Global Experience Research Articles

The Role of English Language Support Programs on International Academic Mobility of University Students in Shandong College of Economics and Business, China

This paper explores the pivotal role of English language support programs in shaping the international academic mobility experiences of university students at Shandong College of Economics and Business, China. Conducting a quantitative study involving 150 participants engaged in international academic mobility, the research investigates the impact of language support initiatives, identifies challenges faced by students, and gathers suggestions for program improvement. Results reveal significant improvements in English language proficiency, academic performance, and overall satisfaction among participants. Challenges encountered, including language barriers, cultural adjustment, academic rigor, and social integration, underscore the complexities of global academic experiences. Participants' suggestions for program improvement, emphasizing increased language practice opportunities, enhanced cultural preparation, additional academic support, and more social events, provide actionable insights for program refinement. This study contributes to the broader discourse on the internationalization of higher education, emphasizing the transformative potential of language support programs in fostering successful global academic mobility experiences. The findings hold implications for institutions globally seeking to optimize language support initiatives for an increasingly diverse student body and nurture globally competent citizens.

Можливості підвищення безпеки руху рейкових екіпажів з колесами, що незалежно обертаються

One of the promising ways to achieve high speed and smooth running of rail vehicles during stable movement in straight sections of the track and to improve the characteristics of fitting the vehicles in a curve is the use of independently rotating wheels in their running parts. Such undercarriages are already becoming quite widespread, for example, in urban rail transport vehicles. But independently rotating wheels can rotate in a wheel pair around a common axis with different angular velocities. It follows that during their movement, longitudinal creep forces do not arise, which form the controlling moment and center the wheel pair in the rail track. This can lead to increased angles of attack of the wheels on the rails, increased lateral forces and accelerated wear of the wheels and rails. In turn, this increases the tendency of vehicles with independently rotating wheels to derail by rolling the flange onto the head of the rail. 
 The accumulated global experience of operating similar vehicles confirms this. To overcome the mentioned disadvantages of independently rotating wheels, a number of various technical solutions have been proposed. Some of them relate to ensuring the given elastic-dissipative characteristic of the torsional articulation of the wheels in a wheel pair. A promising direction is the improvement of the characteristics of the connections of wheel pairs with the bogye and bogyes with the vehicle body, the use of mechatronic systems for controlling the position of the wheel pairs in the horizontal plane for their radial installation in curved sections of the track. In this work, attention is paid to the issue of the use in the design of independently rotating wheels of a perspective design scheme that allows independent rotation of the wheel's support surface and its guide surface (flange). The question of the effect of changing the design scheme of the wheel on the safety of movement due to the roll-in of the ridge on the rail head was considered. 
 The influence of a promising design scheme of a wheel in comparison with a traditional design scheme of a wheel on the safety of driving down a rails was investigated. The peculiarities of the distribution of frictional forces in the ridge contact during movement along the rails of the wheels of both design schemes are analyzed. For a wheel of a traditional design scheme, the module and the direction of the friction force vector in the ridge contact are uniquely determined by the geometric characteristics of the contact between the wheel and the rail and the angular speed of the wheel rotation. At the same time, when the wheel of the prospective design scheme moves, the direction and module of the friction force vector of the ridge on the rail also depend on the ratio of the angular velocities of rotation of the supporting surface of the wheel and its guiding surface (flange) around the common axis. The obtained results allow us to draw a conclusion about the expediency of using a promising design scheme in independently rotating wheels to increase the safety of movement of rail vehicles.

Student Reflections on Enhancing Cultural Awareness in Health Education Specialists: Insights From a Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) Experience

Immersive global learning experiences like Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) offer students cross-cultural knowledge, awareness, and language fluency, fostering critical analysis, and problem-solving. This paper focuses on U.S. and Dutch students’ perceptions of personal growth as future health education specialists regarding cultural sensitivity and competence within a COIL course. The study explores valuable skills for professionals engaging with diverse populations, contributing to the literature on faculty-led internationalization initiatives. Both the COIL research model and the cultural intelligence (CQ) framework guided the design and implementation of the COIL course. A thematic analysis of self-reflection narratives from N = 49 undergraduate students from the U.S. and the Netherlands revealed categories and themes related to cultural perspectives in health promotion, cultural sensitivity and competence, and essential skills for health education specialists. The findings demonstrate the impact of COIL on students’ cultural perspectives and knowledge, their awareness of cultural norms, and the importance of diverse strategies and approaches in health promotion. The study highlights the value of COIL courses in developing cultural understanding within educational settings and provides insights for educators and students interested in engaging with diverse populations.

Unraveling Histone Loss in Aging and Senescence.

As the global population experiences a notable surge in aging demographics, the need to understand the intricate molecular pathways exacerbated by age-related stresses, including epigenetic dysregulation, becomes a priority. Epigenetic mechanisms play a critical role in driving age-related diseases through altered gene expression, genomic instability, and irregular chromatin remodeling. In this review, we focus on histones, a central component of the epigenome, and consolidate the key findings of histone loss and genome-wide redistribution as fundamental processes contributing to aging and senescence. The review provides insights into novel histone expression profiles, nucleosome occupancy, disruptions in higher-order chromatin architecture, and the emergence of noncanonical histone variants in the aging cellular landscape. Furthermore, we explore the current state of our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of histone deficiency in aging cells. Specific emphasis is placed on highlighting histone degradation pathways in the cell and studies that have explored potential strategies to mitigate histone loss or restore histone levels in aging cells. Finally, in addressing future perspectives, the insights gained from this review hold profound implications for advancing strategies that actively intervene in modulating histone expression profiles in the context of cellular aging and identifying potential therapeutic targets for alleviating a multitude of age-related diseases.

Prospects for the Development of Bond Circulation in the Capital Market

This article explores the prospects for enhancing bond market development in developing economies. It delvesinto the significance of bond markets, examines global experiences, and provides tailored recommendations to addresschallenges and leverage opportunities. By focusing on regulatory frameworks, market infrastructure, investor education,and government leadership, this article aims to guide developing countries in nurturing vibrant bond markets. Thesemarkets hold the potential to mobilize capital, promote economic diversification, ensure financial stability, and facilitatecritical infrastructure financing.

Joint green dynamic order batching and picker routing problem using PSO with global worst experience

With the increasing importance of various countries’ initiatives on reducing carbon emissions (e.g., carbon border adjustment mechanism, CBAM), intelligent order picking systems have assisted electronic retailers in realizing a green supply chain. Previous studies on picker routing operations focused on adopting offline static customer order information to carry out operational decisions. However, in practice, the customer order information is updated dynamically; and high-efficiency warehouse layouts have been increasingly concerned. Therefore, this study creates a mixed-integer programming model for minimizing both the total carbon footprint and the total penalty cost for delayed orders in the joint order batching and picker routing problem with dynamic arriving orders and shipping time constraints in a high-efficiency fishbone warehouse layout. To solve this complex problem, a particle swarm optimization algorithm that integrates the swarm’s previous global and local worst experiences and a migration mechanism is further proposed to increase solution quality and computing efficiency. In addition, a three-dimensional space for the warehouse floorplan and shipping time constraints is designed to divide orders into batches to address the constraints. Theoretical analysis of this algorithm is conducted, and experimental analysis shows that this algorithm finds superior solutions than current practical strategies, to offer a valuable reference for carbon emission reduction in greening warehousing.

Confederation of Sahel States — a new integration alliance of the countries of «global South» (legal aspects)

The article explores the legal nature and features of the Confederation of Sahel States, the youngest integration alliance in Africa and around the world, established on July 6, 2024 between Burkina Faso, the Republic of Mali and the Republic of Niger. The introductory section outlines the past, present and problems of legal regulation of integration processes in Africa, as well as its modern projects preceding the Confederation. After considering the reasons for the establishment of Confederation and procedural aspects (section «Historical and geographical origins»), the author scrutinizes its constituent documents, the legal status of its Member States, its organizational mechanism and competence (section «Legal status»). Finally, in accordance with the provisions of domestic and foreign legal doctrine, the experience of former confederal entities, the author presets conclusions together with his vision of future of the newborn Confederation. The article is the first in Russian legal science study of the Confederation of Sahel States in light of the global legal experience with respect to establishment and operation of such entities. The author agrees with the prevailing view of confederations as not quite effective form of unification of states due to the lack of a full-fledged system of central authorities. Nevertheless, the author insists that confederal structure might be attractive in several ways. This explains the fact that confederations are still in use in XXI century. With reference to documents, the author demonstrates that law and practice of historical confederations, now federations (USA, etc.), were not limited to foreign policy and defence, but also covered significant domestic policy measures. Therefore, in practical terms, the author advises the Confederation of Sahel States to focus on «development» issues (economic, scientific, technological, etc.), which, according to its constituent documents, form part its competence together with issues of «diplomacy», «defence and security».

Mental healthcare systems research during COVID-19: Lessons for shifting the paradigm post COVID-19

The mental health effects of the Covid-19 pandemic across the globe have been significant, are ongoing, and will persist for a long time. Mental healthcare systems (MHS) to address these effects have been stressed beyond their limit. They have had to: (a) sense the developments and respond to the changing needs quickly, (b) be agile in obtaining feedback and learning from it in very short cycle times, and (c) immediately integrate their personal local experience, the reported global experience and translate the learning to practice. This intense learning cycle has spawned an enormous corpus of research on MHS during COVID-19 and shifted the paradigm of research. Lessons from the paradigm shift should be embraced and normalized in the roadmap for MHS research post COVID-19. This paper presents an ontology of MHS as a framework to systematically: (a) visualize in structured natural-English the dimensions, elements, and narratives of MHS research, (b) map the emphases and gaps in the research during COVID-19, and (c) develop a roadmap to shift the future research paradigm.

Tata kelola sumber daya air berkelanjutan-berkeadilan : Bagaimana Indonesia memperkuat poros maritim?

Water resources are an important aspect of human survival. However, population growth, urbanization, climate change, agricultural expansion, and industrialization have led to a rapid decline in the quality and availability of water resources. It is estimated that by 2050, the global population will reach 9.7 billion, which will increase the need for water resources. Currently, approximately 2.3 billion people live in water-critical areas, and two-thirds of the global population experiences critical water shortages for at least one month of the year. The United Nations has established Sustainable Development Goals, with a focus on clean water and sanitation. Indonesia, with more than 17,000 islands, has rich water resources but is vulnerable due to urbanization, pollution, and climate change. To overcome these challenges, sustainable water governance is necessary. Indonesia is already experiencing water shortages, and it is estimated that 67% of economic activity will be in areas experiencing water scarcity by 2045. In addition, Indonesia is among the ten largest groundwater-consuming countries, drawing groundwater mainly for domestic use. To overcome this challenge, the government has implemented water governance reforms through regulatory policies and infrastructure improvements. In this context, this research aims to provide an overview of the progress of sustainable water governance in Indonesia and strategies for facing challenges as a maritime axis in sustainable water governance. This study uses a systematic literature review methodology to analyze 69 articles on current water governance practices, sustainable water governance challenges, and strategies for overcoming these challenges. By adopting sustainable water governance, Indonesia can ensure fair and equitable access to water, reduce water-related conflicts, increase access to clean water and sanitation, and strengthen the country's overall environmental and economic resilience.

P884 Patient satisfaction and experience after a switch to an adalimumab biosimilar with high concentration and citrate-free: results from a multicentric prospective real-life study

Abstract Background Switching from a reference product (RP) to a biosimilar (BS) aims at generating cost savings. Patient adherence after a switch is linked to overall experience that can be impacted by patient or treatment characteristics. This study aimed to analyse patient-experience after a switch from an adalimumab (ADA) to CT-P171 (ADA BS high concentration, HC, citrate-free). Methods YU-MATTER (NCT05427942), a multicentric prospective observational study included patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) or chronic inflammatory rheumatic disease (CIR), treated with ADA: either the RP (HC: 100mg/ml) or a BS with low concentration (LC: 50 mg/ml). Patients were switched to CT-P17 and followed-up for 3 months (M). Clinical characteristics were collected at M0, including beliefs (BMQ questionnaire2), patient-experience via 5 self-questionnaires designed in collaboration with patient associations to explore satisfaction regarding the injection (Likert 7), discomfort (pain [NRS 0-10], redness [Likert 4], itching [NRS 0-10], and haematoma [Likert 3]). Satisfaction and overall injection tolerance (pain < 4 AND absence of redness AND itching < 4 AND absence of haematoma) were assessed between M0 (just before switch) and M3 (3 months after switch). Factors associated with satisfaction improvement (Likert) were explored through multivariable logistic regression. Results Of the 232 patients analysed, 167 had IBD (CD =136); mean age 44±15 years; median IBD duration 9 years ([Q1; Q3]: [5; 15]) and 50.9% were men. The median differential score necessity-concern was of 5 [3; 7] suggesting that the perceived necessity of the treatment was higher than its concerns. 119 (51.2 %) patients were switched from a BS (45 with citrate) and 113 (48.7%) from the RP. At M3, 175 patients (75.4%) were satisfied with the injection and 145 (62.5%) had a stable or improved satisfaction versus the previous ADA. Among patients receiving a BS, the presence of citrate was significantly associated with an improvement of satisfaction after switching to CT-P17 (58.3% vs. 30.0%, p=0.006). Overall injection tolerance significantly improved after switching from 28.9 % at M0 to 57.7 % at M3 (p<0.0001). A significant decrease of pain related injection was observed after the first injection of CT-P17 (median -2 [-4; -1]) for patients switched from a BS and remained stable for patients switched from the RP (median 0 [-1;1]). In multivariable analysis, the switch from a LC ADA was an independent factor of satisfaction improvement (vs from the RP, odds ratio=3.03; p=0.003; Table). Conclusion The global experience of switching to CT-P17 was positive with an overall improvement in injection tolerance. Injection volume was an independent factor associated with a successful experience.

Rethinking the Healthcare Facilities: The Role of the Buffer Space.

A working group conducted a survey on the use of the principle of buffer space (BS), which in case of emergencies, could benefit healthcare settings. The aim of the preliminary investigation is to define new research lines in hospitals' functional design. The global experience of the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted challenges faced by hospitals when responding promptly to emergencies, including spatial reorganization and suspension of ordinary medical activities for ensuring adequate management of the emergency surge of patients. The group designed questionnaires to be administered to healthcare staff and healthcare designers aimed at understanding varied conceptions and features of BSs. Content across the two surveys overlapped significantly, allowing for direct comparisons of responses, while also including tailored questions in relation to the respective experience and skills of the two groups of respondents. 102 healthcare professionals and 56 designers took part to the survey. Analysis of the responses permitted for initial recommendations regarding BS typology including (a) proximity to the emergency department (ED), intensive care units (ICUs), and inpatient wards (IWs); (b) location within hospitals but separate from other medical areas; (c) need for independent access; (d) organizational and spatial features similar to ED, ICUs, and IWs; (e) existing as a fully flexible operational space; and (f) BS bed capacity to be approximately 12% of ED beds. Although the analysis is related to the Italian context, the expansion of this preliminary research to alternate healthcare facilities and geographic areas is necessary for reaching a wide consensus by different professionals on this field. It serves as a starting point for future investigations regarding the implementation of BS in hospital settings.

Capturing reality: Navigating photographic realism in Mohsin Hamid’s <i>Exit West (2017)</i>

This paper aimed to explore the complexities that invoked colonial history and its connection to the contemporary contexts marked by multiculturalism, the war on terror, identity disintegration, displacement, and immigration. It investigated the intricate interplay between photographic realism and contemporary themes within Mohsin Hamid’s novel “Exit West.” The study delved into the meticulous portrayal of migration, geopolitical landscapes, counterterrorism measures, and the influence of digital technology within the narrative. By drawing parallels between Hamid’s prose and photographic realism, the analysis focused on the nuanced exploration of displacement and conflict. The examination of magical doors as a literary device akin to photographic realism revealed their role in capturing the instability of geopolitical structures and disrupting conventional borders. Photographic realism was adopted as a literary theoretical framework. This research contributed to a deeper understanding of how Hamid’s novel served as a critical commentary on the multifaceted challenges within the global human experience, emphasizing the relevance of photographic realism in contemporary literary analysis. After a thematic analysis of the primary text, it was concluded that the novel was a critical portrayal of migrant labor as a commodity, cosmopolitanism, contemporary sociocultural and geopolitical dilemmas, the exploitative nature of the state’s projects, and interracial integration.

Psychological experiences and travel Adversities: A Mixed-Method study of the regular commuters in traffic congestion

This study investigated the psychological experiences and consequences of travel adversities during traffic congestion using a three-phase sequential exploratory mixed-methods design. Phase 1 explored the travel adversities, psychological experiences, and consequences of a sample of ten (four women and six men) regular commuters of Bangalore's congested roads using semi-structured interviews. In phase 2, a checklist was developed listing the fundamental themes from phase 1 with Likert-type responses ranging from 0 (never) to 5 (always). Phase 3 gathered data in the checklist and tested the statistical validity of the thematic model in a sample of 190 (81 women and 103 men) regular commuters. Attride-Stirling model thematic network was established with 57 fundamental themes categorized and assigned under the organizing themes of travel adversities (n = 6), negative affect (n = 28), fight (n = 7), flight (n = 6), and negative road occurrences (n = 10), in the global theme, psychological experiences and consequences. Structural equation modeling indicated that (1) negative affect significantly predicted fight and flight, (2) fight is a significant predictor of negative road occurrences, and (3) psychological experiences and consequences create a self-perpetuating cycle, with travel adversity triggering negative emotions, which results in fight responses leading to negative road occurrences, further intensifying travel adversity. A mathematical model is established based on this statistical validation, which holds potential applications in real-time traffic algorithms.

"Islamic Sukuk Accreditation Requirements in Libya to Benefit from the Malaysian Experience"

This paper aimed to review the most important international experiences and practices of the role played by Islamic Sukuk in financing infrastructure projects. Given the development and spread of this Islamic finance industry by increasing global and local offerings (during the period 2016-2021), in addition to presenting the successful global experiences in Sukuk issuances that achieve economy maximizing (Malaysia, UAE, Saudi Arabia), and knowing their prospects in Libya. The descriptive-analytical approach was adopted in this study because of its suitability to the nature and objectives of the research. The paper reached several conclusions, including that Islamic Sukuk played a prominent role in providing funding for massive developmental projects, and its flexibility has made it a leading position among various funding sources.Among the leading global experiences is the Malaysian experience, which has an average trading volume of around 50% of the Islamic capital market and an accumulated basis for the period from 2001 to 2021. Malaysia has continued to maintain ite firet position in Islamic Sukuk issuances with a combined local and international issuance of about $877 billion. Through this research paper, it became clear that Islamic Sukuk is one of the most important financial instruments compatible with Islamic law and widely spread in international financial markets. It can have a significant impact on the development process in Libya after the issuance of Law No.4 for the year 2016 on Islamic Sukuk. Despite the positive outlook for Islamic Sukuk, it faces many difficulties and challenges (legal, economic, technical, regulatory,...,etc.) . There are also many areas that need to be provided to help the success, growth and development of the lslamic Sukuk issuance process in Libya.

Switching gears: Evaluating Grid-to-Vehicle (G2V) and battery swap (BS) behaviors in new energy vehicles (NEVs) within a flexible institutional landscape

The transition to electric vehicles is a pivotal step towards achieving emission reductions and realizing the “double carbon” objectives in the transportation sector. This movement is heavily dependent on the development of a strong G2V and BS infrastructure, a task which embodies the motivation behind this study. As such, we seek to decipher the intrinsic challenges and opportunities resident in the G2V and BS systems, constructing vital questions around existing impediments and strategies that would foster a seamless transition to NEVs, integrating global insights and experiences from different nations into our enquiry. In view this, this paper proposes a tripartite institutional logic framework, which serves as a foundational structure encompassing government, automobile manufacturing enterprises, and consumers as pivotal stakeholders within an interconnected ecosystem. Building upon this comprehensive framework, we further advance our analysis by constructing a tripartite evolutionary game model and using a simulation with a case study to analyze the dynamic interplays of G2V and BS systems. The results show that: The BS mode has a higher efficacy in terms of energy efficiency and optimizing electricity usage compared to the G2V model; Proper subsidies for BS are necessary, as supported by simulations and case studies; The government must continue to support enterprise R&D efforts to advance the NEV industry; Increasing investment in infrastructure is essential to address issues related to the layout and compatibility of BS facilities among auto enterprises; Recognizing the positive impact of BS mode on the social and environmental aspects is vital; Accurate identification of consumer needs is crucial for promoting BS mode. Finally, policy recommendations are proposed to promote transportation sector, which provides theoretical support for policy makers.

Causes and consequences of quack medicine in health care: a scoping review of global experience

BackgroundThe field of health has been facing challenges with fraudulent practices and the prevalence of “quack medicine”. Many cases have given rise to this issue. Therefore, this study aims to comprehensively investigate and categorize the causes and consequences of quack medicine in the healthcare.MethodsA scoping review, using the 5 stages of Arksey and O’Malley’s framework, was conducted to retrieve and analyze the literature. International databases including the PubMed, Scopus, Embase and Web of Science and also national Iranian databases were searched to find peer reviewed published literature in English and Persian languages. Grey literature was also included. Meta-Synthesis was applied to analyze the findings through an inductive approach.ResultsOut of 3794 initially identified studies, 30 were selected for this study. Based on the findings of this research, the causes of quackery in the health were divided into six categories: political, economic, socio-cultural, technical-organizational, legal and psychological. Additionally, the consequences of this issue were classified into three categories: health, economic and social. Economic and social factors were found to have a more significant impact on the prevalence of quackery in the health sector. Legal and technical-organizational factors played a crucial role in facilitating fraudulent practices, resulting in severe health consequences.ConclusionIt is evident that governing bodies and health systems must prioritize addressing economic and social factors in combating quackery in the health sector. Special attention should be paid to the issue of cultural development and community education to strengthen the mechanisms that lead to the society access to standard affordable services. Efforts should be made also to improve the efficiency of legislation, implementation and evaluation systems to effectively tackle this issue.

The Paradigm Shift of Agricultural Extension from Technology Transfer Towards Participatory Approaches

Purpose: Different technology transfer mechanisms are used to disseminate innovative agricultural technologies. The extension approaches based on the top-down transfer of technology were dominated in the past. That paradigm could not achieve reasonable benefits to many users but the resource-rich clientele reaped the benefits. Therefore, new concepts and approaches were warranted. The paper describes the outcomes of the paradigm shift of agricultural extension from technology transfer to participatory technologies..Research Method: The paper contains the information collected from published literature on technology transfer efforts, global experience in Participatory Rural Appraisal applications, and the research findings from participatory rural appraisal sessions conducted in Sri Lanka.Findings: The critical issue of technology transfer models was insufficient attention granted to incorporate.the participation of grassroots-level clientele. Hence, real community needs were omitted. The concept of Participatory Rural Appraisal evolved as an alternative scenario and was implemented with promising results. The Participatory Rural Appraisal is a bottom-up approach, that incorporates local knowledge and community participation, uses simple technology, requires low cost, and could be applied in rural areas without complex apparatus. Participants have a great opportunity to express their actual needs. Hence, a valid plan can be designed and the community will participate in the following stages of the planning cycle. This study reviews the Participatory Rural Appraisal experience worldwide and the paradigm shift taken place in technology transfer from a top-down approach to participatory methods.

Global experience in public debt reduction (on example of Sweden, Switzerland, and Iceland)

Public debt reduction is one of the main objectives of budget policy formation in the current crisis conditions. In this regard, the study of the experience of different countries in this area is relevant. Therefore, the aim of the study was to provide recommendations for reducing the debt burden in the Kyrgyz Republic, based on the experience of other countries. The main methods used in the research were historical, comparison and generalisation. The study analysed the factors affecting the reduction of public debt in the Kyrgyz Republic. It was concluded that the components that can help affect the debt burden in the country are inflation, economic development, and a targeted policy of the state to pay debts. It was shown that in the current realities, countries that are successful in this direction most often use the latter approach. In addition, the situation in Sweden, Switzerland and Iceland was analysed directly and the main recommendations were given as to how the Kyrgyz Republic can improve its current situation in terms of debt reduction. These recommendations focused primarily on fighting corruption and improving the situation in the context of institutional development, as well as reducing expenditures to achieve a budget surplus. It was recommended not to increase taxes directly to increase state revenues, but to increase the efficiency of their collection. The data obtained from the results of the study can be used to formulate public policy in the area of public debt and budget management both in the Kyrgyz Republic and in other countries

#PandemicFridge

The Covid-19 pandemic affected all aspects of contemporary life, from how we work to how we shop, travel, and eat. Previously banal activities such as going to the grocery store became challenging and anxiety-inducing, with a new level of danger associated with leaving one’s home. To document and respond to this global experience, Jennifer Scheuer, assistant professor in printmaking at Purdue University, and I began collaborating on a series of collages titled #PandemicFridge. The project investigates the idea of care, nourishment and sustainability through the motif of the fridge, both literal and metaphorical. Our practice emerged from the pandemic and is indelibly marked by it: the new ways of working we have developed are informed by this experience as we were forced to find workarounds and new avenues to pursue our work.

Fluid-Loss Control Technology: From Laboratory to Well Field

Effective fluid-loss control in oil wells is a critical concern for the oil industry, particularly given the substantial reserves situated in carbonate reservoirs globally. The prevalence of such reservoirs is expected to rise with the slow depletion of hydrocarbons, intensifying the need to address challenges related to deteriorating reservoir properties post well-killing operations. This deterioration results in significant annual losses in hydrocarbon production at major oil enterprises, impacting key performance indicators. To tackle this issue, this study focuses on enhancing well-killing technology efficiency in carbonate reservoirs with abnormally low formation pressures. To address this issue, the authors propose the development of new blocking compositions that prevent the fluid loss of treatment fluids by the productive reservoir. The research tasks include a comprehensive analysis of global experience in well-killing technology; the development of blocking compositions; an investigation of their physico-chemical, rheological, and filtration properties; and an evaluation of their effectiveness in complicated conditions. The technology’s application in the oil and gas condensate fields of the Volga-Ural province showcases its practical implementation. This study provides valuable insights and solutions for improved fluid-loss control in carbonate reservoirs, ultimately enhancing well performance and hydrocarbon recovery.