EPGEO-ARPEL Latin America Project: Technical Guides on Monitoring and Geohazard Control Works in Pipelines

Since 2004, the Geotechnical Professional Team (EPGEO) from the Regional Association of Oil and Gas Companies in Latin America and the Caribbean (Asociación Regional de Empresas de Petróleo y Gas Natural en Latinoamérica y el Caribe, ARPEL) has been working on a knowledge management-related project for the Oil & Gas industry, consisting in the creation of three technical guides on Pipeline Integrity Management given the occurrence of geohazards in Hydrocarbon Transportation Systems. This initiative comprises the creation of 3 guides related to: i) Guide 1: Monitoring Geohazards for Pipeline Integrity, ii) Guide 2: Geotechnical Mitigation Works in Pipelines, iii) Guide 3: Geotechnical Risk in Pipelines. The EPGEO published Guide 1 in 2016 and made a presentation at the 2017 IPG (IPG2017-2538), while Guide 2 will be completed by 2021. Guide 3 will be created in 2021–2023. This document shows the methodology and contents for preparing the first two guides, focusing on Guide 2, which comprises different alternatives, analyses and technical solutions to the occurrence of geohazards that might affect the integrity of a pipeline transportation system.

Information support of the eurasian integration: the image of the EAEU in the mainstream media of the member states

Mass media, as the main tool for information support of integration processes of any regional economic association, are designed to ensure the internal stability of the Eurasian Economic Union, without which it is impossible to strengthen its position on the international stage. In this article, through the analysis of news content of the mainstream broadcasters and print and online media of the member states, it was identified, which thematical components of the image of the Eurasian Economic Union, affecting the perception of the young regional association by population, and to what extent they are currently available to mass audience in Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. The study showed that the information support of the Eurasian integration, unregulated for five years and transferred to the management of the media themselves, led to that the main topics as of Q4 2019 were: meetings of the leaders of the EAEU states, legislative regulation, as well as the prospects for the development of the relations between the Union countries. At the same time, the vast majority of materials are depersonalized information, rather than personalized materials that illustrate the benefits of integration for the public. All this leads to the formation of information apathy to the integration issues both in society and on the part of the journalists themselves.

Regional-Based Conflict and Confidence-Building Strategies: The Case of the Union for the Mediterranean

This study considers the challenge of operating a regional association that includes combatants and adversaries as members, and the response to such challenges. Conflict type, defined by intensity and duration, is located on the vertical axis, and engagement level (international, regional and bilateral) is fixed along the horizontal axis, to distinguish the conditions supporting confidence-building (one of many peacebuilding approaches). The utility of this framework is examined by applying it to the Union for the Mediterranean – a 42-member association operating in a region where conflict is prevalent (Syrian war, Arab – Israeli conflict, Greece – Turkey conflict, and Algeria – Morocco conflict). The study concludes that confidence-building has relevance to hot and cold intractable conflict but not to contemporary war. Curiously, the intractable conflict literature rarely discusses confidence-building and the Euromed literature does not characterize EU behavior in a confidence-building context. The study builds a research agenda to further examine the confidence-building framework.

Scientific substantiation of the european wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) content based on the analysis of zoos and nurseries of EARAZA (2004–2019)

The European wild rabbit – Oryctolagus cuniculus – is classified as Near Threatened (NT), which includes near-threatened species. This article presents an analysis of the dynamics of the number of individuals of the studied species in zoos and nurseries belonging to the Eurasian Regional Association of Zoos and Aquariums (EARAZA). The list of cities that have a European wild rabbit in their zoos is given. The sex and age ratio of individuals of the studied species in the interval from 2004 to 2018 is indicated. According to the results of the analysis, a number of arguments are given in favor of the expediency of breeding the European wild rabbit in zoos and nurseries of EARAZA.

Effects of Media Exposure on Regional Associations

Although there is a long-standing tradition discounting the effect of media exposure on language variation, this study shows how televised media formulate and reinforce the sociosemiotic links between linguistic features and their regional associations. The Mandarin aspect marker you is an interesting case in this regard, as it is semiotically linked mostly, if not exclusively, to Taiwanese Mandarin by many Chinese mainlanders, even though the feature is, in fact, also observed in many southern Mandarin varieties on the mainland. Drawing upon Agha’s concept of enregisterment, the goals of this study are 1) to provide empirical evidence of the semiotic work that media do to language, and 2) to test whether exposure to Taiwanese televised media contributes to the mismatch between the regional association and actual geographical distribution of the aspect marker you. The findings of this study suggest two levels of media influence: meta-awareness and indexicality. The relationships between these two levels are incremental and mutually constitutive, and televised media play the role of catalyzing these reciprocal processes.

Impacts of river flooding on urban agglomerations: a climate-impact analysis and the role of strategic planning for the Ruhr, Germany

In order to reveal the present and future flooding impacts on residential and mixed-use areas, a parallel modelling approach (PMA) was carried out. With the use of geo-information systems (GIS), temporal and spatial impacts can be quantified and visualised, while the results of the proposed method justify adequate regional planning strategies for the Ruhr, Germany. As an information system which is regularly updated within a cooperation process between the municipalities concerned, the so called ruhrFISְ of the Ruhr Regional Association (RVR) seems to be a promising approach to improve the evidence basis for adaptation actions.

Developing human fetal skin demonstrates a unique lymphocyte signature

SummaryLymphocytes in barrier tissues play critical roles in host defense and homeostasis. These cells take up residence in tissues during defined developmental windows, when they may demonstrate distinct phenotypes and functions. Here, we utilized mass and flow cytometry to elucidate early features of human skin immunity, demonstrating a unique fetal skin lymphocyte signature. While most conventional αβ T (Tconv) cells in fetal skin have a naïve, proliferative phenotype, a subset of CD4+ Tconv and CD8+ cells demonstrate memory-like features and a propensity for IFNγ production. Skin regulatory T cells dynamically accumulate over the second trimester in temporal and regional association with hair follicle development. These fetal skin Tregs demonstrate an effector memory phenotype while differing from their adult counterparts in expression of key effector molecules. Thus, we identify features of prenatal skin lymphocytes that may have key implications for understanding antigen and allergen encounters in utero and in infancy.

Formation and development of diplomatic and trade economic cooperation between Russia and Central American countries

The article is devoted to the relations of Russia with the regional association Central American Integration System (Spanish: SICA). The features of formation and development of Russia's integration policy in SICA are briefly revealed. The positive dynamics of this process is traced. The most promising areas for the future cooperation are identified.