Master of Science / Department of Geology / Abdelmoneam Raef / Advancements, applications, and success of time-lapse (4D) seismic monitoring of carbonate reservoirs is limited by these systems’ inherent heterogeneity and low compressibility relative to siliciclastic systems. To contribute to the advancement of 4D seismic monitoring in carbonates, an investigation of amplitude envelope across frequency sub-bands was conducted on a high-resolution 4D seismic data set acquired in fine temporal intervals between a baseline and eight monitor surveys to track CO₂-EOR from 2003-2005 in the Hall-Gurney Field, Kansas. The shallow (approximately 900 m) Plattsburg ‘C Zone’ target reservoir is an oomoldic limestone within the Lansing-Kansas City (LKC) supergroup – deposited as a sequence of high-frequency, stacked cyclothems. The LKC reservoir fluctuates around thin-bed thickness within the well pattern region and is susceptible to amplitude tuning effects, in which CO₂ replacement of initial reservoir fluid generates a complex tuning phenomena with reduction and brightening of amplitude at reservoir thickness above and below thin-bed thickness, respectively. A thorough analysis of horizon snapping criteria and parameters was conducted to understand the sensitivity of these autonomous operations and produce a robust horizon tracking workflow to extend the Baseline Survey horizon data to subsequent Monitor Surveys. This 4D seismic horizon tracking workflow expedited the horizon tracking process across monitor surveys, while following a quantitative, repeatable approach in tracking the LKC and maintaining geologic integrity despite low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) data and misties between surveys. Analysis of amplitude envelope data across frequency sub-bands (30-80 Hz) following spectral decomposition identified geometric features of multiple LKC shoal bodies at the reservoir interval. In corroboration with prior geologic interpretation, shoal boundaries, zones of overlap between stacked shoals, thickness variation, and lateral changes in lithofacies were delineated in the Baseline Survey, which enhanced detail of these features’ extent beyond capacity offered from well log data. Lineaments dominated by low-frequency anomalies within regions of adjacent shoals’ boundaries suggest thicker zones of potential shoal overlap. Analysis of frequency band-to-band analysis reveals relative thickness variation. Spectral decomposition of the amplitude envelope was analyzed between the Baseline and Monitor Surveys to identify spectral and tuning changes to monitor CO₂ migration. Ambiguity of CO₂ effects on tuning phenomena was observed in zones of known CO₂ fluid replacement. A series of lineaments highlighted by amplitude brightening from the Baseline to Monitor Surveys is observed, which compete with a more spatially extensive effect of subtle amplitude dimming. These lineaments are suggestive of features below tuning thickness, such as stratigraphic structures of shoals, fractures, and/or thin shoal edges, which are highlighted by an increased apparent thickness and onset of tuning from CO₂. Detailed analysis of these 4D seismic data across frequency sub-bands provide enhanced interpretation of shoal geometry, position, and overlap; identification of lateral changes in lithofacies suggestive of barriers and conduits; insight into relative thickness variation; and the ability of CO₂ tuning ambiguity to highlight zones below tuning thickness and improve reservoir characterization. These results suggest improved efficiency of CO₂ -EOR reservoir surveillance in carbonates, with implications to ensure optimal field planning and flood performance for analogous targets.

Master of Science / Department of Geology / Abdelmoneam Raef / This study focuses on characterizing subsurface rock formations of the Wellington Field, in Sumner County, Kansas, for both geosequestration of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in the saline Arbuckle formation, and enhanced oil recovery of a depleting Mississippian oil reservoir. Multi-scale data including rock core plug samples, laboratory ultrasonic P-&S-waves, X-ray diffraction, and well log data including sonic and dipole sonic, is integrated in an effort to evaluate existing rock physics models, with the objective of establishing a model that best represents our reservoir and/or saline aquifer rock formations. We estimated compressional and shear wave velocities of rock core plugs for a Mississippian reservoir and Arbuckle saline aquifer, based on first arrival times using a laboratory setup consisting of an Ult 100 Ultrasonic System, a 12-ton hydraulic jack, and a force gauge; the laboratory setup is located in the geophysics lab in Thompson Hall at Kansas State University. The dynamic elastic constants Young’s Modulus, Bulk Modulus, Shear (Rigidity) Modulus and Poisson’s Ratio have been calculated based on the estimated P- and S-wave velocity data. Ultrasonic velocities have been compared to velocities estimated based on sonic and dipole sonic log data from the Wellington 1-32 well. We were unable to create a transformation of compressional wave sonic velocities to shear wave sonic for all wells where compressional wave sonic is available, due to a lack of understandable patterns observed from a relatively limited dataset. Furthermore, saturated elastic moduli and velocities based on sonic and dipole sonic well logs, in addition to dry rock moduli acquired from core plug samples allowed for the testing of various rock physics models. These models predict effects of changing effective (brine + CO₂ +hydrocarbon) fluid composition on seismic properties, and were compared to known values to ensure accuracy, thus revealing implications for feasibility of seismic monitoring in the KGS 1-32 well vicinity.

Targeted drug delivery to the brain is difficult to achieve using conventional techniques, largely due to the blood-brain barrier’s (BBB) impediment to drug diffusion into the brain parenchyma. In response, development of convection-enhanced delivery (CED) offers the ability to circumvent the BBB and target specific areas of the brain. Predictability of infusate movement in pathological brain states during CED will maximize the effectiveness of this treatment, and therefore modeling of infusate movement must be characterized. Previous work from our lab effectively modeled CED in rats using the middle carotid artery occlusion model of cytotoxic edema. However, previous models examined for vasogenic edema study did not show pure vasogenic edema. The purpose of this study was to develop a model of pure vasogenic edema in the rat brain. In this study, we show that stereotactic 9 µL infusion of 1.0 mM DCA over 45 minutes into the rat corpus callosum reproducibly creates pure vasogenic edema, as observed in the peritumoral white matter surrounding gliomas.

Engineering Education experiences turbulent changes, both from government pressures and from industry demands on readdressing the requirements of graduate capability. Despite vast amounts of engineering literature discussing ‘change’ within the field, engineering curricula still maintains its predominant pedagogic model of dissemination to students as it did in previous decades. Technology Enhanced Learning in education has created new and flexible options in the delivery and assessment of teaching and learning, but uptake is limited and approached with caution within Engineering Education. This mixed methods research introduces an inclusive and innovative approach to Engineering Education assessment techniques utilising an integrated blended learning strategy to the implementation of Technology Enhanced Learning within engineering curriculums. The research explores and assesses the effectiveness of Technology Enhanced Learning and educational pedagogies within Engineering Education frameworks to enhance and develop student learning, digital literacy and employability. Preliminary research positioned the research, utilising observation and interview techniques to baseline current pedagogic practices in undergraduate Engineering Education against current literature. An alternative method of video assessment was implemented and embedded following a two year cycle of action research within a cohort of two undergraduate engineering modules. A prototype ‘toolkit’ was created using Xerte Online Toolkits (XOT) to facilitate student learning and support for the assessment. Additional techniques inside the cycles gained further qualitative and quantitative data via a survey and focus groups. Student learning and assessment results showed significant improvement following the introduction of this approach and validated the transferability of this technique into other educational disciplines. An industry based survey validated chosen research methods and provided a comparison of viewpoints on key issues surrounding Engineering Education against existing stakeholders. The research introduces a new innovative approach to Engineering Education utilising Technology Enhanced Learning, validated through positive industry feedback and student academic achievement and satisfaction. Significant improvements on student employability and engineering ‘soft skills’ are evidenced.

The goal of the diploma thesis is the characterization of the tax on financial transactions with its origins. The main content lies primarily in the description of the tax on financial transactions within the frame of the enhanced cooperation of some of the member states of the European Union and assessment of the assumed impacts of its implementation. The first chapter describes in more detail the development in the international field after the financial crisis which attracted attention to the various ways of taxation of financial sector. Options that were considered are briefly summarized in this chapter and then the detailed attention is paid to the path chosen by the European Union, i.e. the tax on financial transactions. The second chapter of the thesis examines the aspects of the enhanced cooperation and its specifics in comparison with the whole-union system. The chapter is finished with the case of the European Court of Justice where the claim of Great Britain disputing the conformity of the Council's decision approving the enhanced cooperation with the law and the principles of functioning of the European Union is decided. The main elements of the tax are analyzed in the third and the fourth chapter in accordance with the directives on which they are based. These two chapters which are more of the...

The theme of this dissertation thesis is: The perspectives of harmonization of direct income taxes in the European Union. The reason for choosing this topic was firstly the current issue, which offers a wide scope for research and polemic over new approaches and solutions in the European and international tax law. The European Union is a supranational organization founded on the principle of conferral of powers. The ideas of the approximation of the laws are not only its own, but occur throughout the world community, because thanks to the harmonization of certain legislation the benefits of international trade can maximize. The idea of exclusion from economic cooperation today is practically unrealistic. In the European Union the harmonization of laws is directly related to the development of the internal market. The European Union has a long-term goal to create a market that acts as a market of one country. The instrument of harmonization seeks to eliminate differences in legal systems so as not to impede the implementation of the four fundamental freedoms of the internal market. Taxation is a very specific and also sensitive area. The area of taxation is traditionally perceived as a sovereign expression of state sovereignty. The aim of this thesis is the attempt to find the best solutions how to...

Foi estudada a absorção da luz por partículas metálicas esferoidais, filmes metálicos finos e filmes metálicos finos cobertos com uma camada de material orgânico nas regiões espectrais do visível e do infravermelho. A dependência das características dos picos de absorção de luz por partículas metálicas para com a forma e o tipo de material foi analisada. Modelos para o estudo de filmes metálicos finos foram deduzidos, a aproximação por rede de dipolos foi escolhida e resultados obtidos com o uso desta teoria foram comparados com resultados experimentais e com resultados teóricos encontrados na literatura. Um modelo para o estudo de filmes metálicos cobertos com uma camada de material orgânico foi proposto e sua consistência e utilidade foram testadas. Computações foram efetuadas usando o programa Maple. / The absorption of light in the visible and infrared spectral regions by spheroidal metal particles, thin metallic films and thin metallic films covered with organic layers was studied. The dependence of the intensity and frequency of the peaks of absorption of light by metal particles with the shape and the kind of metal was studied. Models for the study of thin metallic films were deduced, the net dipole approximation is chosen and results obtained with it are compared with experimental results and with results obtained with a Maxwell-Garnett type theory. A model for the study of metallic films covered with organic layers was proposed and tested for consistency and utility. Computations were carried out using Maple.

Cerebral small vessel disease (SVD) is a common cause of strokes and dementia. The pathogenesis of SVD is poorly understood, but imaging and biochemical investigations suggest that subtle blood-brain barrier (BBB) leakage may contribute to tissue damage. The most widely-used imaging method for assessing BBB integrity and other microvascular properties is dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI). DCE-MRI has primarily been applied in situations where contrast uptake in tissue is typically large and rapid (e.g. neuro-oncology); the optimal approach for quantifying BBB integrity in diseases where the BBB remains largely intact and the reliability of resulting measurements is unclear. The main purpose of this thesis was to assess and improve the reliability of quantitative assessment of subtle BBB disruption, in order to illuminate its potential role in cerebral SVD. Firstly, a systematic literature review was performed in order to provide an overview of DCE-MRI methods in the brain. This review found large variations in MRI procedures and data analysis methods, resulting in widely varying estimates of tracer kinetic parameters. Secondly, this thesis focused on the analysis of DCE-MRI data acquired in an on-site clinical study of mild stroke patients. After performing basic DCE-MRI processing (e.g. selection of a vascular input function), this work aimed to determine the tracer kinetic modelling approach most suitable for assessing subtle BBB disruption in this cohort. Using data-driven model selection and computer simulations, the Patlak model was found to provide accurate estimates of blood plasma volume and low-level BBB leakage. Thirdly, this thesis aimed to investigate two potential pitfalls in the quantification of subtle BBB disruption. Contrast-free measurements in healthy volunteers revealed that a signal drift of approximately 0.1 %/min occurs during the DCE-MRI acquisition; computer simulations showed that this drift introduces significant systematic errors when estimating low-level tracer kinetic parameters. Furthermore, tracer kinetic analysis was performed in an external patient cohort in order to investigate the inter-study comparability of DCE-MRI measurements. Due to the nature of the acquisition protocol it proved difficult to obtain reliable estimates of BBB leakage, highlighting the importance of study design. Lastly, this thesis examined the relationship between quantitative MRI parameters and clinical measurements in cerebral SVD, with a focus on the estimates of blood volume and BBB leakage obtained in the internal SVD patient cohort. This work did not provide evidence that BBB leakage in normal-appearing tissue increases with SVD burden or predicts disease progression; however, increased BBB leakage was found in white matter hyperintensities. Furthermore, this work raises the possibility of a role for blood plasma volume and dietary salt intake in cerebral SVD. The work described in this thesis has demonstrated that it is possible to estimate subtle BBB disruption using DCE-MRI, provided that the measurement and data analysis strategies are carefully optimised. However, absolute values of tracer kinetic parameters should be interpreted with caution, particularly when making comparisons between studies, and sources of error and their influence should be estimated where possible. The exact roles of BBB breakdown and other microvascular changes in SVD pathology remain to be defined; however, the work presented in this thesis contributes further insights and, together with technical advances, will facilitate improved study design in the future.

Lin, Wenhua. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2011. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 162-190). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstract also in Chinese.

The Warburg effect describes the survival advantage of cancer cells in that they can proliferate under low oxygen/hypoxic conditions via a less efficient pathway known as glycolysis. It has not yet been documented at which point, in an oxygen gradient, phenotypic changes occur. Measuring the intracellular redox potential (IRP) and its impact on cellular dynamics would provide greater insight into how disruption of redox homeostasis caused by changes in oxygen concentration leads to aberrant cell signalling and diseases such as cancer. Current techniques in measuring IRP include redox-sensitive fluorescent proteins such as roGFP which is glutathione-specific. Measuring the concentration of one redox couple is, however, not an accurate representation of IRP as it does not necessarily inform about the state of other redox couples. Furthermore, fluorescent biosensors can suffer from photobleaching and may interact with other oxidants. The IRP was measured, in this work, using our newly developed novel-class of surface enhanced Raman scattering nanoparticles which can quantitatively measure the redox potential of cells in vitro. A 'homemade' device was created to keep the cells under fixed pO2 whilst obtaining measurements. The IRP was correlated with the transcriptomic and downstream metabolic profiles of MCF7 breast cancer cells, under perturbed pO2, using 1H NMR spectroscopy (NMR), mass spectrometry (MS) and RNA-sequencing. Discriminatory metabolites were all associated with energy and glucose metabolism. Discriminatory microRNAs were all affiliated with the hallmarks of cancer; the regulation of some is controlled by transcription factors containing redox-sensitive motifs in their DNA binding domains. Multivariate analysis techniques were used to analyse the different data streams in a holistic way that allows the correlation of redox potential, metabolism and transcription.