bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development of a Thermal Stability Method for Phase Appearance and Disappearance Handling in Thermal Compositional Simulators
Authors: Heidari Mohammad Reza , Stone Terry Wayne
Published: October 2021

Thermal compositional simulators rely heavily on multicomponent, multiphase flash calculations for a variety of reasons, including reservoir and wellbore initialization, phase appearance and disappearance, and property calculation. In a mass variable formulation, an isenthalpic flash is used for phase split computation, phase saturation update, component mole fraction update in different phases, and temperatures. A natural variable formulation utilizes an isothermal flash mainly for phase appearance and disappearance as well as computation of component mole fractions in appearing phases.

Multiphase multicomponent isothermal flash calculations cannot be performed in narrow boiling systems which are very common in the simulation of thermal EOR operations such as Steam-Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) or Steam Flooding (SF). In a narrow boiling point system, pressure and temperature are not linearly independent, and an isothermal flash will fail. In addition, flash calculations are computationally expensive, and reservoir simulators use different techniques to perform them as little as possible.

A new thermal stability check has been developed that can be used in thermal compositional simulators and replaces an isothermal flash calculation. The new stability check quickly determines the phase state of a fluid sample and can be used as an initial guess for mole fraction of a phase appearing in the next simulation cycle. In this method, primary variables of the simulator are used as input for the stability check immediately after the nonlinear solver update so that computation of global mole fractions is not required. The new stability check can also be used in separator and isenthalpic flash calculations to determine the phase state of a fluid. An algorithm is provided, covering all different transitions of phase states in a thermal compositional simulator. The proposed algorithm is significantly faster than a flash calculation and saves simulation time spent in this calculation, hence the overall speed up is case dependent.

The new stability check is simple, computationally inexpensive, and robust. It can be used for multicomponent and single-component systems, and we tested it rigorously against real field and synthetic models. The new thermal stability check always predicts the number of phase states correctly and never fails. In this paper, we demonstrate a thermal compositional simulation that is run without performing a single flash calculation.
A Proxy Peng-Robinson EOS for Efficient Modeling of Phase Behavior
Authors: Zhao Mark , Okuno Ryosuke
Published: October 2021

Equation-of-state (EOS) compositional simulation is commonly used to model the interplay between phase behavior and fluid flow for various reservoir and surface processes. Because of its computational cost, however, there is a critical need for efficient phase-behavior calculations using an EOS. The objective of this research was to develop a proxy model for fugacity coefficient based on the Peng-Robinson EOS for rapid multiphase flash in compositional flow simulation. The proxy model as implemented in this research is to bypass the calculations of fugacity coefficients when the Peng-Robinson EOS has only one root, which is often the case at reservoir conditions.

The proxy fugacity model was trained by artificial neural networks (ANN) with over 30 million fugacity coefficients based on the Peng-Robinson EOS. It accurately predicts the Peng- Robinson fugacity coefficient by using four parameters: Am, Bm, Bi, and ΣxiAij. Since these scalar parameters are general, not specific to particular compositions, pressures, and temperatures, the proxy model is applicable to petroleum engineering applications as equally as the original Peng-Robinson EOS. The proxy model is applied to multiphase flash calculations (phase-split and stability), where the cubic equation solutions and fugacity coefficient calculations are bypassed when the Peng-Robinson EOS has one root. The original fugacity coefficient is analytically calculated when the EOS has more than one root, but this occurs only occasionally at reservoir conditions.

A case study shows the proxy fugacity model gave a speed-up factor of 3.4% in comparison to the conventional EOS calculation. Case studies also demonstrate accurate multiphase flash results (stability and phase split) and interchangeable proxy models for different fluid cases with different (numbers of) components. This is possible because it predicts the Peng-Robinson fugacity in the variable space that is not specific to composition, temperature, and pressure. For the same reason, non-zero binary iteration parameters do not impair the applicability, accuracy, robustness, and efficiency of the model. As the proxy models are specific to individual components, a combination of proxy models can be used to model for any mixture of components. Tuning of training hyperparameters and training data sampling method helped reduce the mean absolute percent error to less than 0.1% in the ANN modeling.

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first generalized proxy model of the Peng-Robinson fugacity that is applicable to any mixture. The proposed model retains the conventional flash iteration, the convergence robustness, and the option of manual parameter tuning for fluid characterization.
A GPU-Based, Industrial Grade Compositional Reservoir Simulator
Authors: Esler K. , Gandham R. , Patacchini L. , Garipov T. , Panfili P. , Caresani F. , Pizzolato A. , Cominelli A.
Published: October 2021

Recently, graphics processing units (GPUs) have been demonstrated to provide a significant performance benefit for black-oil reservoir simulation, as well as flash calculations that serve an important role in compositional simulation. A comprehensive approach to compositional simulation based on GPUs had yet to emerge, and some questions remained as to whether the benefits observed in black-oil simulation would persist with a more complex fluid description. We present our positive answer to this question through the extension of a commercial GPU-based black-oil simulator to include a compositional description based on standard cubic equations of state. We describe the motivations for the formulation we select to make optimal use of GPU characteristics, including choice of primary variables and iteration scheme. We then describe performance results on an example sector model and simplified synthetic case designed to allow a detailed examination of scaling with respect to the number of hydrocarbon components and model size, as well as number of processors. We finally show results from two complex asset models (synthetic and real) and examine performance scaling with respect to GPU generation, demonstrating that performance correlates strongly with GPU memory bandwidth.
INSIM-FPT-3D: A Data-Driven Model for History Matching, Water-Breakthrough Prediction and Well-Connectivity Characterization in Three-Dimensional Reservoirs
Authors: Zhao Hui , Liu Wei , Rao Xiang , Sheng Guanglong , Li Huazhou Andy , Guo Zhenyu , Liu Deng , Cao Lin
Published: October 2021

The data-driven interwell simulation model (INSIM) has been recognized as an effective tool for history matching and interwell-connectivity characterization of waterflooding reservoirs. INSIM-FT-3D (FT: front tracking) was recently developed to upgrade the applicationdimension of INSIM series data-driven models from two-dimensional (2D) to three-dimensional (3D). However, INSIM-FT-3D cannot accurately infer the dynamic change of well-connectivity and predict well's bottom-hole pressure (BHP). The main purpose of this study intends to expand the capability of INSIM-FT-3D to empower for the assimilation of BHPs, the reliable prediction of water breakthrough and the characterization of dynamic interwell-connectivities.

The default setting of well index (WI) in INSIM-FT-3D based on Peaceman's equation does not yield accurate BHP estimates. We derive a WI that can honor the BHPs of a reference model composed of a set of 1D connections. When history matching BHPs of a 3D reservoir, we show that the derived WI is a better initial guess than that obtained from Peaceman's equation. We also develop a flow-path-tracking (FPT) algorithm to calculate the dynamic interwell properties (allocation factors and pore volumes (PVs)). Besides, we discuss the relationship between the INSIM-family methods and the traditional grid-based methods, which indicates that the INSIM-family methods can calculate the transmissibility of the connection between coarse-scale cells in a more accurate manner. As an improvement of INSIM-FT-3D, the newly proposed data-driven model is denoted as INSIM-FPT-3D.

To verify the correctness of the derived WI, we present a 1D problem and a T-shaped synthetic reservoir simulation model as the reference models. BHPs and oil production rates are obtained as the observed data by running these two reference models with total injection/production-rate controls. An INSIM-FPT-3D model is created by specifying the transmissibilities and PVs that are the same as those in the reference model. By applying the derived WIs in INSIM-FPT-3D, the resulting BHPs and oil rates obtained agree well with the reference model without further model calibration. Applying INSIM-FPT-3D to a synthetic multi-layered reservoir shows that we obtain a reasonable match of both BHPs and oil rates with INSIM-FPT-3D. Compared with the FrontSim model, the INSIM-FPT-3D model after history matching is shown to match the dynamic PVs from FrontSim reasonably well and can correctly predict the timing of water breakthrough.

By allowing for the assimilation of BHP data, we enable INSIM-FPT-3D to history match a green field with limited production history and forecast the timing of water breakthrough. The improved INSIM-FPT-3D leads to more accurate characterization of the interwell connectivities.
GEOSX: A Multiphysics, Multilevel Simulator Designed for Exascale Computing
Authors: Gross Herve , Mazuyer Antoine
Published: October 2021

Evaluating large basin-scale formations for CO2 sequestration is one of the most important challenges for our industry. The technical complexity and the quantification of risks associated with these operations call for new reservoir engineering and reservoir simulation tools. The impact of multiple coupled physical phenomena, the century timescale, and basin-sized models in these operations force us to completely take apart and revisit the numerical backbone of existing simulation tools. We need a reservoir simulation tool designed for scalability and portability on high-performance computing architectures.

To achieve this, we are proposing a new, open-source, multiphysics, and multilevel physics simulation tool called GEOSX. This tool is jointly created by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Stanford University, and Total. It is designed for scalability on multiple CPUs and multiple GPUs and offers a suite of physical solvers that can be extended easily while achieving a balance between performance and portability. GEOSX is initially targeting multiphysics simulations with coupled geomechanics, flow, and transport mechanics but with its open architecture, it allows access to high-performance physical solvers as building blocks of other multiphysics problems and provides users with a suite of tools for numerical optimization across platforms.

In this paper, we introduce GEOSX, expose its fundamental architecture principles, and show an example of geological sequestration of CO2 modeling on real data. We demonstrate our ability to simulate fluid and rock poromechanical interactions over long periods and basin-scale dimensions. GEOSX demonstrates its usefulness for such complex and large problems and proves to be scalable and portable across multiple high-performance systems.
Cache-Aware and Roofline-Ideal Automatic Differentiation
Authors: Jing Yuxuan , Younis Rami M.
Published: October 2021

Automatic differentiation software libraries augment arithmetic operations with their derivatives, thereby relieving the programmer of deriving, implementing, debugging, and maintaining derivative code. With this encapsulation however, the responsibility of code optimization relies more heavily on the AD system itself (as opposed to the programmer and the compiler). Moreover, given that there are multiple contexts in reservoir simulation software for which derivatives are required (e.g. property package and discrete operator evaluations), the AD infrastructure must also be adaptable. An Operator Overloading AD design is proposed and tested to provide scalability and computational efficiency seemlessly across memory- and compute-bound applications. This is achieved by 1) use of portable and standard programming language constructs (C++17 and OpenMP 4.5 standards), 2) adopting a vectorized programming interface, 3) lazy evaluation via expression templates, and 4) multiple memory alignment and layout policies. Empirical analysis is conducted on various kernels spanning various arithmetic intensity and working set sizes. Cache- aware roofline analysis results show that the performance and scalability attained are reliably ideal. In terms of floapting point operations executed per second, the performance of the AD system matches optimized hand-code. Finally, the implementation is benchmarked using the Automatically Differentiable Expression Templates Library (ADETL).
Bridging the Gap Between Material Balance and Reservoir Simulation for History Matching and Probabilistic Forecasting Using Machine Learning
Authors: Goodwin Nigel H.
Published: October 2021

Objectives/Scope

Methods for efficient probabilistic history matching and forecasting have been available for complex reservoir studies for nearly 20 years. These require a surprisingly small number of reservoir simulation runs (typically less than 200). Nowadays, the bottleneck for reservoir decision support is building and maintaining a reservoir simulation model. This paper describes an approach which does not require a reservoir simulation model, is data driven, and includes a physics model based on material balance. It can be useful where a full simulation model is not economically justified, or where rapid decisions need to be made.

Methods, Procedures, Process

Previous work has described the use of proxy models and Hamiltonian Markov Chain Monte Carlo to produce valid probabilistic forecasts. To generate a data driven model, we take historical measurements of rates and pressures at each well, and apply multi-variate time series to generate a set of differential-algebraic equations (DAE) which can be integrated over time using a fully implicit solver. We combine the time series models with material balance equations, including a simple PVT and Z factor model. The parameters are adjusted in a fully Bayesian manner to generate an ensemble of models and a probabilistic forecast. The use of a DAE distinguishes the approach from normal time-series analysis, where an ARIMA model or state space model is used, and is normally only reliable for short term forecasting.

Results, Observations, Conclusions

We apply these techniques to the Volve reservoir model, and obtain a good history match. Moreover, the effort to build a reservoir model has been removed. We demonstrate the feasibility of simple physics models, and open up the possibility of combinations of physics models and machine learning models, so that the most appropriate approach can be used depending on resources and reservoir complexity. We have bridged the gap between pure machine learning models and full reservoir simulation.

Novel/Additive Information

The approach to use multi-variate time series analysis to generate a set of ordinary differential equations is novel. The extension of previously described probabilistic forecasting to a generalised model has many possible applications within and outside the oil and gas industry, and is not restricted to reservoir simulation.
Comparison of Various Discretization Schemes for Simulation of Large Field Case Reservoirs Using Unstructured Grids
Authors: Pierre Samier , Margaux Raguenel , Gilles Darche
Published: October 2021

Solving the equations governing multiphase flow in geological formations involves the generation of a mesh that faithfully represents the structure of the porous medium. This challenging mesh generation task can be greatly simplified by the use of unstructured (tetrahedral) grids that conform to the complex geometric features present in the subsurface. However, running a million-cell simulation problem using an unstructured grid on a real, faulted field case remains a challenge for two main reasons. First, the workflow typically used to construct and run the simulation problems has been developed for structured grids and needs to be adapted to the unstructured case. Second, the use of unstructured grids that do not satisfy the K-orthogonality property may require advanced numerical schemes that preserve the accuracy of the results and reduce potential grid orientation effects. These two challenges are at the center of the present paper. We describe in detail the steps of our workflow to prepare and run a large-scale unstructured simulation of a real field case with faults. We perform the simulation using four different discretization schemes, including the cell-centered Two-Point and Multi-Point Flux Approximation (respectively, TPFA and MPFA) schemes, the cell- and vertex-centered Vertex Approximate Gradient (VAG) scheme, and the cell- and face-centered hybrid Mimetic Finite Difference (MFD) scheme. We compare the results in terms of accuracy, robustness, and computational cost to determine which scheme offers the best compromise for the test case considered here.
Higher Resolution Hybrid-Upwind Spectral Finite-Volume Methods, for Flow in Porous and Fractured Media on Unstructured Grids
Authors: Xie Yawei , Edwards Michael G.
Published: October 2021

A novel higher resolution spectral volume method coupled with a control-volume distributed multi-Point flux approximation (CVD-MPFA) is presented on unstructured triangular grids for subsurface reservoir simulation. The flow equations involve an essentially hyperbolic convection equation coupled with an elliptic pressure equation resulting from Darcy’s law together with mass conservation. The spectral volume (SV) method is a locally conservative, efficient high-order finite volume method for convective flow. In 2D geometry, the triangular cell is subdivided into sub-cells, and the average state variables in the sub-cells are used to reconstruct a high-order polynomial in the triangular cell. The focus here is on an efficient strategy for reconstruction of both a higher resolution approximation of the convective transport flux and Darcy-flux approximation on sub-cell interfaces, which is also coupled with a discrete fracture model. The strategy involves coupling of the SV method and reconstructed CVD-MPFA fluxes at the faces of the spectral volume, to obtain an efficient finer scale higher resolution finite-volume method which solves for both the saturation and pressure. A limiting procedure based on a Barth-Jespersen type limiter is used to prevent non-physical oscillations on unstructured grids. The fine scale saturation/concentration field is then updated via the reconstructed finite volume approximation over the sub-cell control-volumes. Performance comparisons are presented for two phase flow problems on 2D unstructured meshes including fractures. The results demonstrate that the spectral-volume method achieves further enhanced resolution of flow and fronts in addition to that of achieved by the standard higher resolution method over first order upwind, while improving upon efficiency.
Coupled Simulation of Flow and Geomechanics in Fractured Reservoirs Using an Integrally Embedded Discrete Fracture Model
Authors: Wu Dawei , Di Yuan , Wu Yu-Shu
Published: October 2021

Fluid flow in fractured reservoirs is significantly affected by the effect of geomechanics since fractures can be more stress-sensitive than rock matrix. In this work, we present a flow and geomechanics coupled model for the simulation of fractured reservoirs. The flow model uses the integrally embedded discrete fracture model (IEDFM). This model considers a more improved pressure distribution assumption in the vicinity of fractures compared to traditional EDFM and calculates the matrix-fracture transmissibility semi-analytically. Another advantage of the IEDFM is the capability of modeling flow between matrix and fractures in anisotropic reservoirs. The geomechanical model uses the equivalent continuum approach, which introduces an equivalent material to capture the deformation of both rock matrix and fractures. Constitutive models are established for both natural fractures and hydraulic fractures to capture the stress-dependent fracture stiffness. The force balance equation is discretized by the finite element method (FEM) and coupled with IEDFM to form an iterative coupling simulation approach. A water flooding example in a naturally fractured reservoir and a depletion example from a horizontal well with hydraulic fractures in a tight oil reservoir are investigated to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed model in coupled flow and geomechanics simulation of fractured reservoirs.
Comparative Immunomodulatory Efficacy of Rosemary and Fenugreek against Escherichia Coli-Infection via Suppression of Inflammation and Oxidative Stress in Broilers
Authors: Farouk Sameh Mohamed , Abd-El-Rahman Haidy G. , Abdallah Osama A. , ElBehidy Nashwa G.
Published: October 2021

Broiler chickens are frequently infected with Escherichia coli (E.Coli) bacteria, which often leads to the emergence of many diseases and huge economic losses. Hence, the current study was conducted to evaluate the relative efficacy of dietary rosemary and fenugreek, under E.Coli-infection in broilers, via evaluation of growth performance, biochemical indices, immune response and histo-morphological changes. Eighty Cobb broilers were allotted to four equal groups (n = 20 chicks/group); control non-infected (CN), control infected (CI), rosemary infected (RI) and fenugreek infected (FI) groups. The RI and FI groups revealed a significant elevation in their body weight and body weight gain compared with the CI group. However, both groups showed a significant decline in serum aspartate and alanine aminotransferase activities, as well as uric acid and creatinine levels. A significant decrease in total antioxidant capacity, catalase and superoxide dismutase activities were noted among CI chicks. Moreover, distinctly higher activities were evident in both RI and FI groups. Assessment of immunomodulatory markers showed a significant increase in immunoglobulin G along with a significant decline in interleukin-6 level in both RI and FI groups, with the lowest IL-6 value within FI group. Histopathological evaluations focused on the deleterious effect associated with E-Coli infection of broilers’ liver, kidney, intestine, spleen, bursa of fabricius, and thymus. Partial histological improvement was noticed among RI group, and nearly normal tissues were recorded in FI group. Overall, our findings suggest the ability of fenugreek to mitigate the adverse effects of E.Coli-infection on broiler performance and tissue profiles, by improving the general health status of the broiler chickens.
Monitoring and Evaluation of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Three Rivers in Northeast China
Authors: Zhao Chen , Li Chenyu , Wang Xiaoming , Cao Zhuosong , Gao Chao , Su Sicong , Xue Bin , Wang Shang , Qiu Zhigang , Wang Jingfeng , Shen Zhiqiang
Published: October 2021

Background: Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) have become an important public health problem. In this study, we used metagenomic sequencing to analyze the composition of ARGs in certain original habitats of northeast China, comprising three different rivers and riverbank soils of the Heilongjiang River, Tumen River, and Yalu River. Results: Twenty types of ARG were detected in every water sample. The major ARGs were multidrug resistance genes, at approximately 0.5 copies/16s rRNA, accounting for 57.5% of the total ARG abundance. The abundance of multidrug, bacitracin, beta-lactam, macrolide‑lincosamide‑streptogramin, sulfonamide, fosmidomycin, and polymyxin resistance genes covered 96.9% of the total ARG abundance. No significant ecological boundary of ARG diversity was observed. The compositions of the resistance genes in the three rivers were very similar to each other, and 92.1% of ARG subtypes were shared by all water samples. Except for vancomycin resistance genes, almost all ARGs in riverbank soils were detected in the river water. About 31.05% ARGs were carried by Pseudomonas. Opportunistic pathogenic bacteria carrying resistance genes were mainly related to diarrhea and respiratory infections. Multidrug and beta-lactam resistance genes correlated positively with mobile genetic elements (MGEs), indicating a potential risk of diffusion.Conclusions: The composition of ARGs in three different rivers was similar, indicating that climate played an important role in ARG occurrence. ARG subtypes in river water were almost completely the same as those in riverbank soil. ARGs had no significant geographical distribution characteristics. Many ARGs were carried by human pathogenic bacteria related to human diarrhea and respiratory infections, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Aeromonas caviae. In general, our results provide a valuable dataset of river water ARG distribution in northeast China. The related ecological geography distribution characteristics should be further explored.
Effect of Flaxseed and Flaxseed Oil Supplemented in Caiman Diet on Meat Fatty Acids
Authors: Leiva Pamela M. de L. , Frutos Antonio E. , Lavandera Jimena , Simoncini Melina Soledad , Labaque María C. , Piña Carlos I.
Published: October 2021

Increasing polyunsaturated or long-chain fatty acids in meat for human consumption improves both nutritional quality and consumer perception. The increase could occur through the addition of rich sources of omega-3 fatty acids (such as flaxseed or flaxseed oil) to the animal diet. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary supplement with two presentations of flax (crushed seeds or oil) on the change of FA content in two cuts of caiman meat (tail and neck). We measured fatty profile in two different caiman meat cuts (neck and tail) from 30 animals (total length 96.7 ± 4.9 cm, snout-vent length 47.8 ± 3 cm, weight 4.2 ± 0.6 kg), raised in individual enclosures, fed three a week for 50 days with: crushed chicken head and a dry food formulated for these reptiles in a 70/30 ratio (C, n=10), control diet with 10% crushed flaxseed (FS, n=10), and control diet with 10% flaxseed oil (FO, n=10), while the remaining days animals were fed the control diet. Meats from animals fed both enrichment diet (FS and FO) showed an increase of C18:3n-3 and ΣUFA respect to control diet. Although both enriched diets raised the levels of C18:3n-3, the neck showed higher values than the tail. We observed that the neck, is more susceptible that the tail to be improved by FO, which could suggest that it is more beneficial to consume neck meat. In order to be implemented in caiman farms, flaxseed oil is more expensive than seed, but more effective, easier to manage and is practical for application on caiman farms.
Spatio-temporal Characteristics of Tuberculosis in Ghana
Authors: Iddrisu Abdul-Karim , Amikiya Emmanuel A. , Bukari Francis Kwame
Published: October 2021

Background: Recent global reports show that the number of Tuberculosis (TB) cases or deaths is declining, however, the rate of decline is not adequate to meet the World Health Organization's (WHO's) mitigation. TB remains a public health problem in Ghana with a significant economic and health burden on citizens and health infrastructure. Aims: Consequently, there is a need for further studies about the disease aimed at accelerating the rate of decline in cases. Methods: In this article, we study the spatio-temporal characteristics of TB in Ghana, using data obtained from Ghana National Tuberculosis Programme (NTP) for the 10 regions of Ghana, collected over a six-year period. Bayesian spatial and space-time regression models are used to map the risk of TB infections across the nation, in time and space. The study also examines some baseline predictors of TB infections to ascertain their effects on the TB risk. Results: Our study results showed that hot-spots of TB cases are observed in the Upper East, Upper West, Volta, Western, and Central regions and low risk in the Northern, Ashanti, Greater Accra, Brong Ahafo, Eastern and Western regions. We observed clustering of risk between neighboring regions. TB cure rate, TB success rate, knowledge about TB, awareness that TB is airborne, HIV prevalence, percentage of literacy, high income are important predictors of TB detection across the 10 regions of Ghana. Conclusions: Most regions in Ghana have similar TB risk. Efforts for more TB cases detection should be encouraged to increase TB success and cure rate which will lead to substantial decrease in TB spread. There is the need for provision of adequate health facilities with easy access to these facilities irrespective of your income status to bridge the gap between TB cases among the poor and the rich. TB cases are expected to grow exponentially in countries with low success and cure rate. Finally, for a substantial TB cases reduction, there is the need to adopt measures that will increase TB cases detection, TB success and cure rates, TB awareness, knowledge about how TB spread as well adequate health facilities with easy access.
The Average Environmental Efficiency Technique and its Application to Chinese Provincial Panel Data
Authors: Tang Jing , Yang Feng , Wei Fangqing
Published: October 2021

In this study, we propose average environmental efficiency, a consistent and robust environmental efficiency measurement, and use it to evaluate the environmental efficiency of Chinese provinces. With the help of a nonparametric directional distance function approach, we can measure all possible environmental efficiency scores of the province by considering all projection directions to the efficient frontier. Then, the mean value of the environmental efficiency scores of a province in all possible projection directions is defined as the average environmental efficiency. Furthermore, we investigate the influencing factors of regional environmental efficiency via a feasible generalized least squares regression approach. The empirical results show that China’s national environmental efficiency has a high value of 0.803, and only nine provinces have average environmental efficiency greater than the average of the country. This implies that two-thirds of provinces still have much room for improvement. In addition, the east area achieved the best average environmental efficiency over the studied period, followed in order by the west area, central area, and northeast area. Moreover, we find that the energy consumption structure, government intervention, and economic openness negatively influence the regional environmental efficiency, while higher education positively influences this efficiency at the 1% significance level.
Estimating the Effect of Climate Internal Variability and Source of Uncertainty in Climate-Hydrological Projections in a Representative Watershed of Northeastern China
Authors: Cai Wenjun , Zhu Xueping , Zhao Xuehua , Zhang Yongbo
Published: October 2021

The decomposition and quantification of uncertainty sources in ensembles of climate-hydrological simulation chains is a key issue in climate impact researches. The mainly objectives of this study partitioning climate internal variability (CIV) and uncertainty sources in the climate-hydrological projections simulation process, the climate simulation process formed by six downscaled GCMs under two emission scenarios called GCMs-ES simulation chain, the hydrological simulation process add one calibrate Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model called GCMs-ES-HM simulation chain. The CIV and external forcing of climate projections are investigated in each GCMs-ES simulation chain. The CIV of precipitation and ET are large in rainy season, and the single-to-noise ratio (SNR) are also relatively high in rainy season. Furthermore, the uncertainty decomposed frameworks based on analysis of variance (ANOVA) are established. The CIV and GCMs are the dominate contributors of runoff in rainy season. It worth noting the CIV can propagate from precipitation and ET to runoff projections. In additional, the hydrological model parameters are the third uncertainty contributor of runoff, which embody the hydrological model simulate process play important role in hydrological projections in future. The findings of this study advised that the uncertainty is complex in hydrological, hence, it is meaning and necessary to estimate the uncertainty in climate simulation process, the uncertainty analysis results can provide effectively efforts to reduce uncertainty and then give some positive suggestions to stakeholders for adaption countermeasure under climate change.
Comparative analysis of restoration behavior of milo (104A, 401A) and maldandi (M31-2A) based male sterile lines in sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Monech]
Authors: Verma Lokesh Kumar Verma Kumar , Biradar B. D. , Patil S. S. , Chattannavar S. N. , Kubsad V. S.
Published: October 2021

In sorghum, milo source of male sterility has been used for developing all the hybrids so far and it created the narrow cytoplasmic base. In addition, it also narrows down the nuclear diversity which may be the invitation for the outbreak of pests and diseases in the near future. To handle this hazard new diverse sources like A2, A3, A4, maldandi, VZM and G1 have been discovered. The availability of restorers on these sources is very difficult hence their utilization is also a challenging task. The present study was, therefore, carried out to test different sorghum lines for restoration behavior on two milo lines (104A and 401A) and one maldandi (M31-2A) with more emphasis on maldnadi source because of its added advantage of enhancing grain size and pest tolerance. In rabi-2017, 125 genotypes were tested for the restoration behavior on these sources, and five restorers viz., IS 19389, IS 995, IS 28389, IS 26046 (BRJ 67 − 8) and DSMR-8 restored fertility on 104A, two lines viz., IS 29335 and IS 26046 restored on 401A, while on M31-2A six lines viz., IS 19975, BRJ-67-4 (DSMR-4), BRJ 67 − 8 (DSMR-8), BRJ 67 − 16, BRJ 67 − 19, BRJ 67 − 21 restored the fertility. only two lines DSMR-8 and DSMR-4 exhibited stable, consistent and strong restoration (> 90% seed set) across the seasons (rabi-2017 and kharif-2017) and years (2017 and rabi-2018). All the used MS lines exhibited the restoration complexity in the following order − 104A < 401A < M31-2A.
Spatiotemporal Variation of Blue And Green Water And Its Impact On Water Supply Under Future Climate Change
Authors: Li Fawen , Meng Fanjin , Luo Qingyang , Liu Yaoze
Published: October 2021

In order to improve the effective utilization of water resources, it is necessary to carry out prediction research on the response of water resources to climate change in the future. Based on the measured meteorological data, daily precipitation and temperature data after downscaling, the SWAT model was used to simulate the spatiotemporal distribution characteristics of blue and green water resources in the base period and the next three periods, and to analyze the impact of blue water change on the combined water supply of Ganhuang Reservoir under future climate. The results showed that: In the future, the average annual precipitation in Ganghuang Reservoirs will vary from -18% to -6%, and the maximum and minimum temperature will increase by 2.12℃ and 1.66℃, respectively. Compared with the base period, the blue water resources under the two RCP concentration paths will decrease by 8%~18%, while the green water resources will increase by 5%~14%. The distribution of blue and green water resources shows significant spatial differences. Under future climate scenario, the water input from Gangnan Reservoir to Huangbizhuang Reservoir will be reduced by about 45 million m3, and the water supply risks under the two climate scenarios are 0.49 and 0.29, respectively.
Antimicrobial Action of Arylsulfonamides Bearing (aza)Norbornane and Related Motifs: Evaluation of New Promising Anti-MRSA Agents
Authors: Palchykov Vitalii , Manko Nazar , Finiuk Nataliya , Stoika Rostyslav , Obushak Mykola , Pokhodylo Nazariy
Published: October 2021

Arylsulfonamides bearing (aza)norbornane and related motifs were evaluated for: 1) antimicrobial activity toward five key ESKAPE pathogenic bacteria, one Gram‐positive bacteria methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA, ATCC 43300), four Gram‐negative bacteria, Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922), Klebsiella pneumonia (ATCC 700603), Acinetobacter baumannii (ATCC 19606), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853), and 2) antifungal activity toward two pathogenic fungal strains - Candida albicans (ATCC 90028) and Cryptococcus neoformans var. Grubii (H99; ATCC 208821). Four compounds with 4-nitrobenzenesulfonamide motif (VP-4556, VP-4604, VP-4605, and VP-4509) demonstrated high toxicity toward methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 43300). These compounds also possessed high antibacterial activity toward gram-negative bacteria P. aeruginosa (ATCC9027). According to the results of toxicity studies of the compounds to HEK-293, HaCaT, Balb/c 3T3, red blood cells and normal mitogen-activated lymphocytes, three compounds - VP-4556, VP-4604 and VP-4509 - bearing azanorbornene, octahydro-3,5-methanocyclopenta[b]pyrrole and bio-isosteric piperidine motifs were selected for further studies as biocompatible agents with promising antimicrobial activity.
Exploratory Study on Constructing an Evaluation Index System of Value-based Healthcare Delivery in China
Authors: Wang Canghong , Zhu Liang , cheng Wenwen , Wang Rui
Published: October 2021

Background

The current healthcare model is challenged by fewer concerns with healthcare quality and its sustainable development, affecting all participants involved in the healthcare system.Value-based healthcare (VBHC) delivery refers to a new management paradigm that prioritizes patients’ health outcomes at lower healthcare costs.The use of value payments can effectively control the increases in medical costs and reduces the cost of health systems, presenting pieces of evidence in improving the diagnosis and treatment results as well as creating value for patients. Extant studies have investigated VBHC preparation and formulated a set of evaluation indices in the West context. However, a dearth of VBHC-related research conducted in China was noted wherein the VBHC’s evaluation system has not yet been explored. Thus, this study aims at developing China’s medical service attitude appraisal evaluation framework by adopting VBHC delivery.
Results

Two rounds of surveys found the authority degree coefficient of experts (0.805 and 0.812), degree of positivity (93.75% and 100%), the range of arithmetic means for the importance (3.30–5.0 and 4.05–5.0), the range of full-score frequency (16–94% and 23–100%), the range of variable coefficient (0.11–0.29 and 0.0–0.12), and the coordination coefficient (0.39 and 0.79; p༜0.5 for all). The final evaluation index system comprises 35 items with three, nine, and 23 first-, second-, and third-level indicators, respectively. The three first-level indicators and their weight coefficients are data collection and sharing of treatment cost and curative effect for specific diseases (0.409), medical expense payers (0.245), and healthcare providers (0.346).
Conclusions

This study constructs an evaluation index system on the basis of the VBHC delivery, the study methods are reasonable, the experts representativeness are high, the positivity degree and authority degree of experts are high, the concentration degree and coordination degree of experts’ opinions are good, and the weight of the indicators was calculated, which is scientific and can be used as a tool to evaluate the implementation of the VBHC delivery in China.
On the Relationship between Mind Wandering and Mindfulness
Authors: Belardi Angelo , Chaieb Leila , Rey-Mermet Alodie , Mormann Florian , Rothen Nicolas , Fell Juergen , Reber Thomas P.
Published: October 2021

Mind wandering (MW) and mindfulness have both been reported to be vital moderators of psychological wellbeing. Here, we aim to examine how closely associated these phenomena are and evaluate the psychometrics of measures often used to quantify them. We investigated two samples, one consisting of German-speaking unpaid participants (GUP, n=313) and one of English-speaking paid participants (EPP, n=228) recruited through MTurk.com. In an online experiment, we collected data using the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) and the Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART) during which self-reports of MW and meta-awareness of MW were recorded using experience sampling (ES) probes. Internal consistency of the MAAS was high (Cronbachs α of 0.96 in EPP and 0.88 in GUP). Split-half reliability for SART measures and self-reported MW was overall good with the exception of SART measures focusing on Nogo trials, and those restricted to SART trials preceding ES in a ten-second time window. We found a moderate negative association between trait mindfulness and MW as measured with ES probes in GUP, but not in EPP. Our results suggest that MW and mindfulness are on opposite sides of a spectrum of how attention is focused on the present moment and the task at hand.
Influence of Financial Burden on Withdrawal or Change of Cancer Treatment in Japan: Results of a Bereavement Survey
Authors: Sasaki Taichi , Aoyama Maho , Igarashi Naoko , Morita Tatsuya , Shima Yasuo , Miyashita Mitsunori
Published: October 2021

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the effect of financial burden of cancer treatment from diagnosis to end-of-life on treatment withdrawal or change in Japan. Methods: This study was part of a nationwide survey of bereaved family members of cancer patients in Japan (J-HOPE2016 study). We asked questions regarding withdrawal or change of cancer treatment (stratified according to whether the treatment was recommended by physicians or based on the patients’ request), experiences of financial difficulties in coping with cancer treatment expenses, and the participants’ socioeconomic background. We conducted descriptive analyses and used logistic regression to examine the factors related to withdrawal or change of cancer treatment. Results: Approximately 7.5% of participants reported withdrawal or change of cancer treatment for financial reasons. The experiences of financial difficulties in coping with cancer treatment expenses such as using up all or a portion of one’s savings (OR=2.14, 95% CI=1.14-4.04, p=0.018 / OR=3.45, 95% CI=1.52-7.81, p=0.003) and subjective financial burden (OR=2.54, 95% CI=1.25-5.14, p=0.010 / OR=3.89, 95% CI=1.68-9.00, p=0.002) were significantly related to withdrawal or change of cancer treatment (recommended by physicians / based on patient request). Conclusion: Fewer participants reported withdrawal or change of cancer treatment than in previous studies, which might reflect the characteristics of the Japanese health-care system. However, there are patients in Japan who withdraw or change cancer treatment for financial reasons. Medical staff should consider financial toxicity as a serious side effect and assist patients in their decision-making regarding treatment while considering their socioeconomic background.
Unemployment Rate, Clean Energy And Ecological Footprint In OECD Countries
Authors: Ng Cheong-Fatt , Yii Kwang-Jing , Lau Lin-Sea , Go You-How
Published: October 2021

OECD countries have encountered the challenges of improving the environmental sustainability while maintaining economic growth by not impairing employment. Designing green policies with the consideration of clean energy is claimed to resolve the mentioned challenges. This study attempts to reexamine the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis by using ecological footprint as an indicator of environmental degradation. Besides, our study aims to test the validity of environmental Phillips curve and role of clean energy on ecological footprint. Our data cover a panel of 36 OECD countries from 1995-2015. We adopt the second generation panel unit root and cointegration test to account for the presence of cross section dependence (CSD). Moreover, the long-run relationship is estimated using Common Correlated Effect Mean Group (CCEMG) and Augmented Mean Group (AMG) that are robust to CSD. Our results are able to provide valuable insights for environmental policy recommendations in OECD countries.
Fuzzy Adaptive Controller Design for Double-pendulum Tower Crane with Distribute Mass Payload
Authors: Sun Zheng , Ouyang Huimin
Published: October 2021

As a kind of high-efficiency transportation tools, tower cranes are widely used in construction site. With the increasing volume and mass of payload being transported, the researches of distributed mass payload (DMP) problems have been paid more and more attentions. However, most of the existing control algorithms designed for the concentrated mass payload (CMP) are not enough to meet the needs of actual production. The difference between DMP and CMP is mainly manifested in that the remaining payload swing caused by inertial torque of DMP cannot be effectively suppressed, which leads to safety hazards. In addition, due to the different working environment, accurate system parameters (such as mechanical frictions, air frictions ) are hard to obtain, which leads to errors in their positioning. To solve the above issues, first, we establish mathematical model of a double-pendulum tower crane with distributed mass payload (DTCDMP) and carry out dynamic analysis. Then we propose a fuzzy adaptive control method, which has a good tracking effect against external disturbances and parameter uncertainties, and the method can achieve accurate positioning and effective anti-swing. Then, the Lyapunov technology and LaSalle's invariance principle are used to rigorously prove the stability of the system. Finally, on the basis of tracking the S-shaped trajectories, the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed controller are verified through multi-group comparative experiments.
The Effects of Ethyl Lauroyl Arginine Hydrochloride (ELAH) in Nasal Spray Formula on SAR-Cov-2
Authors: Thacore Harshad R. , Gaffar Abdul , Yun Seiyoung , Chenine Agnes L. , Ferrari Maria G. , Pal Ranajit , Wattay Lauren , Peterson Marnie L.
Published: October 2021

SARS-CoV-2 and coronaviruses, enveloped RNA viruses, are major causes of acute human respiratory diseases. The aim of the study was to investigate the broad-spectrum antiviral effects of ethyl lauroyl arginine hydrochloride (ELAH) in in vitro and in vivo assays. Cell-based assays found that the pseudovirus VSV-SARS-CoV-2 was inhibited with an EC50 of 15 micrograms/ml, with complete inhibition achieved at 110 micrograms/ml. The effects were comparable to those observed with anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody neutralization assays against VSV-SARS-CoV-2. Intranasal administration of the Wuhan strain of SARS-CoV-2 treated in vitro with ELAH inhibited the disease symptoms caused by the virus in a Syrian hamster model compared to that caused by the same dose of virus treated in vitro with medium alone. Subgenomic RNA and total RNA viral load were concomitantly reduced in the treated animals compared with the control group. In cell-based studies, pretreatment of susceptible cells with 1-10 micrograms/ml ELAH inhibited the attachment of the virus to the cells, as measured by cytopathic and high-resolution scanning electron microscopy (SEM) effects, suggesting that the primary mode of ELAH action was due to preventing the attachment of the virus to the cells. Collectively, the data suggest that ELAH could be a promising agent for the prevention of SARS infection through nasopharyngeal surfaces.