Can the North Sea Still Save Europe?

In the 1980s and 1990s the North Sea emerged as a key non-OPEC oil producing province. Yet today overall production is declining, in both the British and Norwegian sectors and the big oil companies and investors are losing interest in what they now see as a mature province. But apparent maturity is not a bar to new prospects and new possibilities. This paper analyses not merely the still significant potential of the North Sea, but also the wider and increasingly attractive prospects offered by the opening up of the High North, the Barents Sea and part of the Arctic region – all areas of rapidly growing interest which are on Europe’s doorstep. Success will depend heavily on key questions such as the world oil price trend, technological advance and the structure of fiscal regimes for oil and gas extraction. But the opportunities are there and they could be to Europe’s great advantage.North Sea, High North, Fiscal Regime, Oil Price, Mature Oil Province

The European Union's Attitude Towards Hezbollah: EU's Changed Attitude Toward Hezbollah Over Time

The European Union is expected to respond to world events every day and terrorist acts are predominate and often conducted by terrorist organizations or non-state actors. One of the most delicate cases is the Lebanese Hezbollah frequently resorting to violence and has over the last 20 years grown evermore important in the Middle East and Lebanon, thereby increasingly elevating the need for the EU to respond. The thesis investigates whether the EU is reactive to occurring events by analysing whether the EU’s attitude has changed over time and secondly, why the EU’s attitude has changed under the theoretical assumptions of Social Constructivism and Neorealism. This study analyses the discursive constructions of EU’s attitude towards Hezbollah and to understand why this change in attitude has occurred, I analyse three highly relevant explanations: Hezbollah’s activities, the influence of France and the influence of the US. The study concludes that the EU’s attitude has in fact changed over the years resulting in an explicit mentioning of Hezbollah combined with a more forceful and cautious attitude, and although France, more than the US, seemingly has influenced this change to an extent, it’s clearly evident that Hezbollah’s activities undoubtedly has affected the EU’s changed attitude

Dissémination des bactéries indicatrices de contamination fécale dans les hydrosystèmes tropicaux : transport et devenir d'Escherichia coli dans le bassin versant du Mékong au Laos

La contamination fécale des eaux de surface demeure une menace majeure pour la santé publique, en particulier dans les zones rurales des pays en développement. Les maladies diarrhéiques sont l'une des principales causes de décès notamment chez les enfants de moins de cinq ans, en raison de manque d'infrastructures sanitaires, et du faible accès aux ressources en eau salubre et aux soins médicaux. Plus de 70 millions de personnes dépendent de ressources en eau non améliorées dans le bassin inférieur du Mékong. Les progrès significatifs réalisés pour mieux comprendre la dynamique de la contamination fécale en milieu tempéré, de nombreuses lacunes subsistent en milieu tropical. Pour réduire la morbidité, il est nécessaire de mieux comprendre la dynamique des pathogènes fécaux surtout dans le contexte de changements globaux (croissance démographique, changements d'usage des terres, barrages hydroélectriques, et changement climatique). L'utilisation d'une approche multidisciplinaire est essentielle pour évaluer les risques contamination fécale à l'interface animal-homme-écosystème. L'objectif principal de la thèse est d'identifier les facteurs clés contrôlant le devenir et transport de la bactérie fécale indicatrice (FBI), Escherichia coli (E. coli), à différentes échelles spatiales des tributaires du Mekong au Laos. Cette thèse présente les résultats basés sur (i) les données in situ collectées dans les principaux tributaires du Mékong au Laos, afin d'identifier les facteurs (hydrologie et utilisation des terres) contrôlant les concentrations d'E. coli à l'échelle du bassin versant ; (ii) une approche expérimentale pour évaluer deux facteurs clés (rayonnement solaire et dépôt de particules en suspension) contrôlant la mortalié/survie d'E. coli dans une zone humide tropicale montagneuse; et (iii) des approches statistiques et de modélisation pour évaluer l'impact d'un barrage hydroélectrique sur la dynamique hydro-sédimentaire et d'E. coli dans un tributaire majeur du Mékong, la Nam Khan, au Laos. Les résultats des campagnes de mesures in situ ont révélé des variabilités saisonnières des concentrations d'E. coli dans les cours d'eau, plus élevées pendant la saison humide, et fortement corrélées aux concentrations en matières en suspension (MES) et aux pourcentages de forêts exploitées à l'échelle du bassin versant. Ces résultats soulignent le rôle des MES en tant que vecteurs pour le transport bactérien, ainsi que l'importance de des usages des terres comme l'un des facteurs clés ayant un impact sur la dissémination d'E. coli à l'échelle du bassin versant dans un contexte tropical érosif. La majorité des tributaires échantillonnés présentaient des concentrations d'E. coli pendant la saison des pluies, dépassant 500 colonies par 100 ml, seuil au-delà duquel l'OMS considère que le risque de maladie gastro-intestinale après une seule exposition est de 10 %. Le rôle des MES a été mis en évidence dans l'approche expérimentale, où les bactéries attachées à des particules étaient prédominantes (91%) et présentaient des taux de mortalité plus faibles que ceux des bactéries sous forme libre. Alors que le processus de dépôt était le principal facteur de réduction du stock d'E. coli dans la colonne d'eau, comparé aux radiations solaires, nous avons constaté que la remise en suspension temporaire des sédiments déposés suggérait un potentiel de survie ou même de croissance d'E. coli dans les sédiments en milieu tropical. Enfin, étant donné l'importance de la dynamique hydro-sédimentaire sur la dissémination bactérienne, nous avons évalué l'impact du barrage, reflété par des diminutions brutales en termes de débit (en moyenne de 42%), et les concentrations en MES et E. coli (en moyenne de 89%) mesurées en aval du barrage. Cette approche fournit de nouvelles preuves de l'atténuation de la contamination bactérienne induite par le barrage. Dans l'ensemble, ces résultats de thèse fournissent de nouvelles informations sur la dynamique des FBI dans le bassin inférieur du Mékong, qui pourraient être utiles dans l'établissement des stratégies efficaces de gestion des ressources en eau.Fecal contamination of surface water remains a major threat to public health especially in the rural areas of developing countries. Diarrheal diseases are a leading cause of death especially among children under age five, due to inadequate sanitation infrastructure, low access to safe water resources, and poor medical care in developing countries. Over 70 million people depend on unimproved water resources in the lower Mekong basin stretching from southern Chinese border to the delta in southern Vietnam. Despite the significant advances made towards a better understanding of the fecal contamination dynamics in temperate regions, yet many knowledge gaps exist in tropical conditions. Reducing the disease burden, requires a better understanding of fecal pathogens dynamics in the context of rapid global changes, e.g. population growth, land use changes, hydropower dam constructions, and climate change. Therefore, the use of a multi-disciplinary approach is essential to adress existing and potential risks of fecal contamination at the animal-human-ecosystems interface. The main objective here was to identify key factors controlling the fate and transport of the fecal indicator bacteria (FIB), Escherichia coli (E. coli), at different spatial scales of major Mekong tributaries in Lao PDR. This research work presents the results from (i) in-situ data collected from major Mekong tributaries from northern to southern Lao PDR aiming to identify main factors (hydrology and land use) controlling the in-stream E. coli concentrations at watershed-scale; (ii) experimental approach to assess two key factors (solar radiation exposition and suspended particles deposition) controlling E. coli decay/survival in a mountainous tropical headwater wetland; and (iii) statistical and modeling approaches to assess the impact of hydropower dam on hydro-sedimentary and E. coli dynamics in a major Mekong tributary, the Nam Khan in northern Lao PDR. Our spatial and temporal monitoring results reported seasonal variabilities of in-stream E. coli concentrations, significantly higher during the wet season, and strongly correlated to total suspended sediment (TSS) concentration, and unstocked forests percentage areas at watershed-scale. These results point out the role of TSS as an important vector for bacterial transport, as well as the importance of land use management as one of major factors affecting E. coli dissemination at watershed-scale in a tropical context prone to soil erosion. The majority of sampled tributaries had E. coli concentrations during the rainy season, exceeding 500 colonies per 100 mL, the threshold above which the WHO considers a 10% risk of gastrointestinal illness after one single exposure. The role of TSS in E. coli dynamics was further highlighted in the experimental approach, where particle-attached E. coli were predominant (91%) and showed lower decay rates as opposed to those of free-living E. coli. While deposition process was the main factor for E. coli stock reduction in the water column as opposed to solar radiation, we found that temporary resuspension of deposited sediments suggested a potential E. coli survival or even a regrowth in the sediment under tropical conditions. At last, given the importance of the hydro-sedimentary dynamics on bacterial dissemination, we assessed the dam impact reflected by abrupt decreases in terms of discharge (by an average of 42%), as well as TSS and E. coli concentrations (by an average of 89% for both) measured downstream of the dam. These statistical and modeling approaches provide new evidence of the attenuation of the bacterial contamination by the dam reservoir. Overall, this thesis work provides new insights on FIB dynamics in a tropical context that could be helpful in establishing effective strategies for water resource management

The Relationship Between the Self-Concept and School Achievement in the Disadvantaged Child

PURPOSE The purpose of the study was to determine the extent of the relationship between the self-concept and the academic achievement of the disadvantaged child. METHOD AND PROCEDURES The subjects studied were randomly selected from an inner city elementary school. The sample consisted of 97 black and 8 white children of ages 9 to 13, in a nongraded school. The pupils were administered the California Achievement Test Level 3 Form B, and the California Test of Personality, Level 2, Form AA. Both tests were administered during the month of April 1972. The statistical treatment of the data consisted of obtaining the coefficients of intercorrelation between the following four variables: (1) school achievement., (2) self-concept, (3) school placement level, (4) sex. The Pearson product-moment method of obtaining correlation coefficients was used, and a total of 720 coefficients were calculated by the use of a computer. In each case, the correlation between self-concept and school achievement was determined relative to school placement levels and sexes. RESULTS The data indicated that there was a positive and statistically significant correlation between the self-concept and academic achievement. The results of the study are predictive and show that the lower the self-concept in the disadvantaged child, the lower will be his school achievement. Likewise the higher his self-concept, the higher will be his school achievement

CARVEDILOL AS A POTENTIAL ADDITION TO THE COVID-19 THERAPEUTIC ARSENAL

No single therapeutic agent has been recognized so far as the ultimate treatment for COVID-19 and many treatment strategies rely on associating different medications with proven or hypothetical anti-viral effects. Carvedilol is a third-generation beta-blocker displaying potential inhibitory properties on several key enzymatic processes and pathways involved in SARS-CoV-2 or other coronaviruses replication, in addition to the modulatory effect on several inflammatory messengers of COVID-19. These data could provide a reasonable hypothetical background for further investigating specific anti-SARS-CoV-2 effects and could pave the way for further clinical verification

Do High Oil Prices Justify an Increase in Taxation in a Mature Oil Province? The Case of the UK Continental Shelf

In response to the structural shift in oil price coupled with greater import dependency, concerns about security of supply have once again emerged as a major policy issue. The UK, the largest producer of oil and natural gas in the European Union, became a net importer of natural gas in 2004, and, according to Government estimates, will become a net importer of oil by the end of the decade. A weakened North Sea performance means extra reliance, both for the UK and Europe as a whole, on global oil and gas network and imports. In 2002, the UK Government introduced a 10 per cent supplementary charge and in 2005, doubled the charge to 20 per cent in an attempt to capture more revenues from the oil industry because of the increase in the price of crude oil. However, higher tax rates do not necessarily generate higher fiscal revenue and in the long term may result in materially lower revenues if investment is discouraged. It is therefore argued that the increase in the fiscal take came at the wrong time for the UK Continental Shelf and that the UK Government’s concern should have been to encourage more oil production from its declining province, especially in the light of the rising concern surrounding the security of supply.Petroleum Taxation, Energy Security, Oil Price

Editorial Comment

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Artificial intelligence, blockchain, and extended reality: emerging digital technologies to turn the tide on illegal logging and illegal wood trade

Illegal logging which often results in forest degradation and sometimes in deforestation remains ubiquitous in many places around the globe. Managing illegal logging and illegal wood trade constitutes a global priority over the next few decades. Scientific, technological, and research communities are committed to respond rapidly, evaluating the opportunities to capitalize on emerging digital technologies for treating this formidable challenge. The innovative potentials of these emerging digital technologies at tackling illegal logging-related challenges are here investigated. We propose a novel system, WoodchAInX, combining explainable artificial intelligence (X-AI), next-generation blockchain, and extended reality (XR). Our findings on the most effective means of leveraging each technology’s potential and the convergence of the three technologies infer a vast promise for digital technology in this field. Yet, we argue that, overall, digital transformations will not deliver fundamental, responsible, and sustainable benefits without revolutionary realignment

Development of A Rheological Measurement Technique to Study Diffusion in Molten Polystyrene

Diffusion through polymers impacts a wide range of existing applications, and could create new applications for polymers. Diffusion in polymer melts has gained considerable interest, and its industrial importance has triggered the need for faster measurement techniques. Rheological measurements characterize the behavior of polymeric materials, and are an effective tool to study various aspects of diffusion and interdiffusion in molten polymers. The rheological behavior in the molten state of high density polyethylene exposed to carbon dioxide has been probed under small amplitude oscillatory shear, but relatively few papers have been published on this topic. Results show that SAOS accelerates diffusion, but only a limited number of cases have been reported. This observation provides evidence that SAOS accelerates diffusion, and defines new research directions. This study aims at developing a robust experimental technique and accurate analytical and numerical methods to probe diffusion and interdiffusion in molten polymers. Both approaches can be applied to parallel disk rheometry data, to determine fundamental properties governing the diffusion process in polymer melts. Diffusion of small solvent molecules through molten polystyrene, as well as interdiffusion across a binary polystyrene interface, are studied here. We found that applying SAOS accelerates diffusion, even thought there is no large scale net convection of fluid. At constant temperature, the diffusion coefficient is independent of the oscillation frequency, and at temperatures closer to the glass transition temperature, applying SAOS further accelerates the diffusion