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This paper describes a new modeling framework for microscopic to reservoir-scale simulations of hydraulic fracturing and production. The approach builds upon a fusion of two existing high-performance simulators for reservoir-scale behavior: the GEOS code for hydromechanical evolution during stimulation and the TOUGH+ code for multi-phase flow during production. The reservoir-scale simulations are informed by experimental and modeling studies at the laboratory scale to incorporate important micro-scale mechanical processes and chemical reactions occurring within the fractures, the shale matrix, and at the fracture-fluid interfaces. These processes include, among others, changes in stimulated fracture permeability as a result of proppant behavior rear-rangement or embedment, or mineral scale precipitation within pores and microfractures, at µm to cm scales. In our new modeling framework, such micro-scale testing and modeling provides upscaled hydromechanical parameters for the reservoir scale models. We are currently testing the new modeling framework using field data and core samples from the Hydraulic Fracturing Field Test (HFTS), a recent field-based joint research experiment with intense monitoring of hydraulic fracturing and shale production in the Wolfcamp Formation in the Permian Basin (USA). Below, we present our approach coupling the reservoir simulators GEOS and TOUGH+ informed by upscaled parameters from micro-scale experiments and modeling. We provide a brief overview of the HFTS and the available field data, and then discuss the ongoing application of our new workflow to the HFTS data set.

Organic matter decomposition in soils and terrestrial sediments has a prominent role in the global carbon cycle. Carbon stocks in anoxic environments, such as wetlands and the subsurface of floodplains, are large and presumed to decompose slowly. The degree of microbial respiration in anoxic environments is typically thought to depend on the energetics of available terminal electron acceptors such as nitrate or sulfate; microbes couple the reduction of these compounds to the oxidation of organic carbon. However, it is also possible that the energetics of the organic carbon itself can determine whether it is decomposed. Here we examined water-soluble organic carbon by Fourier-transform ion-cyclotron-resonance mass spectrometry to compare the chemical composition and average nominal oxidation state of carbon-A metric reflecting whether microbial oxidation of organic matter is thermodynamically favourable-in anoxic (sulfidic) and oxic (non-sulfidic) floodplain sediments. We observed distinct minima in the average nominal oxidation state of water-soluble carbon in sediments exhibiting anoxic, sulfate-reducing conditions, suggesting preservation of carbon compounds with nominal oxidation states below the threshold that makes microbial sulfate reduction thermodynamically favourable. We conclude that thermodynamic limitations constitute an important complement to other mechanisms of carbon preservation, such as enzymatic restrictions and mineral association, within anaerobic environments.

Abstract A genomic database of all Earth’s eukaryotic species could contribute to many scientific discoveries; however, only a tiny fraction of species have genomic information available. In 2018, scientists across the world united under the Earth BioGenome Project (EBP), aiming to produce a database of high-quality reference genomes containing all ~1.5 million recognized eukaryotic species. As the European node of the EBP, the European Reference Genome Atlas (ERGA) sought to implement a new decentralised, equitable and inclusive model for producing reference genomes. For this, ERGA launched a Pilot Project establishing the first distributed reference genome production infrastructure and testing it on 98 eukaryotic species from 33 European countries. Here we outline the infrastructure and explore its effectiveness for scaling high-quality reference genome production, whilst considering equity and inclusion. The outcomes and lessons learned provide a solid foundation for ERGA while offering key learnings to other transnational, national genomic resource projects and the EBP.

Background: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is increasingly prevalent in individuals with adverse childhood experiences (ACE). However, the underlying neurobiology of ACE-related PTSD remains unclear.Objective: The present study investigated the brain connectivity in ACE-related PTSD using multimodal neuroimaging data.Methods: Using a total of 119 participants with ACE (70 with ACE-related PTSD and 49 ACE-exposed controls), this study acquired T1-weighted MRI, diffusion-weighted MRI, and resting-state fMRI data to examine structural and functional connectivity between groups. Joint connectivity matrix independent component analysis (Jcm-ICA) was employed to allow shared information from all modalities to be examined and assess structural and functional connectivity differences between groups.Results: Jcm-ICA revealed distinct connectivity alterations in key brain regions involved in cognitive control, self-referential processing, and social behaviour. Compared to controls, the PTSD group exhibited functional hyperconnectivity of the right medial prefrontal cortex (PFC) of the default mode network and right inferior temporal cortex, and functional hypoconnectivity in the lateral-PFC of the central executive network and structural hypoconnectivity in white matter pathways including the right orbitofrontal region (OFC) linked to social behaviour. Post-hoc analyses using the joint brain-based information revealed that the severity of ACE, the number of traumas, and PTSD symptoms later in life significantly predicted the effects of ACE-related PTSD on the brain. Notably, no direct association between brain connectivity alterations and PTSD symptoms or the number of traumas within the PTSD group was observed.Conclusion: This study offers novel insights into the neurobiology of ACE-related PTSD using multimodal data fusion. We identified alterations in key brain networks (DMN, CEN) and OFC, suggesting potential deficits in cognitive control and social behaviour alongside heightened emotional processing in individuals with PTSD. Furthermore, our findings highlight the combined influence of ACE exposure, number of traumas experienced, and PTSD severity on brain connectivity disruptions, potentially informing future interventions.

Abstract At the intersection of drug policy, the opioid crisis, and fragmented care systems, persons with opioid use disorder (OUD) in the United States are significantly vulnerable to contact with the criminal legal system (CLS). In CLS settings, provision of evidence-based treatment for OUD is variable and often secondary to punitive approaches. Linkage facilitation at every touch point along the CLS Sequential Intercept Model has potential to redirect persons with OUD into recovery-oriented systems of care, increase evidence-based OUD treatment connections, and therefore reduce CLS re-exposure risk. Research in this area is still nascent. Thus, this narrative review explores the state of the science on linkage facilitation across the varied CLS contexts, including general barriers, facilitators, and opportunities for using linkage facilitation for OUD treatment and related services. Following the CLS Sequential Intercept Model, the specific CLS contexts examined include community services, police encounters, the courts (pre- and post-disposition), incarceration (pre-trial detention, jail, and prison), reentry (from jails, prisons, and unified systems), and community supervision (probation and parole). Examples of innovative linkage facilitation interventions are drawn from the Justice Community Opioid Innovation Network (JCOIN). Areas for future research and policy change are highlighted to advance the science of linkage facilitation for OUD services in the CLS.

In this paper we address governmentality and the politics of water rights by examining the Nevada Division of Water Resources (the Division)’s governance associated with water indicators and accounting practices. We are specifically interested in the political work of water indicators and accounting practices as they are produced, applied, and contested – work that generates advantages for Nevada’s mining industry. We focus on perennial yield, an important indicator used by the Division, and examine accounting practices in which mining water rights are designated as temporary and nonconsumptive. We examine how these water indicators and accounting practices are deployed in ways that 1) make groundwater legible and apportionable in ways that advantage the mining industry; 2) reduce the visibility of mining access to groundwater; and 3) enhance the resource state’s objectivity and legitimacy.