bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Comments: The Supply/Demand Balance
Authors: Donnelly John 
Published: January 2017

Editor's column
Layoffs have slowed, some companies posted profits in the third quarter, and there is even talk of a coming oil shortage that would cause oil prices to spike. But there is generally no consensus on what the oil market has in store over the next 1–2 years.
At a recent industry gathering in London, Saudi Arabia’s Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said the market was recovering from its severe 2-year decline, with global supply and demand becoming rebalanced, which will raise oil prices. “We are now at the end of a considerable downturn,” he said.
But whether OPEC can reach, or keep, a production agreement is unclear. Although North American unconventional output has been unprecedented over the past few years, OPEC’s course of action over the next year “will define whether the industry will experience a slow and smooth recovery to a sustainable price equilibrium, or a period of underinvestment leading to a volatile and high oil price,” says consultancy Wood Mackenzie. “Even if the recent provisional deal produces minimal results, OPEC Gulf countries will ultimately need to cut production if operators expect prices to recover in the next 3 years.”
Third-quarter company earnings were mixed, with some service companies and operators finally posting profits after severely cutting costs. Shell and BP reported third-quarter profits after shedding jobs and slashing expenses, rebounding from 2 years of losses. Both companies said they believe supply and demand are coming back into balance and expressed cautious optimism about 2017. But profits at -ExxonMobil, Chevron, Statoil, and other majors were not as positive. Halliburton finally turned the corner on profitability in the quarter but other service companies such as -Schlumberger did not.
Many oil executives are warning that the lack of investment caused by the downturn will lead to a severe oil supply shortfall in just a few years and, with it, a sharp price increase. That also may suggest that they believe that the oil price recovery will be so gradual that it will not spur any rapid rise in upstream spending.
But although upstream investment has fallen sharply, a supply shortage is not necessarily imminent. Much of the upstream spending that has been curtailed, says Amy Myers Jaffe, an energy expert and executive director for energy and sustainability at the University of California at Davis, was from high-cost, frontier projects such as the Arctic. With budgets tight, spending may be directed instead to surer plays such as the Permian Basin in west Texas, with a focus on existing fields, which will lead to first oil production more quickly. Investment continues to flood into the Permian, and the US Geological Survey last month upgraded its reserve estimates for the Wolfcamp shale in the Midland Basin portion of the Permian. If OPEC continues to worry about losing market share and operators become more disciplined in their upstream spending, the shortfall may not materialize.
Pores to Predictions: Nanoscale Clues to Larger Mysteries
Authors: Rassenfoss Stephen 
Published: January 2017

The story of unconventional oil and gas technology development has been focused on fractures. The formula has been more stages, more sand, and more water, targeting the most productive spots.
The trend continues, with rising production and larger completions at a time when the oil price bust has slashed the cost of services and supplies. Even so, production from unconventional wells leaves 90% of the oil in the ground, raising the question, what is next?
Some have taken on the daunting task of trying to understand how oil and gas flows out of the tiny pores in ultratight rock that feed the fractures flowing to the well.
Compared to what it takes to effectively fracture rock and target sweet spots, the science behind fluid and gas flows through pore networks is a difficult slog deep into the unknown. It is a frustrating search, but that is where the oil is.
“The first part of the problem is that people started to say that oil and gas is stored in the fractures and that by fracturing a well you are simply exploiting that storage event,” said Richard MacDonald, the innovation, strategy and execution manager for EP Energy, which is among the companies looking deeper (Fig. 1). “We calculated what fractures will hold and that volume will last only a week or week-and-a-half of production. After 2 weeks, where is the oil from? The matrix.”
The matrix is a frontier, like the unexplored lands shown in maps made centuries ago during the era of exploration when those vast uncharted spaces spawned fantastic tales. These explorers are looking at explanations for production patterns that diverge from what they know.
“It is not something they taught us in school,” said Steve Jones, reservoir engineering advisor for Cimarex. “We are learning, figuring out what are the facts of life and the ground rules, the theory.”
Based on his experience at Newfield Exploration, he delivered a technical paper at the recent Unconventional Resources Technology Conference (URTEC 2460396) explaining why changes in the gas/oil ratio (GOR) produced from certain unconventional wells, which would be alarming in a conventional field, are the norm in the unconventional plays he saw in Oklahoma (Fig. 2).
Jones is among those working on field-scale problems. Others are doing pore-scale studies on this ultratight rock where standard terms such as reservoir and transient seem an odd fit based on the established definitions.
While an online dictionary defines a reservoir as a place where fluid collects, especially in rock strata, it offers a poor mental image of unconventional rock. There the oil in the rocks is scattered throughout pore networks with openings ranging in size from a large virus down to just a bit bigger than a DNA molecule. Spaces at the low end of the range are so confined they can alter the physical properties that control production, particularly the bubblepoint—the pressure at which the gas in oil escapes from the liquid.
Qualification of Composite Pipe
Authors: Carpenter Chris 
Published: January 2017

This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights of paper OTC 27179, “Qualification of Composite Pipe,” by Jonathan Wilkins, Magma Global, prepared for the 2016 Offshore Technology Conference, Houston, 2–5 May. The paper has not been peer reviewed. Copyright 2016 Offshore Technology Conference. Reproduced by permission.
This paper describes the qualification process for a thermoplastic composite pipe manufactured for use in high-performance riser, jumper-spool, and intervention-line applications. The pipe is manufactured from polymer, carbon-fiber, and glass-fiber materials with an automated laser-based welding process.
Product Architecture
The body of the pipe contains no metallic components, only polymer and fibers. These pipes consist of a smooth-bore inner-pipe precursor, extruded from Victrex PEEK polymer, with a thin wall thickness onto which layers of composite tape are welded by laser to form the pipe wall laminate (Fig. 1). This laminate can be any thickness and orientation of fibers, with the function of providing the strength and stiffness of the pipe. Once manufactured, the function of the inner-pipe precursor is to provide high-integrity sealing, resistance to hydrocarbon and other fluid and gas permeations and high temperatures, and a smooth bore for high fluid-flow rate.
The internal bore is typically in the range of 2 to 6 in., and the lengths can range from a few meters to kilometers for spoolable applications. At either end are steel end fittings that provide the interface to the external subsea system. The composite end fitting uses a steel collar that interfaces with a taper in the laminate to transmit bending and axial loads from the pipe body to the external system.
Manufacturing Processes
A thermoplastic composite pipe is typically manufactured from individual composite tapes on the order of 10 mm in width, 0.2 mm in thickness, and several hundred meters in length. The composite tapes consist of many thousands of glass or carbon fibers impregnated with the thermoplastic matrix. Adjacent tapes are placed with the same orientation by robot, to form plies. The plies may be oriented in different directions through the wall thickness of the pipe to tailor the mechanical properties of the structure.
Produced-Water Reinjection - Case Study From Onshore Abu Dhabi
Authors: Wilson Adam 
Published: January 2017

This article, written by Special Publications Editor Adam Wilson, contains highlights of paper SPE 177538, “Produced-Water Reinjection—Case Study From Onshore Abu Dhabi,” by K. Mahmoud, SPE, A. Al Tenaiji, M. Al Sharafi, SPE, S. El-Abd, M. Abdou, SPE, and H. Hafez, Abu Dhabi Company for Onshore Petroleum Operations, prepared for the 2015 Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference, Abu Dhabi, 9–12 November. The paper has not been peer reviewed.
Water production normally increases as fields mature, and two main ways exist to deal with the produced water. One is to dispose of the produced water into dedicated disposal wells. The other is to reinject the produced water for pressure maintenance or sweep efficiency. In 2010, a produced-water-reinjection (PWRI) project began in a giant field that involved replacing the aquifer water being injected in one of the water-injection clusters with produced water without water treatment.
Case History
This project was conducted in a giant onshore field in Abu Dhabi. This field is approximately 85 km southwest of Abu Dhabi Island and consists of multistacked reservoirs. The main reservoir, where the project was conducted, will be referred to as Reservoir 1. Reservoir 1 has approximately 75% of the field’s proven reserves and contributed approximately 90% of the field’s oil production when the project began. Almost all the produced water in the field is injected water from Reservoir 1.
Reservoir 1 has been a waterflooded reservoir since the 1970s. The waterflooding project was completed in different stages. First, peripheral water-injection wells were developed. At the start of the PWRI project, the average reservoir water injection was approximately 500,000 BWPD. The injection water is delivered and injected through water-injection clusters. Each cluster normally consists of a water-supply well completed through aquifers and produced by electrical submersible pumps, a surface pump, and a network of pipes distributing the water to the injection wells connected to that cluster. The nominal capacity of a cluster is 20,000–30,000 BWPD, and, on the basis of a well’s injectivity and injection requirements, five to 10 wells may be connected to each cluster.
Un projet de mise en place de la visioconférence en support à la formation des enseignants inuits : enjeux et bénéfices d’une recherche-développement en milieu nordique | Implementation of Videoconferencing to Support Inuit Teacher Training: Advantages and Challenges
Authors: Pellerin Glorya , Maheux Gisèle , Da Silveira Yvonne , Allaire Stéphane , Paul Véronique 
Published: January 2017

The research presented in this article proposes new training formulas for Inuit teachers from Puvirnituq and Ivujivik in Nunavik through the experiences of videoconferencing. It is based on a hybrid of face-to-face and distance training, where collaborative work is a priority. Optimal conditions for Inuit teacher training were identified through observing the various uses of videoconferencing from 2011 to 2015 - this despite the geographic remoteness, and the biculturalism and trilingualism of Inuit teachers, which originally made the integration of this technology difficult. The preliminary results highlight advantages and limitations of such an implementation by raising issues related to biculturalism, trilingualism, technology, management and governance.Fondée sur une formation hybride présentielle et distancielle et privilégiant le travail collaboratif, la présente recherche propose la mise à l’essai de nouvelles formules de formation des enseignants inuits de Puvirnituq et d’Ivujivik au Nunavik à travers une expérience de visioconférence. Bien que le contexte d’éloignement géographique ainsi que le biculturalisme et le trilinguisme des enseignants inuits aient rendu difficile l’intégration pédagogique de cette technologie, l’observation pendant 4 ans (2011-2015) de différentes utilisations de la visioconférence a permis d’identifier les conditions optimales de formation des enseignants inuits. Les résultats préliminaires mettent en évidence les avantages et les limites d’une telle implantation en faisant émerger les défis liés à la biculturalité, au trilinguisme, à la technologie, à la gestion et à la gouvernance.
Reducing liver function tests for statin monitoring: an observational comparison of two clinical commissioning groups
Authors: Homer Kate , Robson John , Solaiman Susannah , Davis Abigail , Khan Saima Zubeda , McCoy David , Mathur Rohini , Hull Sally , Boomla Kambiz 
Published: January 2017

BackgroundCurrent liver function testing for statin monitoring is largely unnecessary and costly. Statins do not cause liver disease. Both reduction in test frequency and use of a single alanine transaminase (ALT) rather than a full seven analyte liver function test (LFT) array would reduce cost and may benefit patients.AimTo assess LFT testing in relation to statin use and evaluate an intervention to reduce full-array LFTs ordered by GPs for statin monitoring.Design and settingTwo-year cross-sectional time series in two east London clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) with 650 000 patients. One CCG received the intervention; the other did not.MethodThe intervention comprised local guidance on LFTs for statin monitoring and access to a single ALT rather than full LFT array.ResultsOf the total population, 17.6% were on statins, accounting for 43.2% of total LFTs. In the population without liver disease, liver function tests were 3.6 times higher for those on statins compared with those who were not. Following intervention there was a significant reduction in the full LFT array per 1000 people on statins, from 70.3 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 66.3 to 74.6) in the pre-intervention year, to 58.1 (95% CI = 55.5 to 60.7) in the post-intervention year (P<0.001). In the final month, March 2016, the rate was 53.2, a 24.3% reduction on the pre-intervention rate.ConclusionThis simple and generalisable intervention, enabling ordering of a single ALT combined with information recommending prudent rather than periodic testing, reduced full LFT testing by 24.3% in people on statins. This is likely to have patient benefit at reduced cost.
A Fast Shift-Splitting Iteration Method for Nonsymmetric Saddle Point Problems
Authors: Dou Quan-Yu , Yin Jun-Feng , Liao Ze-Yu 
Published: January 2017

AbstractBased on the shift-splitting technique and the idea of Hermitian and skew-Hermitian splitting, a fast shift-splitting iteration method is proposed for solving nonsingular and singular nonsymmetric saddle point problems in this paper. Convergence and semi-convergence of the proposed iteration method for nonsingular and singular cases are carefully studied, respectively. Numerical experiments are implemented to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method.
Art in an Expanded Field: Wittgenstein and Aesthetics
Authors: Carroll Nöel 
Published: January 2017

This article reviews the various ways in which the later writings of Ludwig Wittgenstein have been employed to address the question “What is Art?”. These include the family resemblance model, the cluster concept model and the form of life model. The article defends a version of the form of life approach. Also, addressed the charge that it would have been more profitable had aestheticians explored what Wittgenstein actually said about art instead of trying to extrapolate from his writings an approach to what Nigel Warburton calls the art question.
The preparation of microcrystalline cellulose–nanoSiO2 hybrid materials and their application in tire tread compounds
Authors: Sun Jutao , Liu Xiaoling , Liang Yunhao , Wang Lili , Liu Yao 
Published: January 2017

ABSTRACTMicrocrystalline cellulose (MCC) was hybridized with nano‐SiO2 to improve its interaction with a rubber matrix. The hybrids (MCC–SiO2) were prepared with the “microreactor” and “sol–gel” technologies, using MCC as the carrier and tetraethoxysilane as the precursor. The structure and morphology of the hybrids were studied by infrared spectrometry, thermogravimetric analysis, and scanning electron microscopy. The results showed that the nano‐SiO2 had been loaded successfully on the surface of the MCC with a loading ratio of approximately 30%. The nano‐SiO2 can take on the morphologies of particles, tubes, or rods by controlling the size of the “microreactor”. The hybrids were then used in silica/SSBR compounds to replace part of the silica, and their effects on the physio‐mechanical and dynamic properties were discussed. The results showed that the vulcanizates with the hybrids had improved physio‐mechanical and dynamic properties. The vulcanizates of MCC–SiO2 also had a higher wet‐skid resistance and a lower rolling resistance than did the silica vulcanizates when they were used in tire tread compounds. The SEM photos showed that the interfacial adhesion between the MCC and rubber was improved. The size of the MCC hybrids was also in situ decreased during the processing of the rubber compounds. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017, 134, 44796.
Assessment and validation of a novel angiographic scoring system for peripheral artery disease
Authors: Morris D R , Singh T P , Moxon J V , Smith A , Stewart F , Jones R E , Golledge J 
Published: January 2017

Abstract

Background
Angiography is used routinely in the assessment of lower-limb arteries, but there are few well validated angiographic scoring systems. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a novel angiographic scoring system for peripheral artery disease.

Methods
An angiographic scoring system (the ANGIO score) was developed and applied to a sample of patients from a single vascular surgical department who underwent CT angiography of the lower limbs. The reproducibility of the ANGIO score was compared with those of the Bollinger and Trans-Atlantic inter-Society Consensus (TASC) IIb systems in a series of randomly selected patients. Associations between the ANGIO score and lower-limb ischaemia, as measured by the ankle : brachial pressure index (ABPI), and outcome events (major lower-limb amputations and cardiovascular events – myocardial infarction, stroke and cardiovascular death) were assessed.

Results
Some 256 patients undergoing CT angiography were included. The interobserver reproducibility of the ANGIO score was better than that of the other scoring systems examined (κ = 0·90, P = 0·002). There was a negative correlation between the ANGIO score and ABPI (ρ = −0·33, P = 0·008). A higher ANGIO score was associated with an increased risk of major lower-limb amputation (hazard ratio (HR) for highest versus lowest tertile 9·30, 95 per cent c.i. 1·95 to 44·38; P = 0·005) and cardiovascular events (HR 2·73, 1·31 to 5·70; P = 0·007) following adjustment for established risk factors.

Conclusion
The ANGIO score provided a reproducible and valid assessment of the severity of lower-limb ischaemia and risk of major amputation and cardiovascular events in these patients with peripheral artery disease.
The effect of acculturation and ethnic identification on consumer disidentification and consumption: An investigation of U.S. Hispanics
Authors: Shoham Aviv , Segev Sigal , Gavish Yossi 
Published: January 2017

AbstractThis study examines the antecedents and outcomes of consumer disidentification (CDI) among immigrants and the role that cultural change plays in affecting this consumer orientation. Specifically, it explores the effect of acculturation and ethnic identification on host nation sentiments (i.e., host nation identification, disidentification, and affinity) and how the latter influence CDI. Then, it assesses the effect of CDI on consumer behaviors including product quality judgments and willingness to buy products originating in the host country. Survey data from a convenience sample of 555 adults of Cuban and Puerto Rican origin, who live in the USA, confirm that disidentification with the host nation is the basis of CDI. Acculturation is the process through which disidentification with the host nation and the resulting CDI can be mitigated. However, ethnic identification shows inconsistencies in affecting consumers' sentiments toward the host nation and CDI. While CDI is negatively related to consumers' willingness to buy domestic products, it does not seem to affect consumers' willingness to buy domestic products through their product quality judgments. Practically, this study facilitates strategic marketing decisions that are related to the presentation of country‐of‐origin (COO) product attributes in marketing communication and branding campaigns. This study is one of the few empirical studies on CDI, and it focuses on COO effects of domestic rather than foreign products among subcultures within national boundaries. Understanding COO effects among subnational cultural consumers is of primary importance given the ever‐increasing ethnic diversification of consumer markets.
Transcriptome evaluation of the relation between body mass index and prostate cancer outcomes
Authors: Kim Hyun , Kalchman Ingrid , Santiago‐Jiménez María , Lehrer Jonathan , Guo Jenny , Hermann Gretchen , Yamoah Kosj , Alshalalfa Mohammed , Huang Huei‐Chung , Ross Ashley E. , Schaeffer Edward M. , Davicioni Elai , Erho Nicholas , Yousefi Kasra , Den Robert B. 
Published: January 2017

BACKGROUNDLarge epidemiological studies indicate that an increased body mass index (BMI) is associated with increased prostate cancer (PCa) mortality. Data indicate that there is no association between elevated metabolic pathway proteins and PCa mortality. There are no published studies evaluating the relation between BMI and metabolic pathways with respect to PCa outcomes with a genomics approach.METHODSThe Decipher Genomic Resource Information Database was queried for patients who had undergone prostatectomy and had BMI information available. These patients came from Thomas Jefferson University (TJU) and Johns Hopkins Medical Institution (JHMI); the latter provided 2 cohorts (I and II). A high‐BMI group (≥30 kg/m2) and a low‐BMI group (<25 kg/m2) were identified, and genomic data were interrogated for differentially expressed genes with an interquartile range filter and a Wilcoxon test. P values were adjusted for multiple testing with the Benjamini‐Hochberg false‐discovery rate method.RESULTSA total of 477 patients with a median follow‐up of 108 months had BMI information available. Two genes were found to interact with BMI in both the JHMI I cohort and the TJU cohort, but there was no statistical significance after adjustments for multiple comparisons. Aberrant metabolic gene expression was significantly correlated with distant metastases (P < .05). No relation was found between BMI and metastases or overall survival (both P values > .05).CONCLUSIONSIn a genomic analysis of prostatectomy specimens, metabolic gene expression, but not BMI, was associated with PCa metastases. Cancer 2017;123:2240–2247. © 2017 American Cancer Society.