bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Career Exploring the Frontiers of Drilling and Well Technology
Authors: Worrall Bob
Published: April 2015

Pillars of the Industry - Bob Worrall of Shell E&P looks back on a career spanning nearly 4 decades.
Life Is a Risky Business - How To Reduce the Downside
Authors: Robb Bill
Published: April 2015

Soft Skills - Bill Robb, Managing Director of Profit Improvers Ltd., offers six steps for assessing business, career, and relationship risks.
Interview with Matthew R. Simmons
Authors: Simmons Matthew R.
Published: April 2015

The Way Ahead Interview - A conversation with energy investment banker Matthew R. Simmons.

What was your first job, and what were your impressions of the oil and gas industry when you started working?

I accidentally stumbled upon my first job. When I was in my second year at Harvard Business School, I reluctantly signed up for a course called Manufacturing Policy. I say reluctantly because of all of the courses I took in my first year, Manufacturing Operations was singularly the most boring. But during a conversation with a finance professor, he recommended this as the best finance course of the second year. A few days later, the school paper listed all the secondyear courses, and Manufacturing Policy was rated as the course with the hardest workload in all second-year courses, so it was with great reluctance that I signed up.

Upon completion of the course, before our grades were issued, I was asked to meet with the professor—I was positive I had flunked the course. I was astonished when the professor asked if I would stay on and work at the school as a research associate to rework the case studies in this particular course. This detour is what stopped me from returning to Utah and becoming a commercial banker, which had been my chosen career path when I enrolled. As it turned out, several of the case studies I worked on during this two-year program were on oil companies. The first was on Phillips Petroleum betting its future on building the world's largest ethylene plant. I then did a case on a new refinery being built in Come-by-Chance, Newfoundland, and another on a merger between three very tiny exploration, production, and refinery companies based in Wyoming called Tesero Petroleum. Frankly, none of this work heavily influenced me in getting interested in oil and gas. I was actually nearing the end of my second year as a case writer when I was on my way to Los Angeles to write a case on American Cement and I stopped in Palm Springs for the weekend. My father, a commercial banker in Utah, was in Palm Springs attending a mergers and acquisitions seminar. When I arrived to spend the weekend with my parents, Dad told me about a really interesting young guy in our class who was apparently a deep-sea diver. When I heard "deepsea diver," I assumed he was probably a treasure diver and I was really keen to meet him. So, the next day during the seminar coffee break, I introduced myself to Laddie Handleman. Unknown to me at the time, this chance introduction became my introduction to the oilfield service industry. It turns out that Laddie had founded a company called Californian Divers ("Cal Dive"). The company had grown so fast that they were running out of money and were talking about being acquired by Santa Fe. I asked him why he was considering selling and if he had instead thought about raising some venture capital. I told him that I could probably find a few investors who could put enough capital into his company to give it 2 or 3 more years of growth, and then he could sell the business.
Interview with Alan Preston
Authors: Preston Alan
Published: April 2015

HR Advice - Alan Preston, Senior Vice President Human Resources for Chevron Corporation, discusses current challenges in attracting young talent.
The International Language of Teamwork
Authors: Hick Catherine
Published: April 2015

Soft Skills - Catherine Hick, Managing Director of TMS Development International, promotes the international language of teamwork.
Under the Spotlight
Authors: Petrosyan Kristine
Published: April 2015

TWA Editorial - Deputy Editor Kristine Petrosyan spotlights the importance of understanding the main issues regarding the oil industry that are discussed in the media.
The Role of Impact Assessment in Sustainable Development
Authors: Veerkamp William
Published: April 2015

Pillars of the Industry

William Veerkamp, Global Manager of Environmental and Social Performance of Shell, discusses impact assessment and sustainability.
At the Crossroads: Technical vs. Managerial Careers and the Common Ground for the Road Ahead
Authors: Silipigno-O'Brien Lisa
Published: April 2015

Soft Skills

Finding common ground in technical and managerial careers.

Daily we find ourselves at a crossroads because we have to make decisions.

Although it is true that some of these decisions can affect or influence our future career paths, the outcomes are not irrevocable. In other words, a single "good" career pick made today does not necessarily predetermine a successful career in the future.

Technical and managerial career paths are not mutually exclusive. On the extreme ends of the job spectrum in the oil and gas industry there are unique talents like pure research or general manager. However, for the 80 or 90% of technical management roles in between, there is significant common ground with respect to the journey, accomplishments, recognition, and relative success.

All kinds of research are available that promote particular career paths. Numerous publications offer in-depth academic studies of industry employment trends, statistical compensation analyses, updates on the state of engineering and science graduates around the globe, the significance of personality profiling, the potential relevance of birth order, the differences in generations (baby boomers vs. millennials), the value of diversity and inclusion, the effectiveness of mentoring programs, and even attempts to plot career roadmaps Feng Shui-style. These types of studies do offer insight and encouragement as well as being catalysts for self-introspection, awareness, and observation. They often provide a framework or structure that so many of us need or believe we need to organize, plan, and control our lives. They do their best to: explain "why" people act the way they do, delineate "who" might have natural abilities or aptitudes, and ultimately attempt to predict future behaviors. However, I do not believe that any one of them present a magic bullet, right answer, or single path to success.
What's Ahead (June 2010)
Authors: Onukwu Anthony
Published: April 2015

What's Ahead - Anthony Onukwu focuses on the way forward for research and development (R&D) in the oil industry.
Interview with Melody Meyer
Authors: Meyer Melody
Published: April 2015

The Way Ahead Interview - A conversation with Melody Meyer, president of Chevron Asia Pacific Exploration and Production.
Youth, Depth, and Innovation in the Oil and Gas Industry
Authors: Andreev Anton , Gupta Sidd , Svendsen Per Olav , Chalbaud Carlos
Published: April 2015

Forum - Youth and innovation in the oil and gas industry.

According to Michael Kenison, technical solutions must have the proper blend of creativity and practicality and ideas should meet a legitimate need. Kenison is a project manager at Schlumberger and has six patents to his credit with six more in the pipeline. He received his first patent at the age of 29. He is just one of the many young achievers in the oil and gas industry. Physics, chemistry, and mathematics are overflowing with people who have exemplified the meaning of prodigy and their names are found in numerous high school and college textbooks. Wikipedia pays respect to these names. Units are named after them. Newborn elements derive their name from these people, not to mention bagel houses.

But we rarely take a look in our own backyard. Given that products and services in the oil and gas industry are highly specialized and that young people are given little responsibility in their initial career years, crossing the rift can be tricky. Instead of being inspired by these examples, sometimes young people feel constrained by the long learning curve in the industry. But with the “easy oil” era over, this is a time for innovation and young professionals can be a source of refreshing insight, unique perspectives, and new ideas.
Discover a Career in Underbalanced Drilling
Authors: Reynolds Patrick B.B. , Nauduri Sagar
Published: April 2015

Discover a Career - What the future holds for positions in underbalanced drilling.

Despite the drilling industry’s shift toward managed pressure drilling (MPD) over the past half-decade, underbalanced drilling (UBD) continues to be a desirable option for many operations today, especially when drilling into pressure-depleted formations and/or attempting to reduce skin damage for better productivity. Because of this sustained demand, largely by operators willing to pay top dollar for skilled UBD personnel, a fundamental knowledge of the technique can benefit young petroleum engineers looking to excel in their field.

UBD Overview

The philosophy of UBD is diametrically opposed to traditional/conventional drilling methods and MPD. Conventional drilling uses an equivalent mudweight (EMW) that results in a bottomhole pressure (BHP) greater than that of the pore pressure exposed to the open hole to prevent formation fluids (oil, gas, or water) from entering the wellbore. MPD uses equivalent circulating density—a combination of hydrostatic pressure, circulating friction pressure, and applied surface pressure—to create a BHP equal to or greater than formation pore pressure.
CO2 and You
Authors: Pekot Larry
Published: April 2015

Soft Skills - Tackling climate change is the key issue for the oil and gas industry in the years ahead.
Women in Climate Change
Authors: Ross Ashleigh Hildebrand , Datye Anuja , Mackie Elizabeth
Published: April 2015

Women on the Frontline - Interviews with three women who are working to develop solutions to climate change.
Discover a Career in Petroleum Reservoir Simulation
Authors: Fanchi John R.
Published: April 2015

Discover a Career - Comments on the application of software designed to model fluid flow in petroleum reservoirs.
Developing a Long-Term Oil and Gas Liquids Supply Outlook
Authors: Pirog Theodore
Published: April 2015

Discover a Career - How do you become an energy advisor at ExxonMobil? Ted Pirog, who serves in that role, explains that in his case it has everything to do with developing a long-term oil and gas liquids supply outlook.
The Future of Ethics
Authors: Bruni Thomas
Published: April 2015

What's Ahead - Editor Thomas Bruni ponders how corporations and their workers handle ethical issues.
Ethical Energy
Authors: Donachie John
Published: April 2015

Forum - Young professionals are polled on their, and their company's, perceptions and attitudes toward ethics.
Hints and Tips on Presenting Technical Papers
Authors: Lambert Andrew
Published: April 2015

Pillars of the Industry - Andrew Lambert offers hints and tips on presenting technical papers.
Java Hosts Young Professionals Workshop
Authors: Branajaya Romi
Published: April 2015

International Activities Update - A roundup of SPE young professionals events worldwide.

In April, the SPE Kuala Lumpur and SPE Java sections held an Asia Pacific Regional Young E&P Professionals (YEPPs) Workshop. The workshop was part of the Asia Pacific Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition. Participants included industry executives, young professionals, SPE officers, academics, and students. Speakers included 2005 SPE President Giovanni Paccaloni; Greg A. Lanham, President, Anadarko Indonesia; William Bullock, Vice President, ConocoPhillips Indonesia; and Romi Branajaya, workshop Chairperson.

The workshop began with a keynote address from Paccaloni. He highlighted the motivation behind the initiation of young professionals programs, many of which are designed to create attractive models for students and to bridge the gap between senior and young professionals. Lanham described SPE young professional activities as an amazing tool kit of resources and technology know-how.

Lanham's advice for getting ahead in the oil and gas industry included patience, passion, and perseverance. Bullock spoke of the need to accelerate the skills of young professionals. He stated that the key to professional development is to share responsibility, seek challenging job experiences, and acquire new skills. Branajaya closed the presentations by speaking about his experiences as a young engineer.

Participants then broke into groups to discuss topics. Following are highlights from each topic discussion and recommendations from the participants.
Interview with Tony Hayward
Authors: Hayward Tony
Published: April 2015

The Way Ahead Interview - A conversation with Tony Hayward, Chief Executive, Exploration and Production, BP.
Focusing on Developing Your Future
Authors: Quiat Meghan , Perry Melanie
Published: April 2015

International Activities Update - A summary of the first SPE North American Young E&P Professionals Workshop held in Keystone, Colorado.
"Old School" vs. "New School" - Back to Basics!
Authors: Thomas Tony
Published: April 2015

What's Ahead - Editor Tony Thomas summarizes this issue of The Way Ahead.

The scene: A boxing champ of yesteryear steps into the ring for one last time—coming out of retirement, defying all odds—to face off against the current world champion. Movies of this genre compare "old school" and "new school" in the most obvious way, along the lines of aging strength and experience vs. speed and cockiness. The story usually proves that underestimation and disrespect of one's opponent leads to certain defeat.

In this issue of The Way Ahead, we are not setting up this kind of a challenge match between the old thinking and work style and the new. On the contrary, we are trying to couple the best practices and experiences from the past with the innovations of the present, integrated with active mentoring and dialogue to equip us to tackle the challenges of the future.

The tenets of professionalism remain the same irrespective of the "school" to which you belong. By taking the time to learn, being humble, and being ethical, and by keeping our minds open, we can learn from anyone around us and then can share the knowledge we have gained.

The existing contrasts between the two schools of thought and work are probably more pertinent to young professionals because at some future point, today's practices will become old school. We have to guard against complacency, always keeping an eye out for new approaches and ways to solve problems so that we won't come to be viewed as outdated.
Interview with Christophe de Margerie
Authors: de Margerie Christophe
Published: April 2015

The Way Ahead Interview - A conversation with Total Chief Executive Officer Christophe de Margerie.
Interview with Phil Williams
Authors: Williams Phil
Published: April 2015

HR Advice - Phil Williams, Executive Director of the RPS Group, on generational approaches to work in the oil and gas industry.
Issues With Opex Forecasting in Economic Evaluation
Authors: Hancocks Terry
Published: April 2015

Economist's Corner - "Issues With Opex Forecasting in Economic Evaluation" by Terry Hancocks, Support Services manager for Agip KCO.
The Role of IOCs and NOCs in Developing Unconventional Oil and Gas Reservoirs
Authors: Holditch Stephen A.
Published: April 2015

Pillars of the Industry

Stephen Holditch compares national oil companies (NOCs) and international oil companies (IOCs).
International vs. National Oil Companies - What’s the Difference?
Authors: Whitson Curtis H.
Published: April 2015

Pillars of the Industry

Curtis Whitson compares national oil companies (NOCs) and international oil companies (IOCs).
Future Energy Scenarios and Sustainability
Authors: Ben-Naceur Kamel
Published: April 2015

Economist's Corner

This article focuses on the different scenarios for world energy demand and supply, along with their implications on energy-related CO2 emissions.
Should I Consider Graduate School?
Authors: Rossen William R.
Published: April 2015

Pillars of the Industry - William R. Rossen, Professor of Reservoir Engineering, Delft University of Technology, provides insight on how graduate studies provide an advantage in a technology-focused industry.
The E&P Industrial Evolution - Failing Forward
Authors: Reid David
Published: April 2015

Pillars of the Industry - David Reid of National Oilwell Varco.

On any given day, the exploration and production (E&P) business is fraught with myriad challenges. To address these challenges properly, they generally need to be framed technically. Unfortunately, there are gray areas in life that do not lend themselves to a technical solution, so we may have disappointing results. Therefore, I propose the alternative principle of failing forward (known by its technical term as continuous improvement), a principle which defies the silos of pure success and failure. Failing forward is ensuring the experience of failing is not distorted into a picture of who we are, but forms an important part of discovery, wherein we learn not to hide from errors but instead to embrace them as opportunities to learn.

When we optimize our operations, two factors are untouchable: risk management and calculation of insurance coverage in case of failure. Our E&P careers ask us to execute risky projects while working hard to eliminate risk with contingency alternatives. It sounds contradictory, but it is the way we have trained our industry mind to work and we do it every day. The key is to manage expectations while knowing where you can have some operational leeway. For example, on a drilling operation, all our capital equipment works in series with low utilization and has many spares to cover an undefined wide spectrum of risk, while service personnel stand by, getting paid to judge the right time to intervene in the process.

In my opinion, we really don’t have a continuous improvement culture, and, as many of you know, rigs are filled with people trying to avoid failure or “manage the fire” without asking how it started. If you managed the fire with no one getting hurt and operations not impacted too adversely, then you have succeeded.
Interview with J. Michael Yeager
Authors: Yeager J. Michael
Published: April 2015

The Way Ahead Interview - Conversation with J. Michael Yeager, chief executive officer of BHP Billiton Petroleum.
Factors Impacting Dual-Career Couples
Authors: Sprunt Eve , Howes Susan
Published: April 2015

HR Discussion - Chevron’s Eve Sprunt and Susan Howes discuss results of the December 2011 Talent Council Survey

The full manuscript of SPE 160928, ’Factors Impacting Dual Career Couples, Results of December 2011 Talent Council Survey,’ is available as a supplement to this article.
PTSD Growth and Substance Abuse Among a College Student Community: Coping Strategies after 2009 L’aquila Earthquake
Authors: Bianchini V , Roncone R , Giusti L , Casacchia M , Cifone MG , Pollice R
Published: April 2015

Aim of the study was the assessment of coping strategies, specifically substance use and post-traumatic growth
(PTG), in 411 college students two years after 2009 L’Aquila earthquake. Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) was
used to assess PTG and one question about substance use (alcohol, tobacco, cannabis) was asked to verify if students had
modified their use in the post-earthquake compared with the pre-earthquake period. The 77.1% of college students were
exposed to L’Aquila earthquake. The PTGI mean score was 35.23, underlining low positive coping strategies among student
community. About substance abuse, the 43.8% of college students reported a marked increase in alcohol use, 7.8% in
cannabis and the 15.8% reported an increase in nicotine use in the post-earthquake period. Despite these data, 12.5 % of
the students reported a decrease in alcohol use after the earthquake and 17.3% of the sample reported a PTG, showing
positive behaviors and attitudes after the traumatic experience of the natural disaster (increase of social relationships, appreciation
of new future possibilities, and development of a new deep meaning of life). Inferential analysis shows a strong
negative correlation between direct earthquake exposure and PTGI total score. In post-disaster settings, a systematic
framework of case identification, triage, and mental health interventions, including the improvement of positive coping
strategies, like the PTG, should be integrated into emergency medicine and trauma care responses.
Producing Capabilities of Interferon-gamma and Interleukin-10 in Peripheral Blood from Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patients
Authors: Naganawa Kosuke , Takayama Eiji , Adachi Makoto , Mitsudo Kenji , Iida Masaki , Kamiya-Mizuno Masako , Kawaki Harumi , Ichinose Masao , Motohashi Masayuki , Muramatsu Yasunori , Tohnai Iwai , Sumitomo Shin-Ichiro , Shikimori Michio , Kondoh Nobuo
Published: April 2015

In order to evaluate the Th1 and Th2 responses of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC) patients, we investigated the cytokine producing capability of peripheral blood (PB), and compared it with clinicopathological appearances of OSCC patients. The production of a Th1-type cytokine, interferon (IFN)-γ, from lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated PB correlated positively with the frequency of lymph node metastasis. We also investigated the production of a Th2-type cytokine, IL-10, however, no significant correlation was observed with the clinicopathological appearances. Our results suggested that the IFN-γ producing capability was specifically regulated and dependent on the regional metastatic potencies of OSCCs.
Liquid-liquid equilibrium constant for acetic acid in an olive oil-epoxidized olive oil-acetic acid-hydrogen peroxide-water system
Authors: Jankovic Milovan , Govedarica Olga , Sinadinovic-Fiser Snezana , Pavlicevic Jelena , Teofilovic Vesna , Vukic Nevena
Published: April 2015

The liquid-liquid equilibrium constant for acetic acid in a quinary system
olive oil-epoxidized olive oil-acetic acid-hydrogen peroxide-water was
experimentally determined for temperatures and component ratios relevant for
in situ epoxidation of plant oils. The values has the constant range from
1.52 to 2.73. To predict the equilibrium constant for acetic acid, the
experimental data were correlated with UNIQUAC (universal quasi chemical) and
NRTL (non-random two liquid) activity coefficient models. For simplified
calculation of the phase equilibrium the insolubility of olive oil and
epoxidized olive oil in the water, as well as insolubility of water and
hydrogen peroxide in the olive oil and epoxidized olive oil, was assumed. The
root mean square deviation (RMSD) of the experimental and calculated values
of the liquid-liquid equilibrium constant for acetic acid is 0.1910 for the
UNIQUAC model and 0.1815 for the NRTL model. For rigorous flash calculation,
when the partitioning of all components between the phases was assumed, the
RMSD for the NRTL model is 0.1749.
On the Beginnings of South Asian Spice Trade with the Mediterranean Region: A Review
Authors: Gilboa Ayelet , Namdar Dvory
Published: April 2015

When did the trade in lucrative spices from South Asia to the West commence? Recent organic residue analyses performed on small early Iron Age (11th–late 10th century BCE) Phoenician clay flasks provide the first concrete archaeological evidence that such sustainable trade took place much earlier than hitherto suspected. The analysis shows that several of the flasks contained cinnamon, which in this period could only have originated in South/Southeast Asia. Here, we first summarize the rationale and results of that study. Subsequently, we provide an updated review of all sources of data relevant to the question at hand—archaeological, analytical, and textual. Finally, we offer suggestions for future research on the Asian spice trade with the West.
Clinical effects of a constant rate infusion of remifentanil, alone or in combination with ketamine, in cats anesthetized with isoflurane
Authors: Steagall Paulo V. M. , Aucoin Monica , Monteiro Beatriz P. , Moreau Maxim , Simon Brad T. , Burns Patrick M.
Published: April 2015

Objective—To evaluate the effects of a constant rate infusion of remifentanil, alone or in combination with ketamine, in healthy cats anesthetized with isoflurane.

Design—Randomized, controlled, clinical trial.

Animals—23 cats undergoing elective ovariohysterectomy.

Procedures—Cats were premedicated with acepromazine and morphine; anesthesia was induced with propofol and maintained with isoflurane. Cats were given constant rate infusions of remifentanil (20 μg/kg/h [9 μg/lb/h], IV; n = 8), remifentanil and ketamine (0.5 mg/kg [0.23 mg/lb], then 1.8 mg/kg/h [0.82 mg/lb/h], IV; 7), or crystalloid fluids (8). The anesthesiologist was blinded to treatment group, end-tidal isoflurane concentration, and vaporizer setting. Heart rate, systolic arterial blood pressure, respiratory rate, end-tidal partial pressure of CO2, temperature, and end-tidal isoflurane concentration were monitored; recovery scores were assigned.

Results—There were no significant differences among treatment groups with respect to age, body weight, surgery time, anesthesia time, time to extubation, recovery score, or cardiorespiratory variables. End-tidal isoflurane concentration was significantly reduced in cats given remifentanil and ketamine (mean ± SD, 0.63 ± 0.4%), compared with concentration in cats given crystalloid fluids (1.22 ± 0.5%) but not compared with concentration in cats given remifentanil alone (1.03 ± 0.4%). Compared with cats given crystalloid fluids, mean isoflurane requirement was reduced by 48.3% in cats given remifentanil-ketamine and 15.6% in cats given remifentanil alone.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—At the dosages administered, a constant rate infusion of remifentanil-ketamine resulted in a significant decrease in the isoflurane requirement in healthy cats undergoing ovariohysterectomy. However, significant differences in cardiovascular variables were not observed among treatment groups.
Showing Support: Some Reflections on Vancouver’s Dance Economies
Authors: Dickinson Peter
Published: April 2015

Abstract:

This essay draws on a series of recent in-studio conversations and collaborations with different Vancouver dance artists (James Gnam and Natalie Lefebvre Gnam of plastic orchid factory, Ziyian Kwan of dumb instrument Dance, and Tara Cheyenne Friedenberg of Tara Cheyenne Performance) to ask how we value and make meaningful the process that leads to the performance product. Following from Shannon Jackson, I seek to make visible—to show—the various structures of support, from the operational to the affective, that underpin and enable this process. How might both the precarity (financial and physical) and the motility (locomotive and emotive) specific to dance as discipline help us to rethink the different economies of scale that performance engages: from the abstractly derivative and all-encompassing markets of global commerce to the resolutely embodied and intimate spaces of local collaboration? In attempting to answer this question, I am also seeking to account for the work of living—for both my dance-artist friends and myself—that goes into making and supporting a work of live art.
Selling Himself in Central Park: Banksy Does New York
Authors: Stowell-Kaplan Isabel
Published: April 2015

Abstract:

In October 2013, as part of his New York “residency,” British street artist Banksy staged an art sale in Central Park. Here, unadvertised and unannounced, he sold original Banksy canvases for only $60 each. The second part of the performance took place the following day as Banksy, by way of his New York blog, publicized this already concluded event, reminding his audience that “it will not be there again today.” Underlining the apparent fragility of the event (“it will not be there again today”), he quite literally capitalizes on the valuable vulnerability of his work which most New Yorkers couldn’t help but miss. It was this apparently fleeting existence that was precisely the quality that many had thought might exclude performance (and, indeed, street art) from a kind of commodity-driven market. However, as Banksy’s latest interventions demonstrate, it is precisely this sense of ephemerality which gives the work its value. Crystallized into a kind of “just-missed” aesthetic, Banksy’s skyrocketing economic worth rests upon a longing for this kind of intangible affective work; a longing translated rather easily into dollars and cents.

In this article I explore the tensions between such apparently ephemeral work and a market so keen to acquire it, examining precisely how Banksy creates his place in the contemporary art and performance markets.
The Ballad of __________B
Authors: Granados Francisco-Fernando
Published: April 2015

Abstract:

The Ballad of _______ B is an experimental script for an action-based installation that bridges the disciplines of performance art, conceptual art, and theatre. Based on a biographical narrative about the artist’s background as a refugee to Canada during his teenage years originally published in a newspaper, the text was appropriated for profit by an English-language textbook company. As a response, the artist reclaimed the text as a readymade, presenting the central character as a series of lines that create blank spaces within the story. Readers are invited to fill in the blanks as a means to imagine a new character. An accompanying text contextualizes the script, exploring the circulation of the text in a cultural and material economy.
Marketing, Merch, and Media: Nicole Lizée, in Conversation
Authors: Wiseman Howard , Disman Adriana
Published: April 2015

Abstract:

Nicole Lizée is an award-winning classical music composer and performer who composes for string quartet, electronic music, turntable, film, and other media. She has emerged as a major new voice in new classical composition, winning the coveted Canada Council for the Arts Jules Léger Prize (2013) for new Canadian chamber music with her work White Label Experiment. She has been commissioned by the Kronos Quartet among many other prestigious ensembles. This interview engages her relation to various aspects of her work, from marketing and promotion to inspiration and creation in the context of “avant garde” music. How can marketing continue to be part of the art itself? Does instinctively not fitting into a box allow for greater freedom to explore classical and chamber music in the broader context of film and other media? What other factors may be contributing to the inspired vitality of her work?
Improved Anaerobic Fermentation of Wheat Straw by Alkaline Pre-Treatment and Addition of Alkali-Tolerant Microorganisms
Authors: Sträuber Heike , Bühligen Franziska , Kleinsteuber Sabine , Nikolausz Marcell , Porsch Katharina
Published: April 2015

The potential of two alkali-tolerant, lignocellulolytic environmental enrichment cultures to improve the anaerobic fermentation of Ca(OH)2-pre-treated wheat straw was studied. The biomethane potential of pre-treated straw was 36% higher than that of untreated straw. The bioaugmentation of pre-treated straw with the enrichment cultures did not enhance the methane yield, but accelerated the methane production during the first week. In acidogenic leach-bed fermenters, a 61% higher volatile fatty acid (VFA) production and a 112% higher gas production, mainly CO2, were observed when pre-treated instead of untreated straw was used. With one of the two enrichment cultures as the inoculum, instead of the standard inoculum, the VFA production increased by an additional 36% and the gas production by an additional 110%, again mainly CO2. Analysis of the microbial communities in the leach-bed processes revealed similar bacterial compositions in the fermenters with pre-treated straw, which developed independently of the used inoculum. It was suggested that the positive metabolic effects with the enrichment cultures observed in both systems were due to initial activities of the alkali-tolerant microorganisms tackling the alkaline conditions better than the standard inocula, whereas the latter dominated in the long term.
Reliability Analysis of Fatigue Failure of Cast Components for Wind Turbines
Authors: Rafsanjani Hesam , Sørensen John
Published: April 2015

Fatigue failure is one of the main failure modes for wind turbine drivetrain components made of cast iron. The wind turbine drivetrain consists of a variety of heavily loaded components, like the main shaft, the main bearings, the gearbox and the generator. The failure of each component will lead to substantial economic losses such as cost of lost energy production and cost of repairs. During the design lifetime, the drivetrain components are exposed to variable loads from winds and waves and other sources of loads that are uncertain and have to be modeled as stochastic variables. The types of loads are different for offshore and onshore wind turbines. Moreover, uncertainties about the fatigue strength play an important role in modeling and assessment of the reliability of the components. In this paper, a generic stochastic model for fatigue failure of cast iron components based on fatigue test data and a limit state equation for fatigue failure based on the SN-curve approach and Miner’s rule is presented. The statistical analysis of the fatigue data is performed using the Maximum Likelihood Method which also gives an estimate of the statistical uncertainties. Finally, illustrative examples are presented with reliability analyses depending on various stochastic models and partial safety factors.
Actual Evapotranspiration in the Al-Khazir Gomal Basin (Northern Iraq) Using the Surface Energy Balance Algorithm for Land (SEBAL) and Water Balance
Authors: Jassas Hussein , Kanoua Wael , Merkel Broder
Published: April 2015

Increasing dependence on groundwater requires a detailed determination of the different outputs and inputs of a basin for better water management. Determination of spatial and temporal actual evapotranspiration (ETa), in this regard, is of vital importance as there is significant water loss from drainage basins. This research paper uses the Surface Energy Balance Algorithm for Land (SEBAL), as well as the water balance, to estimate the spatial and temporal ETa in the Al-Khazir Gomal Basin, Northern Iraq. To compensate for the shortage in rainfall, and to irrigate summer crops, farmers in this basin have been depending, to a large extent, on groundwater extracted from the underlying unconfined aquifer, which is considered the major source for both domestic and agricultural uses in this basin. Rainfed farming of wheat and barley is one of the most important activities in the basin in the winter season, while in the summer season, agricultural activity is limited to small rice fields and narrow strips of vegetable cultivation along the Al-Khazir River. The Landsat Thematic Mapper images (TM5) acquired on 21 November 2006, 9 March 2007, 5 May 2007, 21 July 2007, and 23 September 2007 were used, along with a digital elevation model (DEM) and ground-based meteorological data, measured within the area of interest. Estimation of seasonal ETa from periods between satellite overpasses was computed using the evaporative fraction (Ʌ). The water balance approach was utilized, using meteorological data and river hydrograph analysis, to estimate the ETa as the only missing input in the predefined water balance equation. The results of the two applied methods were comparable. SEBAL results were compared with the land use land cover (LULC) map. The river showed the highest ETa, as evaporation from the free-water surface. Rice fields, irrigated in the summer season, have a high ETa in the images, as these fields are immersed in water during June, July and August. Vegetated corridors along the riverside showed different ETa values, as they contain a mosaic of different crops in different stages of growth. Conglomerate and bare sandstone outcrops showed no ETa, with some exceptions in the mountainous area, where these outcrops are affected by perennial springs. The results indicate the applicability of SEBAL in the study area, and they could be used in further studies to estimate the water budget of the basin.
1H NMR-Based Metabolic Profiling Reveals the Effects of Fluoxetine on Lipid and Amino Acid Metabolism in Astrocytes
Authors: Bai Shunjie , Zhou Chanjuan , Cheng Pengfei , Fu Yuying , Fang Liang , Huang Wen , Yu Jia , Shao Weihua , Wang Xinfa , Liu Meiling , Zhou Jingjing , Xie Peng
Published: April 2015

Fluoxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), is a prescribed and effective antidepressant and generally used for the treatment of depression. Previous studies have revealed that the antidepressant mechanism of fluoxetine was related to astrocytes. However, the therapeutic mechanism underlying its mode of action in astrocytes remains largely unclear. In this study, primary astrocytes were exposed to 10 µM fluoxetine; 24 h post-treatment, a high-resolution proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR)-based metabolomic approach coupled with multivariate statistical analysis was used to characterize the metabolic variations of intracellular metabolites. The orthogonal partial least-squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) score plots of the spectra demonstrated that the fluoxetine-treated astrocytes were significantly distinguished from the untreated controls. In total, 17 differential metabolites were identified to discriminate the two groups. These key metabolites were mainly involved in lipids, lipid metabolism-related molecules and amino acids. This is the ﬁrst study to indicate that fluoxetine may exert antidepressant action by regulating the astrocyte’s lipid and amino acid metabolism. These findings should aid our understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying fluoxetine therapy.
Sensor Anomaly Detection in Wireless Sensor Networks for Healthcare
Authors: Haque Shah , Rahman Mustafizur , Aziz Syed
Published: April 2015

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) are vulnerable to various sensor faults and faulty measurements. This vulnerability hinders efficient and timely response in various WSN applications, such as healthcare. For example, faulty measurements can create false alarms which may require unnecessary intervention from healthcare personnel. Therefore, an approach to differentiate between real medical conditions and false alarms will improve remote patient monitoring systems and quality of healthcare service afforded by WSN. In this paper, a novel approach is proposed to detect sensor anomaly by analyzing collected physiological data from medical sensors. The objective of this method is to effectively distinguish false alarms from true alarms. It predicts a sensor value from historic values and compares it with the actual sensed value for a particular instance. The difference is compared against a threshold value, which is dynamically adjusted, to ascertain whether the sensor value is anomalous. The proposed approach has been applied to real healthcare datasets and compared with existing approaches. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed system, providing high Detection Rate (DR) and low False Positive Rate (FPR).
Damage Detection with Streamlined Structural Health Monitoring Data
Authors: Li Jian , Deng Jun , Xie Weizhi
Published: April 2015

The huge amounts of sensor data generated by large scale sensor networks in on-line structural health monitoring (SHM) systems often overwhelms the systems’ capacity for data transmission and analysis. This paper presents a new concept for an integrated SHM system in which a streamlined data flow is used as a unifying thread to integrate the individual components of on-line SHM systems. Such an integrated SHM system has a few desirable functionalities including embedded sensor data compression, interactive sensor data retrieval, and structural knowledge discovery, which aim to enhance the reliability, efficiency, and robustness of on-line SHM systems. Adoption of this new concept will enable the design of an on-line SHM system with more uniform data generation and data handling capacity for its subsystems. To examine this concept in the context of vibration-based SHM systems, real sensor data from an on-line SHM system comprising a scaled steel bridge structure and an on-line data acquisition system with remote data access was used in this study. Vibration test results clearly demonstrated the prominent performance characteristics of the proposed integrated SHM system including rapid data access, interactive data retrieval and knowledge discovery of structural conditions on a global level.
Further exploration of the heterocyclic diversity accessible from the allylation chemistry of indigo
Authors: Shakoori Alireza , Bremner John B , Abdel-Hamid Mohammed K , Willis Anthony C , Haritakun Rachada , Keller Paul A
Published: April 2015

Diversity-directed synthesis based on the cascade allylation chemistry of indigo, with its embedded 2,2’-diindolic core, has resulted in rapid access to new examples of the hydroxy-8a,13-dihydroazepino[1,2-a:3,4-b']diindol-14(8H)-one skeleton in up to 51% yield. Additionally a derivative of the novel bridged heterocycle 7,8-dihydro-6H-6,8a-epoxyazepino[1,2-a:3,4-b']diindol-14(13H)-one was produced when the olefin of the allylic substrate was terminally disubstituted. Further optimisation also produced viable one-pot syntheses of derivatives of the spiro(indoline-2,9'-pyrido[1,2-a]indol)-3-one (65%) and pyrido[1,2,3-s,t]indolo[1,2-a]azepino[3,4-b]indol-17-one (72%) heterocyclic systems. Ring-closing metathesis of the N,O-diallylic spiro structure and subsequent Claisen rearrangement gave rise to the new (1R,8aS,17aS)-rel-1,2-dihydro-1-vinyl-8H,17H,9H-benz[2',3']pyrrolizino[1',7a':2,3]pyrido[1,2-a]indole-8,17-(2H,9H)-dione heterocyclic system.
Itraconazole-resistant Candida auris with phospholipase, proteinase and hemolysin activity from a case of vulvovaginitis
Authors: Kumar Dharmendra , Banerjee Tuhina , Pratap Chandra Bhan , Tilak Ragini
Published: April 2015

Since the emergence of pathogenic non-albicans Candida species, a number of new isolates have been added to the list. One such unusual species is Candida auris (C. auris), recently isolated and studied in few reports. In this study, a case of vulvovaginitis caused by Candida auris incidentally identified by molecular methods using internal transcribed spacer polymerase chain reaction (ITS PCR) is described. Antifungal susceptibility testing revealed the isolate to be resistant to itraconazole (MIC ≥ 2 µg/ml) and expressed important virulence factors including phospholipase, proteinase and hemolysin activity. The patient was successfully treated with oral fluconazole and did not have any invasive fungemia. Very few cases of this emerging pathogen have been reported. However, its isolation from clinical specimens reveals the significance of non-albicans candida species over C. albicans and the diversity of Candida spp causing infections.
Public awareness of malaria at the beginning of a national malaria elimination program in China
Authors: Yin Jianhai , Xia Zhigui , Wang Rubo , Zhang Qingfeng , Fang Wen , Zhou Shuisen
Published: April 2015

Introduction: This study aimed to investigate the baseline level of malaria awareness in residents in 20 malaria-endemic provinces from October 2010 to January 2011 at the beginning of the implementation of the China National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP). Methodology: A structured questionnaire about basic malaria knowledge was administrated to residents in rural areas from 20 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions. Results: A total of 182,085 residents no younger than 15 years of age took part in the cross-sectional investigation; 3,232 were excluded because of incomplete survey responses. Of the respondents, 56.86% were aware of malaria, 18.03% responded correctly to all five questions, and 5.57% answered all the questions incorrectly. Malaria awareness among different age groups was statistically significant (p < 0.001), males had a better understanding of malaria than did females (p < 0.001), and Type I counties had a better understanding than did Type II counties (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The level of malaria awareness was low among residents at the beginning of the NMEP, especially about malaria pathogenicity and preventive methods. Health education campaigns should be developed and implemented to increase the public perceptions about malaria prevention and treatment, and to promote malaria elimination in China.
Prevalence and behavioral risk factors for STIs/HIV among attendees of the Ministry of Health hospitals in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Filemban Sanaa M. , Yasein Yasser A. , Abdalla Magdy H. H. , Al-Hakeem Raafat , Al-Tawfiq Jaffar A. , Memish Ziad A
Published: April 2015

Introduction: Sexually transmitted infections (STI) are a major public health, social, and economic problem leading to morbidity, mortality, and stigma. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of STIs, investigate behavioral risk factors and the relationship between the STIs/HIV and demographic factors. Methodology: A cross-sectional survey was conducted between 2013 and 2014 among attendees of the Ministry of Health hospitals. Results: The total number of participants was 3,994 (2,441 males and 1,553 females), with a mean age of 31.95 ± 9.45 years (range 12 to 77 years). The prevalence of STIs and HIV was 6.2% and 0.05% respectively. The mean age for infected people with STIs was 29.42 ± 7.51, vs. 32.12 ± 9.55 for non infected (p < 0.05). There was no diffference between infected and non infected people regarding gender, occupation and marital status. The prevalence of STIs was more commonly reported among non-Saudi (10.9%). Drug use (OR = 4.74; 95%; CI: 3.47–6.48), intravenous drug use (OR = 4.51; 95% CI: 1.45–13.12), illegal sex (OR = 10.7; 95% CI: 7.62–13.32), sex for money (OR = 6.36; 95% CI: 4.52–8.93), sex for pleasure (OR=9.76; 95% CI: 7.29–13.07) were significantly associated with STIs. Conclusion: The prevalence of STIs including HIV in Saudi Arabia is low compared to other countries in the region and globally.
La musique « répétitive » : une révolution conservatrice dans le monde musical savant américain ?
Authors: Denave Laurent
Published: April 2015

La musique dite « répétitive » (dont les représentants les plus célèbres sont Terry Riley, Steve Reich, Philip Glass, John Adams et Laurie Anderson) est-elle un exemple de révolution conservatrice dans le monde musical ? Ce courant, qui émerge aux États-Unis à partir des années 1960, est en effet considéré comme « moderne » ou « d’avant-garde » alors qu’il semble pourtant marquer un retour au passé, tant au niveau des prises de position musicales (remise au goût du jour d’un style d’écriture traditionnel) qu’à celui des positions dans l’espace des compositeurs savants (renoncement à l’autonomie vis-à-vis notamment du « marché » de la musique). Pour savoir s’il s’agit bien d’une révolution conservatrice, nous rappelons tout d’abord les conditions standard de production de la musique moderne (ou d’avant-garde) aux États-Unis, depuis sa naissance au début du XX e siècle jusqu’aux années 1960. Nous montrons ensuite que ces conditions changent de façon remarquable pour les principaux tenants du courant répétitif. La dépendance à l’égard des institutions académiques et, surtout, des institutions commerciales devient forte alors qu’elle faisait auparavant l’objet d’un rejet par les compositeurs modernes. On pourrait ainsi considérer la musique répétitive comme une entreprise de réintégration d’une partie de la « musique nouvelle » dans l’ordre musical dominant (académique et commercial), réaction contre la modernité musicale et remise en cause de l’autonomie de la création musicale, autrement dit une révolution conservatrice dans le monde musical savant américain.