pros

Breaking down the top prospects for the 2021 NFL draft

Which prospect will rise the most between now and next year's draft? Who has some work to do? And what about Trevor Lawrence vs. Justin Fields? Our college experts explain it all.




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The best college sports prospects we ever saw: The Answer, Buster Posey and Andrew Luck

ESPN's colleges writers and reporters reflect on the phenoms they had a chance to cover before they were famous.




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NHL prospect pipeline reset: The deepest, weakest and most improved farm systems

Which NHL team has the deepest farm system? How about the weakest? Which are trending up or down? We reset the pipelines with prospect system superlatives.




pros

Think you can play cornhole with the pros?

It's more than tossing bags at a cookout. KC Joyner looks at the deeper levels of strategy and skill.




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કોવિડ 19 સામે લડાઈ : Prosus કંપની PM CARES ફંડમાં 100 કરોડ રૂપિયાનું દાન કરશે

પ્રોસસે વર્ષ 2005માં પાંચ અબજ ડૉલર (આશરે 37,900 કરોડ રૂપિયા)નું ભારતીય ટેક્નોલોજી કંપનીઓમાં રોકાણ કર્યું હતું.








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The Pros' Clean Energy Picks: Solar Dominates, Emerging Markets Drag

In December, I asked my panel of professional green money managers for their top three stock picks for 2014. You can find the full list and descriptions of the companies here.




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Insight – Industry 4.0 transforms prospects for Australian manufacturing

Across the world, the pace of innovation is increasing and transforming the way services are delivered and goods produced.




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Insight - Fresh Prospects in Indian Mining: Mine Development & Operations

Recent changes in the Indian Government’s approach to mining has opened up opportunities for private sector involvement in the sector, including international METS firms.




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Insight - Fresh Prospects in Indian Mining: Mine Development & Operations

Recent changes in the Indian Government’s approach to mining has opened up opportunities for private sector involvement in the sector, including international METS firms.




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Romania abused rights of EU's top prosecutor, court finds

Romania violated the rights of its former anti-corruption chief Laura Codruta Kovesi when they fired hire. The judgement issued by the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg follows a long catalogue of high-level corruption in Romania.




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Lawbite - Reasonable prospect of development taking off at airfield

Warwickshire Aviation Ltd & 6 Ors v Littler Investments Ltd [2019] EWHC 633 Tenants of an airfield recently failed in their appeal to the High Court to show that their landlord wasn’t able to oppose new leases being granted to them pursuan...




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Not so good vibrations – prosecutions for failures to adequately manage the risks from vibration remain a priority for the HSE

 Amy Sadro, Principal Associate in Eversheds Sutherland’s Environment, Health and Safety Team and Dr Chris Nelson, a Principal Consultant and specialist in noise and vibration at Finch Consulting give their views on recent HAVS prosecutio...




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Prosecuted for COVID-19 exposure of employees – REALLY?

Amidst the attention grabbing hysteria of Coronavirus headlines, some commentators have speculated that employers may be about to face prosecution if they don’t take all precautions possible to protect staff and third parties from infection. I...




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Coronavirus – CARES Act loans and related programs come with increased oversight and risk of False Claims Act prosecution: Borrowers beware – US

...




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AIJI Prosecutors’ Workshop Set for Khmer Rouge Tribunal

AIJI Prosecutors’ Workshop Set for Khmer Rouge Tribunal
HONOLULU (August 23) -- The Asian International Justice Initiative (‘AIJI’) , a collaboration between the East-West Center, Hawaii and the War Crimes Studies Center at the University of California, Berkeley will hold a week-long workshop in international criminal law for the Office of the Co-Prosecutors (OCP) at the Khmer Rouge Tribunal August 27-31, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.




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IHC HR e-briefing 106: the coalition - prospects for employment law?

The Conservative and Liberal Democrat Coalition Agreement provides some clues as to the future development of employment law under the new Government. The seven page document is an interim agreement and will be followed "in due course" by a final Co...




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Private prosecution of BP Southern Africa Proprietary Limited

South Africa has recently developed a culture of private prosecution. The trend towards private prosecution has largely been focused on the prosecution of individuals for corruption. The significant challenges faced by the private prosecutors (prima...




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How Daehan Shipbuilding Prospers after Undergoing 2 Workouts

Daehan Shipbuilding, a mid-sized shipbuilder in Haenam, South Jeolla Province, is seeing its order booking volume rise fast. During the first half of this year, the company won orders that exceeded twice the annual goal. Unlike any other shipyards that stopped operations of docks, Daehan has secured orders worth more than two years. It is also increasing hiring, which is rare in the shipbuilding industry. Daehan clinched deals of building 14 "Aframax" ships (115,000 metric tons) during the fi...




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Industry Panics over Prospect of Rising Subcontract Worker Disputes

As the government pronounced illegal on the practice of companies relying on subcontract workers for a long time such as the cases in Paris Baguette and Mando-Hella, the whole industry in shock. This is not just restricted to manufacturers but is spread to services and the food franchise industry as well. The corporate sector expected on September 24 that companies like Tous Les Jours, Samsung Electronics service centers, and LG U+ will likely face the same problem any time soon after the Min...




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Update on the New Prospectus Regulation

Background The new Prospectus Regulation came into force on 20 July 2017 and is similar to the current Prospectus Directive (2003/71/EC) but there are some relaxations to the regime which will be helpful to traded companies and whilst the majority o...




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Private prosecutions following mine fatalities – Legal appointees beware

Carrying a statutory legal appointment in terms of the provisions of the Mine Health and Safety Act No. 29 of 1996 (“MHSA”) carries a certain level of prestige in the mining industry, however statutory legal appointees are not always awa...




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Did God Promise You Prosperity?

In the lead-up to the Truth Matters conference in October, we will be focusing our attention on the sufficiency, authority, and clarity of Scripture. Of our previous blog series, none better embodies that emphasis than Frequently Abused Verses. The following entry from that series originally appeared on September 25, 2015. -ed.

What does this verse mean to you?

Most of us have heard that question before—it lurks inside countless Bible studies and Sunday-school classes. It is a postmodern mindset that has become pervasive in the church.

When reading a book, an article, or a blog post, we implicitly understand that its meaning is bound to the author’s intent. The same ought to be true for Scripture—God alone is the arbiter of what He means through what He has revealed in His Word. Yet Scripture is now subject to the whims of the reader, who is prone to read personal experience into the text instead of discovering—and coming under—its objective truth. The worst forms of this are when people think they’re helping God—improving upon His perfection, sanitizing His story, and smoothing out the sharp edges of His truth.

Life is not as subjective as we might like to think. We don’t get to decide what a red light means when we approach a traffic signal. Bank managers can’t arbitrarily determine your account balance. And, thankfully, airlines don’t hire pilots who take the liberty to decide what “runway” means to them. It is absurd to think that we can approach God’s Word with lower standards. God says what He means and means what He says, always speaks without error, and has been kind enough to speak to us with simplicity and clarity.

The tsunami of topical preaching we see today has scarred the evangelical landscape. A topical message is not wrong in and of itself, but problems are inevitable when that becomes the main diet of a congregation. Pastors who preach texts divorced from their context invariably beget congregations who interpret texts divorced from the Author’s intent. The result is that too many believers today have a propensity to treat God’s Word as their own private smorgasbord of theology.

Another place you see this trend—interpreting verses out of context—in action is in choosing of a “life verse.” Many Christians like to pick a verse that speaks to them and try to make it the theme for their lives. It’s no surprise that none of the passages concerning God’s judgment make the cut. Instead, the spectacular promises of blessing and success reign supreme.

And sitting on top of the mountain of verses evangelicals frequently misappropriate and misapply is Jeremiah 29:11, “‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.’”

It’s All About You

Unsurprisingly, Jeremiah 29:11 is a go-to verse for celebrity pastor, Joel Osteen. His takeaway is that “God desires to see you flourish in this life. He wants to see you come out of setbacks stronger, wiser, increased and promoted. He wants to give you hope in your final outcome and see you come to a flourishing finish.” [1] Joel Osteen, Today’s Word with Joel Osteen—May 29, 2012 (Devotional).

Andy Stanley, pastor of America’s largest congregation, says “We may not know for certain everything our future holds, but we know that God thinks good thoughts toward us, to give us a future and a hope.” [2] https://thekingdomcorner.wordpress.com/2009/08/10/andy-stanley-life-may-be-uncertain-but-god-isnt/

Rick Warren also typifies that me-centric approach in his book, The Purpose-Driven Life:

If you have felt hopeless, hold on! Wonderful changes are going to happen in your life as you begin to live it on purpose. God says, “I know what I am planning for you. . . . I have good plans for you, not plans to hurt you. I will give you hope and a good future.” [3] Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2012) 35.

One has to wonder if Osteen, Stanley, or Warren understand how badly they have misconstrued and misapplied God’s Word—and how they’ve misled their followers. They give zero acknowledgement to the Author’s original intent or His original audience when they rip this verse from its biblical setting. Reading Jeremiah 29:11 in context paints a starkly different picture and delivers a far more profound truth.

It’s Not About You

The nation of Israel had been taken by the Babylonians into captivity. The Temple, as well as the entire city of Jerusalem, was in ruins. Their king was in chains with his eyes gouged out. The glory of Israel as a nation was finished. But in the midst of that terrible situation, God spoke through His prophet Jeremiah:

Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon, “Build houses and live in them; and plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and become the fathers of sons and daughters, and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; and multiply there and do not decrease. Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf; for in its welfare you will have welfare.” For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, “Do not let your prophets who are in your midst and your diviners deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams which they dream. For they prophesy falsely to you in My name; I have not sent them,” declares the Lord.

For thus says the Lord, “When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans that I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,” declares the Lord, “and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.”

Because you have said, “The Lord has raised up prophets for us in Babylon”—for thus says the Lord concerning the king who sits on the throne of David, and concerning all the people who dwell in this city, your brothers who did not go with you into exile—thus says the Lord of hosts, “Behold, I am sending upon them the sword, famine and pestilence, and I will make them like split-open figs that cannot be eaten due to rottenness. I will pursue them with the sword, with famine and with pestilence; and I will make them a terror to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse and a horror and a hissing, and a reproach among all the nations where I have driven them, because they have not listened to My words,” declares the Lord, “which I sent to them again and again by My servants the prophets; but you did not listen,” declares the Lord. You, therefore, hear the word of the Lord, all you exiles, whom I have sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon. (Jeremiah 29:4–20)

In context, verse 11 is clearly not meant as a love letter or a promise of blessing to individual believers in the twenty-first century.

And here are a few other points to consider: How do Joel Osteen, Andy Stanley, and Rick Warren know that God is directly speaking to their congregants in verse 11 but not in Jeremiah 29:17–19, where God promises to send “the sword, famine and pestilence”? Have they considered that God’s soothing promises in verse 11 are delivered to Israel while He has His foot on their neck in judgment (Jeremiah 29:4)? What about the fact that those who received the promise in verse 11 would likely not live to experience its fulfillment seventy years later (Jeremiah 29:10). And in their egotistical exegesis, can they grasp the irony that Israel was in Babylonian slavery because they listened to prophets who tickled their ears (Jeremiah 29:8–9)?

There is something far greater and eternally significant that we learn from this story in its true context. God does not abandon His people! In spite of their sin, God was relentlessly faithful to His covenants regarding Israel’s future and His promised Messiah. Not even Babylonian captivity could prevent His promises from coming to pass.

Likewise His promises to us as New Testament believers concerning our calling and election are also unshakeable (John 10:27–29). And they provide far more lasting comfort than Old Testament verses plucked out of context and misappropriated for modern audiences.




pros

In Viet Nam’s Highlands, Flowers Nurture New Prosperity

In Viet Nam, long-term investments by a leading horticultural company are yielding development dividends as well as profits.




pros

JBL® CLUB Headphone Series: Inspired by the Pros and Designed for Everyday

CES 2020, LAS VEGAS – JANUARY 6, 2020 – Today, JBL is introducing its first headphone series inspired by touring musicians, the JBL CLUB. Equipped with Legendary JBL Pro Sound, Personi-Fi™ and native voice assistants, the JBL CLUB series – CLUB ONE, CLUB...




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HARMAN Professional Delights Indian Content Creators and ‘Prosumers’ With A Range of Exciting New Products




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U.S. judge dismisses actor Jussie Smollett's lawsuit alleging malicious prosecution

A U.S. federal judge dismissed a lawsuit brought by former "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett who accused the city of Chicago of malicious prosecution in concluding that his claim to having been the victim of a racist and homophobic beating was a hoax.




pros

Lose Weight, Lower Prostate Cancer Risk

Title: Lose Weight, Lower Prostate Cancer Risk
Category: Health News
Created: 3/6/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 3/9/2020 12:00:00 AM




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Prostate Cancer Vaccine May Get FDA Approval

Title: Prostate Cancer Vaccine May Get FDA Approval
Category: Health News
Created: 4/27/2010 8:10:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 4/27/2010 12:00:00 AM




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Provenge Approved for Advanced Prostate Cancer

Title: Provenge Approved for Advanced Prostate Cancer
Category: Health News
Created: 4/29/2010 2:10:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 4/30/2010 12:00:00 AM




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Leprosy May Pass Between Armadillos and People

Title: Leprosy May Pass Between Armadillos and People
Category: Health News
Created: 4/28/2011 11:01:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 4/28/2011 12:00:00 AM




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FDA Approves Prostate Cancer Drug Zytiga

Title: FDA Approves Prostate Cancer Drug Zytiga
Category: Health News
Created: 4/29/2011 11:01:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 4/29/2011 12:00:00 AM




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Companies to Donate Prosthetic Legs to Boston Bombing Victims in Need

Title: Companies to Donate Prosthetic Legs to Boston Bombing Victims in Need
Category: Health News
Created: 4/30/2013 8:35:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 5/1/2013 12:00:00 AM




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Paralyzed Patient Moves Prosthetic Arm With Her Mind

Title: Paralyzed Patient Moves Prosthetic Arm With Her Mind
Category: Health News
Created: 4/30/2013 12:35:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 5/1/2013 12:00:00 AM




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Childhood Self-Control Linked to Better Job Prospects Later in Life

Title: Childhood Self-Control Linked to Better Job Prospects Later in Life
Category: Health News
Created: 4/24/2015 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 4/27/2015 12:00:00 AM




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Could Certain Fatty Foods Be Linked to Aggressive Prostate Cancer?

Title: Could Certain Fatty Foods Be Linked to Aggressive Prostate Cancer?
Category: Health News
Created: 4/22/2016 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 4/25/2016 12:00:00 AM




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Helping Hand: Men's Grip Strength May Up Marriage Prospects

Title: Helping Hand: Men's Grip Strength May Up Marriage Prospects
Category: Health News
Created: 5/2/2018 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 5/2/2018 12:00:00 AM




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One High Dose of Radiation May Be Enough for Early Prostate Cancer

Title: One High Dose of Radiation May Be Enough for Early Prostate Cancer
Category: Health News
Created: 4/30/2019 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 4/30/2019 12:00:00 AM




pros

High-Tech Prosthetic Arm Melds With Patient's Anatomy

Title: High-Tech Prosthetic Arm Melds With Patient's Anatomy
Category: Health News
Created: 4/30/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 4/30/2020 12:00:00 AM




pros

Circumcision Pros and Cons

Title: Circumcision Pros and Cons
Category: Procedures and Tests
Created: 12/4/1998 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 2/27/2020 12:00:00 AM




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SLFN11 Expression in Advanced Prostate Cancer and Response to Platinum-based Chemotherapy

Expression of the DNA/RNA helicase schlafen family member 11 (SLFN11) has been identified as a sensitizer of tumor cells to DNA-damaging agents including platinum chemotherapy. We assessed the impact of SLFN11 expression on response to platinum chemotherapy and outcomes in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Tumor expression of SLFN11 was assessed in 41 patients with CRPC treated with platinum chemotherapy by RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) of metastatic biopsy tissue (n = 27) and/or immunofluorescence in circulating tumor cells (CTC; n = 20). Cox regression and Kaplan–Meier methods were used to evaluate the association of SLFN11 expression with radiographic progression-free survival (rPFS) and overall survival (OS). Multivariate analysis included tumor histology (i.e., adenocarcinoma or neuroendocrine) and the presence or absence of DNA repair aberrations. Patient-derived organoids with SLFN11 expression and after knockout by CRISPR-Cas9 were treated with platinum and assessed for changes in dose response. Patients were treated with platinum combination (N = 38) or platinum monotherapy (N = 3). Median lines of prior therapy for CRPC was two. Median OS was 8.7 months. Overexpression of SLFN11 in metastatic tumors by RNA-seq was associated with longer rPFS compared with those without overexpression (6.9 vs. 2.8 months, HR = 3.72; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.56–8.87; P < 0.001); similar results were observed for patients with SLFN11-positive versus SLFN11-negative CTCs (rPFS 6.0 vs. 2.2 months, HR = 4.02; 95% CI, 0.77–20.86; P = 0.002). A prostate-specific antigen (PSA) decline of ≥50% was observed in all patients with SLFN11 overexpression. No association was observed between SLFN11 expression and OS. On multivariable analysis, SLFN11 was an independent factor associated with rPFS on platinum therapy. Platinum response of organoids expressing SLFN11 was reduced after SLFN11 knockout. Our data suggest that SLFN11 expression might identify patients with CRPC with a better response to platinum chemotherapy independent of histology or other genomic alterations. Additional studies, also in the context of PARP inhibitors, are warranted.




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Predictors of mortality for patients with COVID-19 pneumonia caused by SARS-CoV-2: a prospective cohort study

The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with the death of patients with COVID-19 pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.

All clinical and laboratory parameters were collected prospectively from a cohort of patients with COVID-19 pneumonia who were hospitalised to Wuhan Pulmonary Hospital (Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China) between 25 December 2019 and 7 February 2020. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression was performed to investigate the relationship between each variable and the risk of death of COVID-19 pneumonia patients.

In total, 179 patients with COVID-19 pneumonia (97 male and 82 female) were included in the present prospective study, of whom 21 died. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that age ≥65 years (OR 3.765, 95% CI 1.146-17.394; p=0.023), pre-existing concurrent cardiovascular or cerebrovascular diseases (OR 2.464, 95% CI 0.755-8.044; p=0.007), CD3+CD8+ T-cells ≤75 cells·μL–1 (OR 3.982, 95% CI 1.132-14.006; p<0.001) and cardiac troponin I ≥0.05 ng·mL–1 (OR 4.077, 95% CI 1.166-14.253; p<0.001) were associated with an increase in risk of mortality from COVID-19 pneumonia. In a sex-, age- and comorbid illness-matched case–control study, CD3+CD8+ T-cells ≤75 cells·μL–1 and cardiac troponin I ≥0.05 ng·mL–1 remained as predictors for high mortality from COVID-19 pneumonia.

We identified four risk factors: age ≥65 years, pre-existing concurrent cardiovascular or cerebrovascular diseases, CD3+CD8+ T-cells ≤75 cells·μL–1 and cardiac troponin I ≥0.05 ng·mL–1. The latter two factors, especially, were predictors for mortality of COVID-19 pneumonia patients.




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PEEP Titration to Minimize Driving Pressure in Subjects With ARDS: A Prospective Physiological Study

BACKGROUND:Observational studies report that lower driving pressure (ie, the difference between plateau pressure and PEEP) is associated with improved survival in patients with ARDS and may be a key mediator of lung-protective ventilation strategies. The primary objective of this study was to characterize reductions in driving pressure that could be achieved through changes in PEEP.METHODS:In this prospective physiological pilot study, 10 subjects with ARDS were placed on PEEP according to the ARDS Network Lower PEEP/FIO2 Table. PEEP was adjusted in small increments and decrements above and below this initial PEEP, and driving pressure was measured at each PEEP level. Subsequently, PEEP was set at the level resulting in the lowest driving pressure, and driving pressure was measured after 1, 5, 15, and 30 min to assess stability over time at constant PEEP.RESULTS:All subjects had ARDS with a median (interquartile range [IQR]) PaO2/FIO2 of 116 (98–132) at enrollment. Median (IQR) driving pressure at baseline was 14 (13–17) cm H2O. After PEEP titration, median driving pressure decreased to 13 (12–14) cm H2O. The largest reduction in driving pressure was 4 cm H2O. Two subjects had no change in driving pressure at multiple PEEP levels. To achieve the lowest driving pressure, final PEEP was increased in 6 subjects and decreased in 4 subjects from the baseline PEEP prescribed by the ARDS Network Lower PEEP/FIO2 Table. Driving pressure reached equilibrium within 1–5 min and remained stable for 30 min following PEEP titration.CONCLUSIONS:PEEP titration had a variable effect in changing driving pressure across this small sample of ARDS subjects. In some subjects, PEEP was decreased from values given in the ARDS Network Lower PEEP/FIO2 Table to minimize driving pressure. Changes in driving pressure stabilized within a few minutes of PEEP titration.




pros

Geology and petroleum prospectivity of the Larne and Portpatrick basins, North Channel, offshore SW Scotland and Northern Ireland

The Larne and Portpatrick basins, located in the North Channel between SW Scotland and Northern Ireland, have been the target of a small programme of petroleum exploration activities since 1971. A total of five hydrocarbon exploration wells have been drilled within the two basins, although as of yet no commercial discoveries have been made. The presence of hydrocarbon shows alongside the discovery of two good-quality reservoir–seal couplets within Triassic and underlying Permian strata has encouraged exploration within the region. The focus of this study is to evaluate the geology and hydrocarbon prospectivity of the Portpatrick Basin and the offshore section of the Larne Basin. This is achieved through the use of seismic reflection data, and gravity and aeromagnetic data, alongside sedimentological, petrophysical and additional available datasets from both onshore and offshore wells, boreholes and previously published studies. The primary reservoir interval, the Lower–Middle Triassic Sherwood Sandstone Group (c. 600–900 m gross thickness), is distributed across both basins and shows good to excellent porosity (10–25%) and permeability (10–1000 mD) within the Larne Basin. The Middle–Late Triassic Mercia Mudstone Group should provide an excellent top seal where present due to the presence of thick regionally extensive halite deposits, although differential erosion has removed this seal from the margins of the Larne and Portpatrick basins. The Carboniferous, which has been postulated to contain organic-rich source-rock horizons, as inferred from their presence in adjacent basins, has not yet been penetrated within the depocentre of either basin. There is, therefore, some degree of uncertainty regarding the quality and distribution of a potential source rock. The interpretation of seismic reflection profiles presented here, alongside the occurrence of hydrocarbon shows, indicates the presence of organic-rich pre-Permian sedimentary rocks within both basins. 1D petroleum system modelling of the Larne-2 borehole shows that the timing of hydrocarbon generation and migration within the basins is a significant risk, with many traps post-dating the primary hydrocarbon charge. Well-failure analysis has revealed that trap breach associated with kilometre-scale uplift events, and the drilling of wells off-structure due to a lack of good-quality subsurface data, have contributed to the lack of discoveries. While the Larne and Portpatrick basins have many elements required for a working petroleum system, along with supporting hydrocarbon shows, the high risks coupled with the small scale of potential discoveries makes the Portpatrick Basin and offshore section of the Larne Basin poorly prospective for oil and gas discovery.

Thematic collection: This article is part of the Under-explored plays and frontier basins of the UK continental shelf collection available at: http://www.lyellcollection.org/cc/under-explored-plays-and-frontier-basins-of-the-uk-continental-shelf




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UK Rockall prospectivity: re-awakening exploration in a frontier basin

The UK Rockall, located to the west of Scotland and the Hebrides, is a frontier petroleum-bearing basin. Exploratory drilling in the basin took place over a quarter of a century (1980–2006), during which time a total of 12 wells were drilled, leading to the discovery of a single, subcommercial gas accumulation. We argue that the basin, which has seen no drilling activity for more than a decade, has not been sufficiently tested by the existing well stock. We examine the reasons for the absence of key Jurassic source rocks in the UK Rockall wells, which are widely distributed elsewhere on the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS), and argue that their absence in the wells does not preclude their existence in the basin at large. An evaluation of the Permian–Early Eocene successions, based upon the seismic interpretation of new 2D seismic data, has been integrated with legacy data and regional evidence to establish the potential for source, reservoir and sealing elements within each interval. Finally, we look at the future for exploration in the UK Rockall and suggest a way forward in the drilling of a new joint governmental–industry test well that may help to unlock the exploration potential of this under-explored, yet prospective, basin.

Thematic collection: This article is part of the Under-explored plays and frontier basins of the UK continental shelf collection available at: https://www.lyellcollection.org/cc/under-explored-plays-and-frontier-basins-of-the-uk-continental-shelf




pros

The role of relay ramp evolution in governing sediment dispersal and petroleum prospectivity of syn-rift stratigraphic plays in the Northern North Sea

Interpretation of a 3D seismic survey located on the western margin of the Northern North Sea Basin demonstrates how the propagation, overlap and linkage of two north–south-striking, en echelon normal fault segments exerted a powerful influence over prospective subtle stratigraphic traps. The relay ramp that formed between the segments appears to have focused sediment dispersal, controlled reservoir distribution and aided post-depositional petroleum migration. Integration of electrical well log data, root-mean-square (RMS)-amplitude analysis and biostratigraphy with seismic interpretation demonstrates that a series of elongate, linear, sand-prone (reservoir) channel complexes characterize the depositional slopes generated by fault growth. The combination of synsedimentary rotation of bedding due to fault propagation and associated footwall uplift led to erosion and truncation of a laterally extensive, older channelized system (Lower Sequence), the downdip parts of which extend beyond the relay ramp. Its subsequent drape by transgressive shales created the subtle stratigraphic trap that now hosts the Cladhan Field, with charge occurring because the sandstones belonging to the Lower Sequence extend as far as the active kitchen in the neighbouring (hanging-wall) depocentre situated downdip and to the east. In contrast, the exploration of a younger, Upper Sequence of sandstones has proven to be disappointing due to their more restricted distribution, lack of access to charge, and occurrence of faults that offset and breach the thin end of the stratigraphic wedge. The implication is that partially breached relay ramps not only provide a preferential site for syn-rift clastic reservoirs to develop but also form important migration pathways through which oil passed from a petroleum kitchen into a trap.

Thematic collection: This article is part of the Under-explored plays and frontier basins of the UK continental shelf collection available at: http://www.lyellcollection.org/cc/under-explored-plays-and-frontier-basins-of-the-uk-continental-shelf




pros

Structural evolution of the Breagh area: implications for carboniferous prospectivity of the Mid North Sea High, Southern North Sea

Exploration success at Breagh demonstrates that western parts of the Mid North Sea High area are prospective despite the absence of an Upper Permian (Rotliegend Group) Leman Sandstone Formation reservoir and source rocks belonging to the Upper Carboniferous Westphalian Coal Measures Group. Detailed seismic and well interpretation shows that the Breagh trap was a long-lived footwall high, the prospectivity of which was enhanced by Variscan folding and uplift, leading to the truncation (subcrop) of Lower Carboniferous reservoirs beneath the Base Permian Unconformity. Its drape (supra-crop) by Upper Permian (Zechstein Super Group) evaporites creates the seal. The complexity of its overburden means that an accurate picture of the Breagh structure only emerges after accurate depth-conversion that takes the effects of the Mesozoic graben into account. Pronounced easterly tilting during the Cenozoic affected the area and controlled gas migration into the structure from palaeostructures lying to the east. However, evidence that Breagh is not filled to spill point (underfill) suggests that charge limitation remained an issue. The study demonstrates that a poorly-documented and under-explored Lower Carboniferous play exists in Southern North Sea, which relies upon careful structural mapping and basin modelling to be undertaken for the play to be understood and its further potential to be realized.

Thematic collection: This article is part of the Under-explored plays and frontier basins of the UK continental shelf collection available at: https://www.lyellcollection.org/cc/under-explored-plays-and-frontier-basins-of-the-uk-continental-shelf