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Molecular networking strategy-based prioritization of the isolation of the rarely studied soft coral Sinularia tumulosa yielded 14 sesquiterpenes. These isolated constituents consisted of nine different types of carbon frameworks, namely asteriscane, humulane, capillosane, seco-asteriscane, guaiane, dumortane, cadinane, farnesane, and benzofarnesane. Among them, situmulosaols A–C (1 , 3 and 4) were previously undescribed ones, whose structures with absolute configurations were established by the combination of extensive spectral data analyses, quantum mechanical-nuclear magnetic resonance and time-dependent density functional theory electronic circular dichroism calculations, the Snatzke's method, and the modified Mosher's method. Notably, situmulosaol C (4) was the second member of capillosane-type sesquiterpenes. The plausible biogenetic relationships of these skeletally different sesquiterpenes were proposed. All sesquiterpenoids were evaluated for their antibacterial, cytotoxic and anti-inflammatory effects. The bioassay results showed compound 14 exhibited significant antibacterial activities against a variety of fish and human pathogenic bacteria with MIC 90 values ranging from 3.6 to 33.8 μg/mL. Moreover, moderate cytotoxic effects against HEL cells for components 13 and 14 and moderate inhibitory effect on lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammatory responses in RAW264.7 cells for substance 13 were also observed. [Display omitted] • 14 sesquiterpenes were isolated from Sinularia tumulosa applying molecular networking. • These isolates possessed nine different carbon frameworks. • Situmulosaol C (4) was the second member of capillosane-type sesquiterpenes. • Absolute configurations were assigned by QM-NMR, TDDFT ECD, ICD, and Mosher's method. • Compound 14 showed significant antibacterial and moderate cytotoxic activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hospital environment has been implicated in the enrichment and exchange of pathogens and antibiotic resistance, but its potential in shaping the symbiotic microbial community of hospital staff is unclear. This study was designed to evaluate the alteration of the gut microbiome in medical workers compared to non-medical controls. A prospective cross-sectional cohort study was conducted in the intensive care unit (ICU) and other departments of a centre in north-eastern China. Faecal samples of 175 healthy medical workers—short-term (1–3 months) workers (n = 80) and long-term (>1 year) workers (n = 95)—and 80 healthy non-medical controls were analysed using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. The hospital environmental samples (n = 9) were also analysed. The gut microbiomes of medical workers exhibited marked deviations in diversity and alteration in microbial composition and function. Short-term workers showed significantly higher abundances of taxa such as Lactobacillus , Butyrivibrio , Clostridiaceae, Clostridium , Ruminococcus , Dialister , Bifidobacterium , Odoribacter , and Desulfovibrio and lower abundances of Bacteroides and Blautia than the controls. Long-term workers showed higher abundances of taxa such as Dialister , Veillonella , Clostridiaceae , Clostridium , Bilophila , Desulfovibrio , Pseudomonas , and Akkermansia and lower abundances of Bacteroides and Coprococcus than the controls. The medical workers' department (ICU versus non-ICU) and position (resident doctor versus nursing staff) also impacted their gut microbiome. Compared with the non-ICU workers, workers in the ICU showed a significant increase in the abundances of Dialister , Enterobacteriaceae, Phascolarctobacterium , Pseudomonas , Veillonella , and Streptococcus and a marked depletion of Faecalibacterium , Blautia , and Coprococcus. In contrast with the nursing staff, the resident doctors showed a significant increase in Erysipelotrichaceae and Clostridium and a decrease in Bacteroides , Blautia , and Ruminococcus in the gut microbiome. Moreover, we found that the microbiota of hospital environments potentially correlated with the workers' gut microbiota. Our findings demonstrated structural changes in the gut microbial community of medical workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zhundong (ZD) coal from northwest China is a high quality steam coal with reserves of more than 390 billion tons. However, the utilization of ZD coal is limited due to the high content of alkali and alkaline earth metals. This study aimed at revealing the release and transformation mechanism of Na/Ca/S compounds during combustion/gasification of ZD coal. The results demonstrate that Na was primarily influenced by temperature, mostly releases at 600–800 °C. The transformation of Ca compounds was affected by both temperature and atmosphere. The high temperature of the combustion process could accelerate the decomposition of CaCO 3 and CaSO 4 , and the high content of CO 2 during gasification prolonged the decomposition of CaCO 3. The transformation of S was primarily influenced by atmosphere. SO 2 could react with CaO and form CaSO 4 during the combustion process. While S compounds were mainly released as S (g) and H 2 S (g) during gasification process. There was a significant interaction among Na/Ca/S compounds during combustion, original CaSO 4 in coal could adsorb Na compounds with SO 2 at 600–800 °C and then reacted with aluminosilicates, by this reaction, Na could be fixed above 1000 °C. • Transformation and release behaviors of minerals in Zhundong coal were studied. • Part of water-soluble Na was transformed into hydrochloric-soluble Na. • The original CaSO 4 in coal could adsorb Na compounds with SO 2 at 600–800 °C. • Interaction of Na/Ca/S compounds in gasification was weaker due to absence of SO 2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Hegenshan ophiolite in the Solonker-Hegenshan belt is the largest ophiolite in the Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB). Despite its significance in constraining regional tectonic evolution, the emplacement time of the Hegenshan ophiolite is still under debate. In this study, we provide new detrital zircon ages of the Paleozoic sedimentary rocks that unconformably overlie the Wusinihei ophiolite (northeastern part of the Hegenshan ophiolite) to constrain the lower limit emplacement time of the Hegenshan ophiolite. The zircon ages obtained from the Paleozoic sedimentary rocks range from 298 ± 8 to 363 ± 7 Ma, and show bimodal distribution at 300–320 Ma (peak at 308 Ma) and 320–360 Ma (peak at 330 Ma). The age group of 300–320 Ma coincides with the age range of the volcanic rocks of the Late Paleozoic Gegenaobao Formation. The age group of 320–360 Ma with a peak at 330 Ma may be linked to local mafic–ultramafic rocks of the Hegenshan ophiolite. Accordingly, we suggest that the emplacement time of the Hegenshan ophiolite should have occurred earlier than the deposition of the Gegenaobao Formation, most likely during the time between 308 and 330 Ma, instead of the Silurian, Devonian or Mesozoic as previously considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Higher intakes of cruciferous vegetables or their constituents have been shown to lower inflammation in animal studies. However, evidence for this anti-inflammatory effect of cruciferous vegetable consumption in humans is scarce. Objective/Design In this cross-sectional analysis, we evaluated associations of vegetable intake with a panel of inflammatory and oxidative stress markers among 1,005 middle-aged Chinese women. Dietary intake of foods was assessed by a food frequency questionnaire. Results Multivariable-adjusted circulating concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interlukin-1β (IL-1β), and IL-6 were lower among women with higher intakes of cruciferous vegetables. The differences in concentrations of inflammatory biomarkers between extreme quintiles of cruciferous vegetable intake were 12.66% for TNF-α (Ptrend=0.01), 18.18% for IL-1β (Ptrendd=0.02), and 24.68% for IL-β (Ptrend=0.02). A similar, but less apparent, inverse association was found for intakes of all vegetables combined but not for noncruciferous vegetables. Levels of the urinary oxidative stress markers F2-isoprostanes and their major metabolite, 2,3-dinor-5,6-dihydro-15-F2t-IsoP, were not associated with intakes of cruciferous vegetables or all vegetables combined. Conclusions This study suggests that the previously observed health benefits of cruciferous vegetable consumption may be partly associated with the anti-inflammatory effects of these vegetables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The abnormal leakage of a buried high-density polyethylene pipes was studied. • The common failure causes like erosion-corrosion and mechanical damage were discussed and excluded. • Biological degradation induced by termites attack was the root cause of this failure case. Buried high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipes are widely utilized to transport gas and water due to its great shape flexibility, light weight and cost effectiveness. Because of the concentration of population and wealth, leakage accidents of buried HDPE pipelines would lead to catastrophic loss of life and property. Therefore, the comprehensive investigation and understanding of the mechanisms behind the unexpected failure of buried HDPE pipes is of great significance. In this paper, abnormal leakage occurred on the buried HDPE pipes in China. Multiple of holes and cracks were observed on the buried HDPE pipes during visual examination. Considering that no obvious third-party interference existed during the service period, systematic analyses on both mechanical properties and chemical structure were conducted to figure out the root cause of the failure. The results indicated that the abnormal leakage of the buried HDPE pipes resulted from the biological degradation by termites. Some countermeasures were also proposed to avoid the similar failure occurred again. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new species of Ginkgo L., G. pediculata sp. nov., is described from the Lower Cretaceous of Liaoning Province, Northeast China, on the basis of a well-preserved ovule-bearing organ. The cuticles of the integument and peduncle are generally similar to those of the lamina and petiole of the associated Ginkgoites manchurica (Yabe et Ôishi) Cao, which is among the most widely distributed Ginkgo -like leaves in the Lower Cretaceous of Northeast China. The new species is close to the Jurassic Ginkgo yimaensis Zhou et Zhang and clearly distinguished from the Paleogene species Ginkgo cranei Zhou et al. and the extant Ginkgo biloba. Although the coeval Ginkgo apodes Zheng et Zhou and G. neimengensis Xu et al. from Northeast China bear more ovules, they both have no pedicel when matured as the living species. The associated Ginkgoites -type leaves morphologically also resemble those of the Jurassic species. Therefore, Ginkgo pediculata sp. nov. appears to be closely related to the Jurassic species and is the latest representative of the group with primitive type ovulate organs and vegetative leaves so far known of Ginkgo. Since there co-exist two different types of ginkgoes, one with primitive characters (Ginkgo pediculata) and the other such as Ginkgo apodes and G. neimengensis which resemble the extent species G. biloba , the Lower Cretaceous is a critical time in the morphological evolution of the genus Ginkgo , roughly corresponding to the major global floristic transformation marked by the rapid decline of gymnosperms and drastic rise of flowering plants. • A new species is described from the Lower Cretaceous of Northeast China. • The new species appears to be the latest representative of primitive Ginkgo. • The Early Cretaceous is a critical time in the evolution of the genus Ginkgo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An extensive phytochemical investigation on the chemical constituents from the needles and twigs of the vulnerable conifer Pseudotsuga sinensis yielded 19 diterpenoids and 21 sesquiterpenoids with various carbocyclic skeletons. Among them, 13 (named pseudosinins A–M, resp.) were undescribed compounds. Their structures with absolute configurations were characterized by a combination of spectroscopic methods, calculated and experimental electronic circular dichroism (ECD) data, quantum chemical calculations of the chemical shifts, and single crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. In particular, an array of labdane-derived norditerpenoids with C 19 -, C 18 -, and C 16 -skeletons, and related drimane-type sesquitepenoids with C 15 - and C 13 -skeletons were found in the title plant. The possible biogenetic relationships of these degraded terpenoids were briefly discussed. Among the isolates, pseudosinin D, cis -communic acid, and 4 β ,15-dihydroxy-19-norabieta-8,11,13-trien-7-one showed moderate inhibitory activities against the enzyme ATP-citrate lyase (ACL), a potential drug target for the treatment of hyperlipidemia and hypercholesterolemia. Forty di- and sesqui-terpenoids with various carbocyclic frameworks, including thirteen undescribed ones, were isolated and characterized from the vulnerable conifer Pseudotsuga sinensis. In particular, a series of labdane-derived degraded terpenoids with C 19 -/C 18 -/C 16 -/C 15 -/C 13 -skeletons were encountered. Three isolates showed considerable inhibition on the enzyme ATP-citrate lyase (ACL). Image 1 • An extensive phytochemical study on the vulnerable Pseudotsuga sinensis was reported. • Thirteen undescribed di- and sesqui-terpenoids (pseudosinins A–M) were identified. • The biosynthetic pathways of the labdane-derived degraded terpenoids were proposed. • Three isolated diterpenoids showed considerable inhibitory activities against ACL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The fluctuation of water discharge was less than 11.4% under climatic influence. • Before 1940, sediment load was raised by 54% in a century due to human activities. • After 1940, sediment load rapidly was reduced by 72% induced by dam interception. Sediments delivered by global rivers are of utmost importance to the morphological formation and ecosystem evolution of estuary-coast-shelf systems. In this study, numerical modeling, supported by hydrological data, was applied to quantify the impact of climate change and human activities on the water and sediments delivery of five rivers along the east coast of the Liaodong Peninsula to the North Yellow Sea. Simulation results indicate that the water discharge and sediment load of these five rivers during the past millennium reached 27.88 ± 5.97 km3 y−1 and 5.97 ± 3.26 Mty−1, respectively. Climate change was the most significant driving factor altering water discharge in the study area, with human activity producing an insignificant effect. Different from runoff, variations in sediment loads are dominated by human activities in past millennium. Our results demonstrate that the soil erosion of five rivers induced by human activities increased sharply by up to 8.1 times over the past few centuries, and that the total dam trapping efficiency for the eastern Liaodong Peninsula was 71.7%. If no dams had been constructed in the study area between 1941 and 2012, the total sediment load of the five rivers would have reached 11.33 ± 5.70 Mty−1. This reflects an increase of 92.6% relative to the period between 1000 and 1850 (5.88 ± 2.93 Mty−1) and would have been 3.5 times the actual sediment load during the period 1941–2012 (3.21 ± 4.61 Mty−1). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: Soy and some of its constituents, such as isoflavones, have been shown to affect the inflammatory process in animal studies. The association between soy food intake and inflammatory markers has not been evaluated adequately in humans. Objective: Our aim was to evaluate whether higher intake of soy foods was inversely associated with inflammatory markers in 1,005 middle-aged Chinese women. Design: In this cross-sectional study, dietary intake of soy foods was assessed by a validated food frequency questionnaire and by a 24-hour recall when biospecimens were procured. A general linear model was used to estimate the geometric means of selected inflammatory markers, including interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-1β, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα), soluble IL-6 receptor, soluble GP130, soluble TNF receptors 1 and 2, and C-reactive protein, across categories of soy food intake after adjusting for age, lifestyle and dietary factors, and history of infectious or inflammation-related diseases. Results: We found that multivariable-adjusted geometric mean concentrations of IL-6 and TNFα were inversely associated with quintiles of soy food intake, with a difference between the highest and lowest quintiles of 25.5% for IL-6 (P for trend=0.008) and 14% for TNFα (P for trend=0.04). Similar inverse associations were found for TNFα (P for trend=0.003), soluble TNF receptor 1 (P for trend=0.01), soluble TNF receptor 2 (P for trend=0.02), IL-1β (P for trend=0.05), and IL-6 (P for trend=0.04) when soy food consumption was assessed by the frequency of consumption in the preceding 24 hours. No significant associations were found for other markers studied. Conclusions: This study suggests that soy food consumption is related to lower circulating levels of IL-6, TNFα, and soluble TNF receptors 1 and 2 in Chinese women. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Coastal currents play a key role in regulating alongshore sediment transport, and their relationships with winter storms (burst of the East Asian winter monsoon) and formation of the coastal mud deposits on the eastern China shelf have been established, based on which the evolution of the East Asian winter monsoon has been widely explored. Unlike that of coastal deposits, the formation of offshore deposits on the eastern China shelf is very complex and highly debated, leading to enormous challenges on paleoclimate reconstructions based on these deposits. In this study, cross-front sediment transport under a variable Yellow Sea Warm Current (YSWC) was explored using remote sensing imagery and sedimentary records (seismic profile and sediment grain size) from the North Yellow Sea (NYS). The results indicate that, although the offshore mud deposit in the western NYS is formed by winter storms through triggering cross-front transport of coastal sediment around the Shandong Peninsula, the winter storm signal was completely obscured by that of the YSWC, which might determine the flux of cross-front sediment transport on a millennial scale. The 1500 y sub-orbital climate variability cycle could also be observed in distal muds after 2.8 ka. By comparing the sediment composition within the same mud deposit or between adjacent mud deposits in the NYS, we found that the response of cross-front sediment transport to the YSWC varied spatially, which may be a reason for discrepancies observed in previous winter monsoon reconstructions on the eastern China shelf. Therefore, as indicated by this study, offshore deposits on the eastern China shelf are not suitable for inversions of the winter monsoon. In addition, mud deposits on the eastern China shelf are also dramatically affected by other dynamic factors, including typhoons and river flooding; thus, deeply exploring the dynamic characteristics and formation mechanism of these deposits are prerequisites for paleoclimate reconstruction. • In NYS mud deposits, the winter storm signal was completely obscured by the YSWC on a millennial scale. • The 1500 y sub-orbital climate variability cycle may be recorded in distal muds through regulating cross-shelf transport. • Complex ocean dynamics on the continental shelf are likely responsible for discrepancies in previous paleoclimate studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Ecological indicator system (EIS) is widely used in ecosystem monitoring, assessment and management, building a bridge between scientists, environmental managers, and the general public. This paper explores a conceptual model for ecological indicator selection, and a quantitative selection model is formulated based on the conceptual model. The quantitative selection model is a typical zero-one type integer programming problem, and a binary-code genetic algorithm is proposed for solving it. Then the quantitative selection model and its solving method are applied to the Xiamen''s coastal ecosystem health framework which comprises 4 levels of ecosystem structure. In this case, the purpose is to reduce the indicator set to minimize overall management costs, and 19 indicators are discarded from the 54 candidate concrete indicators by our method. The selection modeling and its solving method are demonstrated to be a scientific and effective way for ecological indicator application. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

[Display omitted] • High-frequency oscillation of SSH-induced pressure gradient forces can trigger offshore transport. • Offshore transport of coastal waters has a significant relationship with PB occurrences. • The influence of atypical wind patterns on long-term ecosystem impacts should not be ignored. The East China Shelf Sea (ECSS) is subject to high-frequency storms during winter and spring, with these storm processes serving as a significant driving factor for initiating the outward diffusion of materials from the inner shelf. Inner shelf waters tend to be rich in nutrients, thus their horizontal diffusion is crucial to the marine primary productivity of the outer shelf. However, our understanding of the processes that govern the offshore water mass transport under winter storm oscillations and the mechanisms driving their impact on phytoplankton is currently limited. In this study, we used satellite and reanalysis data from 2003 to 2020 to investigate the modulation mechanism of winter offshore currents (WOC) on phytoplankton bloom (PB) stimulated by storms in Northern Taiwan (NTW). The results revealed that at synoptic scales, winter storms result in higher sea surface height (SSH) and potential energy on the inner side of the front. However, during periods of weakened storms (for example, during north wind relaxation or a shift to southerly winds), a strong WOC is produced in the top 30–50 m of the ocean due to continuous SSH adjustments caused by changed pressure gradients and induced by topography. PB occurs in the offshore waters of the front, driven by a continuous nutrient supply and an increase in photosynthetically available radiation (PAR). On an interannual scale, offshore transport is controlled by the storm's duration and the extent of its weakening. As the climate warms and winter winds in NTW have consistently weakened over the past 20 years, lower turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) and a shallower mixed layer depth (MLD) will promote phytoplankton growth. The results suggest that water level fluctuations caused by high-frequency changes in winter storms are strongly linked to the offshore sediment transport from near-shore waters, impacting the material transport and the health of the ecosystem on the continental shelf. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Double-pipe heat exchangers are widely used in the high-pressure and high-temperature applications for their simple and tight tube-in-tube configuration, but therefore normal and stable operation of such pressure-bearing equipment turns to be of greater significance because potential safety risks and economic losses will be aroused if failures occur on them. To deal with this issue, abundant researches have been conducted so far, however most of them focused on the flow and fluid characteristics by numerical simulation and experimental verification, while little attention was paid to the actual cases from the engineering practice. In this paper, such an actual failure case study concerning leakage on the jacket pipe of one double-pipe heat exchanger in a high-pressure polyethylene facility is addressed. In order to find out the causes of this failure, investigation including materials inspection, chemical phase analysis, microscopic morphologies observation, micro-area chemical compositions detection and finite element analysis etc. was carried out. The results indicated that the leakage was firstly induced by the uniform corrosion and the under-deposit corrosion successively, and then stimulated by the effect of erosion from the complicated fluid characteristics around the tee structure. Finally, the related mechanisms of this synergistic effect between corrosion and erosion were discussed, and the pertinent countermeasures from both design and maintenance point of view were proposed, including descaling of the fouled inner pipe, improvement of the circulation cooling water quality, and upgrading of the pipe materials etc. Achievement of this paper will supplement the failure cases database of double-pipe heat exchangers, based on which design optimization and failure prevention will be possible. Double-pipe heat exchangers are widely used in the high-pressure and high-temperature applications for their simple and tight tube-in-tube configuration, but therefore normal and stable operation of such pressure-bearing equipment turns to be of greater significance because potential safety risks and economic losses will be aroused if failures occur on them. To deal with this issue, abundant researches have been conducted so far, however most of them focused on the flow and fluid characteristics by numerical simulation and experimental verification, while little attention was paid to the actual cases from the engineering practice. In this paper, such an actual failure case study concerning leakage on the jacket pipe of one double-pipe heat exchanger in a high-pressure polyethylene facility is addressed, seen in Fig.1. In order to find out the causes of this failure, investigation including materials inspection, chemical phase analysis, microscopic morphologies observation, micro-area chemical compositions detection and finite element analysis etc. was carried out. The results indicated that the leakage was firstly induced by the uniform corrosion and the under-deposit corrosion successively, and then stimulated by the effect of erosion from the complicated fluid characteristics around the tee structure, seen in Fig.2 and 3. Finally, the related mechanisms of this synergistic effect between corrosion and erosion were discussed and illustrated in Fig.4, and the pertinent countermeasures from both design and maintenance point of view were proposed, including descaling of the fouled inner pipe, improvement of the circulation cooling water quality, and upgrading of the pipe materials etc. Achievement of this paper will supplement the failure cases database of double-pipe heat exchangers, based on which design optimization and failure prevention will be possible. Image 1 • Present a premature failure case of leaked jacket pipe on double-pipe heat exchanger. • This heat exchanger is used in a high-pressure polyethylene facility in China. • Countermeasures were proposed from both design and maintenance point of view. • The synergism from both corrosion and erosion was addressed in detail in this paper. • Failure analysis case database of double-pipe heat exchangers will be enriched. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While terrigenous materials tend to be limited to the inner shelf by coastal fronts in the shelf seas of eastern China, they could still be transported to offshore regions when coastal front is disturbed by winter storms. However, the offshore transport process is still poorly understood because its variation does not have close relation with strength of wind storms. In this study, we took offshore transport in the North Yellow Sea (NYS) as an example to explore the determining factor for amount of offshore transport. The results show that offshore transport in the NYS is positively correlated with the strength of the Kuroshio Current and its branch recorded in water temperature on a millennial scale, but is rarely influenced by winter storms, which is also supported by the instrumental data on interannual and monthly scales. By analyzing modern hydrological and meteorological data, we found that the variation of offshore suspended sediment transport with interannual and monthly scales is controlled by the variation of horizontal density gradient, which supports the possible mechanism underlying the millennial scale variations in sediment core data. One possible mechanism dominating the flux of offshore transport is that the increasing density difference across the coastal front is conductive to cross-front exchange when the frontal instability is triggered. • The variation of offshore transport with millennial time scale has high consistency with the offshore water temperature. • The decadal variation of offshore suspended sediment spreading is regulated by the horizontal SST gradient. • The offshore spreading of coastal materials might increase in future if the global warming continues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The Wulong gold deposit was formed in the early Cretaceous. • The ore-forming fluids could be magmatic in origin. • The deposit was formed during lithospheric thinning of the eastern North China Craton. The Wulong deposit is the largest quartz vein-type gold deposit in the eastern Liaoning Province of China. The gold ore bodies are hosted by Mesozoic biotite-granites. The mineralization occurs as veins with lenticular shapes. Laser-ablation-ICP–MS zircon U–Pb dating was used to date the biotite-granite, granite porphyry, and fine-grained diorites at the Wulong deposit, yielding ages of 155.4 ± 0.9 Ma, 154.2 ± 1.2 Ma, and 123.1 ± 0.9 Ma, respectively. A sericite sample from the gold ore yields a 40Ar–39Ar plateau age of 122.8 ± 0.8 Ma (MSWD = 0.09). The calculated δ18O w values for the quartz range from 4.8% to 8.6% and the δD W values of fluid inclusion waters in quartz vary from −98% to −77%. The H–O isotope data indicates that ore-forming fluids could be of a magmatic origin. The δ34S values of metallic sulfides range from +1.1% to +2.4%, with an average of +1.8%, suggesting that the sulfur is derived from a magmatic source. The 3He/4He ratios of fluid inclusions in pyrite range from 0.36 to 0.65 Ra with an average of 0.50 Ra. The mantle helium involved in the ore-forming fluid ranges from 3.9% to 7.2%, indicating a crustal fluid source. The Wulong gold deposit was formed at ca. 120 Ma and it has a genetic association with contemporaneous fine-grained diorite. The Wulong deposit was formed during lithospheric thinning of the eastern North China Craton during the early Cretaceous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Conodonts from the Cambrian–Ordovician transition at the Liangcun section in Xishui County, Guizhou and at the Huangcao section in Wulong County, Chongqing are examined for the first time. Both sections are located at the southeast margin of the Sichuan Basin. A total of 1367 specimens were recovered, representing 30 species and 15 genera. Based on the ranges of conodonts generalized from these two sections and another six sections previously studied in the same region, three conodont zones, Cordylodus proavus, Monocostodus sevierensis and Cordylodus angulatus zones are recognized. The index species of the Cambrian–Ordovician boundary at the global stratotype section and point (GSSP), Iapetognathus fluctivagus and its substitute in China Iapetognathus jilinensis are not observed in the study sections, therefore it is impossible to determine the Cambrian–Ordovician boundary exactly. However, it probably lies within the lower part of M. sevierensis zone (the upper part of the Loushanguan Group), correlating with the GSSP in Canada and the Dayangcha section in China. Chronological sequences of the FAD (First Appearance Datum) of C. angulatus, Chosonodina herfurthi and Rossodus manitouensis are not obvious in the study, so the C. angulatus zone here is correlated with zones defined by C. angulatus, Ch. herfurthi and R. manitouensis in the lower Yangtze Platform. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

As the only specialized institution for research and control of parasitic diseases at the national level in China for almost 70 years, the National Institute of Parasitic Diseases (NIPD) at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC) has been instrumental in supporting the remarkable progress from high prevalence to transmission interruption or low endemicity of several diseases, lymphatic filariasis, malaria and schistosomiasis in particular. This has taken place through technical guidance, emergency response and scientific research as well as providing technical service, education, training, health promotion and international cooperation. With China's increasing involvement in international cooperation and the increased risk for (re)emerging tropical diseases in mind, the Chinese Government designated in 2017 a new Chinese Center for Tropical Disease Research to NIPD. Responding to the expanded responsibilities, the institute is scaling up its activities in several ways: from parasitic diseases to the wider area of tropical diseases; from disease control to disease elimination; from biological research to policy evidences accumulation; and from public health to global health. Based on this new vision and China's previous accomplishments in the areas mentioned, the institute is in a position to move forward with respect to global health and equitable development according to the central principles of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]