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In this paper, we present an efficient inverse modeling framework for energy transition applications. The key feature of this framework is a combination of adjoint gradients and Operator-based Linearization (OBL) technique to achieve high efficiency in inverse modeling based on forward simulations. This framework allows conducting the history matching of practical industrial applications using the gradient descent method with considerable model control variables in a reasonable time. Generally, the inverse modeling of industrial applications involves large amounts of gradient calculations in algorithms based on gradient descent. In this study, we analytically compute the gradient using the adjoint gradient method as an alternative to the widely used numerical gradient method where many time-consuming forward simulation runs are needed. In the adjoint gradient approach, the objective function is linearly combined with the governing equation by introducing a Lagrange multiplier. That allows for finding the analytical gradient in a backward manner. The developed adjoint gradient method takes full advantage of the OBL efficiency and flexibility when assembling the Jacobian and some relevant derivatives. We demonstrate the applications of the proposed inverse modeling framework to different energy transition applications, including petroleum production, extraction of geothermal energy, and CO2 storage. We demonstrate various treatments of objective function definitions, well controls, and measurement errors for these industrial applications. For petroleum production, the proposed framework is tested on the multiphase multi-component flow problem, which is illustrated by an example of data-driven Discrete Well Affinity model. For this application, only production data is considered. The geothermal problem involves an additional energy balance equation and various property calculations for water and steam. In this application, together with the production data, additional electromagnetic monitoring is used in the history matching process. The results show that electromagnetic monitoring significantly improves the inversion process. We conclude the description of our framework with an application relevant to CO2 sequestration process. The CO2 storage modeling is complicated due to the complex physical phenomena to be considered. In this application, tracer data are used as an additional observation, which allows considering uncertainties in the dynamics of CO2. In this study, the adjoint gradient method is specially designed and customized for OBL infrastructure of the Delft Advanced Research Terra Simulator (DARTS). This allows us to design the general-purpose inversion module with efficient gradient computation, while most existing simulation platforms lack this capability. Based on the multiphysics simulation engine in DARTS, the various observation information can be combined in the proposed framework. This allows us to solve the general-purpose inverse modeling problems for most energy transition applications.

Background Although micro-plasma radiofrequency (MPR) treatment has a significant effect on scars, patients require anesthesia to relieve the significant discomfort it produces. Whether anesthesia impacts efficacy is unclear. Objective To evaluate the effect of different anesthesia on MPR for hypertrophic scars. Methods A retrospective cohort study involving 101 people was conducted to investigate the effectiveness and safety of general and topical anesthetics for the treatment of MPR scars. The primary measures of outcome were the Vancouver Scar Scale (VSS) scores before the first treatment and six months after the last treatment, as well as the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) scores on the day and the day after the final treatment. Results The differences in scar pigmentation, vascularity, and overall VSS scores were higher in the general anesthesia group than in the surface anesthesia group. Patients in the general anesthesia group had a lower pain level than those in the surface anesthesia group. After adjusting for confounding factors and propensity score matching, the outcome of VSS and VAS scores was stable. There was no statistical difference in the adverse effects and satisfaction between the two groups. Conclusion General anesthesia, as opposed to surface anesthesia, may not only ensure safety but also increase the effectiveness of MPR and lessen postoperative pain in the treatment of hypertrophic scars.

Heterosis is a promising approach to increase wheat yield from a limited planting area. In this study, a fine quality restorer line 99AR144-1 and three stable male sterile lines, AL18A, AL36A and AL20A, were assigned as male and female, respectively. Seeds of the wheat line 99AR144-1 and three male sterile lines were mixed according to different proportions and then planted at an experimental farm at the Xinjiang Academy of Agri- Reclamation Sciences from 2013 to 2016. When the mixed sowing ratios of combinations 2 (AL36A × 99AR144- 1) and 3 (AL20A × 99AR144-1) were 6 to 8%, the seed production yields were higher than the control; the yield of hybrid seed production increased by 98.8 and 19.9%, respectively. This increase was attributed to a rise in the outcrossing seed setting rate. Further, this study used the Xbarc-8 SSR (simple sequence repeat) molecular marker to identify the purity of blend hybrid seeds and establish a regression equation for hybrid seed purity testing. The coefficient of the regression equation were 0.9878 and 0.9689 respectively, which shows that the purity of hybrids can be accurately predicted by using this equation. This method can quickly and accurately identify the seed purity in mixed seed production.

Old compression vertebrae fracture or congenital kyphoscoliosis with abnormal vertebral body development and other diseases that invade the spine may cause severe thoracolumbar kyphotic deformity, often accompanied by intractable low back pain or compression of the spinal cord, leading to severe neurological symptoms or even paralysis. If conservative treatment cannot relieve the symptoms or correct the deformities, surgical treatment is usually needed. For severe kyphotic deformity, reconstruction of the physiological curvature and rigid fixation determine the prognosis of the patients. Osteotomy and orthopedics are the standard procedure for deformities with severe compression of the front and middle column, but the trauma to the patients is high, with a long operation time and massive blood loss. To avoid these disadvantages, we have developed a modified technique to remove the diseased vertebra unilaterally. In this technique, we use a modified trephine to resect the vertebral columns like in the pedicle screw technique by adding a locking instrument that can restrict the trephine to lower the risk of osteotomy and shorten the surgery time and blood loss.

This study employs a holistic and indigenous theoretical model called Whare Tapa Rima to examine the project-based learning (PBL) experiences of Asian students in a private training establishment, the W institution, at the tertiary level in New Zealand. The analysis shows that Asian students face challenges in their PBL journey in physical, cultural, interconnected emotional and intellectual, social, and spiritual dimensions. Implications from the research analysis may be considered about how to provide better support and international services to Asian students involved in PBL programs worldwide by adopting the responsive, theory-informed framework of the Whare Tapa Rima Model.

Based on the cognitive theory of social stratum, this paper discusses the influence of family social stratum on self-concern and others’ concern career choice, as well as its mechanism and boundary conditions. Through questionnaire method (Study 1)and experimental method (Study 2), the results show that family social class is positively correlated with ego-focused occupations and negatively correlated with others concerned occupations; independent self-construal plays a mediating role between family social stratum and ego-focused occupation, while interdependent self-construal plays a mediating role between family social stratum and other concerned occupation; individual and collectivist values regulate the family social class by predicting the indirect effect of career choice through self-construal.

The outbreak of COVID-19 had a profound impact on the practice of university leadership in China. This study employs a case study as the research method, interviewing five Heads of the Departments from the Z University in China to examine the challenges to leadership in Chinese universities during the COVID-19 pandemic and explores effective countermeasures. Research findings reveal that the challenges they faced manifested in the government's closed management requirements and the students' demands for freedom of entry and exit, the dynamic and flexible disciplinary development and the rigid teaching evaluation, and big data-enabled governance and the habit of human experience-oriented management. In response to these challenges, this study proposes suggestions for the Z University leaders in the post-pandemic era: establishing rules and regulations with a relaxed degree, tolerating ambiguity in online teaching, improving the ability of intelligent technology, and taking opportunities to learn.

Background The roots, branches, leaves, bark, and nectar of Semiliquidambar cathayensis Hung T. Chang can treat rheumatoid arthritis, lumbar muscle strain, and other diseases. However, limited knowledge of the S. cathayensis Chang genome hampers further research on elucidating the pathways underlying active ingredient synthesis and regulation of its accumulation. In this study, we aimed to generate data to elucidate biosynthetic pathway of the active ingredient synthesis and related molecular mechanisms. Methods We conducted transcriptome sequencing of S. cathayensis Chang leaves, stem epidermis, stem xylem, root epidermis, and root xylem. Results We identified 88,582 unigenes, among which, 36,144 unigenes were annotated to the nr protein database, 21,981 to the Gene Ontology database, 11,565 to the Clusters of Orthologous Groups database, 24,209 to the Pfam database, 21,685 to the SWISS-PROT database, and 12,753 to the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), with 5,072 unigenes common to all six databases. Of those annotated using the KEGG database, 187 unigenes were related to the terpenoid metabolism pathway, and expression analysis of the related genes indicated that the mevalonate and methylerythritol 4-phosphate pathways play different roles in terpenoid biosynthesis in different tissues of S. cathayensis Chang. Conclusions These findings greatly expand the gene resources of S. cathayensis Chang and provide basic data for the study of the biosynthetic pathways and molecular mechanisms of terpenoids.

Semiliquidambar cathayensis is a traditional medicinal plant and endemic species in China. Its roots, branches, leaves, bark, and nectar are known to have therapeutic effects against rheumatoid arthritis, lumbar muscle strain, and several other diseases. However, limited knowledge regarding the molecular properties of S. cathayensis highlights the need for further research in order to elucidate the underlying pathways governing the synthesis of its active ingredients and regulation of its accumulation processes.We conducted transcriptome sequencing of the leaf, stem and root epidermises, and stem and root xylems of S. cathayensis with three biological replicates. Moreover, candidate genes involved in terpenoid biosynthesis, such as IDI, FPPS, DXR, SQS, GPPS, and HMGR were selected for quantitative real-time PCR analysis.We identified 88,582 unigenes. Among which, 36,144 unigenes were annotated to the nr protein database, 21,981 to the Gene Ontology database, 11,565 to the Clusters of Orthologous Groups database, 24,209 to the Pfam database, 21,685 to the SWISS-PROT database, and 12,753 to the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), with 5072 unigenes common to all six databases. Of those annotated using the KEGG database, 187 unigenes were related to the terpenoid metabolism pathway, and expression analysis of the related genes indicated that the mevalonate and methylerythritol 4-phosphate pathways play different roles in terpenoid biosynthesis in different tissues of S. cathayensis.These findings greatly expand gene resources of S. cathayensis and provide basic data for the study of the biosynthetic pathways and molecular mechanisms of terpenoids.

The spread of seeds of rare and dangerous plants affects the regeneration, pattern, genetic structure, invasion, and settlement of plant populations. However, seed transmission is a relatively weak research link. The spread of plant seeds is not controlled by the communicator. Rather, this event results from the interaction between the host and the external environment determined by the mother. The way plants transmit and accept seeds is similar to how user nodes accept data transmission requests in social networks. Plants select the characteristics including seed size, maturity time, and gene matching, which are consistent with the size, delay, and keywords of the data received by the user. In this study, we selected rare and endangered Pterospermum heterophyllum as the research object and applied them to a social network. All plants were considered nodes and all seeds as transmitted data. This method avoids the influence of errors in actual sampling and statistical laws. By using historical information to record the reception of seeds, the Infection and Immunity Algorithm (IAIA) in opportunistic social networks was established. This method selects healthy plants through plant social populations and reduces the number of diseased plants. The experimental results show that the IAIA algorithm has a good effect in distinguishing dominant seedlings from seedlings with disease genes and realizes the selection of dominant plants in social networks.

Proper characterization of multi-phase flow in porous media is of significant importance in selecting and optimizing the performance of a given oil reservoir. The main factors influencing the characterization of multi-phase flow in porous media include: microscopic pore structure, movable fluid saturation, nonlinear seepage characteristics and clay minerals composition, and etc. However, it is very difficult to quantitatively study the multi-phase flow process in porous media, because there is no clear relationship between the oil production rate and the physical parameters of oil reservoir, particularly in low permeability reservoirs. Furthermore, on-going research activities has led to the discovery that it has been a challenge to tell why two oil reservoirs with the same degree of permeability (i.e. low permeability) have far different production performances. In an attempt to comprehend this challenge, a concept of global mobility by Li and Horne (2005, 2006) derived from the Li-Horne model was proved to be a new approach for evaluating the seepage capacity in imbibition system, because it can unify oil and water phase mobility into one model and take many static and dynamic physical parameters into accounts. In this paper, the global mobility concept is applied and verified to characterize the mobility of a multi-phase flow and evaluate the production performance from core to field scale. Comparisons between the global mobility concept and other characterization methods were conducted based on various flooding experiments and field data tests from rock/oil/water systems and rock/oil/polymer systems with different porosities and permeabilities. The results showed that there is a linear relationship between the global mobility and the production performance which is better than the other methods, and the application range of the global mobility was extended. In addition, a convenient and empirical approach was proposed to obtain the global mobility with relative permeability data. Its feasibility has been preliminarily proved through five case studies, and the demonstration is that the global mobility could be an effective parameter to characterize a two-phase flow in porous media and evaluate the production performance for field application.

Polymer materials have broad potential applications for saving water and increasing crop yields in irrigated agricultural systems. However, little is known about how polymers affect the distribution and transformation of soil organic carbon. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of humic acid (H) (an alkali extract of cottonseed meal), modified polymer (P) (a mixture of anionic polyacrylamide, polyvinyl alcohol, and manganese sulfate), and composite polymer (HP) (a 1:1 mixture of H and P) applied with drip irrigation on soil aggregate stability and organic carbon stability. The results demonstrated that the H and P treatments significantly increased soil aggregate stability and organic carbon content, compared with the HP treatment. Compared with the controls for corpped soils (CK) and uncorpped soils (CK-NP), the DR0.25 (>0.25 mm soil mechanical-stable aggregate), W-MWD (mean weight diameter of water stable aggregate), and W-GMD (geometric mean diameter of water stable aggregate) of the H treatment increased by 3.9%, 33.1%, and 23.2%, respectively (p 0.25 mm soil water stable aggregate), W-MWD, and W-GMD of the H-NP treatment (H treatment for uncorpped soils) increased by 44.7%, 38.0%, and 37.6%, respectively (p

Water coning is a major problem in oil reservoirs with bottom water. It reduces the oil production and overall oil recovery. Excessive water production causes corrosion problems in production facilities and increases the cost of water disposal. This may cause the early shutdown of oil wells. In this study, an experimental apparatus has been designed and developed to physically model an oil reservoir with bottom water. The reservoir model was transparent and the change in water coning could be visualized. Many water-flooding tests were conducted at different pressures and oil viscosities ranging from 22 to 260 mPa s. The effects of production pressures and oil viscosity on oil production were investigated. The results indicated that for a medium oil viscosity of 74 mPa s, the optimal production pressure was about 0.054 bar. For minimum and maximum oil viscosity (22 mPa s and 260 mPa s), the smaller the production pressure, the larger the water breakthrough time and oil recovery. Five types of flooding characteristic curves were used to characterize the water-cut variation, and their applicability were compared and analyzed. The water drive curves were fitted using the water-cut models and the oil “reserves” (originally placed in the reservoir model) were predicted using the mathematical models with the experimental data. The results indicated that the Maksimov model of water-drive characteristic curve is more suitable to match the water production performance. Most interestingly, when applying the most suitable model Maksimov water-drive characteristic curve to predict oil reserves, the cases with optimal production pressures have a greater accuracy.

This article employs the method of critical discourse analysis to study the changing portrayal of the woman’s body. Our analysis shows the ways in which the woman’s body is constructed as silent, instrumentalized, sinful, and unclean in Holy Bible under the dominance of male discourses. Then we examined how the woman’s body is reconstructed as an independent and glorified entity in The Woman’s Bible, along with the subversion of male discourses by feminist renditions thereof. The study has implications for women who are fighting for their bodily rights.

The penetration of the 5G Internet and big data communication into human society brings about the survival basis of the social opportunistic networks. Using mobile terminal devices for communication makes the communication of nodes in the social opportunistic network intermittent, because nodes may be in motion all the time. In social opportunistic networks, data communication activities can be recorded and analyzed by evaluating communication activities of human beings or determining their interest points. However, the identification of nodes with the same or similar types of attributes among a large number of user nodes, has become a research problem in the field of social opportunistic networks. How to find an effective method to classify nodes according to their social characteristics and similarity degree becomes the key point of social opportunistic network data forwarding process. In this study, we proposed a method of community mining by decomposition of node and community relationship matrix with large social network data attributes. By using the regular type and iterative community features among community-rule-meet nodes, the method is proved to be converged and yield a minimum solution. Experimental results show that the proposed method exhibits strong application value.

Purpose In petroleum industry, hydraulic fracturing is essential to enhance oil productivity. The hydraulic fractures are usually generated in the process of hydraulic fracturing. Although some mathematical models were proposed to analyze the well-flow behavior of conventional fracture, there are few models to depict unconventional fracture like reorientation fracture. To figure out the effect of reorientation fracture on production enhancement and guide the further on-site operating, this paper aims to investigate the well-flow behavior of vertical reorientation fracture in horizontal permeability anisotropic reservoir. Design/methodology/approach Based on the governing equation considering horizontal permeability anisotropy, the mathematical models for reorientation fractures in infinite reservoir are developed by using the principle of superposition. Furthermore, a rectangular closed drainage area is also considered to investigate the well-flow behavior of reorientation fracture, and the mathematical models are developed by using Green’s and source functions. Findings Computational results indicate that the flux distribution of infinite conductivity fracture is uniform at very early times. After a period, it will stabilize eventually. High permeability anisotropy and small inclination angle of reorientation will cause significant end point effect in the infinite conductivity fracture. The reorientation fractures with small inclination angle in high anisotropic reservoir are capable of improving 1-1.5 times more oil productivity in total. Originality/value This paper develops the mathematical methods to study the well-flow behavior for unconventional fracture, especially for reorientation fracture. The results validate the production enhancement effect of reorientation fracture and identify the sensitive parameters of productivity.

Chinese chinquapin (Castanea henryi) nut provides a rich source of starch and nutrients as food and feed, but its yield is restricted by a low ratio of female to male flowers. Little is known about the developmental programs underlying sex differentiation of the flowers. To investigate the involvement of phytohormones during sex differentiation, we described the morphology of male and female floral organs and the cytology of flower sex differentiation, analyzed endogenous levels of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), gibberellins (GAs), cytokinins (CKs), and abscisic acid (ABA) in the flowers, investigated the effects of exogenous hormones on flower development, and evaluated the expression profiles of genes related to biosyntheses and signaling pathways of these four hormones using RNA-Seq combined with qPCR. Morphological results showed that the flowers consisted of unisexual and bisexual catkins, and could be divided into four developmental stages. HPLC results showed that CK accumulated much more in the female flowers than that in the male flowers, GA and ABA showed the opposite results, while IAA did not show a tendency. The effects of exogenous hormones on sex differentiation were consistent with those of endogenous hormones. RNA-Seq combined with qPCR analyses suggest that several genes may play key roles in hormone biosynthesis and sex differentiation. This study presents the first comprehensive report of phytohormone biosynthesis and signaling during sex differentiation of C. henryi, which should provide a foundation for further mechanistic studies of sex differentiation in Castanea Miller species and other nonmodel plants.