US View Research Articles

In 2040, Will There Be Jobs for Petroleum Engineers?

BP’s detailed Energy Outlook 2019 can be reduced to a single question: Is petroleum engineering a good, long-term career choice for a college student? The short answer from BP CEO Bob Dudley is yes. “I am not worried about young people coming into the industry,” he said. The evidence for that was in the company’s latest annual outlook, which examined several possible scenarios of the energy future, all of which will require finding and producing a lot more oil. The scenarios predict needed oil production ranging from 80–130 million B/D in 2040, depending on how energy demand grows, said Spencer Dale, group chief economist for BP (Fig. 1). While he said he does not know which scenario, if any, will prove accurate, all require trillions of dollars of exploration and production (E&P) spending to deliver that much oil. Engineers will be busy meeting the growing demand from developing countries, particularly in Asia, where rising standards of living will drive more consumption. It is a trend often missed by those in Europe and the US, where energy demand is expected to continue to be flat, he said. In countries with fast-growing energy needs, the allure of energy engineering jobs also tends to be higher. “Around the world it (an E&P company) is one of the most popular places to go to work. But not where we live,” Dudley said, referring to the United Kingdom, where the briefing on the new outlook was held. Oil production will remain high, but could peak in 2030, and gas demand will rise over the next 20 years, according to the outlook. Renewable sources of energy will grow at a far faster rate, but wind and solar alone will not be able to meet demand from countries such as India and China where billions of people are moving from poverty into the middle class and spending money on appliances, cars, and air conditioners, among many other things. “The growing middle class in the developing world, especially in Asia, is the major factor accounting for global economic growth over the next 20 years,” and that will make it a key driver of energy growth, Dale said. Conflicting Priorities The US and European view on the future of energy is a zero-sum game. Those concerned about carbon emissions causing climate change call for replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy sources. In a country with flat demand, new capacity must replace old facilities. The equation is more complicated in the growing economies of Asia and Africa. There, energy demand is growing so rapidly that more of all types of energy will be needed. That is good news for many petroleum engineers who are delivering a rising stream of oil and gas for export. Dudley said the message he heard at a recent conference in Africa was “we need cooking fuel and reliable electricity.” With so many young workers entering the job market, they need “heavy energy to create manufacturing that puts people to work,” he said.

US Veterinarians' Knowledge, Experience, and Perception Regarding the Use of Cannabidiol for Canine Medical Conditions.

Due to the myriad of laws concerning cannabis, there is little empirical research regarding the veterinary use of cannabidiol (CBD). This study used the Veterinary Information Network (VIN) to gauge US veterinarians' knowledge level, views and experiences related to the use of cannabinoids in the medical treatment of dogs. Participants (n = 2130) completed an anonymous, online survey. Results were analyzed based on legal status of recreational marijuana in the participants' state of practice, and year of graduation from veterinary school. Participants felt comfortable in their knowledge of the differences between Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and marijuana, as well as the toxic effects of marijuana in dogs. Most veterinarians (61.5%) felt comfortable discussing the use of CBD with their colleagues, but only 45.5% felt comfortable discussing this topic with clients. No differences were found based on state of practice, but recent graduates were less comfortable discussing the topic. Veterinarians and clients in states with legalized recreational marijuana were more likely to talk about the use of CBD products to treat canine ailments than those in other states. Overall, CBD was most frequently discussed as a potential treatment for pain management, anxiety and seizures. Veterinarians practicing in states with legalized recreational marijuana were more likely to advise their clients and recommend the use of CBD, while there was no difference in the likelihood of prescribing CBD products. Recent veterinary graduates were less likely to recommend or prescribe CBD. The most commonly used CBD formulations were oil/extract and edibles. These were most helpful in providing analgesia for chronic and acute pain, relieving anxiety and decreasing seizure frequency/severity. The most commonly reported side-effect was sedation. Participants felt their state veterinary associations and veterinary boards did not provide sufficient guidance for them to practice within applicable laws. Recent graduates and those practicing in states with legalized recreational marijuana were more likely to agree that research regarding the use of CBD in dogs is needed. These same groups also felt that marijuana and CBD should not remain classified as Schedule I drugs. Most participants agreed that both marijuana and CBD products offer benefits for humans and expressed support for use of CBD products for animals.

China and the Future of the International Tax Regime

The International tax regime (ITR) has been transformed after the Great Recession of 2008-2009. The G20/Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)’s Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) project (2013-2015) has fundamentally changed the ITR, giving new life to the single tax principle (income should be taxed once, i.e. no double taxation and no double non taxation). Reaction to BEPS has varied dramatically between the EU and the US, the two largest markets in the world. In the EU BEPS is taken very seriously, as shown for example by the new Anti Tax Avoidance Directives that implement the single tax principle. In the US BEPS is almost invisible; while the US model tax treaty has been amended to incorporate it the US has refused to sign the Multilateral Instrument to implement BEPS in its treaties and the only other BEPS action that the US has taken is country by country reporting. It thus appears that the future of BEPS and the ITR depends on whether the EU or the US view prevails, i.e., whether multinationals can be forced to pay significant tax on the 160-220 billion that are currently not taxed annually because of BEPS. While US multinationals as well as EU multinationals are exposed to the EU ATAD and related measures while operating in Europe, they are less subject to EU anti BEPS measures elsewhere in the world. It therefore is crucial to assess the reaction to BEPS in the other large economy that was involved in its development, namely China. The following article attempts to assess China’s reaction to BEPS based on Chinese sources. It shows that China takes BEPS seriously. Therefore, given the reactions of China (as well as India, which is even more aggressive that China for example in taxing the digital economy) it seems likely that eventually the EU view of BEPS will prevail and US based multinationals will eventually be forced to pay tax on the over 100 billion they shift offshore each year.

Universal Algebra I policy, access, and inequality: Findings from a national survey

Many in the US view algebra as a gatekeeper to advanced study of mathematics, and increasing enrollment in algebra courses as a strategy to address unequal access to educational opportunity. As a result, universal enrollment policies, which require all students to complete Algebra I by grade 8 or 9, have garnered attention in school districts or states. Based on a view that school districts are the primary implementers of state and national policy in the US, this study surveyed a nationally representative sample of districts to investigate the prevalence of such policies and their relationship to algebra enrollment. Districts reported substantial increases in Algebra I enrollments in eighth grade, although ninth grade remains the most common year students enroll. Only 26% of districts reported having universal enrollment policies; in these districts, linear regression indicated that an association with higher eighth grade Algebra I enrollment was moderated by poverty level (measured by FRL). As a result, universal policies, while decreasing within-district disparities, may increase disparities between districts. These disparities may be explained by maximally maintained inequality (Raftery & Hout, 1993) and effectively maintained inequality theories (Lucas, 2001), which posit that more affluent groups take deliberate action to perpetuate inequalities.

Winning hearts & minds (!)

Foreign aid is a policy tool implemented with the purpose of fostering both hard and soft power abroad. Yet, previous research has not probed the effects of US foreign aid on public attitudes toward the US in the recipient countries. In this article, I argue that US foreign aid may actually feed anti-Americanism: aid indirectly creates winners and losers in the recipient countries, such that politically discontented people may blame the US for the survival of the prevailing regime. Drawing on Pew Research for Global Attitudes and on USAID Greenbook datasets, I focus on determining both the conditions under which foreign aid exacerbates anti-Americanism and the type of aid most likely to do this. The findings reveal that political losers of the recipient countries are more likely to express negative attitudes toward the USA as the amount of US aid increases, whereas political winners enjoy the results of US aid and view the USA positively accordingly. Moreover, the effect of US aid on attitudes toward the USA is also conditional on the regime type. While US aid increases the likelihood of anti-American attitudes among the losers in non-democratic countries, it decreases the likelihood of anti-Americanism among the losers in democratic ones. This article has important implications for policy in terms of determining how and to whom to provide aid in the context of the possible ramifications of providing aid at the individual level.

Deciphering the Shift in America's South China Sea Policy

The tensions resulting from the territorial and maritime jurisdictional disputes between China and five Southeast Asian countries--Brunei, Indonesia, (1) Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam--have for years dominated the headlines on the South China Sea and defined the lens through which the issue is seen. While the United States has at times expressed its concerns over incidents in which destabilizing actions occurred, these developments had minimal impact on the US grand strategy of preventing the rise of a potential hegemon in the Western Pacific. Prior to China's push to enlarge the features it occupies in the Spratly Islands, US officials largely viewed the sovereignty dispute as a matter to be resolved between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and were careful in framing the issue as a diplomatic rather than a military challenge. While Washington had always emphasized its commitment to, and the need for all sides to respect, freedom of navigation and overflight and the unimpeded flow of global commerce, it has never enunciated in unequivocal terms what the United States would do to uphold these principles. This position would change as a result of US assessments of the implications of China's artificial island building beginning in late 2013. The United States is not a party to the South China Sea dispute. Yet it is a party to a disagreement and contest with a rising China on the meaning of freedom of the seas--a principle that is central to US core interests--and what the regional security landscape of the Asia-Pacific ought to look like in future years. Understanding the crux of this contest is important for grasping the role that the South China Sea plays in US grand strategy, and factors that can lead to substantive changes in US policy on the issue, or lack thereof. This article begins by deciphering what the United States views as its core interests in the South China Sea that have the potential to either support or upend US grand strategy. It posits that the United States has two fundamental and enduring core interests in the South China Sea: defending its view on freedom of the seas, and maintaining the naval and air superiority of the United States in the Western Pacific. The article moves on to offer an overview of America's South China Sea policy in the context of the US rebalance to the Asia-Pacific region, and is based on the premise that US officials began to devote significantly more attention and resources to the issue as a result of greater US focus on regional issues, especially with regard to Southeast Asia. This section also sheds light on the evolving nature of the disagreement between Beijing and Washington in light of the US rebalance. It presents a context for understanding how China's artificial island building, if strategically deployed, can be a nexus between these two sets of disputes, with the of causing the fundamental disagreement between the United States and China to spill over into the South China Sea. The following section elaborates official US views on China's reclamation activities and its implications for US core interests and grand strategy in the Asia Pacific. It seeks to capture the shift in US strategy on the South China Sea. This article concludes that the United States has responded with a new, active strategy that aims to: first, deter China from taking further actions at its reclaimed features that would alter the existing military balance of power in the region; and second, make it pay a net effect for its behaviour--should it continue to pursue an aggressive course of action--by engaging more forcibly with Southeast Asian partners. The final section outlines how the new shift in US policy has manifested itself to date, and analyzes the extent of its effectiveness as of this writing towards China's actions and for US core interests. This article seeks to capture a US-centric view of the evolving nature of the South China Sea dispute in relation to its grand strategy. …

Seeing futures now: Emergent US and UK views on shale development, climate change and energy systems

Shale development – extraction of oil and gas from shale rock formations using hydraulic fracturing or ‘fracking’ – has become a critical focus for energy debates in the US and UK. In both countries, potential industry expansion into new areas for shale extraction is expected to produce a wide range of environmental and social impacts and to change the configuration of future energy systems. To engage with emergent views on these complex, multi-scale issues, we held a series of day-long deliberation workshops (two in the US and two in the UK) designed and facilitated for diverse groups of people to discuss a range of possible consequences and meanings of shale development. Amid nuanced differences between and within national contexts, notable similarities in views were tracked across all four workshops. Concerns in common were not limited to specific risks such as water contamination. Participants also questioned whether shale development was compatible with their visions for and concerns about the longer-term future – including views on impacts and causes of climate change, societal dependency on fossil fuels, development of alternative energy technologies, the perceived short-term objectives of government and industry agencies, and obligations to act responsibly toward future generations. Extending prior qualitative research on shale development and on energy systems change, this research brings open-ended and cross-national public deliberation inquiry to bear on broader issues of climate change, responsibility, and ideas about how shale development might undermine or reinforce the energy systems that people consider important for the future.

“A Fighter Pilot’s Heaven”: Finding Cold War Utility in the North African Desert

During the Cold War, the United States constructed an unprecedented network of military bases around the world. This expansion forced US policymakers to rethink not only their strategic interests around the world, but also the environments they would encompass. Perhaps nowhere was this more obvious than in Libya, where in the late 1940s the US Air Force began building a massive installation on the shores of Tripoli. This is not, however, the now familiar story of how military bases impact ecosystems. Instead I am interested in the ways that US officials in Libya used ideas about this novel environment—the desert—to justify the appropriation of sovereign territory for military facilities. By comparing US and European views on the Libya environment, I argue that the Americans developed a utilitarian view of the desert that enabled ever-more militarization. By the 1960s, large swaths of the Sahara had been converted into testing and practice ranges. Similar to military facilities in the American West, the Air Force hid its Cold War installations away in the desert. So effective was this strategy, in fact, that the existence of these facilities remains difficult to uncover today.

A tale of two futures: Techno-eschatology in the US and India

Different religions have strikingly different views of history; but the emergence of modern technology offers promises of salvation that can draw equally on Christian views of time in the US and Hindu views of time in India. For centuries, Christian theologians incorporated technological progress into their linear vision of history, which will end with an eschatological conflict and the rise of the New Jerusalem. In the US today, techno-enthusiasts have adopted the claim that we are fast approaching the end of the world as we know it, though the salvation they expect no longer references Christianity. A ‘Singularity’ will occur, they say, leading to the transformation of biological life into an eternal new world of machine intelligence. In India, however, history is cyclical and the end of the world has long been expected to be a return to the first age. Although presently mired in the misery of the kali yuga, we should anticipate an end to this period and a return to the glorious satya yuga. Based upon popular Indian understandings of science and technology, we should expect that both will be crucial to this process. Interviews and observations made in the US and in India reveal how technological progress is now the critical component in cultural expectations about the end of the world and the emergence of a new world to come.

Special relationships in flux: Brexit and the future of the US-EU and US-UK relationships

A British exit from the EU would add to growing strains on the United States’ relations with Britain and the rest of Europe, but by itself would not lead to a breakdown in transatlantic relations due to the scale of shared ideas and interests, institutional links, international pressures and commitments by individual leaders. It would, however, add to pressures on the US that could change the direction of the transatlantic relationship. From the perspective of Washington, Britain risks becoming an awkward inbetweener, beholden more than ever before to a wider transatlantic relationship where the US and EU are navigating the challenges of an emerging multipolar world. The article outlines developments in the UK, EU, Europe and the US in order to explain what Brexit could mean for the United States’ approaches to transatlantic relations. By doing so the article moves beyond a narrow view of Brexit and transatlantic relations that focuses on the future of UK–US relations. In the conclusion we map out several ways in which US views of the transatlantic relationship could be changed.

A US View on Antimicrobial Stewardship in Animal Agriculture

Antimicrobial resistance was declared a serious threat to global public health by the World Health Organization. Actions have been taken to improve antimicrobial use, especially in settings such as hospitals. However, a large amount of antimicrobials are administered to food-producing animals, posing a risk of spread of antibiotic-resistant organisms to humans through contaminated retail meat, or by direct contact with animals. In the USA, efforts are in place to limit the use of antimicrobials for growth enhancement as opposed to disease prevention or treatment purposes. Additionally, the US Administration is calling for improved surveillance capabilities for the monitoring of antimicrobial use in livestock and for the tracking of antimicrobial resistance through the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System, as well as for development of antimicrobial alternatives for use in food production. The restaurant industry and meat suppliers are also committing to decreasing the amounts of antimicrobials used in animal food production.

Can UNESCO do More to Counter Terrorists’ Destruction of World Heritage?

Palmyra lies in ruins. Before the Temple of Bel was destroyed, Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants murdered an 82-year-old archaeologist, Professor Khaled al-Assaad. He was an academic who dedicated more than 50 years of his life to the preservation of Syrian archaeology and Palmyra in particular. The media says he refused to tell militants the location of archaeological treasures. The US and other nations view ISIS as a terrorist group. The systematic destruction of Iraqi and Syrian tangible heritage continues to remain an essential component of ISIS’s campaign, and one with which cultural heritage professionals continue to grapple. Palmyra is a United National Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site featuring monumental ruins of a once great crossroads between east and west in the ancient world. As a symbol of cooperative multiculturalism, it represents the antithesis of ISIS ideology. In the weeks leading up to the destruction at Palmyra, UNESCO issued several statements condemning the actions of ISIS. This did nothing to deter ISIS. They destroyed the Temple of Bel on August 23, 2015. The next day, the Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, condemned the actions of ISIS as war crimes, saying:

Surgery: Limitations of prospective surgical oncology trials - a US view.

Surgeons should promote the best standard of surgical care through evidence-based results from prospective trials. European surgical investigators, in this issue of the journal, highlight the difficulties in patient accrual to surgical trials, patient and physician biases, and referral and quality assurance hurdles. We expand on these points and suggest some solutions.

State-building in Kosovo: democracy, corruption and the EU in the Balkans. By Andrea Lorenzo Capussela

This book provides a very timely message for western, especially European, policy-makers, facing the prospect of involvement in supporting state rebuilding in countries such as Libya and Syria, and above all in Ukraine, where the similarities with the challenges the United Nations and the European Union faced in Kosovo after 1999 and that state's unilateral declaration of independence in 2008 are considerable. The author was, until 2010, head of the economics unit of the International Civilian Office in Kosovo, the ICO head doubling as the EU's Special Representative. He admits he was fired just several hours before the expiry of his contract and has since then been openly critical of the ICO and the parallel EU Rule of Law Mission (EULEX) established in 2008. These events clearly influence his writing, as the book's critics, within and outside EULEX, have pointed out. Some of these counter criticisms are valid, especially the views of US judge James Hargreaves, formerly of EULEX, and UK academic commentators, to the effect that the author is setting mission success criteria too high. However, subsequent events such as the widespread EULEX management and mandate changes in 2013 and 2014, and particularly the allegations of bribery of EULEX prosecutors made by the British lawyer Maria Bamieh and reported in the Guardian in November 2014, do suggest that Capussela raises legitimate questions of integrity and project management effectiveness which have major implications for future international community intervention in fragile states.

Interrater agreement between expert and novice in measuring inferior vena cava diameter and collapsibility index

In critical care medicine, US views of the inferior vena cava (IVC) and its change with respiration are used to estimate the intravascular volume status of unwell patients and, in particular, to answer the question: 'Is this patient likely to be fluid responsive?' Most commonly in the literature, the subxiphisternal (SX) window in the longitudinal plane is utilised. To date, no study has specifically assessed interrater agreement in estimating IVC diameter between emergency medicine specialists (experts) and trainees (learners). To determine the interrater agreement between an expert (senior emergency specialist with US qualifications) and learner (emergency medicine trainee) when measuring IVC diameter (IVCD) and IVC collapsibility index (IVCCI) in the SX longitudinal US window in healthy volunteers. Healthy volunteers (ED staff) were scanned in the supine position using a sector (cardiac) probe of a portable US machine, in the SX longitudinal position. The maximum and minimum diameters of the IVC were measured in each of these positions and the IVCCI calculated. Results were analysed using Bland-Altman plots. In the longitudinal SX window, the operators' measurements of maximum IVCD differed by an average of 1.9 mm (95% limits of agreement -9.4 mm to +5.5 mm) and their measurement of IVCCI differed by an average of 4% (95% limits of agreement -30% to 38%). The wide 95% limits of agreement demonstrate a poor interrater agreement between the IVC US measurements obtained by expert and learner users in the assessment of fluid status. These ranges are greater than clinically acceptable.

Novel ex vivo model for hands-on teaching of and training in EUS-guided biliary drainage: creation of “Mumbai EUS” stereolithography/3D printing bile duct prototype (with videos)

EUS-guided biliary drainage (EUS-BD) has emerged as an alternative rescue method in patients with failed ERCP. Opportunities for teaching and training are limited because of a low case volume at most centers. To evaluate a stereolithography/3-dimensional (3D) printing bile duct prototype for teaching and training in EUS-BD. Prospective observational feasibility study. Tertiary referral center. Twenty endosonographers attending an interventional EUS workshop. A prototype of a dilated biliary system was prepared by computer-aided design and 3D printing. The study participants performed guidewire manipulation and EUS-BD procedures (antegrade procedure and/or choledochoduodenostomy) on the prototype. Participants were scored with the device on a scale of 1 to 5 via a questionnaire. Participants' success rate for various steps of the EUS-BD procedure was noted. Subjective and objective evaluation of the prototype regarding its overall applicability, quality of radiographic and EUS images, and 4 steps of EUS-BD procedure (needle puncture, guidewire manipulation, tract dilation, stent placement). Fifteen participants returned the questionnaire, and 10 completed all 4 steps of EUS-BD. The median score for overall utility was 4, whereas that for EUS and US views was 5. Participants with experience in performing more than 20 EUS-BD procedures scored the prototype significantly lower for stent placement (P= .013) and equivalent for needle puncture, tract dilation, and wire manipulation. The success rate of various steps was 100% for needle puncture and tract dilation, 82.35% for wire manipulation, and 80% for stent placement. The mean overall procedure time was 18 minutes. Small number of participants. The 3D printing bile duct prototype appears suitable for teaching of and training in the various steps of EUS-BD. Further studies are required to elucidate its role.

SP0090 Similarities and Differences in RA Treatment Guidelines: the US View

Under the aegis of its Quality of Care Committee, the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) is a periodically commissions the development of RA Treatment Guidelines. The last RA Treatment Guideline...

An Atlantic bridge for comparing EU and US views on the prospects of second‐generation biofuels

An Atlantic bridge for comparing <scp>EU</scp> and <scp>US</scp> views on the prospects of second‐generation biofuels

Constitutional comparativism in action. The example of general principles of EU law and how they are made--a German perspective

This article deals with constitutional comparativism in action. In contrast to a US view which considers constitutional comparativism to be futile, the law of the European Union explicitly relies on comparison as the core issue of general principles of EU (constitutional) law. The case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) includes constitutional law comparisons that matter. This article deals with questions such as whether the comparative efforts lead to better law, whether they are only subjective views in disguise, and how the CJEU model of comparative constitutionalism in action affects players and their perspectives in the member states. The answers will help to better understand the potential and the limits of comparative constitutionalism.

Towards a Pluralistic Nuclear Middle East

The Iran - US nuclear conflict drags on despite repeated attempts to resolve it. While the US views a nuclear-armed Iran as a serious threat to its strategic interests in the Middle East and as an existential threat to Israel, Iran sees the US as a global bully bent on destroying the Islamic Revolution and the regime in Tehran. For the US and for Israel, dismantling the Iranian nuclear program is a top priority while Iran remains determined not to make any undue concessions on the nuclear track that would jeopardize its interests and survival. This paper argues for a pluralistic nuclear order in the Middle East with three locales of nuclear deterrents - Iran, Israel, and the Arab rendered necessary by the structural compulsions and historical imperatives of the region.