas migration can occur as result of pressure imbalance inside the well when well pressure becomes lower than gas zone pressure and in cementing operation this occurs during cement slurry transition period (solid to fluid). In this work it was developed a methodology to evaluate gas migration during drilling and cementing operations. It was considered gel strength concept and through experimental tests determined gas migration initial time. A mechanistic model was developed to obtain equation that evaluates bubble displacement through the fluid while it gels. Being a time-dependant behavior, dynamic rheological measurements were made to evaluate viscosity along the time. For drilling fluids analyzed it was verified that it is desirable fast and non-progressive gelation in order to reduce gas migration without affect operational window (difference between pore and fracture pressure). For cement slurries analyzed, the most appropriate is that remains fluid for more time below critical gel strength, maintaining hydrostatic pressure above gas zone pressure, and after that gels quickly, reducing gas migration. The model developed simulates previously operational conditions and allow changes in operational and fluids design to obtain a safer condition for well construction

Controle aplicado a poços com método de elevação e bombeio centrífugo submerso

The Electrical Submersible Pumping is an artificial lift method for oil wells employed in onshore and offshore areas. The economic revenue of the petroleum production in a well depends on the oil flow and the availability of lifting equipment. The fewer the failures, the lower the revenue shortfall and costs to repair it. The frequency with which failures occur depends on the operating conditions to which the pumps are submitted. In high-productivity offshore wells monitoring is done by operators with engineering support 24h/day, which is not economically viable for the land areas. In this context, the automation of onshore wells has clear economic advantages. This work proposes a system capable of automatically control the operation of electrical submersible pumps, installed in oil wells, by an adjustment at the electric motor rotation based on signals provided by sensors installed on the surface and subsurface, keeping the pump operating within the recommended range, closest to the well s potential. Techniques are developed to estimate unmeasured variables, enabling the automation of wells that do not have all the required sensors. The automatic adjustment, according to an algorithm that runs on a programmable logic controller maintains the flow and submergence within acceptable parameters avoiding undesirable operating conditions, as the gas interference and high engine temperature, without need to resort to stopping the engine, which would reduce the its useful life. The control strategy described, based on modeling of physical phenomena and operational experience reported in literature, is materialized in terms of a fuzzy controller based on rules, and all generated information can be accompanied by a supervisory system

Novel Analytical Methodologies for the Monitoring of Traditional and Non-traditional Pollutants in different Environmental Compartments of South Florida

Routine monitoring of environmental pollution demands simplicity and speed without sacrificing sensitivity or accuracy. The development and application of sensitive, fast and easy to implement analytical methodologies for detecting emerging and traditional water and airborne contaminants in South Florida is presented. A novel method was developed for quantification of the herbicide glyphosate based on lyophilization followed by derivatization and simultaneous detection by fluorescence and mass spectrometry. Samples were analyzed from water canals that will hydrate estuarine wetlands of Biscayne National Park, detecting inputs of glyphosate from both aquatic usage and agricultural runoff from farms. A second study describes a set of fast, automated LC-MS/MS protocols for the analysis of dioctyl sulfosuccinate (DOSS) and 2-butoxyethanol, two components of Corexit®. Around 1.8 million gallons of those dispersant formulations were used in the response efforts for the Gulf of Mexico oil spill in 2010. The methods presented here allow the trace-level detection of these compounds in seawater, crude oil and commercial dispersants formulations. In addition, two methodologies were developed for the analysis of well-known pollutants, namely Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and airborne particulate matter (APM). PAHs are ubiquitous environmental contaminants and some are potent carcinogens. Traditional GC-MS analysis is labor-intensive and consumes large amounts of toxic solvents. My study provides an alternative automated SPE-LC-APPI-MS/MS analysis with minimal sample preparation and a lower solvent consumption. The system can inject, extract, clean, separate and detect 28 PAHs and 15 families of alkylated PAHs in 28 minutes. The methodology was tested with environmental samples from Miami. Airborne Particulate Matter is a mixture of particles of chemical and biological origin. Assessment of its elemental composition is critical for the protection of sensitive ecosystems and public health. The APM collected from Port Everglades between 2005 and 2010 was analyzed by ICP-MS after acid digestion of filters. The most abundant elements were Fe and Al, followed by Cu, V and Zn. Enrichment factors show that hazardous elements (Cd, Pb, As, Co, Ni and Cr) are introduced by anthropogenic activities. Data suggest that the major sources of APM were an electricity plant, road dust, industrial emissions and marine vessels.

Thermal reference points as an index for monitoring body temperature in marine mammals

BACKGROUND Monitoring body temperature is essential in veterinary care as minor variations may indicate dysfunction. Rectal temperature is widely used as a proxy for body temperature, but measuring it requires special equipment, training or restraining, and it potentially stresses animals. Infrared thermography is an alternative that reduces handling stress, is safer for technicians and works well for untrained animals. This study analysed thermal reference points in five marine mammal species: bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus); beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas); Patagonian sea lion (Otaria flavescens); harbour seal (Phoca vitulina); and Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens). RESULTS The thermogram analysis revealed that the internal blowhole mucosa temperature is the most reliable indicator of body temperature in cetaceans. The temperatures taken during voluntary breathing with a camera held perpendicularly were practically identical to the rectal temperature in bottlenose dolphins and were only 1 °C lower than the rectal temperature in beluga whales. In pinnipeds, eye temperature appears the best parameter for temperature control. In these animals, the average times required for temperatures to stabilise after hauling out, and the average steady-state temperature values, differed according to species: Patagonian sea lions, 10 min, 31.13 °C; harbour seals, 10 min, 32.27 °C; Pacific walruses, 5 min, 29.93 °C. CONCLUSIONS The best thermographic and most stable reference points for monitoring body temperature in marine mammals are open blowhole in cetaceans and eyes in pinnipeds.