Modeling complex wells with the multi-scale finite-volume method

In this paper, an extension of the multi-scale finite-volume (MSFV) method is devised, which allows to Simulate flow and transport in reservoirs with complex well configurations. The new framework fits nicely into the data Structure of the original MSFV method,and has the important property that large patches covering the whole well are not required. For each well. an additional degree of freedom is introduced. While the treatment of pressure-constraint wells is trivial (the well-bore reference pressure is explicitly specified), additional equations have to be solved to obtain the unknown well-bore pressure of rate-constraint wells. Numerical Simulations of test cases with multiple complex wells demonstrate the ability of the new algorithm to capture the interference between the various wells and the reservoir accurately. (c) 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

DETECÇÃO DE SUBPRODUTOS DA DESINFECÇÃO COM CLORO EM ÁGUA DESSALINIZADA

A dessalinização da água do mar é um método usado para obter água potável. Na dessalinização da água também é necessária a desinfecção de água com o cloro. Esta desinfecção garante à água condições seguras em termos microbiológicos mas promove a formação de novas substâncias consideradas tóxicas, resultantes da reacção do cloro com a matéria orgânica presente na água. Essas substâncias são designados por subprodutos de desinfecção de água com o cloro (DBP) dos quais destacam-se os trihalometanos (THM), os ácidos haloacéticos (HAA), os haloacetonitrilos (HAN), as haloacetonas (HK). A concentração dessas substâncias em águas para consumo humano é muito baixa e constitui sempre um desafio a sua detecção e quantificação. Neste trabalho desenvolveu-se e optimizou-se métodos de análises de DBP em água para consumo humano. Os DBP voláteis foram analisados por headspace e cromatografia gasosa com detecção por captura electrónica (HS-GC-ECD) e por microextracção em fase sólida no headspace e cromatografia gasosa com detecção por captura electrónica (SPME-HS-GC-ECD). Para os DBP não voláteis (HAA) aplicou-se a extracção em fase sólida e cromatografia líquida com detector de fila de diodos (SPE-RPHPLC- DAD). Foram analisados os DBP na água dessalinizada por osmose inversa proveniente de Cabo Verde e na água da cidade de Porto, de forma a verificar as diferenças em termos qualitativos e quantitativos. Usou-se um planeamento factorial de Box-Behnken para a optimização de métodos analíticos. Este modelo foi igualmente aplicado na simulação laboratorial de dessalinização da água do mar por osmose inversa e desinfecção com o cloro, tendo como objectivo identificar os factores mais significativos na formação de DBP em água dessalinizada (pH, temperatura e tempo de desinfecção).

Multi-dimensional approach to bullying

RÉSUMÉ : Le bullying est un type de comportement agressif qu'un élève (ou plusieurs) fait subir à un autre et qui se manifeste par des agressions verbales, physiques et/ou psychologiques. Les caractéristiques du bullying sont la répétitivité d'actions négatives sur le long terme et une relation de pouvoir asymétrique. Pour la victime, ce type de comportement peut avoir des conséquences graves telles qu'échec scolaire, dépression, troubles alimentaires, ou idées suicidaires. De plus, les auteurs de bullying commettent plus de comportements déviants au sein de l'école ou à l'extérieur de cette dernière. La mise en place d'actions ciblées auprès des auteurs de bullying pourrait donc non seulement prévenir une victimisation, mais aussi réduire les actes de délinquance en général. Hormis quelques études locales ou cantonales, aucune recherche nationale auprès d'adolescents n'existait dans le domaine. Ce travail propose de combler cette lacune afin d'obtenir une compréhension suffisante du phénomène qui permet de donner des pistes pour définir des mesures de prévention appropriées. Afin d'appréhender la problématique du bullying dans les écoles secondaires suisses, deux sondages de délinquance juvénile autoreportée ont été effectués. Le premier a eu lieu entre 2003 et 2005 dans le canton de Vaud auprès de plus de 4500 écoliers. Le second a été administré en 2006 dans toute la Suisse et environ 3600 jeunes y ont participé. Les jeunes ont répondu au sondage soit en classe (questionnaire papier) soit en salle d'informatique (questionnaire en ligne). Les jeunes ayant répondu avoir sérieusement harcelé un autre élève est d'environ 7% dans le canton de Vaud et de 4% dans l'échantillon national. Les analyses statistiques ont permis tout d'abord de sélectionner les variables les plus fortement liées au bullying. Les résultats montrent que les jeunes avec un bas niveau d'autocontrôle et ayant une attitude positive envers la violence sont plus susceptibles de commettre des actes de bullying. L'importance des variables environnementales a aussi été démontrée: plus le jeune est supervisé et encadré par des adultes, plus les autorités (école, voisinage) jouent leur rôle de contrôle social en faisant respecter les règles et en intervenant de manière impartiale, moins le jeune risque de commettre des actes de bullying. De plus, l'utilisation d'analyses multiniveaux a permis de montrer l'existence d'effets de l'école sur le bullying. En particulier, le taux de bullying dans une école donnée augmente lorsque les avis des jeunes divergent par rapport à leur perception du climat scolaire. Un autre constat que l'on peut mettre en évidence est que la réaction des enseignants lors de bagarres a une influence différente sur le taux de bullying en fonction de l'établissement scolaire. ABSTRACT : Bullying is the intentional, repetitive or persistent hurting of one pupil by another (or several), where the relationship involves an imbalance of power. Bullying is a type of aggressive behaviour and the act can be verbal, physical and/or psychological. The consequences on the victims are serious: school failure, depressive symptomatology, eating disorders, or suicidal ideation. Moreover, the authors of bullying display more delinquent behaviour within or outside the school. Thus, preventive programmes targeting bullying could not only prevent victimisation, but also reduce delinquency in general. Very little data concerning bullying had been collected in Switzerland and, except some local or cantonal studies, no national research among teenagers existed in the field. This work intends to fill the gap in order to provide sufficient understanding of the phenomenon and to suggest some tracks for defining appropriate measures of prevention. In order to understand the problems of bullying in Swiss secondary schools better, two surveys of self-reported juvenile delinquency were carried out. The first one took place between 2003 and 2005 in the canton Vaud among more than 4500 pupils, the second in 2006 across Switzerland with about 3600 youths taking part. The pupils answered to the survey either in the classroom (paper questionnaire) or in the computer room (online questionnaire). The youths that answered having seriously bullied another pupil are about 7% in canton Vaud and 4% in the national sample. Statistical analyses have selected the variables most strongly related to bullying. The results show that the youths with a low level of self-control and adopting a positive attitude towards violence are more likely to bully others. The importance of the environmental variables was also shown: the more that youth is supervised and monitored by adults, and the more the authorities (school, neighbourhood) play their role of social control by making the rules be respected through intervening in an impartial way, the less the youth bully. Moreover, the use of multilevel analyses permitted to show the existence of effects of the school on bullying. In particular, the rate of bullying in a given school increases when there is a wide variation among students of the same school in their perception of their school climate. Another important aspect concerns teachers' reactions when pupils fight: this variable does not influence the bullying rate to the same extent, and depends on the school.

A wearable system for multi-segment foot kinetics measurement.

This study aims to design a wearable system for kinetics measurement of multi-segment foot joints in long-distance walking and to investigate its suitability for clinical evaluations. The wearable system consisted of inertial sensors (3D gyroscopes and 3D accelerometers) on toes, forefoot, hindfoot, and shank, and a plantar pressure insole. After calibration in a laboratory, 10 healthy elderly subjects and 12 patients with ankle osteoarthritis walked 50m twice wearing this system. Using inverse dynamics, 3D forces, moments, and power were calculated in the joint sections among toes, forefoot, hindfoot, and shank. Compared to those we previously estimated for a one-segment foot model, the sagittal and transverse moments and power in the ankle joint, as measured via multi-segment foot model, showed a normalized RMS difference of less than 11%, 14%, and 13%, respectively, for healthy subjects, and 13%, 15%, and 14%, for patients. Similar to our previous study, the coronal moments were not analyzed. Maxima-minima values of anterior-posterior and vertical force, sagittal moment, and power in shank-hindfoot and hindfoot-forefoot joints were significantly different between patients and healthy subjects. Except for power, the inter-subject repeatability of these parameters was CMC>0.90 for healthy subjects and CMC>0.70 for patients. Repeatability of these parameters was lower for the forefoot-toes joint. The proposed measurement system estimated multi-segment foot joints kinetics with acceptable repeatability but showed difference, compared to those previously estimated for the one-segment foot model. These parameters also could distinguish patients from healthy subjects. Thus, this system is suggested for outcome evaluations of foot treatments.

Detecção de solos erodidos pela avaliação de dados espectrais

O objetivo do presente trabalho foi avaliar a eficiência da reflectância espectral na discriminação e diagnóstico de diferentes níveis de erosão. Para tanto, quatro perfis de solos (Latossolo Vermelho-Amarelo, Terra Roxa Estruturada latossólica, Cambissolo de basalto e Vertissolo), localizados numa toposseqüência na região de Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brasil, foram submetidos à avaliação de atributos químicos, físicos e mineralógicos para verificar sua influência na reflectância. Os dados espectrais foram coletados, utilizando espectrorradiômetro no intervalo de 400 a 2.500 nm, em laboratório. O processo erosivo dos solos foi considerado de acordo com as profundidades de coleta de amostras no perfil, sendo: 0-5, 10-20, 40-60 e 60-80 cm, correspondentes à erosão nula (testemunha), erosão ligeira, erosão moderada e erosão severa, respectivamente. Com os dados espectrais obtidos em laboratório, foram também simuladas respostas do TM-LANDSAT-5, relacionando-os com os atributos do solo e os níveis de erosão. Na medida em que aumentou o grau de erosão, ocorreram alterações, principalmente no teor de matéria orgânica, provocando modificações no caráter espectral. Quanto mais erodido foi o solo, maior a intensidade da curva espectral entre 600 e 2.400 nm. As bandas de absorção devidas aos óxidos de ferro (850 nm), água (1.400 e 1.900 nm) e caulinita (2.200 nm), por sua vez, apresentaram-se mais intensas nos solos erodidos. Os dados espectrais do LANDSAT mostraram-se menos detalhados e, por conseqüência, menos eficientes na detecção dos níveis de erosão. Apesar disso, as bandas 3, 4, 5 e 7 discriminaram os solos não erodidos dos erodidos por meio da intensidade e tendência das curvas.

Identificação de estruturas de processos multi-escala em ecossistemas marinhos utilizando ondaletas

Ecossistemas marinhos de upwelling são muito heterogêneos e apresentam uma intensa atividade de mesoescala de dimensão de dezenas de quilômetros e submesoescala que variam de centenas de metros até quilômetros dos processos físicos. A importância das estruturas dos processos físicos está na estruturação que eles exercem sob a biomassa de zooplâncton. O presente trabalho está relacionado a um estudo realizado a cabo no Norte do Sistema da Corrente de Humboldt (Peru). Utilizou-se duas variáveis, a profundidade do limite superior da zona de mínimo oxigênio (ZMO) e a biomassa de zooplâncton. É desenvolvida uma metodologia de análise baseada no uso de ondaletas para a identi cação das estruturas dos processos físicos em suas diferentes escalas. O método foi aplicado aos dados de ZMO. Estudos de simula ção mostraram que o método tem a capacidade de identi car as estruturas de interesse, tendo erro de estimação nas bordas do espectro da potência de ondaleta. A tipologia das estruturas identi cadas mostraram que existe três tipos de estruturas, estruturas maiores de mesoescala, duas estruturas pequenas de submesoescala com profundidades diferentes. Outro resultado importante foi que dentro das estruturas pequenas e mais profundas existe maior biomassa de zooplâncton, principalmente nas estruturas de downwelling.

Detecção de Azospirillum amazonense em raízes e rizosfera de orchidaceae e de outras famílias vegetais

Azospirillum amazonense é uma bactéria fixadora de N2 atmosférico de ampla ocorrência, principalmente em associações radiculares com gramíneas e palmeiras. Para verificar sua presença em outras espécies vegetais, ainda não estudadas, e a eficiência de meios para sua detecção, foram testados os meios Fam e LGI para contagens em solo rizosférico ou em culturas de enriquecimento com solo rizosférico, ecto e endorrizosfera. A. amazonense foi detectada no solo rizosférico, ecto e endorrizosfera de várias espécies de monocotiledôneas, incluindo Orchidaceae e dicotiledôneas, sendo o meio Fam mais eficiente para sua detecção

Invasive mould infections: a multi-disciplinary update.

Systemic fungal infections remain a significant cause of mortality in neutropenic and immunocompromised patients, despite advances in their diagnosis and treatment. The incidence of such infections is rising due to the use of intensive chemotherapy regimens in patients with solid tumours or haematological cancers, the increasing numbers of allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell and solid organ transplants, and the use of potent immunosuppressive therapy in patients with autoimmune disorders. In addition, the epidemiology of systemic fungal infections is changing, with atypical species such as Aspergillus terreus and zygomycetes becoming more common. Treatment has traditionally focused on empirical therapy, but targeted pre-emptive therapy in high-risk patients and prophylactic antifungal treatment are increasingly being adopted. New treatments, including lipid formulations of amphotericin B, second-generation broad-spectrum azoles, and echinocandins, offer effective antifungal activity with improved tolerability compared with older agents; the potential impact of these treatments is reflected in their inclusion in current treatment and prophylaxis guidelines. New treatment strategies, such as aerosolized lipid formulations of amphotericin B, may also reduce the burden of mortality associated with systemic fungal infections. The challenge is to identify ways of coupling potentially effective treatments with early and reliable identification of patients at highest risk of infection.

La Multi-metodología Autobiográfica Extendida (MAE). Una estrategia cualitativa para estudiar la identidad, los fondos de conocimiento y las formas de vida

La multi-metodología autobiográfica es una aproximación cualitativa que combina distintas técnicas para estudiar la construcción narrativa de la identidad. El objetivo de este artículo es ofrecer una revisión de dicho enfoque a partir de una expansión de los distintos instrumentos cualitativos utilizados. Más concretamente, la multi-metodología autobiográfica extendida (MAE) consta de cuatro grupos de técnicas: entrevistas en profundidad (historia de vida, entrevista de fondos de conocimiento y la entrevista de Durand), el retrato o dibujo identitario revisado (dibujo identitario, auto-definición, tarea identitaria de las diez definiciones), el análisis de los artefactos-rutinas-formas de vida (diario de una semana, detección de artefactos, rutinas a través de fotografías, rutinas educativas a través de fotografías ) y la utilización de distintos “mapas psicológicos o psicogeográficos” (cronograma, genograma, ecomapa, geomapa y mapa relacional). Después de definir la identidad, los fondos de conocimiento y las formas de vida como posibles objetos de estudio en ciencias sociales, el artículo describe e ilustra las distintas técnicas que componen la metodología propuesta. Se concluye recomendando la triangulación de técnicas cualitativas narrativas basadas en el lenguaje, el caso de las tradicionales entrevistas en profundidad, con determinados procedimientos visuales, a partir de la utilización de fotografías o representaciones gráficas

Multi-modal assessment of long-term erythropoietin treatment after neonatal hypoxic-ischemic injury in rat brain.

Erythropoietin (EPO) has been recognized as a neuroprotective agent. In animal models of neonatal brain injury, exogenous EPO has been shown to reduce lesion size, improve structure and function. Experimental studies have focused on short course treatment after injury. Timing, dose and length of treatment in preterm brain damage remain to be defined. We have evaluated the effects of high dose and long-term EPO treatment in hypoxic-ischemic (HI) injury in 3 days old (P3) rat pups using histopathology, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and spectroscopy (MRS) as well as functional assessment with somatosensory-evoked potentials (SEP). After HI, rat pups were assessed by MRI for initial damage and were randomized to receive EPO or vehicle. At the end of treatment period (P25) the size of resulting cortical damage and white matter (WM) microstructure integrity were assessed by MRI and cortical metabolism by MRS. Whisker elicited SEP were recorded to evaluate somatosensory function. Brains were collected for neuropathological assessment. The EPO treated animals did not show significant decrease of the HI induced cortical loss at P25. WM microstructure measured by diffusion tensor imaging was improved and SEP response in the injured cortex was recovered in the EPO treated animals compared to vehicle treated animals. In addition, the metabolic profile was less altered in the EPO group. Long-term treatment with high dose EPO after HI injury in the very immature rat brain induced recovery of WM microstructure and connectivity as well as somatosensory cortical function despite no effects on volume of cortical damage. This indicates that long-term high-dose EPO induces recovery of structural and functional connectivity despite persisting gross anatomical cortical alteration resulting from HI.

Inpatient diabetes care in a Swiss multi-site hospital: is there room for improvement?

Background and objective: Optimal care of diabetic patients (DPs) decreases the risk of complications. Close blood glucose monitoring can improve patient outcomes and shorten hospital stay. The objective of this pilot study was to evaluate the treatment of hospitalized DPs according to the current standards, including their diabetic treatment and drugs to prevent diabetes related complications [=guardian drugs: angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) or Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers (ARB), antiplatelet drugs, statins]. Guidelines of the American Diabetes Association (ADA) [1] were used as reference as they were the most recent and exhaustive for hospital care. Design: Observational pilot study: analysis of the medical records of all DPs seen by the clinical pharmacists during medical rounds in different hospital units. An assessment was made by assigning points for fulfilling the different criteria according to ADA and then by dividing the total by the maximum achievable points (scale 0-1; 1 = all criteria fulfilled). Setting: Different Internal Medicine and Geriatric Units of the (multi-site) Ho^pital du Valais. Main outcome measures: - Completeness of diabetes-related information: type of diabetes, medical history, weight, albuminuria status, renal function, blood pressure, (recent) lipid profile. - Management of blood glucose: Hb1Ac, glycemic control, plan for treating hyper-/hypoglycaemia. - Presence of guardian drugs if indicated. Results: Medical records of 42 patients in 10 different units were analysed (18 women, 24 men, mean age 75.4 ± 11 years). 41 had type 2 diabetes. - Completeness of diabetes-related information: 0.8 ± 0.1. Information often missing: insulin-dependence (43%) and lipid profile (86%). - Management of blood glucose: 0.5 ± 0.2. 15 patients had suboptimal glycemic balance (target glycaemia 7.2-11.2 mmol/ l, with values[11.2 or\3.8 mmol/l, or Hb1Ac[7%), 10 patients had a deregulated balance (more than 10 values[11.2 mmol/l or \3.8 mmol/l and even values[15 mmol/l). - Presence of guardian drugs if indicated: ACEI/ARB: 19 of 23 patients (82.6%), statin: 16 of 40 patients (40%), antiplatelet drug: 16 of 39 patients (41%). Conclusions: Blood glucose control was insufficient in many DPs and prescription of statins and antiplatelet drugs was often missing. If confirmed by a larger study, these two points need to be optimised. As it is not always possible and appropriate to make those changes during hospital stay, a further project should assess and optimise diabetes care across both inpatient and outpatient settings.