Conference alert: Deep Space, Deep Ocean

"Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore." -- Andre Gide, Writer

Saudi Aramco subsidiary Aramco Services Company has announced a conference titled “Deep Space, Deep Ocean: Exploring Crossover Technologies in the Space and Energy Sectors,” to be held April 7-8, 2015.

To quote a press release …

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Join a special mission to discover a whole new world of possibilities in operational excellence. Oil and gas and aerospace industry professionals are invited to participate in “Deep Space, Deep Ocean: Exploring Crossover Technologies in the Space and Energy Sectors” – an Aramco Technology and Operational Excellence Forum.
Source: http://www.aramcoservices.com/deepdives
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This is not a brand new concept. The National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 that created NASA called for the new agency to disseminate its technology for public benefit.  But the imperative of NASA’s technology transfer effort has become more urgent as the petroleum industry explores in increasingly hostile and challenging environments.

There are a number of potential crossover candidates.

Robotics is an obvious one.  The same technologies that enable exploration of the surface of Mars can be applied to exploration of the deep ocean floor on Earth.

Less obvious is the connection between the existence of methane hydrates in deep space and the exploitation of such a resource here on Earth. According to a 2011 US Department of Energy National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) report titled Energy Resource Potential of Methane Hydrate, (http://www.netl.doe.gov/File%20Library/Research/Oil-Gas/methane%20hydrates/MH-Primer2011.pdf) …

“The worldwide volume of methane held in methane hydrates is immense and poorly known. Estimates range from 100,000 to more than 1,000,000 Tcf of natural gas.”

Carolyn Ruppel (http://woodshole.er.usgs.gov/staffpages/cruppel/cv.html), member of the USGS Gas Hydrates Project (http://woodshole.er.usgs.gov/project-pages/hydrates/), has written, “Given the overall uncertainty still associated with gas hydrates as a potential resource, they have not been included in the Emissions Prediction and Policy Analysis (EPPA) model in MITEI’s Future of Natural Gas report. Still, gas hydrates remain a potentially large methane resource and must necessarily be included in any consideration of the natural gas supply beyond two decades from now.”

Quoting Robin Beckwith’s article titled Exploring Deep Earth And Deep Space: What Role Does The Petroleum Industry Play? (Journal of Petroleum Technology, March 2013) …

“When and if hydrocarbons such as methane clathrates become serious objects of petroleum industry exploration and production, astrophysicists’ explanations of their presence elsewhere in the solar system and galaxy may play a role in identifying and safely exploiting them for human consumption.”

Beckwith’s article, by the way, presents an excellent review of the relationship between deep space technology and deep ocean exploration.  Read the full text at: http://www.mydigitalpublication.com/display_article.php?id=1322887.

The forum will be held April 7-8, 2015 at The Woodlands Waterway Hotel & Convention Center located near Houston. (1601 Lake Robbins Drive, The Woodlands, TX 77380).  For details, visit: http://www.aramcoservices.com/deepdives.

Tip: Click the Conferences label at the foot of this post to see descriptions of other events you may be interested in.  While the conferences in some of these posts have come and gone, many are recurring events that you may want to attend in the future.

Conference Alert & Call for Papers: Refining China

“Crude classifications and false generalizations are the curse of organized life.” -- George Bernard Shaw

The 9th Refining China Conference is coming up. If you are an expert in energy efficiency, clean fuels, or sour and heavy crudes, this is an excellent opportunity to display your expertise by delivering a paper. Here is the text of an email alerting me of the event …
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9th Refining China Conference, Regent Hotel, Beijing 8-9 April 2015
Hi Jean Steinhardt,
A date for your diary: we return to the Regent in Beijing for the 9th Refining China conference on 8-9 April 2015
Our special topics for 2015 will include Energy Efficiency, Clean Fuels and Sour and Heavy Crudes Processing. If you have a good case study in one of these areas which you'd like to present to the conference, do submit your proposal to proposals@crambethallen.com
Kind regards
Crambeth Allen Publishing Ltd
http://www.digitalrefining.com/271,events,Refining_China_2015.html#.VC7nQHAo7mQ
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By way of background, here is a list of the papers presented at the previous Refining China event …

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Papers presented Refining China 2014 included:
•Zhao Jungui  Vice President and Secretary-General, China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation Opening Address
•Cao Xianghong, President, Chemical Industry and Engineering Society of China, and SINOPEC Senior Consultant Construction of safe and reliable, clean and environmental protection in refining and petrochemical enterprises
•Liu Genyuan SINOPEC Former Vice President Oil products pricing standards and refining Industry competiveness
•He Shengbao China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) Science and technology management department, Deputy director Green and clean production technology of CNPC in refining enterprises
•Hua Wei SINOPEC Yanshan Petrochemical, Vice President and Chief Engineer The green low-carbon path of petroleum refining
•Zhang Chunsheng Sinopec Jinling Petrochemical Company, Vice President Achieving clean and environment friendly production by implementing green, low carbon strategy
•Huang Ziyou CNOOC Ningbo Daxie Petrochemical Company, Vice President The establishment and perfection of rotating equipments' monitoring and early warning mechanism in refining and petrochemical enterprises
•Jin Chaokuan West Pacific Petrochemical Company, Dalan, Vice President Safe use of refining and petrochemical equipment
•Sinodata/IHS Asia and China refining and product demand outlook
•Chem1/Nexant Refinery and downstream complex synergy
•ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Environmental technologies for refinery applications
•Air Products Alternatives for hydrodon supply
•Johnson Matthey Application of catalyst additives for FCC unit SOx and NOx emissions control
•Emerson Process Management Improving performance with automation enhancements
•Foster Wheeler Multi-technology approach to optimising refinery performance
•Purolator Advanced gas/solid separation solutions
•Kinetics Technology Innovations in Gas Flaring Reduction and Sulphur Recovery
•GTC Isomalk technologies
•Norton Engineering/Severn Trent Promoting a beautiful China
•Criterion Catalysts Journey towards ULSD
source: http://www.eptq.com/conference/view_conference.aspx?intCID=16
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Here’s another useful hint … Follow the Desulfurization Blog (www.desulf.blogspot.com) to be alerted of each weekly post.  What can you lose? Or, more to the point, what can you gain?

Literature Searches (Part 7): Zotero

“The man who listens to Reason is lost: Reason enslaves all whose minds are not strong enough to master her” -- George Bernard Shaw (Irish literary Critic, Playwright and Essayist. 1925 Nobel Prize for Literature, 1856-1950)

The final post in the Literature Search series covers Zotero.

Zotero  is a free tool that collects, manages, and cites research sources. It's easy to use. Just click the Zotero icon located in your web browser. It automatically downloads all the date you need to organize and cite your reference sources.  According to Wikipedia …

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Zotero is free and open-source reference management software to manage bibliographic data and related research materials (such as PDF files). Notable features include web browser integration, online syncing, generation of in-text citations, footnotes and bibliographies, as well as integration with the word processors Microsoft Word, LibreOffice, OpenOffice.org Writer and NeoOffice. It is produced by the Center for History and New Media of George Mason University (GMU).
The name 'Zotero' is loosely derived from an Albanian verb meaning "to master".
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zotero
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Let’s use the following article to explore Zotero’s features. The data items as they appear on the Taylor & Francis Online site are reproduced below, sans the Taylor & Francis formatting …

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Petroleum Science and Technology
Volume 32, Issue 11, 2014
Deep Desulfurization of Model Oil by Extraction with a Low-viscosity Ionic Liquid [BMIM]SCN
Access options
DOI: 10.1080/10916466.2011.653466
L. Gaoa, H. Wana, M. Hanb & G. Guana
pages 1309-1317
Published online: 01 Apr 2014
Abstract
In this work, a low-viscosity ionic liquid 1-buthyl-3-methylimidazole thiocyanate ([BMIM]SCN) was utilized as extractant for the extractive desulfurization of thiophene in model oil. Several conditions were investigated respectively, including extraction time, temperature, and volume ratio of ionic liquid to model oil. Also the kinetics of extraction of thiophene were proposed. Under the optimal extractive conditions, the removal of thiophene in model oil was 55.6%. Other sulfur compounds and real oil were also investigated. Furthermore, the total desulfurization efficiency could reach 98.3%. In addition, the ionic liquid could be recycled seven times with negligible decrease in activity.
Author affiliations
a College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering , Nanjing Tech University , Nanjing , China
b College of Sciences , Nanjing Tech University , Nanjing , China
Source: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10916466.2011.653466#preview
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Here is what Zotero extracts when you click the Zotero icon located in the URL box near the top of your browser window …
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Deep Desulfurization of Model Oil by Extraction with a Low-viscosity Ionic Liquid [BMIM]SCN

Type	Journal Article
Author	L. Gao
Author	H. Wan
Author	M. Han
Author	G. Guan
URL	zotero://attachment/1810/
Volume	32
Issue	11
Pages	1309-1317
Publication	Petroleum Science and Technology
ISSN	1091-6466, 1532-2459
Date	2014-06-03
DOI	10.1080/10916466.2011.653466
Accessed	9/26/2014, 9:54:00 AM
Library Catalog	CrossRef
Language	en
Date Added	9/26/2014, 9:54:00 AM
Modified	9/26/2014, 9:54:00 AM

Attachments
Taylor & Francis Online :: Deep Desulfurization of Model Oil by Extraction with a Low-viscosity Ionic Liquid [BMIM]SCN - Petroleum Science and Technology - Volume 32, Issue 11
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To the Zotero basic record, you can add notes.  For example …

Highlight this item in the Desulfurization post titled: "Literature Searches (Part 7): Zotero"

Of course, if you are writing a dissertation, your note could indicate, for example, the page and paragraph of the relevant quote, and how it would apply to your dissertation ntopic.

You can also Tag the item. For example …

DEEP DESULFURIZATION
IONIC LIQUIDS
NANJING TECH UNIVERSITY

Choose tags that make sense to you.  I chose to add NANJING TECH UNIVERSITY, because I am interested in author affiliations. Creative use of tags can help you sort your research results in all sorts of useful ways.

By right clicking on an item, or an entire collection, you can produce a bibliography in any of the major citation styles.  Here is the APA formatted cite of our sample article …

Gao, L., Wan, H., Han, M., & Guan, G. (2014). Deep Desulfurization of Model Oil by Extraction with a Low-viscosity Ionic Liquid [BMIM]SCN. Petroleum Science and Technology, 32(11), 1309–1317.

We have just scratched Zotero’s surface. There are a number of useful guides to get you started using Zotero.  Here are two of them …

Using Zotero
Alli Buchler & Stephanie Willen Brown
Park Library
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mP5AzJHXfIA

How to manage a research library with Zotero
http://blog.oceans-campus.com/blog/bid/381943/How-to-manage-a-research-library-with-Zotero

Visit www.JeanSteinhardtConsulting.com for more tips and tricks.

Conference Alert & Call for Papers: ARTC 2015

“It is one thing to praise discipline, and another to submit to it.” -- Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (Spanish writer, author of the masterwork 'El quijote', 1547-1616)

I found the following email in my inbox and thought it was worth sharing …
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ARTC 18th Annual Meeting
Bangkok, 18 - 19 March 2015
The ARTC Annual Meeting brings together over 200 oil refining industry professionals from across Asia, providing the ideal opportunity to network with industry peers, customers and colleagues.
You are now invited to submit one or two original papers for grading and acceptance by the esteemed Advisory Board. Acceptance criteria will be originality and technical innovation. At this stage, the only requirements are a working title, subject area and brief description of the proposed content (typically a 200 word abstract).
Preference will be given to case-studies and papers with actual operating experience and if received from a supplier: they are co-authored and will be co-presented with a refiner.
SUBMISSIONS
If you would be interested in submitting a paper to be reviewed by our independent, refiner led Advisory Board, view the submission guidelines here.
To submit a paper we require a working title, subject area and a 200 word description of the proposed content by Friday 24 October 2014.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Should you require any further information about the call for papers and submissions process, please contact Hitesh Dudani by phone on + 852 3411 4828 or by email at Hitesh.Dudani@gtforum.com.
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Visit http://www.jeansteinhardtconsulting.com/ for more useful tips and tricks.
Or, alternatively, follow this blog (www.desulf.blogspot.com)

Literature Searches (Part 6): Are We There Yet?

“Unity can only be manifested by the Binary. Unity itself and the idea of Unity are already two.” -- Buddha (Hindu Prince Gautama Siddharta, the founder of Buddhism, 563-483 B.C.)

An effective literature search is a long slog.  How do you know when you have reached the end?  The answer is not a simple yes/no binary. It is more along the lines of “you’ll know it when you see it.”

Here is what Levy and Ellis* have to offer on this question …
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“By default, the literature search process should continuously be done during the course of the study. As noted previously, the use of backward and forward literature search techniques should provide additional valid references as the search progresses. However, it may appear to novice researchers that this process is a never-ending one. From a practical perspective, one needs to stop the search and move on to the processing and writing (output) of the literature review. Thus, the question arises: “At what point should the process of gathering additional relevant literature end?”
“Leedy and Ormrod (2005) noted that one common rule of thumb is that the search is near completion when one discovers that new articles only introduce familiar arguments, methodologies, findings, authors, and studies. Thus, when reading a new literature piece, if one “will get the feeling that ‘I’ve seen this (or something similar to it) before’” (Leedy & Ormrod, 2005, p. 82), it may suggest that the literature search is near completion.”
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This is the penultimate post in this series.  The ultimate post covers Zotero, one of the best tools I have found for organizing the massive number of references you may turn up during your literature search.

*Levy, Y., & Ellis, T. J. (2006). A systems approach to conduct an effective literature review in support of information systems research. Informing Science: International Journal of an Emerging Transdiscipline, 9(1), 181-212.
Free Full Text Source:  http://mic.sgmjournals.org/content/154/8/2169.short

Visit www.JeanSteinhardtConsulting.com for more tips and tricks.

Literature Searches (Part 5): Author! Author!

“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” -- John C. Maxwell (American Entrepreneur, Author and motivational speaker)

The literature search process involves three basic steps …

Key word searching
Backward reference searching
Forward reference and author searching

The forward reference search was covered in our previous post.

Today’s tip covers forward author searches.

Yair Levy and Timothy J. Ellis define and describe the concept in their article “A Systems Approach to Conduct an Effective Literature Review in Support of Information Systems Research.”

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“Forward authors search refers to reviewing what the authors have published following the article. For example, a forward authors search for Compeau and Higgins’s (1995) article can be accomplished by conducting an electronic library database search for all articles that include either “Compeau” or “Higgins” as the author. Doing so will enable the researcher to extend even more their knowledge about the authors by identifying improvements or new findings related to the phenomenon under study.”
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In the forward author search sub-step, you simply review additional articles that your author has published since publishing the target article.  Let’s continue using the article we have selected as an example …

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Mohebali, G., & Ball, A. S. (2008). Biocatalytic desulfurization (BDS) of petrodiesel fuels. Microbiology (Reading, England), 154(Pt 8), 2169–2183. doi:10.1099/mic.0.2008/017608-0phene; 4, cis-4-[2-(3 ... Rhodococcus sp ...
Cited by 46
Free Full Text Source:  http://mic.sgmjournals.org/content/154/8/2169.short

In this particular case, clicking on the “G. Mohebali” hyperlink will not produce useful results. No worries. Use Google® Scholar’s advanced search function to perform an author search on “Ghasemali Mohebali.” Results of such a search include the following list of articles published by Ghasemali Mohebali since the date of our example article.

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Emulsification potential of a newly isolated biosurfactant-producing bacterium,< i> Rhodococcus sp. strain TA6
M Shavandi, G Mohebali, A Haddadi… - Colloids and Surfaces B: …, 2011 - Elsevier
An indigenous biosurfactant producing bacterium, Rhodococcus sp. strain TA6 was isolated
from Iranian oil contaminated soil using an efficient enrichment and screening method.
During growth on sucrose and several hydrocarbon substrates as sole carbon source, the  ...
Cited by 44

researchgate.net [PDF]
Analysis of petroleum biodesulfurization in an airlift bioreactor using response surface methodology
…, MR Mehrnia, F Yazdian, M Soheily, G Mohebali… - Bioresource …, 2011 - Elsevier
For the first time, growing cells of Gordonia alkanivorans RIPI90A were used for
biodesulfurization (BDS) of diesel. This process was carried out in an internal airlift
bioreactor. BDS parameters (oil/water phase ratio and initial sulfur concentration) were  ...
Cited by 10

Genomic structure and promoter analysis of the dsz operon for dibenzothiophene biodesulfurization from Gordonia alkanivorans RIPI90A
…, M Sadeghizadeh, K Khajeh, G Mohebali… - Applied microbiology …, 2010 - Springer
Abstract The bacterium Gordonia alkanivorans RIPI90A has been previously reported as
dibenzothiophene-desulfurizing strain. The present study provides a complete investigation
of the dsz operon including dsz promoter analysis from desulfurization competent strain  ...
Cited by 9

Efficient breaking of water/oil emulsions by a newly isolated de-emulsifying bacterium,< i> Ochrobactrum anthropi
strain RIPI5-1
G Mohebali, A Kaytash, N Etemadi - Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces, 2012 - Elsevier
Water–oil emulsions occur throughout oil production, transportation, and processing. The
breaking of the water/oil emulsion improves oil quality and as a consequence chemically
synthesized de-emulsifiers are commonly used in the petroleum industries. Microbial de- ...
Cited by 5

Biodegradation of Petroleum Hydrocarbons in a Soil Polluted Sample by Oil-Based Drilling Cuttings
…, AR Mesdaghinia, K Naddafi, G Mohebali… - Soil and Sediment …, 2014 - Taylor & Francis
Microbial degradation of hydrocarbons in soils polluted by oil-based drilling mud and
cuttings has been investigated by static methods such as composting or biopiling.
Bioremediation of polluted soils by oil-based drilling cuttings through a slurry bioreactor  ...
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So, why do we care what our author has published since the target article? To re-quote Levy and Ellis …

“Doing so will enable the researcher to extend even more knowledge of the author by identifying improvements or new findings related to the phenomenon under study.”

Visit www.JeanSteinhardtConsulting.com for more tips and tricks.

Literature Searches (Part 4): Fast Forward

“The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see.” -- Winston Churchill (British Orator, Author and Prime Minister during World War II. 1874-1965)

 

The literature search process involves three basic steps …

 

1. Key word searching
2. Backward reference searching
3. Forward reference and author searching

 

Today’s tip covers forward reference searches.

 

Yair Levy and Timothy J. Ellis define and describe the concept so well in their article “A Systems Approach to Conduct an Effective Literature Review in Support of Information Systems Research,” that I can do no better than to offer a direct quote …

 

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“The third step in the process of exploring the knowledge base for references about the phenomenon deals with forward literature search. Similar to the process of the backward literature search, the forward search can be divided into two specific sub-steps: forward references search, and forward authors search.

“Forward references search refers to reviewing additional articles that have cited the article. For example, a forward reference search for Compeau and Higgins’s (1995) article can be accomplished by conducting an electronic library database search for all articles that include either “Compeau” or “Higgins” in their citations. Doing so will enable to researcher to extend their knowledge even further by locating follow-up studies or newer developments related to the phenomenon under study.

“Forward authors search refers to reviewing what the authors have published following the article. For example, a forward authors search for Compeau and Higgins’s (1995) article can be accomplished by conducting an electronic library database search for all articles that include either “Compeau” or “Higgins” as the author. Doing so will enable the researcher to extend even more their knowledge about the authors by identifying improvements or new findings related to the phenomenon under study.”

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As with the backward search, this step is both straight forward and labor intensive. You will want your research assistant to help with this … unless you are the research assistant, in which case, never mind.

 

In the forward reference search sub-step, you simply review additional articles that have cited your primary target article(s).  Let’s continue using the article we have selected as an example …

 

Mohebali, G., & Ball, A. S. (2008). Biocatalytic desulfurization (BDS) of petrodiesel fuels. Microbiology (Reading, England), 154(Pt 8), 2169–2183. doi:10.1099/mic.0.2008/017608-0phene; 4, cis-4-[2-(3 ... Rhodococcus sp ...

Cited by 46

Free Full Text Source:  http://mic.sgmjournals.org/content/154/8/2169.short

 

Google® Scholar reports that the article has been cited 47 times. Clicking the Cited 47 Times hyperlink results in a list of articles whose authors have cited the target article. The first five on that list are …

 

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Recent advances in petroleum microbiology

JD Van Hamme, A Singh, OP Ward - Microbiology and molecular …, 2003 - Am Soc Microbiol

SUMMARY Recent advances in molecular biology have extended our understanding of the metabolic processes related to microbial transformation of petroleum hydrocarbons. The physiological responses of microorganisms to the presence of hydrocarbons, including  ...

Cited by 827

 

Recent advances in the science and technology of ultra low sulfur diesel (ULSD) production

A Stanislaus, A Marafi, MS Rana - Catalysis Today, 2010 - Elsevier

Sulfur content of diesel fuel has been cut down to ultra low levels by environmental regulation in many countries with the aim of reducing diesel engine's harmful emissions and improving air quality. As a result, research on the production of ultra low sulfur diesel ( ...

Cited by 266

 

Oxidative processes of desulfurization of liquid fuels

JM Campos

‐Martin, MC Capel‐Sanchez… - Journal of chemical …, 2010 - Wiley Online Library
Abstract Environmental concerns have introduced a need to remove sulfur-containing compounds from light oil. As oxidative desulfurization is conducted under very mild reaction conditions, much attention has recently been devoted to this process. In this contribution,  ...
Cited by 89

Retracted article: Towards near zero-sulfur liquid fuels: a perspective review
B Pawelec, RM Navarro, JM Campos-Martin… - Catalysis Science & …, 2011 - pubs.rsc.org
This perspective review discuses the fundamentals and factors influencing the removal of the least reactive sterically hindered S-containing compounds present in transportation fuels, and more specifically in the diesel fraction. The challenge for deep desulfurisation of  ...
Cited by 84

Prokaryotic hydrocarbon degraders
RC Prince, A Gramain, TJ McGenity - Handbook of hydrocarbon and lipid …, 2010 - Springer
Abstract: Hydrocarbons have been part of the biosphere for millions of years, and a diverse group of prokaryotes has evolved to use them as a source of carbon and energy. To date, all the formally defined genera are eubacterial, in 7 of the 24 major phyla currently  ...
Cited by 26
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So what have we gained? To repeat Levy and Ellis …

“Doing so will enable the researcher to extend their knowledge even further by locating follow-up studies or newer developments related to the phenomenon under study.”

The next post will cover forward author searches.

Visit www.JeanSteinhardtConsulting.com for more tips and tricks.