Lithofacies module methodology for characterizing and modeling clastic hydrocarbon reservoirs.

The geological framework and concept used in building the reservoir model determine the distribution of reservoir properties that control fluid flow. Reservoir simulation studies at the Gypsy outcrop site show different concepts for defining a reservoir model can result as much as a 30% difference in hydrocarbon recovery. The selection of vertical resolution is a critical parameter of the reservoir model. The concept of lithofacies modules provides a reasonable and accurate guideline for a geologically controlled method of reservoir upscaling. Simulation based on an accurate reservoir model provides an economic and quick method for evaluating various development strategies to select the scenario that provide the optimum economical return.A lithofacies module is a package of sediments restricted within a chronostratigraphic sequence and distinguished by a similar depositional environment and similar petrophysical properties that have similar effects on fluid flow within the unit. Genetically, a lithofacies module is identical with a unique position within a chronostratigraphic sequence. This makes reservoir heterogeneity predictable. Within an individual channel sequence of the Gypsy fluvial reservoir, four lithofacies modules can be systematically recognized from the bottom to the top of a channel sequence: mudclast low permeability unit, cross-bedded and plane-bedded high permeability unit, ripple low permeability unit, and overbank flow barrier unit.A lithofacies module concept and methodology for the purpose of interdisciplinary studies of reservoir characterization are proposed in this research. Accurate reservoir models derived from the application of this concept and methodology will render significant improvements of oil recovery from reservoir simulation studies.Four reservoir modeling scales are classified here: stratigraphic sequence scale, reservoir scale, lithofacies module scale, and sample scale. The lithofacies module scale is the most important for reservoir characterization applied in petroleum exploitation. At this scale, a highly heterogeneous reservoir with a wide variation of properties can be subdivided into compartments with much narrower variations of reservoir properties. Geostatistical techniques can be useful tools for the prediction of reservoir heterogeneity if they are used properly in combination with geological knowledge. The lithofacies module concept provides a detailed reservoir framework suitable for geostatistical prediction

SSHNN: Semi-Supervised Hybrid NAS Network for Echocardiographic Image Segmentation

Accurate medical image segmentation especially for echocardiographic images with unmissable noise requires elaborate network design. Compared with manual design, Neural Architecture Search (NAS) realizes better segmentation results due to larger search space and automatic optimization, but most of the existing methods are weak in layer-wise feature aggregation and adopt a ``strong encoder, weak decoder" structure, insufficient to handle global relationships and local details. To resolve these issues, we propose a novel semi-supervised hybrid NAS network for accurate medical image segmentation termed SSHNN. In SSHNN, we creatively use convolution operation in layer-wise feature fusion instead of normalized scalars to avoid losing details, making NAS a stronger encoder. Moreover, Transformers are introduced for the compensation of global context and U-shaped decoder is designed to efficiently connect global context with local features. Specifically, we implement a semi-supervised algorithm Mean-Teacher to overcome the limited volume problem of labeled medical image dataset. Extensive experiments on CAMUS echocardiography dataset demonstrate that SSHNN outperforms state-of-the-art approaches and realizes accurate segmentation. Code will be made publicly available.Comment: Submitted to ICASSP202

Passive Respiration Detection via mmWave Communication Signal Under Interference

Recent research has highlighted the detection of human respiration rate using commodity WiFi devices. Nevertheless, these devices encounter challenges in accurately discerning human respiration amidst the prevailing human motion interference encountered in daily life. To tackle this predicament, this paper introduces a passive sensing and communication system designed specifically for respiration detection in the presence of robust human motion interference. Operating within the 60.48 GHz band, the proposed system aims to detect human respiration even when confronted with substantial human motion interference within close proximity. Subsequently, a neural network is trained using the collected data by us to enable human respiration detection. The experimental results demonstrate a consistently high accuracy rate over 90\% of the human respiration detection under interference, given an adequate sensing duration. Finally, an empirical model is derived analytically to achieve the respiratory rate counting in 10 seconds.Comment: Submitted to WCNC2024 Worksho

Hydrocarbon Detection Based on Phase Decomposition in Chaoshan Depression, Northern South China Sea

Located in the northern South China Sea, Chaoshan Depression is mainly a residual Mesozoic depression, with a construction of Meso-Cenozoic strata over 7000m thick and good hydrocarbon accumulation conditions. Amplitude attribute of -90°phase component derived by phase decomposition is employed to detect Hydrocarbon in the zone of interest (ZOI) in Chaoshan Depression. And it is found that there are evident amplitude anomalies occurring around ZOI. Phase decomposition is applied to forward modeling results of the ZOI, and high amplitudes occur on the -90°phase component more or less when ZOI is charged with hydrocarbon, which shows that the amplitude abnormality in ZOI is probably caused by oil and gas accumulation

Investigating the shared genetic architecture between hypothyroidism and rheumatoid arthritis

BackgroundThere is still controversy regarding the relationship between hypothyroidism and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and there has been a dearth of studies on this association. The purpose of our study was to explore the shared genetic architecture between hypothyroidism and RA.MethodsUsing public genome-wide association studies summary statistics of hypothyroidism and RA, we explored shared genetics between hypothyroidism and RA using linkage disequilibrium score regression, ρ-HESS, Pleiotropic analysis under a composite null hypothesis (PLACO), colocalization analysis, Multi-Trait Analysis of GWAS (MTAG), and transcriptome-wide association study (TWAS), and investigated causal associations using Mendelian randomization (MR).ResultsWe found a positive genetic association between hypothyroidism and RA, particularly in local genomic regions. Mendelian randomization analysis suggested a potential causal association of hypothyroidism with RA. Incorporating gene expression data, we observed that the genetic associations between hypothyroidism and RA were enriched in various tissues, including the spleen, lung, small intestine, adipose visceral, and blood. A comprehensive approach integrating PLACO, Bayesian colocalization analysis, MTAG, and TWAS, we successfully identified TYK2, IL2RA, and IRF5 as shared risk genes for both hypothyroidism and RA.ConclusionsOur investigation unveiled a shared genetic architecture between these two diseases, providing novel insights into the underlying biological mechanisms and establishing a foundation for more effective interventions

Role of HMGB1 in apoptosis-mediated sepsis lethality

Severe sepsis, a lethal syndrome after infection or injury, is the third leading cause of mortality in the United States. The pathogenesis of severe sepsis is characterized by organ damage and accumulation of apoptotic lymphocytes in the spleen, thymus, and other organs. To examine the potential causal relationships of apoptosis to organ damage, we administered Z-VAD-FMK, a broad-spectrum caspase inhibitor, to mice with sepsis. We found that Z-VAD-FMK–treated septic mice had decreased levels of high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), a critical cytokine mediator of organ damage in severe sepsis, and suppressed apoptosis in the spleen and thymus. In vitro, apoptotic cells activate macrophages to release HMGB1. Monoclonal antibodies against HMGB1 conferred protection against organ damage but did not prevent the accumulation of apoptotic cells in the spleen. Thus, our data indicate that HMGB1 production is downstream of apoptosis on the final common pathway to organ damage in severe sepsis

GDF15 Regulates Malat-1 Circular RNA and Inactivates NFκB Signaling Leading to Immune Tolerogenic DCs for Preventing Alloimmune Rejection in Heart Transplantation

Recombinant human growth differentiation factor 15 (rhGDF15) affects dendritic cell (DC) maturation. However, whether GDF15 is expressed in DCs and its roles and signaling in DCs remain largely unknown. It is unclear whether GDF15-DCs can induce immune tolerance in heart transplantation (HT). This study aims to understand the impact of endogenous GDF15 on DC's development, function, underlying molecular mechanism including circular RNA (circRNA). This study will also explore GDF15-DC-mediated immune modulation in HT. Bone marrow (BM) derived DCs were cultured and treated to up- or down regulate GDF15 expression. Phenotype and function of DCs were detected. Expression of genes and circRNAs was determined by qRT-PCR. The signaling pathways activated by GDF15 were examined. The impact of GDF15 treated DCs on preventing allograft immune rejection was assessed in a MHC full mismatch mouse HT model. Our results showed that GDF15 was expressed in DCs. Knockout of GDF15 promoted DC maturation, enhanced immune responsive functions, up-regulated malat-1 circular RNA (circ_Malat 1), and activated the nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB) pathway. Overexpression of GDF15 in DCs increased immunosuppressive/inhibitory molecules, enhanced DCs to induce T cell exhaustion, and promoted Treg generation through IDO signaling. GDF15 utilized transforming growth factor (TGF) β receptors I and II, not GFAL. Administration of GDF15 treated DCs prevented allograft rejection and induced immune tolerance in transplantation. In conclusion, GDF15 induces tolerogenic DCs (Tol-DCs) through inhibition of circ_Malat-1 and the NFκB signaling pathway and up-regulation of IDO. GDF15-DCs can prevent alloimmune rejection in HT

Enantioseparation with cationic β-cyclodextrin chiral stationary phases in supercritical fluid chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography

Drug chirality has attracted attention as it will influence the pharmacological activities of racemic drugs. In order to get optically pure drugs, both analytical and preparative grade chiral separation technology has been developed. Since the first introduction of anionic moiety into β-cyclodextrin by Stalcup et al, the highly enantioseparation abilities of anionic β-cyclodextrin towards basic racemates have attracted chromatographers attention. Endeavors were then made on the synthesis and application of anionic beta-cyclodextrin for enantioseparation. However, positive charged β-cyclodextrin derivatives were rarely investigated. Lesser work was reported on enantioseparations with cationic β-cyclodextrin derivatives as chiral additives in reversed phase liquid chromatography or capillary electrophoresis whereas no work reported about the usage of cationic β-cyclodextrin derivatives as chiral stationary phases. In our work, cationic β-cyclodextrin derivatives are either physically coated or chemically bonded onto the surface of 5 pm spherical silica and applied as chiral stationary phases in HPLC and SFC. The cationic β-cyclodextrin derivatives have shown strong chiral separation abilities towards high medical value racemates and some propriety racemates.DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (SCBE

An overview of grid-connected fuel cell system for grid support

Fuel cell (FC) technology has become popular recently for its low-carbon characteristics. Depending on the different structures of the system and controls of the converter, grid-connected FC systems can achieve various goals in supporting the grid. Grid-following (GFL) and grid-forming (GFM) control are normally used for the controller of converters. In this paper, an overview of how the grid-connected FC system can support the grid is presented. The basic grid-connected FC system operation principles are firstly introduced, followed by the comparisons between FC and batteries, which shows the advantages and disadvantages of the FC system. Different functions of the FC system are then reviewed. Renewable sources, particularly wind turbines and photovoltaic farms, have some problems in the integration with the grid during the insufficient wind speed or radians, and FC systems can help renewables achieve better integration with the grid. Moreover, FC cannot only balance the system power as a primary energy source, but provide voltage support during system contingencies as well. Nevertheless, the FC system has some problems with oscillation and harmonics. Finally, the challenges of grid-connected FC systems are presented