All Together Now

A common problem for people with disabilities, particularly those who rely on mobility devices, is learning to navigate a new environment. This is especially troublesome for students who are attending a new university and need to figure out how to get from one place to another. All Together Now is a mobile multi-player cooperative game developed for two purposes. First, the game, developed by two computer scientists and a disability studies scholar, is intended to give disabled students a fun way to learn their way around campus, learn how to report accessibility issues on that campus, and make friends with people who have similar disabilities. Second, the game can be used as a way of fostering awareness and advocacy among students without disabilities, by having them work in teams where one member is someone with a disability that causes them to rely on mobility devices. This article describes the implementation of the game within a disability studies course and the results of two pilot tests, with both disabled and non-disabled participants.

RESULTS OF PILOT TESTS OF THE VSEP TECHNOLOGY ON THE EXAMPLE OF PURIFICATION OF CONTAMINATED ACID WASHING WATERS BY NANOFILTRATION

Shown are the results of a series of pilot tests for the purifi cation of waste (contaminated) acidic wash water formed during the production of graphite by the leaching method. The tests were carried out in laboratory and pilot modes (on-site) on the “LP” series machine. Purifi cation was simulated using nanofi ltration membranes using VSEP technology. This technology of vibro- membrane fi ltration makes it possible to purify such waters without preliminary purifi cation and the use of reagents (antiscalant) with a %Recovery more than 90 %. The mechanism for choosing the optimal sheet polymer membrane and the mechanism for determining the best working pressure are shown. Concentration series were carried out to determine the stability of the process and the duration of the fl ushing interval. The test results allow the design of an industrial water purifi cation system.

Relationship of the interaction load capacity of anchors on their number and anchoring system

Purpose: The article presents the possibilities of using anchoring systems in the walls of three-layer large slab panel buildings. The use of diagonal anchors allows to increase the effective anchorage depth, which significantly increases the durability of the façade textured layer. Design/methodology/approach: Pilot tests have confirmed the necessity to use an anchor system in various configurations. Findings: The documents used included the conclusions of the pilot tests on the real object and the main experimental tests carried out on concrete samples. Research limitations/implications: The design of new anchorage systems and the proposed theoretical models for estimating their theoretical load capacity are based on the Guidelines contained in the European Technical Approvals. Practical implications: Single bonded anchorages used in engineering practice require evaluation in order to increase the durability of larger areas of the façade textured layer. Originality/value: The possibility of differentiating system anchors makes it possible to use them in very thin structural layers (diagonal anchors).

Effective EOR methods in high-viscosity oil fields: cyclical GEL-polymer flooding and ASP flooding

The presented work discusses increasing oil recovery factor using physicochemical EOR methods. This article presents the field pilot tests results related to cyclical gel polymer flooding technology as applied under the conditions productive reservoirs rich in high-viscosity oils (viscosity in reservoir conditions above 300 mPa s) of the Buzachi North oil field, extending the boundaries of application of these methods. The work used the methods of hydrodynamic modeling, mathematical analysis; the necessary parameters of fractures and super reservoirs for calculating the working volumes of the injected compositions were estimated using tracer studies.

High Density Foamed Cement Application for Channeling and Behind-the-Casing Flows Minimization in the Production Zone

This article describes the application of relatively high-density foamed cement for cementing wells in the Volga and Urals region. Good cementing practices with high density or conventional density cement slurry is required to ensure mud displacement in fluid saturated intervals of reservoir formations (Benge et al; 1982). With this requirement met, the cement column should circumferentially cover the annulus at this very interval which is exposed to the highest loads. However, due to limited physical and mechanical properties of conventional cement slurries in both liquid and solid state, in certain cases conventional slurries do not solve the problems encountered by the Customer, namely elimination of annular flow between the casing and cement sheath. High-density foamed cement is considered as an improved alternative to conventional cement slurries, and results in a high quality and durable sealing of gas and oil saturated production zones for the life of the well. Proprietary software and process equipment are used for the mixing of the foamed cement slurry with a variety of foaming properties. This process enables the use of a base cement slurry with higher density (up to 2.1 g/cm3) for delivering foamed cement slurries in a wide range of densities. To avoid possible cross flows behind the casing, pilot tests were conducted, where a conventional cement slurry (1.80–1.90 g/cm3) was replaced with a high-density foamed cement slurry with equivalent density with a foam quality of approx. 10% making the cement sheath elastic with improved adhesion to both the casing string and the formation (Spaulding et al; 2018). Pilot tests, incorporating the cementing of several production casings, were conducted where only foamed cement slurries with various foam quality were used in the entire cementing interval. No conventional (non-foamed) cement systems were used in these cases.

Search and testing of robotic solutions for cleaning and condition monitoring at Prirazlomnaya OIRFP

Background. This article provides an overview and testing of existing robotic solutions, an understanding of the level of technological accessibility for the research area. A robotic solution is a device, mechanism or method for carrying out work with a high level of autonomy and with minimal human involvement in work in a hazardous area. In this case, we are talking about remote-controlled solutions, as well as completely self-managed solutions. Aim. The purpose of the study is to analyze the design and regulatory documentation that regulates the study area of work, to identify the main technical and legislative barriers and restrictions on the use of robotic solutions, as well as to conduct tests in Kingston boxes of the Prirazlomnaya OIRFP. Materials and methods. In this study, using rational-logical methods of scientific knowledge and the empirical method, namely interviewing experts in the field of robotization and maritime law, it was possible to determine and structure the information received. Results. The implementation of this goal made it necessary to analyze the market for various robotic means of local cleaning and inspection, to form a list of the most promising solutions, to rank solutions based on the evaluation matrix, to conduct technical and competitive negotiations with manufacturers on the topic of readiness to participate in pilot testing at the Prirazlomnaya OIRFP. Conclusions. In the course of this project, an extensive analysis of the market of robotic solutions was carried out, pilot tests were carried out, an act was received from RMRS and proved in practice during pilot testing in Kingston boxes with water intake pipelines and in the water area of the Kola Bay, a hypothesis about the applicability and feasibility, the usefulness of using remotely controlled underwater of uninhabited vehicles in the scope of the survey at the Prirazlomnaya OIRFP.

Label-Free Liquid Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry Proteomic Analysis of the Urinary Proteome for Measuring the Escitalopram Treatment Response From Major Depressive Disorder

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common mental disorder that can cause substantial impairments in quality of life. Clinical treatment is usually built on a trial-and-error method, which lasts ~12 weeks to evaluate whether the treatment is efficient, thereby leading to some inefficient treatment measures. Therefore, we intended to identify early candidate urine biomarkers to predict efficient treatment response in MDD patients. In this study, urine samples were collected twice from 19 respondent and 10 non-respondent MDD patients receiving 0-, 2-, and 12-week treatments with escitalopram. Differential urinary proteins were subsequently analyzed by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Our two pilot tests suggested that the urine proteome reflects changes associated with major depressive disorder at the early stage of treatment measures. On week 2, 20 differential proteins were identified in the response group compared with week 0, with 14 of these proteins being associated with the mechanisms of MDD. In the non-response group, 60 differential proteins were identified at week 2, with 28 of these proteins being associated with the mechanisms of MDD. In addition, differential urinary proteins at week 2 between the response and non-response groups can be clearly distinguished by using orthogonal projection on latent structure-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA). Our small pilot tests indicated that the urine proteome can reflect early effects of escitalopram therapy between the response and non-response groups since at week 2, which may provide potential early candidate urine biomarkers to predict efficient treatment measures in MDD patients.