bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Novel Solid Lubricant Designed Using Tribology Science Reduces the Torque and Improve ROP in Water Base Mud Wells in the Llanos Basin and Magdalena Valley of Colombia
Authors: Ramirez Mario A , Jensen Terrel , Trebilcock Mauricio , Castellanos Jaime
Published: September 2024

An Operator in Colombia was experiencing torque issues in a water-based fluid system while drilling wells in the Middle Magdalena and Llanos basins. To address these torque issues, a novel solid lubricant was presented to the operator by the fluid service provider and product manufacturer. Through an extensive lab testing profile, utilizing traditional testing protocols in addition to introducing tribology, the lubricant was selected for field trials. Further testing of the field samples was completed, and data collected from the wellsite demonstrated torque reduction and increased rate of penetration (ROP) allowing the operator to complete the interval.

Tribology uses a different approach to explain stick-slip phenomena and variations of torque and drag. Tribometer results are plotted on a Stribeck curve to display the coefficient of friction as a non-linear function of the contact load. This shows the continuous variations in the different lubrication regimes. The coefficient of friction (COF), static, is due to the contact between bottom hole assembly (BHA) and wellbore is recurrent while drilling directional wellbores.

Tribometer results demonstrated the solid lubricant adhered to the disk asperities, reducing the difference between static and dynamic coefficients of friction. This reduction was confirmed during the field trial and additionally the ROP was increased after the addition of the lubricant. Use of a single value COF to build torque and drag modeling produces an oversimplified representation of a lubricant’s COF improvement. When instead using a tribometer to create a Stribeck curve a lab’s results produce applicable data, as it incorporates variations of rotation and load. More attention should be dedicated to the performance of lubricants in the boundary condition in directional wells as this represents the torque required to initiate rotation and overcome differential pressure while making connections. Use of the novel lubricant reduces static COF and breakover torque.

Tribology, the science of friction, lubrication and wear has been used in automotive, space, pharmaceutical and mechanical engineering industries among others for years for the design and evaluation of solid and liquid lubricants. Unfortunately, this is not a common practice in the oil and gas industry. Tribology allows better understanding of wellbore lubrication throughout the different regimes and under differing loads. Tribology is a new method to measure the complex phenomena of lubricity in the oilfield. It helps better understand items such as stick-slip and torque variations while drilling and how they can be explained through analyzing their behavior along the Stribeck curve.
Enhancing CO2 Injector Well Performance with GRE Lined Tubing: A Technical Evaluation
Authors: Ismail M. Izuddin , Wahi M. Wahidullah Moh , Lokman M. Elham , Amir M. Syafeeq Ebining , Omar M. Haizal , Fernandes A.
Published: September 2024

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology has emerged as a pivotal strategy in mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and combatting climate change. An integral component of CCS systems is the injection of captured carbon dioxide (CO2) into geologic formations, often via dedicated injector wells. The efficiency and safety of these injector wells are of paramount importance. This technical paper presents a comprehensive study on the application of Glass-Reinforced Epoxy (GRE) lined tubing to enhance the performance and longevity of CO2 injector wells.

The use of GRE lined tubing has gained traction in various industrial applications due to its exceptional corrosion resistance, mechanical strength, and long-term durability. This paper outlines the material properties and manufacturing processes associated with GRE lined tubing, emphasizing its suitability for the harsh conditions encountered in CO2 injection wells.

Key aspects of the study include:

Material Selection: A detailed analysis of GRE lined tubing's chemical resistance and mechanical properties in the context of CO2 injection environments, highlighting its advantages over traditional materials. Corrosion Resistance: A comprehensive investigation into GRE lined tubing's resistance to CO2-induced corrosion, offering insights into the potential for reduced maintenance and increased operational lifespans. Hydraulic Performance: Assessment of the tubing's hydraulic properties, including flow rate and pressure drop characteristics, to ensure efficient CO2 injection. Long-Term Reliability: A discussion of GRE lined tubing's resilience to cyclic loading, temperature fluctuations, and exposure to high-pressure CO2, demonstrating its suitability for extended service life. Safety Considerations: An examination of safety implications and regulatory compliance associated with using GRE lined tubing in CO2 injector wells, focusing on leakage prevention and environmental protection. Case Studies: Real-world examples and case studies showcasing successful implementations of GRE lined tubing in CO2 injector wells, highlighting improved operational efficiency and reduced downtime.

The findings from this study offer valuable insights into the benefits of employing GRE lined tubing in CO2 injector wells. By enhancing corrosion resistance, improving hydraulic performance, and ensuring long-term reliability, this innovative material can contribute to the efficiency and sustainability of CCS systems, ultimately advancing efforts to reduce carbon emissions and combat climate change.
Comprehensive Experimental and Simulation Studies on Capillary Pressure in Unconventional Production and CO2 Sequestration
Authors: Neshat S. S. , Greene J. T. , Newsham K. E. , Xie X. , Keating J. F.
Published: September 2024

Capillary pressure measurements on shale and tight core samples have revealed that this parameter can reach hundreds or even thousands of psi at reservoir conditions. A high pressure difference between the fluid phases can significantly affect the multiphase flow in the reservoir, but this parameter is usually neglected in analytical and numerical unconventional reservoir modeling. This study presents a systematic and comprehensive evaluation on the coupled effects of capillary pressure and wettability on unconventional production and CO2 sequestration. Mercury injection capillary pressure (MICP) measurements were performed on hundreds of Permian Basin core samples based on facies-driven selection criteria. Both mercury intrusion (pressurization) and extrusion (depressurization) were recorded for all samples to represent drainage and imbibition processes, respectively. The exhaustive experimental dataset was used to create type drainage-imbibition curves for capillary pressure and relative permeability in six dominant facies in the Permian Basin. Systematic field-scale mechanistic simulations were performed to evaluate the effect of all integrated parameters on oil production and sequestration. Simulation results show that capillary pressure decreases water cut in water-wet formations and increases it in oil-wet reservoirs. In a long-term CO2 sequestration scenario, high displacement pressure in the matrix constrains gas propagation and storage capacity in shale rocks.
Distributed Acoustic Sensing of Passive and Active Inflow Control Technology and Quantification of Flow Rates for Reservoir Surveillance
Authors: Schaeffer B. , Grubert M. , Jugdaw S. , Allen C. , Corona Cortes G. , Jaaskelainen M. , Satti R. , Ellmauthaler A. , Maida J. , McPhail P. , Wilson G.
Published: September 2024

The application of distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) technology has continued to gain popularity and develop rapidly as a diagnostic tool within intelligent completions outfitted mature fields oil and gas wells, for the purpose of production and injection flow monitoring. Intelligent completion wells consist of subsurface valves placed at tailored depth increments which allows for the passage and restriction of flow in both a passive and active sense. The fluidic autonomous inflow control devices (AICDs) operate passively without moving parts or electronics and are designed to preferentially restrict unwanted fluids at breakthrough from the formation. Interval control valves (ICVs), in contrast, are controlled from the surface to adjust and expose flow ports which regulate flow. The following research involves a set of experiments about which a multiphase flow loop (oil, water, gas) was instrumented with a DAS system across an inflow test section that included both AICDs and ICVs. The experiments sampled realistic subsurface flow rates for both injection and production scenarios and sample fluid properties, where the composition was varied in two phase (100% oil to 100% water) and three phase mixtures (oil/water mix to 100% gas). The DAS data was acquired continuously with a temporal sampling frequency of 40 kHz which enabled an analysis of both the transient and steady state flow behavior. Electronic reference hydrophone and accelerometer data were also acquired to provide insights in supporting the DAS interpretation. Results from the single phase (100% water) injection flow configuration display a direct relationship between the acoustic response of the DAS acquired data at the ICV position along the flow loop with respect to choke settings and flow rates. Multiphase production flow quantification for both ICV and AICD configurations are significantly more complex than single phase injection flow given the range of fluid mixtures that may be present in field acquired data, however initial results from flow loop data are encouraging and require continued investigation. The complete dataset acquired at the flow loop provides a novel resource for the development of machine learning models which utilize DAS acoustic features, as well as other available data such as pressure gauge measurements, to estimate both flow rates and fluid composition. The pairing of these technologies will enable a realtime quantification of inflow rates per zone and provide operators with the necessary data to optimize reservoir management.
Time Dependent Conductivity of In-Basin Regional Sands
Authors: Duenckel R. J. , Barree R. D. , Sutter Kimberly , Hlidek B. T
Published: September 2024

Baseline conductivity of a proppant pack is to be measured and reported at 50 hours at constant stress according to procedures set out in API RP 19D. However, it has long been recognized that conductivity at stress continues to decline beyond 50 hours - 50 hours being a rather arbitrary timeframe. Thus, conductivity at a given stress is time dependent. This Time Dependent Conductivity (TDC) should be determined and included in predictions of fractured well performance.

Studies of the decline of proppant conductivity with time at stress have been published by numerous authors over the last few decades. These studies however were confined to traditional proppants: i.e., ceramic proppants of variable densities, northern white sands and Brady (brown) sands. These studies preceded the advent of the utilization of regional sands now dominating the selection of proppants for fracturing in North America.

A methodology for predicting conductivity as a function of time and stress for the traditional proppants had previously been proposed by the Stim-Lab Proppant Consortium. A series of conductivity tests have been conducted on numerous regional sands to obtain the required data and extend this methodology to these materials - and thus compare to the traditional northern white and Brady (brown) sands. The result of this study shows that while the 50-hour conductivities at stress (per API RP 19D) of regional sands are often reasonably acceptable, in general the rate of conductivity decline over time for the tested regional sands is nearly always greater, and in some cases significantly greater, than that of northern white and Brady sands.

Further, it was observed that the rate of conductivity decline is a function of the material properties such as shape and crush resistance and not related to sieve distribution or concentration. Also, since the minerologies of the tested regional sands are similar to the northern white and Brady sands with silica dominating, the difference in conductivity performance is concluded to be the result of the differing crystalline structures, shapes and/or impurities of the silica grains.

Recognition and definition of the degree to which conductivity decreases as a function of time may aid in proppant selection and in propped fracture performance predictions.
Development and Application of HUST: A Hydrogen Underground Storage Screening and Ranking Tool Incorporating Operational Considerations, Geochemical and Microbial Reactions
Authors: Sekar L. K. , Okoroafor E. R.
Published: September 2024

Several attempts have been made to develop site selection criteria for underground hydrogen storage (UHS) in porous media (UHS-PM). Existing site selection criteria do not consider geochemical reactions and microbial interactions, which are critical processes in UHS-PM. The objective of this work is to share the development of a comprehensive UHS-PM site selection tool and its application in the Sacramento Basin. This work involved building an innovative open-source tool to optimize UHS site selection operations of the saline aquifers for subsurface hydrogen storage. This tool works on the principle of multi-stage screening based on UHS's hydrodynamics, operational, geochemical, and microbial perspectives. The multi-stage screening takes place in three stages. Stage 1 considers the productivity index as the main output and identifies the most important variables affecting hydrogen recovery. Stage 2 is built upon the screening criterion developed from the literature by identifying the conditions that lead to the losses of the injected hydrogen through geochemical reactions. Stage 3 is based on processes that could lead to losses based on the possible presence of microbes. The workflow also has the option to consider the weightage of each physical process, which leads to a more rigorous approach to UHS site selection. The site selection was applied to saline aquifers in Sacramento Basin. Results showed that applying only hydrodynamic considerations could lead to the wrong choice of a storage site because such a site, even with high permeability and porosity, could lead to losses due to geochemical reactions and microbial interactions. By including the weighting factors and reactions, the site that ranked highest was one that could allow sufficient storage of hydrogen, have a reasonable productivity index, while minimizing loss due to geochemical and microbial reactions. The novelty of this work lies in developing a site selection approach that considers the geochemical and microbial interactions when ranking sites for UHS. Such a workflow will close a significant gap in site selection because geochemical and microbial reactions are essential aspects of UHS-PM.
Deploying Downhole Compression Technology to Enhance Gas Production and Reserves in Mature US Gas Field
Authors: Nader Lukas , Biddick David , Sellers Christopher , Young Cole , Chen K-C , Schoepf Virginie , Abbassi Linda
Published: September 2024

In order to unlock the untapped natural gas potential in the United States, it is crucial to implement innovative solutions. This paper focuses on the challenges associated with increasing gas production and extracting liquids from wells with high liquid content. It provides an overview of the process for gathering reliable data from below the ground, explains the main components of the Subsurface Compressor System (SCS), and showcases the results of using this system to rejuvenate an underperforming well. The paper addresses the challenges of gas production and liquid removal, with a particular focus on collecting downhole data, SCS components, and practical outcomes. Innovative instruments and simulations of multiphase flow were used to determine the best depth for the compressor setting. Specialized pressure tests were conducted to validate the system's capacity to deliver, confirming the necessity for a tailored compressor design.
Modeling of Chemical Tracer Transport Through a Reduced-Dimension Solution for Analysis of Single-Well Tracer Tests
Authors: Velasco-Lozano Moises , Balhoff Matthew T.
Published: September 2024

Modeling tracer transport in petroleum reservoirs is an important technique for accurately estimating residual oil saturation, characterizing high-conductivity pathways, and determining well connectivity. Single-well tracer tests (SWTTs) are essential for evaluating the sweep efficiency of conventional and enhanced oil recovery (EOR) methods, as they allow for the rapid quantification of oil displacement near the injector well, thereby assessing both technical and economic aspects before implementing a field-scale recovery plan. However, current methods for examining SWTTs rely on time-consuming numerical simulations that require significant expertise. In this work, we introduce a novel two-dimensional solution for modeling the flow of chemical tracers in SWTTs, representing the first mathematical approach that enables real-time, field-scale tracer transport modeling.

Our model is derived through the analysis of tracer flow in porous media, utilizing a key transformation variable to convert the classic two-dimensional differential equation into a novel one-dimensional expression equivalent to solute transport in single-phase flow. This mathematical approach incorporates an approximated full hydrodynamic dispersivity term to account for mechanical and molecular dispersion mechanisms, resulting in an accurate estimation of tracer advance in the x - y directions as a function of the steady-state velocity field. We validated our two-dimensional solution by comparing it against multiple numerical SWTT simulations under conditions of residual oil saturation, demonstrating that the model achieves an error of less than 3 feet in estimating the location of tracer slugs. Our approach provides a practical, real-time tool for approximating tracer flow and location in the reservoir, significantly reducing the number of initial simulations required to evaluate tracer properties before building robust reservoir models for heterogeneous systems. We believe that this model serves as a valuable tool for rapid tracer transport analysis and enhances the efficiency of field-scale recovery planning
Cost-Effective Sealing of Geothermal Wells by Modifying Existing Elastomers
Authors: Liu S. , Taleghani A. Dahi
Published: September 2024

Sealing a geothermal well has been a challenging problem due to high temperatures surrounding the well, which may induce thermal deformation and degradation to the constituent polymer of a seal, impairing the hydraulic integrity of the well and thus reducing the thermal energy production of the well. To address this issue, this study focuses on developing an advanced nano-reinforcement technique to create thermally resistant polymer nanocomposites for sealing geothermal wells. The surface property of graphite nanoplatelets (GNPs) is improved via acid functionalization introducing stable carboxyl (-COOH) groups. Subsequently, polymeric nanocomposites are synthesized by respectively compounding various concentrations, namely 1.5 wt.%, 3.0 wt.%, 6.0 wt.%, and 9.0 wt.%, of modified GNPs with ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM). The compounding method enables GNPs’ dispersion within the EPDM matrix and GNPs’ connection to the matrix. It is found that incorporating 6.0 wt.% of modified GNPs increases the high-temperature storage modulus of EPDM by up to 210.11% and enhances the loss modulus by 156.27%. Compared to pure EPDM, the developed nanocomposites demonstrate superior deformation resistance by effectively dissipating energy. Furthermore, the nanocomposite containing 6.0 wt.% of GNPs possesses noticeably higher thermal stability than pure EPDM. These findings suggest that this prepared nanocomposite holds significant potential as a sealing material for geothermal wells.
A Sustainable Path Forward: Delivering Canada’s Longest Montney Lateral
Authors: Garda I.
Published: September 2024

In pursuit of the reduction of environmental impact and increased cost effectiveness, drilling operations in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin (WCSB) face the unique challenge of increasing total drainage out of each surface location while reducing land impact. A major unconventional oil and gas operator and a directional drilling service provider have partnered to consistently extend lateral section lengths over 5 km and to drill the longest lateral in Canada’s Montney Play to date.

The major E&P company and the service provider had delivered the first 5 successful wells with aRotary Steerable System (RSS) in 2022, having drilled the operator’s longest and fastest Montney well to date, comprised of 4734m. To consistently cross the 5km mark in the 2023 drilling campaign, both companies worked together in vibration mitigation techniques, tool ruggedness, bit selection, drillstring optimization, mud properties and utilization of vibration mitigation tools, both axial and torsional. A data-based, engineered, well-by-well strategy was customized for each of the 4 distinctive targets within the Montney formation, based on previous and current campaign findings.

Through the analysis of previous 2022 drilling campaign and development of the 2023 campaign, twomain vibration mechanisms are identified as performance limiters and affecting reliability. The ability of the RSS to measure real-time High Frequency Torsional Oscillation (HFTO), one of the most damaging mechanisms in modern drilling,is utilized to reduce risk of tool damage in hard formations as the Montney. Furthermore, the analysis of high frequency vibration data is utilized to challenge the effectiveness of different types of vibration mitigation tools. The impact of mud properties in bit cutting structure,weight transfer and RSS functionality are evaluated in real time with Pressure While Drilling sensors.

The article describes the use of this data to modify tool configuration, BHA, and vibration mitigation tool selection. This led to the achievement of the longest lateral section in all Canada’s Montney Play with 5287 meters, along with the longest RSS run in the Montney and the longest global run for this 4.75" RSS with 5125m. In addition to the increase in reach, performance has allowed to reduce cost per meter drilled by 12%.

Ability to measure HFTO in real time increases awareness against damaging vibration within modern drilling applications. Furthermore, high-frequency 3-axial recorded vibration data allows for re-evaluation of the effects that vibration mitigation tools have in the BHA under specific circumstances.

The paper confirms the feasibility of extended lateral length benchmarks in the Montney, not achievable years ago due to tool reliability impacting overall project costs. Consistently delivering laterals over 5,000m aids the sustainability of Oil&Gas development projects in culturally sensitive areas where surface location construction and access is under increased restriction.
Textual Data Augmentation for NER in Geosciences with LLMs
Authors: Maze Elie , Farahbakhsh Reza , Barrallon Pierre-Emmanuel , Jallais Pierre
Published: September 2024

Named Entity Recognition (NER) is a classic natural language processing task which aims to extract relevant and domain-specific information (e.g. meta data) from textual data. To that end, the key is to have enough labeled data for the entities we are interested to extract, and labeling sufficient domain-specific is challenging and costly especially in geoscience domains. One of the promising techniques to increase the volume of the labels is to rely on data augmentation techniques and there are several approaches to be explored on this direction. One of the directions is relying on Large Language Models (LLMs) which has recently shown promising advancement in different domains including data augmentation. Leveraging LLMs through prompt engineering or retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) based to overcome labelling difficulties for the NER task in Geoscience data is the focus of this study.
The Technology of Magnetic Subs for Downhole Scale Mitigation
Authors: Schlüter H. E. P. , Castro B. B. , de Oliveira F. S. , de Magalhäes J. V. M. , de O. Junior A. F. M. , Fontes R. A. , da Silva P. M. D. , Martins A. L.
Published: September 2024

Inorganic scale is a relevant cause for production losses in offshore operations. In the development of pre-salt fields calcium carbonate crystallization, especially when the flow is submitted to abrupt depressurization, often cause problems in reservoir selectivity and production string obstruction. The conventional strategy for this kind of problem is to continuously inject chemicals to prevent precipitation. The low reliability of injection devices, which frequently fail, and the possibility of adopting downhole completion configurations which do not allow injection at the lower zones stimulated the industry to search for alternative mitigation strategies.

The use of magnetic fields to help in minimizing the adhesion of calcium carbonate crystals to downhole surfaces. The proposed mechanisms include the effect of the magnetic field in generating fewer adhesive polymorphs (vaterite) in relation to the more stable ones (calcite). A discussion on this topic has been widely addressed in the literature. The goal of the present article is to describe the construction of real scale prototypes of a magnetic sub, a device to be attached to the production string to generate the necessary magnetic field to achieve the scale mitigation requirements. The strategy for magnetic and mechanical design is described.

In addition, a protocol to establish the strategy for field installation in a field development project is detailed. The focus is to equip a given well with several subs and compare the production records with a correlation well with no subs installed. Finally, an update of the status of field installations is presented, with the proposed evaluation methodology customized for each field.
RETRACTED: Mathematics from the Perceptions of Children and Teachers in Early Childhood Education
Authors: KARAKUŞ Hilal , AKMAN Berrin
Published: September 2024

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
Research on the Effects of re-employment on Active Healthy Aging in China
Authors: Hongqin Zhang , Zepeng Li , Junhan Zhou
Published: September 2024

With the rapid development in China, the population aged over 60 has exceeded 290 million in China. It’s an important group that cannot be ignored in society. A proportion of them choose to re-enter the workforce after retirement. What is the impact of re-employment of the elderly on Active Healthy Aging (AHA)? There is an urgent need to establish metrics for measuring Active Healthy Aging (AHA) and to understand the willingness of Chinese elderly individuals to re-enter the workforce. These efforts aim to provide a solid theoretical foundation for promoting healthy aging in China. Building on the latest definitions from the World Health Organization (WHO) regarding healthy aging, this article utilizes data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) database and macroeconomic data from provincial-level statistics in China. Employing the entropy method, a framework for Active Healthy Aging Indicators (AHAI) is constructed, comprising three primary indicators, 14 secondary indicators, and 50 tertiary indicators. Through an analysis based on this indicator framework, the total effect, mechanism effect, endogeneity, and heterogeneity of re-employment on healthy aging are examined. The following conclusions are drawn: Firstly, according to entropy method calculations, the level of healthy aging in China is relatively low and exhibits an east-west disparity, necessitating immediate improvements. Secondly, re-employment positively influences healthy aging, a relationship confirmed through robustness tests. Thirdly, investigating the mechanism effect with income as a mediating variable reveals that re-employment leads to increased income, consequently promoting improvements in healthy aging indicators. Fourthly, heterogeneous analysis across different age groups indicates that re-employment positively impacts healthy aging among individuals aged 45-65, while for those aged 65-75, it has a negative effect. Additionally, significant urban-rural disparities exist in the relationship between re-employment and healthy aging. The findings of this study provide a theoretical foundation for the development of indicators related to healthy aging in China and globally. Furthermore, they offer valuable policy recommendations for advancing retirement delay policies, advocating for healthy aging awareness, improving the healthy aging service environment, and encouraging elderly participation in public services and social activities.
Tillage residual film recycling machine screening simulation test and research
Authors: Ren De Zhi , Zheng Qi , Zhang Dong Yuan , Wang Wei
Published: September 2024

Aiming at the problems of incomplete separation of residual film and soil, increased impurity rate, and reduced residual film recovery rate due to the paste sieve in the process of separating residual film and soil in the tillage residual film recycling machine, a vibrating sieve and chain brush combined separating and recycling device is proposed, which carries out the sieving and cleaning operation of residual film and soil by driving the vibrating sieve to swing and the chain brush to rotate through the eccentric shaft. Based on the kinematic analysis, the effect of the combined motion of the vibrating chain brush on the separation of residual film and soil was carried out, and the law of the separation of residual film and soil was analyzed; The maximum amplitude, vibration frequency and chain brush revolutions of the vibrating screen of the tillage residual film recycling machine are used as test factors, and the recovery rate and impurity rate of the screening device are used as evaluation indexes. The Box-Behnken test showed that the best combination of parameters was 10.88mm maximum amplitude、 8.97Hz frequency and 1.66r/s chain brush revolution, under the best combination of parameters, the predicted values of recovery rate and impurity rate were 91.12% and 91.12% respectively. The predicted values were 91.12% and 0.19%, respectively. Field tests showed that the combination of vibrating screen and chain brush operated smoothly in the field, and the recovery and winding rates were 89.65% and 0.32%, respectively. This study can provide a reference for the optimization and improvement of the structure of the sieving device of the tillage layer residual film recycling machine.
An Enhanced Deep Learning approach for crop health monitoring and disease prediction
Authors: Gupta Bhoopesh , Kanmani Sujithra , E Elakiya , Sah Sweeti , Mohanty Sachi Nandan , B Surendiran
Published: September 2024

Global warming and lack of immunity in crops have recently resulted in a significant increase in the spread of agricultural diseases. This leads to large-scale crop destruction, less cultivation, and ultimately financial loss for farmers. Identification and treatment of illnesses have become a big issue because of the fast development in disease diversity and lack of farmer knowledge. This paper investigates the application of deep learning for crop disease prediction using a newly acquired dataset of leaf images from Ghana. The dataset focuses on four major crops: cashew, tomato, cassava, and maize. The paper introduces hybrid deep learning models in terms of various evaluation metrics in identifying healthy and diseased plants based on leaf images. This paper also developed a novel hybrid model for this new dataset. The hybrid model ResNet50 + VGG16 resulted in higher precision and accuracy in its predictions, evidencing strong performance and reliability. This work contributes to the development of accurate and accessible tools for crop disease diagnosis, potentially leading to improved agricultural practices and increased crop yields. Through the integration of newer and advanced deep learning techniques, this research will provide a significant step in the field of agriculture for monitoring crop health disease and prediction.
Design and Experiment of Air-suction Drum-type Seedling Seeder for shaped vegetable seeds
Authors: Li Yanjun , Liu Yunqiang , Ning Yichao , Wu Hongxin , Zhao Yaqian
Published: September 2024

In order to meet the requirements of hole tray seedling transplanting operation for tomato, pepper and other shaped vegetable seeds, and to solve the problems of poor seeding performance of shaped vegetable seedling seeder, this study designed an Air-suction Drum-type Precision Seedling Seeder. The basic structure and working principle of the seeder were elaborated, the key components were designed, and the distribution of the airflow field in the flow paths of the suction nozzles of three different hole types was simulated and analyzed by Fluent software; the relationship between the main influencing factors of the seeder’s operational performance (suction air pressure, clearing air pressure, and vibration frequency of the seed cassette) and the sowing indexes (replanting rate, cavity rate, and qualification rate) was investigated and the relationship between the factors and the sowing indexes (reseeding rate, cavity rate, and qualification rate) was analyzed by the quadratic orthogonal combination experiment method. The relationship between the main factors (suction air pressure, clearing air pressure and vibration frequency of seed supply box) and the seeding indexes (reseeding rate, empty hole rate and pass rate) was studied, and the effects of the factors and their interactions on the indexes were analyzed and the parameters were optimized by multi-objective optimization method. The results show that: the factors affecting the seeding qualification rate in the order of suction air pressure, clearing air pressure and vibration frequency, the optimal parameter combination of suction air pressure 16.0kPa, clearing air pressure 3.4kPa, vibration frequency of 50Hz, in the optimal parameter combination of the sowing test, to get the replanting rate, the rate of empty holes, the qualification rate of the time were 1.4%, 1.7% and 96.9%, respectively.It shows that the performance of this seeder is better adapted, accurate and efficient, and can meet the requirements of shaped vegetable seeding operation. The results of the study can provide a reference for the research and development of the shaped vegetable seedling seeding machine.
Research of 3D-AGCN Schizophrenia Classification Model
Authors: Yin Guimei , Yuan Jie , Chen Yanjun , Guo Guangxing , Shi Dongli , Wang Lin , Zhao Zilong , Zhao Yanli , Zhang Manjie , Dong Yuan , Wang Bin , Tan Shuping
Published: September 2024

Previous deep learning-based brain network research has made significant progress in understanding the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. However, it ignores the three-dimensional spatial characteristics of EEG signals and cannot dynamically learn the interactions between nodes. To address this issue, a schizophrenia classification model based on a three-dimensional adaptive graph convolutional neural network (3D-AGCN) is proposed. Each subject's EEG data is divided into various segment lengths and frequency bands for the experiment. The attention mechanism is then used to integrate the node features in the spatial, feature, and frequency band dimensions. The resulting adaptive brain functional network features are then constructed and fed into the GCN model. This adaptive approach eliminates the human-specified criteria for feature selection and brain network construction. The trial results demonstrated that, when using a 6-second segment length and time-domain and frequency-domain features, patients with first-episode schizophrenia achieved the highest classification accuracy of 83.11%. This method outperforms other feature selection and brain network modeling approaches, providing new insights and directions for the early diagnosis and recognition of schizophrenia.
Impact of Falls From Occupational Injuries: a Comparative Analysis of Mortality and Disability Across Sociodemographic Index 2010 to 2019.
Authors: Vella Christine , Meampel Julian Zammit
Published: September 2024

This study investigates the impact of falls from occupational injuries on disability, focusing on a comparative analysis across different Socio-Demographic Index (SDI) categories from 2010 to 2019 using data from the GBD database. The primary aim is to identify trends, disparities, and contributing factors to the rate of Years Lived with Disability (YLD) resulting from occupational falls. A retrospective cross-sectional observational design was employed, analyzing data from various global regions categorized by high, middle, and low SDI.
The results indicate a significant disparity in disability outcomes related to occupational falls across SDI categories. Lower SDI groups consistently showed higher rates of YLD, suggesting an increased burden and a lack of sufficient occupational health policies and safety measures in these regions. The regression analysis revealed a statistically significant relationship between SDI groups and the rate of YLD (p-value = 0.004), while the relationship between year and the rate of YLD was not statistically significant (p-value = 0.197).
These findings are crucial for informing policies and interventions to reduce occupational falls. The study highlights the need to enhance safety standards, especially in low SDI areas, and suggests that global health policies prioritize tailored interventions for different sociodemographic groups. Understanding these disparities and contributing factors provides evidence-based insights to help mitigate the impact of occupational injuries on worker health and well-being.
A proposed mechanism for the regulation of the annual life cycle based on pupal chamber construction behavior in the Japanese pine sawyer
Authors: Kim Su Bin , Heo Jin Woo , Kim Dong-Soon
Published: September 2024

The Japanese pine sawyer (JPS), Monochamus alternatus Hope, is an important vector of the pine wood nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus (Steiner and Buhrer), which causes pine wilt disease (PWD). Although more than 50 years have passed since JPS was proven to be a PWD vector, surprisingly, the exact life cycle has not yet been fully understood. We could interpret the selection of JPS’s life cycle based on the hypothesis established through this study: a dual regulation of the critical larval age (a minimum 4.2-instar and average 4.8-instar) and cue stimulus (tentatively a cold temperature) in diapause induction expressed by the behavior of pupal chamber construction. The fourth larval instars above the critical age can initiate the tunnel for their pupal chamber when they meet the cue, followed by the selection of the four-instar pathway (4-IP), which indicates the number of instars before pupation. If there is no cue during the fourth instar, the larvae will develop into the fifth instar, and 5-IP can be selected when meeting the cue. However, no cue leads to repeated molting up to the 10th instar. The third or fewer larval instars overwinter without the selection of IP and develop to the final instar the following year to emerge into adults the next year (entering a two-year life cycle). Also, we could explain most of the phenomena that are not well understood in the JPS’s overwintering behavior, such as the pupation on the wood’s surface and unplugged entrance holes. Consequently, our hypothesis will be helpful for future studies of diapause mechanisms and the selection of IP in JPS and related species.
Analysis of the correlation between flow physics and cylinder acoustic using different turbulence models
Authors: Zhang Zhan , Sun Peng , Zhao Teng
Published: September 2024

This paper focuses on an underwater cylindrical body and conduct a comparative study of its hydrodynamic and hydrodynamic noise characteristics based on the LES turbulence model, the DDES EB k-epsilon turbulence model, and the IDDES SST (Menter) k-omega turbulence model combined with the FW-H equation. Quadrupole noise is captured through a penetrable integral surface combined with the "vanishing sphere" formula. The mechanisms behind the differences in flow noise calculations of different turbulence models are explored by considering both dipole and quadrupole noise sources. The main research content of this paper is as follows: Firstly, the primary dipole and quadrupole noise sources of the cylindrical body are quickly predicted based on a broadband noise source model, and the effects of three turbulence models on the hydrodynamic characteristics of the cylindrical body are compared. Secondly, based on three different turbulence models, the far-field flow noise radiated from the cylindrical body and the penetrable integral surface as sound sources is compared with experimental data. The LES turbulence model and the far-field noise radiated from the penetrable integral surface show better agreement with the experimental results. Finally, by identifying the dipole and quadrupole noise sources of the cylindrical body using the three turbulence models, the reasons why the LES turbulence model provides more accurate flow noise predictions are explained. This paper offers valuable references for the applicability of turbulence models in flow noise prediction.
Information Mismatch in PHH3-Assisted Mitosis Annotation Leads to Interpretation Shifts in H&E Slide Analysis
Authors: Ganz Jonathan , Marzahl Christian , Ammeling Jonas , Rosbach Emely , Richter Barbara , Puget Chloé , Denk Daniela , Demeter Elena A. , Tăbăran Flaviu A. , Wasinger Gabriel , Lipnik Karoline , Tecilla Marco , Valentine Matthew J. , Dark Michael J. , Abele Niklas , Bolfa Pompei , Erber Ramona , Klopfleisch Robert , Merz Sophie , Donovan Taryn , Jabari Samir , Bertram Christof , Breininger Katharina , Aubreville Marc
Published: September 2024

The count of mitotic figures (MFs) observed in hematoxylin and eosin (H&E)-stained slides is an important prognostic marker, as it is a measure for tumor cell proliferation. However, the identification of MFs has a known low inter-rater agreement. In a computer-aided setting, deep learning algorithms can help to mitigate this, but they require large amounts of annotated data for training and validation. Furthermore, label noise introduced during the annotation process may impede the algorithms' performance. Unlike H&E, where identification of MFs is based mainly on morphological features, the mitosis-specific antibody phospho-histone H3 (PHH3) specifically highlights MFs. Counting MFs on slides stained against PHH3 leads to higher agreement among raters and has therefore recently been used as a ground truth for the annotation of MFs in H&E.
However, as PHH3 facilitates the recognition of cells indistinguishable from H&E staining alone, the use of this ground truth could potentially introduce an interpretation shift and even label noise into the H&E-related dataset, impacting model performance.
This study analyzes the impact of PHH3-assisted MF annotation on inter-rater reliability and object level agreement through an extensive multi-rater experiment. Subsequently, MF detectors, including a novel dual-stain detector, were evaluated on the resulting datasets to investigate the influence of PHH3-assisted labeling on the models' performance.

We found that the annotators' object-level agreement significantly increased when using PHH3-assisted labeling (F1: 0.53 to 0.74). However, this enhancement in label consistency did not translate to improved performance for H&E-based detectors, neither during the training phase nor the evaluation phase. Conversely, the dual-stain detector was able to benefit from the higher consistency. This reveals an information mismatch between the H&E and PHH3-stained images as the cause of this effect, which renders PHH3-assisted annotations not well-aligned for use with H&E-based detectors. Based on our findings, we propose an improved PHH3-assisted labeling procedure.
The effect of audio-recorded program on knowledge and self-reported practices of menstruation and hygiene among visually impaired young girls in Rwanda: a mixed method study
Authors: Bagirisano Justine , Bazakare Marie Laetitia Ishimwe , Nkururnziza Aimable , Hitayezu Jean Bosco Henri , Uwera Yvonne Delphine Nsaba , Mukankusi Juliet Norah , Ntirushwa David , Godfrey Katende , Mukamana Donatilla , Habtu Michael
Published: September 2024

Background:Menstrual hygiene practices among visually impaired young girls are a significant public health concern in Rwanda due to cultural taboos and beliefs. Limited knowledge about menstruation leads to inadequate hygiene practices, increasing the risk of cervical cancer, urinary tract infections, and reduced quality of life. The menstrual hygiene needs of girls who are visually impaired and who depend on daily help for personal hygiene are not adequately addressed in previous studies.
Objectives:This research aimed to assess the effect of audio-recorded program on knowledge and self-reported practices of menstruation and hygiene among visually impaired young girls in Rwanda.
Methodology:A pre-post intervention study was conducted involving 93 visually impaired adolescent girls from four selected institutions. Convenience sampling was employed, and after obtaining consent and assent, baseline socio-demographic data were collected. Prior to and following an audio-recorded intervention, a pretested tool was used to measure participants' knowledge and practices about menstruation and menstrual hygiene. Paired t tests was used to analyze changes in knowledge and practices scores. In addition, a qualitative approach using focus group discussions was used to evaluate the perceived effect of the audio recorded program. Data were organized by Dodoose software and analyzed using thematic analysis.
Results:The majority of participants (67.7%) were enrolled in secondary education and lived in rural areas (76.3%), with the biggest proportion (43%) being between the ages of 16 and 20. The young visually impaired girls' mean knowledge score about menstruation increased significantly (p<0.001) from 3.62 prior to the audio-recorded program implementation to 7.55 following the program. Similarly, prior to the program, the overall mean practice score was 7.30; after the program, it significantly (<0.001) increased to 9.03. Besides, four themes emerged from the qualitative research, including improved knowledge and abilities, boosted confidence, the convenience of audio, and the perceived need to increase audio effectiveness.
Conclusion: The study underscores the success of audio-recorded interventions and this suggests that the intervention is helpful to promote knowledge and practices regarding menstrual hygiene among visually impaired girls. Furthermore, randomized controlled trial with control groups is recommended.