Water cut forecast after downhole pumping equipment optimization based on displacement characteristics

The article deals with the issue of water cut predicting when downhole pumping equipment optimizing. In practice, an expert assessment of this parameter is used as a rule, which does not take into account the degree of planned optimization relative to the current mode. The paper proposes a methodology allowing taking into account the dynamics of planned fluid withdrawals in predicting water cut based on displacement characteristics. To solve the described problem, four characteristics were selected with a certain type of statistical dependence, where, in one part of the equation, fluid withdrawals do not depend on oil withdrawals. This allows, by setting different values of fluid production, to predict oil production and water cut at any time period. On the example of deposits of one of the regions of the Ural-Volga region, the most suitable for certain geological conditions displacement characteristics were determined. Look back analysis shows a high degree of convergence between the calculated and actual water cut indicators – the average absolute deviation is 1.9%, which allows forecasting with sufficient accuracy. Keywords: oil fields development; production stimulation; displacement characteristics; water cut.

Ecology drives the degree of convergence in the gene expression of extremophile fishes

Convergent evolution, where independent lineages evolve similar traits when adapting to similar habitats, is a common phenomenon and testament to the repeatability of evolutionary processes. Still, non-convergence is also common, and a major question is whether apparently idiosyncratic, lineage-specific evolutionary changes are reflective of chance events inherent to evolutionary processes, or whether they are also influenced by deterministic genetic or ecological factors. To address this question, we quantified the degree of convergence in genome-wide patterns of gene expression across lineages of livebearing fishes (family Poeciliidae) that span 40 million years of evolution and have colonized extreme environments in the form of toxic, hydrogen-sulfide-rich springs. We specifically asked whether the degree of convergence across lineage pairs was related to their phylogenetic relatedness or the ecological similarity of the habitats they inhabit. Using phylogenetic comparative analyses, we showed that the degree of convergence was highly variable across lineage pairs residing in sulfide springs. While closely related lineages did not exhibit higher degrees of convergence than distantly related ones, we uncovered a strong relationship between degree of convergence and ecological similarity. Our results indicate that variation in the degree of convergence is not merely noise associated with evolutionary contingency. Rather, cryptic environmental variation that is frequently ignored when we employ reductionist approaches can significantly contribute to adaptive evolution. This study highlights the importance of multivariate approaches that capture the complexities of both selective regimes and organismal design when assessing the roles of determinism and contingency in evolution.

Genetic assimilation of ancestral plasticity during parallel adaptation

Phenotypic plasticity in ancestral populations is hypothesised to facilitate adaptation, but evidence supporting its contribution is piecemeal and often contradictory. Further, whether ancestral plasticity increases the probability of parallel genetic and phenotypic adaptive changes has not been explored. The most general finding is that nearly all ancestral gene expression plasticity is reversed following adaptation, but this is usually examined transcriptome-wide rather than focused on the genes directly involved in adaptation. We investigated the contribution of ancestral plasticity to adaptive evolution of gene expression in two independently evolved lineages of zinc-tolerant Silene uniflora. We found that the general pattern of reversion is driven by the absence of a widespread stress response in zinc-adapted plants compared to ancestral, zinc-sensitive plants. Our experiments show that reinforcement of ancestral plasticity plays an influential role in the evolution of plasticity in derived populations and, surprisingly, one third of constitutive differences between ecotypes are the result of genetic assimilation of ancestral plasticity. Ancestral plasticity also increases the chance that genes are recruited repeatedly during adaptation. However, despite a high degree of convergence in gene expression levels between independently adapted lineages, genes with ancestral plasticity are as likely to have similar expression levels in adapted populations as genes without. Overall, these results demonstrate that ancestral plasticity does play an important role in adaptive parallel evolution, particularly via genetic assimilation across evolutionary replicates.

Perspectives, Expectations, and Concerns of European Patient Advocates on Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products

This paper presents the results of a qualitative study based on semi-structured interviews of 10 expert patient advocates on several different issues around Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs). The interviews were conducted between February and May 2020 based on a guideline with a list of 8 topics that covered concerns about safety and ethics, access problems and limitations, pricing of ATMPs and educational needs for patient communities. Overall, the interviewees expressed a high degree of convergence of opinions on most of the topics and especially on the identification of the reasons for concern. Conversely, when asked about possible solutions, quite a wide range of solutions were proposed, although with many common points. However, it highlights that the debate is still in its infancy and that there are not yet consolidated positions across the whole community. A general concern emerging from all the interviews is the potential limitation of access to approved ATMPs, both due to the high prices and to the geographical concentration of treatment centers. However, patients recognize the value of a model with a limited number of specialized clinical centers administering these therapies. On the ethical side, patients do not show particular concern as long as ATMPs and the underlying technology is used to treat severe diseases. Finally, patients are asking for both more education on ATMPs as well as for a more continuous involvement of patient representatives in the whole “life-cycle” of a new ATMP, from the development phase to the authorization, from the definition of the reimbursement scheme to the collection of Real Word Data on safety and long-term efficacy of the treatment.

A methodology of roll pass design calculation for rails rolling using regression equations

In process of shaped profiles experimental rolling, it is often necessary to make adjustments to new roll pass design to ensure their physical filling, control between gaps in the values of real broadenings and reductions. In order to reduce number of possible adjustments in roll pass design process and mastering new profiles, the task of developing a model for calculating roll passes becomes actual. A model for calculating roll pass design for rolling railway rails presented. This model based on roll pass design for rolling R65 rails. The regression equations of deformation logarithmic degree were derived using example of two pre-finishing and finishing roll passes, which were used to calculate UIC60E1 rail roll pass design. A high degree of convergence of the geometry of the calculated and operating roll pass has been established. The maximum deviations from geometry of existing roll pass and calculated ones according to proposed method did not exceed 1-2 mm on each of them. It was shown that the developed model calculates exact roll pass geometry, which can be loaded into the program of a processing machine. The proposed calculation methodology can be used at roll pass design of shaped profiles of the same type of different profile sizes of the same mill, resulting in significant reduction of roll pass designed development time and number of adjustments.

The Convergence Model of Education for Sustainability in the Transition to Digital Economy

The paper studies the problem of updating educational programs and content, taking into account changing requirements of standards and employers for qualifications and competencies of specialists. First, we show that the updating process in transition to digital economy is associated with the transition to the convergence model of education providing its sustainability perspective. Furthermore, we propose the technique and develop basic models and methods for updating based on the convergence approach, for assessing the degree of convergence of competency models and educational content. The problems of collecting, consolidating, and extracting information on the required competencies from vacancy advertisements in open sources on the Internet are also considered. The convergence approach to updating educational programs is being introduced and tested in the information and learning environment of Penza State University (Penza, Russia).

A Patent Analysis to Identify Emergent Topics and Convergence Fields: A Case Study of Chitosan

Identifying emerging technology trends from patents helps to understand the status of the technology commercialization or utilization. It could provide research insights leading to advanced technological innovations that stimulate socially responsible research to address human dietary and medical needs. However, few studies have investigated emerging chitosan applications using patents. In this study, we report the application of a patent bibliometric predictive intelligence (PBPI) model to identify emergent topics and technology convergence related to chitosan applications from patents in the International Patent Classification system. Text mining was used to extract patterns from 5001 patents and each term was assigned an emergent score, following which we traced growth patterns, examined relationships between IPCs, emergent topics, and patents using correlation analysis and principal component analysis, and conducted matrix and cluster mapping analysis to understand industrial applications and explore patterns of technological convergence. Five major terms emerged in association with ascending and newly emergent topics over the last 13 years: “shelf life,” “antibacterial,” “good safety,” “absorbing water,” and “auxiliary materials.” These topics were closely linked with research in the biomedical and food production and preservation industries. A network analysis indicated that “antibacterial” terms exhibited the highest degree of convergence, followed by “shelf life.” These findings can inform strategies to determine new directions for chitosan research.

Analysis of Impact of Changes in IFRSs on Convergence of Accounting Systems in World

The article examines the impact of updated IFRS on the current convergence of national accounting and reporting rules in Japan, the USA, China, France, Germany, the UK, and Ukraine based on a theoretical analysis of 59 rules and concepts of IFRS. The new differences between the updated IFRS and GAAP of these countries based on the comparative analysis were revealed. The results of the study show currently Ukraine (51%) and the United Kingdom (47%) are the most convergent with IFRS, although their degree of convergence has decreased significantly after recent innovations in IFRS; a new question arises for the UK after Brexit regarding the further application of IFRS; countries with strong national accounting traditions continue to avoid rapid changes in their GAAP; 4) the increase in the convergence of GAAP Japan with IFRS will not be possible shortly. The conclusion states that the main obstacle in the convergent process GAAP and IFRS is that: 1) IFRS are changing based on GAAP USA, rather than vice versa; 2) IFRS do not belong to the “stable to change standards”, so users have a certain distrust of the declared high quality of IFRS. The study results add significant novelty to scientific and practical research on the impact of frequent changes in IFRS both locally and internationally.

Heralds at the Bells: Messages of Hope from West Balkan Bards During the Coronavirus Pandemic

Between March and May of 2020, a number of guslars (bards) and other traditional singers from Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, and Serbia flooded YouTube with songs about the COVID-19 pandemic. Though the musicians chose divergent vantage points from which to approach the topic of the pandemic, all settled on a similar goal. They sought to deliver a message of solidarity and hope to those struggling with the realities of life under lockdown measures and to allay the fears and uncertainties that spread with the virus. This article provides a critical overview of the guslars’ songs to explore their shared and divergent tropes, themes, and tones, and to highlight the goals of their singers in disseminating their messages in traditional form. Here I comment on what the high degree of convergence in the songs’ final messages reveals about vernacular responses to the pandemic and folk views on the measures taken to halt the virus’s spread. Finally, the article places these songs into a wider historical context of contemporary singing to the gusle, remarking on the vagaries of navigating authority when one sings subjective opinion in the name of a collective.

Measurement of public sector financial instruments in Russian and international standards systems

Subject. This article discusses the regulations regarding the assessment of financial instruments of public sector organizations in the systems of Russian and international standards. Objectives. The article aims to investigate the degree of convergence of regulations regarding the assessment of financial instruments in the Russian standards for public sector organizations with the rules of international standards. Methods. For the study, I used the methods of critical analysis, synthesis, comparison, observation, and the analogy method. Results. Based on a comparison of the regulations regarding the initial and subsequent assessment of various types of financial assets and financial liabilities in the Russian FSBU Standard Financial Instruments and IPSAS 29 Financial Instruments: Recognition and Measurement, the article identifies situations where the assessments of financial instruments of public sector organizations, conducted according to Russian and international standards, coincide or have differences. Conclusions and Relevance. It is advisable to further converge approaches to the assessment of financial instruments in Russian standards for public sector organizations and the IPSAS regulations. The results obtained have both applied and theoretical applications in the field of financial accounting.