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Identifying factors and quantifying the processes, influencing the extent of reservoir rocks and the distribution of their heterogeneities are fundamental prerequisites to improve the characterization of reservoir connectivity and its dynamic functioning. In this paper, we propose a multiscale approach based on combined geological–geophysical investigations, geostatistics, and 3D geological modeling to build a structural model of faulted-reservoir systems, at regional and local scales within the Jeffara basin, southeast Tunisia.The regional modeling procedure is calibrated by outcrops, a Digital Elevation Model (DEM), boreholes, and well data logs. The geological processing, itself, is used as a tool to extend the database from a variety of documents such as geological maps, geological cross-sections, outcrop descriptions, and especially the wealthy geological knowledge. The original and extended data are then coded and stored in a common georeferenced database. This provides a detailed input for the geostatistical modeling procedures that enabled to precisely capture the varying extent and shape of the hydrogeological units at regional scale.Geophysical data, available along the Jeffara plain, were added as a complement to the Jeffara geodatabase and used to establish the fault network and to build a local architectural model of the coastal aquifer system, based on time-to-depth conversion using kriging with external drift.The results have allowed (i) a major update of the geological configuration of the Jeffara basin, (ii) more precision on the geometries and extent of the stratigraphic sequences and (iii) an accurate prediction of the main characteristics of water reservoirs, i.e. their occurrence, thickness, facies and dynamic properties variation at the basin and reservoir scale. Such multiscale modeling provided effective tools for better understanding the hydrostratigraphic setting, the hydrodynamic functioning of neighboring aquifers, and to assist water resources management.

This paper is concerned with the global uniform practical asymptotic and exponential stability for a large class of time-varying systems by using the concept of practical scalar functions. A new converse stability theorem is established which is used to give some sufficient conditions that guarantee the global uniform practical asymptotic and exponential stability of a class of perturbed systems. Furthermore, some examples are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on optical optimizing triple-junction tandem solar cell using a novel combination of absorber materials and SnO2 vertically aligned nanowire array buffer layers to enhance power conversion efficiency. The absorbers in the bottom, middle and top cells are CZTSe, Cs2SnI6 and CuAlxIn1−xTe2, respectively. The bandgaps of CZTSe and Cs2SnI6 are 1.05 and 1.62 eV, respectively. On the other hand, that of CuAlxIn1−xTe2 depends on x and varies from 1.71 to 2.2 eV. The top cell is coated by an anti-reflective layer. Rigorous coupled wave analysis simulations were used to optimize geometrical parameters of the tandem cell. Results show that the efficiency of the optimized tandem cell reaches 42.15% for x = 0.3 in CuAlxIn1−xTe2. This work helps advance the design of high-performance solar cells for sustainable energy applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present a converse Lyapunov theorem for the new notion of global generalized practical uniform h-stability of nonlinear systems of differential equations. We derive some sufficient conditions which guarantee the global generalized practical uniform h-stability of time-varying perturbed systems. In addition, these results are used to study the practical h-stability of models of infectious diseases and vaccination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assisting visually impaired people to be more independent in their daily activities has always been a promising research area. In this context, we proposed a novel human action classification method to assist visually impaired people to understand the ongoing actions in their environment. The proposed method relies on the pretrained InceptionResNetV2 architecture to encode richer human action representations. The strength of this architecture relies on the combination of Inception and ResNet architectures to capture multi-scale features from a wide range of layers. Experimental evaluation was conducted on the Stanford40 actions dataset and proved the efficiency of the proposed method compared to the state-of-the-art human action classification methods in challenging contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water is vital for all living rhizospheric organisms. However, numerous microorganisms have adapted to survive in environments in which water is scarce. Recent evidence has indicated that sugars from root or microbial source is linked with water deficit tolerance of crops. Here we described in olive trees the changes in sugars accumulation in roots, in combination with corresponding changes in microbial and soluble sugar profiles in the rhizosphere under drought conditions. A marked increase in mannitol content occurred in roots of water-stressed plants. Application of drought stress caused a significant increase in the level of microbial trehalose when compared to the control. Trehalose may increase the soil water surface tension, which could facilitate drought tolerance of olive. We showed that complex interactions of root and microbial community in the rhizosphere maintained the relative water content at 60 % under drought conditions and have the potential to regulate the water uptake by olive. [Display omitted] • The main sugar compound in water-stressed olive roots was mannitol. • The main microbial sugar in water-stressed olive rhizosphere was trehalose. • Thus trehalose may be used as a specific indicator of microbial drought tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the use of Transverse Electric (TE) and Transverse Magnetic (TM) modes in sophisticated optical systems, with a specific emphasis on their influence on fiber optic communications, laser technology, optical sensors, and photonics. Through the use of intricate simulations, we demonstrate how these modes increase transmission efficiency, improve the quality of laser beams, and augment sensor precision. The research emphasizes the crucial significance of TE and TM modes in enhancing the efficiency of optical devices and offers valuable insights for future advancements in optical systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Zinc (Zn) deficiency is a common condition and could contribute to poor outcomes in hemodialysis (HD) patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of Zn supplementation on serum copper (Cu) to Zn and C-reactive protein (CRP) to albumin ratios (CAR) in HD patients. Methods: Seventy-seven HD patients were enrolled in a multicentre simple-blind randomized clinical trial. Only 37 HD patients completed the study; they were randomly divided into two groups and supplemented with zinc sulphate (n=17) or placebo (n=20) for two months. Serum Zn and Cu were measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Serum albumin and hypersensitive-CRP were assessed by colorimetric and immunoturbidimetric method, respectively. Determinations were performed before and after supplementation. Results: After two months of supplementation, serum Zn significantly increased, and Cu to Zn ratio decreased in Zn supplemented group, but remained unchanged in the placebo group. In parallel, serum albumin concentrations significantly increased, and CAR decreased in Zn supplemented group only. Conclusions: Zn supplementation reduces Cu to Zn and CRP to albumin ratios in HD patients. These changes point towards an improvement in nutritional, oxidative and inflammatory status. The study findings suggest that correcting Zn deficiency reduces poor outcomes in HD patients.