Investigation of pore geometry influence on fluid flow in heterogeneous porous media:A pore-scale study

Brazilian pre-salt reservoirs are renowned for their intricate pore networks and vuggy nature,posing significant challenges in modeling and simulating fluid flow within these carbonate reservoirs.Despite possessing excellent petrophysical properties,such as high porosity and permeability,these reservoirs typically exhibit a notably low recovery factor,sometimes falling below 10%.Previous research has indicated that various enhanced oil recovery(EOR)methods,such as water alternating gas(WAG),can substantially augment the recovery factor in pre-salt reservoirs,resulting in improvements of up to 20%.Nevertheless,the fluid flow mechanism within Brazilian carbonate reservoirs,characterized by complex pore geometry,remains unclear.Our study examines the behavior of fluid flow in a similar heterogeneous porous material,utilizing a plug sample obtained from a vugular segment of a Brazilian stromatolite outcrop,known to share analogies with certain pre-salt reservoirs.We conducted single-phase and multi-phase core flooding experiments,complemented by medical-CT scanning,to generate flow streamlines and evaluate the efficiency of water flooding.Subsequently,micro-CT scanning of the core sample was performed,and two cross-sections from horizontal and vertical plates were constructed.These cross-sections were then employed as geometries in a numerical simulator,enabling us to investigate the impact of pore geometry on fluid flow.Analysis of the pore-scale modeling and experimental data unveiled that the presence of dead-end pores and vugs results in a significant portion of the fluid remaining stagnant within these regions.Consequently,the injected fluid exhibits channeling-like behavior,leading to rapid breakthrough and low areal swept efficiency.Additionally,the numerical simulation results demonstrated that,irrespective of the size of the dead-end regions,the pressure variation within the dead-end vugs and pores is negligible.Despite the stromatolite's favorable petrophysical properties,including relatively high porosity and permeability,as well as the presence of interconnected large vugs,the recovery factor during water flooding remained low due to early breakthrough.These findings align with field data obtained from pre-salt reservoirs,providing an explanation for the observed low recovery factor during water flooding in such reservoirs.

Predicting the friction angle of clays using a multi-layer perceptron neural network enhanced by yeo-johnson transformation and coral reefs optimization

The accurate prediction of the friction angle of clays is crucial for assessing slope stability in engineering applications.This study addresses the importance of estimating the friction angle and presents the development of four soft computing models:YJ-FPA-MLPnet,YJ-CRO-MLPnet,YJ-ACOC-MLPnet,and YJCSA-MLPnet.First of all,the Yeo-Johnson(YJ)transformation technique was used to stabilize the variance of data and make it more suitable for parametric statistical models that assume normality and equal variances.This technique is expected to improve the accuracy of friction angle prediction models.The friction angle prediction models then utilized multi-layer perceptron neural networks(MLPnet)and metaheuristic optimization algorithms to further enhance performance,including flower pollination algorithm(FPA),coral reefs optimization(CRO),ant colony optimization continuous(ACOC),and cuckoo search algorithm(CSA).The prediction models without the YJ technique,i.e.FPA-MLPnet,CRO-MLPnet,ACOC-MLPnet,and CSA-MLPnet,were then compared to those with the YJ technique,i.e.YJ-FPA-MLPnet,YJ-CRO-MLPnet,YJ-ACOC-MLPnet,and YJ-CSA-MLPnet.Among these,the YJ-CRO-MLPnet model demonstrated superior reliability,achieving an accuracy of up to 83%in predicting the friction angle of clay in practical engineering scenarios.This improvement is significant,as it represents an increase from 1.3%to approximately 20%compared to the models that did not utilize the YJ transformation technique.

Predicting the Mechanical Behavior of a Bioinspired Nanocomposite through Machine Learning

The bioinspired nacre or bone structure represents a remarkable example of tough,strong,lightweight,and multifunctional structures in biological materials that can be an inspiration to design bioinspired high-performance materials.The bioinspired structure consists of hard grains and soft material interfaces.While the material interface has a very low volume percentage,its property has the ability to determine the bulk material response.Machine learning technology nowadays is widely used in material science.A machine learning model was utilized to predict the material response based on the material interface properties in a bioinspired nanocomposite.This model was trained on a comprehensive dataset of material response and interface properties,allowing it to make accurate predictions.The results of this study demonstrate the efficiency and high accuracy of the machine learning model.The successful application of machine learning into the material property prediction process has the potential to greatly enhance both the efficiency and accuracy of the material design process.

Computing Power Network:A Survey

With the rapid development of cloud computing,edge computing,and smart devices,computing power resources indicate a trend of ubiquitous deployment.The traditional network architecture cannot efficiently leverage these distributed computing power resources due to computing power island effect.To overcome these problems and improve network efficiency,a new network computing paradigm is proposed,i.e.,Computing Power Network(CPN).Computing power network can connect ubiquitous and heterogenous computing power resources through networking to realize computing power scheduling flexibly.In this survey,we make an exhaustive review on the state-of-the-art research efforts on computing power network.We first give an overview of computing power network,including definition,architecture,and advantages.Next,a comprehensive elaboration of issues on computing power modeling,information awareness and announcement,resource allocation,network forwarding,computing power transaction platform and resource orchestration platform is presented.The computing power network testbed is built and evaluated.The applications and use cases in computing power network are discussed.Then,the key enabling technologies for computing power network are introduced.Finally,open challenges and future research directions are presented as well.

Agricultural Policy Simulation Based on Computable General Equilibrium Model

[Objective] This study aimed to examine the simulated effect of Computable General Equilibrium （CGE）-based agricultural policy simulation system. [Method] The policy simulation platform based on CGE model was constructed by integrating policy simulation, CGE model and Decision Supporting System （DSS）. The scenario analysis method was used to analyze the agricultural subsides policy simulation through empirical analysis. [Result] Farmers were the main beneficiaries of increasing agricultural production subsidies, which increased farmers＇ income and improved the export of agriculture products. The prototype system could solve the problems in actual policy simulation. [Conclusion] The results lay the foundation for the quantitative study on agricultural subsidy policy in China.

Development of multiple soft computing models for estimating organic and inorganic constituents in coal

The distribution of the various organic and inorganic constituents and their influences on the combustion of coal has been comprehensively studied.However,the combustion characteristics of pulverized coal depend not only on rank but also on the composition,distribution,and combination of the macerals.Unlike the proximate and ultimate analyses,determining the macerals in coal involves the use of sophisticated microscopic instrumentation and expertise.In this study,an attempt was made to predict the amount of macerals(vitrinite,inertinite,and liptinite)and total mineral matter from the Witbank Coalfields samples using the multiple input single output white-box artificial neural network(MISOWB-ANN),gene expression programming(GEP),multiple linear regression(MLR),and multiple nonlinear regression(MNLR).The predictive models obtained from the multiple soft computing models adopted are contrasted with one another using difference,efficiency,and composite statistical indicators to examine the appropriateness of the models.The MISOWB-ANN provides a more reliable predictive model than the other three models with the lowest difference and highest efficiency and composite statistical indicators.

Gastrointestinal tract modelling in health and disease

The gastrointestinal (GI) tract is the system of organs within multi-cellular animals that takes in food, digests it to extract energy and nutrients, and expels the remaining waste. The various patterns of GI tract function are generated by the integrated behaviour of multiple tissues and cell types. A thorough study of the GI tract requires understanding of the interactions between cells, tissues and gastrointestinal organs in health and disease. This depends on knowledge, not only of numerous cellular ionic current mechanisms and signal transduction pathways, but also of large scale GI tissue structures and the special distribution of the nervous network. A unique way of coping with this explosion in complexity is mathematical and computational modelling; providing a computational framework for the multilevel modelling and simulation of the human gastrointestinal anatomy and physiology. The aim of this review is to describe the current status of biomechanical modelling work of the GI tract in humans and animals, which can be further used to integrate the physiological, anatomical and medical knowledge of the GI system. Such modelling will aid research and ensure that medical professionals benefit, through the provision of relevant and precise information about the patient's condition and GI remodelling in animal disease models. It will also improve the accuracy and efficiency of medical procedures, which could result in reduced cost for diagnosis and treatment.

A review of computational modeling and deep brain stimulation:applications to Parkinson’s disease

Biophysical computational models are complementary to experiments and theories,providing powerful tools for the study of neurological diseases.The focus of this review is the dynamic modeling and control strategies of Parkinson’s disease(PD).In previous studies,the development of parkinsonian network dynamics modeling has made great progress.Modeling mainly focuses on the cortex-thalamus-basal ganglia(CTBG)circuit and its sub-circuits,which helps to explore the dynamic behavior of the parkinsonian network,such as synchronization.Deep brain stimulation(DBS)is an effective strategy for the treatment of PD.At present,many studies are based on the side effects of the DBS.However,the translation from modeling results to clinical disease mitigation therapy still faces huge challenges.Here,we introduce the progress of DBS improvement.Its specific purpose is to develop novel DBS treatment methods,optimize the treatment effect of DBS for each patient,and focus on the study in closed-loop DBS.Our goal is to review the inspiration and insights gained by combining the system theory with these computational models to analyze neurodynamics and optimize DBS treatment.

Cancer models in preclinical research:A chronicle review of advancement in effective cancer research

Cancer is a major stress for public well-being and is the most dreadful disease.The models used in the discovery of cancer treatment are continuously changing and extending toward advanced preclinical studies.Cancer models are either naturally existing or artificially prepared experimental systems that show similar features with human tumors though the heterogeneous nature of the tumor is very familiar.The choice of the most fitting model to best reflect the given tumor system is one of the real difficulties for cancer examination.Therefore,vast studies have been conducted on the cancer models for developing a better understanding of cancer invasion,progression,and early detection.These models give an insight into cancer etiology,molecular basis,host tumor interaction,the role of microenvironment,and tumor heterogeneity in tumor metastasis.These models are also used to predict novel can-cer markers,targeted therapies,and are extremely helpful in drug development.In this review,the potential of cancer models to be used as a platform for drug screening and therapeutic discoveries are highlighted.Although none of the cancer models is regarded as ideal because each is associated with essential caveats that restraint its application yet by bridging the gap between preliminary cancer research and transla-tional medicine.However,they promise a brighter future for cancer treatment.

A Unified Framework of the Cloud Computing Service Model

After a comprehensive literature review and analysis, a unified cloud computing framework is proposed, which comprises MapReduce, a vertual machine, Hadoop distributed file system （HDFS）, Hbase, Hadoop, and virtualization. This study also compares Microsoft, Trend Micro, and the proposed unified cloud computing architecture to show that the proposed unified framework of the cloud computing service model is comprehensive and appropriate for the current complexities of businesses. The findings of this study can contribute to the knowledge for academics and practitioners to understand, assess, and analyze a cloud computing service application.

What can computational modeling offer for studying the Ca^(2+) dysregulation in Alzheimer's disease:current research and future directions

Ca^2＋ dysregulation is an early event observed in Alzheimer＇s disease（AD） patients preceding the presence of its clinical symptoms.Dysregulation of neuronalCa^2＋ will cause synaptic loss and neuronal death,eventually leading to memory impairments and cognitive decline.Treatments targetingCa^2＋ signaling pathways are potential therapeutic strategies against AD.The complicated interactions make it challenging and expensive to study the underlying mechanisms as to how Ca^2＋ signaling contributes to the pathogenesis of AD.Computational modeling offers new opportunities to study the signaling pathway and test proposed mechanisms.In this mini-review,we present some computational approaches that have been used to study Ca^2＋ dysregulation of AD by simulating Ca^2＋signaling at various levels.We also pointed out the future directions that computational modeling can be done in studying the Ca^2＋ dysregulation in AD.

Potential Maintenance Mechanism in Atrial Fibrillation Patients Subject to Different Treatment Procedures： A Preliminary Study Based on a Human Atrial Model

Two clinical ablation protocols, 2C3L and stepwise, have been routinely used in our group to treat atrial fibrillation （AF）, but with a less than 60% long-term arrhythmia-free outcome achieved in patients. The goal of this study was to examine the underlying mechanism of low success in clinical outcome. MRI images from one patient were used to reconstruct a human atrial anatomical model, and fibrotic tissue was manually added to represent the arrhythmia substrate. AF was induced with standard protocols used in clinical practice. 2C3L and stepwise were then used to test the efficacy of arrhythmia termination in our model. The results showed that re-entries induced in our model could not be terminated by using either 2C3L or the stepwise protocol. Although some of the induced re-entries were terminated, others emerged in new areas. Ablation using only the 2C3L or stepwise method was not sufficient to terminate all re-entries in our model, which may partially explain the poor long-term arrhythmiafree outcomes in clinical practice. Our findings also suggest that computational heart modelling is an important tool to assist in the establishment of optimal ablation strategies.

Numerical Simulation of Blood Flow in Aorta with Dilation:A Comparison between Laminar and LES Modeling Methods

Computational modeling methods have been increasingly employed to quantify aortic hemodynamic parameters that are challenging to in vivo measurements but important for the diagnosis/treatment of aortic disease.Although the presence of turbulence-like behaviors of blood flow in normal or diseased aorta has long been confirmed,the majority of existing computational model studies adopted the laminar flow assumption(LFA)in the treatment of sub-grid flow variables.So far,it remains unclear whether LFA would significantly compromise the reliability of hemodynamic simulation.In the present study,we addressed the issue in the context of a specific aortopathy,namely aortic dilation,which is usually accompanied by disturbed flow patterns.Three patient-specific aortas with treated/untreated dilation of the ascending segment were investigated,and their geometrical models were reconstructed from computed tomography angiographic images,with the boundary conditions being prescribed based on flow velocity information measured in vivo with the phase contrast magnetic resonance imaging technique.For the modeling of blood flow,apart from the traditional LFA-based method in which sub-grid flow dynamics is ignored,the large eddy simulation(LES)method capable of incorporating the dissipative energy loss induced by turbulent eddies at the sub-grid level,was adopted and taken as a reference for examining the performance of the LFA-based method.Obtained results showed that the simulated large-scale flow patterns with the two methods had high similarity,both agreeing well with in vivo measurements,although locally large between-method discrepancies in computed hemodynamic quantities existed in regions with high intensity of flow turbulence.Quantitatively,a switch from the LES to the LFAbased modeling method led to mild(<6%)changes in computed space-averaged wall shear stress metrics(i.e.,SA-TAWSS,SA-OSI)in the ascending aortic segment where intensive vortex evolution accompanied by high statistical Reynolds stress was observed.In addition,comparisons among the three aortas revealed that the treatment status of aortic dilation or the concomitant presence of aortic valve disease,despite its remarkable influence on flow patterns in the ascending aortic segment,did not significantly affect the degrees of discrepancies between the two modeling methods in predicting SA-TAWSS and SA-OSI.These findings suggest that aortic dilation per se does not induce strong flow turbulence that substantially negates the validity of LFA-based modeling,especially in simulating macro-scale hemodynamic features.

Intensity Allocation Criteria of Carbon Emissions Permits and Regional Economic Development in China——Based on a 30-Province/Autonomous Region Computable General Equilibrium Model

The intensity allocation criteria of carbon emissions permits and its influence on China＇s regional development are analyzed through the 30-province/autonomous region computable general equilibrium （CGE） model. Simulation results show that： industrial intensity criteria without taking regional economic development into account deepen the unbalance of regional economic development; regional intensity criteria without taking industrial properties into account exert little negative impact on regional harmonious development, but relatively high negative influence on high-carbon emission industries. The two-step allocation scheme that the central government allocates emissions permits to provincial governments based on regional economic development and then provincial governments allocate emissions permits to emission resources or entities based on industrial properties is a feasible and operable choice.

An In Vivo Experimental Validation of a Computational Model of Human Foot

Reliable computational foot models offer an alternative means to enhance knowledge on the biomechanics of human foot. Model validation is one of the most critical aspects of the entire foot modeling and analysis process.This paper presents an in vivo experiment combining motion capture system and plantar pressure measure platform to validate a three-dimensional finite element model of human foot.The Magnetic Resonance Imaging(MRI)slices for the foot modeling and the experimental data for validation were both collected from the same volunteer subject.The validated components included the comparison of static model predictions of plantar force,plantar pressure and foot surface deformation during six loading conditions,to equivalent measured data.During the whole experiment,foot surface deformation,plantar force and plantar pressure were recorded simultaneously during six different loaded standing conditions.The predictions of the current FE model were in good agreement with these experimental results.

Damage model of fresh concrete in sulphate environment

A model of damage to fresh concrete in a corrosive sulphate environment was formulated to investigate how and why the strength of corroded concrete changes over time. First, a corroded concrete block was divided into three regions: an expanded and dense region; a crack-development region; and a noncorroded region. Second, based on the thickness of the surface corrosion layer and the rate of loss of compressive strength of the corroding region, a computational model of the concrete blocks' corrosion-resistance coefficient of compressive strength in a sulphate environment was generated. Third, experimental tests of the corrosion of concrete were conducted by immersing specimens in a corrosive medium for 270 d. A comparison of the experimental results with the computational formulae shows that the calculation results and test results are in good agreement. A parameter analysis reveals that the corrosion reaction plays a major role in the corrosion of fresh concrete containing ordinary Portland cement,but the diffusion of the corrosion medium plays a major role in the corrosion of concrete mixtures containing fly ash and sulphate-resistant cement. Fresh concrete with a high water-to-cement ratio shows high performance during the whole experiment process whereas fresh concrete with a low water-to-cement ratio shows poor performance during the late experiment period.

Numerical simulation of neuronal spike patterns in a retinal network model

This study utilized a neuronal compartment model and NEURON software to study the effects of external light stimulation on retinal photoreceptors and spike patterns of neurons in a retinal network Following light stimulation of different shapes and sizes, changes in the spike features of ganglion cells indicated that different shapes of light stimulation elicited different retinal responses. By manipulating the shape of light stimulation, we investigated the effects of the large number of electrical synapses existing between retinal neurons. Model simulation and analysis suggested that interplexiform cells play an important role in visual signal information processing in the retina, and the findings indicated that our constructed retinal network model was reliable and feasible. In addition, the simulation results demonstrated that ganglion cells exhibited a variety of spike patterns under different light stimulation sizes and different stimulation shapes, which reflect the functions of the retina in signal transmission and processing.

Modeling the effects of mechanical parameters on the hydrodynamic behavior of vertical current classifiers

This study modeled the effects of structural and dimensional manipulations on hydrodynamic behavior of a bench vertical current classifier. Computational fluid dynamics （CFD） approach was used as modeling method, and turbulent intensity and fluid velocity were applied as system responses to predict the over- flow cut size variations. These investigations showed that cut size would decrease by increasing diameter and height of the separation column and cone section depth, due to the decrease of turbulent intensity and fluid velocity. As the size of discharge gate increases, the overflow cut-size would decrease due to freely fluid stream out of the column. The overflow cut-size was significantly increased in downward fed classifier compared to that fed by upward fluid stream. In addition, reforming the shape of angular overflow outlet＇s weir into the curved form prevented stream inside returning and consequently unselec- tire cut-size decreasing.

Transformation from computation independent model to platform independent model with pattern

Model driven architecture(MDA) is an evolutionary step in software development.Model transformation forms a key part of MDA.The transformation from computation independent model(CIM) to platform independent model(PIM) is the first step of the transformation.This paper proposes an approach for this transformation with pattern.In this approach, we take advantage of"reuse"from various standpoints.Feature model is used to describe the requirement of the application.This can help us bring"reuse"into effect at requirement level.Moreover we use pattern to transform CIM to PIM.This can help us bring"reuse"into effect at development level.Meanwhile, pattern was divided into four hierarchies.Different hierarchies of pattern are used to help us utilize reuse at different phase of development.From another standpoint, feature model describes the problem of a domain while pattern describe the problem across domains.This can help us reuse the element in and across domains.Finally, the detailed process of the transformation is given.

CFD modeling and laboratory studies of dust cleaning efficacy of an efficient four stage non-clogging impingement filter for flooded-bed dust scrubbers

Fibrous-type flters are used to capture dust particles in mining and other occupations where personnel are exposed for prolonged periods.Dust cleansing devices including fooded-bed dust scrubbers use these mesh-type multi-layered flters.These flters trap dust particles efciently on their surface and inside their mesh.However,their continued operation leads to dust build-up and clogging.This results in increased resistance of the flter and lowered airfow rate through the scrubber.This could potentially enhance the exposure of the miners.A non-clogging self-cleaning impingement screen type dust flter was designed by the authors for use in mining and industrial dust cleansing applications.The flter guides dirt-laden air through rapidly turning paths which forces it to shed heavier particles.The particles impact one of the impermeable solid metallic flter surfaces and are removed from the airstream.A full cone water spray installed upstream prevents any surface buildup of dust.This paper summaried the computer models generated to show the flter operations and laboratory experiments including optical particle counting to establish the cleaning efciency.