Egg Timer Research Articles

Now Is the Time for Gas Lift To Live Up to Its Potential

Gas lift is one of the most popular ways to increase oil-well production, and it is no secret that it is an underperformer. Back in 2014, ExxonMobil reported that by creating a team of roving gas-lift experts it was able to add an average of 22% more output on several hundred wells where the gas injection had been optimized. Gains were expected because “wells do not remain the same over time; they change,” said Rodney Bane, global artificial-lift manager at ExxonMobil, in this JPT story covering the 2014 SPE Artificial Lift Conference and Exhibition (https://jpt.spe.org/paying-close-attention-gas-lift-system-can-be-rewarding). The problem with gas injection is that change is hard. Injection adjustment or repairs require either pulling the tubing to reach the injection mandrels or a wireline run. Those with good- producing wells, particularly offshore, need to weigh the possible gain against the cost and lost production during the job. Those managing more and more wells live with iffy data, injection systems prone to malfunction, horizontal wells prone to irregular flows, and a time-consuming process for calculating the proper injection rates. New approaches addressing those negatives have led a few big operators to try new systems designed to allow constant adjustments based on downhole data with electric control systems designed to be more reliable. Programmable digital controls raise an obvious question: How do you take advantage of that capability? Constantly updated injection data based on traditional evaluation methods is the first step. And new capabilities are inspiring new thinking about how injected gas lifts production and how to make it work more efficiently. Optimizing the process has not been a priority in gas lift. “It was a fairly imprecise thing. But the beauty of gas lift is it works even where it’s broken. It’s not a pump; it’s flow assurance,” said Brent Vangolen, surface and base management technology manager with Occidental. Occidental is among the early adopters of new gas-lift methods along with companies including Chevron, Shell, ExxonMobil, Petronas, and ADNOC. Vangolen expects the industry will follow. “Gas lift is going through the same transformation as rod pumps went through in the 60s and 70s,” he said. Back then, rod pump engineers began tracking changes in the load on the rod through each pump stroke by using dynamometer cards. That data was used to better program pump controls. “You went from egg timers on pumping units to full-blown optimization pumpoff controllers, variable speed drives … this huge infant technology that changed the rod pump space,” he said. Papers at last year’s SPE artificial lift conference covered the continuing digitization in rod lift and that gas lift was finally moving in that direction.

Avian Egg Timers: Female Cowbirds Judge Past, Present, and Future When Making Nest Parasitism Decisions

The cognitive demands associated with brood parasitism are substantial. Not only must female parasites locate nests and assess their suitability for parasitism, they must also time parasitism to correspond with the breeding behavior of the host. Keeping track of the reproductive state of hosts for a variety of nests allows the parasite to select a nest where their egg can be incubated successfully. Thus, nest selection decisions are integral to obligate brood parasites’ reproductive success. In captive breeding flocks of brown-headed cowbirds (Molothrus ater), I studied (1) females’ abilities to time a host nest’s readiness for parasitism and (2) the timing of females’ nest selection decisions. I found that cowbirds can attend to the amount of time that elapsed since a host egg was added to a nest and can use that information to choose a nest for parasitism. Females made their choice of nest during prospecting the day before they laid, and, once decided, they did not update their decisions on the day of laying. Taken together, the results reveal that female cowbirds process substantial amounts of information about location, time, number, and rate in order to plan for future parasitism. This research program reveals that species-typical decisions integrate a variety of general and specialized cognitive abilities to allow females to behave adaptively and maximize reproductive success.

Quantifying fertility? Direct-to-consumer ovarian reserve testing and the new (in)fertility pipeline

Frequently branded the “egg timer” or “biological clock test,” anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) testing for women is becoming widely available in the United States (US) through online, direct-to-consumer (DTC) testing services. The level of AMH in the blood reflects the remaining egg supply or “ovarian reserve”—a potential fertility indicator. AMH level is primarily used as a diagnostic tool prior to ovarian stimulation for in vitro fertilization (IVF) or oocyte cryopreservation (OC; i.e., egg freezing). This article describes the first ethnographic research on DTC ovarian reserve testing in the US, with a recruited sample of 21 participants interested in pursuing testing who consented to participant observation and semi-structured interviews. Fieldwork took place from January 2018 to July 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. Ethnographic cases explore how experiences with ovarian reserve testing are shaped by relationship status, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, racial/ethnic identity, and medical insurance coverage. Thematic analysis suggests that DTC ovarian reserve testing is a unique means of investigating fertility; participants felt empowered by receiving testing outside of traditional medical contexts. It was an alternative tool for family planning, particularly for LGBTQ + individuals and single women. However, participants experienced varying degrees of certainty about test results and the appropriate next steps to take to confirm fertility status, preserve fertility, or conceive, thus suggesting that DTC testing may confound reproductive decision-making. I argue that DTC ovarian reserve testing is a new tool in a larger medical and social project to mitigate anticipated future infertility and is an entry point into what I term the new (in)fertility pipeline encouraging entanglement with reproductive technologies across the lifespan. Due to its low cost and widespread availability, DTC ovarian reserve testing reaches a broader demographic, encourages testing across diverse identities and backgrounds, and increases awareness of more advanced assisted reproductive technology (ART), including egg freezing.

Using an egg timer to reduce fire risks in the OR.

Using an egg timer to reduce fire risks in the OR.

That final fatal error: crew resource management

Providing safe clinical care to the community is the cornerstone of modern paramedic practice. Crew resource management (CRM) is a strategy to investigate and mitigate errors and research into these concepts is limited in paramedicine. A conceptual framework specific to CRM in paramedicine in needed. The Egg Timer Model of Disparity, designed by Willis and published in Summers and Willis (2010) , is put forward as a conceptual model worthy of explorative review.

Fellowship candidate selection at the BEST Medical Center: A novel process

Dr. Ida Lystic completed her MD degree at the prestigious Harvey Medical School (which has since been renamed the Harvey Provider School) and her residency in internal medicine and gastroenterology fellowship at the OTHER (Owen T. Henry and Eugene Rutherford) Medical Center. She was subsequently hired as an assistant professor at the BEST (Byron Edwards and Samuel Thompson) Medical Center in 2015. After eventually completing an extensive list of employment requirements, she was able to begin seeing patients. She had not anticipated a change in the electronic medical record systems—from the user-friendly intuitive SIMPLE (Succinct Input Making Patients’ Lives Electronic) system to the complicated and challenging LEGEND (perhaps, as her colleagues had suggested, Lengthy and Excessively Graded Evaluation and Nomenclature for Diagnosis) system. Nor had she expected some of the challenges encountered in her daily clinic routine: The lack of schedulers for her patients (based on recommendations by the Optima Efficiency Consultant Group and incorporated by the BEST efficiency department) and the addition of egg timers on the doors along with a compliance spreadsheet and corrective action plan for the tardy physicians to complete to encourage punctuality (based on the assessment of the Wait Time Committee). She joined the LOST (Laboratory OverSight and Testing) Committee, because participation to support BEST Medical Center practices is strongly suggested for faculty seeking promotion; however, when the new committee chairman—who is a surgeon—was elected, the noon meetings were rescheduled for 6:00 am each month. At the request of her recently divorced department chairman, the philandering Dr. Seymore Fox, she became deputy head of the Gastroenterology Fellowship Selection Committee; she recently coordinated the selection of the physicians for next year’s fellowship. The fellowship candidate selection process at the BEST Medical School is probably similar to that performed at the OTHER Medical Center; however, innovative interview techniques—such as assessment for manual dexterity (with the “space race”) and typing skills—have been incorporated to enhance the selection of the best candidates. Dr. Ida Lystic, the gastroenterology department, and the medical school at “the BEST Medical Center” are creations of the author’s imagination; yet, many of the anecdotes are based on actual events whose details have been modified to protect the guilty.

My personal experiences at the BEST Medical Center: A day in the clinic—the morning

Dr. Ida Lystic is a gastroenterologist who trained at the OTHER (Owen T. Henry and Eugene Rutherford) Medical Center, after having completed her MD degree at the prestigious Harvey Medical School (recently renamed the Harvey Provider School). She accepted a faculty position at the BEST (Byron Edwards and Samuel Thompson) Medical Center. Dr. Lystic shares her experiences on a typical morning in gastroenterology clinic. Although her clinic start date was delayed by 2 months after becoming sick following a mandatory flu shot and having to complete more than 70 hours of compliance training modules, she is now familiar with the BEST system. Clinic scheduling priorities include ensuring that the staff can eat lunch together and depart at 5:00 pm. It is a continual challenge to find time to complete the electronic medical record after BEST changed from the SIMPLE (Succinct Input Making Patients Lives Electronic) system to LEGEND (referred to as Lengthy and Excessively Graded Evaluation and Nomenclature for Diagnosis by her colleagues). To maintain clinic punctuality, a compliance spreadsheet is e-mailed monthly to the Wait Time Committee. Their most recent corrective action plan for tardy physicians included placing egg timers on the doors and having nurses interrupt visits that exceed the allotted time. Administrative decisions have resulted in downsizing personnel. Patients are required to schedule their own tests and procedures and follow-up appointments-causing low patient satisfaction scores; however, the money saved lead to a large year-end bonus for the vice president of BEST Efficiency, who holds “providers” accountable for the poor patient experience. Although Dr. Ida Lystic and the gastroenterology clinic at “the BEST Medical Center” are creations of the authors’ imagination, the majority of the anecdotes are based on actual events.

How to ‘Enlighten’ museum visitors: Curating Derby Museum’s Enlightenment Exhibition

Abstract How many times have we, the museum visitor, stood in front of a display case full of objects and let our eyes glance over them, not really taking in any of them individually? Not understanding why they were grouped as they are, or bothering to read the labels that the curator has painstakingly written and positioned? This is the challenge of temporary (and permanent) exhibitions displays today in our fast moving, social media savvy world. Museum objects have to work hard to be noticed and appreciated. Taking an object out of its ‘natural environment’ is always artificial, even if the museum goes to great lengths to replicate the environment that it would have been used in (e.g. with ‘room sets’). This is particularly the case with functional (and often decorative) objects, like cups and saucers, hosiery, jewellery, barometers, balls of twine or an egg timer. Once they are placed in a case, their use alters. They are elevated far beyond their original function. They become an ‘object’ to be admired, looked at with interest, or with indifference. They have the power to fascinate and inspire. But to do that, they must first be displayed in a way that shows them off advantageously and with interpretation that explains their importance and use without boring or confusing the reader. Add to this an often complex message that the museum wishes to convey to the visitors, and curators really have their work cut out. This was the challenge that I faced when I curated the Enlightenment exhibition at Derby Museums (22 June–25 August 2013). This exhibition was the result of five years of collecting by ourselves, Buxton Museum and Art Gallery and Strutt’s North Mill, Belper. Funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund Collecting Cultures programme, we collected over 100 eighteenth-century objects to enrich our collections, to develop a better understanding of the Enlightenment period in Derbyshire and to help put the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritages Site into context. So although I and the collections team were in raptures over a plate showing a peculiar looking polar bear and were discussing how this one item could be linked to trade, exploitation, fashion, taste, travel and a fascination with natural history, my challenge was how to display this object so the museum’s visitors were excited by it too.

RNA granules act as egg timers

![Figure][1] Granules of cyclin B mRNA (green) are distributed asymmetrically in the cytoplasm of an immature mouse oocyte. GV indicates the germinal vesicle/nucleus. Kotani et al. reveal how RNA granules control the timing of cyclin B translation during oocyte maturation. Fully grown

Structural and spectroscopic properties of the second generation phosphorus–viologen “molecular asterisk”

The FTIR and FT Raman spectra of the second generation phosphorus–viologen “molecular asterisk” G2 built from cyclotriphosphazene core with 12 viologen units and 6 terminal phosphonate groups have been recorded and analyzed. The experimental X-ray data of 1,1-bis(4-formylbenzyl)-4,4′-bipyridinium bis(hexaflurophosphate) was used in molecular modeling studies. The optimization of isolated 1,1-bis(4-formylbenzyl)-4,4′-bipyridinium (BFBP) molecule without counter ions PF6- does not lead to significant changes of dihedral angles, thus the molecular conformation does not depend on interactions with the counter ions. The structural optimization and normal mode analysis were performed for G2 on the basis of the density functional theory (DFT). The calculated geometrical parameters and harmonic vibrational frequencies are predicted in a good agreement with the experimental data. It was found that G2 has a kind of “egg timer” structure with planar OC6H4CHNN(CH3) fragments and slightly non-planar cyclotriphosphazene core. The experimental IR and Raman spectra of G2 were interpreted by means of potential energy distribution.

Egg timers: how is developmental time measured in the early vertebrate embryo?

Eggs and early embryos appear to be programmed to undertake particular developmental decisions at characteristic times, although precisely how these decisions are timed is unknown. We discuss the possible roles and interactions during early vertebrate development of two broad categories of timers: 1) those that involve cyclic or sequential mechanisms, referred to as clocks; and 2) those that require an increase or decrease in some factor to a threshold level for progression of time, referred to as hourglass timers. It is concluded that both clock-like timers linked to various features of the cell cycle and hourglass timers are involved in early developmental timing. The possible involvement of elements of circadian clock timers is also considered. BioEssays 22:57-63, 2000.

Egg timers: how is developmental time measured in the early vertebrate embryo?

Egg timers: how is developmental time measured in the early vertebrate embryo?

The Phylotypic Egg Timer

Von Baer and Haeckel provided the basis of what came to be known as the phylotypic egg timer: during their development vertebrate embryos pass through a period in which they show the archetype of the vertebrate body plan. During this period vertebrate embryos are similar, in both form and morphogenic processes taking place. The phylotypic egg timer has been explained using phylogenetic constraints on the mechanism of body plan formation. Physical laws also pose constraints on embryonic variability. Fathoming these physical and phylogenetic constraints gives us insight in the measure of freedom for variation at a specific stage of vertebrate embryonic development.

Egg Timers, Human Values, and the Care of Autistic Youths

This article argues that autistic people occasionally experience greater comfort from imposed routines than from a yielding form of love and understanding, which I will call naive humanism. Collins's theory of action, with its attention toward the achievements residing in a reductionist approach, can help to point out the flaws of a naive humanistic stance. It would, however, be a mistake to stop at this point and remain satisfied with the problem-solving capacity of such a reductionist stance. In a ward for autistic youths, the risk of cruelty resides in a purely mechanistic stance as much as in a naive humanistic approach. Thus, the social context of care of autistic people urges us to question the scope of a traditional scheme of thought, which cherishes a deep distinction between humans and machines.

Nurse-Doctor-Patient Relationships in Psychiatry

4). In this position it is placed against the outer surfaces of the lower back teeth, with the sides of the bristles again firmly pressed against the gum tissue. This time the brush is rotated upward, so that the sides of the bristles again sweep from the gum onto and in between the teeth. The same procedure is followed around the lower arch. A similar technique is used in brushing the inner surfaces of the teeth, but the stroke is more difficult because these surfaces are harder to get at. From 5 to 8 brush strokes in each area should be sufficient to clean the teeth and stimulate circulation to the gum tissue, and the entire brushing operation should not take more than two or three minutes. If the brusher uses a timing device, such as a clock or an egg timer, instead of counting strokes, he is likely to concentrate on some favorite site while he is fulfilling the time requirement, neglecting some areas and overbrushing others.