Chemical modification of barite for improving the performance of weighting materials for water-based drilling fluids

With increasing drilling depth and large dosage of weighting materials,drilling fluids with high solid content are characterized by poor stability,high viscosity,large water loss,and thick mud cake,easier leading to reservoir damage and wellbore instability.In this paper,micronized barite(MB)was modified(mMB)by grafting with hydrophilic polymer onto the surface through the free radical polymerization to displace conventional API barite partly.The suspension stability of water-based drilling fluids(WBDFs)weighted with API barite:mMB=2:1 in 600 g was significantly enhanced compared with that with API barite/WBDFs,exhibiting the static sag factor within 0.54 and the whole stability index of 2.The viscosity and yield point reached the minimum,with a reduction of more than 40%compared with API barite only at the same density.Through multi-stage filling and dense accumulation of weighting materials and clays,filtration loss was decreased,mud cake quality was improved,and simultaneously it had great reservoir protection performance,and the permeability recovery rate reached 87%.In addition,it also effectively improved the lubricity of WBDFs.The sticking coefficient of mud cake was reduced by 53.4%,and the friction coefficient was 0.2603.Therefore,mMB can serve as a versatile additive to control the density,rheology,filtration,and stability of WBDFs weighted with API barite,thus regulating comprehensive performance and achieving reservoir protection capacity.This work opened up a new path for the productive drilling of extremely deep and intricate wells by providing an efficient method for managing the performance of high-density WBDFs.

A redundant subspace weighting procedure for clock ensemble

A redundant-subspace-weighting(RSW)-based approach is proposed to enhance the frequency stability on a time scale of a clock ensemble.In this method,multiple overlapping subspaces are constructed in the clock ensemble,and the weight of each clock in this ensemble is defined by using the spatial covariance matrix.The superimposition average of covariances in different subspaces reduces the correlations between clocks in the same laboratory to some extent.After optimizing the parameters of this weighting procedure,the frequency stabilities of virtual clock ensembles are significantly improved in most cases.

Curve Classification Based onMean-Variance Feature Weighting and Its Application

The classification of functional data has drawn much attention in recent years.The main challenge is representing infinite-dimensional functional data by finite-dimensional features while utilizing those features to achieve better classification accuracy.In this paper,we propose a mean-variance-based(MV)feature weighting method for classifying functional data or functional curves.In the feature extraction stage,each sample curve is approximated by B-splines to transfer features to the coefficients of the spline basis.After that,a feature weighting approach based on statistical principles is introduced by comprehensively considering the between-class differences and within-class variations of the coefficients.We also introduce a scaling parameter to adjust the gap between the weights of features.The new feature weighting approach can adaptively enhance noteworthy local features while mitigating the impact of confusing features.The algorithms for feature weighted K-nearest neighbor and support vector machine classifiers are both provided.Moreover,the new approach can be well integrated into existing functional data classifiers,such as the generalized functional linear model and functional linear discriminant analysis,resulting in a more accurate classification.The performance of the mean-variance-based classifiers is evaluated by simulation studies and real data.The results show that the newfeatureweighting approach significantly improves the classification accuracy for complex functional data.

Spatial search weighting information contained in cell velocity distribution

Cell migration plays a significant role in physiological and pathological processes.Understanding the characteristics of cell movement is crucial for comprehending biological processes such as cell functionality,cell migration,and cell–cell interactions.One of the fundamental characteristics of cell movement is the specific distribution of cell speed,containing valuable information that still requires comprehensive understanding.This article investigates the distribution of mean velocities along cell trajectories,with a focus on optimizing the efficiency of cell food search in the context of the entire colony.We confirm that the specific velocity distribution in the experiments corresponds to an optimal search efficiency when spatial weighting is considered.The simulation results indicate that the distribution of average velocity does not align with the optimal search efficiency when employing average spatial weighting.However,when considering the distribution of central spatial weighting,the specific velocity distribution in the experiment is shown to correspond to the optimal search efficiency.Our simulations reveal that for any given distribution of average velocity,a specific central spatial weighting can be identified among the possible central spatial weighting that aligns with the optimal search strategy.Additionally,our work presents a method for determining the spatial weights embedded in the velocity distribution of cell movement.Our results have provided new avenues for further investigation of significant topics,such as relationship between cell behavior and environmental conditions throughout their evolutionary history,and how cells achieve collective cooperation through cell-cell communication.

Identification of immune cell-related prognostic genes characterized by a distinct microenvironment in hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND The development and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)have been reported to be associated with immune-related genes and the tumor microenvir-onment.Nevertheless,there are not enough prognostic biomarkers and models available for clinical use.Based on seven prognostic genes,this study calculated overall survival in patients with HCC using a prognostic survival model and revealed the immune status of the tumor microenvironment(TME).AIM To develop a novel immune cell-related prognostic model of HCC and depict the basic profile of the immune response in HCC.METHODS We obtained clinical information and gene expression data of HCC from The Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA)and International Cancer Genome Consortium(ICGC)datasets.TCGA and ICGC datasets were used for screening prognostic genes along with developing and validating a seven-gene prognostic survival model by weighted gene coexpression network analysis and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression with Cox regression.The relative analysis of tumor mutation burden(TMB),TME cell infiltration,immune check-points,immune therapy,and functional pathways was also performed based on prognostic genes.RESULTS Seven prognostic genes were identified for signature construction.Survival receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed the good performance of survival prediction.TMB could be regarded as an independent factor in HCC survival prediction.There was a significant difference in stromal score,immune score,and estimate score between the high-risk and low-risk groups stratified based on the risk score derived from the seven-gene prognostic model.Several immune checkpoints,including VTCN1 and TNFSF9,were found to be associated with the seven prognostic genes and risk score.Different combinations of checkpoint blockade targeting inhibitory CTLA4 and PD1 receptors and potential chemotherapy drugs hold great promise for specific HCC therapies.Potential pathways,such as cell cycle regulation and metabolism of some amino acids,were also identified and analyzed.CONCLUSION The novel seven-gene(CYTH3,ENG,HTRA3,PDZD4,SAMD14,PGF,and PLN)prognostic model showed high predictive efficiency.The TMB analysis based on the seven genes could depict the basic profile of the immune response in HCC,which might be worthy of clinical application.

Exploration of the efficacy and mechanism of treating head wind disease with the combination change of ginger volatile oil and gingerol by using content-weighted network pharmacology technology

Background:Exploring the efficacy,potential components,and mechanism of the combination of ginger essential oil and gingerols in the treatment of head wind disease based on network pharmacology technology with content weight.Methods:The experimental groups were divided into:0:10,1:4,1:2,1:1,2:1,4:1,10:0.The relative content(Ri)of the chemical constituents of ginger's volatile oil was determined using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(GC-MS).Additionally,the physicochemical and biological property parameters(LogP,MDCK,PPB,MW)of the components were considered.To assess the quantitative effect of the components,a grading score was performed,and the quantitative effect index(Ki)was calculated.Subsequently,the target effect index(Ti)was calculated by combining the component-target matching score(Fit score).Using these calculations,the target effect score A was determined under the influence of multiple components targeting different targets.Key targets with A≥1000 were identified.To predict the targets related to head wind disease,the Comparative Toxicogenomics Database(https://ctdbase.org/),Gene Cards(https://www.genecards.org/),and Disgenet database(https://www.disgenet.org/)were utilized.The key targets,obtained from different proportions of ginger's volatile oil and gingerol,were intersected with the predicted targets.This facilitated network pharmacological analysis and verification of the efficacy.Results:The content of volatile oil in ginger demonstrated an impact on key targets associated with the volatile oil group.Each specific combination of volatile oil consistently activated distinct pathways,with variations stemming from changes in content.Experimental testing revealed that different combinations of ginger's volatile oil and gingerol effectively alleviated migraine symptoms in rats.Conclusion:Through the application of content-weighted network pharmacology technology and pharmacodynamic verification,it was determined that altering the ratio between ginger's volatile oil and gingerol leads to variations in potential targets and pathways,consequently impacting its efficacy.

Acceptability of Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) by Mothers with Low-Birth-Weight Babies at Arthur Davison Children’s Hospital, in Ndola, Zambia

Background: Kangaroo Mother Care is a simple safe method used to care for low-birth-weight babies. Low-birth-weight is a global public health issue that pose significant challenge to perinatal care systems. Globally, complications due to low-birth-weight are the leading cause of neonatal mortality, resulting in an estimated 1 million deaths annually. Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) is a low-cost method of care for low-birth-weight infants in areas with inadequate incubators and power outages with positive outcomes. Objectives: To assess factors influencing acceptability of Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) in NICU at Arthur Davison Children’s Hospital in Ndola, Zambia. Methodology: A cross sectional quantitative analytical study design was used. The study was conducted at Arthur Davison Children’s Hospital (ADCH) in Ndola, Zambia. The purposive sampling method was used to select the study participants and a total of 129 mothers with Low Weight Babies A were selected to participate structured closed ended questionnaire was used to collect data from the participants using an interview. Data was analyzed using a Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS) software version 26. Cross tabulations were done to determine association of variables using a Chi square (x2) test at 95% confidence interval and were assumptions where not met, fishers exact test was used. Multivariate binary logistic regression analysis was used to quantify the relationship between the dependent and independent variables. Results: Most of the respondents had male babies 77%, 69% of the babies weighed 1000 g - 1400 g, majority 79% had normal delivery, 71% of the respondents were multigravida and most of the respondents 79% were married. The study reviewed that 85% of those who attained secondary education accepted KMC, 74% of the respondents without monthly income accepted KMC, 80% of the respondents had positive attitude and accepted KMC. 82% of the respondents who had positive perception accepted KMC. Conclusion: Acceptance of Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) among 75% of the mothers underscores its widespread favourability as a beneficial method for infant care.

A record-breaking high efficiency facilitated by hierarchical morphology in all polymer solar cells

Organic solar cells(OSCs) especially non-fullerene OSCs(NF-OSCs) are promising to become the next-generation of commercial applications and have received great attention from many researchers due to their typical advantages of low cost,light weight,and flexibility [1,2].

A New Weighting Function for Estimating Microwave Sounding Unit Channel 4 Temperature Trends Simulated by CMIP5 Climate Models

A new static microwave sounding unit （MSU） channel 4 weighting function is obtained from using Coupled Model Inter-comparison Project, Phase 5 （CMIP5） historical multimodel simulations as inputs into the fast Radiative Transfer Model for TOVS （RTTOV v10）. For the same CMIP5 model simulations, it is demonstrated that the computed MSU channel 4 brightness temperature （T4） trends in the lower stratosphere over both the globe and the tropics using the proposed weighting function are equivalent to those calculated by RTTOV, but show more cooling than those computed using the traditional UAH （University of Alabama at Huntsville） or RSS （Remote Sensing Systems in Santa Rosa, California） static weighting functions. The new static weighting function not only reduces the computational cost, but also reveals reasons why trends using a radiative transfer model are different from those using a traditional static weighting function. This study also shows that CMIP5 model simulated T4 trends using the traditional UAH or RSS static weighting functions show less cooling than satellite observations over the globe and the tropics. Although not completely removed, this difference can be reduced using the proposed weighting function to some extent, especially over the tropics. This work aims to explore the reasons for the trend differences and to see to what extent they are related to the inaccurate weighting functions. This would also help distinguish other sources for trend errors and thus better understand the climate change in the lower stratosphere.

ANALYSIS OF DIPOLE AND DIPOLE ARRAY BY A COLLOCATION TECHNIQUE WITH MULTIPOINT WEIGHTING

A collocation method with multipoint weighting is presented in this paper.Itconverges as rapidly as the Galerkin method hut needs less computation effort.By means ofthe technique with Gauss points(superconvergence points)as the collocating points,dipole anddipole array are analyzed,and the numerical results are in good agreement with those given inrelative references.

Transoral outlet reduction:Outcomes of endoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass revision in 284 patients at a community practice

BACKGROUND Transoral outlet reduction(TORe)is a minimally invasive endoscopic revision of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass(RYGB)for weight recurrence;however,little has been published on its clinical implementation in the community setting.AIM To characterize the safety and efficacy of TORe in the community setting for adults with weight recurrence after RYGB.METHODS This is a retrospective cohort study of argon plasma coagulation and purse-string suturing for gastric outlet reduction in consecutive adults with weight recurrence after RYGB at a single community center from September 2020 to September 2022.Patients were provided longitudinal nutritional support via virtual visits.The primary outcome was total body weight loss(TBWL)at twelve months from TORe.Secondary outcomes included TBWL at three months and six months;excess weight loss(EWL)at three,six,and twelve months;twelve-month TBWL by obesity class;predictors of twelve-month TBWL;rates of post-TORe stenosis;and serious adverse events(SAE).Outcomes were reported with descriptive statistics.RESULTS Two hundred eighty-four adults(91.9%female,age 51.3 years,body mass index 39.3 kg/m^(2))underwent TORe an average of 13.3 years after RYGB.Median pre-and post-TORe outlet diameter was 35 mm and 8 mm,respectively.TBWL was 11.7%±4.6%at three months,14.3%±6.3%at six months,and 17.3%±7.9%at twelve months.EWL was 38.4%±28.2%at three months,46.5%±35.4%at six months,and 53.5%±39.2%at twelve months.The number of follow-up visits attended was the strongest predictor of TBWL at twelve months(R^(2)=0.0139,P=0.0005).Outlet stenosis occurred in 11 patients(3.9%)and was successfully managed with endoscopic dilation.There was one instance of post-procedural nausea requiring overnight observation(SAE rate 0.4%).CONCLUSION When performed by an experienced endoscopist and combined with longitudinal nutritional support,purse-string TORe is safe and effective in the community setting for adults with weight recurrence after RYGB.

MEAN APPROXIMATION BY DILATATIONS IN BERGMAN SPACES ON THE UPPER HALF-PLANE

We study sufficient conditions on radial and non-radial weight functions on the upper half-plane that guarantee norm approximation of functions in weighted Bergman,weighted Dirichlet,and weighted Besov spaces on the upper half-plane by dilatations and eventually by analytic polynomials.

EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES OF MEDICAL EQUIPMENT SELECTION BY USING THE MULTI-STAGE WEIGHTING EVALUATION METHOD

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Predicting portal venous anomalies by left-sided gallbladder or rightsided ligamentum teres hepatis: A large scale, propensity scorematched study

BACKGROUND Right-sided ligamentum teres(RSLT)is often associated with portal venous anomalies(PVA)and is regarded as a concerning feature for hepatobiliary intervention.Most studies consider RSLT to be one of the causes of left-sided gallbladder(LGB),leading to the hypothesis that LGB must always be present with RSLT.However,some cases have shown that right-sided gallbladder(RGB)can also be present in livers with RSLT.AIM To highlight the rare variation that RSLT may not come with LGB and to determine whether ligamentum teres(LT)or gallbladder location is reliable to predict PVA.METHODS This study retrospectively assessed 8552 contrast-enhanced abdominal computed tomography examinations from 2018 to 2021[4483 men,4069 women;mean age,59.5±16.2(SD)years].We defined the surrogate outcome as major PVAs.The cases were divided into 4 subgroups according to gallbladder and LT locations.On one hand,we analyzed PVA prevalence by LT locations using gallbladder location as a controlled variable(n=36).On the other hand,we controlled LT location and computed PVA prevalence by gallbladder locations(n=34).Finally,we investigated LT location as an independent factor of PVA by using propensity score matching(PSM)and inverse probability of treatment weighting(IPTW).RESULTS We found 9 cases of RSLT present with RGB.Among the LGB cases,RSLT is associated with significantly higher PVA prevalence than typical LT[80.0%vs 18.2%,P=0.001;OR=18,95%confidence interval(CI):2.92-110.96].When RSLT is present,we found no statistically significant difference in PVA prevalence for RGB and LGB cases(88.9%vs 80.0%,P>0.99).Both PSM and IPTW yielded balanced cohorts in demographics and gallbladder locations.The RSLT group had a significantly higher PVA prevalence after adjusted by PSM(77.3%vs 4.5%,P<0.001;OR=16.27,95%CI:2.25-117.53)and IPTW(82.5%vs 4.7%,P<0.001).CONCLUSION RSLT doesn't consistently coexist with LGB.RSLT can predict PVA independently while the gallbladder location does not serve as a sufficient predictor.

Detection of new candidate genes controlling seed weight by integrating gene coexpression analysis and QTL mapping in Brassica napus L.

Seed weight is a component of seed yield in rapeseed(Brassica napus L.).Although quantitative trait loci(QTL)for seed weight have been reported in rapeseed,only a few causal quantitative trait genes(QTGs)have been identified,resulting in a limitation in understanding of seed weight regulation.We constructed a gene coexpression network at the early seed developmental stage using transcripts of 20,408 genes in QTL intervals and 1017 rapeseed homologs of known genes from other species.Among the 10 modules in this gene coexpression network,modules 1 and 2 were core modules and contained genes involved in source–flow–sink processes such as synthesis and transportation of fatty acid and protein,and photosynthesis.A hub gene SERINE CARBOXYPEPTIDASE-LIKE 19(SCPL19)was identified by candidate gene association analysis in rapeseed and functionally investigated using Arabidopsis T-DNA mutant and overexpression lines.Our study demonstrates the power of gene coexpression analysis to prioritize candidate genes from large candidate QTG sets and enhances the understanding of molecular mechanism for seed weight at the early developmental stage in rapeseed.

Assessing Criteria Weights by the Symmetry Point of Criterion (Novel SPC Method)–Application in the Efficiency Evaluation of the Mineral Deposit Multi-Criteria Partitioning Algorithm

Information about the relative importance of each criterion or theweights of criteria can have a significant influence on the ultimate rank of alternatives.Accordingly,assessing the weights of criteria is a very important task in solving multi-criteria decision-making problems.Three methods are commonly used for assessing the weights of criteria:objective,subjective,and integrated methods.In this study,an objective approach is proposed to assess the weights of criteria,called SPCmethod(Symmetry Point of Criterion).This point enriches the criterion so that it is balanced and easy to implement in the process of the evaluation of its influence on decision-making.The SPC methodology is systematically presented and supported by detailed calculations related to an artificial example.To validate the developed method,we used our numerical example and calculated the weights of criteria by CRITIC,Entropy,Standard Deviation and MEREC methods.Comparative analysis between these methods and the SPC method reveals that the developedmethod is a very reliable objective way to determine the weights of criteria.Additionally,in this study,we proposed the application of SPCmethod to evaluate the efficiency of themulti-criteria partitioning algorithm.The main idea of the evaluation is based on the following fact:the greater the uniformity of the weights of criteria,the higher the efficiency of the partitioning algorithm.The research demonstrates that the SPC method can be applied to solving different multi-criteria problems.

A Modified Bi-Directional Evolutionary Structural Optimization Procedure with Variable Evolutionary Volume Ratio Applied to Multi-Objective Topology Optimization Problem

Natural frequency and dynamic stiffness under transient loading are two key performances for structural design related to automotive,aviation and construction industries.This article aims to tackle the multi-objective topological optimization problem considering dynamic stiffness and natural frequency using modified version of bi-directional evolutionary structural optimization(BESO).The conventional BESO is provided with constant evolutionary volume ratio(EVR),whereas low EVR greatly retards the optimization process and high EVR improperly removes the efficient elements.To address the issue,the modified BESO with variable EVR is introduced.To compromise the natural frequency and the dynamic stiffness,a weighting scheme of sensitivity numbers is employed to form the Pareto solution space.Several numerical examples demonstrate that the optimal solutions obtained from the modified BESO method have good agreement with those from the classic BESO method.Most importantly,the dynamic removal strategy with the variable EVR sharply springs up the optimization process.Therefore,it is concluded that the modified BESO method with variable EVR can solve structural design problems using multi-objective optimization.

Anti-interference self-alignment algorithm by attitude optimization estimation for SINS on a rocking base

The performance of a strapdown inertial navigation system(SINS)largely depends on the accuracy and rapidness of the initial alignment.A novel anti-interference self-alignment algorithm by attitude optimization estimation for SINS on a rocking base is presented in this paper.The algorithm transforms the initial alignment into the initial attitude determination problem by using infinite vector observations to remove the angular motions,the SINS alignment is heuristically established as an optimiza-tion problem of finding the minimum eigenvector.In order to further improve the alignment precision,an adaptive recursive weighted least squares(ARWLS)curve fitting algorithm is used to fit the translational motion interference-contaminated reference vectors according to their time domain characteristics.Simulation studies and experimental results favorably demonstrate its rapidness,accuracy and robustness.

Multi-Criteria Decision-Making for Power Grid Construction Project Investment Ranking Based on the Prospect Theory Improved by Rewarding Good and Punishing Bad Linear Transformation

Using the improved prospect theory with the linear transformations of rewarding good and punishing bad(RGPBIT),a new investment ranking model for power grid construction projects(PGCPs)is proposed.Given the uncertainty of each index value under the market environment,fuzzy numbers are used to describe qualitative indicators and interval numbers are used to describe quantitative ones.Taking into account decision-maker’s subjective risk attitudes,a multi-criteria decision-making(MCDM)method based on improved prospect theory is proposed.First,the[−1,1]RGPBIT operator is proposed to normalize the original data,to obtain the best andworst schemes of PGCPs.Furthermore,the correlation coefficients between interval/fuzzy numbers and the best/worst schemes are defined and introduced to the prospect theory to improve its value function and loss function,and the positive and negative prospect value matrices of the project are obtained.Then,the optimization model with the maximum comprehensive prospect value is constructed,the optimal attribute weight is determined,and the PGCPs are ranked accordingly.Taking four PGCPs of the IEEERTS-79 node system as examples,an illustration of the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method is provided.

Gas kinetic flux solver based finite volume weighted essentially non-oscillatory scheme for inviscid compressible flows

A high-order gas kinetic flux solver(GKFS)is presented for simulating inviscid compressible flows.The weighted essentially non-oscillatory(WENO)scheme on a uniform mesh in the finite volume formulation is combined with the circular function-based GKFS(C-GKFS)to capture more details of the flow fields with fewer grids.Different from most of the current GKFSs,which are constructed based on the Maxwellian distribution function or its equivalent form,the C-GKFS simplifies the Maxwellian distribution function into the circular function,which ensures that the Euler or Navier-Stokes equations can be recovered correctly.This improves the efficiency of the GKFS and reduces its complexity to facilitate the practical application of engineering.Several benchmark cases are simulated,and good agreement can be obtained in comparison with the references,which demonstrates that the high-order C-GKFS can achieve the desired accuracy.