Uncovering Mysteries of Waxphaltenes: Meticulous Experimental Studies of Field and Lab Deposits Unveil Nature of Wax-Asphaltene Intermolecular Interactions

In recent years, the utilization of modern sampling tools provided access to the field deposits from several offshore and onshore wells producing asphaltenic crudes. Compositional analysis of field deposits revealed the presence of asphaltenes and wax as major fractions, while system conditions traditionally implied precipitation and deposition of asphaltenes only. Most of the previous studies on organic deposition have been conducted with the key assumption that aggregation and precipitation of wax and asphaltene occur independently. A few researchers investigated the solubility parameter's alteration, but they did not incorporate waxes found in the oilfield deposits. This study aims to investigate the nature of "waxphaltenes"; from intermolecular interactions between asphaltenes and wax in samples collected from fields and made in the laboratory. Asphaltenes samples were extracted and fully characterized by proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Paraffin waxes were identified using gas chromatography (GC), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), NMR, and FTIR. Precipitation tests of asphaltenes with n-heptane at high temperature were performed both in the presence and absence of wax; GC, NMR and FTIR techniques evaluated the precipitates and the material dispersed in solution. It was found that asphaltenes co-precipitated with waxes even at higher temperatures than the normal wax appearance temperature (WAT) of the crude oil or the model solutions and that long and medium size paraffin waxes had higher tendencies to coprecipitate with asphaltenes than either short chain or very long chain paraffin hydrocarbons. The results also indicated that the amount of wax that co-precipitates with asphaltenes was more related to asphaltene structure but is independent of the asphaltenes or wax content. Heteroatoms played an important role in the interactions between wax and asphaltenes during precipitation and separation.

Digitally shaped ethnographic relationships during a global pandemic and beyond

Social distancing and public safety measures enacted in response to COVID-19 created a surge in methodological “advice” for researchers facing disruption to fieldwork. Resources and publications frequently encouraged changes vis-a-vis digitally enhanced methods or employment of digital ethnography. For ethnographers, the establishment and maintenance of ethnographic relationships in pandemic contexts restricted to virtual interactions has not been thoroughly explored, leaving those trained in recruitment, rapport-building, and field engagement with fewer resources to navigate this integral topic. Here, we provide insights into how ethnographic relationships may be developed when there is limited access to the field and traditional relationship building is not possible. We argue that as ethnographic methods change and adapt, so too must perspectives on ethnographic relationship development. By closely examining ethnographic relationships confined to digital spaces in the context of the Tennessee tornado recovery amid the COVID-19 pandemic, this project sheds light on how to overcome this challenge.

Potensi Laboratorium Alam Sumbermanjing Wetan dalam pembelajaran Geografi berbasis kerja lapangan (fieldwork)

This research is a qualitative descriptive study using secondary data as the main data. Data were collected through literature studies from the results of previous research in Sumbermanjing Wetan District. The results showed that Sumbermanjing Wetan had the potential to be used as a natural laboratory in the context of geography learning. This is supported by physical conditions in the form of diverse landscape features, quite complex social and cultural conditions. This potential includes the geological and geomorphological conditions of Sumbermanjing Wetan, the geodiversity and biodiversity of Sempu Island, social and cultural conditions, disasters, and tourism. In addition, the existence of natural resources in the area can also be used as one of the studies in fieldwork. Fieldwork-based learning can increase the skills of students in making observations, identifying, experimental, doing teamwork, and applying the use of technology. Geography learning topics at Sumbermanjing Wetan include physical, social, tourism, disaster, environmental, and other areas of geography. Indeed, implementing fieldwork needs to be independent, especially in managing data. In addition, fieldwork-based learning will continue to develop in line with the convenience of technology and increasingly advanced research studies with challenges faced including security, finance, health and safety, access to the field, and damage to the surrounding area used for fieldwork due to sampling exaggerated.

Penilaian efektivitas Lapangan Lumintang sebagai ruang terbuka publik di Kota Denpasar

Lumintang Field is one of the artificial landscapes in the form of public open space with its main function as a ceremonial field. At present, the field also has an additional function as a place for sports, recreations and educations, its evidenced by the construction of various facilities to support community activities. Although it has been improved, this field still has problems, such as the number of visitors stepping on low plants when entering the field, so that access to the field that is not functioning properly and the absence of a parking lot makes visitors park carelessly. The purpose of this study is to assess the effectiveness of Lumintang Field as a public open space in Denpasar City. The method used is a survey method with data collection techniques are observation, questionnaire distribution, interviews, and literature study, with data analysis such as Lumintang Field facilities analysis and analysis of public space effectiveness. The results revealed that the existence of Lumintang Field as a public open space in Denpasar City was quite effective with a value of 2.0. The participation of visitors is needed to participate in maintaining the cleanliness and preservation of Lumintang Field, and the management can make the results of the research as a reference in the future improvement of the field area.

Nicholas Belfield Dennys as a pioneer in the comparative study of Chinese folklore

The scholarly study of Chinese folklore began in the middle of the 19th century. Pioneering research had been conducted by Europeans, who were familiar with current works in this area and gained access to the field, archival and book sources in different regions of China. Among the first people who embarked on the study of Chinese folklore was a British journalist and diplomat Nicholas Belfield Dennys. In 1876, he published the monography of Chinese folklore studies: “The folk-lore of China, and its affinities with that of the Aryan and Semitic races”. His goal was to view Chinese folklore in a global context; for its implementation, he compiled the first elementary index of plots and motifs of Chinese folklore. The Chinese themselves commenced the academic study of the folklore of China several decades later, relying largely on the developments of their European predecessors. In the 1920s, the book by Dennys became known in China, however, it had little impact on Chinese folklore studies for the reasons as follows. The data the book comprised was for the most part not new to researchers in China, the method used to compile the index was known to them earlier, and comparative studies in the region were in their cradle at this time. In the West, up to the middle of the 20th century, Dennys’ book was often consulted in search of comparative Chinese material. Nevertheless, some of the author’s finds have never received further developed. The place of this work in the history of the comparative study of Chinese folklore also remained rather uncertain. This article describes the context in which “The Folk-Lore of China” appeared, examines the author’s methodological premises, as well as the role of his findings in the further development of folklore studies.

Gaining access to the field in medical ethnography: Reflections on ethical, methodological, and structural challenges in the study of long-term care facilities

The article extends the discussion on the challenges in gaining access to the field in medical ethnographic research, focusing on long-term care (LTC) facilities. Medical institutions have been documented to be difficult sites to access. The reference, however, is to the recruitment of patients as informants. The challenges of recruiting practitioners as informants have not been investigated at all. The article presents the key issues that emerged in the process of gaining social access at the sites of two LTC facilities as part of a study on care workers’ identities. The main obstacles encountered during the fieldwork were organizational constraints and negotiating control over the process of recruiting the lower occupational tier of care workers with gatekeepers. The article presents the coping strategies implemented to overcome the ethical and methodological obstacles: continually reassessing the consent and cooperation of participants and developing a rapport with nurse’s aides during interviews.

Higher education research in African contexts: reflections from fieldwork in Flagship Universitiesin South Africa, Mozambique and Ethiopia

This article is written with the recognition that, as higher education studies evolve as a multidisciplinary area of inquiry, there is a need to reflect on the theoretical and practical concerns emerging from conducting higher education research. This is especially the case for early-career researchers who enter this relatively new field of study. This article attempts to explore the fieldwork component of the research process considering our experiences as early-career researchers conducting PhD studies in four universities in southern and eastern Africa. The article focuses on issues related to ethics, gaining and negotiating access to the field, and dealing with positionality during fieldwork. While reflecting on these experiences, we also attempted to explore if there are any fieldwork dynamics, which are peculiar to the African higher education context that may be considered during data collection. Reflecting on our experiences, we have argued that, in some institutions, necessary procedures for researching higher education need to be in place, while with the ones that have institutionalised mechanisms the procedures adopted need to be aligned with contextual realities and should focus on ethical considerations rather than protecting the reputation of universities. Our fieldwork experience has also made us realise that the advice given to early-career researchers both in the literature, seminars and courses they attend may not adequately prepare them for the unpredictable fieldwork dynamics. In that regard, we have suggested that there is a need to prepare emerging researchers to be open-minded, flexible, reflexive, innovative and adaptable when going out to the field.

‘Lasses are much easier to get on with’: The gendered labour of a female ethnographer in an all-male group

This article addresses the complexities of being a female ethnographer studying an all-male group, as well as the advantages and the effects this had on the researcher. It draws on research undertaken for a doctoral research project, employing ethnography and semi-structured interviews to explore ‘hidden’ food insecurity in the town of Middlesbrough, with predominantly male participants. The existing literature surrounding research and gender addresses the problems associated with gender differences in the field such as fitting in, sexualisation and sexist treatment and confinement to traditional gender roles. This research highlighted many problems associated with being a female ethnographer but that ultimately gender was beneficial in gaining and maintaining access to the field. It concludes by arguing for academia to develop the notion of ‘hidden ethnography’, alongside a recognition that researchers should be supported emotionally in problems they face in the field.

Witnessing the Ward: On the Emotional Labor of Doing Hospital Ethnography

This paper examines the emotional labor performed by researchers when undertaking ethnographic research in hospitals. Drawing on emotion work theory to situate emotions at the center of qualitative and interdisciplinary research, I provide a methodological reflection based on a 20-week long ethnography at a Canadian pediatric hospital I conducted in the context of a research project examining risk communication of antimicrobial resistance. I argue that the emotional labor in which hospital ethnographers engage starts long before the fieldwork and carries on throughout the project and into the data analysis and writing of results. I divide these instances of emotional labor into four categories: gaining and maintaining access to the field site, resolving ethical concerns, managing relations with participants, and witnessing human suffering. This paper addresses a gap in the literature regarding the various barriers that hospital ethnographers encounter as I reflect upon the challenges I faced and the emotional labor I intuitively engaged in and provide advice for researchers on how to navigate these barriers.

Chant Down the Walls: Exploring the Potential of Video Methods in the Study of Immigrant Politics and Social Movements

In this chapter I draw on my fieldwork experience in Los Angeles to discuss the potential of video for qualitative research on migration and political action. I focus specifically on three aspects: access to the field, research respondents and data; video and the study of micro-social interaction; video as a tool to generate new insights and data. I argue that video has facilitated, enriched and expanded my understanding of migrant political action in several ways, some of which were entirely unexpected at the beginning of this research. Within the field of migration studies, video appears particularly suitable to research the terrain of politics and culture, since it provides the means to study a key social aspect that is difficult to investigate in detail only with other types of methods: interaction. Hence, video as both a tool and a method proved a useful complement to interviews, artefacts and archive documentation.