Search Results (81)

Child-well stimulation design has become a central challenge in mature unconventional reservoirs, where infill wells are commonly completed in reservoirs that have already been modified by parent-well production. Prior depletion changes pore pressure, stress distribution, and fracture-propagation pathways, causing child-well treatments to behave differently from parent-well completions. As a result, increasing fluid volume, proppant loading, stage density, or pump rate does not necessarily produce proportional gains in recovery. This review synthesizes the comprehensive literature on child-well stimulation intensity with emphasis on well performance, fracture-driven interactions, pad-scale economics, diagnostics, and resource-use considerations. The analysis shows that the production response is highly conditional: larger treatments can enhance reservoir contact when fractures access underdrained rock; however they may lose effectiveness when depletion-induced stress changes redirect fracture growth toward parent-well drainage areas or pre-existing fracture networks. In such cases, higher nominal intensity can increase interwell communication, reduce completion efficiency, impair parent-well performance, and weaken pad-level economic value. A key outcome of this review is the distinction between nominal stimulation intensity, represented by the treatment pumped, and effective stimulation intensity, represented by the fraction of that treatment that creates incremental productive fracture area. This distinction reframes child-well optimization from a treatment-size problem to a depletion-aware fracture-placement problem. Diagnostics, coupled modeling, production analysis, and mitigation strategies are therefore necessary to determine whether added stimulation intensity improves recovery or primarily redistributes production within the pad. From an economic perspective, the pad rather than the individual child well is the correct unit for evaluating stimulation-intensity decisions, since pad-level net present value integrates incremental child-well recovery, parent-well degradation, protection costs, spacing effects, and completion capital. Produced-water reuse and lifecycle emission benchmarking represent practical tools for reducing the environmental footprint of child-well development programs while simultaneously lowering freshwater demand and disposal volumes. These economic and environmental dimensions are inseparable from the technical optimization of stimulation intensity and are addressed explicitly in this review. This review concludes that child-well stimulation intensity should be optimized within a pad-scale framework that integrates depletion state, spacing, landing-zone selection, parent-well management, and long-term value rather than being uniformly maximized. Full article

Politecnico di Milano is undergoing the design of a highly swept, low-aspect-ratio radio-controlled aircraft with reflex airfoils. This model is necessary to expand the automated flight-testing activities conducted inside the university, adding to the flying models a more unconventional one to verify the flight-testing technique implemented. Plain-type spoilerons were investigated as primary roll control devices and compared with conventional aerodynamic predictions and wind-tunnel data. The experimental tests assessed performance across spanwise and chordwise positions, angles of attack, and spoileron geometric variations. A normalized control effectiveness parameter, accounting for moment coefficient, spoileron surface area, and moment arm, was introduced to compare configurations. Results show consistent peak performance at intermediate incidence and highlight distinct degradation patterns near stall. Spanwise variations primarily affect roll authority, while yaw response remains weakly sensitive. Geometric analysis indicates span increases are more efficient than chord increases for equivalent performance, reducing actuator loads and aerodynamic penalties. Full article

As recent Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP) mixer models have achieved state-of-the-art performance in time series forecasting, modeling each MLP-mixer as a separate expert within a mixture is expected to extend the representational capacity of the model, allowing each expert to be activated in response to time-varying inputs. However, extending MLP-mixers into a Mixture-of-Experts (MoE) architecture introduces a significant increase in the number of trainable parameters, rendering the model more challenging to train. To mitigate this problem, we propose a method that composes a fully trainable global expert and multiple non-trainable local experts. Specifically, our approach clones the weights of the global expert into the local experts and then modifies their weight distributions using moment learning, a recently proposed unconventional method for training neural networks. Concretely, each local expert is produced by applying moment-based transformations to a shared copy of the global expert’s weights, so that expert specialization is obtained without independently training the additional experts. Experimental results using a lightweight Time Series Mixer (TSMixer) architecture demonstrate that our method achieves performance competitive with fully trainable MoE counterparts, without introducing a significant increase in trainable parameters. Across multiple benchmark settings, the proposed model attains forecasting accuracy on par with, and in several cases favorable to, a fully trainable multi-expert baseline while adding only a small fraction of the extra trainable parameters that such a baseline requires, and this efficiency is further corroborated by measurements of memory footprint as well as an effect-size-based assessment of the observed differences. Full article

Babassu (Attalea speciosa) is one of the most abundant palm species in the Brazilian Amazon and an important unconventional crop, playing a key socioeconomic role due to the commercial exploitation of its oil-rich almonds. However, approximately 90–93% of the fruit biomass—mainly mesocarp, epicarp, and endocarp—is generated as underutilized residue. This systematic review aims to analyze extraction methods, phytochemical composition, and antioxidant capacity of bioactive compounds derived from different babassu fractions. Following PRISMA guidelines, searches of five databases (Embase, ScienceDirect, Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science) retrieved 410 records, of which 23 met the inclusion criteria. The results show that, although research has predominantly focused on the almond fraction, non-edible parts contain significant levels of phenolic compounds, flavonoids, phytosterols, and other bioactive metabolites with antioxidant properties. Green and non-thermal extraction technologies, such as ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE), supercritical CO₂ extraction (SC-CO₂), and pressurized liquid extraction (PLE), demonstrated advantages in improving extraction efficiency while reducing solvent consumption and thermal degradation. Overall, the available evidence indicates that babassu residues represent a promising and still underexplored source of bioactive compounds. Their valorization may contribute to sustainable extraction strategies, waste reduction, and the development of value-added products within agricultural and bioeconomic systems. Full article

With the continuous development of the livestock industry, the availability of high-quality roughage is becoming increasingly constrained. Therefore, the exploitation of unconventional feed resources is crucial for the sustainable development of the sector. Grape branches and leaves are a major by-product of viticulture, abundant in supply but currently underutilised. Their ensilage presents potential feed value and ecological benefits. This study aimed to systematically evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation with grape branch and leaf silage on the growth performance, serum biochemical parameters, gut microbiota, and metabolomic profiles of Kazakh rams. Sixty Kazakh rams aged 6.0 ± 0.5 months with similar initial body weight (34.21 ± 2.13 kg) were randomly allocated to three dietary treatment groups: the control group (CG) fed whole-crop corn silage, the EG50 group where grape branch and leaf silage replaced 50% of the whole-crop corn silage, and the EG100 group where grape branch and leaf silage entirely replaced the whole-crop corn silage. Each treatment comprised four replicates with five rams per replicate. Following a 7-day adaptation period, a formal feeding trial was conducted for 120 days, after which relevant parameters were measured. Results: (1) Compared with the CG, the dressing percentage was significantly increased in the EG100 group (p < 0.05), while tail fat weight and tail fat percentage were both markedly decreased (p < 0.01). (2) Serum immunoglobulin (IgA, IgG) levels and antioxidant enzyme (SOD, CAT) activities were significantly elevated in the EG100 group (p < 0.05), accompanied by enhanced total antioxidant capacity. Concurrently, levels of inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, TNF-α) and the oxidative damage marker malondialdehyde (MDA) were significantly reduced (p < 0.05). (3) Based on slaughter performance, jejunal microbiota analysis was performed for the CG and EG100 groups. The relative abundance of the phylum Firmicutes increased in the EG100 group, with beneficial genera such as Ruminococcus and Lactobacillus becoming predominant. (4) Metabolomic analysis revealed significant enrichment of pathways including primary bile acid biosynthesis and glycerophospholipid metabolism in the EG100 group, with 20 key differential metabolites identified. Dietary supplementation with grape branch and leaf silage may improve slaughter performance and reduce fat deposition in Kazakh rams, potentially by modulating the gut microbiota structure and its metabolic functions, thereby synergistically enhancing nutrient utilisation, anti-inflammatory capacity, and antioxidant status. This study provides a theoretical basis for the feed-oriented and value-added utilisation of grape processing by-products. Future research should further elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying the interaction between its active components and host metabolism. Full article

In the Amyloid Cascade Hypothesis (ACH2.0) paradigm, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is defined as a disorder triggered by a sustained neuronal integrated stress response (ISR) and driven by the C99 fragment of amyloid-beta protein precursor (AβPP) generated in the autonomous AβPP-independent pathway. This implies that AD can be initiated by any stressor capable of activating one or more of the four eIF2α kinases and accumulated intraneuronally to sufficient levels. In most instances of AD, such a stressor is intraneuronal Aβ (iAβ) accumulated to a PKR- and/or HRI-activating concentration and designated, in terms of the ACH2.0, as a “conventional stressor”. The ensuing disease is referred to, accordingly, as “conventional AD”. Any stressor other than iAβ, which is capable of activating one or more eIF2α kinases in neuronal cells, is designated as an “unconventional stressor”. At a sufficient concentration, it triggers elicitation of the neuronal ISR and initiates the disease, referred to in terms of the ACH2.0 as “unconventional AD”, at levels of iAβ below those required for activation of PKR and/or HRI. In both forms of AD, the neuronal ISR activates production of components essential for, and, consequently, enables operation of, the RNA-dependent mRNA amplification pathway. Human AβPP mRNA is eligible for this process, and its asymmetric amplification yields 5′-truncated mRNA molecules that are translated into C99 at rates that are orders of magnitude greater than those seen in AβPP proteolysis. The resulting C99 drives AD pathology; it also propagates the ISR state and perpetuates both its own production and the progression of the disease. Thus, the neuronal ISR-enabled amplification of AβPP mRNA constitutes the active core of AD. It follows that the essence of any effective therapy for AD, in both conventional and unconventional forms, is to either prevent activation or suppress the operation of the AβPP mRNA amplification process. The present perspective considers therapeutic options capable of accomplishing these objectives. They include inhibition of the neuronal ISR, targeted degradation of iAβ and C99, anti-antisense oligonucleotides (AASO) for AβPP RNA, and the restructuring of the 5′ terminus of AβPP mRNA. Collectively, these therapeutic approaches constitute the state of the art in the ACH2.0 paradigm; if successful, they would render both AD and aging-associated cognitive decline (AACD) obsolete. This study also describes transgenic animal and human neuronal cell-based models of both conventional and unconventional forms of AD that are suitable for testing the proposed therapeutic strategies. Full article

Dysprosium is one of the most critical elements for global economies due to its essential role in the green energy transition. Although it is added in small quantities as an alloying element, dysprosium plays a crucial role in NdFeB magnets used in wind turbines and industrial motors. On the other hand, the limited resources and production capacity of dysprosium contribute to supply shortages and raise concerns about its long-term availability. Therefore, there is a need for efficient techniques that will enable the recovery of dysprosium from secondary materials to bridge the gap between supply and demand while addressing the risks associated with securing a stable supply. This review focuses on (bio)hydrometallurgical and solvometallurgical methods for recovering dysprosium from key secondary sources such as spent NdFeB magnets, phosphogypsum, and coal ash. Although these wastes do not always contain high concentrations of dysprosium, they can have a simpler elemental composition compared to primary sources (a few tens or hundreds of ppm Dy) and are more readily available. Spent NdFeB magnets, with a few percent Dy, show the most promise for recycling. In contrast, coal fly ashes (with several ppm Dy), although widely available, bind dysprosium in an inert phase, requiring substantial pretreatment to enhance the release of the desired element. Phosphogypsum, while not yet a significant source of dysprosium (several ppm Dy), is increasingly recognized as a potential source for other rare earth elements. Although conventional hydrometallurgical methods are commonly used, these are typically unselective for dysprosium recovery, whereas unconventional solvometallurgical approaches show preferential extraction of dysprosium over base metals. Full article

The transition to a circular economy and the pursuit of environmental sustainability are driving humanity to develop alternative technologies for producing a range of bioproducts. In this context, microbial-mediated fermentation processes have gained prominence. Although yeasts are well known for their ability to produce alcohols, they can also generate a wide range of value-added bioproducts. At the same time, microalgae emerge as an advantageous unconventional raw material, as their cultivation does not require arable land, thus avoiding competition with food production. To meet this demand, this study aimed to produce biocomposites through submerged fermentation using biomass from the microalgae Chlorella sp. Enzymatic hydrolysis was optimized using a 2² Central Composite Rotational Design (CCRD), with algal biomass and enzyme mass as independent variables. This step was followed by fermentation with the yeast Wickerhamomyces sp. UFFS-CE-3.1.2. The enzyme alpha amylase employed is of commercial origin, commonly used in the brewing industry, characterized by its easy accessibility and lower environmental impact compared to chemical hydrolysis methods. The results demonstrated that the combination of microalgae biomass with the enzyme preparation led to the production of several compounds of interest, such as highly active enzymes, mainly protease (560 U/mL), catalase (3381 U/mL), and peroxidase (277 U/mL), as well as other compounds, such as glycerol (32.5 g/L) and acetic acid (22.8 g/L). These products have wide industrial applications and a strong market demand, reinforcing the potential of the yeast–microalgae synergy for the sustainable production of high-value biocompounds, which represents a matrix of environmentally friendly products. Full article

As unconventional hydrocarbon resources gain increasing importance, the risk of lost circulation during drilling operations has also grown significantly. Accurate and reliable risk diagnosis methods are essential to ensure safety and operational efficiency in complex drilling environments. This study proposes a novel lost circulation risk monitoring framework based on time-series shapelet transformation, integrated with Generative Adversarial Network (GAN)-based data augmentation and real-time model updating strategies. GANs are employed to synthesize diverse, high-quality samples, enriching the training dataset and improving the model’s ability to capture rare or latent lost circulation signals. Shapelets are then extracted from the time series using a supervised shapelet transform that searches for discriminative subsequences maximizing the separation between normal and lost-circulation samples. Each time series is subsequently represented by its minimum distances to the learned shapelets, so that critical local temporal patterns indicative of early lost circulation can be explicitly captured. To further enhance adaptability during field applications, a real-time model updating mechanism is incorporated. The system incrementally refines the classifier using newly incoming data, where high-confidence predictions are selectively added for online updating. This strategy enables the model to adjust to evolving operating conditions, improves robustness, and provides earlier and more reliable risk warnings. We implemented and evaluated Support Vector Machine (SVM), k-Nearest Neighbors (kNNs), Logistic Regression, and Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) on the transformed datasets. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method improves prediction accuracy by 6.5%, measured as the accuracy gain of the SVM classifier after applying the shapelet transformation (from 84.7% to 91.2%) compared with using raw, untransformed time-series features. Among all models, SVM achieves the best performance, with an accuracy of 91.2%, recall of 90.5%, and precision of 92.3%. Moreover, the integration of real-time updating further boosts accuracy and responsiveness, confirming the effectiveness of the proposed monitoring framework in dynamic drilling environments. The proposed method offers a practical and scalable solution for intelligent lost circulation monitoring in drilling operations, providing a solid theoretical foundation and technical reference for data-driven safety systems in dynamic environments. Full article

Traditionally used to combat infections, systemic effects of antibiotics are increasingly recognized in the context of absorption through unconventional routes. One such as the ocular surface. This review tackles the bidirectional liver–eye axis, highlighting how trace antibiotic residues from environmental and therapeutic sources affect the tear film, disturb ocular microbiota, and impact liver metabolism. It engages in anatomical pathways, microbial regulation, pharmacokinetics, and systemic immune responses. Additionally, this review discusses forensic uses and new therapeutic strategies, stressing the importance of integrated environmental monitoring and precision medicine to tackle nonmedicinal antibiotic exposure. Due to the absence of results from a systematic literature review, a narrative literature review was undertaken instead. More than 100 studies discussing mechanistic, clinical, and experimental insights were reviewed, with 98 of those studies being documented as source literature. The findings demonstrate that antibiotics may penetrate and be absorbed through the ocular surface, cause modifications of the hepatic first-pass metabolism, and change the activity of cytochrome P450. Correlations were documented between the various liver function biomarkers and the ocular tear film, as well as the thickness of the retinal pigment epithelium. The dysbiosis of eye microbiota may be an indicator of systemic inflammation associated with immune dysregulation. Restoring microbial homeostasis and addressing systemic dysregulation are novel therapeutic approaches, including the use of probiotics, nanoparticle scavengers, and CRISPR. The eye is a sensory organ and a metabolically active organ. Systemically, the eye can affect the liver through the ocular surface and the antibiotics through the liver–eye axis. To protect the systemic health of the individual and the lensed metabolically active eye, the eye and liver must be viewed as a sentinel of systemic balance. Novel therapies will be necessary with the added need for environmental monitoring. Full article

This article presents an innovative chaotic communication scheme that integrates the multiuser access technique known as Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (W-CDMA) with the chaos-based selective strategy Chaos-Based Selective Symbol (CSS) and the unconventional modulation Chaos Parameter Shift Keying (CPSK). The system is designed to operate in the 2.45 GHz band and provides a robust and efficient alternative to conventional schemes such as Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM). The proposed CPSK modulation enables the encoding of information for multiple users by regulating the 36 parameters of a Reconfigurable Chaotic Oscillator (RCO), theoretically allowing the simultaneous transmission of up to $2^{24}$ independent users over the same channel. The CSS technique encodes each user’s information using a unique chaotic segment configuration generated by the RCO; this serves as a reference for binary symbol encoding. W-CDMA further supports the concurrent transmission of data from multiple users through orthogonal sequences, minimizing inter-user interference. The system was digitally implemented on the Artix-7 AC701 FPGA (XC7A200TFBG676-2) to evaluate logic-resource requirements, while RF validation was carried out using a ZedBoard FPGA equipped with an AD9361 transceiver. Experimental results demonstrate optimal performance in the 2.45 GHz band, confirming the effectiveness of the chaos-based W-CDMA approach as a multiuser access technique for high-spectral-density environments and its potential for use in 5G applications. Full article

As high-end oil and gas equipment, the high-temperature high-pressure (HTHP) adaptability and intelligence level of Rotary Steerable Systems (RSS) directly determine the development efficiency of deep unconventional resources. This paper reviews the technological breakthroughs and industrial chain synergy pathways of domestic RSS in China, with core conclusions as follows: (1) domestic technologies represented by the CG STEER system have achieved stable operation at 150 °C, high build rates of 15.3°/30 m, and reservoir penetration rates of 98.7%, with key indicators reaching international advanced levels; (2) collaborative innovations in material system reconstruction, hybrid steering mechanisms, and vibration suppression technology have reduced single-well drilling cycles by 50%; (3) industrial chain synergy effects are significant: a 95% localization rate reduced the cost per bottom hole assembly (BHA) run to CNY 2 million, and the “Penta-Helix” innovation model increased patent sharing rates to >60%; (4) breakthroughs in 175 °C high-temperature chips and downhole intelligent decision-making algorithms are urgently needed. This study provides technological paradigms and industrial upgrading pathways for the autonomous development of drilling equipment for extreme conditions. Recognizing the need for comprehensive improvement, the revised manuscript will strengthen three key aspects: (1) supplementing systematic comparisons between domestic technologies and international benchmarks in terms of HTHP adaptability and intelligent control; (2) elaborating technical details of hybrid steering mechanisms and vibration suppression technologies to clarify their innovation in industrial processes; (3) adding case studies of autonomous decision-making systems in ultra-deep wells to verify the practical effectiveness of the proposed methods. These revisions aim to address the current limitations and enhance the scientific rigor of the study. Full article

Pelagic sargassum arriving in the Mexican Caribbean is a mixture of brown macroalgae containing polysaccharides, minerals, and secondary metabolites with potential in ruminant diets. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of the inclusion of sargassum in integral diets (ID) on in vitro fermentation characteristics. A completely randomized design was used. The treatments were different levels of sargassum (ICD: 0%, ID10: 10%, ID20: 20% and ID30: 30%) added to a basal substrate (a mixture of Pennisetum purpureum Vc. CT-115 hay, corn, soybean, and molasses). Rumen fluid was obtained from five male lambs with a body weight of 40 ± 3 kg. In vitro gas production (IVGP) as well as dry matter degradability (DMD) and organic matter degradability (DOM) increased linearly (p < 0.0001) as the proportion of sargassum increased at 24, 48, and 72 h. Rumen fluid pH decreased (p < 0.05) with 30% inclusion at 48 h, while protozoan concentration was similar (p > 0.05) in all treatments with respect to the control at all evaluation times. These results indicate that the inclusion of pelagic sargassum in integral concentrated diets improves fermentative parameters, and its inclusion in diets for ruminants is feasible. This opens up a window of opportunity for its study as a novel additive or unconventional supplement. However, in vivo studies are necessary to rule out harmful effects on animal health and performance. Full article

Shale oil, a major unconventional energy source with extensive global reserves, presents significant processing challenges due to the exceptional stability of its emulsions. Characterized by small droplet sizes and high interfacial film strength, these emulsions resist efficient treatment via conventional thermal-chemical or electrostatic dehydration. To address the difficulties in separation, unclear dehydration mechanisms, and inconsistent single-field (electric) performance, this study investigates dehydration using a novel electric–magnetic–ultrasonic coupling field system. Dehydration efficiency under an electric field alone increased with electric field strength, frequency, duration, and temperature. Magnetic or ultrasonic fields alone yielded negligible effects. Coupling an electric field with ultrasound enhanced efficiency, while adding a magnetic field to electricity provided no improvement and decreased efficiency with longer exposure or higher magnetic intensity. The multi-field coupling achieved significant demulsification. Both optimal dehydration performance and minimum energy consumption operating conditions were identified, capable of reducing shale oil water content below 0.5%. Full article

This study investigated the effects of adding fermented mixed feed (FMF, composed of several unconventional protein feeds, such as brown rice, rice bran, rice bran meal, sunflower meal, cottonseed meal, and corn starch residue) into the diet of Longyan Shan-ma ducks on their egg quality and intestinal health. The ducks were randomly divided into two groups: one group served as the control and received a standard diet, while the other group received a diet in which 4% of the feed was substituted with FMF. Compared to unfermented feed, FMF had elevated lactic acid levels and reduced phytic acid and crude fiber, along with higher amounts of crude protein and a range of amino acids, including serine, histidine, arginine, alanine, valine, methionine, cysteine, isoleucine, and lysine. FMF significantly enhanced egg production and improved the overall egg quality, such as eggshell strength and thickness. It also enhanced total antioxidant capacity and glutathione peroxidase concentrations in serum while reducing serum urea nitrogen and interleukin-1β levels. Histological analysis showed that FMF supplementation improved the ileal villus height-to-crypt depth ratio. Microbiota analysis demonstrated that FMF had a significant impact on β-diversity by increasing Firmicutes, Actinobacteriota, and Desulfobacterota and decreasing Proteobacteria and Myxococcota at the phylum level. The abundance of Corynebacterium, Lactobacillus, and Gallicola was found to be elevated due to FMF at the genus level, whereas Kocuria, Rothia, Helicobacter, and Escherichia-Shigella were decreased. Additionally, diets supplemented with FMF resulted in higher intestinal valeric acid levels among ducks. Our findings indicate that incorporating FMF into laying duck diets can enhance production performance, egg quality, and gut health. Full article