bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pressurized Mud Cap Drilling Drastically Improves Drilling Efficiency in Exploration Well, South Sumatra
Authors: Dipura Yongki Suharya , Ardiyaprana Faruk Bima , Putra Ery M.
Published: January 2018

ARG-1 exploration sour and high CO2 gas well was drilled vertically in South Sumatra, Indonesia, with a total depth (TD) of around 5000 ft-MD. The operation has been facing many challenges in drilling and completion phase; one of them is the occurrence of massive fluid losses in fractured limestone formation. Pressurized mud cap drilling (PMCD) technique is the possible solution to complete this well without sacrifice drilling fluids in enormous volume and minimize non-productive time (NPT).

PMCD is one of managed pressure drilling (MPD) techniques applied in situations when drilling without return to the surface and with a full annular fluid column which is maintained above the formation. The key of successful PMCD technique is the rotating circulating device (RCD) which is used to close the annulus. Furthermore, sacrificial fluid is injected through drill string and light annular fluid is pumped down from the annulus to maintain borehole fill and prevent annular gas migration.

Limestone formation was drilled with 6 in slim hole which is a contingency plan. In addition, the premature set of 7 in casing was to cover the gas zone which is located above the limestone formation. Total loss circulation occurred when drilling through upper limestone formation. Conventional combat loss techniques i.e. spot loss circulation material, gunk plug, and cement plug were used to cure the loss but none of them give significant result. It took approximately 2 months for combat loss with such common technique. In consequence, PMCD technique was decided to apply in this situation and it only required 4 days to drill until TD and ready to run 4-1/2 in casing. By successfully utilizing the PMCD technique, the company was able drastically to reduce the NPT and reach the TD successfully.

This paper presents a case study of the drilling operation in ARG-1 exploration well that had massive loss circulation while using common combat loss techniques were unable to reach TD. Furthermore, it explains how drilling in PMCD mode allowed operation in ARG-1 to reach the TD after total loss of circulation was experienced and how the completion assembly was run and cemented in PMCD mode.
Well Integrity - Next Developments
Authors: Brechan Bjorn , Sangesland Sigbjorn , Naaden Christoffer
Published: January 2018

Step changes in the area of Well Integrity is often based on HSE, production regularity and intervention cost. Well Integrity is a relatively new area of expertise, where small and larger quantitative and qualitative improvements can be expected. With change in technology comes procedural changes. With more significant improvements comes organizational changes. This paper shed some lights on some improvements in the pipeline for future Well Integrity Management.

Some step changes are more evident as new equipment are qualified. Other improvements may be more intangible, like procedural or organizational changes. An overview has been made per phases a well is subjected to, in an approach to understand where it is likely to see progress in the area of Well Integrity. The overview follows a typical life cycle of a well to map out the processes and work where a well's barriers, integrity and containment are either planned, established or active.

One important issue learned from making an overview of the Well Integrity activities through the life cycle of a well is how the work is divided between different groups in an organization with different responsibility and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Updating and reporting integrity status, providing performance and reliability data across lines is in itself a challenging task.

The Integrity of a well is often tied to the capacity to contain fluids. The processes which happen on the outside of the barrier envelopes are also important. It can be gas migration leading to sustained casing pressure, exposure to mobile corrosive fluids, subsidence or formation collapse. Traditionally, monitoring pressure in the production annulus has been the main indicator of integrity and source of information. Many operators acknowledge that monitoring the other annular pressures are important and have long desired automatic surveillance of the next annulus.
Effect of the Rotary Steerable System Steering Mechanism on Wellbore Tortuosity in Horizontal Wells
Authors: Alrushud Albaraa , Mohammad Muntasar , Oliveira Victor , Zahrani Bader
Published: January 2018

This paper describes a new approach to evaluating the effectiveness of the rotary steerable system (RSS) steering mechanism on wellbore tortuosity in horizontal wells. Wellbore tortuosity in drilling applications is defined as any unwanted deviation from the planned well trajectory. As reservoir objectives become more complex and exact, operators increasingly perceive the wellbore tortuosity as a serious concern in the process of drilling, completing, and producing wells.

More than 700 wells were reviewed and analyzed in this study. Strict criteria were set during the classification process; the studied wells have a common geology and trajectory, and they use a very similar bottomhole assembly (BHA) design. The inclination values from the wireline tool are used to illustrate the attainable benefits in terms of wellbore quality and measure wellbore tortuosity. In addition, the wireline inclination data are compared with the actual measurement-while-drilling (MWD) survey to highlight the existence of the micro-dogleg severity (DLS) that cannot be measured by standard surveys.

Due to the theoretical differences in the steering mechanism between the various types of RSS, it has been claimed that utilizing one steering mechanism over another can produce a less-tortuous wellbore. These steering mechanisms have previously been classified as either push-the-bit or point-the-bit mechanisms. The relative merits of a push-the-bit steering mechanism vs. a point-the-bit steering mechanism is an over-simplification; neither mechanism can deliver the premium wellbore quality the industry demands from RSS. The present study introduces the continuous proportional steering method (CPSM), and demonstrates how this mechanism can provide superior wellbore quality by reducing wellbore tortuosity. In addition, a superior inclination hold performance is observed in horizontal sections drilled with the CPSM. Curve intervals are more continuous and smoothly drilled through the planned directional changes.

The research becomes a useful reference to analyze the performance and efficiency of RSS steering mechanisms across drilling and workover operations. Directional drilling service companies are encouraged and challenged to improve the efficiency and accuracy of RSS mechanisms, improving the hole quality and reducing micro-doglegs.
Benefits of Utilizing a Fully Mechanical Casing Running Tool on a 630 Ton Casing String in Kuwait
Authors: Saleh Khaled , Al-Shammari Abdullah , Shadad Nawaf , Mujahed Emad , Al-Jarid Meshari Abdullah , Smith Douglas G. , Mattia Chris Della
Published: January 2018

Casing running has historically been recognized as one of the most inefficient and dangerous processes on drilling rigs. Conventional methods carry with them a substantial equipment and personnel burden. This burden results in lengthy rig up/down times, a crowded rig floor and is often responsible for a variety of injuries and occasional fatalities. Recently, Casing Running Tools are being utilized that reduce equipment and personnel required on the rig, advancing the industry toward a safer, more efficient casing running process.

Casing Running Tools greatly reduce the equipment needed to run casing by incorporating many functions into one tool. Less equipment utilizing more intuitive procedures reduces the amount of rig up and rig down time. Both hydraulic and mechanical tools are currently available to the industry. Hydraulically operated tools require a "Hydraulic Power Unit" (HPU) and an operator on the rig floor to control the CRT's operation. Mechanical tools are more compact, do not require HPU's and place complete control of the tool and the casing running in the hands of the onsite driller. For this reason, a mechanical tool was selected for this string.

This paper will cover the results of the run in terms of tool efficiency, tool efficacy, safety, and TRS footprint. Tool efficiency will be compared between a mechanical casing running tool and conventional methods, in terms of rig-in times and run times. This will include considerations between efficiency at the beginning of a run and expected efficiency gains near the end of the run. Efficacy will be discussed in the context of the tool's ability to satisfy its desired function. This is less directly measured but will include input from rig personnel and measurable components such as connection reports. Arguably the most important benefit will be recognized in equipment and personnel requirements, and this paper will discuss the differences in conventional services and the use of a mechanical CRT using conventional services as the baseline for comparison. The discussion concludes with an outline of the benefits realized by the operator, service-company, and other rig personnel.

This publication reviews the first application of a fully mechanical CRT in Kuwait to run a string of casing with premium threads. This is also the first 630-ton casing string run with a mechanical casing running tool in the Middle East Region.

A newly developed wireless Torque Turn Sub that matches the hoist and torque capacity of the CRT was also used to monitor and record the torque on the premium threads.
A Systematic Approach to Monitoring and Management of Annulus Pressures
Authors: Srivastava Manish , Ali Abeer A. , Alshehhi Ali S. , Kumar Amit , Spuskanyuk Oleksandr , Abdulhai Walid M. , Gan Chee Lam
Published: January 2018

Annuli pressure if not controlled and managed may result in uncontrolled release of high-pressure hydrocarbon fluids from reservoir to the surface. This may cause loss of life, damage to environment, and tarnish the reputation of the company. In this paper, two potential pathways for reservoir fluid to reach the surface through annuli have been examined, and recommendations were provided to diagnose and manage annulus pressures within safe operating limits.

Integrated well integrity assessment to diagnose the root-cause of annulus pressure involved using various tools to measure key parameters needed to make an accurate assessment of root-cause of annulus pressure. For example, thermal numerical models and lab tests were conducted to simulate thermal effects in the well and analyze annulus fluid samples, respectively. Furthermore, echometer was used to measure fluid-level in the annuli, whereas logging tools such as spectral noise, high-precision temperature etc. were used to identify source of any reservoir fluid ingress.

Multiple diagnostic, surveillance and management workflows for outer and inner annuli have been developed. Experiences in implementing these workflows for hundreds of wells in the field have been described and lessons learned have been discussed. Special attention has been paid to the cases with confirmed or suspected lost barriers. Appropriate, cost-efficient levels of diagnostics have been selected and employed to ensure safe operations. Decision trees on how to manage wells with annulus pressures have been discussed, in particular related to planning and execution of pressure bleed-offs, annulus top-ups with heavier fluids, etc. Based on decision trees, cost-efficient levels of diagnostics have been selected and employed to ensure safe operations.

This work provides insights on various tools to diagnose and cost-effectively manage the pressure in the annulus by combining the available tools and software. Company-specific annulus pressure management strategies have been developed and successfully employed to safely operate wells with annulus pressure.
Microbial Profile Modification MPM: A Noble Application of Biotechnology in Improving Oil Recovery
Authors: Gaurav Aman
Published: January 2018

Lack of sufficient natural drives in most of the reservoirs in the world has lead the practice of supplementing the natural reservoir energy by some form of artificial drive, the most basic method being the injection of displacement fluid like water or gas. Problem associated with these recovery mechanism is channeling of the displacement fluid through high permeable streaks thus resulting in a poor sweep efficiency of the hydrocarbon. In such cases, profile modification is being carried out to reduce high permeability streaks using conventional chemical based techniques; gels and polymers. Microbes provides another environment friendly noble technique from the field of biotechnology to improve sweeping efficiency of oil from water flooding reservoir. In Microbial Profile Modification (MPM) process, sequential injection of selective microbes is done along with certain nutrients package in the reservoir rock. In-situ excretion from injected microbial, bio-polymers create a stable multilayer growth of cells called biofilm. Formation of biofilm reduces the pore throat size and in turn reduces the permeability of watered out thief zones or high-permeability streaks. Permeability reduction results in diversion of the displacement fluid towards low permeability zone to provide better sweep efficiency.

This paper presents an application of biotechnology in improving oil recovery through microbial approach by modifying permeability profiles. Paper highlight the importance of microbe selection, laboratory core flooding study, and lesson learned from worldwide field application of the novel technique. Authors also evaluate the application of the technique in Indian oil fields.
Role of Heart Rate Reduction in the Management of Myocarditis
Authors: Guang-Yi Chen , Li-Sha Ge , Yue-Chun Li
Published: January 2018

The morbidity of myocarditis demonstrates an upward tendency by years, is commonly defined as the
inflammation of myocytes and is caused by multiple factors. With the development of the molecular biological
technique, great breakthroughs in the diagnosis and understanding of pathophysiological mechanisms of myocarditis
have recently been achieved. Several questions remain unresolved, however, including standard treatment
approaches to myocarditis, which remain controversial and ambiguous. Heart rate, as an independent risk factor,
has been shown to be related to cardiac disease. Recent studies also show that the autonomic nervous system is
involved in immunomodulatory myocarditis processes. Heart rate reduction treatment is recommended in myocarditis
based on a number of animal experiments and clinical trials. It is possible that heart rate-lowering treatments
can help to attenuate the inflammatory response and myocyte injury and reverse ventricular remodeling.
However, how to execute the protective effects of heart rate reduction on myocarditis is still not clear. In this
review, we discuss the pathogenesis and pathophysiological process of viral myocarditis and propose heart rate
lowering as a therapeutic target for myocarditis, especially in light of the third-generation β-blockade carvedilol
and funny channel blocker ivabradine. We also highlight some additional beneficial effects of such heart rate
reduction agents, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidation, anti-nitrosative stress, anti-fibrosis and antiapoptosis
properties.
Lipoprotein-associated Phospholipase A2 and Coronary Heart Disease
Authors: Sofogianni Areti , Alkagiet Stelina , Tziomalos Konstantinos
Published: January 2018

In the last decades, the role of inflammation in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis has been the topic of
intense research. Several markers of inflammation have shown predictive value for first and recurrent coronary
events in patients without and with established Coronary Heart Disease (CHD). Among these markers, lipoprotein-
associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) has recently received considerable attention. In the present review,
the potential role of Lp-PLA2 as a marker of CHD risk and as a therapeutic target is discussed. Elevated Lp-
PLA2 mass and activity appears to be associated with increased risk for CHD, both in the general population and
in patients with established CHD. However, it is unclear whether the measurement of Lp-PLA2 improves risk
discrimination when incorporated in models that include traditional cardiovascular risk factors. Moreover, the
lack of effect on CHD events of darapladib, a potent, selective Lp-PLA2 inhibitor, in two large, randomized,
placebo-controlled trials and the mostly negative findings of genetic association studies suggest that Lp-PLA2 is
unlikely to represent a causal factor in atherogenesis. Therefore, it is doubtful whether Lp-PLA2 will constitute a
therapeutic target for the prevention of CHD.
Torsades de Pointes in Patients with Polymyalgia Rheumatica
Authors: Lazzerini Pietro Enea , Bertolozzi Iacopo , Acampa Maurizio , Fulceri Rosella , Laghi-Pasini Franco , Capecchi Pier Leopoldo
Published: January 2018

Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) represents the most common inflammatory rheumatic disease of the
elderly. It is characterized by synovitis of proximal joints and extra-articular synovial structures, along with
chronic high-grade systemic inflammation. PMR is closely related to giant cell arteritis (GCA), a large–vessel
vasculitis that involves the major branches of the aorta, particularly the extracranial branches of carotid artery
including temporal arteries. It is currently believed that PMR and GCA may represent different manifestations of
the same disease process.

Chronic systemic inflammation is presently recognized as one of the key pathogenic mechanisms underlying
cardiovascular disease and associated complications, including cardiac arrhythmias and sudden death. In this
regard, several studies demonstrated that besides promoting structural heart disease, inflammatory activation may
also be per se arrhythmogenic, via cytokine-mediated effects on cardiac electrophysiology. In particular, increasing
evidence points to inflammation as a novel risk factor for QTc prolongation and related life-threatening arrhythmias,
specifically Torsade de Pointes (TdP).

Starting from the report of two cases of TdP occurring in PMR patients with active disease and elevated circulating
IL-6 levels, we here reviewed literature data regarding heart involvement and arrhythmic events in
PMR/GCA, as well as TdP risk in inflammatory diseases. Potential underlying mechanisms were dissected, by
focusing on the driving role of inflammatory activation.
Validation of an Arabic Version of the Obesity-Related Wellbeing (ORWELL 97) Questionnaire in Adults with Obesity
Authors: Itani Leila , Calugi Simona , Kreidieh Dima , El Kassas Germine , El Masri Dana , Tannir Hana , Grave Riccardo Dalle , Harfoush Aya , El Ghoch Marwan
Published: January 2018

Background:

No specific questionnaire that evaluates Health-Related Quality Of Life (HRQOL) in individuals with obesity is available in the Arabic language. The aim of this study was therefore to propose and examine the validity and reliability of an Arabic language version of the ORWELL 97, a validated obesity-related HRQOL questionnaire.

Methods:

The ORWELL 97 questionnaire was translated from English to Arabic language and administered to 318 Arabic-speaking participants (106 from clinical and 212 from community samples), and underwent internal consistency, test–retest reliability, construct and discriminative validity analysis.

Results:

Internal consistency and the test–retest reliability were excellent for ORWELL 97 global scores in the clinical sample. Participants with obesity displayed significantly higher ORWELL 97 scores than participants from the community sample, confirming the good discriminant validity of the questionnaire. Confirmatory factor analysis in the clinical sample revealed a good fit for a modified two-factor structure.

Conclusion:

Overall, the Arabic version of the ORWELL 97 can be considered validated in Arabic adult patients with obesity, paving the way to further assessment of its responsiveness in measuring changes in health-related quality of life associated with obesity treatment.
Graphene based Wideband Arc Truncated Terahertz Antenna for Wireless Communication
Authors: Bansal Gaurav , Marwaha Anupma , Singh Amanpreet , Bala Rajni , Marwaha Sanjay
Published: January 2018

Objective: The next generation wireless communication systems are a major research
concern of THz systems. The THz band offers very large bandwidth which is required for applications
involving ultra high data rates. The objective of this research paper is therefore, greatly focused
on the design and analysis of an ultra wideband antenna providing bandwidth enhancement.
The use of graphene patch as conducting material in the antenna possesses enormous potential to
enhance gain, radiation efficiency, radiated power and bandwidth on account of extraordinary electromagnetic
properties and functionalities of the graphene material.

Method: The graphene based nano-antenna has been accurately designed using finite element
method (FEM) based high frequency simulator (HFSS) software. This design introduces truncated
corners/edges in square nano-patch antenna with semi-circular radius of 0.7 µm to the microstrip
feeding line on SiO2 as substrate with thickness of 1.8 µm and permittivity of εr= 4 in THz region.

Result: The proposed design achieves the impedance bandwidth of 1.39 THz at 13.0 THz, 1.36
THz at 15.0 THz and more than 5THz at 18.0 THz. The 3D plot depicts gain and directivity, having
maximum value of 7.1011 dB and 7.2781 dB respectively at the resonant frequency. Truncations
in the antenna introduce co polarization and cross polarization. Further the radiation efficiency
for graphene based arc truncated square patch antenna on silicon dioxide substrate is determined
as a function of frequency for operating frequency band and has been observed to be more than
90% at respective resonant frequencies.

Conclusion: The performance of graphene based antenna has been evaluated considering equally
truncated arcs on its opposite corners and their effect on antenna characteristics is analyzed by determining
different parameters including bandwidth, return loss, VSWR, directivity, gain, radiation
efficiency, 2D and 3D radiation patterns. The antenna provides improved impedance bandwidth of
more than 5 THz in the band of operation from 10 to 20 THz. Moreover the gain, directivity and
radiation efficiency achieved are much improved for the proposed graphene antenna.
Acoustic Cavitation Assisted Preparation of Poly(Acrylic Acid)-Halloysite nanoclay Hydrogel for Removal of Auramine O Dye from Effluent
Authors: Karekar Sammit E. , Gondhalekar Kunal A. , Chandre Dipak K. , Sonawane Shirish H. , Pinjari Dipak V.
Published: January 2018

Background:

Dye molecules are non-biodegradable which leads to pollution of water. There it’s
important to treat these dye molecules prior to their discharge into water. There are various methods to treat
the polluted water, but which has certain drawbacks with respect to their efficacy. The aim of this paper to
introduce ultrasonically synthesized polymer hydrogel for removal of dye molecules from effluent.

Methods:

Polyacrylic acid based synthesis of hydrogel was carried out with the aid of acoustic cavitation.
Encapsulation and uniform dispersion of cross linker (Halloysite nanoclay) has been efficiently
carried due to ultrasonic irradiation produced by acoustic cavitation. Also Auramine O dye was considered
for dye adsorption study.

Results:

The dye absorptivity of the synthesized hydrogel was analysed for removal of Auramine O
dye. The adsorption study was carried out under various pH values for 5.5 hours. It was perceived that
highest % removal of dye occurred at pH 11 with contact time of 5 hours.

Conclusion:

Prepared hydrogel was examined for its swelling capacity using deionized water. From
swelling behavior data it has been observed that synthesized hydrogel has good swelling capacity and
follows non-Fickian diffusion. From pH study it was observed that percentage removal of dye was increasing
linearly with respect to pH up to 12.The optimum values for pH and contact time for highest
dye removal (78.93%) are thus found out to be 11 and 5 hours respectively. The adsorption isotherm
model study showed that Langmuir adsorption isotherm model well fitted with the experimental data.
KURIKULUM HOLISTIK INTEGRATIF BERBASIS PERMAINAN TRADISIONAL PADA PAUD DI YOGYAKARTA INTEGRATIVE HOLISTIC CURRICULUM BASED ON TRADITIONAL GAMES AT KINDERGARTEN IN YOGYAKARTA
Authors: Pramudyani Avanti Vera Risty
Published: January 2018

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk memperoleh informasi tentang kurikulum holistik integratif yang dikembangkan pada PAUD. Kurikulum holistik integratif yang diterapkan di PAUD lebih bermakna apabila lingkungan sekitar anak yang dapat dijadikan sebagai dasar pengembangan. Permainan tradisional sebagai salah satu kearifan lokal dapat menjadi dasar pengembangan. Metode yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah penelitian dengan pendekatan deskriptif jenis surveI. Penelitian ini melibatkan pendidik PAUD yang tersebar di tiga kabupaten yaitu Bantul, Sleman, dan Gunung Kidul. Teknik analisis data dalam penelitian ini adalah analisis deskriptif menggunakan rerata, median, modus, persentase, dan pengelompakan berdasarkan interval data. Hasil penelitian diperoleh bahwa 94% lembaga PAUD di tiga wilayah tersebut belum mengembangkan holistik integratif. Sedangkan 65% responden menggunakan permainan tradisional di luar pembelajaran dengan jenis permianan yang paling sering digunakan yaitu, Petak Umpet, Cublak-cublak suweng, Jamuran, dan Jaranan.This study aims to know about curriculum holistic integrative develop in early childhood education. The implementation curriculum holistic integrative will have meaningfully if the environment child becomes the base to develop. The traditional game as a one of indigenous can be the basis of development. The method in this research is qualitative descriptive with a survey. This research involved early childhood teacher in Bantul, Sleman, and Gunung Kidul. The analysis of data to describe use mean, median, modes, percentage, and quantified based on interval data. The result is 94% early childhood school in three districts not yet develop the holistic integrative. While 65% respondent used traditional game outside from learning process, with kind of games usually played are petak umpet, cublak-cublak suweng, jamuran, and jaranan.
Political Donations by Australian Companies
Authors: Ramsay Ian , Stapledon Geof , Vernon Joel
Published: January 2018

The subject of corporate political donations is highly topical in several countries. The Australian Democrats have called for greater disclosure of donations made by companies to political parties, and for the introduction of a shareholder-approval rule where the donor is a public company. According to Democrat Senator Andrew Murray, ‘ever since the first political donation changed hands, money has been used to influence electoral outcomes and the process of government’.

The problems potentially associated with political donations are probably as old as democracy itself. Where the institution of democracy is coupled with and gives its imprimatur to relatively free market economics, the market for votes takes on characteristics not unlike those of the markets for goods and services. Free commerce and free elections give rise to the possibility of political exploitation and manipulation. Where political power depends on commercial attractiveness, commercial interests can be advanced by contributing funds to those political interests which promise the best commercial returns. Consequently, allegations of wealthy citizens – corporate or otherwise – buying political influence are not uncommon where their capacity to donate to political parties (and the parties’ correspondent capacity to accept) is relatively unhindered.
In the Wake of TEOH: Finding an Appropriate Government Response
Authors: Lacey Wendy
Published: January 2018

Few cases of recent times, beyond the decisions of Mabo and Wik, could rival Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs v Teoh, for the dramatic response it provoked in political, legal and academic circles. In the aftermath of the High Court's decision in Teoh came three Commonwealth Bills, one state Act, several ‘executive statements’ at both the Federal and state level, and numerous academic commentaries. Yet, despite the many attempts to override the decision by successive federal governments, the Teoh principle continues to apply to the administrative decisions made at the federal level. The third of the Commonwealth Bills aimed at over-riding the Teoh principle of legitimate expectation progressed only as far as its predecessors, with its debate in the Senate having been adjourned on 5 April, 2001.

It is unlikely that enactment of the proposed Bill would have laid the Teoh principle finally to rest, and developments since the last Senate Inquiry conducted in 1997 raise further issues pertaining to the original High Court decision. In particular, subsequent case law has provided clear judicial statements regarding the effectiveness (or ineffectiveness) of earlier executive statements issued by successive federal governments, as well as outlining what constitutes a legally enforceable ‘executive indication to the contrary'. In addition to recent developments on the domestic front, the proposed Bill had also been criticised by one international body for being inconsistent with Australia's international legal obligations, with the recommendation that it be withdrawn. Given the very minor differences between the third Bill and its two predecessors, this charge could also have been laid in respect of each of the earlier Bills.
Freedom of Information: The Experience of the Australian States - An Epiphany?
Authors: Snell Rick
Published: January 2018

A Freedom of Information (FOI) barometer would indicate a significant shift in the prevailing attitudinal responses to access to government held information at the state level in Australia in recent years. The responses would vary between jurisdictions but only in terms of details not substance. What began as a few recitations of concern about delays, application of exemptions and fees has now metamorphosed into a strong phalanx of information commissioners, parliamentary committees, ombudsman and others seeking fundamental reforms. In 1994 Spencer Zifcak argued that the history of FOI in Victoria could be seen as proceeding through three phases - optimism, pessimism, revisionism. The Zifcak typology could be expanded Australia-wide with a fourth stage being added; namely, a return to fundamentals.

In the period up to December 1998 a number of factors had placed state FOI regimes under considerable stress.
Judicial Review: Recent Trends
Authors: Basten John
Published: January 2018

In an oft-cited passage from Attorney-General (NSW) v Quin Brennan J identified the scope of judicial review in terms which bear repeating:

The duty and jurisdiction of the Court to review administrative action do not go beyond the declaration and enforcing of the law which determines the limits and governs the exercise of the repository's power. If, in so doing, the Court avoids administrative injustice or error, so be it; but the Court has no jurisdiction simply to cure administrative injustice or error. The merits of administrative action, to the extent that they can be distinguished from legality, are for the repository of the relevant power and, subject to political control, for the repository alone.

The passage emphasized the centrality of the distinction between review for error of law and merits review. However, the qualification that the dichotomy, which is so readily stated in principle, is not always easy to apply in practice is also well-taken.
Tribunals: Divergence and Loss
Authors: Creyke Robin
Published: January 2018

It is clear that tribunals are a permanent feature of the administrative law landscape. The concept of merit review of administrative decisions by bodies other than courts has survived initial resistance from the executive, distrust by the courts, the managerialist pressures of the 1980s, and the downsizing, outsourcing movements of the 1990s. As Pearce commented, the recommendation in the Better Decisions report in 1995—the most comprehensive examination of the Commonwealth's merit review system since the 1970s—that merits review tribunals should be retained, albeit in a more integrated structure, is evidence of that acceptance. The Coalition Government, not without some struggle, broadly accepted that recommendation and the results, in the Administrative Review Tribunal Bill 2000 (ART Bill) and the Administrative Review Tribunal (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2000 (ART (CTP) Bill) attest to that response. Such a development shows how far we have come in twenty five years. In the States and Territories, there has been the same process of slow acceptance followed by expanded use of tribunals, many of them dealing with work previously done by courts.

What has led to this position? Tribunals have certain characteristics, which often given them advantages over the courts. As the Franks Committee in the United Kingdom noted in the 1950s, these include ‘cheapness, accessibility, freedom from technicality, expedition and expert knowledge of their particular subject’.
The Effect of the Constitution on the Common Law as Revealed by John Pfeiffer V Rogerson
Authors: Taylor Greg
Published: January 2018

Recently, the High Court of Australia has again concerned itself with the need for the common law to conform to the Constitution and with the manner in which, and extent to which, such conformity is ensured. In the 1990s, the Court considered the effect of the Constitution's guarantee of freedom of speech on defamation law and reached at length, in Lange v Australian Broadcasting Corporation, a common position on the influence of the Constitution on the common law which enjoys the support of the whole Court. The consensus thus reached has now been applied in John Pfeiffer v Rogerson to the area of choice-of-law in tort.

Choice of law is another area in which, during the Court's fin de siécle period in the late 1980s and 1990s, there was considerable disagreement among members of the Court. The well-known succession of cases started with Breavington v Godleman in 1988. Some members of the Court held that the applicable choice-of-law doctrine in intra-national cases was mandated by the terms of the Constitution and to be found by applying a command allegedly inherent in s 118 (possibly with the aid of other constitutional provisions).
Challenges Facing Small and Medium Water Service Providers in Kenya: A Case of Amatsi Water Services Company, Vihiga County
Authors: Kanda Edwin , James Odiero , Lutta Valery O. , Ong’or Basil T.I
Published: January 2018

The access to water services is a fundamental human right. Water and sanitation services coverage in Kenya is low even with the implementation of reforms in the sector initiated in 2002. Small and medium Water Service Providers (WSP) face numerous challenges which are stifling their ability to sustainably fulfil their mandates without relying on subsidies from state or non-state entities. The aim of this study was to analyse the challenges facing water utilities in rural Counties using Amatsi Water Services Company as a case study. The performance of the WSP was analysed for 2014 to 2017 and the challenges as depicted were classified into technical and economic parameters. The legal framework was also examined and its possible influence on the operation of the WSP. The main problems affecting small and medium WSPs include high non-revenue water, low metering of connections, low revenue collection efficiency, high operation and maintenance costs, governance challenges, insufficient funding and low quality of service. Furthermore, it is important for legislative clarity on the relationship among the institutions created by the Water Act 2016.
“Lá eu posso ser mulher”: cotidiano e sociabilidade travesti em trajetórias digitais
Authors: Machado Alisson , Da Silva Sandra Rubia
Published: January 2018

Amparado em uma pesquisa etnográfica para a internet (HINE, 2015), o artigo interpreta alguns elementos da sociabilidade travesti a partir de suas práticas de consumo e uso das tecnologias digitais. Observando as trajetórias digitais das participantes da pesquisa, através das interações na plataforma de rede social Facebook, demonstramos como a internet se incorpora à vida cotidiana e movimenta diferentes práticas de interação, como fofocas, truques e alfinetadas. Além disso, através do site, manifestam-se as noções de fidelidade consigo mesmas e as interações singularizadas pelo trabalho na prostituição, elementos centrais na compreensão de suas sociabilidades.
Jornadas e heróis nos perfis da Revista Piauí: um estudo sobre gestos biográficos no Jornalismo
Authors: Bruck Mozahir Salomão , Antunes Rennan
Published: January 2018

As reflexões deste artigo se detêm sobre gestos biográficos no jornalismo, estudando-os a partis dos perfis publicados na revista piauí, especialmente a partir dos identificados como “vultos da república”. Valendo-se de reflexões sobre a natureza do gesto biográfico, noções como a ilusão biográfica (Bourdieu, 1986), ingenuidade biográfica (Bakhtin, 2005) a jornada do herói (Martinez, 2008) e os perfis no jornalismo (Villas Boas,2003), a pergunta que guia esta reflexão é a seguinte: como e em que medida a revista piauí  se vale da estratégia narrativa da perfilação para oferecer ao leitorado novos ingredientes e gradientes tanto do perfilado quanto do contexto e circunstâncias sociais em que estão inseridos?
On Seeing a Bull’s Skull in a Bicycle Seat: Innovative Archaism
Authors: Mishra Sudesh
Published: January 2018

How may indigenous practices from Oceania open up the possibility of a future occluded by the long epoch of surplus accumulation? This future is not unforeseeable, but rather one that co-exists as an impeded possibility in the present. The global South—whether as time, space, value or figure—inhabits the order of the non-synchronous and archaic vis-à-vis the global north as dictated by the normative law of surplus accumulation. In this paper I draw on Theodor Adorno’s insight concerning the co-presence of the archaic in the time of modernity to argue that the perspectival aspect of modernity is built on the act of looking at something while looking through it. In other words, seeing concerns the paradoxical act of not-seeing,of looking through some aspect or dimension of whatever one is looking at. If, however, silence were to discover speech, and we commenced to look at what we have been taught to look through, modernity starts to take on an altogether different aspect. The Global South of Oceania, in particular, turns into a region of innovative archaisms, counter-national imaginings, surplus-subverting practices and communal forms of ecological ethics. This paper contends that archaic indigenous practices, in concert with scientific knowledge, may be in advance of the modern in offering a pragmatic response to the climate-related crisis generated by modernity.Keywords: Global South, Fiji, Oceania, Arcaism, Temporality.
Temporalidades múltiplas: análise cultural dos videoclipes e da performance de Figueroas a partir dos mapas das mediações e das mutações culturais
Authors: Gomes Itania Maria Mota , Dos Santos Thiago Emanoel Ferreira , Garcia de Araújo Carolina Santos , Mota Junior Edinaldo Araujo
Published: January 2018

Articulamos, nesse artigo, os mapas das mediações e das mutações culturais formulados por Martín-Barbero (2006; 2009a; 2009b; 2014) na análise dos videoclipes e performance do duo alagoano Figueroas. Essas escolhas teórico-metodológicas nos permitiram observar de que maneira esse produto se insere num contexto marcado por um entorno tecnocomunicativo que tensiona  temporalidades e espacialidades distintas, justapondo matrizes culturais e referências musicais globais e regionais, em especial das regiões Norte, Nordeste e Sudeste do Brasil. Figueroas apela para o escracho, para a cultura dos memes e se insere em lógicas produtivas e de consumo características da internet, ­para vincular diferentes gêneros midiáticos, entre eles, a lambada, o brega e a guitarrada.
The Hinin Associations in Osaka, 1600-1868
Authors: Hermansen Christian M.
Published: January 2018

The pre-modern Japanese society was made up of status groups, and among those of lowest regard was one called hinin. People who ended up as hinin were marginalized, yet in the early modern period their life was as well regulated as the rest of society. The focus of this article is on the organization of registered hinin in Osaka from 1600 to 1868. It will demonstrate how the hierarchical structuration influenced the hinin community, and it will argue that the organization of hinin gradually gave the power also over the authorities, so an observer by the middle of the nineeenth century could ask whether the organized hinin and the hinin 'living under the barns' were indeed the same sort of people, and concluded that he did not think so.
The Religious Revival in China
Authors: Harry Lai Hongyi
Published: January 2018

Since 1979, China has experienced a widespread revival of religious faith and practice. This article aims to provide an overview of this phenomenon, by examining the causes behind it, the variety and popularity of religions and the different profi les of believers. It suggests that China's religions are diverse, encompassing offi cial, unoffi cial, and folk religions, and that the revival is signifi cant and visible. According to official statistics, the five largest religions in 2003 counted 144 million believers, while the non-offi cial sources give the figure as nearer 200 million. The revival has been fuelled by a number of factors: the state's lifting of the ban to freedom of worship; popular disillusion with the official ideology; economic and social uncertainties in the wake of

economic reforms and modernization; and the enduring resilience of religion and tradition. For ethnic minorities like Uighurs and Tibetans, the revival of their religion has been accompanied by a similar cultural renaissance. Buddhists

and Daoists among the Han in Hubei Province come from a wide range of educational backgrounds and professions, although the majority of them are women or were born before 1956. The Han Buddhists and Daoists turn to religion primarily for practical reasons, that is, to gain some advantage in their earthly lives rather than looking for rewards in the afterlife. For this reason, religious fundamentalism may have limited appeal to the Han Chinese.
The Chinese Military and Technological Puzzle
Authors: Frankenstein John
Published: January 2018

A review of David Shambaugh's "Modernizing China's Military" and Evan A. Feigenbaum's China's Techno-Warriors.
Marxian Approaches and Women's History in Early Post-war Japan
Authors: Gayle Curtis Anderson
Published: January 2018

During the early post-war period Marxian approaches to history in Japan sought to enfranchise women so that they might begin writing their own histories and become participants within the drive toward revolution. History writing was conceived as an existential activity and cultural practice that could help women and the working class become agents of socio-political change. A number of women's history-writing groups found such approaches useful and adapted some of the core methods about history writing originally developed in Marxian approaches between 1945 and 1955. By grounding their approaches to history in terms of 'local' and 'regional' spaces, however, these women's history writing groups would also differentiate their socio-political objectives from those espoused by Marxists concerned with 'national subjectivity' (minzoku jikaku). Instead, through emphasizing the role of inter-class and even inter-gender cooperation within specific representations of the 'local' and 'regional' these groups hoped that such approaches could become models for other women's history-writing groups. This paper will argue that Marxian approaches were both a source of inspiration and difference for such women's history-writing groups in Tokyo, Nagoya and Ehime.
Methodology for Understanding Indian Culture
Authors: Sinha Jai B.P. , Kumar Rajesh
Published: January 2018

Methods of understanding cultures, including Indian culture, are embedded in a broad spectrum of sociocultural approaches to human behavior in general. The approaches examined in this paper reflect evolving perspectives on Indian culture, ranging from the starkly ethnocentric to the largely eclectic and integrative. Most of the methods herein discussed were developed in the West and were subsequently taken up with or without adaptations to fit the Indian context. The paper begins by briefly reviewing the intrinsic concept of culture. It then adopts a historical view of the different ways and means by which scholars have construed the particular facets of Indian culture, highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of each. The final section concludes with some proposal about the best ways of understanding the complexity that constitutes Indian cultural reality.
Democracy and the Islamic State: Muslim Arguments for Political Change in Indonesia
Authors: Assyaukanie Luthfi
Published: January 2018

The main argument of this article is that there has been a significant development in Muslim acceptance of democracy in Indonesia. By comparing two generations of Muslim intellectuals, this paper shows the congruence between the decline of the Islamic political agenda with the rise of a new Muslim generation often dubbed as liberal Muslims. I argue that there is a significant role played by this new Muslim generation in advocating and promoting the idea and practice of democracy. By developing Islamic arguments in dealing with the modern political concepts mostly imported from the West, they are able to vindicate the compatibility of Islam and liberal democracy.
Nationalism and National Self-Assertion in the People's Republic of China: State Patriotism versus Popular Nationalism?
Authors: Deans Phil
Published: January 2018

Nationalism and national self-assertion have been core values of the Chinese Communist Party throughout its history and also represent a key narrative of Chinese history in the 20th century, although the social bases from which the nationalism derives and the manner in which this nationalism is expressed have changed over time. From the 1990s onwards, the party-state's prefferred discourse on nationalism has been couched in terms of patriotism, while a popular nationalism has emerged, which at times goes beyond and challenges that of the party-state. The implications of this are addressed in the present paper wiht regard to the PRC's relations with Taiwan and Japan and with regard to the debate on ideology and Asian Values. It is argued that rising popular nationalism increasingly challenges state autonomy in the first two areas, but tends to be supportive of the state with regard to the third.
Pride and Prejudice in South Korea's Foreign Policy
Authors: De Ceuster Koen
Published: January 2018

On the last frontier of the Cold War, nothing is what it seems any more. On the surface, the old alliances still hold, but underneath a new order is gradually taking shape. This article analyses the various historical processes that have contributed to Seoul’s redefinition of its international role. As the international political and economic context changed following the end of the Cold War in Europe, new challenges and opportunities also appeared on the horizon on the Korean peninsula. These were met by a revitalized Korean nation, where a tainted elite was gradually driven from political and economic power. Proud of its democratic institutions and content with its economic success, Seoul engages the world with dignity, looking towards the future with confidence, but sensitive over historical legacies.